Reason Record Private Tutorial Batch 1

I was hanging around the studio the other week and came up with the idea of having a select number of people over to do private workshop tutorials...

People have been asking me offline if I would do one and I think it's high time that I give in to their requests so here we are.

The basic Registration Fee is P1,300 and the workshop will last for 3-4 hrs. I will take on only 4 at a time because I want to focus on the attendees and address whatever queries they have regarding the lessons. This is not gonna be a public high attendance thing because I'd rather make it their money's worth by getting that focus and for obvious space reasons.

Schedule is November 27, 2010 at 4pm. Express your confirmation by texting me at 09175004517.

Wokshop registration fee should be paid prior to the workshop date, to signify your FINAL CONFIRMATION. This makes sure that nobody backs out on the day itself to be able to give an equal chance for others who weren't prioritized for the first 4 spots. I will text bank details to those who text me for it.

I will provide the chairs and some space for your laptops (keyboard stands and boards)

What you need to bring:

Your laptop and your eagerness to learn. (at the very least)

Headphones and a stereo/mono out from your soundcard PL or RCA so we can plug you into a mixer :)

You can bring your controller if you want but there might not be enough space on the desk unless you have like those nano keyboards. (optional)

It'll be fun :)

God bless!

Cy

 

 

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Encore pix...

No need to post an entry for this since I wrote about the funny experience the other day. Here are the shots taken from the SF cam hehe Thanks to my my number one photographer, Berns! :)

Cy

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Studio Update: The Last Bits...

After almost half a year, I'm finally in the final touches of the studio. This photo set actually contains the final shot for what was to be the last thing installed structure-wise, which was the door handle for one of the rooms. This post's supposed to be split in two but I figured that with the lack of photos, it'd be better off joined. The other set is more on the acoustics side which is the installation of the panels on top of my workstation. We're still tuning to the room as I still hear some echo that I'm not too happy with but we'll get there. next week would be another day of installation for the recording room and the other bass traps for the control area. Happy days :)

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Cy

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No Encore for Encore...

There was a fund raising gig last night at Encore and I was asked if I could play and support it. Of course I said yes. Anything to do what I do in support of a worthwhile cause. It was for the kids of Gawad Kalinga for their annual excursion. 

Anyway, I stayed up till 9am yesterday ironing out my set and settings on my live set using Maschine together with my APC controller...

fast forward...

3/4ths of the way to the venue, I realized that I LEFT my Maschine controller at home while rushing to leave for the gig. I know it's stupid but those things happen. The moment I realized it, my mind was floating already... regret, anger, waste, a lot of things went circling in my head to be honest. I wanted to go home and get it but I didn't have enough time to do so. I felt that it was such a waste preparing the set just to NOT be able to play it that night because I didn't have my controller. 

So there I was. Setting up with just the APC. With this, I had to resort to some of my older sets when I only had the APC. It's OK but of course, I would've wanted to play something fresh. 

Started my set and since it was an EARLY event, of course I watched the people pour into the venue. Not like you get there and the place is rocking already. Unfortunately, as expected, the crowd wasn't as much open to live PA and to my style. Ironically, I was totally having fun during the first 30 mins and was doing the live bit pretty well until some women came up to me and asked for some songs. Don't get me wrong, I do get that often since people often mistake Live PA as DJing. The thing that threw me off (once again) was that DESPITE playing tech-house stuff, the girl suddenly tells me, "can you play something that we can 'dance' to?" As if you couldn't dance to house. It really threw me off. After that I kinda was floating and it somehow ruined my so-called "mojo" hehe took me another 10 minutes to get my groove back.

But then again, I had fun despite the experience since it felt good bringing that type of sound to Encore even for a short bit.

Cy

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Essential Studio Microphones

I've recently changed some priorities having become an actual studio owner. One thing that shifted was my need to get more microphones that could address various recording needs for the studio. At the end of the day however, budget is the question and since I don't have much to spare after paying off my studio renovation and all, I had to research and get the best value for money mics out there. Without further ado, here's my list. I'll also be including some wish lists for the future :)

This is by no means "THE" list. I just came up with this list from experience and doing some research on getting the most out of your money to avail of a decent collection for your studio without breaking the bank :)

ESSENTIAL STUDIO MICROPHONES

1. Shure SM58

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If you have to ask what this is, then you may have been living under a rock. The SM58 has been THE mic of choice for most live performers. However for budget conscious people, this can also be a nice demo recording mic. It's a dynamic mic and the wind shield does its job nicely if all you have in your setup is a mic without any pop shield. It can sound quite muffled when you compare it to condensers and more expensive mics but for live, the 58 can't be beat. It's practically a staple of most sound system providers and home studios. 

Additional: If you're looking to link up your mic and all you have is a laptop computer, you can grab the Shure X2U XLR to USB adaptor freeing you of needing to buy yourself a soundcard to link your mic to. Very handy. In a shootout that I read, it also came up on top with its wealth of features and it's clean signal.

Personal Note: I was looking around for a spare mic other than the SM58 just recently and the Samson Q7 was suggested to me by the salesman and he let me A/B it against the Shure and I am happy to say, that the Samson sounds even better for me and at more than half the price cheaper than the SM58!!!!

2. Shure SM57

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Another one for the books is the legendary SM57. This however lends itself more to micing instrument amps. Yes. If you've ever been to any concert, you may have seen this little wonder in front of a guitar amp proudly receiving the nice tones out of the speakers and out into the sound system. I've read that the 57 is basically a 58 without its windscreen but I guess that's up for debate in other forums. The 57 also CAN and will do vocal recordings as I've read a lot of vocal recordings have been done using just the 57... and mind you, even some artists you may have a CD of have recorded vocals using a 57 so don't dismiss this too early as this is one of the cheapest of the lot as well!

3. Shure SM7B

[[posterous-content:pid___2]]Designed primarily to be a broadcast mic, the SM7B proudly holds its own these days as a vocal mic. Its design as that of a mic that's made to reject wind/external noise makes it an ideal mic for home studios that may not have proper recording booths. Some big name artists have also opted to go for this relatively affordable mic for their albums. I've read even Metallica used it for one of their recent releases. 

4. MXL V67G

[[posterous-content:pid___3]]I was surprised about this one. In my search for additional mics to get on a budget, this always came up and at a price that's gonna make you smile as well! I don't have any experience yet with this mic as I am still about to order it but from the reviews I've read, it's a worthy addition to your collection as it's something you can buy without having to sell other stuff. Just add it to your mic cabinet!

5. Audio Technica AT4033a

[[posterous-content:pid___4]]This is the 1st mic I have ever bought. Fortunately, it's one of those studio staples. It's an old mic but it has proved itself worthy of being in most studios as a real workhorse. These days, you can get one of these cheap and you'll be saving a lot of money by doing so :)

6. Rode K2

[[posterous-content:pid___5]]This is a valve mic and like what most consider when using valves in recording, there's a certain warmth and nice grit to recordings passing thru tubes. I included this because it came up in some of the articles I read for value for money considering it's a valve mic. So this one's on my wish list as well.

Of course, also consider the tons of alternatives out there but the main thing to consider here is there's always room for a valve mic in your arsenal. Always.

7. Neumann TLM103

[[posterous-content:pid___6]]This is another one on my wish list. I guess we can put this at the mid priced microphones in the list as this retails for $1100 but the beauty of this is that for people aiming for a U87, this can be a comfortable "settlement" until you can get the real thing. The capsule of this is also taken from the U87 but a lot of people either love it or hate it. I've read a lot of people find the mic too bright but I guess coupled with a warm mic preamp, this can do wonders. I'm all for value for money here so I really won't be talking about getting more expensive mics instead. Remember, the equipment is part of the equation but the talent is the large chunk of it. If I needed proof that this mic delivers, knowing that Imogen Heap used it to record her album is enough proof for me. Just listen to the result! :)

8. Neumann U87

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The ultimate in the wish list and the daddy of all studio mics. The Neumann U87 is the mainstay of almost all studios and I guess will always stay that way. Retailing at $3,500 It's no wonder it can deliver. Perhaps this is one of those you get what you pay for but seeing that the U87 has always been mentioned in interviews, and of course, used for countless recordings, this mic definitely is THE essential mic to have in your studio.

 

So there we go, the little list of things for you to look into and research. I also arranged this list by cost so you can at least know which ones to prioritize first depending on your budget. 

