Online Music Production

A New Music Production Blog

2014-05-17T07:31:00.001-07:00

I want to announce my new music production blog. Yes that means this one will no longer be updated so for the latest updates visit my new blog on the link below. It's time I switch to something I can now call my own instead of relying on a free blogger platform.

On the new blog you'll find a lot of great tools and career advise. The main goal is to help you get a professional sounding record even if you're on a tight budget but if you can afford to get some good gear then go for it. New gear, software or plugins can encourage you to produce more work and keep you inspired.

I also finished writing my new book titled Digital Mixing Ultimate Guide which you can check out on the new website. I'll make sure you guys get the best experience.

So wait no longer and join me on the new blog by clicking the link below:
http://talkinmusic.com/musicproduction

I'm looking forward to see you on the other side and if you have any questions then leave a comment below or contact me on my new blog, as you know, I always respond.

Have a productive day.

11 New Remix Competitions

2013-05-14T04:43:00.001-07:00

11 new remix competitions listed below...

1. Ondatrópica - Tiene Sabor, Tiene Sazón Remix Contest - Ensemble band

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/ondatrópica-remix-contest

Prize:

The winning remix, chosen by members of the band, will be released digitally through Soundway Records this summer. The winner of the competition will also win a signed copy of the album and be upgraded to a Pro Unlimited Soundcloud account.

Rules:

No specific rules found.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The remix parts can be downloaded from SoundCloud. Completed remixes should be added to this SoundCloud group.

2. Froland feat. E2J - MOB Remix Contest - House, Hip Hop (ish)

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/froland-feat-e2j-remix-contest

Prize:

1st place receive $100 plus release on Beatport, iTunes, Juno & many more. 2nd and 3rd place also get their remix released with royalties of the remixes will be shared on a 50/50 basis with Froland and the remixer.

Rules:

All genres accepted. Open worldwide to entrants who are aged 13 or older. Remixes can be uploaded to SoundCloud, YouTube and other sites in streaming format only and should not be distributed for download.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The remix pack can be downloaded from this Facebook App page once you 'Like' Froland on Facebook. No Facebook?click here. Completed remixes should be added to this SoundCloud group with downloads disabled.

3. M.Anh - Troi Xanh Remix Contest - Trance

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/manh-remix-contest

Prize:

The winning remixers will have their remix released on the remixes album due for release in September 2013 on the world's leading digital stores under Club G records label. The remixer will earn 50% net royalties.

Rules:

Open to Trance (All Trance styles) remixes only. Do not share your remix publicly until after the winners have been announced in July 1st.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The MIDI file can be downloaded from SkyDrive. Completed remixes should be uploaded as a WAV file to SkyDrive, Dropbox, Mediafire and send the download link in an email todemos@clubgrecords.com.

4. Equalizer & Pjé - The Summer Of Love Remix Contest - Hardstyle

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/equalizer-pjé-remix-contest

Prize:

1st place gets their remix release on Negative Records and published on their YouTube/SoundCloud channel. 2nd Prize: Published on their YouTube/SoundCloud channel.

Rules:

Open to House, Electronic, Progressive House genres, but HardStyle is preferred.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The remix pack can be downloaded from ZippyShare. Completed remixes should be sent toAndreas_Johannesson@live.se.

5. Heresy Theory - Hold Me Down Remix Contest - Alternative, Rock

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/heresy-theory-remix-contest

Prize:

All entries will be considered for release on a remix compilation album. Winners will have their music sent in multiple press-releases as well and receive an autographed copy of "Six Feet Away" and Hold Me Down cover poster.

Rules:

No specific rules found.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The remix pack can be downloaded from here. When you are ready to submit your remix, send us a message with a soundcloud link to your remix. http://www.heresytheory.net/pages/fan-mail.html

6. KranX - Hot Toothbrush Remix Contest - Glitch, Dubstep(ish)

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/kranx-remix-contest

Prize:

1st place will receive the opportunity for a contract to Flatline Records if he/she chooses, a collaboration with KranX, and a release on the Hot Toothbrush Single and Remix EP to be released on iTunes. 2nd and 3rd place will also receive a spot on the EP.

Rules:

No specific rules found.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The remix pack can be downloaded from SoundCloud. Completed remixes should be sent to kranxofficial@yahoo.com.

7. DJ Satellite & Sonicspace - SummerTime feat. Hellen Cristal Remix Contest - House

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/dj-satellite-sonicspace-remix-contest

Prize:

The sunniest remixes will be released on BeatCanteen Records into a SummerTime Remix EP for an exclusive release on Beatport.

Rules:

All genres accepted. All remix stems published are held under exclusive license by BeatCanteen Records.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

A WAV file containing the sounds can bedownloaded from SoundCloud and you can also download the MIDI from Dropbox. Completed remixes should be shared on Twitter or Facebook to the @BeatCanteen handle.

8. Assi Elfassi & Tamir Assayag - Gipsy Remix Contest - House, Progressive House

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/assi-elfassi-tamir-assayag-remix-contest

Prize:

The best remixes will be released on the EP on Housevision Records.

Rules:

All genres are allowed.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The remix pack can be downloaded fromthis Facebook App page after you 'Like' Assi Elfassi on Facebook. No Facebook?click here. Completed remixes should be sent to assielfassi@gmail.com.

9. Andrew Savich - "I Can" and "Groove B" Remix Contest - Tech House

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/andrew-savich-remix-contest

Prize:

Up to 6 winners will have their remix released by BugCoder Records this Summer and promoted to DJ’s, record pools, press, bloggers, and music reviewers plus receive 50% of net revenue of the the sales.

Rules:

Participants must be at least 18 years old. Remixes should reflect the BugCoder Records label and should be within the Deep, Tech House, Minimal or Techno genre. Multiple remixes by the same remix producer is acceptable but 1 remix per artist will be released at the most.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The remix pack for "I Can" can bedownloaded from SendSpace and the remix pack for "Groove B" can also bedownloaded from SendSpace. Completed remixes should be added to this SoundCloud group with downloads disabled.

10. W.H.A.C.K. - Time For War Remix Contest - Drum and Bass

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/whack-remix-contest

Prize:

2 to 3 Remixes will be chosen to be released on the forthcoming "Time For War (Remixes) - EP" on Blue Stripe Records and a collaboration.

Rules:

All genres accepted.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

To get the remix pack you have to request it by sending an email to info@toegraphics.de. No submission method is mentioned, we assume it is to the same email address.

11. Kristof Tigran feat. Lydia Scarfo - I'll Be Your Friend Remix Contest - House

http://www.remixcomps.com/contest/kristof-tigran-feat-lydia-scarfo-remix-contest

Prize:

Winner's remix will be released on Beatport on Monochrome Music.

Rules:

Entrants should 'Like' Monochrome Music, Kristof Tigran and Lydia Scarfo pages on Facebook and comment the track on SoundCloud.

Remix Parts and Submission Method:

The acapella can be downloaded from SoundCloud. Completed remixes should be added to this SoundCloud group.

P.S. > Never Miss an Update!! Simply enter your best email in the form below & I'll give you access to more tutorials. Including video tutorials and I'll also add some bonuses as well... Get Instant Access Now!

Soundmachines

2013-05-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Soundmachines

An instrument for performing electronic music.

Three units, which are resembling standard record players, translate concentric visual patterns into control signals for further processing in any music software. The rotation of the discs, each holding three tracks, can be synced to a sequencer.

The Soundmachines premiered on the Volkswagen New Beetle stand at the IAA motor show in late Summer 2011.

In cooperation with the sounddesigner/ producer Yannick Labbé of TRICKSKI fame, they developed three unique discs, each controlling one track of an Ableton Live Set exclusively made for the Event. The show was supported by a set of realtime generated visuals, running on a 25m wide LED wall.

P.S. > Simply enter your best email & name in the form below & I'll give you access to more tutorials. Including video tutorials and I'll also add some bonuses as well... Get Instant Access Now!

Native Instruments Traktor DJ for iPad Tutorial Pt 1 w/ Endo: Harmonic Mixing, Touchscreen DJing +

2013-04-30T11:09:00.000-07:00

In part one of this three-part video tutorial looking at Native Instruments Traktor DJ for iPad, Dubspot instructor Mike Henderson a.k.a. Endo takes us through some of the key features including the track recommendation engine, harmonic mixing, automatic BPM detection, beat syncing, and much more!

He also explains and demonstrates some of the creative possibilities of DJing with a touchscreen interface. Stay tuned for part two in which Endo looks at more advanced features including EQing, filters and effects!

Sweatson Klank & Indaba Remix Competition - Win Ableton Live 9

2013-04-29T09:27:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, Ableton Live is an awesome audio tool, designed to be an active instrument during live performances, a DJ rig and a fully-featured DAW. They just released their latest version and Indaba wants to help you get it. Enter the Ableton and Sweatson Klank contest for your chance.

Overview

Sweatson Klank, formerly known as Take, is not beholden to any one genre. He effortlessly blends elements of Hip-Hop and Future R&B with a forward thinking bass aesthetic. His new album You, Me, Temporary, which is out now on Project Mooncircle was crafted exclusively in Ableton Live, and features collaborations with Vikter Duplaix, Deniro Farrar, Anna Wise of Sonnymoon, Doc Illingsworth, Self Says, and others.

Now Ableton, Sweatson Klank and Indaba Music want you remix "I Shouldn't Be Here", which features guest vocals by Lucky Me Crew's ANGO. Take this oblique R&B tune to another plane by infusing it with your own style.

Prizes

Grand Prize Winner

Chosen by the Judges from all of the submissions.

Ableton Live 9
Ableton merch package
Sweatson Klank merch package
$100 giftcard to the Ableton.com webstore

Runner-Up

Chosen by the Judges from all of the submissions.

