Mixing Secrets For The Small Studio - Additional Resources

Freeware Top Ten

I’ve made more than 200 software recommendations in these resource pages, but if you’re short on time then here’s a shortlist of my own favourite freeware sources:

Mixing Secrets Freeware Top 10

Affordable Cross-platform Software

I’ve tried to mention appropriate cross-platform software options in every chapter page, but here are some of my overall top tips – they’re not all freeware, but they are all excellent value:

Jargon-busting Glossaries

Web Forums

Interviews With Producers & Engineers

Here are some of the best free on-line magazine interview archives on the net:

  • Sound On Sound Magazine Article Archive: Includes back-issue articles from the last twenty years, all free to view with the exception of the most recent nine months’ worth, which are only open to subscribers. (If you can’t wait to read something recent, bear in mind that you can buy individual articles as PDFs for a only a quid each.)

  • Tape Op Magazine Article Archive: Another massive collection of on-line articles, although much of it only accessible if you sign up for an (excellent value!) online subscription.

  • Mix Magazine Article Archive: Another good collection of on-line articles, if you don’t mind wading through loads of in-line web ads.

  • Muzines Magazine Archive: This is a great not-for-profit project where they’ve scanned a load of old music-tech magazines (including early Sound On Sound issues that were never originally available online). As such, there are bucketloads of classic interviews here as well.

  • Gearspace Expert Q&A Archive: Preserved for posterity here are Q&A sessions Gearspace carried out on their forum with a few dozen big names in production. Although these aren’t as focused as published interviews, they’re nonetheless very revealing, and provide insights into the working methods of some engineers (such as Mike Shipley and Russ Elevado) it’s difficult to find out about from elsewhere.

Video and podcast interviews are also becoming an increasingly valuable resource. Here are some freeware recommendations:

  • Pensado’s Place: A cable TV show presented by world-renowned mix engineer Dave ‘Hard Drive’ Pensado, featuring candid interviews with many current A-list engineers.

  • Mix With The Masters Q&A Videos: Although most Mix With The Masters videos are behind their paywall, their Youtube channel also posts great free Q&A videos with many of their featured producers.

  • RecordProduction.com: A mixed-bag collection of video interviews with producers and engineers, including plenty of high-profile names.

  • Waves Video Archive: Despite the ostensible focus on Waves products, they also feature interviews with many leading producers.

  • The ‘Working Class Audio’ Podcast: A long-running and thoroughly down-to-earth interview podcast which delves into the practical realities of making a living as an audio professional. Plenty of famous names have been featured, but the less well-known interviewees are no less interesting to listen to because of their insights into running small-studio businesses.

In addition to these free information sources, there are also a number of interview resources that I’d highly recommend: