Tool - Ænima [uncut version - hq - fullscreen]

Kudos TooL for writing this incredible song and making this creative video. Even though the lyrics don't necessarily represent the present day opinions of Maynard [lead singer].. after years of self-actualization and growth, it still gives the rest of us an outlet or rant of pre-apocalyptic musings for the rest of modern civilization to just edge off a cliff while mother nature starts cleansing the earth and reclaiming it for the other beautiful inhabitants.

The average sleeping sheeples don't comprehend the lyric nor awaken to the warning hidden in it's text. Sleep, sleep while the earthquakes and tidal waves create the Arizona bay. LA hitherto transforms into the new lost city of Atlantis or Lost Angels. Wake up human inhabitants of Earth- before the time has passed and mother nature wipes man from it's shores!

What a way to start off a tech blog.. with my favorite video and an eco-friendly whisper to save resources, recycle, and think green!


mixmike101

Pro Tools: diY 909 Kick!

Beat Producers: Now it's time to roll out the 909, since we hit the 808 kick drum sound in the last tech tip. Here we cover the 909 kick, building one from scratch in Pro Tools! Little history, the original 909 kick drum sound came from a Roland® TR-909 Rhythm Composer drum machine.

This is where the 909 kick gets it's namesake along with other new generation 909 sounds coming from the TR-909. Rumor has it that the infamous 808 kick sound actually started life off as an acoustic wave generated from a "tom" sample and altered through eQ'ing and mixing in low-freq sub-harmonics with the sample in the 50-100 hZ range to come up with the super low sub sound.

ProTools: 909 Kick Drum»

Open a new Pro Tools session,

+add new "kick/fx/master" tracks,

and import or record a new acoustic

kick drum sample into the session..

drag new import kick sample into track..

in the mix window,

buss the kick drum on

"aux-send" to "fx" aux-track

[ie: bus17 in this sess],

insert a signal generator

+gate on the "fx" channel,

and set the buss send from

kick channel to unity gain..

open signal generator plug-in,

and adjust settings on oscillator tone

[example: 90hZ tone @-9dB sine wave]..

gate the kick with normal kick settings

[high ratio comp, fast attack, slow release]

and click "sidechain" to allow

key input from kick track..

hit "play" on transport to hear 909!

sample1:
naked acoustic kick drum w/eQ»

wow-kix12bar - minddelay

sample2:
909 kick w/90hZ +boost tone!

<

wow-909KiCK12bar.90hZ.wav

In your project studio, open a new Pro Tools® session and manufacture your own 909 kick samples for awesome low-end on any demo/cd. Homemade 909 samples boost the LOW END of any project studio or professional release.

Tip2: to get an original 909 sound, eQ the kick [-drop mids @250-400hZ/ +boost hi's @3-6KhZ] and mix in the signal generator/oscillator boosting the 90-150hZ range, sweeping the freq to find the sweet spot. Adjust the settings to find YOUR sound..

and go kill it w/909!

Mike the audioK9

indie audio engr

For more details on ProTools session signalflow,

go2» Pro Tools: diY 808 Kick!

eQ Tips 4project studio

This micro-blog is in response for eQ/mix help on home project studio recordings. EQ and other tricks in the tracking sessions can make or break an original digital audio file. The right or wrong technique.. used in record/mix mode including everything from mic set-up to eq'ing the track, can render a song's mix with clean, pristine tracks or an utter mess of digital clips or distortion.

This can be broken down into several different topics. For sake of brevity, today we'll just cover the problem areas of a mix and add more tips later.

