Lady Gaga "Born This Way Ball" 2013 Tour

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Lady GaGa concert (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lady Gaga has announced her world tour "Born This Way Ball" starting out in the United Kingdom. The tour will take her to Ireland, Netherlands, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Canada and finally the United States. The tour is promoting her Album "Born This Way", which had many hit singles such as 'Marry The Night', 'Judas', 'The Edge of Glory' and many other great songs. The tour will be coming to Canada and the United States starting in Vancouver at the Rogers Arena on January 11, 2013. The following is a schedule of the Lady Gaga 2013 tour for the United States and Canada.

Jan. 11, 2013    Rogers Arena             Vancouver, Canada
Jan. 14, 2013    Tacoma Dome              Tacoma, WA
Jan. 17, 2013    HP Pavilion              San Jose, CA
Jan. 20, 2013    Staples Center           Los Angeles, CA
Jan. 23, 2013    US Airways Center        Phoenix, AZ
Jan. 25, 2013    MGM Grand Garden Arena   Las Vegas, NV
Jan. 29, 2013    American Airlines Center Dallas, TX
Jan. 31, 2013    Toyota Center            Houston, TX
Feb. 02, 2013    Scottrade Center         Saint Louis, MO
Feb. 04, 2013    Sprint Center            Kansas City, MO
Feb. 06, 2013    Xcel Energy Center       Saint Paul, MN
Feb. 08, 2013    Air Canada Centre        Toronto, Canada
Feb. 11, 2013    Centre Bell              Montreal, Canada
Feb. 13, 2013    United Center            Chicago, IL
Feb. 16, 2013    Palace of Auburn Hills   Auburn Hills, MI
Feb. 19, 2013    Wells Fargo Center       Philadelphia, PA
Feb. 22, 2013    Madison Square Garden    New York, NY
Feb. 25, 2013    Verizon Center           Washington, DC
Feb. 27, 2013    TD Garden                Boston, MA
Mar. 02, 2013    Boardwalk Hall Arena     Atlantic City, NJ
Mar. 06, 2013    Barclays Center          Brooklyn, NY
Mar. 10, 2013    Bridgestone Arena        Nashville, TN
Mar. 11, 2013    Philips Arena            Atlanta, GA
Mar. 13, 2013    Tampa Bay Times Forum    Tampa, FL
Mar. 15, 2013    BankAtlantic Center      Sunrise, FL
Mar. 16, 2013    American Airlines Arena  Miami, FL

2012 MTV Video Music Awards

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One Direction (Photo credit: Eva Rinaldi Celebrity and Live Music Photographer)

Thursday night at the Video Music Awards Show, One Direction stole the night with three awards. The British Boy Band won the Best New Artist award, the Best Pop Video Award and the Most Share-Worthy Video Award. The Host of the show, Kevin Hart, did mention the friction between Brown and Drake in his opening monologue, making it a little uneasy for some. All in all, the night went well. Here is a list of the VMA Awards winners:

Video of the Year:  Rihanna, "We Found Love"
Best New Artist:   One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
Best Pop Video:    One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
Most share-Worthy Video: One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
Best Hip-Hop Video:  Drake feat. Lil Wayne, "HYFR" (NSFW lyrics)
Best Male Video:   Chris Brown, "Turn Up The Music"
Best Female Video:   Nicki Minaj, "Starships"
Best Rock Video:   Coldplay, "Paradise"
Best Electronic Dance Music Video:  Calvin Harris, "Feel So Close"
Best Video With a Message:   Demi Lovato, "Skyscraper"
Best Art Direction:   Katy Perry, "Wide Awake"
Best Choreography:   Chris Brown, "Turn Up The Music"
Best Cinematography: M.I.A., "Bad Girls"
Best Editing:   Beyonce, "Countdown"
Best Visual Effects:  Skrillex, "First of the Year(Equinox)"
Best Direction:   M.I.A. "Bad Girls"

Check out tour information for One Direction's upcoming 2013 tour.

Rihanna Announces Diamonds World Tour 2013

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English: Rihanna live at Bankatlantic Center, Sunrise, Florida, on her tour The LOUD Tour. 14th July 2011 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Starting on March 8, 2013, Rihanna will be at the First Niagara Center (Formerly HSBC Arena) in Buffalo, NY for her Diamonds World Tour 2013. Rihanna will be performing in 27 cities across North America plus more dates to possibly be added later.

Rihanna has won 6 Grammy Awards, selling over 37 million albums and 146 million digital tracks worldwide, holding the top selling digital artist of all times. Her previous tour, LOUD, grossed $90 million worldwide. Don't miss her new Diamonds World Tour where she will be performing her single "We Found Love" and many others in a city near you.

March 8 - Buffalo, NY, First Niagara Center
March 10 - Boston, MA, TD Garden
March 12 - Baltimore, MD, 1st Mariner Arena
March 14 - Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center
March 15 - Hartford, CT, XL Center
March 17 - Montreal, QC, Bell Center
March 18 - Toronto, ON, Air Canada Center
March 21 - Detroit, MI, Joe Louis Arena
March 22 - Chicago, IL, United Center
March 24 - St. Paul, MN, Xcel Energy Center
March 25 - Winnipeg, MB, MTS Center
March 27 - Edmonton, AB, Rexall Place
March 30 - Calgary, AB, Scotiabank Saddledome
April 1 - Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
April 3 - Seattle, WA, Key Arena
April 6 - San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion
April 8 - Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center
April 11 - San Diego, CA, Valley View Casino Center
April 12 - Las Vegas, NV, Mandalay Bay
April 15 - Houston, TX, Toyota Center
April 16 - Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
April 19 - Tampa, FL, Tampa Bay Times Forum
April 20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL, BankAtlantic Center
April 22 - Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena
April 29 - Washington, D.C., Verizon Center
May 2 - Ottawa, ON, Scotiabank Place
May 4 - Brooklyn, NY, Barclays Center

Click here for a list of 2013 Rihanna tour tickets.

