About SoundMaximum
SoundMaximum is an independent online publication aiming to deliver the best quality content for audiophiles and producers. It is your one-stop destination for all your audiophile needs.
Founded in Sep 2016, our blog has attracted over 3 million+ pageviews and is read by people all around the world.
Our mission with SoundMaximum is very clear – It is to help people make well-informed decisions when buying any audio products like headphones, mics, speakers, etc.
We have a well-versed diverse team of audiophiles, sound engineers, all around the world writing for us on a daily basis. Our audiophiles and musicians are in the USA, UK, Africa, and India and collectively contribute to the expert reviews and featured articles on the website to make SoundMaximum one of the leading publications for audiophile content.
If you are interested in collaborating with us in any way, you can contact us here.
What content SoundMaximum publishes?
There are mainly two types of content we publish on this blog.
- The informational tutorials and writeups – Our guides
- Thorough holistic explanations of different audiophile products like headphones, microphones, speakers, etc.
There are around 325+ blog posts around these archived from 2016. These write-ups are also upgraded regularly for relevancy and freshness.
How are we different?
Unlike other audiophiles and more review aggregating sites, we have a small team of dedicated audiophiles and writers who are absolutely passionate about helping our audience help with their production technicalities and purchase decisions.
There are two philosophies in the publishing industry – quality-first and quantity-first. We beg to be the former one. Considering the team size, we publish only 5-7 posts every week.
Each and every piece of content on our blog, go through a strict editorial process comprising of content researcher, writer, editor, proofreader, and publisher. Our editorial workflow is agile and also delivers predictable high-quality content every time.
Why should you trust us?
- We tell you if products are not worth your money (even good products come with some downsides)
- We try our best to make the blog posts holistic (which can get quite long)
- We never accept payments or compensation for reviews. We never published sponsored posts (as of Tuesday, February 16, 2021)
- We're 100% independent (there's no big company behind us telling us what to do and say)
Combining our own and other people's experiences into blog posts is, in our opinion, the most objective and supreme way to review products and provide accurate information that the audience can rely upon.
Our team
Jennifer, Writer
I'm a passionate audiophile and a blogger from Detriot, having an associate degree in sound engineering. I do my living out of freelance audio work and this blog 🙂
Enrique, Writer
Hey! I am Enrique a.k.a "Henry", I am an Audio Engineer, drummer, producer, and GRAMMY member with more than 10 years of experience in recording, mixing, and mastering, in charge of my own studio INNOVA Recording Studio.
Bibek, Writer
I'm Bibek a.k.a "Vee". A musician by heart and profession. A writer by passion. Travel monger. Adventure enthusiast. Coffee addict. Occasional cook. Pizza lover.
Abiola, Writer
Hey, this is Abiola. I'm an audio/music producer, writer, digital marketer. You can see me producing music, gaming, and watching football.
Douglas Banda, Writer
Hi, I am a music producer, mixing and mastering engineer, and singer-songwriter as well as a freelance writer who has been in the writing industry for over five years now.
Caleb, Writer
I'm a music teacher, a music director, a drummer, a producer, and a freelance music writer. For now, I make use of my home studio for production.
"Where words fail, music speaks." ― Hans Christian Andersen
Jennifer (Founder)
I'm Jennifer Max the founder of SoundMaximum, a.k.a JenMax.
I'm a passionate audiophile and a blogger from Detriot, having an associate degree in sound engineering. I do my living out of freelance audio work and this blog 🙂
I'm on a mission to help aspiring music creators create fine music with my quality, well-researched articles, and product reviews. I'm pretty sure that I can provide you with massive value, as I've been down the same road!
Like most people, I started out as an independent artist. I used to record some tracks in my lone room filled with acoustic panels, that first solo EP though… as an introvert, I quite loved the process 😉
After 5 years, my mixes have come a long way. I'm still quite young and have a lot to learn. I absolutely love putting forward greatly researched articles and buyer guides.
