tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77375181762703042892024-03-13T05:07:36.310-07:00ZeSoundSuite Dot ComUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-34358325557489150412014-04-26T10:54:00.001-07:002014-04-26T10:57:10.102-07:00Free Orchestral Samples from the BBC Music Production Toolkit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--_BILlTf_MA/U1vyHb8R7WI/AAAAAAAAFZc/E_DOeclGpws/s1600/UPPM+Samples.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--_BILlTf_MA/U1vyHb8R7WI/AAAAAAAAFZc/E_DOeclGpws/s1600/UPPM+Samples.jpg" height="140" width="400" /></a></div>
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"Free Orchestral Samples" no doubt got your attention and likely brought you here so I'll keep this short and to the point. <a href="https://soundcloud.com/uppm-uk" target="_blank">Universal Publishing Production Music</a> composers Martin Joustra and Andy Blythe have created an awesome sampling tool kit designed for the media industry and beginners alike.<br />
<br />
Whether you create orchestral scores, wild trap jams or bleeps in bloops in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CHZG1FE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00CHZG1FE&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">Fruity Loops</a> you can easily and quickly drag and drop high quality 48k WAV samples into your productions with ease. There are 50 songs split into 3000 different cue points that are all in the same key, using the placement system provided nearly all 3000 cues are interchangeable with one another. In simple speak this means little musical knowledge is needed to create something you can call your own.<br />
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<iframe border="0" frameborder="0" height="60" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=music&banner=1GVEV71RWYZ472RKWZ02&f=ifr" style="border: none;" width="468"></iframe>
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<a href="http://www.unippm.co.uk/#/my-account/registration.aspx" target="_blank">Registration</a> is free and required to download the toolkit but I'd say trading your email for something like this is more than a fair shake. For more information on the music production toolkit check out the website linked below!<br />
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<a href="http://www.unippm.co.uk/#/BBC Orchestral Toolkit.aspx" target="_blank">The 10GB BBC Music Production Toolkit</a><br />
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All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-5793674576138688762014-04-25T10:35:00.000-07:002014-04-25T10:40:08.546-07:00Bitwig Studio Tutorials from Nick's Tutorials<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EOOctJRg3X8/U1qctULvX9I/AAAAAAAAFZI/EOJBM0QMa-U/s1600/Bitwig+Studio.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EOOctJRg3X8/U1qctULvX9I/AAAAAAAAFZI/EOJBM0QMa-U/s1600/Bitwig+Studio.png" height="189" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've done a couple <a href="http://zesoundsuite.blogspot.com/2010/03/nicks-tutorials.html" target="_blank">posts</a> in the past on Nick's Tutorials, his work is fantastic and certainly worth the coin. He has broken down Ableton and sound design using the DAW in a way that many of the other tutorial designers have yet to do. His work is interesting and most importantly, always informative.<br />
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Nick isn't a giant company like Lynda or MacProVideo, he is a guy with an incredible skillset who has taken the time to share his craft with all of us. If that doesn't deserve your dollar I don't know what does.<br />
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<iframe border="0" frameborder="0" height="60" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=software&banner=19B9W0V74Z9KV3E29MR2&f=ifr" style="border: none;" width="468"></iframe>
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<br />
Nick has decided to begin offering <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IXRE63E/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00IXRE63E&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">Bitwig Studio</a> tutorials alongside his already successful Ableton tutorials. When you consider that the Bigwig guys used to be the Ableton guys it makes quite a bit of sense that many Ableton users may be jumping ship for Bitwig. No word on when these tutorials will be ready but trust that they'll be worth the wait. If you're one of those people and you're looking to get a leg up on your fellow Bitwig fanatics be sure to check out the <a href="http://nickstutorials.com/" target="_blank">Nick's Tutorials</a> website and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/oubliettezombie" target="_blank">Nick's YouTube Channel</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-56986052747292777472014-04-24T18:04:00.001-07:002014-04-24T18:05:38.640-07:00Best Budget Friendly MIDI Controller Keyboards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Skk75FATRjA/U1m0oH872zI/AAAAAAAAFY0/ll0HYMh84M4/s1600/Korg+Microkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Skk75FATRjA/U1m0oH872zI/AAAAAAAAFY0/ll0HYMh84M4/s1600/Korg+Microkey.jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.musicradar.com/us/" target="_blank">Music Radar</a> has put together a great list of what they believe to be the 12 best <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007VQIBB6/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B007VQIBB6&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">MIDI controller</a> keyboards under $150. To be honest, I can't say I disagree with any of their recommendations when it comes to this class of controller.<br />
<br />
They've done a fantastic job of presenting the reader with a great resource when it comes to making music on a budget. We all know playing MIDI notes with the home row of our keyboard is frustrating, spend a little time with this article plus a few bucks and you'll be tickling the ivories (errr plastics) in no time.<br />
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<a href="http://www.musicradar.com/us/news/tech/the-12-best-budget-midi-controller-keyboards-565848/1" target="_blank">The 12 Best Budget MIDI Controller Keyboards</a><br />
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<iframe border="0" frameborder="0" height="60" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=instruments&banner=16W15R4P8DY137HCG202&f=ifr" style="border: none;" width="468"></iframe>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-50943947852470140602014-04-21T18:20:00.000-07:002014-04-21T18:21:57.219-07:00Awesome Custom Ableton Live Controller Here is a video of an awesome customer Ableton controller from <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ander" target="_blank">Ander</a>. The knobs overlaid above the LED's add an especially cool touch to the units. Ander does an excellent job explaining his work in the video below so I'll let him do the rest of the talking. Enjoy!<br />
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<iframe width="515" height="290" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/-NvccaBV-Zs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-26264642992816761622014-04-19T14:27:00.001-07:002014-04-19T14:34:19.668-07:00Mixing Hip-Hop TutorialMixing Hip-Hop is a two part tutorial course from Matthew Weiss. (Snoop, Arrested Development, Gorilla Zoe, Royce Da 5'9 and more) This course is a simple to follow and easy to digest, the perfect way for the beginner to get their hands dirty in the world of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0876390858/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0876390858&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">urban music production</a> and recording. The tutorial is broken down into two parts; one half focused on recording/processing <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1613744013/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1613744013&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">rap vocals</a> and another half on hip hop beat production.<br />
<br />
<b>Check out this Video Review from: <a href="http://soundsandgear.com/">SoundsAndGear.com</a></b><br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="290" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/JT_uqdH_3CQ" width="515"></iframe>
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<iframe border="0" frameborder="0" height="60" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=instruments&banner=16W15R4P8DY137HCG202&f=ifr" style="border: none;" width="468"></iframe>
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<b>Topics Covered:</b><br />
<br />
-Cleaning up vocals<br />
-Controlling tone and dynamics
Enhancing with EQ<br />
-Constructing ambience<br />
-Producing better vocals<br />
-Setting levels<br />
-Emotional automation<br />
-Making the drums hit hard<br />
-Enhancing the synths<br />
-Home mastering tips<br />
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The entire cost of the tutorial kit is $57 USD and it can be downloaded directly from the <a href="http://mixinghiphop.com/" target="_blank">Mixing Hip-Hop website</a>.<br />
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All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-44085555056517679362011-10-10T13:48:00.000-07:002014-04-19T12:26:48.151-07:00Ron McMaster on Mastering for Vinyl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5UyKadx4GN8/TpNWFpcOFPI/AAAAAAAAAeM/3CJDmg6757Q/s1600/Ron+McMaster+Neumann+Lathe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5UyKadx4GN8/TpNWFpcOFPI/AAAAAAAAAeM/3CJDmg6757Q/s400/Ron+McMaster+Neumann+Lathe.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
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The video below is especially interesting to me as I've actually met Ron McMaster and got the chance to tour his studio while attending <a href="http://losangeles.sae.edu/en-us/home/" target="blank">SAE</a> in Los Angeles. <br />
