Natural Selektion Labs is a music production studio that provides composition, editing, mixing, mastering, mobile DJ services and artist support.
Natural Selektion Labs is an audio production and post production studio that provides composition, recording, editing, mixing and mastering. NSL also offers mobile DJ services and artist support in the form of digital distribution and consultation. Established in 2012 by brothers Matthew and Graham Borland, Natural Selektion Labs was the natural progression of creative projects they were working
on as individuals. With the creation of 2011’s “Mana Machine,” and the idea to create a production and publishing house for their own music, the brothers came together under Natural Selektion Labs to produce and mix not only their own creations, but projects for other artists. I
In addition to the production house, the brothers perform live across the United States. Collectively they’ve shared the stage with Doomtree, Ivan Ives (the lulls in traffic), Jel, Clavvs, Blueprint, Wake atl, Nasty Nasty, Dälek, Deku, Sole, Dj Spintelect (Blackstar), Sage Francis, Isness, Higher Learning, Black Milk, Dj Pain 1 and STS9 to name a few. The NSL studio space was predominantly constructed using recycled and repurposed materials including wood removed legally from construction sites, donated retail fixtures, wine cases, excess fabrics, and denim insulation sustainably made of recycled cotton fibers. NSL is currently in the planning stages of converting the studio’s electrical power source to 100% solar generated energy.
New Single Out Now!
“This is an ode to my skateboard and skateboarding in general. So many of the twists and turns of my life have been guided by the little wooden toy that has become a major tribal sport for the entire world"
-Mtsc
https://naturalselektion.bandcamp.com/track/my-old-skateboard
Go Ask Owsley from 6 Cardinal & King Caiman is out now exclusively on Bandcamp
1 track album
Chapter 41 from Matthew the Soundscape Conjuror is now available wherever you stream.
track by Natural Selektion Labs
This month’s single offering from Matthew the Soundscape Conjuror features Mother Hood of RBTS WIN and is FREE via Bandcamp.
Run it up. See ya next year.
track by Natural Selektion Labs
PRESAVE - Altostratus ft MOTHER HOOD
Out Tomorrow 12/27
Stream and Pre-save Altostratus (feat. MOTHER HOOD) - Distributed by DistroKid
As a musician or audio engineer, one often encounters various effects that can enhance and shape the sound of an instrument or a mix. Two common effects that are frequently used are reverb and delay. Both are time-based effects that modify the original sound by reflecting and/or repeating it in different ways. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the distinctive characteristics, functions, and applications of reverb and delay effects.
As a musician or audio engineer, one often encounters various effects that can enhance and shape the sound of an instrument or a mix.
As a musician or audio engineer, one often encounters various effects that can enhance and shape the sound of an instrument or a mix. Two common effects that are frequently used are reverb and delay. Both are time-based effects that modify the original sound by reflecting and/or repeating it in different ways. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the distinctive characteristics, functions, and applications of reverb and delay effects.
Out Now!!
“Go Ask Owsley” from
x
Exclusively on Bandcamp
(Link in 6s Bio)
Mixing and Mastering by right here
3 years ago.. time flies and is always changing.
Red-Tailed by Mtsc is out now!
“When I was a little kid growing up in the woods off the paved road I was fascinated by the sky. The clouds, the sun, the stars, the way the colors changed during sunrise & sunset. I imagined anything that could traverse the space must have an incredible perspective. Naturally Hawks fit that description. After years of living in the city I had almost forgotten what they looked like up close. Once we moved out I started seeing red-shouldered and red-tailed hawks everywhere. They fly across the road in front of me when taking the kids to school, they swoop down to land on the fence in the backyard and fly by the window of the studio on sunny days. I started this song on my phone 30,000 feet above somewhere while imagining what those hawks might see on a blissful afternoon flight.” - Mtsc Matthew the Soundscape Conjuror
https://naturalselektion.bandcamp.com/track/red-tailed
How it’s going vs How it started
"Work to become, not to acquire."
— Elbert Hubbard
Matthew the Soundscape Conjuror Mtsc’s new single Energy Cloak is out now on Bandcamp or wherever you stream music + video on YouTube.