Love listening to my productions?
Follow me on SoundCloud
Follow me on MixCloud
SoundMaximum was started to help amateur musicians and producers help cut through the noise, and focus only on the few critical things that matter in this industry. When I was a beginner, I was overwhelmed by the technicalities involved and also faced frequent dilemmas when choosing the right gear, being a so-called perfectionist 😉
Are you ready to conquer the music-production process?
Enrique Ferrer (Henry)
Hey! I am Enrique a.k.a "Henry", I am an Audio Engineer, drummer, producer, and GRAMMY member with more than 10 years of experience in recording, mixing, and mastering, in charge of my own studio INNOVA Recording Studio.
I started in music back in Venezuela when I was 10 years old, taking drum lessons… Drums were in fact my first passion!
While learning this instrument, I started experimenting with different genres and bands. I had the opportunity to play with rock bands, metal bands, funk bands, and even electronic projects.
At some point during my career, I had the opportunity to record drums for my funk band at the time "Cocobeat" and be in a professional recording studio. This was the day it all "clicked" for me.
Being at the studio taught me I wanted to become an audio engineer, I wanted to produce and engineer for bands!
I was fortunate enough to graduate with the Master of Fine Arts in Recording Arts and Technologies from Middle Tennessee State University back in 2016.
Since that day, all I have done is production, recording, mixing, and mastering all kinds of bands and genres. My main genre is definitely rock and electronic music, but I also work a lot with urban artists, funk, disco, and even jazz.
I also play drums and produce for my own rock band, Seas Of Fontaine. We have actually released 2 albums at this point and we will be releasing our third soon. Stay tuned for that…
My studio, INNOVA Recording Studio, is where all the "magic" happens, it is my lab, that is where I record, mix and master all the music that gets to my hands.
My main expertise is in recording drums, mixing, and mastering. That is the reason my clients typically call me… They tend to like the punch of my drums, the clarity of my mixes, and the power of my masters.
I encourage you to check out my website so you can listen to my portfolio at www.innovarecordingstudio.com and follow my studio on Instagram @innovarecording
Personally, I work in Pro Tools as my main software. That is where I record, mix, and also master.Â
Studio One and Ableton Live are my secondary weapons and I use them mostly for production.
Ask me anything you want from those and I will be happy to help you. As I said, I use them on a daily basis.
My studio is completely in-the-box. I currently own plugins from Universal Audio, Waves, Slate, FabFilter, IK Multimedia, Soundtoys, and Native Instruments. They are just fantastic, easy to use, and always give me the results I am looking for.
As far as hardware, I own the Apollo Twin interface from Universal Audio, a pair of Yamaha NS-10M Studio monitors, and a Bryston power-amp. Rock-solid as always…
During my spare time, I work as a YouTuber and musician, playing drum covers with my friends all over the world, and talking about music in general. Follow me on Instagram and YouTube for more content like this @venezuelandrummerÂ
My career and experience have helped me become part of prestigious professional organizations such as the Recording Academy (GRAMMY Awards) and the Audio Engineering Society (AES), from which I am a proud voting member of both.
I believe as part of being an engineer, I must also help people learn more about the art of sound engineering, that is why I also serve as a Blogger for SoundMaximum, sharing my knowledge and experience related to gear and software with the whole world.
You are more than welcome to read our blogs, plus they are free!
Bibek Bardhan
I'm Bibek a.k.a "Vee". A musician by heart and profession. A writer by passion. Travel monger. Adventure enthusiast. Coffee addict. Occasional cook. Pizza lover.
Born and brought up in the tea city of India – Dibrugarh (Assam). Right from my early childhood and schooling, I led a very ordinary life. My interest in music arose from watching my maternal uncle, who is a renowned keyboard player and radio artist in Dibrugarh. My first live performance, which started as a singer, dates back to 2004 when I was in the 4th standard. It was not until 2011 that I started playing the keyboard solely. Joined a band and started composing.