Ableton Live 9 Intro
Ableton merch package
Sweatson Klank merch package

Popular Vote Winner

Chosen by the Judges from the 10 most voted submissions.

1 year Pro membership to Indaba Music

Remix Sweatson Klank's "I Shouldn't Be Here (Feat. Ango)" to win Ableton Live 9 and merch from Ableton and Sweatson Klank.

=>Click Here To Enter The Competition<=

Check out Gotye using Ableton Live:

Ableton Live 9 Browser Tutorial

2013-04-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

This is a Bonus Module from the Beginners Course.

New features in the Live 9 Browser This movie provides a thorough explanation of the new features in the Live 9 Browser, showing how files are organised and the different ways they can be found. For more information about the Beginners Course, visit the website: http://bit.ly/Ableton-Live-Courses

FL Studio 11 - What's New?

2013-04-24T05:12:00.002-07:00

FL Studio 11 is finally out... Yep the waiting is over. Let's look at what's new with the latest version.

With new Performance mode, Multi-touch support, Plugins and now you can aslo Glue notes, Mouse wheel velocity, Monophonic step entry mode & Chop chords tool in the Piano Roll.

New featured plugins are the BassDrum, GMS (Groove Machine Synth), Effector, Patcher, VFX Key Mapper and VFX Color Mapper. This is not heavy at all because it requires a 1GB Ram, 1GB space on the hard-drive and 2Ghz processor as minimum requirements. This runs in XP, Vista, Windows 7 & 8 as well as Boot Camp for Mac.

Audio editing and manipulation including pitch correction, pitch shifting, harmonization, time-stretching, beat-detection & slicing, audio warping and standard audio manipulation (cut/paste etc).

You can download the demo version from their official site: http://www.image-line.com/downloads/flstudiodownload.html

P.S. > Don't miss updates, connect with us. Simply enter your best email & name in the form below & I'll give you access to more tutorials. Including video tutorials and I'll also add some bonuses as well... Get Instant Access Now!

The New Reason 7 Audio Quantize and Stretch

2013-04-24T04:36:00.001-07:00

This is not something new in other software but brand new in Reason 7. You can now Quantize & Stretch audio with ease. You can as well shuffle both the Midi & Audio in a single click.

Recorded audio parts can simply be Bounced into a Rex Loop and easily load in Dr Octo Rex. You can now easily slice audio or your samples only using Reason 7 without using Recycle. However, Recycle does have some advanced features that are still not available in Reason so this, at the moment, wont replace Recycle.

Reason 7 - Micro Tutorial

In this Micro Tutorial we take a look at audio slice markers in Reason 7. Whether you're quantizing your audio tracks for flawless timing, adjusting individual notes to re-imagine your phrasing, or just looking to experiment into unknown realms Audio Slice Markers are a powerful tool. And the best part? Thanks to Reason's legendary time stretch, it sounds amazing.

Don't Buy FL Studio Mobile HD App For Android Before Reading This Honest Review

2013-04-23T04:27:00.000-07:00

This is an honest review of the new FL Studio Mobile HD App for Android brought to you by By Image Line Software. This is the new version 2.1 released 30th March 2013 which is optimized for iPhone 5 and also compatible with iPad and iPod touch. It Requires iOS 5.1 or later.

With a price tag of... $20.99 So, is it worth it? This app has got all the tools you need to get a track done.

- You get a 99 track sequencer with user-friendly editing options

- It comes with 133 samples including sliced beats

- You can easily load your project to the Desktop Version, and can export midi data as well

- Also comes with effects such as Reverb, Delay, Filter, Eq, Limiter & Amp Simulator to enhance your mixes

- Included Screen Drum Pads & Keyboards

- They made it easy to share your music via Email or Dropbox - And MUCH, much more...

With the new Audiobus you're able to use all your other apps together and you can even do multitrack recording. You can even use your mobile devise while the app is playing in the background. Automation features are also available on this but for effects you can only automate the Filter.

The FL Studio Mobile HD application requires Android 2.3.3 OS or higher and works with all screen resolutions. The latency issue will depend on your device and I don't believe they have found a solution for this and it can really be annoying. Live performance with this is not really good as well.

You cannot import your own audio samples, you can only use what they give you and synthesizers are not tweakable which is an issue for sound design. This can work well for people who use FL Studio to sketch out ideas while on the road and bring them to life by loading it in the desktop version.

You cannot even record audio with this. So I give this 3 stars out of 5. At the moment I don't know any app that can remotely come close to this for Android users. And most people who use the FL Studio Mobile HD App on Android 4.2.2 claim that they don't have the latency issue.

I believe this is worth more than the $20 they charge and it's a great music production app for Android users not for iOS coz there's more better apps than this.

Some Blackberry OS users are also interested in such an app let's hope their prayers will be answered soon.

Find out more detailed info on iTunes: =>CLICK HERE<=

P.S. > Don't miss updates, connect with us. Simply enter your best email & name in the form below & I'll give you access to more tutorials. Including video tutorials and I'll also add some bonuses as well... Get Instant Access Now!

