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Tweak's
Guide
to recording success

In the Guide you can learn all the basics of how the latest recording technologies work, step by step, from  easy-to-read pages to in-depth articles that seasoned audio professionals will appreciate. There are currently 79 "classes" in the guide and the cover all the essentials you need to know.  You may read these articles for free.

Noobie Overview 


Comparison Charts

Recent Articles

 

 

Essentials

 

 

Audio Interfacing

Best audio interface over $1000

poll

RME Fireface 800

Best soundcard under $100  poll

MAudio Audiophile 2496

Tip # 3 Stop Comparing your Music to "OPM" (other people's music)

Your music is about you!  Not them.  Yes. it's a scary journey.  But that is where your personal treasure trove of musical gold lies.  Don't be an imposter.  Dig yourself

 

 

 

Recording, Composition and arranging department

 

What?!  U'r already a Producah? Oh that's tight! So take Tweak's Test and see if you really got it poppin'.

 

 

Digital Sampling

The MV8800  Roland MV8800

Downloadable Sounds at zZounds (Hey that rhymes!)

 

 

VG99

 Roland VG99

Epiphone Zakk Wylde

Epiphone 1958 Korina Flying V Electric Guitar

Taylor 814CE

Tweak's Guitar Gallery

Enter 
It's Cool Inside

Martin   Taylor   Gibson    Jackson

Fender    Epiphone    Ibanez

Electric Guitars

Amplifiers

Acoustic Guitars-Steel

Classic Guitars-Nylon

More Guitars


 

Adam A7 Powered Nearfield Monitor
large product image
Dynaudio Acoustics BM5A Active Nearfield Monitor
 

Which would you Choose?
Join the spirited discussions on the forums
http://studio-central.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=15

21 Ideas for Home
Studio Rigs

If I were starting out today, I'd click this

Tweak's Recession Buster Rig
"Make the music while we live the blues"

Just add your computer (with firewire) and cables.

 

Great sound at low cost
"EZ to get started software based system"

Discuss this Rig!

 

Entry level Mixer Based System
"inexpensive but works and sounds good"

Discuss this rig!

 

PC DAW Firewire Studio with motorized faders
"Power for the buck"

Discuss this Rig!

 

Dream Mac Studio
"Awe inspiring solution for composition, recording, mixing and mastering!"

Discuss this rig!

See More Studio Rigs   

Looking for SSL? The Line is here.

 

 

Putting Together your Recording Studio

The Virtual Recording Studio: Software Instruments, Synths and Samplers

Basic Theory

Drum Soft Samplers

 

Soft Synth Reviews

Tweak: Minimoog V (software) Sounds amazingly like the hardware

Reason Articles

Samplers

 

Sample Playback Instruments

See all articles on Software Synths and Samplers

About This Site

On this site you will find everything you need to know about producing master quality music in your home studio. You will find a gold mine of studio information,  and many often guarded recording industry secrets.

100% Pure Original Content, Tweakheadz Lab is the real deal!

Tweakheadz Lab has its own community forums, where you can meet others and ask questions. You will find people who really know this craft as well as people just starting out.
Tweak's site is the best site for learning music gear and is affiliated with the BEST online music gear stores on the internet: zZounds!
You are safe surfing at TweakHeadz! You might notice the funky look and feel of this website.  That is because it's all hand written in html by me! There's no evil popups or scripts or click schemes designed to trick you to buy stuff.  I do use images from zZounds database (with their permission) so for maximum enjoyment, allow your browser to Load images from zZounds.com
In addition to being your webmaster and forum administrator, The Tweak is a sound developer and composer, as well as a teacher in real life. TweakHeadz Lab has been serving the World-wide Community of Professional Electronic Musicians since 1996.
Thanks for Your Support!

TweakHeadz Lab  | Studio-Central | Audio-Pro-Central | About Tweak's zZounds and SameDayMusic Affiliations | Site Map | Privacy Policy |
 ©2009 TweakHeadz.com

About the
Forums

Read About the Community  Register! (It's free!) and you get:

  • Direct access to the Tweak and a quality community of great folks
  • Free constructive Review of your Songs by other members!
  • Personal messaging
  • Gear reviews and comparisons
  • a Vast database of questions and ANSWERS!  Over 30,000 questions answered
  • Integrated with many of Tweak's articles for a seamless learning experience. 




Google
 
 

Best Studio Monitors @ $1200 a pair.  Our new poll suggests the Adam A7.  Do you agree?  Vote/Look at the Poll

Adam A7 Powered Nearfield Monitor
The A7 matches the A.R.T. tweeter with a state of the art 6.5-inch woofer that introduces a new cone material combining high rigidity and high internal damping with low weight, resulting in an extremely accurate monitor with all the clarity, detail and spectacular imaging traditionally associated with the ADAM name.

