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Archive for the ‘Editor's Note’ Category

Coleman Audio VU Pumpkin

If you’re at AES in New York this weekend, make sure you check out Booth #162 to see the fantastic VU Pumpkin!  It has LED backlights and was probably the coolest and geekiest thing we saw all day.

Also, you won’t find cleaner, more solid monitoring and metering solutions made by a nicer Man with a nicer wife anywhere.  So if you’re heading over to check out the pumpkin, make sure to say hi to the Coleman’s and see the fantastic monitoring solutions.

AES New York 2009

Just landed in New York so I thought I’d mention – The 127th Audio Engineering Society Convention is going down Friday – Monday October 9-12th New York, and AskASoundGuy.com is going to be there!

We’re excited to get you guys some interviews, looks at new gear, and possibly some pictures of awesome swag.

If you’re going to be there, shoot us an email at AskASoundGuy_at_gmail.com!

Bedroom Drum Miking

Phew.  It’s been a terribly crazy month for AASG – getting ourselves prepped for  AES, my mind being blown by Logic 9, traveling back and forth between Orange County and the Bay Area repeatedly, and a ton of dental work.

But I’m finally back in the saddle, ready to pick up where I left off.  Lots of Logic 9 stuff coming your way, and hopefully a cool interview or two.

This month, however, has also been a learning experience for me as an engineer.  In the scope of one project, I’ve recorded in fantastic studio, tracked in several bedrooms, pulled beat-detective-related all nighters, and done my best to navigate the ever-complicated schedules of musicians.

The biggest lesson I’ve taken from this is simple: You can play music your whole life and still not be ready for a session.

I say that not to speak ill of the musicians I’ve been working with – they’re great.  But no matter how well you sit in the groove, shred your axe, or make that bass talk – recording is a whole different animal.  And being successful at recording often has more to do with preparation and work ethic than it does with talent.

Some people might scream at me for causing the end of “good music” as we know it for saying that, but let me qualify it.  Talent, creativity and inspiration are essential for great music.  But they require a context – a space to happen.  Sessions can be perfect places for moments of musical genius to happen, but only if you’ve done your homework. Read the rest of this entry »

Just read over on CrunchGear that an Riaa Spokesperson has gone on record saying “DRM is dead isn’t it?”   (Oh yeah, DRM = Digital Rights Management).

I’d suggest heading over to CG to read on, but I’d like to throw a Sound Guy spin on this.

I’m not going to say I downloaded a lots and lots of pirated music when I was in highschool (1999-2003), but I will say that every single person I knew – even ones still using dial-up – knew HOW to find music for free.

Even after the big push to put DRM on CDs and in the iTunes Store – it’s simple enough to get around.  Seriously – just about anyone can do it any number of ways.  Not saying it’s right, just saying it’s easy.

I honestly believe that DRM tended to just point the potential audience of recording artists AWAY from “legitamate” channels, and built up a feeling of “I don’t trust you, you don’t trust me” between artists and audiences.

Being a Sound Guy – That SUCKS.  My work involves helping artists turn their creative goals into something real (and hopefully saleable) but if we actively work towards tainting the relationship between artists and audiences, we’re KILLING our industry.

Anyway, we all know DRM hasn’t accomplished much, and I’m happy to see it go.  I’d just like to stop talking about it so often, and focus more on what’s important.  Making music that has value and means something to people.  I really believe that when an artist creates something great, lots people – even the people who know how to find it for free – are willing and happy to pay for it.

Just my two cents.

Dear Esteemed Readers of AskASoundGuy.com,

First of all, if there actually are any of you – thank you for reading and sending in questions and leaving comments. The site would not be much without an audience of passionate, hip, and dedicated musical-types.

As the “Editor” of AskASoundGuy.com I have the pleasure of announcing my new month Editor’s note.

Not sure how I’ll use this aside from:

1) Weighing in on some recent happenings in the Music World.

2) Offering some Opinion Pieces (which will try to stay as even-handed as possible).

3) Dealing with Administrative and Site News.

Now for the Real Editor’s Note for July:

see more Lolcats and funny pictures

Things you should be reading (besides AASG)

1) TapeOp – Yep, #1 on our list is actually a print magazine. Subscribing is free.  Yes FREE.  The advice is great, honest, and comes from a range of experiences.  It’s the closest thing to a mentor most young recordists, producers, etc can get. The big man over at TapeOp, Larry Crane,  also runs a studio in Portland called Jackpot!  He’s also hilarious and pretty insightful.  So seriously, if you’re not reading the last, great music production magazine – then you should be.  For it’s awesomeness, TapeOp gets 5 out of 5 Ben Heads.

2) Synthtopia – I’ve quoted and re-posted stuff from Synthtopia.  There’s a reason for this: I read that sight EVERY DAY.  Seriously, great resource for anyone who gets a *little* turned on by knobs, buttons, faders and multi-color LEDs.  Whether you dj, produce, or record, synthtopia is a badass place to read, hear and see new/old/vintage/cool/weird/nerdy stuff. For bringing you the best in nerd-pron daily, Synthtopia gets 5 Ben Heads.

3) Noise Addicts – Yet another great online music magazine.  These guys regularly churn out audio-nerd awesomeness.  From Eavesdropping on printers to Dissecting Stevie Wonder’s Magic Clavinet.  Anyway, awesome although not always super-practical, so I give it 4 Ben Heads.

4) MatrixSynth – Synth pron.  Pretty much.  Still great, and I wish I could give it more – but 3 Ben Heads.

5) Radio Exile – Last on this short list (and there were more I’d like to post) is a true Music Blog.  Radio Exile writes about band, music videos, cool stuff, and the industry in general. It’s great for finding new music AND having clever things to say at your next audio-nerd house party.  5 Heads.

So keep this list in mind next time you find yourself wondering – what happened to books?

There’s still great reading out there – you just have to look for it.

As always – more reading suggestions are welcome!