My Writings. My Thoughts.

Blog Post: Recording Schools – Are They Worth It?

// March 5th, 2010 // 10 Comments » // Blog Post, Learning Curve

As someone making a full-time living engineering, who has completed a “Digital & Analog Recording Arts” diploma from a local recording school, I wanted to share my feelings on the subject of education in this field. Audio engineering is an amazing career with incredible appeal to those interested in music and technology. There is a big niche out there to provide training to those looking to get into the field. The question is: is it worth it? Here are my two cents, and some important questions to ask yourself before enrolling.

These schools are far from cheap. The program I enrolled in cost over $10,000 for a full-time, one-year course.  Some comparable institutions charged up to double that. As with most post-secondary education, that is a lot of money. What exactly are you getting for your five-figure tuition fee? Continue Reading

Learning Curve: 5 Quick Tips For Great Vocal Recordings

// February 23rd, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Learning Curve

Though tracking vocals is one of the most straightforward recording tasks, it is also one of the most important. I often get asked questions about getting a good vocal sound. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your vocal recordings:

1. Microphone Placement

I am putting this one first, because it is the most important AND the most overlooked. The position of a mic relative to its source can have as much, or more impact on the tone of a sound as liberal amounts of EQ. For example… Continue Reading

Tech Review: Monster Turbine Headphones

// February 11th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Reviews

The Monster Turbine…

As I type this, I am enjoying a sonic experience I have never obtained through in-ear headphone listening. After owning my new Monster Turbines for a couple days, I thought I would share my findings. At $149.99 retail, I was pleasantly surprised.

How do they sound?

The bass is extremely well defined; it is large and focused, without being hyped out of proportion. The highs are bright and present, without being too sibilant or harsh, and allow for a great stereo image. Finally, the mids are what really surprised me: They are so open and detailed. Punchy snare drums take on a three-dimensional smack, and vocals sound ideal. The detail is so good that Continue Reading

Download: Gawdbless / Royce Da 5′9 – True Story (HQ)

// February 7th, 2010 // No Comments » // Audio, Updates

Check out a single from the upcoming Gawdbless record “Frontline Killers Vol.1″. This Album has taken years to complete, but i am proud to announce its arrival this for Feb 2010. It features heavyweights such as Sean Price, Tragedy Khadafi, Royce Da 5′9, Agallah, and more. I’ll post it here when it’s officially released, i already have it all uploaded to soundcloud. In the meantime, download this heavy track featuring The Slaughterhouse’s Royce Da 5′9:



We’re back!

// January 19th, 2010 // No Comments » // Updates

Well, here we are…

Glad to have the site back up again. Looking forward to updating regularly with audio and video of what’s going on in the studio. I plan to get into putting some video blogs of the antics from the studio; complete behind the scenes footage with all of my favorite clients. If you have been in the studio with us before, you know there is always something amusing and/or magical happening. Keep checking back for more updates.

Jamie Kuse on Soundcloud.com

Take a second to listen to some examples of the quality music that is coming out of our studios. Continue Reading