Straight answers on audio plugins, your DAW, and making music, written properly so you can fix the thing or make the thing. The technique comes first and it is free, whether or not you ever buy anything from us.
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Which formats each host loads, where they install, and why a plugin you just bought is not showing up.
Using audio plugins in Logic Pro, and why they are not showing up
Logic takes Audio Units, not VST. Where they install, the Plug-in Manager, Reset and Rescan, and validating a stubborn plugin yourself with auval.
For beginnersUsing audio plugins in GarageBand
GarageBand takes Audio Units, not VST. Where they install, how to add one to a track, and why a plugin you just installed is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Ableton Live
Live takes VST2, VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the Plug-Ins settings, and the rescan that fixes a plugin that will not appear.
For producersUsing audio plugins in FL Studio
FL takes VST, VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the Find and Verify plugins scan, and why a plugin you just added is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Studio One
Studio One takes VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the Locations and blocklist settings, and why a plugin is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Cubase
Cubase takes VST3, not AU, and VST2 is on the way out. Where they install, the Plug-in Manager and blocklist, and why yours is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in REAPER
REAPER takes VST, VST3 and, on a Mac, Audio Units. Where they install, the path and re-scan settings, and the fix for a plugin that will not appear.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Bitwig Studio
Bitwig takes VST2, VST3 and CLAP, but no Audio Units. Where they install, the Locations and rescan settings, and why a plugin is not showing up.
For producersUsing audio plugins in Pro Tools
Pro Tools takes AAX only, not VST or AU. Where AAX installs, the iLok and scan gotchas, and why a plugin you just bought is not showing up.
For editorsUsing third-party audio plugins in Final Cut Pro
Final Cut takes Audio Units, not VST. Where they install, why yours is not showing up, and the four limitations nobody mentions.
For editorsUsing audio plugins in DaVinci Resolve
Resolve loads VST and, on Mac, Audio Units, in the free version too. Where they install, the one folder it ignores, and why yours is not showing in Fairlight.
For editorsUsing audio plugins in Adobe Premiere Pro
Premiere takes VST and, on a Mac, Audio Units. The Audio Plug-in Manager, where they install, the folder it ignores, and why yours is not showing up.
Which format to download, where each one goes on Mac and Windows, and the checklist when a plugin will not appear.
Why is my audio plugin not showing up in my DAW?
The seven ordinary reasons a plugin goes missing, in the order to check them, and the one that catches nearly everyone, whatever host you use.
TroubleshootingPlugin is damaged and can't be opened: the macOS fix
Why macOS calls a plugin damaged or unverified, the Open Anyway and Terminal fixes, and why a signed, notarized plugin never triggers it.
TroubleshootingWhy is my export silent? Fixing a silent bounce or render
The quick checklist, and the big one for self-playing instruments: an offline bounce captures silence, so you bounce it in realtime instead.
FormatsAU, VST3 and AAX: which audio plugin format do you need?
What each format is, which host takes which, where they install, and a simple rule for picking the download that will actually show up.
InstallingHow to install audio plugins on macOS, and why they do not show up
Where each format installs, the difference between the two Library folders, the one some apps ignore, and the checklist for a plugin that will not appear.
InstallingHow to install audio plugins on Windows, and why they do not show up
The VST3 folder, the SmartScreen warning, the Unblock step people miss, and the checklist for a plugin that will not appear in your DAW.
Fixing problemsWhy is there no sound coming from my plugin?
The usual causes in order, from mute and routing to missing MIDI, an empty patch, a stuck gate, or CPU overload, with a symptom to fix table.
Fixing problemsWhy does my audio crackle and pop?
Why playback crackles, clicks and drops out, what buffer size actually does, why it gets worse as a project grows, and how to stop clicks while recording.
Fixing problemsMy plugin crashes my DAW
Why a plugin crashes or freezes your DAW, how to find the culprit from the crash log and safe mode, the fixes in order, and how to stop it recurring.
FormatsWhat is a VST plugin?
What VST means and who made it, the difference between an instrument and an effect, VST2 versus VST3, and why VST is not the only plugin format.