View NaturalSelektionLabs’s Linktree. Listen to their music on YouTube, Spotify here.
![I connected with Amin from Techivation] a while back. When we were talking one day he suggested that I try out some of t...](https://img5.medioq.com/308/081/5436523443080811.jpg)
I connected with Amin from Techivation] a while back. When we were talking one day he suggested that I try out some of the tools they were designing. Fast forward to now where their De-EsserPro has rapidly become my go to for taming harsh vocals. I used Izotope RX religiously for years (still use many of the options in that toolkit) so I was a little skeptical at first. You know when you push a de-esser too much and the vocals get that lisp effect? Good luck getting those results from Techivation (jokes, obviously nobody wants that). You don’t have that issue with the De-EsserPro. The marketing on this plugin isn’t just marketing. This is without a doubt the most natural sounding de-esser I’ve ever worked with and it’s extremely user friendly. If that isn’t enough the plugin has some goodies like saturation, user presets and filter options where you can preview the frequencies being processed. Head on over to Techivation] and try it out for yourself.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this one if you try it out so feel free to drop them in the comments.
Good Morning!
“You’re an audio engineer. What’s your work schedule like?”
Early mornings. Late nights. Weekends. Holidays. Sun. Rain.
All of the above.
It takes time. It’s not a traditional schedule with traditional hours but if you plan accordingly and are diligent you can achieve success as an engineer.
Another 30 Seconds Tricks & Tips… well.. More like an afternoon.
Diffusers are used in a studio setting to disperse sound waves. The idea is to reduce echoes and standing waves which results in better sound clarity. Applied along with other room treatment such as acoustic absorption diffusers can help provide a more realistic representation of how a mix sounds
I built the units in this video with wood left over from another project so the length of each piece is not as exact as it could be. You can build yours similarly or create something much more precise using a calculator.
(linked in bio)
“Examples of balance can be found everywhere, even in those places where you least expect them.”
-Dr Patrizia Collard
One of my favorite ways to add balance to a mix is through panning.
As with every mix the best tool is your ears but having a few guidelines to start with is beneficial.
-Keep it symmetrical. Try not to pan everything to one side. Panning too many elements or instruments to the same side will leave the mix unbalanced.
-Use complementary panning. If you have two or more instruments that occupy the same frequencies try panning them to opposite sides.
-Be careful with LCR Panning. The Left / Center / Right panning technique if applied too aggressively can lead to unnecessary open space. A mix like this can sound like it’s missing something from the stereo image.
-Play with automation. If you have an instrument you want to showcase at a certain part in a song automating the panning of other instruments can help that instrument stand out.
-Not everything needs to be panned. Instruments like drums, bass and lead vocals traditionally live in the center of the mix so unless you’re really going for an experimental sound it is often best to keep these instruments centralized.
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
-Henry David Thoreau
With all the traveling I’m doing for
plus mix / mastering work for / x / / .siobhan /
Pluss family life with 2 toddlers I’m honestly surprised I find the time to sleep at all but I wouldn’t change it. This is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing. It sounds corny but take it from me, You can do whatever you set your mind to!
“Space and silence are two aspects of the same thing. The same no-thing. They are externalization of inner space and inner silence, which is stillness: the infinitely creative womb of all existence.” - Eckhart Tolle
Just an appreciation post for my 1641 which despite no longer being supported by OS is still running like a champ as a stand-alone unit. With a little wiring alternation and some wood up-cycling I now have a nice accessible place for mic / instrument inputs. No more bumping my knees on cords. No more going behind the desk to setup for recording (yeah right).
A thought occurred to me recently that you and I have likely heard before but it really resonated with me this time around. Do not compare yourself to others, especially those who are doing something similar to you. I’ve definitely fallen into the rabbit hole in the past of being jealous of another engineer’s high end gear or the clientele they work with. This path only leads to dissatisfaction with your own life. My advice is to keep trying to better yourself, your skills, your knowledge and always remember to be proud of YOUR accomplishments.
