website about sound engineering/production?

June 21, 2012 11:40 AM

I'm interested in audio engineering/production/mastering etc . Is there a website that talks about different effects, characteristics of recorded sound, etc. and then provides samples of well-known tracks as examples?

I may have asked that backwards, because I what I'm really interested in is the techniques/intent of those who shaped the sound of music I know. I remember seeing a website that described the making of classic albums from a mostly production perspective, and that's pretty close, but I would really like to see an example-based discussion, with audio clips. [PS - I lost the link to that site, help?]

There's also a film series that gets close to this -- again, the making of Plastic Ono Band or whatever -- and parts of these are soap operas and personalities, but the good parts for me are where the engineer has the original master recordings, and he turns down that channel so you can really hear what they did on this channel, etc.

Is there a website that does something like this?

posted by stupidsexyFlanders to media & arts (5 answers total)

dubspot's petti test is mostly for electronic stuff, but he takes the signature elements from tracks and shows you how to reconstruct them in software...
posted by raihan_ at 11:48 AM on June 21, 2012 [2 favorites]

what I'm really interested in is the techniques/intent of those who shaped the sound of music I know. I remember seeing a website that described the making of classic albums...

Can you be more specific? What is the music you know? Do you have examples of some of the classic albums you're referring to? Are we talking 1950's jazz, or "Chinese Democracy?" (both of which would be very interesting to me too, actually...)
posted by thrasher at 1:59 PM on June 21, 2012

"Music I know" -- I'm looking for a site that uses pop music tracks to illustrate engineering and production concepts.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 2:04 PM on June 21, 2012

I'm betting that the film series you're speaking of is Classic Albums, (most/all of which are currently on Netflix Instant), and I think it's a great show.

However, it's pretty unique, because getting hold of the un-mixed multitrack recordings (which is how that series is able to show "Hey listen, here's the track of nonsense syllables that we added in at such-and-such a level to "thicken" this keyboard part") involves a whole set of legal permissions from the artists & labels & songwriters & copyright holders and etc etc etc, plus - depending on how old the album is - some technical complications. In other words, definitely not the kind of thing that any random-person-on-the-internet can get hold of & create a website about.

I've sorry I don't really have time to link, but Mix, Electronic Musician, ProSoundNews, FOH (Front of House) are all trade magazines that have websites, and I think (not 100% certain) that some of their features on current/classic albums may include some audio/video clips. Also possibly ProSoundWeb.
posted by soundguy99 at 7:34 AM on June 22, 2012 [1 favorite]

I'm always prepared to shill for Sound On Sound, which I have no affiliation with apart from that they have taught me the better part of what I know about sound.

Their Classic Tracks feature, which has an extensive back catalogue, has no samples but they should be easy to obtain. Older articles (>6 months if that's still the case) have the paywall lifted.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 5:02 PM on June 22, 2012