Fixing problemsAU validation failed in Logic Pro
Why Logic disables a plugin that fails AU validation, the usual causes, and how to fix and re-run validation in the Plug-in Manager.
Fixing problemsWhy is my recording out of time?
Why a recorded part plays back early or late, what latency and delay compensation are, and how to record in time with a low buffer and direct monitoring.
How to actually make the thing: ambient, drone, pads, lo-fi, basslines, generative, and music you own.
I want to make music but don't know where to start
A starting map for adults with no experience, no gear and not much time. What to ignore, and a first week that ends with actual music.
For beginnersHow to make music without knowing any music theory
Theory describes what sounds good, it is not a licence you need first. The three shortcuts that do the same job, including the four chord loops everyone uses.
For beginnersHow to make ambient music when you can't play an instrument
Ambient is the friendliest doorway in: slow, textural, forgiving. The four ingredients, the three settings that matter, and a first piece tonight.
For producersHow to make generative ambient that plays itself
Generative music is a system, not a loop. Drones that drift out of phase, randomness fenced to a scale, and slow moves over minutes.
For producersHow to make a drone sound for ambient and film
What a drone is, how to build one from a held note, how to keep it moving over minutes, and how to sit it under a scene.
For producersHow to make a synth pad
What makes a sound a pad, how to build a lush one from scratch, how to make it evolve instead of sitting still, and how to fit it in a mix.
For producersHow to turn a sample into an instrument
Set the root so it plays in tune, loop it so it sustains, and turn a static sample into an evolving, playable texture.
For producersChord progressions for ambient and cinematic music
Why cinematic chords float instead of resolving, which modes give which feeling, five progressions to start from, and how to voice them big.
For producersHow to write an acid bassline that actually moves
Acid is not a filter sweep. It is accent and slide, one repeating cell, and a pattern locked to the kick.
For producersHow to make a lo-fi hip hop beat
The swung boom-bap drums, the jazzy chords, the simple bass, and the tape and vinyl wear that turns a clean loop into a lo-fi one.
For producersWow, flutter and saturation: how the tape sound actually works
What each control physically is, the numbers a real cassette deck hits, and how much is too much before it reads as broken.
For producersVoice leading: why your chords sound like a keyboard demo
The same four chords sound amateur or beautiful depending entirely on which notes move and how far.
For creatorsHow to make royalty-free background music for videos and streams
What royalty-free and owning your music really mean, why making your own is safer for monetized videos, and how to write a bed that stays out of the way.
For creatorsHow to make music for video games
Why game music has to loop and adapt, how layered stems and interchangeable sections work, and how to keep it out of the way of the game.
For producersHow to make dark ambient and cinematic ambient
Low drones and sub rumble, dissonance and minor modes, field recordings and noise, and slow evolution that feels heavy without being loud.
For producersHow to make acid techno
The 303 line with accent, slide and resonant sweeps, the driving four-on-the-floor kick, and the hypnotic repetition that carries a long track.
For producersHow to make a riser or build-up
Pitch risers and noise sweeps from scratch, the silence before the drop, and layering several risers so the build actually hits.
For producersHow to make an evolving tape loop
Loop a phrase, layer loops of different lengths so they drift out of phase, and let it wear out until it becomes a different piece.
For producersHow to make a bassline
The four jobs of a bassline: lock to the kick, follow the chord roots, stay in one register, and repeat a short cell until it turns into a hook.
For producersHow to make synthwave
The palette and how to build it: detuned saw leads, a driving arp bass, lush pads, gated 80s drums, and the nostalgic major-over-minor feel.
For producersHow to make a soundscape
Layering field recordings, drones and processed samples, then using granular, reverb and panning to give it space and slow movement.
Start hereHow to make ambient music
A primer: start from a slow pad or drone, use open harmony and long reverb, add a texture, and let it change very gradually. Links out to the deeper guides.
For producersHow to write a melody
What makes a melody memorable: a short motif repeated and varied, mostly stepwise motion with a few leaps, a clear contour, and landing on chord tones.
TheoryHow to write a chord progression
Build chords from a key, the diatonic table in C major, the progressions that show up everywhere, and how tension and resolution carry a song.