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I was standing in his room thinking about all of the creative musical works his hands had touched, and will touch for that matter. This all of course ran through my head after I had the time to scoop my jaw up off the floor. If you think about it, Ron McMaster has been influencing the sound of some of the greatest records ever released for the past 30 years. That is something that few people can say, Ron represents a dying sonic art, big ups to Capitol for producing and sharing this excellent video.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=instruments&banner=16W15R4P8DY137HCG202&f=ifr" width="468" height="60" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<br />
In this video Ron takes you through his studio following the signal flow and gives us a nice little run down of the equipment and techniques he puts to work when cutting lacquer for it's eventual transformation to a vinyl record. If you don't know what a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GYTPAE/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B002GYTPAE&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">vinyl record</a> is please never read my blog again... ever. Oh yeah, keep your ears open for the part where Ron talks about the direct to disk recording they used to do... Very cool.<br />
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I hope you all enjoy this little bit as much as I do. Make sure you watch the video all the way through, at the end Ron gives you a bit of history behind his custom <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003Y5CVUA/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B003Y5CVUA&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">mastering console</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="365" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x0SF36LGpmY" width="515"></iframe> <br />
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If you'd like to know more about Ron and his work at Capitol check out his <a href="http://www.capitolstudios.com/index.cfm?page=mcmaster" target="blank">Bio at the Capitol website</a>. As always, thanks for reading and happy geeking!<br />
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All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-7921563199607498922011-09-17T10:34:00.000-07:002014-04-19T14:08:53.705-07:00KRK RP10-3 Demos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gyKX-hIIoGg/TnP0DuLglQI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/hvteo9RO8_Q/s1600/rokit%2Brp10-3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gyKX-hIIoGg/TnP0DuLglQI/AAAAAAAAAdQ/hvteo9RO8_Q/s400/rokit%2Brp10-3.png" height="400" width="305" /></a></div>
West LA Music in Southern California has just announced that they have a pair of the brand new <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FXAUWW8/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FXAUWW8&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">KRK</a> RP10-3 Studio Monitors available for listening demos in their show room. These monitors aren't even for sale yet and already they've generated a lot of buzz amongst the pro-sumer audio market. It's not doubt West LA is taking full advantage of having the only pair in LA at the moment. The RP10-3's are the latest addition from KRK to their Rokit line of studio monitors. My personal opinion of most KRK Rokit speakers I've heard is that they are all quite bass heavy, especially if they're not on a properly isolated speaker stand. However, this works for some people and no one can argue with the popularity of the brand, they're just not for me. I don't write this blog for myself though, it's for all of you, the people that read it. It would be foolish of me to assume that a great deal of you wouldn't be interested in these.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=instruments&banner=16W15R4P8DY137HCG202&f=ifr" width="468" height="60" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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If you'd like to put these bass beasts through their paces go check them out over at West LA Music this Sat. Sun. & Mon. (9/17-9/19) they're located at 11345 Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles. Consider the following a warning though, chances are you'll likely fall in love with some other piece of gear inside West LA and completely forget about the KRK's. That's ok though, you'll know when you've found the right tools to spend your hard earned money on. The bottom line... If you're looking for the RP10-3's or any piece of gear for that matter, head over to West LA Music, they're not Guitar Center. The selection coupled with the passionate and professional staff will make you quite aware of this fact almost instantaneously. As always, thanks for reading and happy geeking!<br />
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Best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-14421121110004177352011-08-30T16:59:00.000-07:002014-04-19T12:34:19.357-07:00Ableton Shortcuts Hotkeys and Tips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2f-C3M96a1Q/Tl13rnVSIwI/AAAAAAAAAbc/PiXAEH7Am4Y/s1600/Keyboard+Shortcuts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2f-C3M96a1Q/Tl13rnVSIwI/AAAAAAAAAbc/PiXAEH7Am4Y/s320/Keyboard+Shortcuts.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have you ever seen a seasoned producer or engineer rip apart a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZ98VWK/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AZ98VWK&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">DAW </a>without hardly touching the mouse? If you haven't it's something to be enjoyed before you pass this part of the universe on. However, instead of watching someone else, you could always just teach yourself. With a bit of good old fashioned brain memory fueled by the right study material you too can be a hot key champion. Below is a list of shortcuts pulled from a post over at the Ableton Forums authored by the user autogen. I thought they would be useful to all of you as there is also quite a bit of other tips aside from just the hotkeys. Check them out, I'm willing to bet they will make your workflow quite a bit more efficient once memorized.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1285455401/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1285455401&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">Live shortcuts</a> & alternative controls for certain functions:</b></span><br />
<i>(PC users substitute: ‘COMMAND’ with ‘ALT’ and ‘ALT’ with ‘CTRL’)</i><br />
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<b>Duplicate </b>= COMMAND+D.<br />
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<b>Disable Grid</b> = COMMAND+4 (or hold COMMAND whilst selecting note or note start/end).<br />
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<b>Select Looped</b> = COMMAND+SHIFT+L.<br />
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<b>Resize/Move Loop braces</b> = cursor keys or COMMAND+cursor keys.<br />
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<b>In arrange view loop selected</b> = COMMAND+L.<br />
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<b>In arrange view consolidate multiple selected clips</b> = COMMAND+J.<br />
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<b>Playback from current position</b> = SHIFT+SPACEBAR.<br />
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<b>Trigger selected clip slot</b> = RETURN.<br />
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<b>Switch Clip/Track view</b> = SHIFT+TAB.<br />
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<b>Move clip from session to arrange & vica versa</b> = Click and hold on clip then press TAB.<br />
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<b>Stop focus moving when triggering clips (all clips)</b> = In prefs > Record/Warp/Launch > Select on Launch > select 'off'.<br />
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<b>Stop focus moving when triggering clips (selected clips)</b> = CTRL+Click desired clip > select 'Select on Launch (Pref)'.<br />
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<b>Preferences </b>= COMMAND+,.<br />
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<b>Adjust all track widths</b> = hold ALT while adjusting.<br />
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<b>Record Enable Track</b> = F9.<br />
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<b>Slower response while changing track levels</b> = Hold COMMAND while moving fader.<br />
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<b>Show hide plugin windows </b>= COMMAND+ALT+P.<br />
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<b>Stop browser preview</b> = ESC.<br />
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<b>In browser alternate navigation/previewing</b> = left & right cursor keys.<br />
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<b>Zoom to loop</b> = Click on the word "length".<br />
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<b>Zoom to position</b> = Click on the word "position".<br />
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<b>Zoom out 100%</b> = Double click the bottom clip overview tab.<br />
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<b>Zoom to specific portion </b>= Use start and end of bottom clip overview like loop braces.<br />
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<b>Alternate scrolling in MIDI clips </b>= COMMAND+ALT+Drag.<br />
<b><br />
Show/Hide overview in session view</b> = COMMAND+ALT+O.<br />
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<b>Show/Hide Info View</b> = SHIFT+/.<br />
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<b>Mute/Unmute tracks 1-8</b> = F1-F8.<br />
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<b>Time compress/expand MIDI notes</b> = right-click with all notes selected then select 'stretch notes'.<br />
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<b>Insert silence in arrange view/scene in session view</b> = COMMAND+I.<br />
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<b>Drag multiple files to individual tracks</b> = Hold COMMAND whilst dragging files in.<br />
