7 Unexpected Moments of Guitar Awesomeness
in Web Roundups by Adam BrownThe interweb tubes are stuffed with lists heralding the high fallutin’ achievements of all those “greatest of all time” type guitar players that the mainstream media throw in your face everyday. Jimmy Page, Eddie Van Halen, Kirk Hammett, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Tom Morrello, Slash…they’ve all done some pretty impressive stuff. But you know what? They aren’t the only people that play the damn guitar. In fact, there are several artists who, on any given night, can burn any given venue to the GROUND using nothing more then their guitar shredding abilities. For example…
How to Quantize Audio in Pro Tools Using Beat Detective and Elastic Audio
in Mixing & Mastering by Bryan McAnultyHave you ever wondered how modern rock bands get that really tight sound? The rhythms sometimes sound too perfect for even the best musicians to pull off. With today’s technology it is possible to easily quantize your audio tracks. This tutorial will teach you how to start correcting your timing by using beat detective and elastic audio in Digidesign’s Pro Tools software.
Create a Multisample ‘Bottle’ Instrument in Logic Pro 8
in Recording by Ryan LeachIn the last EXS tutorial, we looked at the basic steps needed to build a unique sampled instrument using Logic’s EXS Sampler. This tutorial will take it to the next level as we learn how to build a more complex instrument using multiple samples.
Several months back my friend and colleague Michael Teoli and I were sitting around the kitchen when we started to tap on empty glass bottles. As I’m sure all of you have done at some point, we started to “play” the bottles and see what tunes we could come up with.
“Wouldn’t it be great if we could sample these bottles and make them into an instrument?” we wondered, and on went the lightbulb above our heads. Enter EXS.
How to Create Twisted Grooves using Recycle and Reason
in Production by Mo VolansThere are a huge number of tools available for slicing and dicing loops but one of the original (and still one of the best) is Propellerheads Recycle. When the resulting .Rex files are manipulated in Reason’s Dr. Rex player great results are possible.
Whether you are pretty new to these packages or you just want to get away from using library loops, using these tools to create your own mangles loops can be a great way to inject some originality into your composition.
Animating the Animate: How to Craft Creature Sounds
in Sound Design by W. Brent LattaAs with many sound design techniques, there are an infinite number of ways to create compelling creature sounds. However, as with all sound design, the best products generally result from great source material. Starting with your own recordings of animals and humans means that your product will sound unlike anyone else!
In this tutorial we’ll look at a few simple techniques that can be used to create interesting creature sounds with a wide variety of uses. We’ll use Sony’s Sound Forge (we’re using version 8.0) and some of the built-in effects to create these sounds.
How to DJ with Ableton Live
in Djing by SolaremusicEver wanted to DJ with Ableton Live? Here’s how! While it’s true that you can produce a complete live show with Ableton Live, bringing your studio production to stage, some would just like to mix their favorite tracks “a la DJ.”
The most basic principle of DJing is to have a set of tunes playing continuously — no jumps, no cuts, no funny transitions, just as if all the pieces in the playlist were one. A long tune of an hour or more.
8 Most Over-used Samples In Hip Hop History
in Web Roundups by Adam BrownIn the early days of hip hop, when it was just two turntables and a microphone, having a ready collection of samples and drum breaks was mandatory. It was just how things were done. But over the years, improved sampling technology and the introduction of live instrumentation made using the same songs over and over less necessary. Nevertheless, some samples refused to die. Some are even still used (and abused) to this day. For example…
Getting Started with Creative Compression in Dance Music
in Production by Dean KellyCompression is often a misunderstood process. The importance of effective compression in the realm of dance music reigns absolutely supreme. Without the creative application of compression, entire genres of electronic music would not be here with us today.
In this tutorial we’re going to explore one of the most rewarding and enjoyable ways you can make compression work for you in your dance music productions.
How to Record High Quality Audio for Film & TV
in Recording by Sean VincentI’ve been a professional sound engineer for 18 years, so when I got involved in making an independent movie, I thought recording the audio shouldn’t present too many problems. How wrong I was. Here’s how to avoid all the mistakes I made, and record high quality audio for your movies.
How to Create a Stutter Transition in Reason 4
in Production by Brian HardistyIn this tutorial, you’ll learn how to create a cool ’stutter’ transition effect inside Reason 4 using two combinators. The effect is relatively easy to pull off and makes for an interesting transition to work into your songs.