For producersHow to make vaporwave
The slowed, hazy sound from chopped loops, big reverb and tape warble, plus how to stay on the right side of copyright with your own material.
FoundationsWhat is MIDI and how does it work?
What MIDI is, why it is control data and not audio, the messages it carries like note and velocity, and how producers use it to edit and swap sounds.
TheoryWhat are scales and keys in music?
What a scale and a key are, the major and minor step patterns, C major and A minor side by side, and why staying in a key makes notes sound right.
For producersHow to make house music
The four on the floor kick and off-beat hat, a bouncing sidechained bass, piano and organ stabs, and how to arrange a house track in phrases.
FoundationsWhat is a synthesizer and how does it work?
What a synth is, the oscillator to filter to amplifier signal path, what each control does, and the main types from subtractive to FM to granular.
SynthesisWhat is an ADSR envelope?
The four envelope stages, why attack, decay and release are times but sustain is a level, and how the same envelope shapes volume or filter.
FoundationsWhat is a DAW and which one should you use?
What a digital audio workstation is and does, a fair rundown of the main ones and what each is known for, and how to pick one and start free.
For producersHow to make techno
The driving four on the floor kick, hypnotic repetition, rolling bass and atmosphere, and how to build a track that evolves over minutes.
SynthesisWhat is FM synthesis?
How FM makes sound by one oscillator modulating another, why the ratio sets the character, and what it is good for, from bells to punchy bass.
FoundationsWhat is an audio interface and do you need one?
What an audio interface is and does, whether you actually need one (no if you work in the box), and what to look for if you do.
FoundationsWhat is quantization and should you quantize?
What quantizing is, how the grid and strength work, how to tighten timing without killing the groove, and when to leave a part loose.
For producersHow to make trance
The offbeat rolling bass, supersaw leads and lush pads, the long breakdown that rebuilds into the drop, and how to arrange it at 130 to 140 BPM.
SynthesisWhat is wavetable synthesis?
How a wavetable holds many single-cycle waves and scanning through them morphs the tone, why it suits evolving digital sounds, and how it differs from FM.
SynthesisWhat is an LFO?
What a low frequency oscillator is, the rate, depth and shape controls, the classic uses from vibrato to filter wobble, and how it differs from an envelope.
FoundationsWhat are sample rate and bit depth?
What sample rate and bit depth mean, the Nyquist idea, what 16 and 24 bit give you, what to actually use, and what dithering is for.
For producersHow to make hip hop beats
The drum core, the sample or loop, and the bass that locks to the kick, the tempo ranges from boom bap to trap, and how to stay clear of copyright.
SynthesisWhat is a filter?
What a filter does, cutoff and resonance, the low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and notch types, and the filter envelope that gives a synth its movement.
Sound designHow to make a bass sound
Choosing the oscillator, keeping the bass mono and solid, layering a clean sub with a character layer, and adding saturation so it reads on small speakers.
For producersHow to make future bass
The moving detuned supersaw chords, the pitched vocal chops, the half-time drop, and the hard kick sidechain that makes the chords breathe.
SynthesisWhat is an oscillator?
What an oscillator is, what the waveforms sound like, why synths use more than one and detune them, and how it starts every synth sound.
Sound designHow to make a lead synth sound
Choosing the oscillator and unison for a lead that cuts through, mono versus poly and glide, and the filter, envelope and effects that place it.
For producersHow to make phonk
The cowbell melody, the distorted 808 and hard drums, the chopped Memphis vocals and cassette texture, and how to stay clear of copyright.
For producersHow to make chiptune (8-bit music)
Making 8-bit music with the limited palette of old sound chips: pulse and triangle waves, a noise channel, few voices, and fast arpeggios that fake chords.
Sound designHow to make a chord stab
Turning a chord into a short, punchy hit with a fast attack and quick release, the sounds and 7th chords that work, and placing stabs on the offbeats.
SynthesisWhat is a waveform?
What a waveform is and why its shape sets the timbre, what the basic waves sound like from sine to saw to noise, and how complex sounds are built from them.