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<b>Unfold all arrange tracks</b> = ALT+Click a track arrow icon.<br />
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<b>Alternative velocity control in MIDI editor</b> = COMMAND+Click note+drag.<br />
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<b>Duplicate note in MIDI editor</b> = ALT+Click note+drag.<br />
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<b>Render tracks as individual files</b> = In render dialog change "Master" to "All Tracks".<br />
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<b>Assign twice as many qwerty keys to live</b> = SHIFT.<br />
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<b>Restrict automation point movement to vertical axis</b> = COMMAND+Drag.<br />
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<b>Scroll drum racks 1 row at a time</b> = COMMAND+Drag.<br />
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<b>View multiple plugin windows</b> = In prefs > Look/Feel > Auto-Hide Plugin Windows > select 'off'.<br />
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<b>Edit info text for tracks and devices to make notes</b> = CTRL+Click > select 'Edit Info Text'.<br />
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<b>Create note with draw mode off</b> = Double Click.<br />
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<b>Remove stop buttons to avoid clips stopping when changing scenes</b> = Select clip slot > COMMAND+E (or enable 'Legato' launch mode).<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>General Tips:</b></span><br />
<br />
*Hidden buttons visible when in midi or key assign mode =<br />
scene up/down (in master track).<br />
per track play button - launches selected clip in track.<br />
<br />
*Entering bpm in the scene launch buttons title sets bpm when launched.<br />
<br />
*Click the headphone icon in midi editor to enable vertical keyboard to preview related sound.<br />
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*While MIDI synced to external machine hosting Live ALT+SPACEBAR on the sync slave causes it to sync to the masters current song position. (remedy for sync drifting without stopping and starting).<br />
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*Remember to experiment with the default live rack presets especially the DJ/Performance ones.<br />
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*GIGA libraries can be exported to Sampler then deleted (if required), as all samples are copied to the library.<br />
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*Mac users check out a free app called Soundsource. It adds an audio prefs selector to the menu-bar.<br />
<br />
*OSX Function keys = ALT+F1/F2 opens Display Prefs, ALT+F3/F4/F5 opens Sound Prefs, ALT+F8/F9/F10 opens Keyboard & Mouse Prefs.<br />
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*When a new version of Live is released. Open Info Window (SHIFT+/) and hover any new parameters, fields or preferences.<br />
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*Multiple tracks can be selected and frozen simultaneously.<br />
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*Drag and drop tracks directly from iTunes for DJing.<br />
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*Dragging a sample onto a plugin instrument will replace the instrument with an instance of Simpler containing that sample.<br />
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Hopefully you all learned at least a few new things to speed up your work within <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AZ98TVS/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00AZ98TVS&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">Live</a>. Until next time... Thanks for reading & happy geeking!<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
Nick<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-72392606185223342612011-08-26T15:33:00.000-07:002011-08-26T16:54:52.241-07:00Elysia's Niveau Free Filter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UxkMlL9xeCQ/TlgW07OiJQI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/XdHyO_qH_NU/s1600/Elysia%2BNiveau%2BFilter.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UxkMlL9xeCQ/TlgW07OiJQI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/XdHyO_qH_NU/s400/Elysia%2BNiveau%2BFilter.jpeg" width="440" /></a></div><br />
The German audio processing powerhouse Elysia has released a free filter plug-in for the world to go wild on. The Niveau Filter from Elysia comes from Elysia's Mpressor's EQ/filter section. Niveau is essentially dumb proof; providing two knobs for frequency selection, and tweaking to taste. <br />
<br />
It works like this... First you select the frequency you'd like as your center point for the filters. For frequencies over 2,200Hz use the "Freq x10" button to multiple the frequency selection knob's corresponding frequencies by a factor of 10. Next, turn the EQ gain pot clockwise to increase low frequencies whilst simultaneously boosting the high end. If you turn the EQ gain knob counter-clockwise the effect will be just the opposite.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOjNebLRV60/TlgXfoc5iBI/AAAAAAAAAbY/uDoX9VSrzps/s1600/Niveau%2BCurves.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="159" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wOjNebLRV60/TlgXfoc5iBI/AAAAAAAAAbY/uDoX9VSrzps/s400/Niveau%2BCurves.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
As you can see from the above curves, Niveau's boosts and cuts are smooth and equal throughout the spectrum. Just choose the center frequency and adjust the EQ gain knob for you preferred balance of low end and treble. It really is that simple. Elysia describes it as working like a balance scale, I find this to be a great way of putting what it does into the simplest of terms. I can't really think of any easier way to say it as a matter of fact. If you're still confused as to how it does what it does just download Niveau and put it to work! When a traditional high and low pass aren't enough and a parametric EQ is too much just reach for the Niveau, you'll be surprised what this little thing can do. Oh yeah... IT'S FREE!!!<br />
<br />
Niveau can be downloaded for free from <a href="http://www.elysia.com/software/niveau-filter/" target="blank">Elysia's website</a>. Thanks for reading and happy geeking!<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-80408258986560266742011-08-24T15:15:00.000-07:002011-08-28T01:11:38.293-07:00DMG Audio Updates EQuality<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFBHUZP-soU/TlVeiwoPUTI/AAAAAAAAAbI/-6_LSfSypVs/s1600/DMG%2BAudio%2BEQuality.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FFBHUZP-soU/TlVeiwoPUTI/AAAAAAAAAbI/-6_LSfSypVs/s400/DMG%2BAudio%2BEQuality.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
DMG Audio has released a new updated version of their now well revered EQuality digital EQ plug-in. The first version was fantastic, a bit of a cpu hog depending on settings but none the less a fantastically transparent and well balanced EQ. When working with dance music which usually has every last bit of sonic life squeezed out of it an EQ that can make clear and precise gain adjustments is more than welcomed. I use EQuality on nearly every track I master and have no plans of getting rid of it anytime soon. DMG has also updated their compressor plug-in by the name of Compassion. I haven't put Compassion through its paces yet but if it's anything like EQuality I'm sure to be in for a treat. Below you'll find a rundown of the changes made to version 1.15 of EQuality and version 1.04 of Compassion. As always, thanks for reading and happy geeking!<br />
<br />
<b>Changes made to Ver. 1.15 of DMG Audio's EQuality:</b><br />
-CPU Usage Improvements.<br />
-Added ProTools metering support.<br />
-Fix M/S / bypass latency for non-8k IR length.<br />
-Added analyzer outlined/filled/both pref.<br />
<br />
<b>Changes made to ver. 1.04 of DMG Audio's Compassion:</b><br />
-Fixed OSX 10.4 support.<br />
-Fixed crash in wavelab.<br />
-Fix AU resize.<br />
-Fix bug whereby LP-split settings were not recalled correctly.<br />
-Enable RTAS Automation.<br />
-Dezipper control changes.<br />
-Added menu to allow tabbing between advanced pages (click page-name).<br />
-Fixed Opto-mod HPF frequency.<br />
-Added ProTools metering support.<br />
<br />
If you're not familiar with DMG or their plug-ins check them out at their <a href="http://dmgaudio.com/" target="blank">website</a>.<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-28204063779659768352011-08-10T07:13:00.000-07:002011-08-11T18:15:55.344-07:00The TapeLakeThis is way too cool to not share with all of you. I won't give anything away by writing about it. Just watch it, words won't do it justice any how. You can think about how badly you want it afterwards.<br />
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<br />
The comment below got me thinking and I decided I should add another video of the Uokahd (TapeLake) in action with all of its strange sonic glory on display for you to hear, and see.<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6dFzqFEByAw" width="520"></iframe><br />
<br />
More about the man behind Uokahd can be found at <a href="http://www.danperrone.com" target= "blank">www.danperrone.com</a><br />
<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
Nick<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-41180816749832788842011-08-09T10:20:00.000-07:002014-04-19T14:38:41.137-07:00Audio Recording Time Calculator<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XgcCAy07VO0/TkBrDoKrauI/AAAAAAAAAao/Ilnr4arzku4/s1600/Raid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XgcCAy07VO0/TkBrDoKrauI/AAAAAAAAAao/Ilnr4arzku4/s400/Raid.jpg" height="308" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Ever wondered how much space a given amount of digital audio will take up on your system? Worry no more. Sound Devices, an audio field production manufacturer has taken care of all the arithmetic for you. Sound Devices is probably more well known for their <a href="http://www.sounddevices.com/products/usbpre2.htm" target="blank">USBPre</a> than their Audio Recording Time Calculator however, each can be just as important to a user given the gig. I stumbled across the Audio Recording Time Calculator (ARTC from here on) while doing some research on Sound Devices' USBPre as I'm about to purchase a used one from a colleague. As soon as I found the ARTC I knew I had to share it with all of you.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=26&l=ur1&category=computers_accesories&banner=1A31FHFABGK5BV8C1RG2&f=ifr" width="468" height="60" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
