Podcasts, YouTube videos, Power Point Presentations and more. All made accessible to the every day person (and pooch).

Who let the dogs out?

Technology is always getting cheaper and smaller, which is great.

But…

You knew there was a but didn’t you?

Without at least a basic understanding of what makes a good recording, and specifically voice over recording, you risk sabotaging all the effort you’ve made just by not applying some basic principles.

The more of these you use obviously the better your voice over recordings will sound but even one can be enough to make a big difference.

10 voice recording tips to improve your audio/video presentations

1. Reduce background noise

This is pretty obvious but something that’s easy to forget. If the room you’re in is next to a train line for example, you will want to close the doors to the house. And if you’re in another room inside, close that door as well. If you’re really serious you can put up blankets at key places like windows to soak up more noise.

The ideal environment is a dedicated vocal booth like the ones that the Family Guy cast use.

2. Invest in a decent microphone

They’re called transducers. Devices that convert one kind of signal to another. Microphones convert sound waves into tiny electrical impulses that travel down the wires and on to your recording device, usually a computer.

The first level of sound quality is the mic in your computer. It’s rubbish so stop using it for anything important.

The next level up is USB headset microphones.

Even a cheap USB headset is better than using the mic in your computer!

These can be a great mid-price option with more than decent quality depending on how much you’re prepared to pay. Lifehacker published a good list of brands to look out for here: Five Best Headsets With Attached Microphones.

The next level of quality/price is a USB Podcasting Mic.

With the rise of Podcasting there has been a whole range of USB Mics designed for this kind of home broadcasting. They’re generally good to high quality microphones that plug directly into your PC, bypassing the need for audio interfaces and pre-amps to boost the signal.

A great example is BlueMic.com with their famous Snowball.

And if you’re looking for a truly professional mic the Rode Podcaster would be well worth a look.

The Rode Podcaster mic plugged into a PC laptop

You can find a more extensive review of Podcasting mics here.

4. Speak up!

The softer the source volume, the more you have to turn up the pre-amp or boost the volume digitally which can make the signal weak and lacking in substance.

A strong source means a clearer end result in most cases. I’m not talking about yelling of course but a confident strong delivery means a cleaner signal with less intervention.

5. Get closer to the microphone

This is related to the previous point but it deserves it’s own section because it makes such a big difference. It’s called the proximity effect and describes the rise in bottom end or warmth as you get closer to the microphone.

Every mic responds differently so it’s worth experimenting a little bit to find the sweet spot. One way to find it is to start uncomfortably close to the mic and repeat “1,2,1,2″ deep in your register while you move slowly away from it. You will notice a spot where the warmth of the response drops off dramatically.

Stay inside this range unless you want this thinner more open sound to the voice.

6. Use headphones

There’s a reason why the top voice over people use headphones even when they’re in a dead quiet room. It puts you more in touch with exactly what’s coming out of your mouth and in many cases increases the performers articulation without any formal training. This effect is more pronounced if the mic and the room have been paid attention to but I think you’ll still see a benefit without it.

The other thing headphones do is separate you from the outside world which usually narrows your focus and improves your performance.

Good brands of headphones to look out for: Sony, KRK, Senheiser, Yamaha.

It’s about getting your message across

If you use all of these voice recording tips you’ll see a massive improvement in the quality of the spoken word quality on your videos or audio presentations and as a result you will connect more deeply with your audience.

What do you use your recordings for?

Share your audio project link in the comments, and we’ll have a listen!

The post 6 voice recording tips to improve your audio/video presentations appeared first on Astronomy Records.

Blue G&L Electric Guitar (no 1)

An electric guitar instrumental inspired by the vast incomprehensible expanse of the cosmos. Specifically the blue end of the spectrum.

Download Blueshift MP3 Now

Instruments:

• Electric Guitar – Blue G&L (number 1)
• Keyboard Bass
• Strings and Keyboards
• Drums

Composed and performed by Herrin.

Feel free to express your amazement or ask any questions about the production in the comments below. :-)

The post Blueshift: Electric guitar instrumental – free download appeared first on Astronomy Records.

For quite some time we’ve been seeing this trend where people sell their supposedly crappy old stereos and replace them with these all-in-one plastic designs or the iPod dock stereos.

Not only are many of these systems hugely overpriced but the sound quality is compromised due to the tiny speakers and the plastic enclosures. And don’t even think about trying to use them for a party because you’ll be lucky to get over the sound of that boring guy talking to you by the drinks table.

The worst of it is that people are giving away their old wooden speaker boxes and stereos to ‘upgrade’.  Of course some of these are pretty cheap too but why waste your money when you can get something much better for a fraction of the price?

Looks great huh?
Pity it sounds like crap and malfunctions a day out of warranty

With a little know how (read on) you can keep those old speakers and with a little eBay hunting and a small lead to connect your DVD player, iPod or MP3 music player you can have something that sounds much better and pay much less.