Theresa Caputo, The Long Island Medium

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After a year and a half year wait, I finally got to have a reading from Theresa Caputo, the Long Island Medium. First of all, I was (and I say was because now I"m not) a skeptic! I could not believe what came out of her mouth. She actually blew me away with the knowledge she had of my brother who had passed three years ago. I actually went to support my friend but she was able to feel my brother's spirit come through. It was very calming, knowing that my brother is at peace (he died in a horrible accident), and he came through to tell me so. My friend had a great reading also. At first it was a little creepy, but after a while the two of us were in tears. I don't know how Theresa Caputo does this or where she gets her powers, but if you are wondering about a loved one who passed and would like to see if their spirit is at peace, you should schedule an appointment with her. The problem is that it is a two year wait to have a private reading so I would suggest that you go see her live in one of her public readings. She'll be at 18 different venues to share her story and conduct readings.  See Theresa Caputo's full schedule here.

Wicked the Musical Expects Record Attendance

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Wicked (musical) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Wicked the Musical is storming its way throughout the United States and Canada during 2012 and 2013. Record-selling attendance is expected as fans everywhere will flock to see one the most successful Broadway musicals in the history of musical theater. Wicked can be seen daily at the Gershwin Theatre in New York, NY and at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London, United Kingdom. Another very popular venue to see Wicked in is The Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, NV. Wicked will also make appearances in these other U.S. cities:

Las Vegas, NVLouisville, KYBaltimore, MDSeattle, WASan Antonio, TXSchenectady, NYHonolulu, HISyracuse, NYSaint Louis, MOTampa, FLSan Francisco, CAFort Lauderdale, FLOrlando, FLCosta Mesa, CACharlotte, NCTucson, AZRochester, NYDallas, TXKalamazoo, MISouth Bend, INNew Orleans, LAMadison, WI
Don't miss your chance to see this exciting musical in a city near you! View the full Wicked schedule here.

Kaiser Chiefs - Everyday I love You Less And Less

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Kaiser Chiefs were the first band I ever saw live thanks to my Auntie and Uncle. I kinda had this song in my head today and decided why not review it? They are a five piece band consisting of Ricky Wilson, Andrew "Whitey" White, Simon Rix, Nick "Peanut" Baines and Nick Hodgson. They were originally called Parva and managed to release an album called "22". However they were dropped and were subsequently known as "damaged goods" and no one would touch them, so they came up with a new name which was the "Kaiser Chiefs" named after the South African football team Kaizer Chiefs F.C. They have recently released a Singles Collection which got to number 19 which is quite low compared to their previous albums. Personally I think them working with Mark Ronson was the worst possible direction they could've gone through. They used to be good, but they lost their fans with their new direction, and unfortunately failed to pick up many new fans to make the numbers up. It's going to be extremely difficult to re-capture their audience, will this be a band to disappear forever? I doubt it, they seem to have been through a lot already, and one way or another I hope they do find a way to get all their fans back.

"Everyday I Love You Less And Less" was one of a few really great songs from this band! It was written by the band (obviously) and was released on their first album as the Kaiser Chiefs. It managed to chart on the UK Chart at number 10, making it their second top ten hit the first being "Oh My God (Re-Issue)". It also managed to get to number 52 on the MegaChart in the Netherlands.

Back in 2005 I was 12 and thought this music video was great, looking back now I'm shocked I thought that, this is a good idea but it seriously hasn't worked out exactly the way it should of, clearly some bits are meant to be comical but some things just aren't.

It's both performance and narrative, and it is done intricately, but I just don't see how it pans out that well, however I would fight for those x-ray glasses, who wouldn't, right?

Overall a very catchy song that I'll never get bored of, however the accompanying music video is lacking a lot, although it does get stars for the amazing idea and the way they have managed to film it. People can see it has a realistic side to it and a comical side. It just hasn't worked perfectly.

Green Day - Basket Case

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Green Day is another band that Miss Moirae got me into, they also have never appeared on this blog yet, surprisingly and I know for a fact that they will pop up again at some point, MARK MY WORDS. Green Day are a three-piece band consisting of Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt and Tré Cool. They have been going since 1987 but didn't release their first album until 1990. Since then they have released a number of albums and singles but have never ever topped the UK Singles chart, but have come pretty close a number of times. They also have their own musical as well, where has this band got left to go? Clearly to the top of the UK Singles Chart, but how long will it take them?

"Basket Case" is one of these songs that never goes away and gets stuck in my head way too easily. It's a very good song to get those pesky annoying songs out of your head, although you will probably be stuck with this song for the rest of the day, which is fine by me. It was written by Billie Joe Armstrong and it's about his battles with anxiety, he thought he was going crazy however he was later diagnosed with panic disorder. Writing songs about it was the only way he could control it, and I know this sounds sinister but that is usually how great songs come about and this is definitely one of many of Green Day's signature songs and we, as fans, have a lot to thank these guys for as well as this song.

This music video always freaks me out whenever I watch it. It is a performance piece with a narrative intricately added in, which makes this music video very different as it's usually the other way around. It was filmed in an actual mental home due to the request of the band, which makes this video top notch! The institution is called Agnews Developmental Center in California.

I like how everything is constructed, you can clearly see the performance and you are worried that is all you'll going to get, but you see more as it progresses, and I like the ominous atmosphere, it's quite freakish but interesting.

Overall the song is a classic that is already embedded in history and I guarantee I will hear this song at least once a year, definitely for the rest of my life. It's music video still scares and worries me today, but the way it's been filmed and thought through makes it different and to be able to stand out from the crowd is something that is difficult to do, and even in today's market this music video stands out.