The ARTC from Sound Devices allows you to know precisely how much storage space is required for given amounts of digital audio. For example, lets assume you're recording a live gig for a band but don't know how much HD space the recording will take up. All you have to know is how long the performance is and what type of files you'll be writing the audio to and the ARTC does the rest of the work for you. It even works in the reverse, if you only have 500mb of space left, the ARTC will tell you how much audio 500MB is equivalent to in running time. Just, put in the file type, number of tracks, sample rate & bit depth and you're ready to go. This can prove to be an invaluable tool when HD space is at a premium and calculations must be done in advanced of the gig. Not knowing these things could prove to be disastrous when your hard drive fills up during the middle of a live recording.<br />
<br />
More information on Sound Devices can be found at their <a href="http://www.sounddevices.com/" target="blank">website</a> and here's a link to the <a href="http://www.sounddevices.com/calculator/" target="blank">Audio Recording Time Calculator.</a><br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-88028215078058470322011-08-02T15:48:00.000-07:002011-08-02T20:30:58.905-07:00High-Fidelity Ear Plugs from Ear Peace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa6ucf8DFKk/Tjh37zo_SKI/AAAAAAAAAag/3MLnsiM0MGA/s1600/Ear+Peace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Aa6ucf8DFKk/Tjh37zo_SKI/AAAAAAAAAag/3MLnsiM0MGA/s320/Ear+Peace.jpg" t$="true" width="296" /></a></div><br />
Your ears are ringing like crazy from a night spent underneath some line arrays and you wonder... "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" There has to be a way for you to enjoy a live performance and your hearing afterwards. Right? Up until now, there really hasn't been. You had two options if you wanted to rock out to live music and still maintain healthy hearing afterwards. Your first and most common option is to buy a set of cheap ear plugs from your local drug store. Problem with those is that they make the show sound like the band is playing inside of a padded room. The second option, and more professional route was to purchase musicians earplugs. These ear plugs are specially molded to your ear canal and provide hearing protection while keeping the attenuation linear across the frequency spectrum. These are what most performers and engineers use during gigs as they allow the person wearing them to hear the music as it sounds naturally minus a few dB's. However, these earplugs are expensive and require a trip to the doctor to obtain. So, the cheap ear plugs make concerts lifeless and the good ear plugs cost an arm and a leg. What to do???<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Get some Ear Peace! Ear Peace hearing protection has been designed with your active nightlife in mind, they're tough and re-usable, plus they're nearly invisible! All hearing protection attenuates sounds but, it's how that attenuation occurs that makes these ear plugs special. These ear plugs work by providing a consistent attenuation of dB's throughout the frequency range. The high end won't be missing when you pop these in, Ear Peace plugs have been designed to keep the music enjoyable regardless of how loud it might be in the venue. Ear Peace hearing protection allows you to enjoy the full frequency spectrum as it sounds without protection just at a lower dB level. The number of people around the world suffering from hearing loss is on the rise, there's no reason why you should become another statistic just because you love live music. That ringing you hear in your ears after a concert is just one way of your body telling you that you're doing damage to it. One night can cause permanent hearing damage, remember this next time you decide to not wear ear plugs. The show can still be enjoyed with Ear Peace protection and they don't cost $150 for a pair. In fact, they only cost $12.95. A pack of musically unfriendly ear plugs costs half that, might as well go for the gold and get some Ear Peace.<br />
<br />
Ear Peace hearing protection comes in three different colors to best match your skin tone and they've been designed to be nearly unnoticeable. They won't cramp your style at the trendy night clubs, I promise. Plus, if you're blaming your lack of social interaction on ear plugs you probably have some other issues to deal with. More information of Ear Peace Hearing Protection can be found at their <a href="http://www.earpeace.com/" target= "blank">website</a>. As always, thanks for reading and happy geeking.<br />
<br />
Best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-31376707497584989242011-07-30T06:48:00.000-07:002011-07-30T07:14:24.112-07:00Waves and Abbey Road Partnership<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2niSK9UgzJw/TjMybWRyfNI/AAAAAAAAAac/9MmPa_ItaVY/s1600/Abbey+Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2niSK9UgzJw/TjMybWRyfNI/AAAAAAAAAac/9MmPa_ItaVY/s200/Abbey+Road.jpg" t$="true" width="200" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ_FG4SMffA/TjMyJri3SmI/AAAAAAAAAaY/y8ib3Mh7KdM/s1600/Waves+Logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ_FG4SMffA/TjMyJri3SmI/AAAAAAAAAaY/y8ib3Mh7KdM/s200/Waves+Logo.jpg" t$="true" width="193" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The iconic plug-in designers have joined forces with the legendary recording studio to offer the public a piece of the sound known round the world. Waves Audio and Abbey Road Studios have just announced a long-term strategic partnership that will surely benefit every audio engineer on the hunt for that classic sound on a budget. There's no details yet, but one can assume that the series will likely bear the name and model the gear (R.E.D.D. desk strips, TG desk strips, etc.) of the recording studio where they were originally developed as analog processes by EMI.<br />
<br />
The partnership comes as a result of the companies first collaboration, The King's Microphones. The plug-in was crafted to emulate the microphones used by the royal family in the 1920's, the microphones were also put back to work for the recent movie <i>The Kings Speech</i>. Since The King's Microphones series managed to make such a mark in the niche pro audio world it's no doubt the two have decided to extend their partnership to something much more long term. Below you'll find a bit of chatter from the respective company representatives regarding the partnership. Hopefully as the partnership becomes more of a reality more information will become available from both sides. As always, thanks for reading and happy geeking! </div><br />
Gilad Keren, <a href="http://www.waves.com/" target= "blank">Waves</a> CEO: “Abbey Road Studios is without a doubt the most famous recording complex in the world. We are thrilled to be able to continue our collaboration with them on what is sure to be an outstanding series of audio plugins.”<br />
<br />
Jonathan Smith, SVP at <a href="http://www.abbeyroad.com/" target= "blank">Abbey Road Studios</a>: “Since the early 1990s, Waves has been developing ground-breaking plugins for the audio industry. We are very proud to be working closely with Waves in the creation of exciting new products based on Abbey Road Studios’ legendary equipment and expertise.”<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-45302252973200881452011-07-22T15:52:00.000-07:002011-07-22T15:52:36.030-07:00Free Ableton Live Clinic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5c3z4VZJa9Y/Tin-mv5ziLI/AAAAAAAAAaU/GjaROZS3QwQ/s1600/Ableton+Live+Clinic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5c3z4VZJa9Y/Tin-mv5ziLI/AAAAAAAAAaU/GjaROZS3QwQ/s400/Ableton+Live+Clinic.jpg" t$="true" width="450" /></a></div><br />
If you live in the Los Angeles area you might want to think about heading over to West LA Music for their FREE Ableton Live Clinic next week. This specific class is for advanced Ableton users looking to further expand their knowledge of the revolutinary software. The class will be taught by certified Ableton Live trainer Taylor Martyr and will cover subjects including but not limited to; producing, live perfomance, controllerism, Ableton tips & tricks plus Max for Live. The class takes place on Tuesday July 26th (next week) from 5PM to 7PM. The clinic can be registered for online by following this link to <a href="http://www.westlamusic.com/abletonlive.html" target="blank">West LA Music's Website</a>. Thanks for reading & happy geeking!<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-2308379342562025352011-07-22T11:39:00.000-07:002011-07-22T11:39:38.794-07:00Kenton MIDI USB Host<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UbS7hepQ4U4/Tiimf9_3gUI/AAAAAAAAAaM/7Vpu-hgEwVM/s1600/Kenton+MIDI+USB+host.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UbS7hepQ4U4/Tiimf9_3gUI/AAAAAAAAAaM/7Vpu-hgEwVM/s400/Kenton+MIDI+USB+host.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br />
