Adding a Control Surface 

As we have said many times, it is possible to create some great sounds with just the most basic of recording equipment. People have done awesome recordings with just their phones and some software. But when you have a deep love of sound, you want to find out some of the cool stuff that you can do with it. 

I started to experiment with sound as a kid and I have never really stopped. Audio editing is just an adult way that I can still keep playing with sound and make it something that I really love. A digital audio workstation gives you the software to change things up and make in your own. 

But there is no other DAW that is quite as unique as Luna. When Universal Audio released the product, it had many faults. There were many bugs but the company has worked on them and made it a lot better with time. Now it gives you many options that other DAWs don’t allow. 

For example, Luna is built on a database. And that is why you won’t be able to find the save feature on this program since there isn’t one. It saves as you work and every change you make will be saved onto the database automatically. Meaning you never have to fear losing progress because a battery on a device dies. 

It also means that all the changes you have ever made on the piece have been saved. You can undo it right up to the start of creating the piece. It gives you loads of options to choose from. If you combine a control station with this product it will give you even great options to edit your pieces. 

But a product as unique as Luna is not compatible with all other control surfaces. You need an MCU control surface or it won’t work on Luna. You also need to make sure that the software is updated or it could stop working. 

Since there are fewer control surfaces that work with Luna, you want one that is really strong. So, let’s look at some of the best options. 

1. Behringer X-TOUCH

• What I Love: How versatile it is
• What I Dislike: How chunky it is

This control surface is a favorite and has been on a number of our favorite control surface lists. That is because it has quickly become a piece of equipment that many audio producers love. It is a versatile control surface that once again proves its worth by being compatible with Luna. 

The X-Touch is easy to use but it still gives you plenty of options and it is very unlikely that there is a feature you need that can’t be found on this control surface. It has many different connection options and it also has many features that allow for smooth editing while using Luna. Since Luna does save everything, you can easily return to the previous version if you have made a mistake. But you won’t have to worry about that too much with the help of the X-Touch. 

The buttons, motorized faders, and the knobs all combine well to give you all the control and versatility of a much more expensive control surface. That is why it is considered a professional piece and why many great producers use it. 

It is a big control surface and not what anyone would think of when you think of something that is smooth and sleek, but its chunky frame is durable and gets the job done. 

2. PreSonus Faderport

• What I Love: Simple and easy-to-use design
• What I Dislike: Fewer options 

Now let’s go from a control surface that is packed with features, like the X-Touch to a relatively simple and straightforward control surface in the PreSonus Faderport. This is a control surface that is designed to be easy to use and simple to understand. 

It doesn’t give you as many options as some other control surfaces, since there aren’t a lot of buttons, but the encoders are impressive. The single motorized fader is also easy to use. This entire system has been made with simplicity in mind for the intuitive producer. It gives you everything that you really need to create some impressive sounds, but to do it easily. 

There aren’t a lot of options to choose from but it makes sense with this option since the PreSonus Faderport has been made to use with your computer keyboard. Some control surfaces are made to eliminate the use of the keyboard, but this one combines both elements instead. It is a really handy little control surface that is portable too. 

You can also use other versions of the PreSonus Faderport with Luna since they are also compatible. 

3. Icon Pro Audio Platform M+

• What I Love: Can build on it in the future
• What I Dislike: Takes some getting used to 

This is a great control surface when you want a solid professional product that gives you many options. But you want the choice to be able to expand on this later on. The Icon Pro works with Luna and you can use it as a control surface on its own, but you can also add more Icon Pro Audio components later and create a bigger control surface. 

The Icon Pro Audio Platform M+ gives you 8 channel faders along with a master fader that will give you plenty of great creative opportunities. Extra pieces will then be added if you need extra displays or connections and even more master faders. 

This is a quality product that is more on the expensive side and that is another reason why it is a great bonus that you can buy a piece at a time. Not only does it give you the time to budget smaller pieces at a time, but it also gives you the time to get to know this control surface. 

That is probably a really good thing since this control surface does take some getting used to. It is harder to use than some other options, but worth it when you eventually know the system well. When using Luna, you will have a lot of great options to take your productivity to new levels. 

Combining a Great Control Surface with UAD Luna 

Luna is an amazing digital audio workstation that has many unique features that you won’t find on any other DAW. It has options like undoing changes right back to the start when you first recorded the sound. It also saves your changes automatically on the database. 

Luna might have had some bugs at the start but now it has become a great piece of audio editing and recording software to use in audio production. It does need an MCU control surface to be compatible, but there are some really great control surfaces that are Mackie compatible, you can find something that helps you create amazing pieces of sound.

Combining a DAW and Control Surface 

My relationship with sound has been an ongoing love affair since I was a kid. And that naturally grew into music production and playing with sounds while recording and audio editing. Having a great digital audio workstation has allowed me to do some really interesting stuff with sound. From the comfort of my own home and with the most basic computer and recording equipment. 

But when you start to get serious about sound recording, a computer keyboard and mouse just don’t have enough control to do everything that you might want to do. That is where a control surface comes into play. 

This will give you maximum control over your DAW. Sensitive faders and buttons allow you to get the effect that you want. With Cubase, you will get a really intense digital audio workstation that has many different types of features. There are a few different versions of Cubase that has slightly different options. 

But for the most part, it is an intense DAW that takes some getting used to. But in the end, it is worth the effort since you will be able to do everything that a professional music producer will need to do. So, let’s check out some of the great control surfaces that are compatible with Cubase. 

1. Steinberg CC121

• What I Love: This is the ultimate Cubase control surface 
• What I Dislike: It is not readily available anymore 

You can’t make a list of control surfaces for Cubase without including this one on the list. Most DAWs have a control surface that combines very well with them, and for Cubase, this would be the one. Both tools are made by Steinberg. This control surface was in fact created especially to use with Cubase. It is the ultimate combination. The features of the DAW are easily controlled by the CC121. 

This is a relatively basic controller that won’t be confusing to use. Since Cubase can be intricate, this is a really good thing. It is a control surface that will be easily used by most audio producers, even someone who is just starting out. 

There aren’t additional knobs and buttons to assign to specific parameters and this can take some getting used to.  But when you are you will enjoy using this control surface. And it does make it slightly less confusing. 

It is still one of the best control surfaces on the market, especially for Cubase, even after it has been on the market for well over a decade. The big problem with that is that some of the components that they used to build the CC121 are no longer available. Making building them impossible. 

That is why this control surface is not being made anymore. Still, you can find new and used ones up for sale, and if you can find them, it is still a great option to use for Cubase. 

2. Akai Pro MIDIMix

• What I Love: It gives you a lot of features for this budget 
• What I Dislike: Buttons that don’t have a great feel

When talking about great control surfaces, the Akai Professional MIDIMix has to be on the list. It is a control surface that gives you many different options, but the best part is that it comes at a truly incredible price. It works well with many DAWs including Cubase.

If you want to get used to using a control surface, or if you don’t want to spend a lot of cash before knowing if it really does make life easier, then this could be the perfect control surface to buy. You might just end up loving it so much that you never upgrade it. 

It doesn’t feel like a cheap product. Instead, the components do feel sturdy and well built. The only part where it does slightly feel like they have cut some costs might be with the buttons and knobs. The buttons have a gel feeling, that I just don’t find pleasant to work with. The knobs are also slightly smaller than many users would prefer. If you have small hands then they are sensitive enough to use. But they are slightly small for bigger hands. 

But it makes sense that they are made in this size. This is a control surface that is made with portability in mind. Many DJs use it to do gigs. Or producers use it to take with them to other studios. It is small enough to fit most spaces. 

Yet, it still has 8 faders and a single master and will give you a lot of options and the features you need to make something wonderful. 

3. Solid State Logic UF8

• What I Love: Solid build and easy setup 
• What I Dislike: The price

This is definitely one of the most expensive control surfaces on this list. But many believe that is one of the best options available on the market today. It is a lot more expensive than some of the other options on this list but it has been compared to control surfaces that are upwards of $5000. 

You won’t have to pay that for this control surface, but it is still pretty pricey. At the same time, it gives you plenty of options. Solid State Logic has been making great audio editing tools for a long time. They were in fact some of the pioneers in recording world back when everything was analog. But going digital has not slowed them down at all. 

They make great products and the UF8 is one of the best. It is run on SSL 360 software. That means that it opens a whole new world of configuration. It will also completely streamline your creative process. 

If there are a few different DAWs that you like to use at different times, then it can become annoying when you have to switch your setup between this software. But you won’t have that problem with the UF8. 

Not only is this a great piece of hardware to use with Cubase, but you can also use this control surface and connect three different DAWs all at the same time. That means you can set up Cubase and also add other great DAWs like Logic Pro and Pro Tools at the same time. Plus, it is easy to set up. 