Two of my favorite things when finalizing a master, a quality Scotch and Expose from
I find this tool especially helpful when working on something that is intended for streaming services. It’s easy to use. Just drop your song in and choose from one of their presets. You can pick from options like Apple Music or Spotify or create your own targets for one of the user presets. As with everything else in audio engineering use your ears and your knowledge for mastering primarily but definitely check out Expose for that extra level of confirmed success.
I’ve been trying out the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 2nd Generation interface for a few weeks now and I have to say I’m impressed with it so far. The build quality is excellent. Basic setup of the unit is easy. The mic preamps don’t seem to add any color which results in clean audio. This is at least my experience, I’ve read that others had different results. I used the Tascam 1641 for a loonnngg time up until it was no longer supported for newer OS versions. After that I used a Scarlett 2i4 which I originally purchased for live applications. What I found most unexpected was the improvement in playback quality from from the 2i4 to the 18i20. I tried them out head to head and the difference was unmistakable. My main guess is that I simply beat the 2i4 to s**t playing shows. At any rate the 18i20 is at home in our recently redesigned small rack section under the desk (yayy no more bumping knees on cords)!
What interface are you using? What’s your favorite interface you’ve used and why? Let’s start a conversation below.
How it started vs How it’s going
I’m finally feeling comfortable in this space. Personally, I can’t stand when things are messy or disorganized so clearly the building stages drove me nuts. Then there was the task of best utilizing the space. Of course that came with tuning and retuning the room after every rearrangement. I went through multiple layouts of acoustic treatment and desk design as well as gear placement and audio routing. While I understand that this is likely not the final setup of the room I’m definitely happy with where it is. Now I can enjoy the really fun part, the audio engineering!
Heavy Water ft Day Tripper is out now!
Video by Brother Graham.
and I started recording shows for around 15 years ago. It was a time before every stay at home mom, part time construction worker and nutty conspiracy theorist had a weekly podcast. I honestly don’t remember ever even using the word podcast. Fast forward to now where JS1 and I are combing through tons of episodes looking for our top picks from throughout the years. I laughed, cringed and definitely nodded my head to some bangers. We’re looking forward to rolling out some of these slightly dusty pieces of history for you real soon
If you’re working on a podcast series and need a professional to handle the final touches DM or Email for pricing and details
Good morning!
Let’s create something wonderful
I’m working on putting together more of the 30 Second Tricks & Tips for y’all. What are some of the things you’re most interested in learning about in 30 seconds?
Put your ideas in the comments
When I sit down to work on a session I often get excited about all the possibilities that could come from it. I have to be strategic about what to work on first. If I simply let my imagination lead I’ll definitely go down a rabbit hole of effects and plugins before dealing with the tedious tasks. This week I brought my laptop with me on vacation but intentionally left my hard drive that houses all my plugins at home. When I sat down to start setting up a session for mixing that I received from a client the only option I had was to prioritize the tedious stuff. After completing proper track names and identification, color coding, arrangement, editing and routing audio the session is all ready for the really fun aspects of mixing!
Do you work in a particular order or with a list while creating or mixing?
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New Single Out Now! “This is an ode to my skateboard and skateboarding in general. So many of the twists and turns of my life have been guided by the little wooden toy that has become a major tribal sport for the entire world" -Mtsc https://naturalselektion.bandcamp.com/track/my-old-skateboard
Another 30 Seconds Tricks & Tips… well.. More like an afternoon. . Diffusers are used in a studio setting to disperse sound waves. The idea is to reduce echoes and standing waves which results in better sound clarity. Applied along with other room treatment such as acoustic absorption diffusers can help provide a more realistic representation of how a mix sounds . I built the units in this video with wood left over from another project so the length of each piece is not as exact as it could be. You can build yours similarly or create something much more precise using a calculator. (linked in bio)
If you’re just getting started you may be asking questions like “What is the best audio mixer to buy?” or “How do I choose an audio mixing console?” or even “Do I really need a mixing console for my home recording studio?” In this article we’ll cover all of those questions and more in an effort to help you choose the best mixing console for your home recording studio. . . Link in Bio . . . . 🎶: Pressure Principal - @astrea_corp (@mtscmusic remix)
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