One Night Only - Just For Tonight

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It looks like it's indie week on my blog this week, so think I'm going to stick with that genre. One Night Only is one of those bands who you don't really want to like but they seem to record songs that are irresistible for some very unknown reason. The band consisted of George Craig, Mark Hayton, Daniel Parkin, Jack Sails and Sam Ford. Since 2010 Sam Ford has left and was replaced by James Craig. They have since disappeared off the radar, but they will probably pop up again out of nowhere with a cracking new song and album, it's to be expected.

"Just For Tonight" was One Night Only's biggest hit and managed to secure a place in the UK top 10 at number 9. They have released better songs since, and I'm surprised they have yet to beat that chart position, let's hope they can in the next few years.

This music video really doesn't have much substance to it, compared to their other videos it makes you question what they thought of the song, clearly they didn't think it would do well or they would've made a much better video, this is lacking a lot and although it is a typical One Night Only music video, it's missing a lot we like from this band.

It looks like they are just strolling around Scarborough and although we have seen this happen a lot in their other videos, at least there is a hidden narrative, in this case there's nothing, it's just showing their typical strolling and that's just something I'm not interested in watching.

Overall the song isn't as catchy as their other songs, the music video that goes with it is lacking and doesn't draw me in at all, the only reason for watching this video is for the song, and maybe to find out how to stroll around Scarborough. However it's expected from this band and so it's on the way too safe side and at least it's not something worse.

Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

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Franz Ferdinand are another band that I both like and don't, the main reason is because they disappear for too many years and you eventually get bored of playing all their old songs and then when you give up hope on them ever returning a new amazing song pops up that you can't help but like, which is really annoying. They are a British band from Glasgow, Scotland and they consist of Alex Kapranos, Nicholas McCarthy, Robert Hardy and Paul Thomson. They are working on their fourth studio album and it is supposed to be really good. However they have been gone since 2009, and 3-4 years is too long for me to wait, I have already given up on them, however I will be blogging about them and their new songs if they are up to scratch, and I bet they will be.

"Take Me Out" was written by Alex Kapranos and Nicholas McCarthy. It is their best hit in the UK thus far managing to get to number 3 on the UK chart and just missing out on the top spot, it also did well internationally too, and it's definitely one of a few of their signature songs, but I think they will have a hit fairly soon and everyone will know who they are.

The music video isn't my sort of thing, it's very 1930's and that is exactly what the band wanted to do, so they get 10 out of 10 for effort from me. There is a lot of imagery and I definitely like how they have used things they have seen and discussed and put them all together and spun it up in their own little way. I shall not list everything they have managed to incorporate as that can be found easily on the Internet. But the fact they have managed to do exactly what they wanted to do is definitely worth the stars I'm giving the video.

The downside is that it didn't grip me, it's a typical performance piece and although it is different to what is about, there is nothing to keep me entertained and involved. I feel like I'm watching some old film at the cinema, and I cannot stop fidgeting as I wait for it to finally end.

Overall a great song that is actually worthy of the chart position, but a music video that doesn't seem to involve the audience the way it should. I am balancing out my rating as this is what the band wanted to make and they have thought about the video massively, so much so that they didn't want to make a typical pop video, and that makes it go up in my books, even though the video didn't suit me.

The All-American Rejects - Walk Over Me

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Yesterday I was listening to my iTunes on shuffle and this song got played twice, I believe I've already listened to it today on shuffle too, clearly iTunes wanted me to review it, so here I am, and here it is.

The All-American Rejects have been one of my favourite bands for ages, they never fail to disappoint and they are evolving better and better, I wouldn't have thought they would release a song like this, but they have and they have made it their own. They are a four-piece band consisting of Tyson Ritter, Nick Wheeler, Mike Kennerty and Chris Gaylor. They have had a number of hits and a number of songs that should have been, they are getting a bigger and bigger UK fan base and it won't be long before they are on a lot of people's playlists, in my opinion the sooner the better, this band needs to promote a lot more.

"Walk Over Me" was written by Nick Wheeler and Tyson Ritter, it is potentially their 3rd single from the amazing album Kids In The Street, the first being "Beekeeper's Daughter" and the second being "Kids In The Street". Only the first single has been released in the UK so far, with limited success, however the album is currently their highest charting album to date, so clearly they are getting more and more fans as the years go by.

This music video is the sort of video I hate. I don't know why, but it really grates on my nerves, and seriously I cannot be the only one who feels this way. I think the main thing is that it has been done so many times before that every time I see a new video using this concept I cringe away from it. However, The All-American Rejects has gone all out on it. At the end of the day if you're going to do this sort of video you HAVE to take the mickey out of it and break as many boundaries as possible with it, otherwise you will get a low rating from me. And well done, The All-American Rejects have managed to make this video good and a lot more watchable.

I cannot help but laugh at this, the fact that it's a bit scary with fish munching heads off and a knife stabbing people, makes this one of my favourite music videos in this style, if not, the best. How can you not crack a smile at this, and the fact that it looks like it was extremely difficult to make and the fact that there was obviously a lot of thought going in is exactly what I want from a video like this.

There are a few things that I'm not sure on such as there isn't an overall link, just subtle links with some of the lyrics, but they've made this video really work and I can't help but be happy that they have managed to change my opinion of this video within the first few seconds.

Overall a great song that may not be officially released but if it is I hope it does well as it clearly deserves it. The accompanying music video is not something I'm happy with, it's not a style I like to see in music videos, however The All-American Rejects has pushed the boat out and made it much more enjoyable, will I be watching more of this style of music video? Probably not, but I shall be a lot more aware of it. And I doubt I'll find a video in this style that will beat this one.

New Musical Instrument Monday: Auria iPad DAW

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For those of you who love your iPad and want to do more actual audio work on it, here's an amazing digital audio workstation app by WaveMachine Labs called Auria. It's easy to take a mere iPad app lightly when it comes to some heavy duty audio lifting, but Auria can play back up to 48 mono or stereo channels at up to 96kHz/24 bit, and can record up to 24 tracks at the same time, as well as having a feature list that can rival many widely used DAWs.