It is a sturdy and durable piece of tech; you won’t have to worry that a small bump will cause too much damage. The UF8 has 8 sensitive motorized faders and rotary knobs that give you a lot of editing freedom. 

The buttons are backlit and they can even be programmed. Making this a great tool to speed up the editing process. 

Control Surface for Cubase

When you are just starting to play with audio editing, it is possible to do so with only the basics. But if you are more serious then you will need a DAW combined with a great control surface. Cubase will combine well with these control surfaces for the ultimate creating experience. 

Why Get a Turntable? 

Setting up a sound system that you will love forever can start to become slightly confusing. There are so many components and different types of audio equipment to choose from. For example, there are loads of great speakers to choose from. Each with its own drawbacks and benefits. Still, with all of these choices, many people have started returning to turntables and record players. 

I grew up listening to the vast record collection that my parents accumulated over the years. It was a great childhood memory. For a long time, records were not the main way to listen to music, yet it has once again become really popular in recent years. Brand new albums come out in vinyl and the love of records has flared up. As it should. 

There is something really special when listening to records. A richness and fullness to the sound that can’t be replicated with any other form of music storage and playing. This is why record players have also become more popular recently too. 

There is a bit of a difference between a record player and a turntable. A record player had all the components built into play records. You don’t need to add any external components. For many of these devices, you do have the option of adding external pieces but you don’t need to. 

A turntable on the other hand has a platter, tonearm, and cartridge, and does need to have extra components added for you to listen to it. It might need speakers and a preamp added to it. But even so, some modern turntables already have an internal preamp. But that does not mean that you can’t add one too. 

If you want the option of building your own sound system and adding separate components, then a turntable is a great option. You can have complete control over the pieces you pick and how strong your system will end up being. 

But if you do choose a turntable, do you need a preamp? What does it do? 

What Is the Purpose of a Preamp? 

One of the main purposes of the preamp is to make the signal stronger and ensure that any noise or other irritating sounds that aren’t supposed to be on the music get cleaned up before you hear it. It is the first stop for the audio signal when it comes from your turntable. Then it will go to the amplifier and eventually to the speakers. 

This all happens in split seconds before you hear the sound from the record that is being played. It boosts the signal before it gets to the amplifier. Better audio and electrical signals equal better sound quality. Better quality preamps will be able to catch more mistakes and make the sound even better. 

It is also the device that will help you switch between different line-level sources. In other words, if your television or even a CD player or other device is set up on the same line as your turntable, then the preamp will be the device that makes sure that your sound comes from the correct device that you want it to come from. 

In other words, if you have more audio connections then it becomes even more important to have a preamp connected. But even if you only have the turntable connected to your speakers and other components, then it depends on your tastes. If you are an audiophile and small changes in the music irritate your ear, then you will surely need a preamp.

A Preamp VS An Amp 

Many wonders why you would need a preamp if you already have a powerful amp. That is because they perform slightly different jobs and neither can do everything the other can. Both of the add an amount of gain. This means they boost the signal that is produced by the turntable or other audio components, like microphones. 

They also have different positions in the chain of sound. Some components might be placed between them, but generally, their position remains the same. 

The preamp will almost always be at the beginning of the chain, right after the source of the sound. It will boost the sound quality that the amp later will have to work with. Then other things can be added in between, but generally, the amplifier will be at almost the end of your chain. 

This is when the amp will take the sound that the preamp has provided and add even more gain. This will be the last place where the sound can be changed, making certain elements, like the base, louder. The amp is directly connected to the loudness of the sound. And that is why many understand it better. It is also why many think it is more important. 

But in reality, both the preamp and the amp play their own important role. The power amp or amp is needed to give the drive to the speakers. Giving them the volume and effects that you want. An amp also needs a line-level signal to understand the audio, and a preamp provides this. 

If sound quality is really important then you will need to have both of these pieces to make your sound extraordinary. It is clear that you will need a preamp to play records. But there are some devices that have preamps built in. Is this enough? 

Built-in VS External Preamp 

The next thing to consider is if your device doesn’t already have a preamp that is built in. Or if you are just starting to put your sound system together, which product to buy, a turntable with a preamp or one that will require an external preamp added on to it? 

The biggest differences in the internal and external preamp are the sound quality, the budget, and the ease of installation. There are some really great options depending on your personal needs.

How To Know If Your Turntable Has a Built-in Preamp

There are many modern turntables that do have internal preamps. And the great thing is that you don’t even need to buy the most expensive turntable you can find to get this feature. Some affordable turntables do come with a preamp. 

But it can get confusing since they don’t always call it a preamp. Sometimes it will be called a phono preamp or a phono stage. And the only indication that you do have a built-in preamp will be an input spot at the back of the device, that might be labeled “Phono”. But often they don’t even indicate that. 

Luckily there is a very easy way to figure out if you do already have an internal preamp. Just connect your turntable to the rest of your system. If you play the music and your volume is good, and there are no distortions, then you have a preamp already. 

If you do have trouble getting volume and there are clear distortions then you will need to get an external preamp. At the same time just because you already have an internal preamp does not mean that you can’t expand your sound system. 

There are many turntables that still allow you to add an external preamp if you do want to improve the sound quality. 

The Sound Quality 

The sound quality of an internal and external preamp is one of the biggest considerations. It does make a massive difference in the sound quality. There are a few reasons for this. 

For an internal preamp, they have to make sure that it can physically fit into the turntable. That means that they have to make it much smaller than they would an external preamp. They need to make it a stripped-down version of the same piece of tech. They will use smaller components to make the turntable, like using smaller circuits and circuit boards. 

This often influences the quality of the sound that the preamp can produce since it isn’t working with the same capacity of components as an external preamp would be constructed with. 

Another big issue is the quality of the components that are used. It is often the case that a preamp is not the main focus when the device is being constructed. It can even be almost an afterthought. And that can mean that they use the cheapest possible components to build the preamp that they can get away with. 

This is of course not always the case. Some companies take a lot of pride in making sure that every piece of their turntable is well-designed and as good as they can make it. But in many cases, since it is out of sight, they hope that you don’t think of it too carefully. 

And since the preamp does have such a big influence on the sound quality, even if you have other great pieces, like a good turntable speaker combo, this can bring down the overall sound. Still, there are some turntables with internal preamps that do have pretty good sound systems. 

Budget 

Another massive consideration is the budget that you can afford to spend. For most of us that love sound, you want to buy the best possible sound equipment that you can afford. With the best sound intensity. But there is a limit to this. 

A turntable with an internal preamp will probably work out to be quite a bit cheaper than buying a turntable and then also buying an external preamp at the same time. It all depends on what you have to spend and just how important the sound quality is for you. 

Setting Up the Preamp

And finally, another major consideration would be how technically inclined you are. If you are just getting into the world of sound systems, you might want something that is slightly easier to set up. 

For the easiest installation and set-up, you won’t go wrong with a turntable that already has a preamp internally. These mostly just plug and play into your speakers and it works pretty well without needing a lot of technical experience. 

An external preamp will be harder to get ready to play. This makes sense since it gives you one more component to install in your audio channel. Making the installation slightly harder. 

This is something to consider, but not the biggest factor. Most external preamps will give you clear instructions on setting everything up. And there are also people who will come to your house to install your audio system completely. 

But obviously, this will add to the expenses even more. 

Do You Need a Preamp for Turntable? 

A preamp is a component that takes the audio signal from your turntable and enhances it. A record can play really softly and that is why the audio is in serious need of a boost. You also need a preamp to block out any distortions or annoying sounds that could come in with the signal. 

The preamp is slightly different from a normal amp in the sense that they have different jobs and that is why you do need both of them. It is important to have a preamp when you have a turntable. But there are some that come with phono preamps or phono stage built into the device. 

Deciding on going with an internal preamp or an external one comes down to a few key elements. Sound is the biggest difference. There is no denying that more often than not an external preamp will have a better quality of sound than one that is inside the turntable. 

Next is the budget. If you want to save some money, then an internal preamp will be the way to go for you. And finally, it depends on whether or not you are prepared to set up an external preamp on top of setting up the turntable. It does take slightly more effort. 

In the end, a preamp is important for sound but finding the perfect set-up for you will give you a lot of hours of musical enjoyment.

Do You Really Need a Control Surface? 

Many audio producers start with a love of sound and the desire to start playing with it and make it sound interesting. Or you could love to entertain and would like to find new ways to do this. But many producers start making music with basic software in their room, that is how I started my love of sound. A great DAW becomes crucial pretty early on. But for some, like Reaper, you will pay a smaller price if you are only starting out. Bigger companies pay more. 

Then there is a control surface. This is a really powerful tool in any music producer’s toolbox. It allows you to create great sound a lot easier and have way more control over the different features. It allows you to control your DAW way more efficiently. 