 

Main

Behringer XENYX XL1600 16-Channel Mixer  Now IN Stock.  Also available are 24 and 32 channel versions. 

 

 

 

zZounds now carries Ready Acoustics Bass Traps

Keyboards and Modules



Roland Fantom-G8 88-Key Sampling Workstation

  Blofeld module reduced

Yamaha MM6--great for hip hop!Best multi-timbral synth under $600
 poll

Roland Juno D was de-throned by the Yamaha MM6.  Then the Juno D cut its price!

Access Virus TI2 Keyboard Integrated Modeling Synthesizer
The Access VIRUS TI2 synthesizer keyboard is designed to lead the world in a completely new direction. Total Integration uses innovative technology to greatly expand the VIRUS   Tweak:  Once you hear it you are infected!

 

Fantom G, Motif XS, Or Korg M3?  Our readers say:

Fantom G

poll

Tweak has the Motif XS

Review


The Fantastic Motif XS

 

 

Microphones and Preamps

 RE20SM58SM57
What do all these Mics have in Common? All of our members know.  Do you? Start reading the Guide today!
 

Rode NT1aThe Best All-Purpose Condenser Mic for $200 
poll

Rode NT1a

Best  microphone preamp $100-250

DMP3

poll

 

Tip # 2 Knowledge
IS Power!


Great Performances
+recording technique
+ Inspired MIX
+ Mastering
= Professional Quality Production

Let Tweak shorten your learning curve.  Learn, Experiment, Gain Experience--that is the true road.




Sequencers and Daws

Logic Pro 8 is in the Logic Studio PackageTweak uses Logic

Tweak: $500 has never bought a better sequencer.  You can spend more, but you'll get less!  See my review

cubase 5

CUBASE 5 is here at the TweakLab and under review

 

 

Tip # 6 Whatever you are creating, don't take it so seriously that you can't have fun with it!

If you are having a good time with your creations there is a good chance people will notice that. 

Tweakheadz is iPhone friendly

 

 

 

Tweak's Gear Finder  
 Look up all the items in our music store at a range of prices you define.  Easy and Fun!

 
type in a range like this 20-25 or 50-55

Coming soon!  Fostex LR16 Mixer/recorder


Big Mixers are back!  Check out the Allen and Heath Line and the Soundcraft Line. New Behringer BIG Analog Mixers coming in mid May.

Allen and Heath ZED436 36-Channel Mixer with USB Interface
 

New Lower prices on Tascam DM 4800 and DM3200 digital mixers

 

Tweak's BookStore

Tweak's BookStore has three Amazon A-stores and now sells Pro Gear and World Instruments As well as Books and Music

Tweet Me, Tweak!

Tweet Tweak on Twitter

@tweakheadz



Accessorize Yourself

Strings

Cables

Foam

Sticks

Picks


Tuners

Pickups

Blank

Media

Power

 

Cool Quote

"There is _no_ theory. You have only to listen. Pleasure is the law. I love music passionately. And because l love it, I try to free it from barren traditions that stifle it. It is a free art gushing forth, an open-air art boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea. It must never be shut in and become an academic art."

Claude Debussy

More quotations

Hear Tweak's Latest work with Christina on "The Secret Door" Released Nov 14

Tweak's Music
hundreds of songs online

 Tweak's "Planet Wonder"

hi-fi      Download

has once again reclaimed  #1 in the "experimental sounds" genre Soundclick on 2-7-08. Yeall! We are Hotern' yo homy! Tek Respekt yo!  

there's more in the jukebox

Best large condenser around $100 
poll

Studio Projects B1



Tip # 4 Headroom is more important than Loudness 

Making your tracks "as hot as possible" is an analog throwback that no longer applies to digital.  Recording at 24 bit, you'll get a better sound, and a better mix, if you give yourself a generous cushion between your signal and 0db on the meters.

 


Mixing, mastering, and monitoring

Best monitors under $300

  poll

KRK RP5G2 Rokit Powered

Best monitors $300-$500  poll
The KRK RP8--good call for a home studio monitor
KRK RP8G2 Rokit Powered
 

Tip # 5 Bass Kills

Many tracks have unneeded bass which when summed together can destroy your mix

 

Best headphones under $100  poll


Sony MDR 7506

 

Working with Video

 

There were over 175 user polls in our forums on last count (And that was a while ago!)

 

The TweakLab is now powered by LogicPro 8  and Final Cut Studio on an Apple G5 (soon to be Mac Pro)

 

It's
NEW!

(New Arrivals and stuff you can Pre-Order)

it used to be new
bLOwOuts





  The #1 Site for Learning about Home and Project Studios