The Auria DAW has both a full channel strip and master strip package designed by the clever guys at PSP Audioware (thanks, Antoni, for turning me on to this gem). It's excellent in both look and function, and sounds great, just like all PSP plugins. I only wish that they were available as a plugin for Pro Tools as well.

But the Auria is not only a full-on mixer, it's an editor too, just like your favorite computer-based DAW. It's a little clunkier to do with your finger and a touch screen, but you can always use an Apple wireless mouse for more precision if needed.
The Auria iPad DAW is available from the App Store for only $49. There's a variety of approved interfaces that work with it (some a little easier than others), but just about anything will work as long as it works with Core Audio and doesn't require a driver.
Check out the video.



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The New Bronze Music Delivery Format

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I rarely cross-post to this blog from by Music 3.0 music industry blog, but I thought that this topic is worth it. It's about a new online music delivery format called Bronze that's pretty interesting. Is it "take over the world" interesting? Probably not, but I think that there will be a place for it in many genres of music in the future.

Why? I'm glad you asked. Bronze is the first format that can alter the mix of a song with each playback. It's non-interactive, so the user has nothing to do with how it's played back, but each listen is different, just like a live performance.

Supposedly the chance of hearing the same version twice is about the same as winning the lottery, and it's not possible to freeze any version to listen to it again. Just like a live performance, once it's gone, it's gone forever. That said, it's possible for an artist to continue to update a song with new tracks long after it's been released. Considering that some of the artist's that I've worked with in the past can never let go of a song, this could certainly cut down their overall output of songs.

Regardless of if you like a song or not, Bronze is probably better suited for some musical genres than others (think electronic music). As a mixer, I'm pretty suspicious of the format, since what we do is to try to freeze a moment in time, but as a consumer, I'm very intrigued. A great mixer can bring certain things to the table that makes it a hit that you might not have in another mix. On the other hand, if you really dig a song, you'd probably want to listen to it over and over to see how it would change every time. That said, that means you'd probably not want to look for new music as much, since the music you already know is somewhat new every time.

That said, as a business, Bronze probably doesn't make much sense. A record label sells a frozen archive as a product, so this wouldn't appeal to them. And legally, how to you copyright a product  that's not a fixed recording?

But the idea of Bronze is pretty cool in that it's a unique use of existing technology. Now let's see if anyone will play along. The first song released in the format is by ex-Golden Silvers frontman Gwilym Gold called "Flesh Freeze." Check it out on the Bronzeformat.com website.
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Four Tops "Bernadette" Isolated Tracks

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I may have posted this before, but it's so cool that it's worth posting again. Here's a great video that shows off the virtuosity of Motown bassist James Jamerson on The Four Tops 60's hit "Bernadette." For most of the song you hear just Jamerson's bass, then the other parts of the song are gradually brought in, then muted.

Jamerson was truly one of a kind in that he didn't actually play a part as much as he played a groove. He's incredibly solid time-wise even within a flurry of pickup notes, and has style that's uniquely his. In fact, what's so cool is that he's given free reign within the arrangement to play what he pretty much as he wishes while the guitars and piano hold down the rhythm.

Also keep in mind that everything you hear was done on 8 track!



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What To Change When Things Don't Sound Right

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Recording is an interesting business in that each situation is unique. When it comes to music, the song, the arrangement, the players, the performances, the signal chain, and the acoustic environment all vary in one way or another each and every session.

Because of this uniqueness, there are times when you're recording when you find that a part doesn't fit well in a track, or fits too well where it can't be distinguished. Here's a list of things to try in order of importance the next time you run in to either situation.

• Change the source (the instrument you are miking) 

• Change the mic placement 

• Change the placement in the room 

• Change the mic 

• Change the mic preamplifier 

• Change the mount of compression and/or limiting (from none to a lot) 

• Change the room (the actual room you are recording in) 

• Change the musician 

• Come back and try it another day

Take notice that nowhere one there is there mention of equalization. Unless you have a lot of experience, it's best to follow the above points before you ever reach for an EQ knob. You'll be surprised how much better things can sound.

----------------------------------Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.
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Improve Your Band In 3 Easy Steps

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Regardless of whether a band is just starting off in the garage or has been playing gigs for years, there are a 3 things that can help the band improve in almost no time. Here's an excerpt from my band improvement book, How To Make Your Band Sound Great that can really makes a difference in how a band sounds.
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"When you’re making records, you get to listen to everything under a microscope, and after a while you begin to understand that there are a few universal truths about making your band sound tight and professional. Here’s a brief summary of perhaps the 3 most important steps to improving your band’s performance and taking it to the next level. I promise you that if you spend even a little time on each of these items, you’ll see positive results immediately.

Dynamics - Playing with dynamics is the greatest key to making your band sound great. It’s an improvement that both you (the band) and your audience will notice immediately, and will automatically separate you from about 90% of other bands on the planet.

So what are dynamics? Simply, it means playing quietly or with less intensity in certain places in a song, and louder or with more intensity in other places. Most bands are oblivious to dynamics and play at one volume throughout the entire song, song after song, set after set. This gets boring and tedious for the audience very quickly.

There are a few byproducts from playing dynamically too. The vocals can be heard better because there’s more space and fewer loud instruments to fight against (easier on the singer as well). Songs become more fun to play because there’s true interaction with the other players to make it work, and as a result, the band automatically gets tighter. And the audience perceives dynamics in a way that you wouldn’t expect - suddenly they’ll start telling you how tight you sound.

Attack and Releases ( or articulations) are one of the most overlooked, yet most important elements in playing together. Attacks and releases usually refer to a phrase that you’re either playing or singing. The attack part is usually easy - everyone starts to play or sing at exactly the same time in the same way. The releases are what’s overlooked. A release is how you end a phrase and it’s as important as how you start it. Once again, everyone has to end it at exactly the same time in exactly the same way. Getting your attacks and releases are one of the essential parts of making a good record (you hardly ever hear one off anymore) and they’re essential to making you sound tight as well. Listen to a song that everyone knows, Hotel California, for a great example of both attacks and releases (and phrasing) of both the guitars and vocals.