In short, it is possible to make some cool stuff with just basic software and a device. But as you progress it will probably become important to add a control surface to your process. 

There are several great control surfaces that will allow you to do some awesome things. Like changing some of the sounds. But not all of them work equally well on every DAW. Some are also more or less expensive and have their positives and negatives. Let’s discuss these in more detail. 

1. Behringer X-TOUCH

• What I Love: It has the same features as a lot of more expensive control surfaces 
• What I Dislike: The size of the device

This control surface has been one that shocked many. Never did we expect Behringer to create a control surface that can rival some of the best on the market. And at a much cheaper price too. This company is not really known for making audio equipment. But the X-Touch has become a favorite among many sound enthusiasts and professionals. 

It is compatible with a wide range of DAWs. So even if you decide to move to another digital audio workstation, then you will still be able to use this control surface. It is also plug-and-play compatible with Reaper. Making it a lot easier to use and set up. 

This is a control surface that many professional producers use, for good reason. Despite being less expensive than the more high-end control surfaces, it still has all the features anyone could need. It has loads of motorized faders that will allow you a lot of control over your creative process. The knobs and faders also work smoothly making them great to use. 

Plus, this is a great control surface when you need to connect many other devices. It has many different types of connectivity options. 

The one drawback of this control surface, and it is a big one, is the size. This will not be a control surface you can take with you to do gigs. It is just too big. Compared to some modern designs it is a bit thick and clunky. But since it houses so many knobs and faders it makes sense. 

You might even need to make sure that you have enough space on your desk to house this device. But it will be worth it to make room for everything it offers. 

2. Akai Pro MIDIMix

• What I Love: Very good price 
• What I Dislike: Smaller knobs that make them harder to use

This control surface is another favorite among many because it works so well on different types of DAWs. It works really well with Reaper and their features line up well. It is easy to use. But by far one of the most attractive features of this control surface is its price. 

This is a budget control surface that is great if you are starting out and don’t want to spend too much cash yet. But still want loads of value for money. The Akai Pro MIDIMix certainly gives you that. 

The buttons and the knobs aren’t my favorite feature of this machine. The knobs are small and harder to use. When you have a lot going on you don’t want to struggle to turn a knob, but besides that, this is a great device. It has many features that you will need and enough buttons and knobs to have great control. 

It is also a great choice if you need a control surface that is portable. It is light and easy to carry. But it doesn’t feel fragile or cheap. The components feel sturdy and like quality products. And it is a nice-looking control surface. 

Great quality for what you are going to pay. 

3. Icon Pro Audio Platform M+

• What I Love: You can add on to it
• What I Dislike: Harder to use than some 

This is a great choice if you want to start out with a quality product but not pay professional prices right from the start. This is because the Icon Pro Audio Platform M+ gives you the option of expanding onto it later on. 

You can work with it on its own and get to know the control surface. It offers a lot of great features. It has a master fader and also 8 channel faders that will give you many great options to create with. And then later when you are ready you can start to expand this control surface. 

There are many different pieces that combine with this one to give you added DAW control or extra master faders and even a display and extra connections. It is the one to pick if you are thinking long-term and want to start building for the future. 

It is a control surface that is built well and is a quality product. The size is also very convenient to use. It can take your productivity to the next level. 

As soon as you start to understand it. Some users have found that it takes a little bit of getting used to. There are other control surfaces that have better manuals and are easier to use. Luckily there are many video tutorials that can help you get used to the control surface and start to get the best from the product and start producing high-quality audio. 

Combining A Great Control Surface with Reaper 

Creating great sounds is something many of us are passionate about. Reaper is a reliable and efficient digital audio workstation that will give you a lot of options. You can take your creativity to the next level. 

Combining this software with a solid control surface will add even more. You will have a lot more control than a computer keyboard or mouse has to offer. Controlling Reaper becomes even more straightforward and less time-consuming. These were just some of the control surfaces that work well with Reaper.

Why Record Flute? 

Hiring a studio can be pretty pricey. And with the pandemic, many musicians were stuck at home without a way to record their music. But getting a home studio setup gives you all the power. I love playing with different sounds and exploring something unique. A studio at home gives you the power to do that. 

Recording musical instruments can be tricky, however. Listening to someone playing the flute is one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. It sounds naturally full and brings a lot of sounds to life. But recording the flute can be much harder. You don’t want your stunning flute playing to be overshadowed by the noises of breathing. That means you need to aim the mike in a way that will allow it to capture the essence of the sound. 

Things You Will Need 

Getting ready to record the flute will mean that you need to set up your studio. You will need a few things to ensure that you can record your flute music and create some incredible high-quality sound. The good news is that it doesn’t have to cost you a fortune to start setting up your home studio. 

If you are just starting to set up your home studio then you can buy equipment and software that work for a budget. There are some potent recording systems and software that isn’t all that expensive and you can learn to create some awesome stuff with this. You can even get some great second-hand gear that can help you to get started. 

Some of the things that you will need include: 

• A computer 
• A Digital Audio Workstation 
• Headphones 
• A microphone and stand 
• Audio Interface and cables 
• A quiet space

Let’s look at these things in more detail. 

A Computer 

One of the first things that you will need is a semi-decent computer. You could even use some tablets instead of a computer. As long as the rest of the systems and gear that you will use is compatible with the computer or tablet. 

This will be the heart of the recording. All the sound and the information will be relayed to the computer and stored or processed there. You could record sound with only your computer and a recording program. But that probably won’t end up being the best-quality recording. You need more to ensure that you achieve the sound that you want. 

A Digital Audio Workstation

This is the program or device that takes your computer to the next level of recording. A digital audio workstation or DAW can be run on your computer to record and edit your audio. You will be able to play with the recording and make it clearer, make your voice sound fuller, make the flute brighter, and even add in sounds. 

There are many different DAWs available on the market for many different budgets. More expensive DAWs will of course have more features, but if you are just starting and you want to learn how to use a Digital Audio Workstation then you might not want as many features to use. 

Just a few examples of great DAWs include: 

• Logic Pro X – this is an Apple product that is slightly expensive but it has a lot of features. You can do almost anything when it comes to editing tracks. It is easy to use for first-time users but when you get more confident it will give you a lot of space to expand creatively. 
• Reaper – this is a DAW that works on several different operating systems and it comes at a more budget price. But that doesn’t mean that it is a cheap product. There are many music producers that swear by Reaper. 
• Pro Tools – this is a product that has a number of different DAWs to choose from. Some are more basic and come with a smaller price tag and others are more expensive but will have any feature you can think of needing. It works on both Windows and Mac. It also works on a number of control surfaces.
• Garageband – this one is very similar to Logic Pro X it just has fewer features and comes in way cheaper. It is a great program for Mac users to start with if they don’t want to spend as much or they don’t need as many features. This is a good option if you just want to record your flute and clean it up a bit, without doing too many edits later. 
• Audacity – this one does not have all that many features and it just shines as a great audio recorder. But the price is amazing, you can get Audacity for free. So, if you just want to record flute music without doing a lot with the recording afterward, then you can definitely use this one. 

Headphones 

If you love sound and you are a musician then there is a very big chance that you already have a set of headphones. But you need to be able to hear yourself when you record and if you want to do edits later you need headphones that will allow you to hear a lot of detail. 

Great-quality headphones are important when you want to record the flute. The headphones that cover the ears, and that are somewhat noise canceling will give you a better idea of the sound that is being recorded. 

When you listen to the recording you also want to be able to hear any minor irritating sounds that you need to edit out. 

A Microphone and A Stand 

This is probably the area where you spend the biggest part of your budget when you want to record flute. Some have felt like they could just record with their computer’s microphone, but the quality will end up being pretty terrible. 

Flute music is too delicate to sufficiently capture with a low-end microphone. There are some great microphones that won’t completely break the bank but are still powerful enough to make your recording sound amazing. 

There are a number of different types of microphones to choose from and it can become confusing. But one thing to keep in mind is that many popular microphones are made for recording podcasts and not music. 

You might even be able to get away with using these to record singing vocals, but they won’t be versatile enough to capture the flute. A lot of the unique dynamic sounds of the flute will be lost if you try recording it with a podcast microphone. 

A great option for flute is a studio condenser mic. There are many different ones available and even if you get one for a budget price it will be more versatile and better equipped to record flute music. Since you will be busy playing the flute, and want your mic to remain in one space without moving, you will also need a stand to secure it to. 

If you want to take your sound to the next level, you can add a pop filter to your microphone. This will help to cancel out any annoying spitting or breathing sounds that can slip in when playing an instrument like the flute. 

It will make your recording sound full and allow the space for the music to shine. 

Audio Interface and Cables 

This is the piece of tech that ties everything together. You will connect your microphone to the audio interface using an XLR cable. On the other side, you will also use a USB cable and connect the computer to the audio interface. 