During playback of a new Twitter friend's mixes/recordings- some tech issues were noted..


artist: The Illtronics

DrowniNg tHe SouNd

issue #1: clean female vox [vocals] but some distortion noticed on male vox! this issue was not notable yet slightly noticeable to a trained ear.

issue #2: "boxiness" in kick drum sound- slight rattle noise from kick drum sounding similar to a "cardboard box" when beat, picked up during natural recording atmosphere of acoustic kick drum [this issue common with snare/kick/toms].

issue #3: "muddy" bass sound in song mix associated with overload of bass frequencies.


mixer/engr:
what to do?
BigDogMike

FiX tHe MiX!

tip1: male vox over compression/clipping can cause distortion in your mix..

so check several things to combat this issue- physical proximity of vocalist to the microphone [use the "one fist rule"], stick a pop filter in front of the mic to eliminate/reduce the amount of wetness/drool the singer spits on the mic, check the input level on the track so it's not clipping and set @aprox -3dB down max to prevent nasty digital overloads [distortion], and good mic technique from the singer helps the track by staying "on-axis" and consistent!

translation1» play with different mic techniques to find "your sound"!

tip2: eQ w/plug-in and pull out [attenuate/cut 3-6 dB] Lo-Mids from the kick [in the 300-400hZ range +/-50hZ] and boost Lo freq's +3 to 9dB [in the 60-80hZ range] plus boost the +Hi freq's [in the 3-6k hZ range]..

translation2» boosting LO's will give "thump", cutting LO-Mids will take out "cardboard box" sound, and boosting Hi's will add "beater" attack sound!

tip3: eQ on bass, try to cut [-] lo-mids [in the 150hZ range +/-50hZ] to take some "mud" out of the bass guitar mix, and play with Hi-end eQ [in the 5K hZ range +/-] to boost some string action!

translation3» subtractive eQ'ing bass frequencies in LO-Mids will clean up the bass track and allow more of a pocket for the LO-Mids on rhythm/lead electric guitar tracks [this prevents something called "frequency masking" or drowning out specific tones from similar instruments] and allows for something engineers refer to as "mixing in pockets"!


That's it in a nutshell for today! This might shed some light on possible record/mix solutions for the project studio.


Mike the audioK9
indie audio engr




audioK9 comments: love the recordings- great mixes! clean sound and nice mix w/808kick on 1song.. did you record acoustic drums or use samplz? like the samples on 'all wanna do' +clean female vox.. personally like to use fx on mix, depending on style.. male vox clip? otherwise great mixing on illtronics songs [trax/vol/pan].. like the "hifi-fx" on 'so high'!

author's sidenote: on 'mind delay' project i prod/engr/mixed in hollywood apt and recorded original tracks in an eastLA garage» MindDelay music

Digidesign Digi003R

Today AudioK9 starts a series on music demo recording for garage bands and other indie artists. In this series we will discuss basic hardware, audio software, and project studio tips/techniques for new audio engineers or artists to put to work. Major labels might still run sessions/mixes though a professional studio geared up for pro-sound. However, there's a ton of new fun digital gear for the rest of us to capture a great project studio sound.

To start off this tutorial we will bring in the Digidesign Digi003R Rack Factory digital interface for Pro Tools. I'm mainly a Pro Tools guy on a Mac, however this audio info can be adapted to almost any hardware/software/platform configuration. This is a great piece of hardware for starting out in the world of digital audio- with many options for signal flow in/out. You can record the entire band in your home/project studio, garage, or even live! Digi003® Rack+ Factory is ideal for musicians, recording engineers, and producers looking for a pro music recording and production solution that’s basically inexpensive and mobile to boot.

Digi003R Specs:
• Mic Inputs 8 balanced XLR jacks
• Mic Phantom Power: 48V
• Frequency Response: +0.0 / -0.25 dB, 20 Hz - 20 kHz
• Dynamic Range: 103 dB / 106 dB A-weighted
• Gain Range: +18 – +65 dB
• Line/DI Inputs 8 balanced 1/4" jacks
• Aux Inputs 2 balanced 1/4" jacks
• Digital Sample Rates: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96 kHz
• S/PDIF: 2-channel optical or RCA jack pair
• Digital Optical: TOSLINK max 48 kHz rate
• MIDI: 5-pin MIDI DIN connectors 1 i/o
• Line Outputs: 8 impedance balanced 1/4" jacks
• Monitor Outputs: 4 balanced 1/4" jacks
• Headphone Outputs: 2 unbalanced 1/4" jacks
• Word Clock: 2 BNC jacks
• Host Connection: 2 IEEE-1394a (FireWire400)




