Sonic Toolkit: Four Ways to Sidechain a Kick & Bass

How to apply transparent or creative sidechain processing to balance your rhythm section in any genre.

Feb 16

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The Coarse Sandpaper Approach: Why Your Demos Should Start Rough

"Rough and messy" is the ideal starting mindset for discovering your next best song idea.

Feb 3

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January 2026

My Sonic Toolkit: Fixing Harsh Mixes Without Killing the Tone

How to use Soothe2 and other spectral tools to keep the character while cutting the clutter.

Jan 20

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STEAL My "30-Minute Mining" Music Production Template!

See how I set up my Pro Tools music production template to quickly generate creative ideas (plus a free 32-page production guide + checklists, $47…

Jan 6 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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Exciting update: New paid tier launch + free '30-Minute Mining' guide for all subscribers!

Gift for All Subscribers: 30-Minute Mining Guide. Thanks for Your Support!

Jan 5

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December 2025

The 2025 Collection: A Year of Music Factory Insights & A Look Ahead

Explore the full 2025 archive of The Music Factory. From creative philosophy to production tips and gear, catch up on every article from the first year.

Dec 23, 2025 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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My Sonic Toolkit: The Swiss Army Knife of Sound Design

Redesign snare drums, master side-chain ducking, apply multi-band effects, and more. Find out why Shaperbox 3 is one of my must-have plugins.

Dec 9, 2025 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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November 2025

The Imprint of Circa Survive: Why I Wanted to Cover "Flesh and Bone"

A deep dive into creative influence. Learn how Circa Survive helped to shape my musical identity, leading to the n1ghtmar3cat cover of "Flesh and Bone”.

Nov 25, 2025 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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My Sonic Toolkit: I Own Two Microphones, and I Only Use One of Them

I record with my trusty SM7B 99% of the time, while my other mic collects dust. Find the mic that suits your workflow!

Nov 11, 2025 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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October 2025

Why You Should Be Releasing Instrumental Versions of Your Music

Most artists overlook this opportunity. Leverage instrumentals to improve your music's sync potential, provide backing tracks for content creators …

Oct 28, 2025 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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The Feedback Loop: Finding Creative Opinions You Can Trust

Vague opinions are noise. Identify trustworthy ears to seek feedback that will actually help your compositions and mixes.

Oct 14, 2025 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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September 2025

My Sonic Toolkit: The Two Essential Compressors for My Workflow

I limit myself to only two compressors to keep my production and mixing focused and efficient. Read on to find out which ones I use and why.

Sep 30, 2025 • Dave Johnston, DMA

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