Our new stereo system consists of three basic components:

1. Speakers

Cheaper and better sound!

The speakers are the most important part of a good stereo system and even if you’re not looking for a lot of volume (which is nice to have as well) it’s really the warmth and tone that is most important. With some careful positioning in the room and the right connecting components it’s much easier to get that full inviting sound that makes your music collection sound great.

What to look for

Wooden is better than plastic. If they have good weight to them that’s a good indication. Pick them up if possible and make sure nothing is rattling inside and if you can see the speaker cones check to make sure they have not been eaten out my rats or cut by little humans. If you’re buying over eBay a decent size is good but its ultimately the resonance and sturdiness of the box and weight of the speaker cone that determines the quality of the sound.

Some good brands are Yamaha, Bose, JBL and Sony. A few rarer but excellent brands would be Tannoy or Mordant Short.

2. Power Amp

Now you may already have this from your previous setup but it’s a what provides the juice to the speakers and gives you inputs for CD/DVD players or your iPod or even your TV. Another advantage of this kind of setup.

Love those knobs and buttons

This is where all the connections happen

What to look for

Well known brands are really the safest bet here. You want enough inputs for all your devices and some even have room for extra speakers if you want to run a long set of leads to another room perhaps.

Some solid brands: Yamaha, Sony, Marantz, NAD , Onkyo, Pioneer, and Denon.

3. Stereo inputs and speaker leads

The leads here take the signal from your DVD player, TV or iPod/smartphone to your power amp and then from the power amp to your speakers.

What to look for

• 35mm inch stereo headphone jack to stereo RCA lead – from mp3 players or iPods to the inputs on the back of your power amp.
  

35mm mini headphone jack to male stereo RCA lead

• Stereo RCA to RCA leads – This connects other common devices like DVD players and TV sets to your power amp.

Stereo Male to Male RCA Leads

• Speaker leads – This goes from your power amp to the back of your speakers and carries a slightly juiced (but not at all dangerous) signal to your speakers. Often these leads are bare wire like in the picture below but it depends on the connections on the power amp and the speakers.

Speaker Lead Cable (No connectors)

Summary

1. You don’t need to sell or trash those old speakers just yet, unless they just sound horrible or are about to die.
2. The new all-in-one design iPod dock and stereo systems are often much tinnier sounding than larger wooden speaker boxes with a half-decent power amp.
3. A power amp allows you to have various inputs from different devices you may have.
4. The more power you have the cleaner the sound at low volumes but this also means you can party when you need to as well.
5. You can buy on eBay what you may be missing from this setup, anywhere in the world at a fraction of the price of new. HOT TIP: Use the advanced search in eBay to find people closer to you first.

Equipment

• A pair of decent weighted and solid speaker boxes, preferably wooden.
• A power amp, with multiple inputs. These inputs would generally be RCA.
• A pair of Stereo 35mm Jack/RCA to RCA leads as illustrated, for every device you want to input.
• A pair of speaker leads, suited to your power amp and boxes. (Illustrated above)

eBay $60 for the lot – Wish I lived near there! (America somewhere)

If I have missed something important here please feel free to ask a question in the comments and I will reply and update.

Happy music system hunting. It’s worth it. Music just sounds so much better this way.

The post The home stereo buyers guide appeared first on Astronomy Records.

This Hubble Space Telescope photo gallery contains just some of the most spectacular images available. Thanks to the NASA mission in 2009 to fix this vital piece of equipment it will serve us for many more years to come.

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere.

Carl Sagan

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Source: Hubblesite.org

Atmospheric piano instrumental with Hubble photo slideshow

Music by Jai Larkan. From the album “Where To Land“.

Thank you to www.nasa.gov and www.hubblesite.org for the images.

If you enjoy these images (and who wouldn’t) please share this post with your friends or visit hubblesite.org for more mind blowing images of the universe.

The post Hubble Space Telescope Photo Gallery appeared first on Astronomy Records.

Thank you to NASA for the amazing Hubble images used in this video.

Instruments:
Midi Saxophone, Dance Beats, Keyboards.

Recorded by Pix Vane Mason in Crystal Waters.

The post Meteor Storm – progressive dance music by Steve McLeish appeared first on Astronomy Records.

Meet Jai Larkan, world touring musician with The Wishing Well Band, and soundtrack music composer.

Jai Larkan – Piano, keyboards and programming

In the summer of 2003 he was finishing his yoga teacher training.

A had asked him to perform some keyboard parts for a training video series on yoga, and was listening back to the final mix with the voice over.

Herrin – Engineer and producer

When I switched off the voice the music had a lot of atmosphere but was missing a melodic story.

