ZeroHour Studio

10/04/2023

In today's post we dive a little further in Logic Pro X's compressor plugin, looking at attack, release and auto release.

Click below to read the full article.

https://zerohour.uk.com/blog/logic-compressor-attack-release-explained

08/04/2023

Big love to JC Stewart and congratulations on all your success. We’ve loved having you in the studio over the course of the years and are proud to have watched you build your career from the ground up.

Check out some of JC Stewart's music, they’ll have you singing along in no time.

07/04/2023

In our latest article we discuss expensive plugins and whether you need them to achieve great mixes. This should give you some perspective on their role and help you decide whether or not you need to invest.

Read the full article via the link below.

Today I’m discussing expensive plugins, what they do and whether you need them.

30/03/2023

Want to improve the quality of your recordings? Check out our blog on Audio Bit Depth. Learn what it is and how it affects your recordings. Not to be missed!

Today we're looking at what audio bit depth is, how it affects your recordings and what bit depth you should record at.

27/03/2023

Get a breakdown of how Auto Gain works and when to use it by reading part 3 of our Logic Compressor series. Learn how to effectively use Make Up Gain and Auto Gain when compressing audio with Logic's Compressor.

Experiment with these techniques and stay tuned for the more posts in the Logic Compressor series.

In today's lesson I’ll be explaining make up and auto gain and how to use it when compressing audio with Logics Compressor.

25/03/2023

Thanks so much to Dave Whitcroft for the review!

I’ve been producing music with Dave since 2018 (damn, 5 years…) and during this time we’ve recorded well over 20 songs together. It’s always a pleasure. Congratulations on the success so far!

Head over to KDMusic if you want to hear some of his stuff.

23/03/2023

What is Audio Sampling Rate? How does it affect my recordings?

If you've ever wondered this then we've made a post just for you.

In this post we'll cover what audio sampling rate is, how it affects your recordings and the sampling rate you should record at.

Read the full post here.

https://zerohour.uk.com/blog/does-sampling-rate-affect-recording-quality

I hope this helps!

20/03/2023

Logic Compressor: Threshold & Ratio Explained

This is part 2 of our Logic Compressor series where I’ll explain what a compressors threshold and ratio actually does. Understanding a compressors parameters is the key to using them effectively on your productions.

Read the full post here.

https://zerohour.uk.com/blog/logic-compressor-threshold-ratio-explained.

18/03/2023

Logic Compressor: Introduction To Compression

This is part one of a series about compression where we’ll consider Logic’s compressor and how to effectively use it in your recordings. This will include a complete overview of Logic's compressors features, functions and controls.

Today we’ll cover what compression is, when you should compress and why controls vary depending on the compressor you use.

Read the full post here.

https://zerohour.uk.com/blog/logic-compressor-introduction-to-compression

16/03/2023

Bass Amp Recording Tips.

In todays post we cover 4 tips that can help you make the most out of your space when recording your bass amp to create professional sounding bass recordings from your home studio.

View our latest article here.

https://zerohour.uk.com/blog/bass-amp-recording-tips

Thanks for reading!

13/03/2023

Introducing something new every Monday & Thursday!

For the last few months we’ve been writing articles focusing on helping musicians in 4 core areas:

1. Home Recording
2. Mixing
3. Logic Pro X
4. Recording Studio Advice

We’ll be sharing these posts on our page weekly (so keep an eye out!)

But we need your help. We’d love to know how we can help you get better recordings.

Anything from understanding more about booking studio time, to questions about mic placement, recording software, plugins, mics, pre-amps, etc. We’d love to share our expertise on areas that would benefit you the most.

No question is too simple. Everyones at different stages when it comes to recording music and we want to help as many songwriters and musicians as possible.

Post your questions in the comments below or DM us.

Your feedback is very much appreciated!

P.s. Check out our latest post here. https://zerohour.uk.com/blog

07/03/2023

We’ve got big news to share! ZeroHour has changed ownership.