This will allow you better control of the volume and quality of the music that you are producing and it will then take your recording to the computer. Since the flute has a massive high register, the sound can become distorted when you are recording flute music. 

The audio interface will prevent that from happening and ensure that the recording you have just showcases the best of your music. 

There are many kits that you can buy that include the audio interface, the cables, and even some of the other components that we have already discussed, like the headphones. It could be cheaper to buy these all together than separately. Just make sure they are all of sufficient quality to work when you record the flute. 

A Quiet Space 

This is not really one you can buy, but a pretty important step when you want to record great audio. You need a space where your recording won’t pick up a lot of background noise from neighbors, your family, or even noises coming from outside like cars driving in the street. 

It doesn’t have to be a completely soundproof room. That will cost way too much and many of us just don’t have the space to achieve this. But a room where you are just mostly separate from the outside or inside noises so they don’t show up in the recording will be perfect. 

Another thing to consider is that you don’t want a room that echo’s too much either. There are some instances that an echo can sound pretty cool in a recording. And when you love sound, an echo is always an interesting example of how fast sound travels. But for the most part, it is hard to edit and work with later. 

Musicians love rich acoustics in rooms. But when you are recording your music, this can become a negative. You can easily fix that with more pillows or loose carpets in the room. Or even by adding some cloth to the walls and windows. 

Other Things to Consider 

After you have everything ready to record your flute, there are still a few things left to consider. Like how you will play into the mic and where to place it. 

You want the microphone to pick up as much of the rich full flute sound as possible. So, you want to have the microphone close enough to not lose any of the detail in the sound. But you also don’t want the mic to catch all of the sounds of you blowing into your flute. 

That won’t sound great as the primary noise. So, you might want to adjust the technique in which you play slightly. You could put the mic close to the flute’s mouthpiece without needing to play into it. 

For example, putting the microphone slightly above the mouthpiece and then playing under it. This will allow you to capture all of the rich sounds without catching too many breathing and blowing noises. 

What Sound Would You Like to Capture? 

 You also need to consider the type of sound that you would like to capture. This will impact where you place the microphone too. 

You could always start in the middle of the flute and move it up and down until you are satisfied with the results. When you move closer to the mouthpiece it will start to record sound that is brighter and airier. But as mentioned you will then have to be aware of your breathing. 

When you get closer to the foot of the flute it will start to record sound that is smoother but slightly more dull. It all depends on your flute and the sound that you would like to achieve in the end. 

You could even decide to go with two microphones instead of one. Then you can place each in different positions and later mix the two tracks together to create something really interesting. 

Recording Flute 

Flute music is some of the most soothing and beautiful music on the planet. It can be upbeat and fun or ethereal and whimsical. But recording flute music comes with its own set of challenges. First, you will want to set up your home studio to work when recording flute, and next you will need to consider where to place the microphone to get a high-quality sound that you will be proud of.

Today we will look at the different mediums and where sound will travel fastest, why sound travels faster in denser materials (solids), and how other factors can influence that. 

Why I Wanted to Know 

Just like for many of you, sound was fascinating to me. I loved doing experiments that showed how sound changed in different mediums, like when you went swimming, or in other settings. I also loved playing with a tin telephone with my siblings.

That is when you pit a tin on two sides of a string. And even when you only whisper, you are still able to hear the other person on the end of the line. To me, this was one of the coolest things that I had ever heard. I wanted to know why it worked that way. Now I know that solid objects can be a great conductor of sound and that is why it works. 

This was one of the first experiments that I ever did with sound, but it would not be the last. My love affair with sound has lasted my entire life and it is still a subject that fascinates me. 

Finding out where sound travels fastest is not just interesting but it can also be really useful. 

Consideration When Determining Where Sound Travels Fastest

Finding out where sound travels fastest all comes down to one thing: density. Sound needs molecules, the vibrations bump into one and then the sound wave will be carried from one molecule to another. When it bumps into the next molecule it travels farther. 

That means that sound can travel faster when the medium that it is being carried in is more densely packed. The denser the molecules in a medium, the faster sound will travel. In the end, denser materials will then conduct sound faster. 

There are a few different mediums that are available in the world and also around us. These include gasses, liquids and fluids, and even the void of space. Let’s discuss each one separately and then discuss where sound will travel fastest. 

In A Vacuum of Space 

We all know that we can see the light of stars that are incredibly far away shining through the night sky. This light travels billions of miles to appear before us. Some of the stars we see don’t even exist anymore since they died out years ago. 

It is kind of mind-blowing and amazing. But at the same time, we never hear any explosions from the sun or other stars. We don’t hear the noise of asteroids hitting different planets or any other noise from space. Why is that? 

Because, unlike the speed of light, sound does not travel through a vacuum. It might seem like we are surrounded by nothing here on earth. But looks can be deceiving and in reality, we have our atmosphere that is made up of different gasses surrounding the earth. 

Outside of the earth’s atmosphere, there is a whole lot of nothing. Space has no atmosphere, which is why we can’t breathe there, and also why we hear no sounds coming from outer space. There are no molecules to carry the sound further. Sound can’t travel in a void. 

We know for sure that sound does not travel fastest in space since it can not exist in an empty void. 

Gasses 

This brings us to the next medium on the list. Gasses. As we have already mentioned, our earth and all the air we have surrounding us are made up of gasses. You can’t see them with the naked eye, but they are always there. 

And we do know that these gasses do have enough molecules for sound to travel through. How do we know this? Because we can hear each other when we speak. We can hear a whisper, birds singing, cars driving down the road and many other interesting sounds that create a soundtrack to the world we live in. 

What Are the Gasses in Our Atmosphere? 

The atmosphere surrounding the earth is made of 78% Nitrogen and 21% Oxygen. The last percentage of gasses that make up the atmosphere is a mixture of carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen. These are not dense materials, and that is why they can exist without us even seeing them. 

Sound starts when it is created by vibration, for example when our vocal cords move and produce sound. Then this vibration is carried on the different molecules towards other points, like the person you are speaking to. 

We might not be able to see the gasses but the molecules are still able to catch those vibrations, bump into each other and then transfer them until what we are saying can be heard by the next person.  

How Sound Reacts in Gasses 

In most cases, the speed that sound travels in gasses is a lot slower than in any other medium. The molecules just aren’t packed densely enough to quickly move sound from one spot to another. That is why sound often gets lost over big areas. 

For example, if you are addressing a big crowd or people who are spread out over a large open area, you have almost no chance of being heard right to the back by only speaking. Shouting creates a bigger vibration and it is possible that the momentum could allow a shout to travel further than a normal spoken sentence. 

But in the end, the best solutions are using tools that will enhance the vibration and allow you to be heard everywhere. Some of these solutions could be a loudspeaker or even a microphone that takes your voice to different speakers. In that way, the sound will be enhanced and the noise will come from different directions. Ensuring that everyone can hear what you are saying. 

Things That Influence Sound in Gasses 

There are a few things that can influence the speed of sound in gasses. But the biggest factor would be the temperature of the air and the molecules inside it. When it is cold the molecules move around faster. This uses up the energy behind the vibration quicker and the sound can become quieter faster than it would at a higher temperature. 

You will need to make a bigger vibration just to be heard from the same distance when it becomes a lot colder. Knowing factors like this will allow you to adapt your sound according to circumstances. 

Conclusion On Gasses (Slowest)

We are grateful that we are surrounded by gasses that allow us to hear all the noises that are created around us. But gasses will have the slowest speed of sound and we need to keep searching for the medium where sound will travel fastest. 

Liquids 

Next up is liquids. In liquid form, molecules are packed a lot closer than they are in gas form. That is why liquid can get us wet and we can see it. Still, they are still fluid and able to move and that means that there are some spaces between the molecules in liquids. This can impact the speed that sound travels. Sound travels faster in water than it does in gasses. In theory, sounds can travel longer distances and be louder in water than it is in gas. Is this how you experience it? 

Why Sound Reacts Differently in Water

When we are under the water, we don’t hear that many sounds. Or they can be muffled. There are a few reasons for this. Sound does not react differently in water than it does in air. Even if it is not how we perceive it, sound does really travel faster in liquids than it does in gasses. 

The only real difference is our adaptability. We aren’t adapted for living and hearing noises under the water. Our ears have a route by which we hear. The sound goes through our ears and then it gets interpreted by our mind. 

We can figure out exactly where sound is coming from, the source of the sound, what it is, and a lot more just by what we are hearing. But when we are listening while being submerged inside a liquid, like in a swimming pool or the ocean, we don’t have those same capabilities. 

Instead, we need to adapt the way we listen when we are in the water. When it is only your ears that are under the water, you can hear even less than when you are fully submerged. Being completely under the water actually helps us to hear better. 