Turnarounds - Another often overlooked portion of a song that needs to be tight is the turnaround between sections, like the one or two bars between the verse and chorus, chorus and verse, verse and outro, chorus and bridge, etc. This part requires a lot of focus because it’s usually played a little differently from the rest of the section of the song. For the drummer, it’s usually a tom or snare roll into the next section, but unless it’s a build, most of the other players usually just randomly play something over the roll. If you’re playing a song that you’ve written, chances are that you’ve not thought about the turnaround too much, so now is the time. Make sure that every player has an exact part to play and that all parts work together and sound tight (a good idea for the rest of the song as well)."

For more excerpts from this and other books, check out my website at bobbyowsinski.com.

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The Hunger Games Beat Harry Potter

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The Hunger Games was a worldwide best sealing book but now this is not only a book but also movie. The novel did collect well and now the movie is flooding money for the production of the movie. The Hunger Games is a young adult novel written by Suzanne Collins. Now the movie has scored the fifth highest grossing movie opening of all time. This is also the highest grossing opening for any non-sequel movie. The movie has grossed more than $68.3 million worldwide. In the midnight show it collected 19.7 million. The previous non-sequel highest grosser was 2010’s Alice In the wonderland and this movie has grossed $40.8 million. Alice is far behind form the Hunger Games. This Young Adult movie has started off well in the box office. This movie has beak the record of The Dark Knight, Transformers: Revenge of the fallen and the worldwide phenomenon Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part one.
The Hunger Games is little behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part two and the three part of twilight. The Harry Potter and the deathly Hallows Part Two is the highest opening grosser till date and is grossed 91.1 million in the opening.  This is truly an amazing start for any movie. It was predicted that “The Hunger Games” is going to take a mammoth opening. This movie is the highest invested movie of movie production Lions gate. The movie has been hyped as the next big movie franchise. The movie is really good.
The movie is starring by Jennifer Lawrence, who previously acted in the movie X-men First Class and Winter Bone. Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson and Liam Hemsworth were in the movie. The Hunger Games is directed by Gary Ross and produced by Jon Kilik, Nina Jacobson, Robin Bissell and the author of the book Suzanne Collins. The screenplay by Gary Ross and distributed by Lionsgate. This 142 minutes movie has created enough light to audience’s dark way. The budget of the movie is little low and that is $78 million.
The PG-13 film has scored a solid “A” rating from the Audiences. More than 60% audience is women though the Twilight first part gathered more than 80% female audiences. This is for sure the action pack Hunger Games is going to attract men. This movie will definitely do better than twilight first part. As the movie is going the prediction is that the movie is going to cross 140 million in the first week. If not this is going to beat Alice in the Wonderland for sure. Even then movie is the highest grosser for any non-sequel movie. If we compare the first part of Hunger Games we can easily see that the movie has nearly got the amount of the twilight in one day. The Twilight movie has grossed $69 million in one week.
The movie plot is really good. Those who have read the book will also love the movie. The screenplay is awesome. The movie is worth to watch. Every performance is good in the movie. This movie is one of the best movies of the year. Great movie.The movie deserves 4/5. A must watch.

Miley Cyrus

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Miley Ray Cyrus is an Actress come Singer. She is an American residence. Sometimes she writes songs as well. She is mostly known as Hannah Montana. She was born in 1992 month November date 23. She got plenty of records under her belt. Disney did give her a chance to prove herself and she did prove with the role of Hannah Montana’s Miley Stewart. She is a national teen icon for sure. Now Miley Cyrus is mostly known as a singer.


Miley Cyrus recorded her first soundtrack in 2006 with Walt Disney Records. Her first was Hannah Montana and the second was Hannah Montana 2/ Meet Miley and that was released in 2007. Her TV series Hannah Montana made her the teen Idol.  In 2007 she signed a contract with Hollywood Records to start a Solo Career. Hannah Montana Started with the Best of Both World tour. This tour become a highest grossing tour and it also converted into a film titled as Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus; the best of both worlds concert. She released her first solo album in the year of 2008 which called “Breakout”. Breakout is commercially successful.  That year she gave her voice to an animated movie called “Bolt” and also gets nominated for the original sound score for movies theme song. She also acted in movie called Hannah Montana the movie. In this movie she introduces herself in new version. She captures the Contemporary market with the soundtracks.
Miley Cyrus is that kind of person who loves to make her own image. In 2009 she released The Time of our life. 2009 is one of the most incredible years for her because her song “Party In The USA” was among the best seller of the billboard. This song becomes a celebration of the nation. In 2010 she released her album called can’t be tamed. With this one song which is named after the albums introduces the sexual part of the entertainer. She is the 64^thhottest women according to the Forbes 2010.
She started her career with Hannah Montana show. She becomes the teen idol with the role of Miley Swart. Hannah Montana was an instant hit according to the Daily Telegraph. This show become one of the heist viewed show on the cable. She became the first person who has all the deals with The Walt Disney Company. Her first single was Best of both world. It was used for the theme of the Hannah Montana. As the TV series goes on she become more and more useable. The production company captures the most of it. With Hollywood recording company she released her first album and that was a successful album. Then comes Breakout. Breakout included songs like “7 Things”, “Fly on the wall”, “See you again” and many other awesome tracks. The Time of Our Lives is the bestselling album of her. This album was certified as Platinum by RIAA. Party in the U.S.A is the best song by Miley and it did took the second best spot of the Billboard. The single of the album was When I Look At You it used for the movie promotion of The Last Song. Undoubtedly Miley Cyrus is one true performer.