In 2009 Tré Sheppard built ZeroHour as a writing space where he could create music and store his collection of vintage amplifiers, guitars and studio gear. It quickly morphed into one of Irelands most creative and exciting places to record and has produced multiple award winning records as well as the launching point for many incredible artists such as JC Stewart.

In February 2013 Michael McCluskey began working as an apprentice at ZeroHour. In 2018 he began fronting the majority of the studio’s projects so Tré could put producing music full time in the back seat to focus more on his role at Cause Coast Vineyard.

This post isn’t a farewell from Tré, he will always be involved with ZeroHour. In fact, Tre will still be available as a consultant. And fear not; all of your favourite studio toys, guitars, and amplifiers will still be available! It’s more apt to say that it’s the beginning of the next chapter for ZeroHour as Tré and Michael will both have exciting new projects to share with you soon!

ZeroHour has and will always aim to help songwriters capture the vision for their music. And from March 1st 2023, Michael McCluskey will be taking over ZeroHour Studios.

“I am delighted that Michael will be taking over the ownership of what has been one of my favourite places in the world… ZeroHour is a wonderful Aladdin’s cave of audio and tone delight, and a fantastic place to be creative and make a record. Michael will not just carry on what I’ve built, he’ll make it better and take it further. I’m thrilled for him and can’t wait to see what is next!” - Tré Sheppard

20/04/2021

Was a lot of fun mixing this song for KDMusic. A lovely combination of Acoustic, Cello and Vocals.

You can click the link to give it a listen :)

A song to bring peace of mind to anxious parents, calm for unsettled children, and fond memories for empty nesters or reminiscing grandparents. Father's lull...

16/04/2021

We're delighted to share Lofty Heights debut single "Wandering Wondering".

It was a lot of fun producing this single. We got to experiment with lots of different percussion and sounds on acoustic guitar.

Go have a listen via the link below!

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/loftyheights1/wandering-wondering

Wandering Wondering is released into the world! Go and have a listen if you haven’t already!

06/03/2021

The masterclass just went live!

For solo artists looking to recording acoustic guitar and vocals, here are some recording techniques that you can take advantage of.

Hope you find it helpful 😀

02/03/2021

Excited to be involved in Midtown Sounds this year again. Michael will be hosting a free masterclass on Home Recording for Solo Artists. It goes live this weekend, so keep an eye out!

17/02/2021

If you’re preparing to have your music mixed then our latest blog post could help you.

We’ve been sent files in all sorts of weird and wonderful formats; mostly weird, unfortunately.

We want to make the process really simple. We’ve created a post that explains everything you’ll need to do before sending your files across, in a step-by-step guide on how to prepare your files for online mixing.

To see our most recent post follow the link below.

As always we hope you find this useful.
https://www.zerohour.uk.com/blog/preparing-for-online-mixing

This brief guide will help you prepare your audio files when sending them for professional mixing.

12/02/2021

Loved working on this track with Andy. It was great to be involved with such a great team of people to make this happen. Click below if you want to give it a listen.

-Normal People-
Officially out now! 🎉

Available Bandcamp
https://andypattmusic.bandcamp.com

Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/track/5vGSttFB6JEVwfRcC4j9iX?si=AFUTPpHCSCmwRwkgr21tCw

or wherever you download or stream music.

I’d like to take the chance to personally thank every single person involved in the making and release of the track. 🙏

ZeroHour Studio
- Michael McCluskey- Production and mixing

-
Chris McCann- remote drum tracking

Rachel Magill Art
- artwork

FlutterTone
- Colm and Elina- Press and Promotion

Pete Maher Mastering
- mastering

The Resonance of Normal People
-Jordana and Sophie- Creative design, Video and Promotion


- Video typography

A huge thank you must also go out to Arts Council of Northern Ireland for funding and supporting this project from concept to final release during such a difficult year for art and creativity.
Arts Council of Northern Ireland

Finally- thank YOU for taking the time to listen, share and support my music in any way. The encouragement and community you bring is massively appreciated. ❤️

I hope you love it as much as I do!

ANDREW

22/01/2021

This last year has been pretty crazy for us musicians.

