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Top 10 Mixing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

October 18, 2024

Mixing is an art form that requires not only technical skill but also a keen ear and attention to detail. Many producers and engineers fall into common traps...

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Choosing the Best CPU for Music Production

October 18, 2024

When upgrading your CPU for music production, whether you're composing orchestral scores, producing electronic music, or working with intricate multi-track projects, selecting the right processor...

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How to Create Epic Risers and Transition Effects for Electronic Music

October 11, 2024

Creating epic risers and transition effects is essential for electronic music producers to build tension and anticipation before a drop or shift in their tracks. Here’s how you can do it...

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Automating a Drum Bus in Reaper to Create Dynamic Room Effects

October 6, 2024

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EQ in Practice: How to Use Subtractive EQ to Clean Up Muddy Mixes

October 6, 2024

ixing music is an art, and one of the most essential tools for achieving clarity in a mix is the equalizer (EQ). One technique, in particular, known as subtractive EQ, can work wonders for cleaning...

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How to Manage Static Noise in High Frequencies When Compressing Vocals

October 6, 2024

One common frustration in vocal production, especially for home studio and bedroom producers, is encountering static noise in the high frequencies after compressing and brightening vocals...

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Sampling Like a Pro: How to Flip Samples and Avoid Legal Issues

October 6, 2024

Sampling has been a cornerstone of modern music production, allowing producers to reimagine and breathe new life into old tracks. Whether you're producing hip-hop, EDM, or any genre, knowing how to...

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What Makes an EQ or Compressor VST High-Quality: Insights and Examples from Pros

October 6, 2024

When selecting EQ and compressor plugins, musicians and producers look for more than just a shiny interface or brand recognition. It's all about how these tools perform in real-world scenarios...

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Sound Design 101: Crafting Killer Drum Sounds Using Synthesizers

October 6, 2024

Drum sounds form the backbone of many music genres, and while sample packs are popular, designing your own drum sounds from scratch can elevate your production to a whole new level. Crafting custom...

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Mastering Multiband Compression Sidechaining: A Solution to Clashing Frequencies

October 6, 2024

In modern music production, one of the most common challenges is the clash of frequencies between instruments. For example, bass guitars and drum kits often compete for space in the lower end of...

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Studio One Workflow Tips for Faster Music Production

October 1, 2024

Studio One by PreSonus is an incredibly powerful DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) that offers a variety of tools to streamline your music production workflow. However, like many DAWs, getting the...

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Solving the Issue of Buried Crash Cymbals in the Mix

October 1, 2024

Crash cymbals often get buried in the mix, especially when using complex miking techniques like Glyn Johns, which balances close mics with overheads. While re-recording with higher cymbals may be a...

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Peach Pit’s “From 2 to 3” is an Indie Production Masterpiece

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Peach Pit’s third and latest album, “From 2 to 3”, is a perfect example of musicianship as it masterfully executes a combination of the band’s influences with their unique sound. It’s distinctly themselves, and built upon their 2 prior albums of infectious indie pop, filled with relatable lyrics and catchy melodies. Yet it takes on a more fundamental role in establishing their sound through more intimate and tactile recording practices, and this is exactly what the band set out to do before recording the album. 

The album was heavily influenced by 1970s rock and folk music, as frontman Neil Smith tells Monday Magazine: “We just decided we wanted to have a very natural-sounding album with not a lot of affected vocals or guitars and if we were going to use effects, we were going to try to use things that were from the 1970s influence of rock ‘n roll.” 

These influences are perfectly complementary to their previously established indie rock sound. Tracks such as ‘Up Granville’ and ‘Pepsi on the House’ have the energetic aura and riffing guitars which defined their previous albums. Yet the album is especially elevated by tracks such as ‘Vickie’, ‘Look Out!’, and ‘Last Days of Lonesome’, which feature acoustic guitar-driven instrumentals and mellow vocals. The latter two tracks even feature little to no drums or bass guitar, opting to put their lyrics and melodies at the forefront which amplifies the folk-influenced atmosphere. 

One thing that listeners will pick up on is how noticeably intimate the listening experience is. Not only through tender instrumentals, but with the more subtle conveyance of mature lyrical themes. No song exemplifies this better than the title track, which sees the lead singer, Neil wake up from a dream about his ex-girlfriend. It’s a mellow track with haunting undertones, and serves as a perfect way to cap off the album. What makes the lyrical content so infectious is not only the relatability, but how it feels tactile, dynamic, and right in front of you. These elements are nurtured by Neil’s songwriting habits, as he cites in an interview with Range that he wrote ‘From 2 to 3’ right after actually waking up from his dream, which explains why the imagery it portrays is so fresh and vivid. 

“From 2 to 3” feels both like a product of skilled musicians, and a bunch of friends jamming together in a tightly organized package. While the album is more bare-bones than their previous efforts– omitting many background sounds that made “You and Your Friends” a progressive album for the genre, it allows them to experiment with sounds and lyrical themes that were previously untapped. And for that, Peach Pit is able to capture the charming essence of indie music while maturing their sound to a more creative and polished state which reflects their growth and talent as musicians.