This is because our head is full of fluids. When we are fully in water it is our tissue that picks up the different sounds around us. But since we hear it from basically all around us, it is much harder to pinpoint the source and direction of the noise. 

Our ears aren’t working as they were designed to, and that is why everything is muffled. Even though sounds are really louder and move faster in water. The intensity of sound can seem less than it actually is.

Sound also doesn’t often breach the surface of the water. Something that makes a massive noise inside the water won’t often be heard on top of the surface. That is because the surface of the water creates a natural barrier and noise will reflect back into the water instead of breaching out into the air. 

That is probably a great thing. I don’t know how many of us would be comfortable traveling on the ocean by boat or ship if we kept hearing all noises being made by the huge animals that live inside the sea. I for one would not sleep very soundly with different noises floating up from the ocean depths. 

Other Noise in the Ocean 

Speaking of animals that live in the ocean, they are adept at listening to noise while being submerged and they can make complete use of the quick speed that sound travels in liquids. Animals like whales can speak to different families that are miles away from them. 

Humans have also found ways of using this sound, by using equipment that can pick up noise inside the ocean. In that way, they have been able to study sea creatures a lot closer without going into their space. 

Conclusion On Liquids (Faster)

We might not be able to experience it firsthand in most cases. But sound does travel faster in liquids than it does in gasses. 

This means that sound can be heard from much greater distances when it is traveling through liquids. It also takes smaller vibrations to create bigger sounds and that is why sound might also be a lot louder in liquids than in gasses. 

If our family stays a few blocks from us, we still need a device, like a phone, to carry our sound to them and to speak to them. But animals in the ocean can communicate over many miles without ever needing any other sound enhancement. 

Still, molecules In liquids aren’t packed densely, there is still a lot of space between these building blocks. There must be another medium that will allow sound to travel even faster. 

Solids 

Finally, we get to solids. A solid object is something we can touch. This is because the molecules of a solid object are tightly packed creating a dense atmosphere that we can use in many different ways. There are many different materials that solids are made from, and they have different densities. 

But overall solid objects have dense molecules and that makes this medium the one where sound travel the fastest. 

But this might seem strange. When you speak in a space that is packed with furniture, your voice can become muffled. When you speak in a room with no furniture your voice can even echo. Why is that? How does this make sense along with the fact that sound travels fastest in solids? Which materials are the best conductors for sound? We will find out shortly. 

How Sound Travels in Solids

There is no disputing that sound travels much faster in solids than in any other materials. When you bang against a wall the bang will be heard very clearly on the other side. Especially if you place your face against the wall and listen with your ear to the solid object. 

That is why solid objects are often used to enhance sound and make it louder. But it is also true that solid objects can stop sound from getting through clearly. If you speak to a person in another room and the door is closed, you won’t be able to hear them more clearly than you would if they were standing right next to you, would you? 

Obviously not. It seems like the sound in that case did not travel through solids as well as it would have through a gas. This once again comes down to the way that sound is generated. 

When sound is made by speaking or another way of making vibrations and it starts out traveling through gasses, like the air, then the vibrations will be going at a certain speed. The molecules bump into each other and they keep moving the sound forward. 

But then this vibration encounters a different medium or object, like a door or another solid surface. The vibration gets interrupted. It has to change the way that it is moving from molecule to molecule and that leads to some of the energy behind the vibration being lost. Each time it encounters this difference it loses some of the energy and in turn some of the quality and volume of the original noise that was being generated. 

That is why in many cases soundproofing is made from different layers of materials that are densely packed. Each time the noise hits another layer of the soundproofing it loses some of the energy and gets a lot quieter. 

This all changes when a sound starts out inside a solid. When the sound originates from a solid like in the case of banging on a wall, the sound only travels through the solid, there is no disruption and the speed at which it travels will remain high and in turn, it will become a lot louder. 

Materials Conducting Sound 

As we have found, a medium that has densely packed molecules will carry sound much faster than others where the molecules are further apart. That is why sound travels a lot faster in a solid object than it does in a gas. 

But solid objects also have a wide range of densities and not all materials will allow sound to travel at the same speed as others will. Soft solids like cloths, paper, and other pliable solid materials are more likely to just absorb sounds than to amplify them. 

On the other hand, harder materials where the molecules are more densely packed will give sound the ability to travel a lot faster. Many musical instruments are made out of harder substances. This is because they not only allow sound to travel faster but also enhance the sound that is produced. It gives off a bigger vibration and that means a louder noise. 

Of course, in musical instruments, the volume and speed of the sound would not be the only consideration. We also want materials that will produce beautiful sounds and not just noise. Different materials produce different types of noise and combined they can make some beautiful music. Sound quality is important.

Going back to the speed of sound, sound will be carried best by some hard materials including metals and even diamonds. These are dense enough to allow the vibration to quickly move from one molecule to another without being interrupted by the space between the molecules. 

There are two materials that have some of the highest speeds of sound among any other solids. These are aluminum and in second place copper. In aluminum, sound will travel at 6,320 meters per second. 

In copper, sound will travel at around 4,600 meters per second. That is fast too. Both of these materials are hard substances but they are also good conductors for sound since they do allow for vibrations that can impact the sound. 

Conclusion For Sound in Solids (Fastest)

It is clear that sound travels at the fastest speed in solid objects but not all solid materials are equal when it comes to the speed of sound. Still, if you want to create a lot of noise that will be able to travel great distances, then solid objects are the best option to use. 

Where Sound Travels Fastest?

We are surrounded by different mediums and materials that can influence the speed of sound. Sound is created through a vibration that will move from one molecule to the next. When molecules are far apart the sound can’t move as quickly as when they are densely packed. 

Since there are no molecules in an empty void-like space, sound can’t exist there at all. In gasses like the earth’s atmosphere, sound will travel but at a much slower rate than in other mediums. Sound travels faster in liquids but because we are not adapted to listening to sound underwater, we can’t easily make use of this fact, but animals can. 

Then there are solid materials. Sound travels the fastest in solids than in any other medium and harder materials are even better conductors of sound than softer solid materials. So, sound travels the fastest in materials like aluminum.

But in the end, sound can be interrupted when it goes from one medium to another and that is why sound gets muffled through a door. What we know about sound has allowed humans to create musical instruments that can make loud and beautiful noises that combine wonderfully to make music. Aren’t you glad we have sound?

A Big Asset to Your Tool Kit

There were a lot of things that got me interested in all things sound. How it works and how you can change sound and edit it. It fascinated me to explore all the ways that sound can change when you listen to it in different environments. This fascination, combined with the deep love of music my parents instilled in me, quickly led to a kid that was exploring music production. 

Pro Tools is a great DAW and you can do a lot with this software and just a normal computer. You have many different audio editing features that can create something really interesting. For someone who is doing audio editing as a hobby or on a smaller scale, you can completely get away with just using a digital audio workstation and your computer. 

But if you want to take your audio editing to a whole new level then you might need a great control surface that works well in combination with Pro Tools. 

A control surface is a lot more powerful and it gives you a much wider range of control since it is more sensitive than your computer keyboard and mouse. Many producers also just enjoy the feeling of working with a control surface and the faders and knobs that they give you. 

Let’s look at some great control surfaces that can work well with Pro Tools. 

1.  Avid Pro Tools S3 Control Surface

• What I Love: It has many different channels and controls to give you options 
• What I Dislike: It can feel overwhelming when you are a first-time user of a control surface 

This is a control surface that combines well with Pro Tools and many different users have found that it speeds up the process and accuracy of working with the DAW. It gives you all of the options that you can ever wish to have. 

This control surface will give you loads of control over the software that is EUCON-enabled including Pro Tools. It has 12 control layouts that are fully customizable, and also the versatility of 16 faders. You can change the audio that you are working with completely. You can even combine the setup with many plugins.

If there is a feature that you need then it is almost a certainty that you will be able to find it on the great design of this control surface. The only problem with all of the options that the control surface provides is that there are just too many of them. 

If you are a new user of this type of tool, then it can feel very overwhelming to use and even a little bit confusing. You might need to go over the instructions very carefully or just play with all of the features extensively before you will know what this control surface can do. 

But this is a great control surface if you are a user that has been working with this type of tool for a while and you want one that is advanced and packed with features. Or for anyone that wants to take the time to get to know the many features that this tool provides. 

It is also a control surface that is more on the expensive side of control surfaces, but for what it offers, you might feel like it is worth the high budget. 

2. Behringer X-TOUCH

• What I Love: A control surface that gives a great performance 
• What I Dislike: It Is a bit thick and clunky 

Behringer is not a company that is well known for its audio equipment. And many of their products aren’t the most high-end. And yet with this control surface, they have created a tool that is powerful and gives a great performance. 

The Behringer X-Touch is compatible with many different DAWs including Logic Pro X. And it has quickly become one of the most popular control surfaces that are around. 