For producersHow to make future garage
The shuffled 2-step drums, deep sub bass, pitched vocal chops and wide reverb pads, and the restraint that gives future garage its melancholic space.
Sound designHow to make a reese bass
How to build the detuned, phasing growl of a reese bass, keep the low end solid in mono, and add the movement and distortion that give it bite.
For producersHow to make chillwave
The dreamy, nostalgic sound of warm vintage synths, heavy reverb and a washed-out tape haze, with slowed samples and buried vocals at a relaxed tempo.
TechniqueHow to make an arpeggio
What an arpeggio is, how an arpeggiator turns a held chord into a pattern, the rate, direction and octave controls, and how it differs from a sequencer.
SynthesisWhat is polyphony?
What polyphony is, the difference between monophonic and polyphonic synths, what voices and voice stealing mean, and where paraphonic sits between them.
For producersHow to make disco
The four-on-the-floor kick, off-beat open hats, and octave-jumping funky bassline, plus string and brass stabs, chanking guitar, and what nu-disco adds.
TechniqueHow to make a vocal chop
How to cut a vocal into fragments, re-pitch and arrange them into a hook or a rhythmic texture, and how to stay on the right side of copyright.
SynthesisWhat is unison?
How unison stacks detuned copies of a note for a thick, wide sound, what the voice, detune and spread controls do, and what a supersaw really is.
Sound designHow to make a pluck sound
How to shape a short, percussive pluck with a fast attack and quick decay, a filter envelope that snaps closed, and the oscillator choices that make it sharp or soft.
TechniqueWhat is syncopation?
What syncopation is, how accenting the off-beats against the strong beats creates groove, the ways to add it, and why it drives funk, disco and dance music.
ProductionHow to structure a song
The common sections of a pop and an electronic track, how long each usually runs, and how to shape an energy map so the chorus or drop lands.
For producersHow to make ambient techno
How to blend techno's steady pulse with ambient's deep pads, drones and dub delays into something hypnotic and textural rather than peak-time.
Sound designHow to make a sub bass
What a sub bass is, which clean wave to use, how to make it translate on small speakers, and how to fit it with the kick so they do not fight.
SynthesisWhat is timbre?
What timbre is, why a piano and a violin sound different on the same note, and how a synth shapes it with oscillators, filters and envelopes.
TheoryWhat is a chord?
What a chord is, how triads are built by stacking thirds, what makes a chord major or minor, and what seventh and suspended chords add.
Sound designHow to make a wobble bass
How to make the dubstep wobble bass with an LFO on the filter cutoff, sync it to the tempo, and add resonance and distortion for the growl.
For producersHow to make synthpop
How to build 1980s synthpop from synth bass, leads and pads, drum machines and a catchy vocal hook, and how it differs from synthwave.
ProductionHow to finish a track
Why tracks stall and how to actually finish them: arrange early, limit your palette, commit decisions, and accept that done beats perfect.
Getting the finished track loud enough, clean enough, and out the door for streaming.
How loud should my master be? LUFS for Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music
What LUFS is, the level each platform normalizes to, why they turn loud masters down, and a safe target for true peak and loudness.
MixingWhy does my mix sound muddy? And how to fix it
The low-mid buildup that causes mud, which frequencies to look at, and an ordered fix list from high-pass filtering to keeping the low end mono.
MixingWhat is a compressor and how do you use it?
What threshold, ratio, attack and release actually do, when to reach for compression, and how to avoid the pumping of over-compression.
MasteringHow to master a track
What mastering does and cannot do, the usual chain order from corrective EQ to the limiter, a sensible loudness target, and knowing when to stop.
MixingWhat is EQ and how do you use it?
What an EQ does, the band types and the bell's frequency, gain and Q, cutting before boosting, and using EQ to unmask sounds that clash.
MixingWhat is reverb and how do you use it?
The types from room to plate to convolution, what pre-delay, decay and damping do, and how to add space without muddying the mix.
MasteringWhat is a limiter and how do you use it?
How a limiter holds a ceiling, why it is the last thing on your master, how it differs from a clipper, and how to avoid crushing a track.
MixingWhat is sidechain compression and how do you do it?