Pro Tools LE 8.0 Software:
• Pro Tools® recording, editing, and mixing
• 48 simultaneous stereo audio tracks
• FX plug-ins and virtual instruments
• MIDI sequencing w/editor window
• Elastic Time/Pitch
• Beat Detective™ LE groove analysis and tool
• ReWire support for app's
• Support for the Digidesign C|24™ and Command|8® control surfaces
• 3rd party plug-ins and software options
• Mac and PC compatible



To get a basic session set-up going for a demo recording, here's a screen shot from a pre-production Pro Tools garage band session. One song off this session ended up on a demo cd for the artist. In the setup below you can see the mic/input track assignment is extremely basic and minimalist- not so much to save hard drive space but more importantly to save time in the studio!

Tracks in this demo session setup:
• kick
• snare
• o/h-left
• o/h-right
• scratch vocal
• guitar
• bass

+add a track for click, o/dub vox, and master fader!





This type of 'basic demo recording' cuts expensive time in the studio track/mixing. And new artists need to save money for things like promotion, buying gear, and scouting prospective record labels. Track the band/artist on 3-4 songs allowing them to jam and experiment with song structure- nailing down arrangements to record and play live.

With this easy track setup, new engineers can figure out mic placement and routing to the back of the digital interface. Kick in 1, snare in 2, overheads 3/4 and so on. Search the input options upon opening tracks in the new Pro Tools session and match the mic input list with the new track you add in the edit/mix window. Now arm the tracks, adjust the input volume to prevent clipping, and you're off to the new world of digital recording.

More extended instructions for new session setup, opening/arming tracks, and understanding the mix/edit window- coming soon in future lessons here on the AudioK9 Blog and DigiPro101..

AudioK9

Taylor Swift Rocks Country!

Watching Taylor Swift on The Ellen Show and thinking- hey Taylor Swift Rocks that Country!

Haven't seen Taylor since mixing sound for her at The Whisky on Sunset in 2007- or was that 2006? Both years were.. kind of a blur- mainly from mixing 9bands a night in a high-paced Hollywood club [stage monitors that night- and yes on the SM12 from the other blog]. Anyway, it was Rockin Country Nights at The Whisky, sponsored by you guessed it "Jack Daniels", and Taylor hit the stage with such grace, confidence, and talent. I'll never forget how professional this little 16 yo was in a famous rock club on Sunset- and her mom was soooooo nice too [which goes far with the sound guy and crew]!

The quick little set was tight and entertaining- she definitely captured her Hollywood audience. The cool thing is that night she debuted her new Tim McGraw song for the fans- and it was a hit then, of course even bigger when she sang it for Tim himself at the CMA's about a year later. Not to take credit, but I did tell her mom that night "Taylor's gonna go bigtime".. and here she is, bigger than life. Even though I'm kind of a metal guy, that night stuck out in my mind- since Taylor opened for another star straight out of Nashville, Jack Ingram. It was just one of those magical Whisky nights that still puts a smile on my face- especially when I hear my 10yo son Stone YouTubing Ms. Swift's "Tim McGraw" or Jack's "Barbie Doll". Cool night!

Peace out, AudioK9


disclaimer: oh hey- I only caught the Ellen re-run months after the original show 'cause I don't watch TV much anymore.. but Taylor's performance with her band was pro-level, plus Ellen rocks and so does her show!

Music: Endangered 101

That's right- I said it! 'Music' and the word 'endangered' in the same sentence. Well if you judge it by what's on MTV, you definitely would think there's no music videos worth watching- outside of maybe Britney, Foo Fighters, or the latest HipHop craze.