Vocal Enhancement Tips with Morgan Page

2013-04-15T17:19:00.000-07:00

DJ/Producer Morgan Page shows how to use the SSL 4000 Collection, Maserati VX1 Vocal Enhancer and Vocal Rider plugins to enhance your vocal tracks

In this video tutorial, DJ/Producer Morgan Page demonstrates how he uses plugins to add animation, character and impact to vocals using Waves SSL 4000 Collection, Maserati VX1 Vocal Enhancer and Vocal Rider plugins.

MESSE13: New SSL Summing Mixer

2013-04-15T12:25:00.002-07:00

SSL released the Sigma "remote controlled analog mix engine" last week at Musicmesse in Germany, and all I can say is, "What took them so long?" Many serious mixers who have gone from mixing on consoles to mixing in the box have used these for a number of years already (the Dangerous Music 2 Buss is the most frequently used), and it seems that all the major console manufacturers have missed out on this sales opportunity. Until now.

Read more: http://bobbyowsinski.blogspot.com/2013/04/new-music-gear-monday-ssl-sigma-summing.html#ixzz2QYqw00WC

[Musikmesse] Steinberg Wavelab 8

2013-04-15T06:37:00.000-07:00

The New Wavelab 8 - Available In May 2013

In case you haven't heard, Steinberg have announced WaveLab 8 at the Musikmesse trade show in Frankfurt, Germany. Audiofanzine dropped in their booth to see what's new in the audio editing and mastering suite and Uwe was happy to give them the scoop.

Here's a presentation of the new Steinberg Wavelab 8 at the Musikmesse 2013.

How to EQ Bass Guitar

2012-07-30T05:31:00.000-07:00

1. Hi Pass Filter at 40 Hz with a Q of 6

2. 50 Hz - 80 Hz are ultra lows on the bass. Cut them or add them how you like but make sure they don't fight the kick drum!

3. From 160 Hz - 350 Hz is where you will find muddiness. Cut here for clarity.

4. 600 Hz - 1 KHz -nutty- bass sound that will relly cut through the mix. Use a lower Q setting and find the sweet spot of your bass.

5. Low Pass filter at 4 KHz to get rid of high end noise and make the bass sound -smoother-

6. 2 KHz - 2.5 Khz adds presence but it can overlap with frequencies of other intruments so use it sparingly.

7. Around 3 KHz will bring out the clicky bass noise. Experiment with it, I don't use it to often, But is often used in funk or pop music.

GOOD LUCK!

P.S. > Did you enjoy the video? Do you want more? Simply enter your best email & name in the form below & I'll give you access to more tutorials. Including video tutorials and I'll also add some bonuses as well... Get Instant Access Now!

Guide to Reason Rack Extensions Review - Buffre and Pulsar

2012-07-28T04:35:00.000-07:00

Reason Rack Extensions Review

This movie gives an overview of two rack extensions from the last two groups - Creative FX and Utilities. The first device, Buffre, is a fantastic beat repeater, with totally customizable loop settings, which can be triggered easily with a MIDI keyboard or the onscreen piano keys.

And the second, Pulsar, is Propellerheads' own device and is a really handy tool for allowing LFO modulation of any other rack devices, as well as also being a basic synth! Pulsar is also free till October so get it while you can!

For more information, check out out online Reason school: http://bit.ly/Reason-Courses

Friday Forum Live! - 1st June - Deconstructing Danny J Lewis 'Deeper' in Ableton

2012-06-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

http://bit.ly/Onine-School Welcome to Point Blank's Friday Forum Live! Session designed to give you a taste of how our online school masterclasses work.

The aim is to give you a taste of how our online school masterclasses work as a method of feedback and interaction, whilst providing an opportunity to ask questions live.

Places in the live broadcast are strictly limited so everyone gets their questions answered. To book your place in the next Friday Forum Live! please visit http://bit.ly/Onine-School

Here is a low down on how the sessions will work:

- Hosted as a private live youtube broadcast
- Number of participants no more than 20
- Lasting roughly 30 mins
- Hosted by Course Advisor David Reid and Instuctor Danny J Lewis
- David will be on hand to answer any general course related questions
- Danny will provide a 10 minute music production/sound design tutorial on a specific technique which you can also ask questions about
- Recorded broadcast will be available to anyone to watch back at a later date

If you want to explore how Point Blank Online works further check out our free course samples: http://bit.ly/Onine-School

Music As A Business

2011-07-18T07:41:00.000-07:00

Asking what it takes to succeed is really a big question. Quite simply what all this comes down to, will be making and also performing great music, as well as to determine ways to let your favorite songs reach out to the general public.

But in case you are not willing to change your thinking and also put in both time and also cash in your independent music career, You have to stop reading this now. If you are prepared to treat your music as a business, keep reading, plus make sure you do not miss a single word.