Kenton a manufacturer of MIDI equipment from the UK has recently introduced a device which will change the way musicians interface their MIDI equipment with the rest of their gear. The MIDI USB Host from Kenton allows for the interfacing of standard 5-pin DIN MIDI connection devices with USB MIDI devices. For example; one could directly connect their USB MIDI keyboard to another 5-pin MIDI Device like an old <a href="http://media.soundonsound.com/sos/dec03/images/mackiecontrol1.l.jpg" target= "blank">Mackie Control</a> or anything else that doesn't use MIDI thru USB. The MIDI USB Host features a USB Port and both MIDI In & MIDI Out sockets. The MIDI data that's received at the MIDI In port would be sent to the USB port for transfer to your DAW while the MIDI data that's received at the USB port will be sent to the MIDI Out socket. Kenton's MIDI USB Host also has the capabillity to send USB buss power through to your USB MIDI Devices that are connected to the unit. For more information on Kenton and the USB MIDI Host visit <a href="http://www.kentonuk.com/" target="blank">Kenton's Website</a>. Thanks for reading & happy geeking!<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-44676722171674845072011-07-21T13:21:00.000-07:002011-07-21T13:24:47.830-07:00API Awards Finalists Announced<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fsh2GKo0tlA/TihQ8wif2NI/AAAAAAAAAaA/EVE-1jFfALc/s1600/API+Awards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fsh2GKo0tlA/TihQ8wif2NI/AAAAAAAAAaA/EVE-1jFfALc/s400/API+Awards.jpg" t$="true" width="450" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The votes are finally in and 85 of the top products, people & innovations in the audio induststry will battle it out to see who or what had the biggest impact in the audio world over the past year. Submissions for the nominations came from all over the audio industry guaranteeing that each sector of the final field has an equal shot at winning the new and soon to be coveted Grand Prix award, which is the highest accolade available at the awards. While the panel of judges comes from all walks of life within the audio field the Grand Prix Award winner will be picked exclusively by the Audio Pro International staff. Audio Pro International and NAMM collectively are responsible for the awards, the winners will be announced at the PLASA Show 2011 in London. You'll find the list nominees just below after the "Read More" link. </div><a name='more'></a><br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">API Nominees:</span></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong><em>LIVE AND INSTALLED:</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Live Sound Event:</strong><br />
<br />
The Pope’s visit to Glasgow - SSE Audio<br />
Hard Rock Calling - Britannia Row<br />
Glastonbury Festival Pyramid Stage – RG Jones<br />
Take That Progress Live Tour – Capital Sound<br />
Solfest 2010 Dance Tent – Ward Steedsy and Associates<br />
<br />
<strong>New Live Sound Product – Consoles:</strong><br />
<br />
DiGiCo SD10<br />
PreSonus StudioLive 16.0.2<br />
Allen & Heath iLive-R72<br />
Midas Venice F<br />
Soundcraft Si Compact<br />
Roland M-480<br />
<br />
<strong>New Live Sound Product – Amps:</strong><br />
<br />
Hoellstern Delta 8.4-DSP<br />
MC2 E100<br />
Bose PowerMatch<br />
Crown Audio XTi2 Series<br />
QSC GX-7<br />
<br />
<strong>New Live Sound Product – PAs:</strong><br />
<br />
Funktion-One PSM12<br />
OHM HD-MX monitors<br />
QSC KLA Series<br />
dBTechnologies DVA T12<br />
Tannoy VX Series <br />
<br />
<strong>Live Sound Engineer:</strong><br />
<br />
Matt Kettle<br />
Dave Swallow<br />
Chris Madden<br />
Brandon Knights<br />
Marc Carolan<br />
<br />
<strong>New Installation Product:</strong><br />
<br />
D&B Audiotechnik - White Range<br />
Riedel Mediornet Compact<br />
Powersoft Ottocanali1204 amplifier<br />
SurgeX SEQ<br />
Work Pro CA series<br />
<br />
<strong>Installation Innovation:</strong><br />
<br />
Doctor Who Experience - Sarner<br />
Space, Ibiza – Funktion-One<br />
Eurovision Song Contest – Riedel Communications<br />
Pulse London – Void Acoustics<br />
Schauburg Kino and Theatre, Karlsruhe, Germany – Alcons Audio<br />
<br />
<strong>After Sales Support:</strong><br />
<br />
DiGiCo<br />
SSE Sales<br />
Shure Distrbution UK<br />
Audio-Technica<br />
Sennheiser UK<br />
<br />
<strong><em>STUDIO & BROADCAST:</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong>New Studio Product – Microphone:</strong><br />
<br />
DPA MMC2011<br />
Audio-Technica BP 4001<br />
Blue Microphones Reactor<br />
MXL Genesis II<br />
Beesneez Jade<br />
<br />
<strong>New Studio Product – Outboard:</strong><br />
<br />
Lynx Hilo<br />
Generic Audio Compactor<br />
AMS Neve 1073LB<br />
Dave Hill Designs EUROPA I<br />
Crane Song STC-8<br />
<br />
<strong>New Studio Product – Monitor:</strong><br />
<br />
Pioneer S-DJ08<br />
Genelec 1238CF<br />
Neumann KH120<br />
Se Electronics/Andy Munro – The Egg<br />
Focal CMS50<br />
<strong>Recording Studio Engineer:</strong><br />
<br />
Toby Alington<br />
Wes Maebe<br />
Dan Parry<br />
Marcella Araica<br />
Dave Sardy<br />
<br />
<strong>Broadcast Sound:</strong><br />
<br />
The BAFTA Film Awards<br />
Strictly Come Dancing Blackpool Special<br />
Kylie Minogue: Aphrodite - Les Folies Tour 2011<br />
Later...with Jools Holland <br />
Wimbledon 2011<br />
<br />
<strong>Studio of the Year:</strong><br />
<br />
Goldcrest Post<br />
Metropolis Group<br />
British Grove<br />
Hackenbacker Post<br />
RAK <br />
<br />
<strong>Studio Initiative:</strong><br />
<br />
Metropolis - Live to vinyl recordings<br />
APRS - MYAPRS site<br />
Graphic Nature – Loyalty card programme<br />
Abbey Road - Anthem competition<br />
Revolution Mastering – Track mixing programme<br />
<br />
<strong>After Sales Support:</strong><br />
<br />
Source Distribution<br />
Audio-Technica UK<br />
Sound Network<br />
KMR Audio<br />
Studiospares<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading & happy geeking!<br />
<br />
All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-8421951730959227372011-07-20T13:17:00.000-07:002011-07-20T22:43:14.356-07:00Madeon Mashup with Novation Launchpad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_xbdvZzqB4/Tic2-zRqwtI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/5YoZkaEgp0c/s1600/madeon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i_xbdvZzqB4/Tic2-zRqwtI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/5YoZkaEgp0c/s400/madeon.png" /></a></div><br />
I first heard of Madeon after one of my partners at the EasyLove Music Blog featured some of his work in a post, I was Immediately taken back by what I can only call extremely enjoyable house music. Madeon must take cues from fellow Frenchmen Daft Punk because their styles are remarkably similar. That is, Daft Punk & Madeon both seem to invoke similar emotions, for me at least. Madeon has managed to add his own flair however and it is no doubt the key ingredient that has helped launch him into the spotlight. He's currently the undisputed champion of young guns in the dance music world and the video that you're about to see below will only add to his credibility within this ever changing scene. Madeon's Pop Culture mashup video already has over a million views on youtube and it's steadily climbing the hit ladder towards two million. The video is a single shot of Madeon jamming out to 39 separate samples using his Novation Launchpad and Zero MkII to control and organize the madness. The end result is a spectacular dance music mashup that must be seen and heard to be believed. Enjoy! Thanks for reading & happy geeking!<br />
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<iframe width="505" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/lTx3G6h2xyA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-11790051719594538112011-07-18T16:17:00.000-07:002014-04-18T18:19:16.012-07:00Harmonic Distortion Tutorial Video from Samplecraze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MKMkvwNo000/TiSvXWaUnXI/AAAAAAAAAZw/EMnVKpk86TE/s1600/Tubes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MKMkvwNo000/TiSvXWaUnXI/AAAAAAAAAZw/EMnVKpk86TE/s400/Tubes.jpg" height="318" width="480" /></a></div>
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So... You've got the music skills. Do you have the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0240819152/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0240819152&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">sound skills</a>? If you don't quite yet worry not my friend, we've got harmonic distortion to help fill the sonic gaps in your productions. Have you ever wondered why there is so much talk about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C0BMTGU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00C0BMTGU&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">tubes</a> & tape machines in audio? Well, aside from the fact that they're just plain cool they also impart certain sonic characteristics on source material known as harmonic distortion. This distortion occurs as overtones of the original sound wave's frequencies and you're about to learn a whole lot more about it!<br />
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These non-linear overtones can add quite a pleasant aspect to your music but, they must be understood in order to truly take your productions to the next level. While this whole idea of harmonic distortion may seem a bit unfamiliar to you don't be intimidated. There are plenty of resources available to you that can help you to grasp the concept. For this post I'll be focusing on one of those resources in particular.<br />
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Samplecraze publishes tutorial videos on various aspects of the audio industry designed to give independent professionals and amateurs the knowledge they need to succeed in this ever evolving world of pro audio. Their latest release is on harmonic distortion as I'm sure you guessed using cues from the first paragraph. Below you'll find some words from Samplecraze on the video as well as a clip from the tutorial.<br />
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From <a href="http://www.samplecraze.com/" target="blank">Samplecraze.com</a>: "Today, more and more producers are turning to the wonderful world of tape saturation and valve driving to attain warmth and a full bodied texture for their production and sound design projects. However, one needs to understand the subject of harmonic distortion to get the best out of any active gain staging equipment, be it for tape saturation or over-driving valves/tubes. To do this it is crucial to understand the theory and application behind harmonic distortion, so this comprehensive video tutorial covers all the following topics: <br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">-What is harmonic distortion? How does it occur in tape and valve based systems? <br />
