We Support FLAC

henry@dubstudio.co.uk — Thu, 29 May 2008 01:00:00 +0100

If you are going to use any sort of data compression, FLAC is the recommended choice. It does exactly what it says on the tin (see the blurb below). I tried compressing a track, uncompressing it and comparing the difference using inverse cancellation, and just as I had hoped, I got silence. Unlike other forms of data compression for audio, its completely reversible, and you can even play it without decoding it. More and more platforms are starting to support FLAC, I l [...]

Bass - How Low Can You Go?

henry@dubstudio.co.uk — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

There is a common belief that when cutting vinyl dub plates and masters the lower frequencies must be in mono, but this is only partly true. Its all a matter of amplitude. Its possible to cut very wide stereo at any frequency, but there is a limit to the amplitude of the wave. Below is a close up photo of a 600Hz sine wave cut in mono at 45rpm, magnified x40 (fig.1).

Stereo Processing

henry@dubstudio.co.uk — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

Its common(ish) knowledge that large stereo differences between left and right channels can cause problems when cutting and playing vinyl (see: Bass - How Low can You Go?). There are varying opinions as to where to start 'monoing' the lower frequency, but the truth is its a compromise between what sounds good, and what's gonna stop the vinyl skipping, so its gonna vary depending on the track. Personally, as a rule of thumb, I use a 6dB per octave filter from 400hz downwards. This [...]

What File Type?

henry@dubstudio.co.uk — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I have been getting a lot of questions from clients recently about file types, sample rates, bit rates and such like, so I thought I would clarify a few things here.

There are really no limitations about what you can cut onto a dub. As long as it makes a sound, it should record. Generally speaking, the higher the 'resolution' the better. That's to say, when it comes to sample rates, bit depths and data transfer rates, the higher the better. There are a few things worth po [...]

Skipping

henry@dubstudio.co.uk — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

No matter how much I test dubs before I send them out, one thing that seems impossible to avoid completely is the dreaded skip. There can be a whole load of reasons why a dub might skip, so I thought I would do an entry here to explain a few of them.

Grooves and Land - the space between the grooves on a record is called land, and if there is not enough of it, the grooves get too close, and can sometimes cross over each other, causing the dub to loop continuously. If this is the case, th [...]

Vinyl Seminar - Dub Studio at Beat Clinic

henry@dubstudio.co.uk — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0100

I was proud to be invited last Sunday to join Danny Byrd at his Beat Clinic Production Tips and Tricks seminar in London, to give a little insight into dubplates, mastering and vinyl. The seminar was a sell-out success, and there will be a follow up Q&A appearing on the Dogs on Acid forum in the coming weeks. See the Beat Clinic website for more details.

Talking Ring

henry@dubstudio.co.uk — Sun, 15 May 2005 00:00:00 +0100

Check this out, Dub Studio was asked whether it was possible to record sound onto an engagement ring, and here are the results...

Too read the full story, see Luke Jerram's web page, an article on the bbc website and the Times Online.

Blog Entries

We Support FLAC

Bass - How Low Can You Go?

Stereo Processing

What File Type?

Skipping

Vinyl Seminar - Dub Studio at Beat Clinic

Talking Ring