It seems that there is certainly a big gap between people who find themselves making mega profits to those having difficulties to get guitar strings. What should we look at prior to when we draw up a plan that will expand our earning potential?

We all know that there are a lot of people doing music right now. Really assess your skills to find out everything that you should enhance. In some cases precisely what is holding a musician back from becoming a superstar might just be lousy singing habits, inferior stage performance, not enough exercise, inferior production, low quality songs and so on.

All of the issues I mention here might be worked on, improved or even removed! Anything you do can slow down your progress for the next Several years.

It's essential to be familiar with your style. For instance, Pop has got a minimal life time when compared to Gospel Music in which the followers grow old together with the artists as well as always support the musician all the way through their recording careers.

And Money talks. Money could get you the proper production, the ideal videos, the proper promotion. How much cash you've got can impact how you release products or even the frequencies of those releases.

Not enough money may stop individuals lacking creative capability but those who are smart usually find a way around money challenges. Even though it means finding a day job for some time, raising product sales at gigs, joining up with a financier; all these ideas might eliminate the financial barrier.

The initial thing I wish to encourage one to do, take action with your music career. You should never just sit around in your home listening to different people's CDs and dreaming it was eventually you, use that time to jot down lyrics or perhaps publicize your songs in some way.

Do not grumble about some people making it and you are possibly not getting anywhere, figure out what is getting these folks to the top and then use that in your music career. It is simply no good basically wishing to do well in music, you have to work in order to succeed!

Too many people spend all the time adding people in social networks (facebook, twitter, myspace etc) believing it will help them. Although social media is actually a beneficial tool for virtually any musician, it should really only play just a little area of your music marketing efforts.

You need to focus on the 80/20 concept, a rule which states, make sure you invest the majority of your time and effort on the 20% of what provides you with 80% of the results. As a result instead of sitting at your laptop or computer all day adding people one at a time, rather do what will result in loads of targeted followers come to your webpage and even add you.

Those in your Facebook and even Twitter web pages will be much more genuine and interactive should they add you, and you will then get much more exposure in the long run.

One of the primary ways to get it wrong as a musician would be to not spend money in your music career. Although it might be difficult when you are of a young age group, you are going to soon realize it generally takes time and even money to make money.

Lots of people make music, however, not everybody has the music business knowledge to have them exactly where they would like to go. I hope the factors raised in this post grant you something to think about, and even get your music career moving in the perfect direction. P.S. > Did you enjoy reading this post? Do you want more? Simply enter your best email & name in the form below & I'll give you access to more tutorials. Including video tutorials and I'll also add some bonuses as well... Get Instant Access Now!

Wii Game Backup

2011-06-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

Today I want to share something different, this is what I do on my spare time. Play video games. So for everyone who is into video games, I have found a legit Wii Game Backup software that will make it easy for You to make a copy for your Games.

This is not one of those guides that will tell you to go and download illegal software, it is an Easy Backup Wizard. The most simplest way to Copy and create a Backup for your Video Games.

By the way this is not created for Video Games only, you can also make a backup for video DVDs and it also supports a lot of video formats including mp4, xvid, divx etc. It is compatable with a lot of consoles, such as Nintendo Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, PS3, Gamecube, PS2, Dreamcast and PC.

It's about time You stop handling your Disc like an egg. No matter how careful You are, after a few months the disc will get scratched and You won't be able to use it anymore.

But with Easy Backup Wizard, You will backup all your favorite video games with ease. You may think that there's a lot of these Wii Game Backup software, but the truth is there's only 3 or 4 of them.

One is the illegal one, and most other backup systems are just guides that will show you where to download an illegal software and how to use it or even chip your console (which is a very bad thing to do).

Easy Backup Wizard is the one that's actually a software that works with no complications or any other stuff that will cause problems with your Warrantee.

The only software that is compatible with most consoles and it comes included with a mac immulater, for mac users to be able to make copies.

There's basically 2 things I did not like about this:

1. If ever your console drive does not read or support Easy Backup Wizard, You have to pay 10 bucks for them to show you how to use it. Even though their support system really respond fast, this sucks.

2. The software is very cheap, I got really skeptic about it. Because it's not even half price of a Nintendo Wii game. So it seamed as if it was a scam.

But either than that, I have no problem about this Nintendo Wii Game Backup. And as I'm writing this, you can get the software for 50% off the original price.

I didn't know that there's a new version of Wii that is coming out soon called Wii Plus. And the guys at Easy Backup Wizard say they are already ready for an update for the Plus version.

This is really a fast and easy way to make Wii Games Backup.

Ableton Live Tutorials

2011-05-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today I have two great, and I mean GREAT videos by two Great Hip Hop music producers. Showcasing unique techniques about how to use Ableton Live. On these Ableton Live Tutorials you won't find detailed information about how to sample, they just touch the surface.

I once posted a tutorial about that, Click Here to see the detailed info about how to sample using Ableton. Let's get straight to it.