In 2012, my solo project "Hues" came into being. Joined Tezpur University in 2013 into Integrated MA in English and it was during my 3 years of university life that reinvigorated the musician in me. 2016 I left for Kolkata and worked for a few months in the corporate world – IBM Concentrix. Brought my first guitar – Yamaha F310 – with my first salary. And then in 2017, I shifted to Pune and began doing live shows. Also pursued Diploma in Audio Engineering from SEAMEDU Pune.
Recently during lockdown 2020, I bought another guitar – Yamaha F280 – as a birthday gift for myself. Other pieces of equipment of my audio arsenal include – Focusrite 18i20, Yamaha HS8, Rode VideoMicro.
Over the years, I have done several projects and collaborated with government agencies and events, such as the Dwijing Festival, The Baukhungri Festival, Bodoland Tourism, etc. Very recently, I worked as a music director in an Assamese feature film – Boroxun (Songs for Rain), expected to be released in 2021 (hopefully). Also, I made a few jingles for Mahatma Gandhi NREGA Awareness Programme.
My expertise mainly revolves around composition, production, and arrangement. I also take interest in the technical aspects – mixing and mastering.
Music has always been a spiritual tool for me. It has played the role of a divine escape in my life. I never made music intending to make money or get millions of views. Rather, I always try to make the listener feel the exact emotion that I felt or felt while singing or composing a particular song/track.
I have been around audio instruments since an early part of my life. I feel comfortable and excited and curious whenever I am around a piano, the instrument that I played initially, or a guitar or anything that makes a sound.
But enough about music. Travelling is what soothes my soul as well. Currently, I am pursuing Masters in Tourism and Travel Management from Tezpur University (2019-2021). Prior to starting the course, I was working as a Content Writer for travel websites.
Check out a few of my music projects here:
Abiola (reFLex)
Hey, I'm an audio/music producer, writer, digital marketer. You can see me producing music, gaming, and watching football.
My journey in audio production started when I learned to play the piano in 2005.
At that time, my piano teacher used to make full tracks using the Yamaha PSR 640. I got interested and started making my own soundtracks in 2007, saving the music on floppy disks.
Two years later, I discovered FL6 and got hooked. I recreated instrumentals of popular songs and got better at it. By 2011, I started doing music professionally.
I took a position as a music director or a 150-person choir group in my university. I also worked as a music producer and mix engineer at an audio studio, a job I held till 2016.
During that time, I worked with movie crews recording audio and post-production.Â
Since writing is also something I'm passionate about, I decided to start in 2017 as a freelance copywriter.
My experience has taken me through hundreds of audio equipment, studios, technology, and people. Nothing excites me more than telling you all about it.Â
Recent work examples: YouTube series Dawn on Tribe Nation channel.
Douglas Banda
Hi. My name is Douglas Banda, I am a music producer, mixing and mastering engineer, and singer-songwriter as well as a freelance writer who has been in the writing industry for over five years now.
I write all forms of content, from articles, blog posts, newsletters, emails, product descriptions, reviews, buyer guides, web content, and anything else you can think of in between. I am a graduate of the University of Nairobi with an agribusiness management degree.
I fell in love with music when I was young because my dad loved rhumba (a famous African genre). He had so many tapes lying around in the house that he would put on for me to listen to. Those were some good times.
I was introduced to music production (a world full of opportunities that have been calling my name for years) by a very dear friend called Jaybee (bless him).
I would go over to his room and he'd be in front of his laptop with headphones on, making these crazy sounds that completely grabbed my attention. So that's where it all started for me!
My first DAW was FL Studio Trial. At first, It was like a puzzle that needed solving! Nowadays it's hard not to be consumed by the constant creative process of making new sounds and arrangements.