The thing with mics is, there's one that will fit a particular recording need so it helps to have a small mic collection to achieve the best results in your recordings may it be a male vocal, a female backup, or a rockin tube amp.

Enjoy the search!

Cy

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Finding Blogging Ideas

I must admit, I'm not the most consistent blogger in the world. But who is? Perhaps the best advice I learned recently about blogging is don't apologize for being away coz I often find myself doing that so there's none of that here today. (wheeee!)

I've always been puzzled at those professional or even consistent bloggers how they never run out of ideas. But we (all of us inconsistent ones) should remember that they too run out and they too try to look for other things to talk about in their blogs. 

Here are some stuff I do to find topics.

1. Google - of course, this one's pretty obvious but you'll be surprised at how many pre-made lists are floating around giving people topics already to write about. This is how I came across my 100 topic blog list, which I do from time to time. 

2. Look Around Your Room - I know this sounds too basic but as the cliche goes, you are one in a million. Your tastes, your style, your own preferences make you "you," which makes things interesting in the sense that you can talk about stuff you may have lying around that maybe only you will have! You can talk about how you use it, or where you got it, how you got it, why, etc. 

3. Subscribe To Stuff - Now this one may be a bit too general but I'll try to break it down. Subscribe to mailing lists, forums, get RSS feeds to different blogs, twitter or even to store updates!

- mailing lists/forums: by subscribing to these, you're bound to always find something new. Remember, that even if you feel you're always at the top of your game, someone's bound to know more than you so it's nice to feed off new info from other people daily. Once you find out some new stuff, do your research and you can end up writing something nice and ORIGINAL by yourself. 

- RSS from blogs/sites and twitter: same as the previous that some people may have BETTER access than you to things like they may get free stuff or sponsorships or if you're from another country, you may not have those products easily available to you. By seeing them mentioned in blogs or sites, the least you can do is write about something you found interesting or simply say "I want one of these!"

- store updates: Some stores send you updates on new products or pre-order products which means some people may not have heard or don't even have it so it's also nice to be ahead of the game :)

So there, I know it's a short list but just with these top 3, you can go a long way in writing entries for days when ideas run dry. 

Enjoy!

God bless. 

Cy

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New Synth... Do I Want One?

If you haven't heard, Novation's back with a brand new synth after focusing on controllers for quite a few years. 

I came across this nice little write up in a magazine featuring the Novation UItra Nova. I was hooked on reading up on it. 

For full details, visit the link http://www.novationmusic.com/ultranova/

I haven't tried anything yet but it got me thinking if I really want another synth. For sure it sounds promising seeing Novation's been at the synth game for a long time already and I'm sure there's something up the Ultra Nova's sleeve. However, as an owner of an X-Station, do I really need another Novation synth? I asked myself and came up with a "no." It's really not my priority at the moment to get another synth. The only reason I'm attracted to the Ultra is because the X Station didn't have a vocoder so I guess that's not enough reason for me to go splurge on one. Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting synth and with great features on offer! I just don't think i'm into synths these days that much for me to justify getting one. Besides, a new synth is way down in my priority list already since i'm working on building up my recording chain in the studio so I have to save up for more mics and a nice preamp. But! If I had money to spare, why not get one, right? I just watched the demo video and as a performance synth, it looks promising especially with the touch-sensitive controller knobs. The synth is actually close to an X Station wherein it's a synth an audio interface but the downside of the Ultra in my opinion is the lack of tactile controls, which are spread all across the face of the X.

Don't take my word for it though especially since I don't own one! The synth looks and sounds great and the feature set seems promising. It's just not for me though priority-wise but if I were given one, I'd gladly accept it with a smile!

Cy

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The Strats

My first strat was an RJ ventures strat copy, which is still with me now. Funny thing about it is, it wasn't mine before. It belonged to my younger sister, who got jealous of me and my older sister getting into music so she asked our parents for her own guitar and amp. Long story short, it was stuck under her bed so I got it instead (with parents permission of course) and she never bothered coz she never tried learning it anyway. This one's still with me for keepsake. I plan to place it as a design ornament for the studio.