There was something here I sensed that could be special. Gradually a landscape of sound emerged and began to speak to me.

With some crystal clear piano from Jai and gentle acoustic guitar lines from myself we were only left to wait with baited breath as Chris worked on his flute parts.

The months wore on but I knew he would hit it out of the park.

Chris Lane – Flute

See, one of the I love about working with great musicians is that you only need to stand back, let go, and let them do their thing.

My focus instead is to create a beautiful space in which they can express themselves, in a pure way.

The rest, is magic.

Listen:

Yoga music designed to enhance your daily practice

Buy Now

Perfect! Just beautiful. In my car, as soon as i walk in my door and, anytime I can hear it I do. It’s that kind of music. Luv it <3

Three master musicians

One purpose

To create a divine album for the practice, sharing and teaching of the discipline called Yoga.

A beautifully crafted journey of sound that will inspire you to deepen your practice.

Embrace The Moment

Music to enhance your yoga practice

Track Listing

1. Preparing The Way – 1:27
2. The Higher Mind – 11:30
3. Fire In The Belly – 20:30
4. Inner Strength – 10:45
5. Reflection of Self  – 24:15
6. The Journey Home – 11:14

Total time: 79:39

So relaxing thank you!  Denise – Aug 21st 2012

Buy Now

Album Sampler Video

Love this music? Want to ask a question? Sound out in the comments.

The post Yoga Music – Embrace The Moment appeared first on Astronomy Records.

We’re guessing that you want some tunes that suite your project that don’t sound like a plastic jukebox. If so then read on…

This album download comes with a license that allows you to use any of the 16 songs on this compilation free of any royalties or payments at all.

AND if for some reason you don’t hear a song that is right for you, we can work out a license for another song we have available.

Email us at support@astronomyrecords.com

Track Listing

The post Royalty free music – soundtracks for your next video appeared first on Astronomy Records.

The album, Lunar Khandro with its richly layered but spacious production, is guaranteed to assist you or your clients in massage, meditation and sleep.  Sleep music designed to send you into a state of deep relaxation and calm.

The Musicians:

Composed and performed by the great Jai Larkan with wonderful angelic vocals by Simone Townsend.

Useful for:

• Massage
• Sleep Music
• Meditation

Listen:

From: $12 Buy Now

Let us know what you think in the comments.

The post Lunar Khandro – relaxation meditation and sleep music appeared first on Astronomy Records.

If you’re a teacher it can be a great way to unify your class AND give you one more wonderful thing to share with your students. On this page you will find a collection of music that we believe will do just that.

Carefully crafted music made with the intention of bringing new life and inspiration to your yoga, relaxation and meditation.

Questions? Want to get in touch with us? Please email us on: support@astronomyrecords.com

Embrace The Moment – Music to enhance your yoga practice.

Three master musicians. One purpose.

To create the ultimate album for the practice and sharing and teaching of the discipline called Yoga.

Buy this album here.

The Musicians:

• Jai Larkan: Yoga teacher, pianist, programmer and creator of atmosphere in sound.
• Chris Lane: Master flautist and front man for the band OKA.
• Herrin Larkan: Mixing and mastering engineer, guitarist and producer.

Lunar Khandro – Relaxation and Meditation

For Savasana and peace inducing atmospheres, this album will serve you well. Listen and discover why people are using this music to help bring serenity to their massage or relaxation practice. Also ideal for meditation whether silent or guided.

Buy this album here.

The Musicians:

• Jai Larkan: Piano, keyboards and sound fx.
• Simone Townsend: Vocals.

The post Yoga music – relaxation and meditation albums appeared first on Astronomy Records.

So here are 5 things that we feel must be present for music to be effective at both relaxing and guiding us into better states of being.*

1. Story

This is where you want to be..

A sense of journey and melodic theme makes for a sense of discovery and progression. When people listen to this type of music they want a change of state. The music must take the listener into a new world that is both familiar and varied in its texture and arrangement.

2. Space

It is the space between the notes that makes room for imagination, introspection and even sleep. They do however need to be placed with some..

3. Intention

The musician must be aware of and sensitive to the overall context of the piece and how their performance fits with its theme and purpose. All without overly intellectualizing it!

4. Subtlety and Texture

With music that is minimalist in its form it is important not to be either empty melodically, or too repetitive. It must have layers and be mixed in such a way that leaves some things undiscovered within the sound, at least on the first listen anyway! To do this it is helpful…

5.  Being able to play a real instrument (or two if possible).

Having a computer a musician does not make. The digital age has made computer music available to everyone, but nothing can replace a real affinity with rhythm and melody and space and with ones instrument, whether it is guitar, keyboards/piano or anything else really.

Listen to our relaxation music here.

*We would love to hear your own thoughts on what makes great relaxation music. Please let us know in the comments below. ↓

The post What makes great ambient meditation & relaxation music? appeared first on Astronomy Records.