DJ Jazzy Jeff is a legendary DJ and producer with countless hits and even signature scratch styles to his name. Jeff's skills and knowledge have earned him a reputation as one of the industry's musical godfathers.

With over 20 years in the game and a back catalog covering soul, hip hop, jazz and house, he's still making records and developing the art of the DJ.

In this movie, Jeff shows us how he builds a beat and shares his thoughts on Live and Sampler.

Ski Beatz is a producer who's worked with some of the biggest names in Hip Hop, including Jay Z, Mos Def, AZ, Foxy Brown, Lil' Kim and Camp Lo.

In this Ableton Live tutorial he shows us how he makes beats and I was surprised by how he does it. He has an unusual technique for beatmaking which is extremely fast and fluid. Watch the movie to see him in action.

For anyone who can't watch the movie, or if you're having trouble following what he's doing, here's how he does it:

Ski Beatz uses Warp Markers as slicing point markers. He listens to a song he's going to sample, with only the first Warp Marker in place.

When he hears parts he wants to use, he creates a Warp Marker. Generally, he adds about 10-15 Warp Markers to a song, totally unrelated to Live's tempo—the metronome is off at this point.

Once he's done adding the Warp Markers, he right-clicks (PC)/Ctrl-clicks (Mac) on the audio file and selects the "Slice to MIDI Track" command.

Then he chooses the Warp Marker setting, and his custom slicing preset. Download this here.

Ski now has all the points he wants to trigger chromatically laid out on his keyboard. He plays his samples, and while he's playing with one hand, he hits the "Tap Tempo" button on the APC40 to set the tempo.

Finally, he turns on the metronome and triggers an empty clip slot to record into.

Ski Beatz has even given us his slicing preset to give to you. You can download it below. Simply unzip and drag it into your library in Live (Library > Defaults > Slicing) to use it. Please note that this preset requires Sampler.

Ski Beatz slicing preset (requires Sampler)

Ableton Live Tutorials

Mixing Music

2011-05-20T12:15:00.000-07:00

An introduction to mixing music in a home studio using Waves Native Power Pack & GTR 3.

Recommended Posts:

=> Mixing Engineer

=> Ableton Mixing

=> How To Use A Compressor

Ibiza Producer Competition With Clickproduce & DJ mag

2011-05-05T09:35:00.000-07:00

There’s still time to enter the producer competition of the decade.

One lucky winner will hear their music played at Space Ibiza, at DJmag’s party on the 5th June – as part of a prize offering to bedroom producers in a competition hosted by Clickproduce, your one stop online shop for loops, samples and even free tutorial videos courtesy of leading DJ and production school Point Blank.

As well as DJmag supplying flights and accommodation for the winner and a friend, Novation and Ableton are providing the ultimate set-up to remix or create your own music. Prizes will total £1000 worth of music-making equipment including Ableton Suite 8 - ground-breaking software used by the likes of Sasha, Daft Punk, Coldcut and more - Novation's Launchpad Ableton controller, a Novation 25SL MkII professional keyboard controller and a Novation Nio 2/4 audio interface. You will also receive a £100 Clickproduce voucher, and your winning entry will be included on an upcoming CD Pool promo compilation.

So what do you need to do? Simply go to Clickproduce, register, and download a special sample pack donated by top production company Prime Loops. This contains an array of the highest quality beats, bass, synth/keys files, loops and one-shots. They are all royalty free so you can use them in your production, but you may just want to take inspiration from them and create your own piece from scratch. There is one 'signature sound' which is the only compulsory part you will need to use - you can warp, effect and twist this sound as you wish, though it must be audible as a theme in some form.

Feel free to add your own sounds, loops and presets, though don’t include uncleared samples of recorded works. Once you’re finished, simply upload the track to Clickproduce’s Soundcloud Dropbox.

"We want producers to create what they believe will be perfect for the Ibiza crowd this summer," says Robin Jenkins, manager of Clickproduce. "There are no restrictions on genre, though as a general rule of thumb picture yourself on the terrace at Space listening to your track - because that's exactly what you'll be doing if you win the competition."

To enter visit www.clickproduce.com/ibizacomp and follow the instructions. Your composition will be judged by the staff at DJmag and Clickproduce after the closing date of 15th May. The winner will be notified on 20th May.

10, 9, 8… the countdown has begun! Get cracking now and make sure it’s you who launches off into Space.

Prizes -

* Flights and accommodation for you and a friend in Ibiza

* Entry to the DJ Mag Space party on Sunday 5th June to hear your track being played

* Ableton Suite 8

* Novation SL25 MkII - http://www.novationmusic.com/products/midi_controllers/sl_mkii

* Novation Launchpad - http://www.novationmusic.com/products/midi_controllers/launchpad

* Novation Nio 2/4 - http://www.novationmusic.com/products/digital_dj/nio_2_4

* Track professionally mastered and featured on CD Pool promo compilation - http://www.cdpool.com

Download the entry pack for free - all you need to do is register on the site.

www.clickproduce.com/ibizacomp

iPad Music Production

2011-04-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

iPad Music Production or producing music using the iPad seems to be an exciting experience. It's got many of the elements to an effective music platform, however you will discover a couple of caveats that you ought to be familiar with.