The kick ducks the bass pumping effect, how to set it up with a key input, and the other jobs sidechaining does like ducking music under a voice.
MixingWhat is gain staging and how do you do it?
Keeping levels sensible at every step so nothing clips, the target your tracks should sit at, and why hitting the red makes a mix sound worse, not louder.
MixingHow to mix vocals
The standard vocal chain in order, the EQ moves that add clarity without harshness, and how to carve a pocket so every word cuts through.
MixingWhat is stereo width and how do you widen a mix?
What stereo width is, the techniques that widen a mix safely, why the low end stays mono, and why you always check the result in mono.
MixingWhat is parallel compression?
How blending a heavily compressed copy under the dry signal adds body while keeping the transients, how to set it up, and where it shines.
MixingWhat is phase in audio?
What phase is, how phase cancellation thins a sound, what causes it from multi-mic to wideners, and how to check and fix it by summing to mono.
MixingWhat is a de-esser?
What a de-esser is, why sibilance gets harsh, how to set one so it tames the ess sounds without dulling the vocal, and what to do without one.
MixingWhat is headroom in audio?
What headroom is, why leaving room below 0 dBFS stops clipping and helps mastering, how much to leave, and how it differs from the noise floor.
MixingWhat is bussing?
What a bus and an aux send are, how a subgroup lets you process a group together, when to use a send for shared reverb, and how the two differ.
MixingWhat is dry vs wet signal?
What dry and wet signal mean, how the dry/wet mix control blends them, when an effect runs fully wet, and the difference between insert and send effects.
MixingWhat is mid-side processing?
How mid-side splits a stereo signal into centre and sides so you can widen, keep the low end mono, or treat the centre and edges of a mix separately.
MixingWhat is a decibel (dB)?
What a decibel is and why it is logarithmic, what the 3, 6 and 10 dB rules of thumb mean, and how dBFS, dBu and dB SPL differ.
MixingWhat is a transient?
What a transient is and why it carries the punch, how a transient shaper reshapes attack and sustain, and how it differs from a compressor.
MixingWhat is distortion and saturation?
What distortion and saturation do, how they add harmonics, the difference between warm even harmonics and harsher odd ones, and soft versus hard clipping.
MixingWhat is chorus?
How chorus copies a signal, delays and modulates it, and mixes it back for a thicker, wider shimmer, what the controls do, and how it differs from a flanger.
MixingHow to use a reference track
What a reference track is, why comparing your mix to a released song keeps your ears honest, how to choose one, and how to level-match and A/B.
MixingWhat is a noise gate?
What a noise gate does, what the threshold, attack, hold and release controls mean, its cleanup and gated-reverb uses, and how it differs from an expander.
MixingWhat is a delay effect?
How a delay effect makes echoes, what the time, feedback and mix controls do, the digital, analog and tape types, and how to keep it from cluttering.
Scoring a scene, placing sound in a real space, and the craft of music that supports picture without pulling focus.
How to make music sound like it's playing in another room
The filter settings that work, the four mistakes that make it sound fake, and what to do when the camera moves.
For editorsHow to write cinematic underscore that sits under a scene
What underscore is, how to support a scene without pulling focus, building tension on the cut, and making the music belong in the space.
For editorsHow to make trailer music
The drone-and-pulse bed, the rising tension, the big hits and the braaam, the silence before the last one, and the three-act build.
For editorsHow to mix music under dialogue so both survive
Where speech and music actually collide, the three fixes in order of how well they work, and the levels to aim at.
For editorsWhat is worldizing?
The Walter Murch technique for making sound belong to a real place, why it beats a reverb preset, and how to do it digitally.
For editorsFutz: making a voice sound like a phone, a radio or a TV
Band limits you can dial straight in, and the reason a perfectly futzed voice still sounds fake.
For editorsDiegetic and non-diegetic sound, and why the line matters
What the terms mean, where source music sits, and the trick of crossing the line on purpose.
For editorsHow to add music to a video
Adding music to a video edit: placing and trimming it to picture, syncing to cuts, ducking it under dialogue, fading cleanly, and staying clear of copyright.
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