Mixing in Pro Tools

Source:http://tydustudio.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/studio/pro-tools-mix.png

In my last post I talked about the workflow I use in Pro Tools. I talked about the way I setup my session and how I route my audio tracks. In the post today, I will be talking about mixing in Pro Tools and different techniques I personally use when mixing. (For my ‘Workflow in Pro Tools’ post, click here). Before I get into my post I just want to reiterate that there is no one right way of mixing music, so bear in mind, I am just sharing with you my personal techniques I use when mixing.

My Workflow in Pro Tools

As many of you may know, Pro Tools is the industry standard for music production in professional recording studios and is also my DAW (digital audio workstation) of choice. The most current version of Pro Tools is Pro Tools 11, which comes out sometime this summer. To find out more information about Pro Tools and the new additions in Pro Tools 11, check out my review here. In today’s post I will be talking about the workflow I use in Pro Tools.

Business Plan Development

Source: http://www.writemoneyinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Business-Plans.jpg (2013)

In my previous post I talked about online streaming and whether it is the death of physical mediums. I highlighted some online streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify and the benefits of using them. You can check out that post here and let me know what you guys think about it.

In today’s post however, I will be talking about a business related topic, Business Plan Development. I will examine and summarize the views of two recognized experts in the field of writing/reviewing business plans in terms of what they believe to be critical and key to include in a business plan.

Online Streaming: 'The Death of Physical Mediums'?

http://www.webfada.com/_imgs/slides/7_webfada_live_online_streaming.jpg (2013)

Online Streaming is the process of starting a progressive download of a file, where the file isn’t downloaded to your computer, but is stored as data and streamed from a server. The decoder is a stand-alone player or a plugin that works as part of a Web browser. The server, information stream and decoder work together to let people watch live or prerecorded broadcasts. In a simpler version, anything that is not physically stored on your device (phone, laptop, etc.) that you are accessing via the Internet is probably streaming from a server. 

Pro Tools 11 Review

In today’s post, I will be reviewing a new version of the software Pro Tools 11.  For those of you who may not be familiar with this product or have not read any of my previous blogs, Pro Tools is the next generation of the best sounding, most widely used audio production software in the industry.  The software enables you to record, compose, edit and mix with great speed and ease. Pro Tools is the industry’s standard for recording studios and is the best software, in my opinion, for tracking/recording and mixing vocals. Pro Tools is created by Avid and sells for around $300 - $600, depending on the version purchased.

Self-Publishing: 'Ways to get your music published yourself'

In my previous post I talked about what publishing is and highlighted some of the big named music publishers in the industry, and today I want to continue on this topic by showing you ways of how you can publish your music yourself through “self-publishing”. In this technologically run world new platforms and mediums exists that enables us to do, by ourselves, what we never could before, such as recording and producing a complete song on our laptops and self-publishing without the help of a record label or major publisher.

Top Music Publishers

In my previous post I talked about famous artists and their managers and the responsibilities that fall under the scope of being a "manager". In this post I will be talking about another big part of the industry, ‘publishing’. This topic will be split into two posts, and in this post I will discuss who some of the major music publishers are and explain what publishing really means.

Before the print media and Internet revolution took place, music publishers made their money selling sheet music. “Today, music publishers are concerned with administering copyrights, licensing songs to record companies and others, and collecting royalties on behalf of the songwriter,” (Korn). One big thing to remember about music publishers is that they are not as concerned with the sound or quality of the work as they are with the money that could potentially be made from selling it.

Famous Artists & Their Managers

In my previous post I talked about the roles of artist managers, their tasks and responsibilities, and the pros and cons of having one, so today I will be talking about some popular artists and their managers. More specifically, I will be talking about two distinct categories of artist managers: hip-hop artist managers and artist managers who are no longer with their artists. For those of you who may doubt the need for an artist manager, these examples may help to illustrate the importance of having an artist manager and how he or she can help an artist’s career.

The Ever-Changing Role of the Artist Manager

In my previous posts I mainly discussed the production side of music but today I will be focusing on the business side of the industry, more specifically artist managers. Many, if not all of us are familiar with the concept of artists needing managers, but what do they really do? What does their job entail and are they even necessary? These are some of the questions that are often asked about artist managers and in today’s post I will be addressing these questions.

Komplete 8: The Must Have Plug-in Bundle

So far I’ve talked about setting up your home studio, different types of engineers, and different recording software, but today I will be talking about one of the greatest virtual instrument bundles available for use in the industry, Native Instruments Komplete 8. A big part of producing great music is having great VST instruments/plug-ins at your disposal, so today I will discuss the Komplete 8 bundle and where you can buy it. I strongly suggest that you purchase a MIDI controller or keyboard before you buy this as using this software without a keyboard will prove futile.

Setting up your home studio: 'Money Involved'

In previous posts I have talked about what software I like to use and the different categories of engineers, but today I will be talking about setting up a home studio without breaking the bank.  A main factor to take into consideration before buying expensive equipment is your budget. In this post I will recommend t software, microphones, audio interfaces, speakers (studio monitors), and additional accessories that you can purchase at a reasonable price.

RIAA

In the Music industry an important thing that you, as a music professional, need to figure out is what industry niche you fit into. Once you have figured that out you will then be able to network with other professionals in your field and start to build relationships, which is very important in all industries. I will address below one of the biggest, if not, the biggest association in the recording industry, the Recording Industry Association of America “RIAA".

TED Talk: Doing What You Love

In this post I will be talking about a very important topic, doing what you love. My post revolves around a TED talk. For those of you who have never heard of TED, TED is a nonprofit organization that brings together three worlds: Technology, Entertainment and Design devoted to ideas worth spreading. I will delve into why doing what you love is so important not only in the entertainment industry, but in every single industry.  

Different Categories of Engineers

In my two previous posts I talked about what software I like to use and the different categories of microphones. Today I will be talking about the different categories of music engineers. This is a concept that can confuse people because at times an engineer will crossover from his/her category into another, but generally speaking, each task is supposed to be handled by separate individuals. There are three basic categories of engineers: Recording, Mixing and Mastering Engineers. The engineer is responsible for recording and/or mixing the project as well as fixing any technical issues that may arise. Before I go into detail about the job of each of these engineers, just remember that you do not need three of these engineers to produce a song, sometimes all you need is just one. It really comes down to how well that engineer can do their job and handle the tasks at hand.

Microphones: What you need to know about them

In my last post I discussed recording software that I use for music production. In this post I will be discussing another great asset for music producers, microphones. Microphones are used to record audio or sound, which can be anything from vocals in a studio, to recording a guitar amp and live drums. Even though all microphones accomplish the same goal, there are different classifications of microphones, the three most popular being condenser, dynamic and ribbon. Every microphone is different in regards to its frequency range (the range of frequencies the microphone is able to pickup/record) and its polar pattern (the direction in which the audio is recorded). Despite the fact that all microphones can record sound, some are better for certain uses over others.

Software I like to use

This is my first blog post and today I will be discussing what music production software I like to use. Before I get started I would just like to clear up any possible confusion in regards to what music production is. Music production in its simplest form is creating or producing anything that has to do with music. Obviously there are different levels of music production and usually what determines those levels is money, but the basic principle remains the same.