Let us jump strait into it then. Could the iPad have any of the important music production candy ported onto it? That will be the greatest thing us beat creators as well as producers need to hear. Propellerheads, that create Reason (a successful Mac and PC music program), have kept the door open up to get a Reason-like application for the iPad.

Controller apps tend to be certainly expected for Apple's most current offering. Novation as well as Steinberg have already made applications for the iPhone along with iPod touch to help you control the computer's apps - to shift faders plus twist knobs and more - however there's no full fledged software that has built its way in these kinds of mobile devices yet.

Several portable beat making programs present the fragility on the iPhone, draining the battery power quickly and they are not easy to use; those which are user friendly are absurdly limited. Generally there needs to be a compromise, however using the iPad, odds are that the larger screen plus enhanced processing allows for much more good offerings.

It's however not clear precisely how ideal it is with regard to music production. Music Producers are familiar with using their own fingers as well as hands to compose their particular songs naturally, not having tactile response can make it hard to actually feel the music you are putting in.

It's tough to estimate just how comfortable it'll be for you to work with it within music production. One more concern for Apple along with consumers is drum pads plus music keyboard on the display screen getting hit way too hard and so damaging the sensitivity as well as the screen's appearance itself; also cracks might be on the horizon! In case you seriously get into your music hard, I suggest you to skip the iPad.

Hard working musicians know that sweaty or moist hands can turn out to be a challenge. Also the tiniest moisture will probably reduce correct screen tracking. Remember though, these are all just speculations.

Here is a video by my man Ecken Making a beat with the iPad using Logic Studio. iPad Music Production

You can buy the iPad online at amazon.

As the iPad is clearly not really the 1st multitouch music controller out there, it certainly provides plenty of possibilities in the music market and also we are not only talking about iTunes.

When the market increases, we will have lot's of artistic applications which will help take musician to a higher level. Here are a few iPad Music Production apps

Garageband For iPad

GarageBand transforms the iPad into a new range of Touch Instruments as well as a full featured mini recording studio — so you can produce music wherever you go. Use Multi Touch gestures to play organs, pianos, guitars, drums, and bass on your iPad.

They will sound and play like their counterparts, however allow you to do things you might never do on a real instrument. I won't go on talking a lot regarding how good this is, I have got 2 truly amazing videos that will demonstrate what you can do using this ipad music production app.

If you are interested in getting yourself this garageband app for ipad. Both iPad 1 & 2.
Click Here to visit the iTunes App Store

Video 2

ReBirth for iPad

ReBirth is actually back again! Propellerhead Software's legendary Techno Micro Composer has been resurrected not to mention customized for your iPad. ReBirth consistently emulates dance music's three anchor devices: The Roland TB-303 Bass synth as well as the Roland TR-808 along with the 909 drum machines.

Combine these with FX units you get fully featured pattern sequencers plus a gorgeous looking interface and you are all set to make killer tracks with your iPad. Promote your music with buddies on Facebook, Twitter and more using the integrated sharing features.

Click here to get the Rebirth For iPad App

KORG iMS-20

The iMS-20 is actually an analog synth studio; a complete recreation for the Korg MS 20 synth, an analog sequencer, a fabulous drum machine, as well as Korg's Kaoss Pad technological innovation. In addition, you are able to share your music online via SoundCloud!

Click Here to get the KORG iMS-20

FL Studio Mobile HD

FL Studio Mobile HD lets you create and save finish multi track music projects in your iPad. You can even load the FL Studio Mobile projects in the FL Studio Desktop for PC.

In case it's a beat in the step sequencer, any melody over the piano roll or perhaps a complete song on the playlist, FL Studio Mobile has you covered. By no means lose that great idea ever again. Get it down and happening wherever you are.

Click Here to get the FL Studio Mobile HD

There's a lot of these apps, some of them I can't review because it will make this page long and boring so if you are looking for a specific app that is not reviewed here use this iTunes App Search widget below:

iPad Music Production applications

Casio PX 130

2011-04-24T04:54:00.000-07:00

This is a humble review for the Casio Px 130 Keyboard.

The Casio Privia PX-130 redefine the actual digital piano class with unprecedented high quality sound as well as performance in a modern package which is supremely portable. Offering brand new grand piano samples plus a new Tri-Sensor 88 note scaled hammer actions keyboard and weighs under 25 lbs. It's extremely versatile enough for church, home, school or even on stage.

The actual grand piano sounds offer a good unprecedented amount of realism as well as expression. 4 dynamic layers regarding stereo piano samples come integrated with Casio’s amazing Linear Morphing System, producing a grand piano sound having smooth transitions along with an outstanding dynamic range.

This Casio PX-130 also offers 128 note polyphony, plenty of horsepower for any hard musical passages plus the flexibility to layer sounds as well as make use of the damper pedal with no worry with dropped notes. The end result is really a great piano experience which cannot be matched at any price.