Don't get me wrong- I like a little hiphop now and then. But come on, there's a ton of good new independent music out there that never sees the light of day- or rather, the light of your flat screen or radio transistors.

What IS endangered is.. fresh interesting music from up and coming artists breaking ground in new scenes across America. Oh the rage's happening- it just gets no coverage from major music television. Maybe the reason is that MTV no longer has a big stake in the indie scene. Their new biz plan is financed by cookie-cutter, over-produced bubble gum popstars with a big fat record deal from one of the majors recycling the same crap that's hit the scene since Nirvana died with Kurt Cobain- rest his wearied soul. One or two exceptions to the rule, but you get the point!

Come on- we want to hear some great new metal band cranking tunes so hard it vibrates the beer cans off your speakers. Enough scripted realityTV FlavaFlave Hills OC richchix nonRealWorld drama garbage.. we want our MTV back! Kill the rehashed FooFighter videos already, drop Britney for a second, and lighten up on the Rap game. Give us some downhome, hardcore born to be wild ROCK 'N frickin ROLL! Something with meat that you can stick your teeth into.

About all you have to do is search MySpace track plays on UNSIGNED bands to find some new music- it's there just open your eyes and stop hiding behind your cappuccino-frantic Santa Monica HQ. Get out of your Malibu beach bungalow comfort zone and into the street team mentality of SmallTown, USA and go grab some new talent. Spotlight new artists across this great country one nightclub at a time, and empower the real independent musician with a shot at the big time. You might be surprised at what you find hiding out in the barrios of EastLA or wooded hangouts of Portland.

Start a new cable channel if you have to, just do it. Find the hidden talent, and give the indie ones their 15 minutes in the lights. To get you started, drive down Sunset and hit any club like the Whisky, Roxy, or Viper room on almost any night to find the real hidden secrets of the LA music scene. Start there- takes some notes, hand out a few biz cards. Then get out on the American roadways to scout the greatest hangouts across this massive country. And find talent under any rock!

Here's a list of Top25 Clubs to get you going.


Peace, AudioK9

indie band/artists:

photo1: Grynch
hometown: Eugene, Oregon USA
niche: metal/experimental/alternative band

photo2: MindDelay
hometown: EastLA, Cali USA
niche: metal/rage/hiphop artist

Lily Allen interview on ROVE (Australia)

This is just a great video touching briefly on social media in an interview with one independent-minded artist who is the new epitome of strong will. Lily chats about facebook, myspace, and twittering so nonchalantly yet at the same time matter-of-fact. You got to love how willing she is to share her life, rants, and everyday musings with average Joe Blow from AnyWhere USA or EU for that matter.

This is one artist who doesn't seem to be fazed by all the glitz and glamor of money, stardom, and fame. That's one thing I love about the British- they are so sensible about the silly things that shock and awe most of us. In a way, this reminds me of my friend MelB from the Spice Girls. Melanie and Lily are both artists with girl staying power that encaptures you long after exiting the scene- whether music tour, talk show, dancing with stars, or photo shoot. Female British pop sensations just seem to have that extra something- je ne sais quoi!

Now I'm not saying US artists don't have it- we have our share of Britneys and Mileys. Just the 'it' factor is a slightly different one- maybe not any greater or worse- just different. The British have that extra little advantage of never-ending confidence and winner-takes-all attitude that's infectious.

You can call me crazy, but I think it's sexy. And not incredibly, millions of fans agree.

Peace,
AudioK9

Tip: 10 music-demo steps

Hmmmm.. so you want to make your first demo? Maybe you play guitar in a garage band and would kill to get a gig at a local club or rockin brewhaus on Main Street USA.

Only thing is you don’t exactly know how to do it, what to do, and how much it will cost. Check it out..

10 music-demo steps!