-What are active gain stages? <br />
-What are odd and even harmonics and how do they affect the sound? <br />
-How to create odd and even harmonics and blend them to create new textures. <br />
-What is hysteresis? <br />
-What is bias? <br />
-What are triodes and pentodes and how do they affect harmonics? <br />
-What is tape saturation and how do you process it? <br />
-What are the characteristics of tape? <br />
-What is saturation compression? <br />
-What is magnetic threshold? <br />
-What are grids? <br />
-What are valves and how do they work? <br />
-How to use tape saturation and valves plugins (ferox/ psp vintage warmer/ psp tape sat2/ voxengo tube amp/ nomad tape warmer/christortion)" </span><br />
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As you can see this is much more than just the basics and while it won't make you a pro overnight it will help give you and your music a leg up in the game. <a href="http://www.samplecraze.com/product.php/295/harmonic-distortion-valves-tape-saturationharmonics/" target="blank">The tutorial video</a> only costs $5.99 and it will no doubt prove to be a valuable resource both now and in the future when you need a bit of refreshing. For more information on Samplecraze visit their <a href="http://www.samplecraze.com/" target="blank">website</a>. As always, thanks for reading & happy geeking!<br />
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All the best,<br />
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<br />
Nick<span style="font-style: italic;"> <br />
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-56346644796731963852011-07-13T23:26:00.000-07:002014-04-19T12:18:21.335-07:00Reason 6 Release Date Announced by Propellerhead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-acdmGQW_4yk/Th6H0gZRSMI/AAAAAAAAAZo/9Rdyq2ZP3zc/s1600/Propellerhead+Reason+6.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-acdmGQW_4yk/Th6H0gZRSMI/AAAAAAAAAZo/9Rdyq2ZP3zc/s400/Propellerhead+Reason+6.png" height="297" width="400" /></a></div>
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I'm not really a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CFK3MNU/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00CFK3MNU&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">Reason </a>guy but the software carries a lot of weight with some producers and it seems to be the first step for many people entering the DAW world. Taking this into account it seems a post here is especially necessary. Propellerhead has made some additions to the Reason platform that should help it to regain some footing in the production DAW market. A market which is rapidly being consumed by Propellerhead's formidable competitor known as Ableton. <br />
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From Propellerhead (7/12/11) "With version 6 Reason reclaims the spotlight. Combining all the features from Record, version 6 adds audio recording and editing into Reason, along with Propellerhead's acclaimed mixing console with masterfully modeled EQ and dynamics on every channel, multiple parallel racks, all the effects you know and love plus new ones to fall in love with, and much more of what you've always wanted in Reason." <br />
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After watching that it's hard to imagine the guys at Ableton not being just a bit worried. All Propellerhead had to add was recording and it would've been big news. They took it a step further though, and I must admit that it's likely a step in the right direction. Value seems to be in the sample/remix world right now and there's no doubt Propellerhead is attempting to capitalize on it with the addition of their new efx and on board recording capabilities. Below you'll find some screenshots of the new efx and other goodies you get to look forward to in Reason 6.<br />
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<iframe src="http://rcm-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/cm?t=zedoco-20&o=1&p=13&l=ur1&category=instruments&banner=16W15R4P8DY137HCG202&f=ifr" width="468" height="60" scrolling="no" border="0" marginwidth="0" style="border:none;" frameborder="0"></iframe>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XIXgyQUDqno/Th6DZuQ-rWI/AAAAAAAAAZU/zR4GiJC7vDQ/s1600/Reason+6+Alligator.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XIXgyQUDqno/Th6DZuQ-rWI/AAAAAAAAAZU/zR4GiJC7vDQ/s400/Reason+6+Alligator.png" height="111" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reason 6 Alligator</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7GO1KZprmw/Th6DcqxUidI/AAAAAAAAAZg/XqJYBE_yUmI/s1600/Reason+6+The+Echo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u7GO1KZprmw/Th6DcqxUidI/AAAAAAAAAZg/XqJYBE_yUmI/s400/Reason+6+The+Echo.png" height="111" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reason 6 The Echo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bSVEMPuDkVo/Th6DbyFP94I/AAAAAAAAAZc/sgkCabnskAw/s400/Reason+6+Pulveriser.png" height="108" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reason 6 Pulveriser</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBc7HdlGQuk/Th6Da1Vo-vI/AAAAAAAAAZY/yKTWTxXGIBs/s1600/Reason+6+Mixer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBc7HdlGQuk/Th6Da1Vo-vI/AAAAAAAAAZY/yKTWTxXGIBs/s400/Reason+6+Mixer.png" height="127" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reason 6 Mixer</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n_ZNqPr6nDc/Th6Gj5wk-BI/AAAAAAAAAZk/qbzf4xW2zD8/s1600/Reason+6+Neptune.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n_ZNqPr6nDc/Th6Gj5wk-BI/AAAAAAAAAZk/qbzf4xW2zD8/s400/Reason+6+Neptune.png" height="108" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reason 6 Neptune</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Propellerhead will also be releasing Reason Essentials which will be the successor to Record. Reason Essentials still features most of the same instruments and recording/mixer function as it's bigger brother it's just lacking some of the effects and other functions of Reason 6. Reason 6 will retail for $450.00 and Reason Essentials will sell for $300.00. Upgrades from previous version of Reason will run you $170.00. Propellerhead will <b>release Reason 6 on September the 30th, 2011</b>. For more information visit <a href="http://www.propellerheads.se/" target="blank">Propellerhead's website</a>. If you're new to Reason I can't recommend the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1133703178/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1133703178&linkCode=as2&tag=zedoco-20" target="_blank">Reson 6 Ignite</a> book enough.<br />
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All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0522342 -118.243684933.7354072 -118.50012840000001 34.369061200000004 -117.9872414tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-31227109601711586062011-07-10T09:11:00.000-07:002011-07-16T10:39:20.336-07:00Portico II Stereo Buss Processor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tuft4YhbdCc/ThlVuGalZpI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/j4sE4-yGN5k/s1600/Portico+II+Stereo+Buss+Processor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="121" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tuft4YhbdCc/ThlVuGalZpI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/j4sE4-yGN5k/s400/Portico+II+Stereo+Buss+Processor.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Get excited! Rupert's legendary touch is again returning to the stereo bus. Since, I'm sure most of you are already salivating I'll cut to the chase. The Portico II Stereo Buss Processor is the second and newest addition to the Rupert Neve Design's Portico II line, and as of right now it is still un-available for sale to the public. With the unit arriving at dealers at the end of August the industry is already a buzz. I figured I'd share the news with those who may not know about it yet while also catering to my new friends who have stumbled across my site in their quest for more info on the latest bit of stereo buss glory from Rupert Neve.<a name='more'></a><br />
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Some might call the Portico II Stereo Buss Processor the long lost big brother of the <a href="http://rupertneve.com/products/portico-ii/" target="blank">Portico II Channel</a>. No one will argue that they're cut from the same cloth. It's clear after even a quick overview of the Stereo Buss Processor that it and the Portico II Channel have quite a few things in common. Assuming they're the same would be foolish and each obviously maintains their own unique uses and versatile characteristics perfected for musicality in the classic Neve way. There are however traces of the Portico II channel and other hints of RND's products worked into the signal's journey through the Stereo Buss Processor. Take for example the "Silk Circuit" and the Stereo Field Editor to name just a couple. With a pedigree like that I have a feeling this box will be magic to even the most seasoned of ears.<br />
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If you read ZeSoundSuite often you know I don't keep the posts short and sweet, but for this, I'm going to make an exception. Simply because the video that follows will satisfy every question you might happen to have regarding the basics behind this beast. Plus, since it is still unreleased most of the industry chatter is fairly unfounded as most people haven't even yet had the chance to use the box. Till that time comes this video and the audio clips from <a href="http://soundcloud.com/rupertnevedesigns" target="blank">Rupert Neve Design's SoundCloud</a> will have to do. They've got a few high quality samples available for prospective buyers and the rest of us audio nerds. Check out the audio clips from RND's Portico II Stereo Buss Processor <a href="http://soundcloud.com/rupertnevedesigns/sets/portico" target="blank">here</a>, and be sure to enjoy the video below from Rupert Neve Design's engineer William Hutchison. While you're at it, you might as well add <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rupert-Neve/49160786939?sk=wall">Rupert Neve Design's on facebook</a> to stay up to speed on their latest products. Thanks for reading and happy geeking. :)<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/_AQsBL7qgAs" width="505""></iframe><br />