It includes a new Tri-Sensor 88 note scaled hammer action keyboard. Casio’s top-quality engineering triggered a realistic piano feel which captures each detail as well as nuance of one's performance. The scaled hammer action offers the feel, weight, plus resistance without compromising the portability.

Moreover into the remarkable keyboard action as well as piano sound, the PX 130 is a fantastic instrument with regard to music training. Having Casio’s Duet function, this keyboard may be divided into 2 identical ranges, making it possible for student plus teacher to play the keyboard at the same time.

The integrated two track recorder along with the metronome helps you practice virtually any tempo and listen back to exactly what you played. Its recording features may also be utilized to record moments of creativity as well as remember song ideas.

The optionally available SP 32 pedal board simulates a great acoustic grand piano through all 3 pedals - sostenuto, soft as well as damper. It is not complicated to link in your computer using its integrated USB MIDI interface.

This PX-130’s 88 note scaled hammer action keyboard helps it be a perfect controller keyboard intended for using along with music software. The USB connection lets you transfer music from or to the computer straight into the flash ROM, making it possible for you to save sounds you’ve created.

Because of its light-weight, you'll be able to easily go from your home, into the classroom and even to an event and back again without any worries. Its technology helps you do it all.

Buy the Casio PX 130 online at Amazon and get a 38% discount. It normally costs $799.99 but You can get it for $434.48 and save $364.52. Now that's a bargain.

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NI Battery with Cubase Beat Designer and Drum Maps

2011-04-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

This is a quick video demonstrating how easy it is to use the Cubase Beat Designer plugin with Native Instruments Battery 3. And when you load the drum maps in Cubase, it automatically populates the lanes in Beat Designer with the correct drum sound names.

There are a million different ways to make beats in a DAW, and I like to use them all, because the variety makes it more fun and sometimes I try some weird technique and it takes me somewhere I wouldn’t have gone if I always stuck to the same way of creating beats.

One of the things that I like about Cubase is that it’s offers lots of ways to organize and keep track of your virtual sounds. Drum maps and expression maps can be extremely useful if you work with a wide variety of sounds and want to be able to look at the screen and understand what sounds map to which keys.

I’ve been playing around with Cubase’s “Beat Designer” plugin lately and it’s a nice little MIDI plugin for step sequencing any instrument plugin you have. Something that occurred to me is that Beat Designer (like the drum editor in Cubase) populates the lanes with the contents of the current drum map.

So when you load up a drum map and Beat Designer, it’s easy to see all the sounds you have access to (correctly labeled), and you can easily hide sounds you aren’t interested in. This has the effect of cleaning up the screen and showing you everything you need to see to create drum patterns.

For me, this has been helpful as a starting point for songs, so I made a quick little video demonstrating how easy it is to set up a track that has a Battery kit loaded and Beat Designer with the drum sounds labeled.

This Tutorial was taken from: Andrew Landry

http://andrewlandry.com/2011/04/using-cubase-drum-maps-and-beat-designer-with-battery-yet-another-way-to-make-beats-in-cubase/

Cubase Tutorial

At Sony Studios With Ryan Leslie

2011-04-18T13:51:00.000-07:00

Today I just want to share some inspiration with all my blog readers. No matter what genre of music You produce, these two videos will inspire You to go into the studio, and most of all take Your music career to the next level :).

Get inspired by my man Ryan Leslie at Sony Studios. Here's video 1:

Ryan Leslie Makes Sometimes for Cassie

Hope You really Enjoyed the videos. Stay Passionate ;)

KRK Rokit Review - KRK Rokit 6 G2

2011-04-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

This KRK Rokit 6 Generation 2 Powered Studio Monitor is taking the KRK design and style to new heights. Every one of the good things of which Rokit’s are actually recognized for such as soft domed tweeter, front firing bass port, glass aramid blend yellow cone will still be there, even so, this krk rokit 6 G2 has enhanced voicing along with a fresh curved baffle which looks good, decreases diffraction as well as offers more desirable monitoring accuracy.

A lot more Precise Compared to Before KRK engineers along with listening panel got this G2 Rokits’ speaker voicing with much more accurate levels. Precisely what you hear will be what you're meant to hear, coloration isn't component to the spec.

Its performance is delivered through drivers which have been custom designed by the KRK's world class studio monitor engineering crew, with regard to crystal clear and low distortion performance.

The actual Recessed tweeters might look similar, however they do not perform exactly the same. KRK has created an excellent tweeter wave guide with the Rokit to provide best high frequency control as well as focus the sound outward, from the cabinet.

A lot more traditional layouts direct sound across the plane from the cabinet where by waveform interaction might cause phase issues and also increase diffraction. KRK is aware that a correctly designed high frequency wave guide can be an essential section for a greater sound, plus one particular key for their top rated performance.

You can get these krk rokit 6 G2 at Amazon:

KRK Rokit Review