Hi all who’ve read my humble blog and have disappointed to find there hasn’t been updated content in OVER A YEAR! That may be the most frustrating thing on the ‘internets’ (per Stephen Colbert) to encounter.
Rest assured, I will be bringing you really, really, ridiculously good audio production content.
Stay tuned.
-J
If you’re like me, you’re picky about what sounds you incorporate into your projects. I need the highest-quality, freshest sounding samples out there in order to produce the best possible music.
Digital Redux is one such company that provides what I need and more. A relatively young company (Founded in May ‘07), Digital Redux produces content that older companies drool at.
DR has begun to distribute 5 different sample libraries. Of course, more will be on the way but these libraries pack a powerful punch! The website has free downloads to give you a taste of what they offer, and also tech talk, links, support, etc. Each library is 40 bucks. Not bad at all.
Click here to check it out. Again, it can be difficult to find great content and the guys at Digital Redux are making it easy. Support them and buy their stuff so they can keep the content coming.
Found a great resource for record labels. Fuzz.com connects “people who create and love music”.
Using Fuzz, great indie bands can post and promote their great music. Fuzz gets more involved in the music community than any other site I’ve seen. It has “featured” sections for Indie Labels, Tours, and other events.
It’s a fantastic tool for both labels and bands alike.
Go here to experience the Fuzz. Now.
Below is a great video of Kanye West working with Timbaland on Kanye’s new hit single, “Stronger”.
http://www.futuremusic.co.uk/page/futuremusic?entry=work_is_never_over
This is from the UK’s Future Music magazine. It’s a fantastic mag. It’s for the home studio-ites and pros alike. If you can, buy it sometime. Every issue comes with a DVD packed with tutorials, gear reviews and sounds for your sample palette. It’s a bit on the pricey side to buy one issue, but you can get a subscription for cheap. It’s worth it because it’s one of the best recording resources you’ll come across.
Both Kanye West and Timbaland are underrated. People don’t realize how dedicated they are to their art form. The attention to detail they incorporate with the music they create fails to get recognized. This video basically shows how anal Kanye got about the kick sound on the track. Great stuff.
This post is really for all the newbies. I know there are a TON of aspiring producers/engineers that really just need to know how to get started.
To get started, you can take one of two routes (or both).
Very simple. And of course, these are very well-known routes to take. As everybody knows, the best way to learn the ropes is to become an intern. But what’s becoming more and more of an issue is HOW to become an intern. I dare you to call up any recording studio and tell them you’d like to offer to work there for free, you will than likely get shut down. This is because any smart studio will realize the people they let in as interns will SOON BECOME THEIR COMPETITION!
Don’t let this discourage you. You can approach this a number of ways. Have you ever read Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People”? Hopefully some of you have. If not, read it. If you are seriously wanting to pursue a career in music production, I would read this book. The principles taught in Carnegie’s book will teach you how to run a business properly. Take this approach: call up any recording studio (or just go the studio in person!), and start up a conversation. Try not to talk about yourself much, if at all. Express genuine interest in the business they are running. Ask questions. Ask about how the studio got started. If your a student, voila, you can say you’re working on a school project and you wanted to learn about their studio. Point is, don’t even mention to you’re interested in becoming an intern. Nearing the end of your conversation, tell them you’d like to work there for free, just to help out. At this point, you should have such a good rapport with them they’d love for you to be around.
I don’t have my recording studio yet, so here’s MY plan for accomplishing this goal. I will intern at a studio. I’m here in good ol’ Tulsa OK so my options are limited. There’s maybe only 1 or 2 good studios in town (and honestly none of them are at the caliber I want my studio to be at). But I’ll pick the best one and go to work. I’ll be the hardest working and most passionate person working there. I’ll make a lasting impression on the people I work with and people will start specifically asking for me to engineer their projects. Meanwhile, I’ll be buying my own equipment for my home studio and recording my own projects. Once my client base is sufficient, I’ll submit my business plan for a studio and get a business loan. The loan will let me start the ONLY world-class recording studio Tulsa’s ever seen.
That’s my plan and I hope it helps you make your own a little easier.
-J