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All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-31111575422383987542011-07-03T10:48:00.000-07:002011-07-16T14:50:44.390-07:00Spectral Layers Audio Software by Divide.Frame<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B90hDNwXU3M/ThAqlH3A1fI/AAAAAAAAAZI/XyChkMX1b_s/s1600/Spectral%2BLayers%2BDivide.Frame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-B90hDNwXU3M/ThAqlH3A1fI/AAAAAAAAAZI/XyChkMX1b_s/s400/Spectral%2BLayers%2BDivide.Frame.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Allow me to paint a picture for you... Imagine being able to locate, isolate, and extract nearly any track from any song that you have in digital format without the use of time consuming and tired tactics. Divide.Frame's latest software; Spectral Layers does precisely that. With a degree of accuracy that's currently unavailable to the world of audio to boot. As of right now the glory that is Spectral Layers and the company behind it known as Divide.Frame is relatively unknown. The software is still in the alpha testing phase and not available to the public. Yet...<br />
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Spectral Layers is the brainchild of Robin Lobel, the main mind behind the company that is Divide.Frame. Divide.Frame is a French company specializing in the development of software tools for the broadcast industry designed to optimize workflow while making life easier for audio and video professionals alike. Divide.Frame started 2 years ago and after the release of a successful video plug-in designed to accelerate hi-def video decoding by utilizing the power of a PC's GPU. Robin set out to work on Spectral Layers keeping a tight lid on the development of the software until just a few days ago when Robin released the first glimpses of the program to the public. Robin has been involved with research and design in multiple aspects related to the audio and video industry for some time now and Spectral Layers is only his latest creation. With a career that spans post production, video production, the R&D engineering world and graphic design game the resume is obviously massive enough for it's own <a href="http://www.divideconcept.net/" target="blank">webpage</a>. Being that it's likely you've never heard of Divide.Frame I figured some info on the founder and company would be helpful to all of you searching for more information about Spectral Layers and the people behind it.<br />
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Now that you're a little more familiar with the mind and machine behind Spectral Layers lets dive into the software and the reasons behind its inception.<br />
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Spectral Layers is a cross platform (Windows/Mac) program so there is no need to worry about not being able to put this beast to work on your computer. It employs high quality 32 bit floating point processing designed to give the user the accuracy and detail they need to precisely edit audio without degradation even after down sampling. Spectral Layers includes support for surround projects and allows for real time file transformation as well as a 3D display of the sonic elements within the audio file you're working on. While you'll obviously have to use your ears when working with Spectral Layers the program was designed to be more visual than typical waveform analysis. The software accurately lays out the audio file across the spectrum allowing you to create non-destructive layers while giving you access to specialized tools designed to analyze and extract specific sources of audio and their harmonics from recordings. Got a trumpet you'd like to isolate from a guitar in a stereo audio file. No Problem. Watch and learn below.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="0" height="325" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/25528478?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="510"></iframe><br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/25528478">Spectral Layers - Tutorial 2 : Frequency/Harmonic Tools</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1907207">DIVIDE FRAME</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
Spectral Layers was originally the result of Robin's quest to create something that could extract clean dialogue tracks from street recordings quickly and efficiently. Needless to say, Robin quickly noticed that his creation could be much more than just a post location recording tool. Imaging a "Photoshop-like"audio editor that could achieve virtually any kind of audio transformation fathomable. According to Robin the idea was to get away from "magical filters" whilst providing the user full control over the audio spectrum with a proprietary tool set and a non-destructive layers system. Similar to Photoshop, only for audio. <br />
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After a friend turned me onto Spectral Layers a few days ago and I was immediately floored. Never had I witnessed such precision control over a digital audio file in my life and my mind began buzzing with ideas of how I could put Spectral Layers to work in my freelance audio business. After I calmed down a bit from having my fix of videos and info on the software satisfied by the Divide.Frame website, I emailed Robin hoping for more on the company and program. This post is a result of that email correspondence and I'd like to thank Robin again for taking the time to chat with me so I could pass the info onto all of you.<br />
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As you've seen and read, it's clear that Spectral Layers allows you to isolate and manipulate virtually any voice, noise, sound or instrument within an audio file with a level of efficiency that has never before been seen in the audio industry. Get this, word is from Robin there are still more features to be added as development continues on Spectral Layers at this very moment. To think, we haven't even seen all of it yet! There's no doubt in my mind this software will be a massive success within the industry and I can't wait for more details from Divide.Frame regarding the program, its features and the concrete release date. Despite the fact we are just hearing about Spectral Layers, Robin hopes to roll the software out around the end of Quarter 4, 2011 if everything goes to plan. Get ready ladies and gentlemen, Spectral Layers is going to change the already lawless game of audio!<br />
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There are a few more videos on Spectral Layers available at Divide.Frame's <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1907207/videos" target="blank">Vimeo page</a> including a clip that gives you a run down of the user interface. If you'd like to learn more about Divide.Frame be sure to check out their <a href="http://www.divideframe.com/?p=spectrallayers" target="blank">webpage</a>.<br />
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:::Update::: (7/10/11) I spoke with Robin again and he let me know that the release date for Spectral Layers should be around the end of October 2011. <br />
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All the best,<br />
<br />
NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0522342 -118.243684933.7354072 -118.50012840000001 34.369061200000004 -117.9872414tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-64014129598465022132011-04-27T12:34:00.000-07:002011-07-16T14:50:04.984-07:00Slate Pro Audio's Fox Dual Circuit Microphone Preamplifier<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GIVHEqwE9_o/TbhCEAQJQgI/AAAAAAAAAYw/2uJUBTNXPlY/s1600/Slate+Pro+Audio+Fox+Mic+Pre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GIVHEqwE9_o/TbhCEAQJQgI/AAAAAAAAAYw/2uJUBTNXPlY/s400/Slate+Pro+Audio+Fox+Mic+Pre.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Why have I been showing Slate Pro Audio a lot of love lately? It's obvious to me so I guess you'll just have to trust me. You should know better than to trust someone on the internet though so read on and learn why I'm so amped on Slate Pro Audio.<br />
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Slate Pro Audio has been building a brand focused on creating high quality, versatile audio tools for both the analog and digital domains. It's tough for a new company to make a splash in a crowded and extremely discerning professional audio industry but, Slate has done more than make a splash, they've emptied the pool. When you're seamlessly blending the line between the "prosumer" & professional markets you know you're doing something right. Slate's digital & analog products have done precisely that, this company is one to watch and I've put together some information for all of you regarding their latest creation; the Fox Dual Circuit Microphone Preamplifier.<br />
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Before we get started with the Fox it's best to understand their first analog design from <a href="http://caswellamps.studioelectronics.com/backstory.html" target="blank">Tim Caswell</a>; the Dragon. Slate Pro Audio's Dragon is a stereo compressor/limiter which boasts multiple character settings, high-end components & hand-built attention to detail. It's clear where the Fox's roots lie and considering the Dragon has been put to work in some of the world's premier studios one can assume the Fox will follow suit with the same quality and sound that got Dragon noticed by professionals. Slate Pro Audio's analog gear has been designed by respected veterans of the audio industry and is assembled by hand in Los Angeles. If you're looking for more resume bullet points for Slate Pro Audio's hardware check out their <a href="http://www.slateproaudio.com/" target="blank">website</a>, this post is for the Fox.<br />
