This year’s Black Friday is fast approaching with Software developers and marketplaces already slashing prices, so we’ve compiled a list of the best online deals for new plug-ins, DAWs, and subscriptions. Plug-ins & VSTs Plugin Boutique is always at the top of the tree when it comes to Black Friday discounts and this year is no different. Plus, with any purchase, you can choose a free plug-in from the plugin Boutique range. Ace! iZotope holiday bundle The iZotope holiday bund

It’s ultimately the main goal of every studio session. Working towards ‘finishing’ a piece of music. You may have just sat through an hour of sound design or four hours organizing your sample library and no matter how you look at it, all these tasks still lead to one bigger goal - finishing music! We all know that music is probably never finished (it can always be adapted at some stage) but there comes a time when you have to hit stop, save, export and close! Sign up to our n

Before we start we must stress that your mixdown must be as good as possibly can be before moving onto the mastering stage. Mastering is added for extra sheen and volume but cannot be used to cover up gaping issues in a bad mix. Mastering will only highlight these issues even more. We suggest going back to your mix if you are not getting the required results from your mastering endeavours. When it comes to electronic music, every producer wants a loud and clear master, and wh

DAWs, high-end synths and plug-ins, samples, presets, headphones, monitors, mentorship, and more... Many people will tell you that you can’t produce music on just a laptop and headphones and that you need a sufficiently treated studio space, whilst this is advantageous, it isn't essential. The best way to start making music is exactly that - to start. Acoustics and equipment can be upgraded over time and with some great DIY options for room treatment and dirt cheap second-han

You may have heard people talking about tuning their kick drums to improve their songs, both musically and in terms of production ease. This is something which is ignored by many producers, both knowingly and unknowingly. Today I’m going to be discussing the merits of doing so, but also when it isn’t necessary. The issue is contentious in the industry, where some producers swear by tuning kicks, others such as Steve Duda, creator of Xfer and popular synth Serum, believe it is

There is a big jump from laying down your ideas in the DAW to the finished track. Most producers undergo many hours of processing and polishing before they feel comfortable publishing the song. This can lead to ear fatigue and poor judgement because you are so used to the elements that they cannot be mixed properly. This article outlines some of the steps employed by producers around the world to ensure they output the quality they need. Arrange The Structure One big mistake

At the star studded Herald Society Awards at the Radisson Blue Hotel, Glasgow on Wednesday 1 November, SKapade Studios beat off tough competition to scoop the illustrious ‘Social Start-Up’ Award. The group aim to benefit those youngsters who are often left behind or struggle in the traditional education system – and their efforts are really beginning to pay off, with not only a string of Community Impact Awards, but some of their alumni have been gracing music stages across t

Major? Minor? whats the best for writing a really good melody? here at SKapade, we give you some of our top tips for getting people’s hands in the air. Putting together a main melody for your track can be one of the hardest parts of songwriting. While sometimes it comes naturally, other times, you’ll end up spending hours agonising over it. The most important thing to bear in mind is how the melody works other key parts of the track that it’ll play along with, particularly th