For the most part ZeroHour has been unable to work face-to-face with our clients due to restrictions but it hasn’t stopped us from moving forward.

We’ve been working hard behind the scenes thinking of ways to support struggling musicians.

The result of our effort is free resources for independent musicians that we hope will help with self-promotion.

We’ll be sharing more over the next while so keep an eye out for that!

We posted our first blog yesterday: a Music Release Checklist. It includes a free downloadable summary to keep you right when releasing new music.

https://www.zerohour.uk.com/blog/music-release-checklist

We hope you find this helpful!

Musicians often struggle with planning their release. To help with this I've put together a checklist that you can refer to for each release. You can download our free printable version so you can check things off as you go along!

18/05/2020

An absolute joy to master this track. If you like synths and all things 80's, this is your jam! Thank me later.

'Nowhere To Run' Official Release 18th May 2020 Available on all major streaming platforms. BUY - https://music.apple.com/gb/album/nowhere-to-run/1513770630?...

30/04/2020

Today is National Honesty Day. Promise we’re not lying! How could we possibly lie on such as day as this?! Also, Wh y not be honest every day? But sure, we thought today was as good a day as ever to admit it: times are strange. Right now it’s much easier than ever to pretend we’re coping okay or act like separation from our loved ones isn’t taking its toll. It’s also easier to ignore people because they only come in the form of messages on screens that can be left in another room or turned off. Not being honest may result in making our new found isolation harder all the more isolating.

Instead of being honest just because a calendar says so, maybe use today as an opportunity to reach out to those you are missing. Be honest about how you’re feeling and whether you’re coping. Heck, even if you’re coping fine get in touch with your family and friends. Maybe it will give someone the nudge they need to be honest right back.

We’re putting this into practise too of course. We wouldn’t lie to you. Ever. But especially not today.

ZHS

P.S. AwareNI have a Support Line open to provide both support and information on depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. It's also open to support friends and families too. Click the link for more info: https://www.aware-ni.org/how-we-can-help-you/talk-to-us

22/04/2020

Nice to see KDMusic taking advantage of the time at home. Not a bad song either 😉

Music Video by KDMusic.co.uk © 2020 The story of Zacchaeus encounter with Jesus, for kids of all ages ~ from Luke 19. Zacchaeus was a bit of a gangster, so t...

11/04/2020

We’re realising that although ZeroHour are a studio that produces music we haven’t posted enough in our brief time as an ‘official’ page.

So here’s to Ricky Lorimer Music, our first shout out. We're so pleased your version of ‘I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You’ has well over 120k listens on Spotify.

Here’s a link to the tune: https://open.spotify.com/track/4G0dvS7R1f97aJiwZoNXPk?si=5IMk_WccRXysQ5_PiARL6Q

Do yourself a kindness and give it a listen!

ZHS

Ricky Lorimer · Song · 2019

09/04/2020

Loving this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfOx4CmQWLs

ZHS

Stream or Download our New Album here: https://orcd.co/woteherewego Support Our Patreon Campaign: http://www.patreon.com/walkofftheearth See Us Live! Tickets...

07/04/2020

New song from Crosshair Kid out today! Go on and give it a listen.

05/04/2020

We thought that in the spare time we'd give our website a little spring clean. To learn more about who we are and what we do give zerohour.uk.com a gander.

Feel free to get in touch with us through our contact page if you need any more info.

ZHS

04/04/2020

Today marks the release of The Amos Tree's debut album. We're so excited for you to hear it. Stream it on all the usual streaming platforms now.

The Amos Tree · Album · 2020 · 10 songs.

02/04/2020

If you haven’t done so already, go on over to our Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/zerohourstudios/ and giver her a like. She’s lonely!

ZHS

184 Followers, 298 Following, 18 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Michael McCluskey ()

01/04/2020

HAPPY APRIL FOOLS DAY!

Only joking... that’s next year.

For a sad trombone sound click below:

👇 👇 👇 👇 👇 👇
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQeezCdF4mk

All jokes aside, we hope you find lots of reasons to laugh today.

ZHS