It's been some months since my last blog post. I've missed you guys. I got married. I did some traveling. I moved from one apartment to another, which is always an ordeal with my studio setup. And I've been working.

One of my jobs is writing for a magazine covering the hardware and software of pro audio and high-end consumer audio. And it's been a learning experience writing under an editor; discovering what it means to adapt my writing style to another's publication.

The Parable

This past month, I've…

Introduction

You make music because you're passionate about it. You wouldn't be reading this otherwise. But for many, making music can be a lonely road. And it takes a mountain of passion to carry the heavy load of learning music theory, composition, production, arrangement, lyric writing, instrument performance, mixing, mastering, and the myriad of other aspects that need to be handled in order to make great music that finds an audience.

This is where collaborators come in. It may be unrealistic to try…

Introduction

One of the most amazing aspects of music production is just how fun it is to start throwing down layer after layer, adding new instruments and melodies and samples, building up a song until it blooms into life. It's one of the reasons production is so compelling: it's entertaining like a great video game, it's engaging like television never can be, you are building real skills as you produce, and you have something to show for your work after each production session.

One of the challenges…

Introduction

What's holding you back from making the music you want to make? Do you need education to learn the skills you need? Is it worth going to school to learn the production or engineering you want to do professionally? These are questions a lot of us have. What's the magic key to getting to where you want to be?

My Background

I went to school for audio engineering. It was a longer program than most - a full four-year degree. I was so hyped to begin the program. I thought it would change my…

In part one of this guide on improving mix translation, I covered five aspects of how equipment, room acoustics, and speaker positioning are compromising the effectiveness of all but the most ideal setups, and more importantly, what you can do about it on a reasonable budget. If you haven't read this yet, you'll definitely want to give it a read.

Today, in part two of this series, we'll be covering steps you can take working with the equipment and room you have now in order to make the best of it and give…

Introduction

I'm just going to be up-front on this one. I don't believe in prodigies. In fact, I'm not 100% sure that one person can innately have more talent than another. I think our ability to create and create well is entirely up to the experience we've accumulated for ourselves.

Wait a second, Milo, you say. You mean to tell me that my singer friend that sounds so amazing isn't better than I am? What about my piano-playing buddy that can just hear a melody and play it?

Well, obviously, no. Lots of…