The Pussycat Dolls~ One inspiring group

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The Pussycat Dolls are one of the most known American POP girl groups.  They made their mark with dance ensemble. Pussycat Dolls were founded in Los Angeles. It started with the hand of Robin Antin she is a multitalented person mainly known for her choreography. This girls group was formatted in the year of 2003. The members of the group are Nicole Scherzinger, Melody Thornton, Ashley Roberts, Hessica Sutta, Kimberly Wyatt and Carmit Bacher. They also produce the first two albums of the groups and some singles as well. They do have some of the hits like- “Don’t Cha”, “Stickwitu”,”Beep”, “When I Grow Up”, “Jai Ho” Oscer winner MR. A.R Rahman , ”Buttons” and some other songs. Their song Stickwitu did manage them one nomination for the Grammy Award in 2005. The Pussycat Dalls are also associated with Carmen Electra and Giricious.

Pussycat Dolls

In the starting of 2011 Antin did announce a good new lineup for the girl Groups. That line up debut in February 2012 with the Go Daddy advertisement at the Super Bowl. In 2009, Pussycat Dolls declared as the 80th successful musical act of 2000’s.
Pussycat Dolls started their journey as a dance troupe. The first performance was held back in 1995. From 1995 to 2003 there was a trend of come and gone. They performed with many vocalists. The troupe did receive mass popularity in 1999. Following their popularity one of the music producers Jimmy Iovine and Ron Fair joined with them. The former dance troupe becomes a girls group. Scherzinger is the main vocal of the group and started with two song in the movie Shark Tale and Shall We Dance. Their first single was Sway form the movie Shall We Dance. In 2005 they released their first album called PCD. The album peaked number one spot in New Zeland and also took the spot in top in countries like Canada, USA and Netherland. PCD sold over 9 million copies worldwide. The album was a hit. Their first albums single was Don’t Cha. It is also a success.This song takes a position in the Billboard list two. Stickwitu was another hit in the USA. This song manage take the top spot in the UK. This song also did manage to get a nomination in the Grammy Award. Beep is one other song which was featuring Will I am. Button manages a place in the top 3 on the single chart of UK.

The groups second album was Doll Domination and this album was release in 2008. Doll Domination opened with top four positions in the billboard. The first single of the album was When I grow up and Whatcha think about that. The third single of the album was I heat this part right here. Bottle Pop is the fourth single and received a good response though it was released in the limited circle. In 2009 they were in a tour called Doll Domination Tour. Lady Gaga did open for them in the Europe and Australia. They are one of the most inspiring groups of these days.  With some great performances they received some great awards.

The Hunger Game is a real food for movie goers

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The Hunger Games is one of the best gifts for the movie goers. In these days good movies are not that much available. Not every movie is doing great business in the box office or not every movie is that good win viewer’s heart. The Hunger Games is an adaption to the beloved bestselling novel named the same. It was predicted that this movie will surely going to suppress every Twilight movie installment on the box office and it did.  This movie did cross the milestone of 300 million. When a movie come out to the screen especially if it a movie from a novel, we try from the deep form our heart to show what did the director do wrong. In this case The Hunger Games Director Gary Ross did a tremendous job.

Jenifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Wes Bentley, Woody Harrelson, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci and Elizabeth Banks were in the movie. The main lead is for the beautiful Jenifer Lawrence. Jenifer Lawrence played the role of Katniss  Everdeen and she really shine in the role.  The Hunger Games is the story of a girl who encountered with some odds for becoming the victorious one. The story tells about the North America of the future, where the capital is controlling the vast part of the good and masses. Those impoverished people are divided into 12 parts, every one of them are called District. There is a rule that bound the people to sacrifice one young soul between than 12-18 years. Every district has to give one boy and one girl. Those boys and girls will be selected with a lottery. Those who will be selected will call tributes.
The 74^th Hunger Games is in the doorstep. The lottery of death called the name of Primrose Everdeen and she is the sister of Katniss  Everdeen. Katniss  Everdeen did volunteer her tributes. The other tribute form the district 12 is Peeta Mellark (Josh Hucherson). They have to fight inside a jungle with the weather and the animals or the other odds. They find good mentor who was also a winner of the Hunger games. In the proses of going on Peeta Mellark confess the feeling of loving Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games format says that only one survive in this deadly tournament. Somehow Katniss also feel for Peeta. Will they survive the tournament or they will die this is the story of the movie.
Director Gray Ross did a great job. The screen play is really good and the production design is totally amazing. This is one where you have to look for the fault. This movie is pure entertainer with action. Jenifer Lawrence did a great job portraying the role of Katniss Everdeen and Josh Hucherson also did great. The movie will do great business in the Box office. The Hunger Games will surely break the record of any twilight movie series.
The Hunger Games is not a master piece but is a great treat to watch. You will not be disappointed for sure during the movie. This movie will surely get an A- form me. Watch the movie for sure.

Justin Bieber the hit machine

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The Canadian Singer Justin Bieber mainly sing pop and /R&B songs. He was discovered by Scooter Braun. Justin Bieber came out with a YouTube Video.  Scooter Braun was looking some new videos on YouTube and clicks one of Justin’s videos. Letter he take Justin to Usher who was in Atlanta. Usher was also impressed with the music that Justin created. Soon Justin signs a contract with RBMG. The uprising star Bieber debut with the single called “One Time”. This single was released in the year of 2009 and peaked the top twenty in the Canada. The very first album of Justin Bieber was EP my world which released in the following November of 2009. This album was become a platinum hit in USA. With the album he created a record “First man to have seven songs in the top 100 on Billboard”.
Bieber’s first full album is My World 2.0. My World 2.0 was released in 2010. This album peaked the first spot with the releasing in USA and in top ten in some other country. My World 2.0 is also a platinum hit is under the belt of the little hit machine. This album’s music video Baby is one of the most successful singles. Baby is the most viewed music video on the YouTube. The followed up released of Justin Bieber by the release date and those were My World Acoustic , Never Say Never- Remixes, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never the 3D concert movie. The movie did get a great opening on the box office and nearly match the box office collection of the best opening concert movie. This Canadian pop singer released his second studio album in 2011 which called the Mistletoe. This album also takes a great start with peaking the top spot on the Billboard 200.Justin Bieber become famous with the first single but some songs that make his journey a great treat for the listeners.  Baby is the most successful song of Justin Bieber till date. His first  single One Time, Never Let You Go U smile were in the list of successful songs.  Eenie Meenie is one song which he sang with Sean Kingston was well appreciated. He did also work with User and get tremendous appreciation.   He is the youngest singer who acted in the Billboard after Stevie Wonder.
Justin Bieber managed to get awards like “Artist Of The Year” in the American Music Awards 2010. He is also nominated for Best New Artist and for the Best Pop Vocal Album in the 53^rd Grammy Awards. This talented singer has won over million hearts worldwide. Form the beginning of his carrier he is always in the news.  He is one of the most discussed celebrities as well. He is related to one other singer Selena Gomez. His look is very popular among the teenager.  His hear style become popular with the first beginning. His hairstyle is the most expensive hairstyle of all time.
Justin Bieber is ready for the next release. In “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” he declared that the first song of the album will be called “Boyfriend”. He also has an interest to make a duet song with Demi Lovato. This little hit machine has a far way to go for sure.