In part, you can attribute its popularity to the fact that it can compete with the function and usability of many of the most expensive control surfaces. Yet, the X-Touch is a lot cheaper and more affordable. 

It gives you plenty of features to play with, including different knobs, faders, and buttons that are sensitive enough to use smoothly. The nine motorized faders give you a lot of control. They can sometimes be slightly noisy but it is worth it with the features you get. 

The control surface can also connect to many other devices since it has many different connectivity options available on the unit. The drawback with all of the features that the control surface provides is the fact that all those features take up a lot of space. 

This is not the smoothest, slickest control surface you will ever see. It is quite thick and clunky. It is definitely not portable and you will even need plenty of space on your desk. But if you want a control surface that works great with Pro Tools and can compete with high-end models at a better price, then this is a great option. 

3. Akai Pro MIDIMix

• What I Love: Great budget option 
• What I Dislike: Smaller knobs that aren’t very user friendly 

This 3^rd option is great if you are just starting your journey with using a control surface. The budget for this product is much lower than any of the other options on the list. At the same time, it still gives you a lot of great features and the value for money is next to none. 

You will be able to use the Akai Pro MIDIMix with Pro Tools to edit your audio and create some really rich interesting sounds. You can make vocals sound fuller and warmer. Or you can add layers of sound to your creation. Your imagination is the limit with this tool combination, even with its smaller price tag. 

The control surface is built well and it doesn’t feel cheap. It is a solid product and really easy to use. This will not be a control surface that you will struggle to understand. Instead, you can start creating awesome music and audio right from the moment you get it. It is also small enough to be portable and to take with you to events and gigs. 

The only downside to the MIDIMix is that it has smaller knobs and buttons. That can make it harder for people who have large hands to use the control surface as easily. 

Control Surface for Pro Tools

Pro Tools is a great DAW and very popular among many music producers. That is why there are many different control surfaces that will work well in combination with the software. Choosing the best one for you depends on your budget and priorities. The tools on this list are a great place to start looking.

Today we are going to look at some reasons why you might need a control surface, and check out some of the best control surfaces for Logic Pro X. 

Why Get a Control Surface? 

I started my love of sound and music production in my bedroom. And back then I was creating some pretty incredible stuff with just the most basic of equipment. And today the software and basic equipment are pretty incredible. If you are producing your own music and performing on your own, then you might not even need a control surface yet. Your computer and a DAW could work perfectly fine.  

But it is when you start to produce other people and especially groups that you really can’t live without a control surface. This is a powerful tool that will give you massive amounts of creative freedom. It also allows you to have much better control over your DAW. 

Computer software does allow you to do a lot of things, but a control surface is much more powerful and more sensitive than a mouse. At the same time, almost any control surface will work with Logic Pro X. It is popular and most companies will ensure that their products are compatible with this DAW.

But some work better than others. There are those that are great for all aspects of music recording, others that are better on your budget, and even some that you can travel with if you are going to produce in a different setting. Let’s look at some of the best control surfaces you can find for Logic Pro X. 

1. Akai Pro MIDIMix

• What I Love: This is a great budget control surface
• What I Dislike: The knobs are hard to use

Not only does this control surface work well with Logic Pro X, but it has a great price range and a lot of features going for it. First, it has one of the best price tags that you can find on a control surface. And it gives a lot of value for money.

It doesn’t feel like you bought a cheap product. Instead, it has a solid build, a great feature of most of Akai’s products. All the different parts of the machine feel high quality and you won’t be disappointed with how it looks. It is an attractive control surface. 

The knobs are one of the only parts that I don’t love. They are a little on the small side, if you have bigger hands you might struggle to use them. And I am also not the biggest fan of the gel buttons that Akai uses on some of their products. 

But for the most part, this is a great control surface. The setup is really easy, and you can use it straight out of the box. It is also small enough to fit nicely on a desk, and it is even small enough to be portable. If you are a DJ and need to take your control surface with you to events, then this is a great product to buy. 

2. PreSonus Faderport 

• What I Love: A very simple design that is easy to use
• What I Dislike: The buttons are slightly hard to press 

This control surface has a very basic and simple design that is easy to use. It is made to work along with your keyboard and not to replace it completely. There aren’t a lot of buttons and screens but the encoders are awesome. It is really innovative and satisfying. It will move anything that you need to. Like mixing different genres.

Along with this, it has a single mechanized fader. It is smooth to use and has great motion. It is also touch sensitive and that is a great feature to use for the Logic Pro X. This control surface gives you a lot of control and it is great for an intuitive producer. 

It has tight integration right out of the box and is easy to use. There is another control surface that is small enough to fit on any surface and that can be taken with you wherever you need to go. 

One of the very few downsides to this control surface is that the buttons are a little bit hard to press. It also isn’t compatible with all DAWs. But it does work well with Logic Pro X. 

3. Behringer XTOUCH 

• What I Love: It gives an incredible performance 
• What I Dislike: It feels a little bit thick and clunky 

This is another control surface that is perfect for plug-and-play with Logic Pro X. This is one of the best performers on the list. It has a bunch of different knobs, faders, and buttons that work well and are sensitive enough to be easily used. It makes for a great control surface for professional producers and will give you almost any feature that you need to use. 

It even has nine motorized faders. One of the very few control surfaces that have that massive number of faders available. It gives you loads of options and a lot of control. You can make vocals sound fuller or warmer and create different sounds.

It also has loads of options when it comes to connectivity. It can be connected to your DAW via a USB port. It also has other USB ports that allow connecting to many other things. It also gives you an Ethernet Port and other connectivity options too. If there is other gear that you want to connect to your control surface then you will be able to connect it to this device. 

The drawback to this control surface is its size. If you want a control surface that you can take with you then this is not the one that you should go for. It is definitely not portable. It is pretty thick and chunky, especially compared to some of the other slimline control surfaces that are available. 

Even when you use it on a desk it will take up a lot of your space. You might even need to sit a bit higher than usual to be able to use all of the features. But considering the number of features that they have packed into this control surface, you can’t expect it to be a small unit. 

Some Of The Best Control Surface 

If you want to take your music production to a whole new level, then you will need a great control surface to combine with your DAW. Logic Pro X already gives you a lot of options and features to mix some amazing sounds. But when you add a control surface that combines well with this DAW, you have the makings of a strong system. 

You will be able to have close control over the exact sound that you want to create, whether that be for you or producing other musicians. You will have the tools to create something really special and then the rest is up to you.

If you buying local is important to you, we will have you covered with this list. We are going to check out some of the best American-made car speakers. What should you consider before you buy speakers for your car? We will share it all next. 

Things To Consider 

I love going on road trips. When I was young, my parents would push down the back seats, then on one side they would set up a mattress, leaving the other seat up, so I could sit or lie down whenever I wanted. Driving for hours, going on adventures, whether that be among the mountains, along the ocean, or through the desert. One thing always remained true, there was always music along the way. 

We listened to such a wide variety of music, everything from hip hop, country, musical theater soundtracks, and everything in between. It was a pretty great childhood. But in the end, none of that would have been possible without a decent car radio and speakers. 

If your speakers aren’t powerful enough to suit your tastes, or if the quality isn’t great, it is possible to replace them. In most new cars the speakers can easily be replaced since they can just be directly changed without a lot of rewiring or complications. And America has a few companies that make really great speakers. There are just a few things that you should keep in mind before choosing new speakers. 

The Size of The Existing Speakers 

One of the biggest things to consider is the size of the speakers that you currently have in your car. The new speakers will need to fit into the current space, or you will have to modify your car completely and that can not only cause damage but also become very complicated and expensive. 

Making sure that the speakers can seamlessly fit into the current spots is much easier and makes way more sense. 

The Power 

If you are only replacing your car speakers, then you need to make sure that the new ones can handle the power from your original car stereo. If you are using the original stereo then 50 to 200 watts of power on the new speakers will generally be what you will need to go with. 

Depending on your current car stereo, you could still push this up to 300 to make listening even easier. Just ensure that your current stereo is compatible with your new speakers. 

Budget

One of the most important things to consider is the budget. There is a massive price range for car speakers. Buy the best product you can without breaking the bank. When you go through all the trouble of buying a new set of speakers, you obviously want them to be of high quality. 

One of the things to consider when looking at the quality of your speakers is the sensitivity rating. A sensitivity rating of over 90 dB is a high rating and generally equals an excellent speaker. But they do cost more. You can also get a really good speaker that has a sensitivity rating of around 87 dB. 

Look at your budget and then at what is in your price range. Then consider if it makes sense to replace the speakers that are currently in your vehicle. 

After going through these considerations, it is then time to look at this list and all of the great American-made car speakers that we will show you. 

