When I began recording music, I learned quickly that my ears were the greatest asset in the studio. Therefore, I had to prepare for the journey of developing them for the studio environment.
Just as you should train your voice to sing correctly, you must train your ears to hear correctly. A developed ear takes time and practice, and hands-on is the most effective training. You have to know what to hear in order to know how to hear it. One of the hardest developments for me at first was hearing the differences in compression and limiting/gating. Different parameters produce different results, and as an engineer recording my product, it was essential I understand these settings and how they produce sound. This same ear applies to microphone placement.
A developed ear will hear a dry room versus a wet room and know what type of room works best for the project. A developed ear will hear whether a certain type of microphone is the best match for a particular vocal. As many of us don’t have the luxury of having 10 mics on hand to choose from, it’s important to understand in many cases, a single mic can cover many vocal opportunities by knowing how to tweak it to get the best result from it.
A developed ear understands the dynamics of mixing. As a mix goes through several critical stages such as tracking, editing, volume changes, mixing/blending, equalization, effects and processing; not hearing how to blend these elements can cause dreadful results. Ever listened to a mix and can tell right off what makes it a good or bad mix? Not by speculation, but by knowing? And keep in mind, I’m not talking about mastering. These are two separate entities whereas mastering involves a different type of ear.
Artists, it doesn’t hurt for you to begin this developmental process as well. The more you know, the more diverse you become in this industry. Know what makes your music sound good and hear what doesn’t.
How to care for your ears:
Don’t mix when you are ill or congested with cold/sinus issues.
Listening to loud music continuously can permanently damage the ears. (Did you know you don’t have to mix at loud levels to get good results?)
Protect your ears in extreme temperatures.
is common and you should rest when your ears tell you.
About the Contributor Lady Tha ProducHer is an entrepreneur who loves people, plays piano, produces music in her production studio, loves to write, and does graphic and web design. Visit her Official Website at www.ladythaproducher.com
RT @LadyProducHer Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS
RT @LadyProducHer Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS
RT @LadyProducHer: Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS
RT @SHEEmusic: RT @LadyProducHer: Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS «– Great article!
Ty ladies! I needed thatRT @SHEEmusic: RT @LadyProducHer: Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS
RT @SHEEmusic: RT @LadyProducHer: Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS
RT @LadyProducHer Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS
RT @LadyProducHer Develop Your Ears, Your Studio Will Thank You! | Studio Noize http://bit.ly/3pqJuS
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I thought this was going to be a great tutorial on ways to develop your studio ear, but there’s almost no information here. It’s essentially a pep talk. Can you recommend any resources for developing your ear? Thanks.
Hello Peter. Sorry you misunderstood! You are exactly right about the article; it is essentially a pep talk. In order for one to develop an ear, they have to understand how important it is to develop an ear; and that’s what this article conveys. This article is also based on my many experiences of communicating with people who don’t realize how important it is to hear correctly. As you were thinking it’s a tutorial… it would have clearly been titled: ‘Ways to develop the studio ear’ or ‘How to develop an ear’.
As for answering your question, the article gives you an outline of what areas you need to develop your ear. Take that information and find books and audio tutorials on CD’s (Hal Leonard Series/Bill Gibson is awesome!). There are several audio tutorials online for specific areas of development. Only you know which areas you need help! As the article also states, hands-on is the best teacher. Developing an ear is a personal thing which happens over a certain amount time for each individual. And trust me when I say this is not an overnight, quick-lesson ordeal. It takes time.
When I started out, I bought tons of books in the areas I wanted development, and read them religiously so I could first understand what I needed to hear. Then I went into my studio and applied those measures. More than anything Peter, it’s non-stop… I’m always studying and developing… always.
Not sure how there’s almost no information within the article for you… However, hopefully, this response will assist you better.
Thanks for stopping by!
Great points, while it’s not technical it’s great to remind ourselves or even introduce to some how important your ears are. As musicians, it’s easily the most valuable tool you have to work with.
Good stuff!
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Thanks ‘music software review’ and you are certainly right — The ears are essentially the most valuable tool to work with.
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I’m training myself to mix and produce more outside of the headphones, i get so lost in the headphones that i forget my ears need a break. I wonder if there is a way to get a ear check? lol.
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@TMill LOL! It’s good though you are continuing to develop your ear! You will find the more you are exposed to the studio environment, it’s a necessity to understand exactly what you are hearing and how to deal with it.
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