S. Peace Nistades: It’s Not Done ‘Til It’s Done

… One thing every project has in common is deadline and delivery. As I’ve been working on project after project, I’ve put a lot of thought into getting to that final phase as smoothly as possible for both myself and the client by looking at the entire process leading up to deadline and delivery. Something that has remained true about the process on most of the projects I’ve worked on is, it’s never done ‘til it’s done.

Mixing: Technical Guidelines, Part 2

Recording and mixing music is a collection of skills that can take a lifetime to acquire. But almost every composer needs to do their own mixing sometimes, whether for a demo, low-budget project, or other reasons. The equipment keeps getting better and is widely available, especially with the computer software packages most composers work with. Let’s take a look at a few ideas and concepts about mixing music for the screen. Setting up your studio First of all you need an appropriate place to listen and work. A deep discussion of room acoustics is too much for this article, but for a fantastic resource check out “Acoustic Design For The Home Studio” by Mitch Gallagher….

Better Mixing Through DAW Control

This month I wanted to talk briefly about DAW controllers and how they can help you in your workflow. You probably have heard of a few models from Mackie including the Mackie Control, and the HUI. Presonus and Frontier Design have entered the market with a single fader unit, and if you’re Houston Haynes you already use the SmartAV Tango controller. Euphonix has also come out with two lower cost versions of their higher-end controllers, the System 5 and MC Pro. These lower cost versions, the MC Mix and MC Control offer a great deal of features for the price. DAW controllers have been around for a few years now, but have increased in visibility…

Maximizing Your Time: The Essentials

So here I am, responsible for getting these columns off to a delinquent start! But, I have a legitimate excuse, which I am going to use to kick off my first post here in my series “Composer as Producer.” Before I get started, I’ll take a quick moment to explain the purpose of my column. As a lecturer at UCLA, my personal goal is to train students in the skills they need to bring their music from the initial moment of creativity to the finished product, whether it be a live performance, an electronic recording, or a combination of the two. Even as the prices of music production equipment continue to fall, and the opportunities…