Freestyle Motocross: Nuclear Cowboyz Dates Announced

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Deutsch: Freestyle Motocross Fahrer in der Figur: Superman Seatgrab (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Coming to a city near you, the Freestyle Motocross: Nuclear Cowboyz tour schedule has been announced. The freestyle motorcross will kick off on January 12, 2013 in Kansas City, Mo. at the Sprint Center. There have been additional cities added to the tour such as New Orleans and San Antonio. The Nuclear Cowboyz 2013 is the fourth tour in North America and will leave a lasting impression on all fans. There will be multiple riders together flipping and riding side by side. Also to enhance the freestyle riders there will be pyrotechnic and laser effects. Don't miss out on seeing this exciting show which will be in an arena near you.

Lewis Black Upcoming 2012 Tour Dates

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Lewis Black (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The outrageous comedian, Lewis Black, will soon be coming to the following cities:

Paramount Theatre Austin, TX 9/20/2012
Majestic Theatre San Antonio, TX 9/21/2012
Sarofim Hall Houston, TX 9/22/2012
Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts New Orleans, LA 9/23/2012
Warner Theatre Washington, DC 9/27/2012
Warner Theatre Washington, DC 9/28/2012
Warner Theatre Washington, DC 9/29/2012
Lyell B Clay Concert Theatre Morgantown, WV 9/30/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/9/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/10/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/11/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/12/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/13/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/14/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/19/2012
Richard Rodgers Theatre New York, NY 10/20/2012
The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple Scranton, PA 10/25/2012
Calvin Theatre Northampton, MA 10/26/2012
Terry Fator Theatre Las Vegas, NV 11/9/2012
Terry Fator Theatre Las Vegas, NV 11/10/2012
Morris Performing Arts Center South Bend, IN 11/15/2012
Fox Theatre Detroit, MI 11/16/2012
The Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL 11/17/2012
Spotlight 29 Casino Coachella, CA 11/30/2012
Terrace Theater Long Beach, CA 12/1/2012
Silver Legacy Casino Reno, NV 2/8/2013
Coral Springs Center For The Arts Pompano Beach, FL 4/21/2013

Check out a list of Lewis Black tickets here. Don't miss this hilarious stand-up show including all his mental breakdowns and angry rants that will leave your sides hurting!

Concert Schedule for Ray LaMontagne

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Ray LaMontagne @ Prospect Park (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ray LaMontagne is scheduled to be in a total of 9 venues on his 2012 tour starting in Washington, DC on November 16th and ending in Columbus, OH on December 3rd. View his entire 2012 schedule here:

DAR Constitution Hall Washington, DC 11/16/2012
Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA 11/17/2012
Wellmont Theatre Montclair, NJ 11/19/2012
Capitol Theatre Port Chester, NY 11/20/2012
Orpheum Theatre Boston, MA 11/23/2012
Carnegie Hall New York, NY 11/26/2012
Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre Atlanta, GA 11/28/2012
Ryman Auditorium Nashville, TN 11/29/2012
The Chicago Theatre Chicago, IL 11/30/2012
Palace Theatre Columbus, OH 12/3/2012

Tickets are selling very quickly, so make sure to secure your Ray LaMontagne concert tickets before it's too late.

Paul McCartney "On The Run" 2012 Tour Continues

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English: Panorama of Paul McCartney performing at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL during his "On the Run Tour" (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Paul McCartney's tour "On The Run" will continue in the United States and Canada for five more concerts. McCartney will be live in Saint Louis, MO at the Scottrade Center on November 11. He will then be at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX on November 14. Next, look for him to have a concert on November 25 at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada.  Finally, he will have two shows in Edmonton, Canada at the Rexall Place on November 28 and November 29.

Related articles

• Paul McCartney Returning to St. Louis
• Paul McCartney announces four North American concert dates

Pacquiao Vs. Marquez, MGM Grand in Las Vegas

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Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez (Photo credit: audiovisualjunkie)

Boxing fans everywhere are awaiting the fourth match-up of Manny Pacquiao Vs. Juan Manuel Marquez set for December 8, 2012 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Pacquiao has stated clearly the fight will be much more entertaining than another rematch with Timothy Bradley. His last fight against Bradley saw 5 judges rule in favor of Pacquiao as the victor. In the upcoming fight, both fighters Pacquiao and Marquez have stated they seek to win by way of knockout. Manny Pacquiao tickets are still available for purchase, so don't miss this exciting event!

Make Your Videos More Interesting With The L-Cut

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A few years ago I wrote a book called The Musician's Video Handbook which outlined the many things that I learned while producing music television shows like Guitar Universe and Desert Island Music (check out my YouTube channel to see some segments). In the book I tried to show some of the common techniques used by Hollywood producers, directors and camermen to make any type of video that an artist or band might need (music, concert, interview, EPK) more professional looking.