1.  Pyle PL463BL Three Way Sound Speaker System

• What I love: Great value for money
• What I dislike: Not a lot of bass

Pyle has a great reputation as a company that provides car audio equipment at really reasonable prices, and with these speakers, they live up to that name. There are many people that believe Pyle is one of the best American-made brands when it comes to car speakers. It makes sense that they will be added to this list. 

Their three-way speakers sound great and they are really affordable. The one downside is that they lack a bit of power in the bass department but besides that small factor these speakers give a clear sound that you will love listening to. 

They also give you a lot of options to choose from which is great. They have this system available in many different sizes. So, it won’t be difficult for you to find the speaker that fits perfectly into the spots that you need them to. 

It has a Triaxial speaker system and the woofer has a blue poly injection cone that is not only beautiful, but it also adds plenty of stiffness without having any unnecessary weight added to the speakers. 

Added to that the speaker also has a rubber surround that will ensure that it keeps on looking great for a long time and will keep sounding good too. 

The speaker features a midrange tweeter that gives you a smooth and detailed sound to whatever you are listening to. The low impedance makes good use of all of the watts that your stereo can provide. 

Not only can you choose between a wide range of sizes for this speaker but you can also choose between a range of power outputs. Making it easy to find speakers that will be compatible with your current stereo. 

And the budget is one of the best parts. Pyle creates great products at really affordable prices. Getting good speakers that are cheap is always great. If you want a strong speaker that will sound really good and won’t break the bank then these good be your perfect fit. 

2. JBL GTO629 Premium 6.5-Inch Co-Axial Speaker

• What I love: three-ohm voice coils allow added resistance to thin factory wires
• What I dislike: Some have been confused with sizing 

If you love sound and audio, then chances are you are no stranger to the brand JBL. This American brand is named for its founder James Bullough Lansing and they have been making great quality speakers for many years. 

JBL first became known for their home audio systems but they have proven that they have what it takes to create awesome car speakers too. 

They are a great option to replace your factory speakers with a little something more impressive, but they are higher on the budget than the previous option. 

In the GTO629 Premium 6.5-Inch Co-Axial Speaker system you will find a carbon-injected cone material that has the JBL patented Plus One woofer-cone technology. This gives the speaker a lot more output without adding any power. Your stereo will sound a lot more powerful without it being more powerful. 

The voice coil will remain cool because the speakers have vented magnet assemblies on the woofers. Your speaker sound is more reliable and allows for greater power handling. Ensuring that you won’t encounter power compression or any other issues that can start to distort your sound. 

One of the best things about this speaker system is the fact that it has three-ohm voice coils that compensate and gives added resistance. You need this in a speaker that will replace factory speakers since the wire that is used lately is normally really thin. Since JBL speakers are made as replacements for factory speakers they keep this in mind and make sure to create an improvement on your entire system. 

The one downside is that while users have said that installation is relatively simple, there have been a few that felt the sizing was slightly wrong or the speakers ended up being slightly too deep for their car doors. Still, careful measurement should eliminate this problem. 

3. Polk DB652 UltraMarine

• What I love: Built tough and the surround is waterproof 
• What I dislike: Surround is big and might stand out

Polk is an American company that has been creating speakers for more than 50 years. Their products are great, but some of the best car speakers they have created are the DB652 UltraMarine. What makes these speakers unique is how tough they have been made. 

You might not think that car speakers need to be able to stand up against abuse, but then you probably don’t drive a pickup and push it to the limit. Speakers that are in the lower door panel of a pickup or other adventure vehicle can easily get damaged by water and extreme conditions. 

But you will not have to worry about that with these speakers. They are marine-grade and dirt and water-resistant. They also have a non-corrosive plastic grille that won’t let you down just because you took it on an adventure. The UV-tolerant cone will remain in top condition and the waterproof inner and outer surrounds will ensure that when you drive through some deep water, your speakers won’t get damaged. The speakers even come with stainless steel mounting hardware to ensure that all the components can withstand anything you throw at it.

These can withstand the elements and that is why many motorcycle enthusiasts also add these to their bikes. But these speakers aren’t just built to last, they also give you pretty great quality sound too. They have a crystal clear sound that is loud enough to be heard over any noises from outside. 

However, the surround is large. Most factory speakers will be smaller and the surround might have to stand out instead of fitting perfectly. 

4. Cerwin Vega XED693

• What I love: Great bass for small speakers 
• What I dislike: Will not work with systems that are too high powered

Cerwin Vega was founded in 1954 by Gene Czerwinski who was a brilliant young aerospace engineer. He loved music and he wanted to create sound systems that would give its user a live musical experience without actually attending a musical event. 

He also wanted to create products that had a lot of value for money but were efficient and durable. And ever since then that is what this American company has strived to do. The XED693 speakers certainly live up to that dream. 

They are really affordable but they will give you a lot of bang for your buck. The bass on these speakers is sure to surprise you. Even small speakers can give a great sound. They also give a distortion-free noise that will ensure you get the live musical experience Cerwin Vega’s founder imagined all those years ago. 

They can be paired with a sub to give them even more punch but these speakers will provide plenty of power on their own. It gives you a lot of great features, including a balanced metal dome, a curvilinear poly cone, a 2.5-inch midrange, and more all inside a black coat-stamped metal basket. 

They will look great inside your car and also give you incredible sound. The only word of caution is that reports show they don’t work well with systems that have too much power. So, keep that in mind before you buy them. 

But overall, they will give you a great sound and they are relatively affordable at the same time. 

Buying The Best American-Made Car Speakers 

America has some really great car audio manufacturers. We have only touched on a few today, you could also consider looking into others, like Bose Corporation, Klipsch Audio Technologies, Jensen, and Boss Audio among others. These are great companies that have proven that they know what it takes to create powerful speakers inside the car and out. 

Take your time and consider your options carefully. You don’t want to replace your car speakers too often. So, make sure that you know what your priories are. Do you need a lot of bass? Do you want pretty speakers? Speakers that are tough? 

Whatever your priorities, there is sure to be an American speaker company that has exactly what you need.

Can the way that you produce sound and the medium that it moves in make a difference in the volume that you will hear? How does this change when it comes to the different mediums? Will the furniture in a room have any impact on the acoustics of the room? How can you change it to create the perfect recording environment? 

These are just some of the things that we will discuss today. Knowing how sound travels through solids, liquids and gases are not only interesting, but it can have an impact on the way we record sounds and how we change things up. 

Why Is the Way That Sound Travels Through Mediums Important? 

One of the main reasons why it is important to understand how sound acts, is that when you understand something better, you can control it. As a youngster, I loved swimming. I still do. But one of my main attractions was that underneath the water it was the one place where everything went quiet. It always felt like the world stopped and it was just me and complete calm. 

I loved my family but there was always so much going on that it was just a great place to just be with my own imagination and thoughts. I could make up imaginary worlds and people, and have millions of stories running through my mind. All because there was a lack of sound under the water. 

But in reality, when you look at how sound behaves in a liquid, scientifically, this should not be the case. In fact, there should be more sound under the water than there is in the fresh air. Why? And why doesn’t it work that way? I wanted to find out. 

For many of us who record sound, it is important to be connected to it. If you understand what makes something sound fuller, what makes a noise loud, and how things act, you can have better control and your recording will end up being closer to what you intended in the first place. 

You might be recording a podcast, but for some reason, your voice keeps sounding muffled, understanding sound can help you identify what the cause could be and how you can fix it. 

What Is Sound? 

To understand why sound acts differently in different mediums we first have to understand what sound is. 

First, you need to know that sound can not exist in a void. This is different from light that does travel through nothingness. That is why we can see light shining from space where there is a void and no atmosphere. But those that have been to space say it is completely quiet. It must be an almost eerie feeling. 

Sound happens when something creates a vibration. This is done through musical instruments, our voices, speakers, and many other things. This then causes the medium around it, like the water or the air, to also vibrate and carry this sound with them. Without a medium, sound would not exist. That is because the molecules of the medium react and bump into those next to it and this allows the sound to travel on. 

At the same time, the medium that is used will determine just how loud the sound will be, it will also determine how far can travel and how the sound will generally react. This is because different solutions will have molecules that are more or less densely packed. 

Your surroundings will have a big impact. People who create a sound studio try to make the acoustics of the room as powerful as possible. This should help you do that. 

Let us now look at the three mediums that sound can travel through, solids, liquids, and gases, and how they change the reaction of the sound. 

Gases

First up we can look at gasses. You might wonder why gasses are mentioned when speaking of mediums that sound can move in. You may be visualizing a bunch of fog at a concert that makes the lights look incredible and makes the crowd go wild. 

And that is one possibility of gasses that can be used as a medium for sound to travel through. But most of the time, our air is the only gas that sound needs to continue its vibration. 

What Is the Air Made Of? 

