Fun Stuff

One of the most common questions we get asked by customers at Vintage King relates to plug-ins and how they stack up against their analog hardware counterparts. In terms of Universal Audio's software replicas, the painstaking care taken to recreate these classic pieces of hardware is beyond obvious when comparing their sonic output. Continue reading →

Recently at our Los Angeles showroom, The Black Whisky Union came in to solve a problem they'd been having in the studio. The Southern California-based indie rock band produce and engineer their own music, but they weren't getting the vocal results they wanted with their previous set-up of a Neumann U 87 AI and Avalon VT-737SP. The end tracks were deemed "too boxy. Highs too brittle and hard. Mid-range was muddy." Continue reading →

Over the past few decades, Detroit-based producer and engineer Al Sutton has carved out a niche for himself in the world of rock 'n' roll. From working with legends like John Fogerty and Jerry Lee Lewis to up-and-comers like Greta Van Fleet, Sutton has become renowned for the sounds he's capable of getting at Rust Belt Studios. We recently visited Al at Rust Belt to get some insight into how he attacks capturing guitar and drums sounds in the studio. Check out our two new videos below to learn how Al tracks both instruments and find out what microphones and compressors he uses in the process. Continue reading →

There have been many influential creators throughout the history of the recording studio, but one that always stands out is Alan Blumlein. Celebrate what would have been his 114th birthday by reading below and learning about his famous miking technique and other contributions to the world of music. Continue reading →

This month, three classic albums are celebrating some monumental anniversaries that mark their initial releases; The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds (51-year-old), The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (50-years-old) and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On (46-years-old). Continue reading →

Bigger. Badder. Louder. Slower. Pioneered by Black Sabbath then perfected by Saint Vitus and Sleep, the bulldozing sounds of metal guitars have long been the calling card of the heaviest of days. In honor of today in particular, we've selected some of our favorite guitar pedals to recreate classic riffs from over four decades of timeless metal artists. Continue reading toward the riff-filled land! Proceed! Continue reading →

As one of the first synthesizers to be readily available to the general public, the Minimoog Model D was designed by Robert Moog and Bill Hemsath to be a more performance-friendly instrument than the large modular synths used in recording studios. In 2016, Moog Music brought back the classic synthesizer via a painstaking reproduction with a few new features for the modern musician. Continue reading →

We were extremely fortunate to have noted engineer, producer and studio owner Allen Sides, stop by the Vintage King Tech Shop a few weeks ago. Allen's career is nothing short of epic as he has worked on over 500 albums including titles by Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Phil Collins, Green Day, Eric Clapton, Joni Mitchell and more. Continue reading →

When it comes to St. Patrick's Day, much ado will always be made about getting tipsy on green beer, corned beef and cabbage, leprechauns and other trademark Irish tropes. This year, we wanted to shine a light on one of the most overlooked exports of the Emerald Isle - killer rock 'n' roll riffs. We've dissected the guitar tones of six classic Irish rock riffs and are using some of our current guitar pedal staples to recreate them. Happy St. Patrick's Day! Continue reading →

Update: Congratulations to all of friends and family who won big at yesterday's award show. See all of our nominated and winning clients below. The 59th annual Grammy Awards take place this Sunday, February 12th, and this year's list of nominees includes an extremely diverse group of artists like never before. We're extremely proud that among these nominees, many of our incredible clients have been honored for their outstanding work from throughout the last year of creating music. Continue reading to discover all of our clients who have been nominated in 28 categories, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Best New Artist and beyond. Continue reading →