I have tried almost all recording software(DAWS) available. Whether it's ProTools, Ableton, Studio One 5, Logic Pro, or Reason, this is why I am so knowledgeable and write in-depth articles about anything music production-related: mixing/mastering techniques & technology in general. My writing is done with love as my main aim is to help you by sharing my experience! Also, my experience allows me to share ideas with others who are interested in learning more!
I love to produce Afrobeats, but I like experimenting with other genres because it's part of being an artist. Whether that means Pop music, Hip-Hop, or Afropop – just to name a few!
I play the guitar, keyboard and am currently learning drums. I love it! If you want to try your hand in music production, pick up an instrument today because it's amusing, and it will help you become a better music producer, singer, and songwriter. For me, it made my creation and production way easier, so I recommend it wholeheartedly.
Having performed in over 50 countries worldwide, I am inspired most by Justin Bieber.
Locally, Sautisol and Xenia Manasseh are also inspiring artists to me. For mixing engineers, MixedbyAli is a great person to look up to because he's the real deal!
When it comes to mastering engineers, Luca Protolesi is my favorite one out there as his work speaks for itself.
Beat-making vlog channels on YouTube are my favorite! I learn a lot by watching them, and you should check it out if you want to level up your skills.
Unfortunately, I am not a coffee, but I like Chapati(a thin pancake of unleavened wholemeal bread cooked on a griddle)
I am very grateful to soundmaximum.com for giving me the opportunity to teach you guys everything music, audio, and tech-related through articles on singing techniques, songwriting, instruments like guitars, production equipment like audio interfaces, and headphones.
And to share with you helpful tips about mixing or mastering songs using tools like waves from Waves Audio Plugins & FabFilter, which I use daily. That just warms my heart.
I am on a mission to win the Grammy one day and have my song or mix enter Billboard's Top 100. So come follow me on Instagram @daglasbanda, check out some of my music on my youtube channel @daglasbanda and @swahili. Like comment and subscribe.
Ayokunnumi Caleb
Hi, I'm Caleb. I am a lover of music.
It comes from within me, and I have to let it out again and again. I have the passion to see that music is done well at all times.
My philosophy: "Music is more than just the combination of sounds that are pleasant to the ear."
I have a mission to ensure musicians have easy access to materials and equipment for learning. I see that lots of upcoming musicians do not have proper learning guides and instruments.
My vision is seeing music done excellently. A friend made this quote – "Everybody can do music but let's do it well."
How it started – It's been over 12 years of doing music, and I keep loving what I see and hear. It just keeps getting better daily. Music has become one of my hobbies aside from being with my family.
When I'm down – I play music. When I'm excited – I play music. Music is applicable in all situations of life.
I started my career as a student of music in high school. I played Recorder- became the best player in my school. Afterward, I learned to play the piano and drum.
It took a long time to get a proper learning resource. I neither have the money to learn nor do I have the instrument. Then I knew I had to help young musicians- not to go through the delay and stress I went through. At that time, I was teaching piano and drums.
I turned down lots of students because there was no equipment for learning.
I had to deal with the odds and stay focused and connected to my dream- that music is done professionally at all times.
Along the line, I was beginning to wish for a music band. I joined a team in the University I schooled in, but it wasn't long before we graduated and returned to our homes. I was devastated- looking for a professional music band.
The best I could get was not my taste, there the dream of being a music director and producer was born.
Today, I'm a music teacher, a music director, a drummer, and a producer. For now, I make use of my home studio for production.
In my desire to ensure music knowledge is available to all, I became a content writer with over six years of experience. I took an interest in writing about my experience and expertise in music so all my students can easily access accurate information.
Music is what I do and teach."Music is an expression of the human soul through sound – Caleb."
Note from Jen: I'm currently in the process of hiring great writers for the site, who have experience and extensive knowledge in recording, mixing, mastering, and also writing to help me with my mission. If you think you're a good fit here, feel free to drop me an email at jennifer@soundmaximum.com