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The Fox was unveiled at AES 129 this year in San Francisco and word is it's being shipped out to dealers this week! Slate's Fox is a stereo microphone preamplifier with two independent circuits thus presenting the user with a diverse palate of sonic characters at the forefront of their signal chain from a single unit. One of the circuits features a classic fat and burly sound modeled after the venerable Neve 1073 and designed with custom made American transistors in the circuit. The second circuit boasts a more modern and precise sound featuring the instant bite, accuracy and hi-fi clarity of a dual-servo circuit design. In one rack unit they've managed to design and create two separate circuits giving you the operator one of the most versatile preamps available. <br />
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It doesn't stop with the dual circuits though, they've added another feature which allows you to take the best of each circuit and combine them. The Fox's "combo" mode integrates the input and output of each circuit together. For example if you were working with the "vintage" circuit you could switch on combo mode and have the output stage of the preamp in the more modern sounding dual-servo circuit while keeping the input stage classic and smooth. The process can also be reversed (modern in, vintage out) by selecting either circuit design when using combo mode. I'm no math whiz but I'm pretty sure all that adds up to four different analogue flavours for this hand built beast. You could buy 2 separate stereo pres or you can by one, the choice seems pretty simple to me. As Fox ships out to dealers and the demos hit the studios I'm sure we will have a much better idea of it's performance but it's pretty safe to say that this microphone preamp will be the choice for bedroom audio addicts and professional studios alike.<br />
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As of right now Slate Pro Audio is busy getting all the orders for the stereo versions of Fox but there will be a mono version available soon, and this mono unit will be upgradable to stereo through an upgrade kit that requires no soldering. For more information on Slate Pro Audio's Fox be sure to visit Slate Pro Audio's <a href="http://www.slateproaudio.com/" target="blank">website</a>!<br />
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All the best,<br />
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NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-26518812265573981302011-04-27T10:31:00.000-07:002011-07-16T10:34:48.115-07:00Craig Williams Production Tutorial Videos<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f_2fiLpxNxw/TbhMsEPU53I/AAAAAAAAAY0/yTeiMbLe1CM/s1600/lookylooky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f_2fiLpxNxw/TbhMsEPU53I/AAAAAAAAAY0/yTeiMbLe1CM/s400/lookylooky.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Art from Craig Williams Latest Release</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>So you're a producer? You've got lot's of great ideas in your head and your ability to play and create music has become a passion but these DAW things and this idea of mixing, sampling and synthesis on a computer are going way over your head. Worry not, there is a solution... Learn by doing, and you can work along with a seasoned producer and audio engineer by the name of <a href="http://craigwilliamsmusic.com/" target="blank">Craig Williams</a>. Craig has recently released a set of free you tube video tutorials that cover the various parts of one of his bootleg remixes featuring The Prodigy's Voodoo People.<br />
<a name='more'></a>Craig has broken down the massive and daunting production process into a series of videos featuring everything from sampling and arrangement to synthesis and FX plus a whole lot more. In my opinion I find this style of learning to be the quickest and most effective way for most people attempting to tackle the learning curve of DAW music production. You have the opportunity to see and hear a professional production in its entirety and then break it down piece by piece with the creator as he guides you through the process of its creation. Below you'll find Craig's first video of the series in which you get a chance to hear the remix featured in the videos and a rundown of everything that will be covered throughout.<br />
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Craig is a highly accomplished producer with numerous beatport releases, his approach to production is a honed skill that he's developed after years of training. The free tutorials he's released give you an inside and in depth look at what it takes to create a song worthy of a label's release. I won't do much more explaining on the subject, Craig does a better job anyways. Have a look at the video below and then head over to Craig's site @ <a href="http://craigwilliamsmusic.com/" target="blank">CraigWilliamsMusic.com</a> to check out the other 6 videos in the series under the "<a href="http://www.angrypeanut.com/craigwilliamsmusic/production-tips/" target="blank">Production Tips</a>" tab. These really are incredible learning tools and perfect for both the experienced producer searching for a few tips all the way down to the novice just entering the world of computer based music production. Beyond the videos his site is chalked full of his productions both remixes and originals, he recently released an amazingly soothing <a href="http://www.angrypeanut.com/craigwilliamsmusic/uncategorized/lady-gaga-born-this-way-craig-williams-remix/" target="blank">remix</a> of Lady Gaga's Born This Way. Check it out, there's a free download of it if you like his <a href="http://www.facebook.com/craigwilliamsmusic" target="blank">facebook page</a> too. Enjoy learning my friends and thanks as always for reading!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="370" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ouvfd2bTQqI?hd=1" title="YouTube video player" width="515"></iframe><br />
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All the best,<br />
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NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7737518176270304289.post-68350905356855707342011-03-24T21:53:00.000-07:002011-07-16T14:55:12.303-07:00SoundToys Devil-Loc Free Saturation Plug-in<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cAeMB7nASJg/TYwdOf-EIWI/AAAAAAAAAW8/UgfCj8Nq1mU/s1600/SoundToys+Devil-loc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cAeMB7nASJg/TYwdOf-EIWI/AAAAAAAAAW8/UgfCj8Nq1mU/s400/SoundToys+Devil-loc.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
The word "free" is undoubtedly one of the most effective marketing words ever concocted so it's no wonder SoundToys caught everyone's attention by putting the word free next to the word plug-in. Now that we've gotten over that bit of marketing 101 we can move onto to the audio which is likely why you're all here anyways. SoundToys is currently offering a free release of their latest plug-in darkly dubbed the Devil-loc. SoundToys has given it the catchy pseudonym; "Audio Level Destroyer" while it is catchy, it's definitely not a gambit. Devil-loc is every bit of an Audio Level Destroyer and while I must admit I'm a fan of subtle coloration, this sonically aggressive freebie has won me over. Devil-loc was inspired by Shure's late 60's Level-Loc mic limiter which has since been made famous the world over by countless audio engineers looking for that extra bit of in your face grit for their mixes. <br />
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Devil-loc really couldn't be any simpler to use as there are only 2 controls; "Crush" & "Crunch" "Crush" controls the amount of input signal into the unit. The harder you drive the "Crush" control, the more your signal will be compressed by the modeled gain reduction circuit. The original unit was known for it's heavy pumping action and the plug-in is no different. If you really crank Devil-loc's "Crush" control the resulting saturation will leave your signal with more than enough of the dance music driving pumping action certain types of compression create.<br />
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Devil-loc's "Crunch" control refers to the unit's makeup gain. "Crunch" is essentially driving the modeled output amplifier stage and this is where you can add those famously filthy artifacts of distortion and grit to your signal. To sum up the plug-in's controls for the CliffsNotes; Crush= Compression & Crunch= Distortion.<br />
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Devil-loc is absolutely insane on drum groups and that's putting it lightly. I auditioned it with a few snippets of drum recordings and I was more than impressed especially considering Devil-loc is currently being offered for free. As I said earlier I'm a subtle coloration type of guy, Devil-loc might not be the most subtle but it does have quite a bit of character. I don't know about you but... In a new world full of "Music Producers" a little bit of distorted character might be exactly what your sound needs to set it apart from the rest!<br />
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Devil-loc is only available for free until March 31st so get your hands on it while you can by following this link: <a href="https://www.soundtoys.com/sxswpromo/&rc=265-8840-745" target="blank">https://www.soundtoys.com/sxswpromo/&rc=265-8840-745</a> For more info on the rest of the SoundToy's line of plug-ins be sure to visit their <a href="http://www.soundtoys.com/" target="blank">website</a> or check them out on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/SoundToys?sk=wall" target="blank">Facebook</a>.<br />
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All the best,<br />
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NickUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0