1 jam it!
2 find 3 or 4 fav songs
3 locate a producer
4 nail down a project budget
5 search for a studio
6 block out recording schedule
7 track/mix/master
8 cd art
9 dup it!
10 pass it out! and get gigs..

No one single method in the music industry is the “Holy Grail” path to making it, but find what works for you in your scene and go with your instinct.

Check out digi-pro101/DEMO for details/tips!

Rock Band- 10 steps to start 1

Rock Band- 10 steps to start a band!

Cool, rock it out! Now all you have to figure out is how to get to there from here- catch22! Well young Einstein, maybe you can begin your superstar journey by hooking up your own garage band to see if you hide any talent in that end of town.

Go underground in your mom’s basement, find some friends who love to jam the same tunes on their iPod, and brainstorm! Trust me- the Jedi force in you will figure it out.

1 find musicians- w/goals 'IN SYNC' to your own!
2 pool your audio gear
3 locate a rehearsal spot! garage/basement/underground..
4 grind out a music niche and NAME the band!
5 audio101- geek squad the audio cave!
6 jam it! pick+3or4 songs
7 have fun! invite friends to listen for 2nd ear
8 hire manager and score 1st gig
9 go online! start a myspace band page
10 make a demo


For the full story and Tips..
go2> digi-pro101/rockband

Guide: Top 25+ Clubs in USA!

Top 25+ Clubs in USA!
Source: www.digi-pro101.com

Music Industry Links guide to Top25+ Clubs on good ole Mainstreet USA! If you love a rock 'n roll out on the road nightlife and live for the music entertainment lifestyle- then check out this indie music directory..

Top25 USA Clubs:

EastCoast
KNITTING FACTORY NY 74 Leonard Street NY 10013
BOWERY BALLROOM 6 Delancey St NY 10002
THE WARSAW 261 Driggs Av BROOKLYN NY 11222
PARADISE ROCK CLUB 967 Commonwealth BOSTON, MA 02115
BLACK CAT 1811 14th ST NW WASHINGTON, DC
FILLMORE NY 17 Irving Place NEW YORK, NY 10003

WestCoast
WHISKY 8901 Sunset Blvd WEST HLWD, CA 90069
KNITTING FACTORY HLWD 7021 Hollywood Blvd LA 90028
KEY CLUB 9039 W Sunset Blvd WHLWD, CA 90069
THE ROXY 9009 W Sunset Blvd WEST HLWD, CA 90069
VIPER ROOM 8852 W Sunset Blvd WHLWD, CA 90069
TROUBADOUR 9081 Santa Monica Blvd WHLWD, CA 90069
CASBAH 2501 Kettner Blvd SAN DIEGO, CA 92101

MidWest
OREGON EXPRESS 336 E 5th ST DAYTON, OH 45402
BOGART'S 2621 Vine Street CINCINNATI OH 45219

DirtySouth
CENTERSTAGE 1374 W PEACHTREE ST ATL, GA 30309
MASQUERADE 695 North Av NE ATLANTA, GA 30308

NorthCoast
MAGIC STICK 4120-4140 Woodward Av DETROIT, MI
PEARL ROOM 19081 Old LaGrange Rd MOKENA, IL 60448

PacificNorthWest
SHOWBOX Market 1426 1st Ave/ SEATTLE, WA 98101
SHOWBOX SoDo 1700 1st Ave S/ SEATTLE, WA 98134

SouthWest
STUBB'S BBQ 801 Red River AUSTIN, TX 78701
EMO'S 603 Red River/ AUSTIN, TX 78701
TREES Elm Street/ Deep Ellum District DALLAS, TX
RIDGLEA THEATER 6025 Camp Bowie Blvd FORT WORTH, TX 76116

TheRockies
RED ROCKS 18300 West Alameda Pkwy MORRISON, CO 80465


That's it.. Top25!

AudioK9
indie audio engr


To see list details, go2..
Digi-Pro101 Top 25+ Clubs in USA!
copyright©2009 digi-pro101