9 Great Reference Mixes for Modern Pop

by Nick Messitte, iZotope Contributor September 19, 2019

This article concerns itself with the genre of modern pop, but therein lies a problem: pop is a curious music, as it’s the only genre that is not a genre by definition. Whatever is popular, that is pop. “A Fifth of Beethoven,” Frozen’s “Let It Go,” and “Old Town Road” sound nothing alike, and yet they are all pop.

5 Signs of Over-Processing in a Mix

by Daniel Dixon, iZotope Contributor September 19, 2019

We spend a lot of time showing folks how to use plug-ins across their mix. But with every video tutorial and list of tips we publish, there is a caveat: be careful not to get carried away.

10 Tips for Mastering if You’re Not a Mastering Engineer

by Nick Messitte, iZotope Contributor February 7, 2018

Maybe you’re a singer songwriter who has mixed a song and wants to release it quickly. Or perhaps you’re an EDM producer working at a fast clip, and you don’t want to shell out the money to bring every new track to a competitive level. Maybe still you’re a mixing engineer looking to give a client a pseudo-master—not just any pseudo master, but one that sounds better than the average limiter-slam.

How to Mix Hi-Hats: 8 Tips for Added Energy

by Daniel Dixon, iZotope Contributor September 9, 2019

A hi-hat is vital to an overall great drum mix.
In our blog articles “5 Tips for Mixing High End” and “8 Tips for Taming Harsh Treble in the Mix” we provided some general tips for managing high end in a mix. Today, we’re diving into a specific sound that occupies the top end of the frequency spectrum: hi-hats.

Making Metal: How to Master Metal with Ian Shepherd

by Ian Shepherd, Mastering Engineer September 4, 2019

Mastering metal is tough.

In fact, I’d probably go so far as to say it’s one of the most challenging genres to get truly great results in. It is certainly possible though.