We have already mentioned that sound can not exist in a void. But we can hear each other when we speak out in the open. We can hear music when it is being played under the starry sky and we can even hear kids shouting in a park a block away. 

That is because most of the air in our atmosphere is made up of gasses. Our atmosphere is not just a void, or we wouldn’t be able to live here anyway, but is made up of lots of gasses we can’t see. The atmosphere is made up of 78% Nitrogen, and 21% Oxygen, and the rest is a mixture of carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen. 

This gives us all the ability to breathe without needing a space suit, but it also gives sound the ability to travel in our atmosphere. We make a vibration and the molecules of the gases that we can’t even see start to bump into each other and takes that vibration further, making it possible for us to hear sounds. It is pretty amazing when you think about it. 

How Does Sound Travel Through Gases? 

Gas is the medium that will have the slowest speed of sound of all of them. This is because the molecules of the gases surrounding us are expanded and far away from each other. The vibrations do get passed over to each other but it takes longer to do. 

This is also why we often need things that can amplify our sounds like a microphone when we are speaking to a bigger group of people. These help us to make the vibrations bigger and to allow them to travel further than we would have been able to achieve with only our voice. 

Some Things That Can Influence Sound in Gases 

Have you ever felt that things are so much quieter after a big snowstorm? How the world seems almost different then? Turns out it might not just be your imagination. This is because the volume and speed of sound can be impacted by the temperature of the air and in turn the gas that is surrounding us. 

At lower temperatures, the molecules move around quicker and they can vibrate quicker. The energy behind the sound can start to be lost and the sound will become quieter or be lost faster. 

At normal room temperatures, the speed of sound will be a lot higher than it would be in the exact same room when the temperature is at freezing. 

Liquids 

There are many different liquids that have a higher or lower density but for the most part, it is in water where we would be interested in hearing a sound. If we go swimming or put a small portable speaker close to the water, we would like to hear the sound as loud as possible. But it just doesn’t always work like that. 

Let’s see how sound reacts in water or other liquids. 

Sound In Water 

The molecules in water are a lot more tightly packed than it is in gas. That is why sound travels much faster in water than it would travel in the air. Sound can actually travel in water almost four times faster than it can be in the air. 

That is really impressive. And still, if you submerge your head underwater, you will hear the sound but it might sound muffled and not quite like the sound that you are used to. 

Why Humans Hear Muffled Sounds in Water 

The water molecules are more tightly packed and the energy that it uses to carry sound is transported faster. In theory, you should be able to hear noises a lot louder when you are underwater. But that is not how we perceive this sound. 

This is because our ears are created to listen to sounds in the air. We pick up on sounds through our ear canal and these sounds are then transported to the brain that makes sense of it all. When you only submerge your ears, sounds will sound very muffled since the ears can’t take these sounds along the ear canal. 

When you submerge your head fully suddenly the sound is clearer and louder. Although it could still be somewhat muffled compared to outside the water. Our heads contain a lot of water, and inside the water, it will be our tissue that picks up on the sound and detects it. 

You could try to plug your ears but it will have very little effect on the volume of the noise under the water. The sound is not traveling along those normal lines. 

At the same time, chances are that it is also very hard and almost impossible for you to figure out from which direction the sound is coming. When the sound travels along the normal route our brain has cues to determine if it comes from behind us or in front. But when the sound does not travel in those normal routes the brain has no way of telling us where it is coming from. 

For humans communicating through sound under the water is not so easy. That is why divers have always used hand signals to communicate with their diving partners and why some have even started to use microphones that connect them. Allowing for a much better communication route. 

We know that we can’t hear sound in the same way when we are inside water as when we are in the air. But what happens when we make a big sound inside the water, like shouting? Will someone that is on the outside be able to hear it clearly? 

This is unlikely. That is because the surface of the water almost acts as a mirror for sound. Instead of the vibration moving outside of the water it gets reflected back. Making sure that very little sound is heard outside. 

Animals In Water 

Our ears might be designed to hear in air, but fish and mammals that live in the ocean can take advantage of the speed of sound inside the water. They are adapted to hearing noise completely clearly inside the water. 

Since sound does travel quickly in water and they can hear it, they can use sounds to communicate over much larger distances than we are able to do with just our voice. Whales, for example, have been known to use their voice to communicate with other whales over massive distances in the ocean. The sound of a humpback whale can travel thousands of miles in the ocean.  It also helps that the vibrations they can create are much larger than the ones our own vocal cords can produce. 

Solids 

Then finally there are solids and how sound reacts when they come into contact with a solid. Since sound starts to get muffled when there are a lot of solid objects in its path you would think that it travels a lot slower in solids. But surprisingly that is not the case. There are however reasons why it reacts in this way. 

The Speed of Sound in Solids 

A solid object is densely packed with its molecules. Each solid object will be a little bit different from the other depending on the material it is made of and how densely packed its molecules are. There are some materials that will work better as insolation to noise than others, but we will discuss the reason for this shortly. But for the most part, sound will travel a lot faster in solids than it will in both liquids and gasses.

This is because the source of the sound will create the vibration in the molecules of the sound and then these tightly packed molecules will quickly send the vibration further along. This means that the speed of sound is a lot faster when traveling in a solid object and that it will be a lot louder too. 

Often a solid object will be a good source of amplification for a sound that you would like to enhance. The sound through a brass bugle gets enhanced through the design of the object and also through the material it is made of.

Examples Of Sounds in Solids 

It can be hard to think of examples where solid objects are used to move sound and make it louder. Let’s discuss some simple examples of this. 

You can put an ear to a solid object like a table and then make a soft tapping sound on the table. Compare how you heard it when your ear is on the solid compared to how loud it is when you hear the sound through the air. You will be surprised by how clearly the sound is enhanced by listening to it through a solid object. 

Another great example of an experiment that many of us probably unknowingly did as children is a string telephone. You take two cups and a long line of string. The two cups are each connected to one side of the string, one person listens into one cup while another speaks into the cup at their end. 

In this experiment, the vibrations are created and enhanced by the shape of the cup. Then these vibrations are transferred with the help of a solid object, the string, and the other person can hear your message at the other end of the string. Without raising your voice or shouting. 

It is always amazing to see just how far this simple design can carry sound. Fun fact, the world record for the longest-ever string telephone, which was made with tin cans, was a whopping 796 feet long. That is almost the distance of three football fields. That is a long way for a piece of string and two cups to carry sound. 

Then another great example of a sound being a lot louder when it is carried through a solid object is sounds that you can hear in the air. For example, hearing the sound of a horse coming closer, its hooves beating down on the ground. 

It is already a pretty impressive sound when you hear it in normal circumstances. But try putting your head to the ground and listening to the approach in that way. The sound is much louder and you can almost feel the vibrations that are making the sound you hear. 

Why Does Sound Get Muffled Through a Door? 

We know now that sound travels much faster through solid objects than it does through gasses or liquids. You would think that a solid object like a wall or a door will enhance the sound but the opposite is true. A sound that is coming from a different room is more muffled. 

If there is a lot of noise outside your home, for example, the neighbors having a party, it works to close the doors and windows and the sound won’t bother you as much. Even if you only have standard windows and doors. 

How does that work? It works because the sound you are hearing does not originate from inside a solid object. It traveled through the air until it came to your door. There it encountered a solid object. And instead of making the vibrations louder this change in medium made the sound lose some of the energy that it was traveling with. This reduces the level of the noise and makes it less noticeable when there are doors that are closed. 

Why Rooms Echo 

This change in energy is also one of the reasons why a room will or won’t echo. When you go into an empty room there is a good chance that you can create an echo. That is because the empty room has no solid objects that break the energy of the noise down and stop it. 

The vibrations bump only against the walls and reflect back. If you have a room that is still echoing even after your furniture has been installed, then there might not be enough solid objects that stop the speed and the energy of the sound. Something like a carpet that can absorb the vibration can help to stop the echo in the room. 

How Sound Travels Through Solids, Liquids, and Gases 

Sound needs a medium that can take the vibrations and move them along, allowing us to hear the sounds that are being created. 

When it comes to the speed of sound, a solid object will allow the vibration to move much faster since it has the most densely packed molecules. It will also make the sound the loudest. After solids, liquids have the highest speed of sound. And then finally gas, that included our air since it is made up of gasses. 

When a sound is traveling through one medium like air and then encounters another, like a solid door, it loses some of its energy and some of the volume will be lost. That is why solid insulation against sound is still one of the best options despite solids being a good conductor of sound. 

We might not be able to take full advantage of the high speed of sound that can be found inside a liquid, but those living in the ocean sure can and that is why whale sounds can travel thousands of miles under the water. 

Knowing how sound reacts to different mediums will allow us to understand it better. And that means that you should have better control over your recordings and all the ways that you like to create your own very unique sounds.