A communication protocol for rehearsing in earplugs
The Real Problem Is a Missing Process Most groups that struggle to talk in rehearsal with earplugs in blame the earplugs.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Articles by Ethan
Carvin Audio Commemorating 80-Year Anniversary
Carvin Audio is celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2026. The company was founded in 1946 by Lowell Kiesel and spent eight decades designing and building gear for players and sound professionals.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Have FireWire Audio Interfaces And An Apple Silicon Mac? You Might Be Able To Use Them
Apple's latest macOS left a lot of perfectly good FireWire interfaces without a way to connect.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
How To Name Mix Versions So Nobody Plays The Wrong One
Everyone has heard the joke about the file called "Final." The moment you label something final, the revision requests start arriving, and soon you're sending "Mix Final Final v4.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Keep your base IEM mix: note only the song-specific changes
"Give me more lead vocal" sounds like a clear request. Over a full set, it stops being useful.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
MIXPrep 2.3.1 Learns Your Pro Tools Mix Template And Builds New Sessions In It
Every mix starts the same way. A client sends a folder of audio, and before you hear a note of the song you're renaming files, sorting them into groups, pulling levels down, and dragging everything onto your usual tracks.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
One IEM goes quiet mid-song: what to do next
You're halfway through a chorus and one ear drops out. Your part keeps moving, a transition is coming up, and you have no idea what just failed.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
OWC Updates ThunderBay 4 Storage System With Thunderbolt 5
Other World Computing (OWC) has refreshed its ThunderBay 4, a four-bay RAID storage unit.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
PA System Basics: What Every Band Member Should Know
Learn how your signal travels from instrument to speakers so you can request the right monitor mix, catch problems before soundcheck stalls, and speak the engineer's language.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Pliant Technologies Begins U.S. Shipping Of CrewCom Flex
Pliant Technologies has started shipping its CrewCom Flex intercom line to customers in the United States.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Pulsar Audio Releases DigiTape, A Free Early Digital Tape Plugin
Most tape plugins aim to copy a real tape machine as faithfully as possible. Pulsar Audio's new DigiTape goes the other way.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
RCF Strengthens Global Brand Protection With Further Legal Outcomes
Loudspeaker maker RCF has announced a new set of favorable legal outcomes in China.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Recording Your Band Together vs. Overdubbing: Which Approach Is Right?
Compare live tracking with overdubbing for feel, fixing mistakes, and the space and gear you need, so you can pick the approach that suits your band.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
RF Venue Presenting Live Online Session This Month: Why Circular Polarization Matters For IEMs
RF Venue has announced a free online webinar on Thursday, November 19, starting at 12:30 pm U.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
TiMax Shapes Sound Design For “Grease” At Thunerseespiele In Switzerland
What the production did The 2026 staging of Grease at Thunerseespiele, a lakeside festival in Switzerland, played to a 3,000-seat outdoor venue.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Toontrack Releases Neon Void EKX For EZkeys 2
Toontrack has released Neon Void, a new EKX (the company's name for an expansion library) for its EZkeys 2 songwriting instrument.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
What is audio mastering?
Mastering is the last pass a piece of music gets before release. You start with a finished mix and refine it: balance the overall levels, widen the stereo image where it helps, and listen for clicks, pops, or anything el.
Ethan Miller · Nov 11, 2026
Soundbar Reality Check: How Your Immersive Mix Sounds At Home
Most Listeners Aren't Hearing Your Studio Mixing in Dolby Atmos (a format that treats sounds as "objects" you can place anywhere in a 3D space, rather than assigning them to fixed speakers) is a thrill in a well-built ro.
Ethan Miller · Nov 10, 2026
Vienna Performer Renders MIDI With Real Players For €9.99 A Month
Vienna Symphonic Library (VSL) has released Vienna Performer, a plugin that takes the MIDI you've written and renders it as a performance by real players.
Ethan Miller · Nov 10, 2026
Choosing a PA for Small Venues: What You Actually Need
Find out what venues already provide before buying gear, and learn the right questions to ask when booking a gig.
Ethan Miller · Nov 9, 2026
Home Recording Session Checklist: Set Up Right Before You Hit Record
Run through this pre-recording checklist—cables, interface, headphones, DAW settings—so buzzing gear and clipped vocals don't ruin a great take.
Ethan Miller · Nov 9, 2026
Live Sound Troubleshooting: What to Check When Something Goes Wrong
Learn the power-down rule, local vs. global signal tracing, and step-by-step fixes to solve common live sound problems without damaging gear or killing the show.
Ethan Miller · Nov 9, 2026
Recording Bass Guitar: DI, Mic'd Amp, and When to Blend
Learn when to use DI, a mic'd amp, or both for bass—so your low end stays clean, tight, and mix-ready from the first take.
Ethan Miller · Nov 9, 2026
Stage Monitors and In-Ear Monitors: How to Actually Hear Yourself on Stage
Learn why you can't hear yourself on stage and how monitors and aux sends let each performer dial in a custom mix of the band.
Ethan Miller · Nov 9, 2026