Moon Base depiction from the 50s

It may seem crazy but we (human kind) need to be on the moon.

With the GFC and various wars going on it might seem stark raving mad to suggest we should be spending billions on going to the moon and setting up shop, but stay with me and I think you will see the sense of it.

Before we start I should point out that the main reasons why NASA has not been back to the moon are lack of public interest and funding, not aliens like this silly video suggests.

Why we need a base on the Moon:

1. Survival

If something goes disastrously wrong here on earth (take your pick) there would at least be some humans that would live to multiply and or pick up the pieces of the human race. Having a second place for at least the potential for human colonisation gives us a fall back to allow our genes to live on.

“All civilizations become either spacefaring or extinct.” — Carl Sagan

2. Exploration

The potential for discovery on the moon is by no means exhausted. Having a permanent presence on the surface (and even below) would most certainly expand our understanding of the our planets history as well as the universe.

3. Astronomy

Being on a stable surface with very minimal gravity and virtually no atmosphere would allow us to use different telescopes and radio receivers and get a new picture of our universe that would be to the Hubble Space Telescope. The far side of the moon is shielded from earths static aurora so as to provide a perfect environment for a new era of astronomy.

4. Minerals and Resources

Mining the moon would unlock millions of tonnes of metals and elements, some of which are rare on earth.  Read more about REE or Rare Earth Elements here.

5. Security

If aliens do ever land on earth we would have an early warning system. (That one was for the conspiracy nuts, we care about you too! :-)

6. Mars

Establishing at the very least a base on the moon would be a logical stepping stone for the journey to Mars.

7. Safety

We still don’t know what the long term effects of space are on the human body. The Moon base would be an easy place for the astronauts to recover or repair if there was ever an accident in space. The slight gravity of the Moon makes a lot of things doable that are not so in open space.

8. Money

In the long run the amount of money and resources that we already know are on the Moon would more than offset the cost of the venture.

9. Technology

Those rare earth elements and the minerals can be made into new advanced forms of technology that may help solve some of the problems down here on earth. Or allow us to design and engineer new types of space craft or propulsion.

10.  Security

Space is perhaps a few decades away from being privatised. Once that happens the moon is up for grabs. Whoever lands and sets up camp first and even gets a chance to become well established would win a race every bit as significant as the journey to the Moon!

So why then considering all this and more, are we not already on the Moon?

Just next door

More about:

• Moon Rocks – Wikipedia
• Colonization of the Moon – Wikipedia
• NASA Lunar Orbiter Delivers Treasure Trove of Data – NASA.gov
• When might we go back to the Moon? – NASA HQ Article
• Oxygen-Rich Moon Minerals May Help Astronauts Breathe – National Geographic

The post 10 Reasons humanity needs a base on the moon appeared first on Astronomy Records.

Instruments: Acoustic guitar, keyboards, shakers, bells, zills, drum beats and female vocals.

The post Desert Rain – acoustic guitar instrumental ~ music video appeared first on Astronomy Records.

Look out into the stars on a clear night and you will see where the inspiration for this album came from. Or is it inner space?

Mind opening instrumental Piano music – This album will take you on a 65 minute journey into the stars. Great for relaxation, meditation and U.F.O. watching. The vegan from planet Zod has finally released this masterpiece and the love and attention to detail really shows. Sparkling, expressive Pianos layered with rich sound fx and rich atmospheres make for a truly unique sonic experience.

The post Sci Indra – Instrumental Piano Music with a sci-fi twist appeared first on Astronomy Records.

The Taylor acoustic guitar Murray uses to create this piece is perfectly balanced and rings out clearly to evoke the feeling of the sweeping hills and verdant meadows of the Mary Valley.

Music composed and recorded by the artist, Murray Wall. Listen to his album here.

If you enjoy this video, and the music, please share it with your friends.

The post Kenilworth Road – Murray Wall – Acoustic guitar instrumental appeared first on Astronomy Records.

[audio:http://astronomyrecords.com/wp-content/uploads/Chernobyl-Rain-Greenpeace.mp3|titles=Chernobyl Rain - Greenpeace]

Doing this music was difficult in that it took me into the suffering of these poor people still exposed to the radiation from the site.

The important thing to me was to set the mood without making it too dark or depressing. The subtle melody is based on a traditional Ukrainian folk song, except it is the piano that plays the chords here instead of the (weird Ukranian) guitar.

The Nylon acoustic guitar is also supposed to be a traditional instrument in the area whereas the cello that comes in at the end is just for a change in story, musically speaking.

I wanted to pay some respect to the music of the region.

Graffiti of a child - Chernobyl

The post Chernobyl Rain – soundtrack for Greenpeace project appeared first on Astronomy Records.