Recently I came across a video on reelseo (of all places) that outlines a well-used story telling technique called an L-cut, which is the shape that the edit makes on your video editing timeline. What it means is that the video from a new clip begins to play over the audio from a previous clip, like in the case where you might hear the end of the dialog from an interview from the previous scene but see the band on stage. There's also an opposite of this called a J-cut where you hear the audio from the next clip while you see the video from the previous one.

While these cuts won't help you too much in a music video where there's music over the top, they can make any interview footage seem to move a lot faster and feel more professional. Here's the video that shows how it's done.



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Get That Vintage Sound From Fungi

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Trying to determine why a vintage instruments sounds better than one recently made has gone back seemingly forever, with almost every violin maker wondering why a Stradivarius sounds the way it does to every guitarist wondering why that 1955 Martin beats a new one from the factory.

It's long been known that as an instrument ages it purges the moisture within, making it lighter in the process. Also, the more it's played, the more it begins to resonant as the vibrations are set in the wood (you can get more detail from The Ultimate Guitar Tone Handbook). But there's more to it than that, as any vintage collector will tell you. There are some vintage instruments that just sing while others aren't on the same level.

Now a team at the Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin believes they've found the answer - fungi. After analyzing wood from various vintages of violins, Professor Francis Schwarze discovered that the one thing that everyone has been overlooking all these years is the fact that back in the Stradivarius' day, two species of fungi (think mushrooms) were normally found in the wood, and it decayed it in such a way that an instrument's tonal properties improved. The fungi reduce the density of the wood (just like the moisture being naturally purged) and increased the speed that the sound traveled through it. The interesting by-product is that the wood still remained as strong as ever.

So why don't we have natural wood fungi today? Most wood today is treated with an ethylene oxide gas before it's processed, which instantly kill all the fungi.

To put it to the test, the team exposed a new violin to the two fungi for a period of 9 months and then held a blind test against a Stradivarius. Although a test like this is always subjective, a panel of experts were fooled into thinking that the new violin was also a Strad.

Will this work on acoustic guitars as well? Maybe. Violins are typically made out of spruce and sycamore, and acoustic guitars typically use spruce for the tops, so it seems like an exposure to fungi might work (more on acoustic guitar woods in this post). Any takers out there?

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A Vocal Recording Checklist

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Here's a series of things to check before recording a vocal that I culled from the Recording Engineer's Handbook and The Music Producer's Handbook. They cover everything from mic position to signal path to singer comfort, but you'll find if you following them you should have a pretty good session (providing that you have a great vocalist, of course).

•  Did you select the correct mic for the singer’s voice? Choose a mic with a lot of body for a thin voice and one with enhanced high end for a dark voice. 

• Did you select the correct microphone preamp?  Certain mics come alive when they’re paired with the right preamp. Also, a certain mic/preamp combination can be just the right color for a vocal.  Experiment.

• Did you select the correct microphone pickup pattern? Not every vocal needs to be recorded with a cardioid pattern. An omni pattern will cut down on proximity effect and a figure 8 can help with isolation from speakers or other instruments.

• Is proximity effect wanted or needed? Remember that the closer you get to a cardioid mic, the more the low end will become exaggerated. This could make the vocal too big for the track. Try the mic on omni if you really need to get a close and intimate sound.

• Is the singer the correct distance away? Too far away and you’ll hear more room, which could change the vocal sound or take away the intimacy. Too close and the vocal might sound too big or too close due to the proximity effect of a cardioid mic. If the singer is singing softly and breathy, keep the singer close to the mic. If the singer is shouting, screaming, or just plain loud, back the singer off the mic from two to three feet.

• Is the singer drifting off-axis? Some vocalists drift around the room and off-axis of the mic if they feel it’s too far away.  Put up a dummy mic that they can get close to so they can feel anchored. This also helps when putting up different mics to determine which one works best for the vocalist.

• Is the singer popping the mic? Place the mic at eye level and point it down at the singers mouth, turn the mic slightly off-axis, switch the pattern to omni, back the singer off the mic until the pops disappear or use a pop screen.

• Would a handheld mic work better? Some singers aren’t comfortable unless they feel like they’re on stage. Give them an SM 58 and don’t worry about the sound. A great performance beats a great sound any day (and a 58 isn’t all that bad combined with the right preamp).

• Are you limiting the signal? Just a few dB of limiting can help keep the vocal under control and stop overloading the signal chain. Don’t use software compressor/limiters because of the latency.

• Is the headphone mix at the correct level? The phone mix is crucial to a good performance. If the track is too loud, the vocalist may sing too hard which might not be the sound you want. He may also sing sharp as a result. If the track is too soft, the singer may not sing aggressive enough.

• Is the ambience conducive to a good vocal?  Most singers like the light down low when they sing.

For additional tips and book excerpts go to the excerpt section of bobbyowsinski.com.

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New Music Gear Monday: The Apogee Quartet

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I've decided to rename "New Musical Instrument Monday" to "New Music Gear Monday" since so much of what's cool and new has to do with audio as much as musical instruments.

This week we'll look at the new Apogee Quartet, a 4 input, 8 output audio interface for your DAW. Apogee's always been known for making great sounding gear, so it's exciting when they introduce something new. While I'm sure it does indeed sound terrific (I haven't tried it out yet), what I really like about it is that it also acts as a "control center," with an extra large knob that can be used for controlling your monitor volume. Anyone who owns a home studio knows that not having this ability is one of the more irritating things about working on a DAW.

The Quartet uses USB to interface with the computer, works at a resolution of 192kHz/24 bit, and has 4 mic preamps (which should be plenty for most home studio applications if you're not tracking a band). It looks like the list price is around $1300 or so. Plus, the design is very Apple-like, so it should fit in very well on your desktop, if the visual look of your workspace is an issue. Check out the video.



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You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.
Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.