Articles

  • Audacity
  • Podcasting

Audacity noise reduction: how to remove background noise

Remove hum, hiss and room noise in Audacity 4 — the three-step Noise reduction effect, what each slider does, denoiser plugins that run live on the track with no noise profile, the AI route that still needs Audacity 3, and the noises none of them can fix.

9 min read
  • Fundamentals
  • Mixing & mastering

What is a limiter?

A limiter stops audio from passing a set ceiling — a compressor taken to its extreme. Here is how it works, how it differs from a compressor and a clipper, and where it belongs in your chain.

7 min read
  • Mixing & mastering
  • Fundamentals

How to use a compressor: settings that actually work

Threshold, ratio, attack, release and makeup gain — what each control does to the sound, a method that works from the gain-reduction meter, and starting points for vocals, drums, bass and guitar.

7 min read
  • Fundamentals
  • Mixing & mastering

What is mastering in music?

Mastering is the last stage before release — the pass that makes a track hold up on phone speakers and festival systems alike, and sit consistently beside the other songs on a record. Here is what it changes and what it can’t.

7 min read
  • Mixing & mastering

How to master a song: the chain, step by step

Master your own track at home — how much headroom to leave, the gain, EQ, compression, limiting and metering chain in order, how to use reference tracks properly, and the mix problems you should send back rather than master around.

8 min read