My second strat was my first "Fender" which was a squier guitar. It was a really nice strat. I liked that a lot. It had a cherry burst finish. I had to sell it eventually to fund my eventual upgrade to a real Fender but I felt bad when I saw that the buyer stripped it off its paint. :( I remember it had some fret buzz in the lower frets hehe

My 3rd strat is still with me. It was my very first American strat. I love it. I got it used but it is one of my most treasured guitars for sound and more so for sentimental reasons. It's a '96 (I forgot) Fender 40th anniv strat plus with Lace Sensor pickups. When I got this, I was fairly a noob when it came to guitar knowledge so what sold me aside from it being an MIA guitar was the fact that it had those gold Lace Sensor pickups coz I knew Clapton used them before in his signature strat. It has its own sound. Very clean. It's also one reason why it's my main guitar whenever I need to record stuff for work and for my own personal projects coz I don't have to deal with the hum/buzzing/grounded sound typical of strats while recording. It's the sunburst strat in the picture.

My 4th strat was a 1983 Fender US. That was really something. I hate to admit it (cuz I sold it) but it sounded really good even having it's own sound that I can't get from the strats I have now unfortunately. I just didn't like that it had 2 knobs only coz it was one of those Fender models during their cost cutting days. And I hated the bridge of that thing. hehe

My 5th strat is my favorite. It's a John Mayer signature series. I got it in Shoreline Gold having that maroon stripe. This is the guitar he used in his Bigger Than My Body music video. Being a fan, I just HAD to get one. And fanboy aside, this strat has serious tone to it coz of the exclusive big dipper pickups. I actually love the feel of the whole thing and since I'm a fan of the 62 reissue look and I go more for the old look of Fenders from the tuning pegs and the bridge, I love this particular strat for that. Even now, when I look for other potential buys, I always look for the older look than the modern bridges and pegs. I wish I had more money to buy the other colors of this strat but that's just me hehe

My 6th strat is still to come. I'm hoping to come across a nice Japanese strat. Unfortunately, I still don't have the money for it because it's not my priority at the moment. 

Why I love strats? I don't know specifically. I guess it's because we all grew up associating electric guitars with the strat shape. But for more obvious reasons, I love strats coz of its sound. I just love the versatility and the tone I get from it. I have used and owned Teles and Les Pauls but I ALWAYS ALWAYS go back to the stratocaster.

Leo Fender is a hero to me.

Cy

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My Sound In Mini

Having to live 2 lives as an electronic and rock musician can really put a dent in my expenses. My wallet can really cry out from time to time hehe So in terms of guitar playing, I can't spend as much for now getting a really nice big tube amp. Besides, I only need one for practicing these days and I don't really need a huge and loud one. My two little wonders do their job nicely and I'm really happy with them. 

The first one is a Fender Champion 600 tube amp and the next is a Vox Pathfinder 15r.

The Fender is a really nice little tube amp and the breakup is just perfect. It's a nice amp for the blues player. It's a small one but a wonder in recording as most would say online. For small intimate jams, the volume and sound is ok but don't expect it to deliver LOUD coz the speaker won't permit much.

The Vox on the other hand is a different beast. It's small but it IS loud!!! It's cheap too! I got it coz I enjoyed the sound I got from it while trying it out. I really wasn't planning on buying an amp but after hearing this, I was sold on it. The sound of the amp is very tube-like and even without engaging the boost, the crunch I get from just the gain sounds really sweet. The nice additions to this amp are the spring reverb and the tremolo. After our other guitar player tried this amp during a jam, he had a tremolo pedal made :)

Cy

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I'll Give You The Mouth...

The pace technology is taking especially for music these days is really in high gear and everything that's been coming out has proven itself very forward in terms of what can be achieved not just how, but in creating new sounds as well. The mere fact that for musicians, the apps from the itunes store make even the technophobes interested in gettin an ipad or itouch really says something. 

Take this video below for example. I've always wanted to get The Finger from NI and I was surprised to see The Mouth this time also coming from Tim Exile. It's really something new for musicians out there and I'm sure people will be able to come up with new sounds with this piece of software. Heck, even the promo video kicks serious asssss....

Look at this...

 

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Novation Remote SL MK2 For Sale (w pix)

Selling this practically new controller. Just opened it up to try it out. It's a bit redundant for my set up so I'd rather have someone enjoy this.

This retails for around 29k in JB and around 22,+++ during sale I think. Got this one from a friend from the US.

09175004517

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18k

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