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Mono Safe Masters

60-odd years ago, if an artist released both mono and stereo versions of their music, the mono version was usually the definitive one. There’s a reason original mono vinyl copies of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band can sell for multiple times the price of their stereo counterparts - it’s the mix the band actually spent time on. See, back in the late ’60s, many listeners had not updated their home systems to stereo yet, and recording techniques were still very mono-oriented. Even on stereo releases, instruments like drums and piano were often still recorded to a single mono channel. Obviously, a lot has changed since then, but believe it or not, mono is still a thing.
Danny Echevarria

29 June 2026

Mixing & Mastering

Mixing & Mastering

The Compressor Hiding in Plain Sight
The attack and release behavior of a compressor is often the real core of its personality. Can we agree that compressors have personalities? I like to imagine the Fairchild 670 as sort of a “no wearing white after Labor Day” traditionalist, or the ELH Distressor as an energy-drink-chugging overachiever, knee-deep in side hustles and rarely seen sleeping. I could keep doing these all day, but lucky for you I’m going to stop with just one more – our own FUEL plugin. Its personality? Maybe your new best friend.
Danny Echevarria

22 June 2026

Community

48kHz: The Correct Sample Rate
Sam recently made a post explaining how higher sample rates (88.2kHz, 96kHz, 192kHz, etc.) are not better and arguably more problematic than lower sample rates. So if bigger isn’t better, where’s the sweet spot? The answer is 48k. Here’s why.
Danny Echevarria

15 June 2026

Mixing & Mastering

Mixing Into Master Plan
Some years back, I worked as an assistant for another engineer - it was a transformative experience that helped me level up in a big way as a mix engineer. One of the biggest things my boss did differently from me was mixing “top down.” It was the opposite of everything I had been taught about mixing, and the perspective shift reshaped the way I approach a mix.
Danny Echevarria

08 June 2026

SweetEQ's Density and Guitars
The thing with mixing guitars is that the frequencies they do need - for fullness, weight, or presence -  are some of the same midrange frequencies that are most crucial for vocals. Some guitar parts inherently sound good a little thinner - think funky rhythm guitar playing, for instance - so this is less of an issue. But a lot of guitar parts, especially distorted rhythm guitar tracks, need exactly the same frequencies where we find the fundamental notes of vocal parts and crucial early harmonics. This can create problems. Maybe you’ve encountered them.

Mixing & Mastering

01 June 2026

Parallel Compression on Drums
Nasty, aggressive compression is the secret weapon behind a lot of great drum sounds. There’s something about heavy gain reduction - and all the un-subtle coloration that comes with it - that can really bring a drum part to life. These tricks shine in parallel, allowing us to get the best of both ugly and clean drum sounds. Think of it as a sonic mullet: business in front, party in the back.

Community

25 May 2026

Maximize with minimal effort

Try FUEL for free →

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Mixing & Mastering

Mono Safe Masters
60-odd years ago, if an artist released both mono and stereo versions of their music, the mono version was usually the definitive one. There’s a reason original mono vinyl copies of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band can sell for multiple times the price of their stereo counterparts - it’s the mix the band actually spent time on. See, back in the late ’60s, many listeners had not updated their home systems to stereo yet, and recording techniques were still very mono-oriented. Even on stereo releases, instruments like drums and piano were often still recorded to a single mono channel. Obviously, a lot has changed since then, but believe it or not, mono is still a thing.
Danny Echevarria

29 June 2026

Mixing & Mastering

The Compressor Hiding in Plain Sight
The attack and release behavior of a compressor is often the real core of its personality. Can we agree that compressors have personalities? I like to imagine the Fairchild 670 as sort of a “no wearing white after Labor Day” traditionalist, or the ELH Distressor as an energy-drink-chugging overachiever, knee-deep in side hustles and rarely seen sleeping. I could keep doing these all day, but lucky for you I’m going to stop with just one more – our own FUEL plugin. Its personality? Maybe your new best friend.
Danny Echevarria

22 June 2026

Community

48kHz: The Correct Sample Rate
Sam recently made a post explaining how higher sample rates (88.2kHz, 96kHz, 192kHz, etc.) are not better and arguably more problematic than lower sample rates. So if bigger isn’t better, where’s the sweet spot? The answer is 48k. Here’s why.
Danny Echevarria

15 June 2026

Mixing & Mastering

Mixing Into Master Plan
Some years back, I worked as an assistant for another engineer - it was a transformative experience that helped me level up in a big way as a mix engineer. One of the biggest things my boss did differently from me was mixing “top down.” It was the opposite of everything I had been taught about mixing, and the perspective shift reshaped the way I approach a mix.
Danny Echevarria

08 June 2026

Mixing & Mastering

SweetEQ's Density and Guitars
The thing with mixing guitars is that the frequencies they do need - for fullness, weight, or presence -  are some of the same midrange frequencies that are most crucial for vocals. Some guitar parts inherently sound good a little thinner - think funky rhythm guitar playing, for instance - so this is less of an issue. But a lot of guitar parts, especially distorted rhythm guitar tracks, need exactly the same frequencies where we find the fundamental notes of vocal parts and crucial early harmonics. This can create problems. Maybe you’ve encountered them.
Danny Echevarria

01 June 2026

Community

Parallel Compression on Drums
Nasty, aggressive compression is the secret weapon behind a lot of great drum sounds. There’s something about heavy gain reduction - and all the un-subtle coloration that comes with it - that can really bring a drum part to life. These tricks shine in parallel, allowing us to get the best of both ugly and clean drum sounds. Think of it as a sonic mullet: business in front, party in the back.
Danny Echevarria

25 May 2026

Maximize with minimal effort

Try FUEL for free →

previous page

next page

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