Recording

The fact that they achieved little commercial success didnt stop the New York Dolls from making one of the most influential albums in the history of pop music.

REMs first single wasnt just an embryonic form of the style and sound that would later make them so successful, it was also a gem of the American new wave. But it took a long time coming...

The pioneering electronica of I Feel Love didnt just revolutionise disco, it changed dance music forever. This is the story of how it was made...

There are very few records whose influence can be so strongly felt after 45 years as the Kinks You Really Got Me. At the controls was Shel Talmy, who tells us the story of a song that changed pop music.

Now that we have digital models and dynamic convolution technology, were spoilt for choice when it comes to classic compressor flavours. But whether hardware or software, which is right for which job?

It can be difficult reading about compression without hearing what it does. Here are a number of audio files to accompany this article, with a detailed explanation of what they demonstrate.

Getting precisely the results you want from compressors can often be the key to a tight, modern-sounding mix. We explain what the controls are designed to achieve and how they relate to what you hear.

In 1975, Aerosmith stormed into the mainstream with their Toys In The Attic album, and in doing so set the tone for a decade of West Coast heavy metal.

Thunderous reverbs, haunting vocals and Mellotron galore: we tell the story of recording the Moody Blues symphonic rock masterpiece, Nights In White Satin.

If your music deserves the best musicians, the Internet provides the means to find them. We test the three leading on-line session services.

If your music deserves the best musicians, the Internet provides the means to find them. We test the three leading on-line session services.

Engineer Roy Cicala worked on all of John Lennon's albums from Imagine onwards, and in Whatever Gets You Thru The Night, recorded this solo number one hit single.

On his second solo album, Van Morrison took the production reins for the first time. Manning the desk was engineer Shelly Yakus, who tells the story of recording Moondance.

Blighted by drug abuse and mental illness, Heavy Zebra never fulfilled their early promise. Nevertheless, the deranged majesty of their 1972 single Karla makes it a bona fide classic track.

Whether you want to do it for real or fake it, double tracking can add very effective texture to vocal parts.

This is the story of how an inspired rearrangement of an old song created a track that, 50 years on, remains a genuine and enduring classic.

Getting chordal guitar parts to work together in a track can be tricky, and if two players are working the same chord sequence...

Producers Stock, Aitken and Waterman developed a massively successful formula for making pop records — and the story of Rick Astleys 1987 smash hit, Never Gonna Give You Up, is a perfect guide to the SAW assembly line...

With reverb, EQ, delay and more at your disposal, enhancing the sense of front-to-back space in your mix can be a challenging affair. We take you through some tips that will give your mix a depth charge!

In 1977 Status Quo brought in producer Pip Williams to help them clean up their act. The result was a hit album and a best-selling single — 'Rockin' All Over The World'.