Musix mix

To those of us who aren’t of a musical persuasion our knowledge of the recording studio and how it work may be uncertain and incomplete.  Probably we all know that it is a place where musicians go to record music, but what is it about a recording studio that makes it more than just a building where artists sing and play for the benefit of an audio recording machine?

Firstly the premises itself will ordinarily have been designed by a qualified acoustician so that the required sound properties will be achieved (low level of reflections, sound diffusion, sufficient reverberation time for the size of the ambient, etc.).  Usually the recording studio will comprise the studio itself, a control room hosting equipment for the recording process, and sometimes also isolation booths which serve to accommodate particularly loud instruments like drums and electric guitars to separate them from and prevent them overpowering sounds from other instruments or vocalists.

A recording studio will sometimes be put to uses other than the conventional production of strictly musical work.  Sound effects, audio books, voiceovers, demos, the spoken word including speeches – all these things can benefit from the services of a professional recording service.  The technicians who provide the service are all experts in their field of work and will possess all the latest equipment to  make sure that the finished product is as slick and professional as it is reasonable to achieve.  Read more...

There are considerable differences between the nightclub DJ who plays dance music and scratches on the discs, the radio DJ who announces over a set playlist, and the mobile wedding DJ who plays all genres for all ages. Radio deejays are trained in college and need a degree to apply to a station, where they will work their way up the ladder from low-paying small town positions in a pre-planned career. Big market stations have only so many openings so only the cream of the crop will hit the big time. With the advent of portable digital sound equipment, the capability to be a mini-broadcasting company meant that everyday people could entertain and speak over the music as one song segues into the next. A knowledgeable music fan with a good speaking voice and some people skills could put on a show that would get people dancing in a nightclub with a nicely-mixed portfolio of songs. In a short time, the DJ could be good enough to earn money with his music collection and some good sound gear. Knowledge of music is essential, but knowing what an audience will enjoy is a matter of trial and error. When more people get up and dance, then the disc jockey is on the right track and it makes less jovial banter necessary. Therefore the deejay gets better at sizing up an audience as he gets more experienced, just as do musicians, comedians, and other performers. A wedding and corporate events DJ in Toronto Ontario once said that he didn’t like the novelty songs and oldies he was forced to play at receptions to please the more senior members of the audience who would only complain at loud pop-dance or disco music. Music stores sometimes offer payment programs for disc jockey sound equipment or will lease the system to the deejay, so it is fairly easy to get into the business. Scratching discs as you spin is the technique of the nightclub disc jockey so the wedding DJ won’t have to learn how to coordinate a rhythmic show to a live audience. It takes good control of the digital equipment, scratching along, adjusting controls for lights and fog, and rapping to the people on the dance floor and those that are being coaxed out of their chairs. Once you have transportation and resign yourself to working weekends, then there’s no barrier to putting up your website and hanging out the shingle in local advertisements to line up some bookings to get that extra income going, and maybe have a good time while earning money, even if the music genres aren’t your favorite. The attention alone is enough for some people – and a chance to be where the action is.

Product Description
This comprehensive collection of 205 scores illustrates every significant trend and genre of Western music from antiquity to modern times. Highlights of the repertoire include new works from all periods: more contrasting virelais, ballades, and other chansons from the fourteenth through the sixteenth centuries; large-scale choral works, including Gabrieli’s In ecclesiis, Lully’s Te Deum, Haydn’s Creation, and Prokofiev’s Alexander Nev… More >>

Norton Anthology of Western Music: Volume 2: Classic to Twentieth Century

• This is the most comprehensive documentation on Cubase SX/SL, directly from the people who created the software
• Step-by-Step instructions featuring easy-to-understand examples show you how to boost your musical creativity with Cubase

Product Description
In addition to the operation manual, the Cubase SX/SL Reference features an exclusive introduction written by Mark Wherry. This easy-to-read workshop shows you how to use some of Cubase SX’s features in context, including: using key commands, mixing in the Project window, using insert and send effects, VST instruments and MIDI plug-ins, and getting the tempo right when importing audio loops. An enclosed CD-ROM includes a demo version of Cubase SX and support mater… More >>

Cubase SX/SL: The Reference with CDROM

Product Description
A pioneer in the progressive rock movement of the 1970s, and winner of KEYBOARD magazine’s Best New Talent Award in 1979, escorts readers through the often intimidating world of music, introducing them to rhythm, key signatures, chords, and intervals, and telling how to write it all down. Clear and practical throughout, generously sprinkled with examples, this book leads readers to the point where they can take off on their own…. More >>

The Musician’s Guide to Reading and Writing Music 2nd Ed.