MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED's topics - tribe.net

Please Taste This New Fashon Beat Music!!

Barrys — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:03:16 GMT

Grzy Grzy by. TheRealSinner (Common Beat That All) FreeDownloadDemoBeat!!

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Looking for an experienced Foley artist

drumfest — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:07:45 GMT

Hi..
I work for a children's museum in Baltimore, Port Discovery. One of my latest projects is centered around teaching children about sound effects, using only those items that they would normally find around their own home or classroom. What I am looking for is to locate an experienced Foley artist who can advise me on the gear that they would use and techniques that would be appropriate for young children, ages 6 to 12.

I can be reached at dkorup@portdiscovery.org.

Thanks...Daveed Korup

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

sell your audio samples and make $$$

AlexXx — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 07:13:19 GMT

check this site out: http://www.beathive.com

you can set up a "loop shop" and sell your loops for $0.99 each - sharing the money with beathive. It's kinda like the itunes of sample libraries.

Beathive's site is really cool and has a great instant auditioning feature.

A way for us musicians to make some xtra $$$ - gotta be a good thing.

ps. Yes I do work for Beathive ;)

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

New Albion album release - Erdem Helvacioglu

Erdem — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 17:12:59 GMT

Dear Friends,

I am happy to announce that my new solo album has been released by the US label "New Albion"!

Here is the link about the album at New Albion's web site : www.newalbion.com/NA131

This is an album of "solo acoustic guitar and live electronics". The whole album was recorded in real-time without any overdubs. I played the acoustic guitar and controlled the live electronics at the same time.

During the making of this album, Ovation Custom Legend 1869 acoustic guitar, TC Electronic Fireworx multi effects processor, Behringer FCB1010 midi foot controller and the software Audiomulch were used.

If you are interested in ambient, electroacoustic music and the use of live electronics, feel free to check out the album!

Thank you very much and best regards. Looking forward to your comments!

Erdem Helvacioglu

www.erdemhelvacioglu.com
www.myspace.com/erdemhelvacioglu
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
New solo album is out now on New Albion Records:
www.newalbion.com/NA131

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Bids for Beats - Charity Auction - Final countdown!

spaceagent — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 21:12:17 GMT

Join the biggest names in the dance music community raising funds for NextAid! Our goal to raise $20,000 will benefit the continuing development of our earth-friendly child support center in Dennilton, South Africa.

We're auctioning off everything from top DJ and studio gear, music production software, midi sample and loop libraries, flyer design and recording studio services, to once-in-a-lifetime experiences with your favorite artists! Also note that a generous private donor will be matching all proceeds, so your winning bid will go twice as far as it would otherwise. Seriously, there are some great deals available and it's for a great cause to boot!

You can check out the full auction catalog at http://nextaid.cmarket.com and learn more about our organizations' efforts at http://nextaid.org -- Thanks for your time!

Inlakesh,
Elias

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Hathors Sister

ninapak — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 18:38:16 GMT

Dear Friends, we have a new tribe
You are welcome to join us:
http://tribes.tribe.net/hathorssister

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

mouseless dj/beat juggle template

thephatconductor — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:35:26 GMT

Phew!

After months of programming and extensive on-stage testing my new mouseless DJ/Juggle template is now ready for sale.

All you need is ableton, a midi controller (preferably with 16 pads), and a mac (pc version is coming, but not for a while, my brain hurts).

Features include:

-Full MIDI Browser access and navigation with midiStroke
-3 kinds of MIDI Beat Juggling with 96 juggle slots
-dummy clips on automation channels
-macro mapped filters + custom EQ4s (usable from Live 5 via controlAid)
-supatrigga crossfade and macro mapped record stop effect button.
-4 Channels of DJ goodness
-Intuitive clip slot mapping for making arrangement changes on the fly
-tempo scene data entry via MIDI
-Documentation which clearly explains everything (english only)
-free samples programmed onto hard wired juggle slots
-free warped, diced + juggled mp3 of my record Ice-9 feat Tasc

This interface allows you to put the laptop on the ground or behind the decks like a record box, and you can even close your eyes while you are playing!

Here is a video demonstration: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JH1Ko630Ytc

Just send $30 US to thephatconductor at hot mail and I'll send it to you online within 2 days, most likely within 12 hours. If you want an hour of phone support, send $45 and email me to set up a time, i will eat the long distance charges.

Thanks to Charlie Roberts aka BigBadOtis for making controlAid and midiStroke avaiable to us for free. without him this template woudl not be possible.

thanks also to everyone who provided input, support, and ideas for this template. I could never have done it alone.

you guys kick ass. i love you immensely and will continue to answer questions and post tips on this board as payback. charlie - you are welcome to a free template.

peace!

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Anyone successfully using Pro Tools 7.1 on Windows XP X64 Operating System? --on XP Media Center O.S?( how about Acid and Ableton Live on....) ? thanks

ULLA — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 16:59:50 GMT

Anyone successfully using Pro Tools 7.1 on Windows XP X64 Operating System? --on XP Media Center O.S?( how about Acid and Ableton Live on....) ? thanks

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

LUV - the sound + vid. (cens0red in the US 9 times)

jori — Fri, 04 Aug 2006 18:57:04 GMT

watch my newest transcendental track and video at:

http://www.myvideo.de/watch/64004

And check out MySpace for onlySound:

http://www.myspace.com/joritokyo

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

THIS MONDAY IN NY-DEEP SPACE W/ FRANCOIS K., DUB GABRIEL, UMAR BIN HASSAN (LAST POETS), SATISH!!!!

dubgabriel — Wed, 07 Jun 2006 11:26:40 GMT

Hey everyone, I just arrived back in New York to visit and to kick off a tour doing 20 shows around the United States.
For the last 8 months I have been living in Berlin and it has been a total trip.
It feels good to be back in the states and I am hoping to see all my New York friends together this Monday at Deep Space where I will be doing my only NY show.
It will be a special night doing an all-live global dub soundsystem with Last Poets legend Umar Bin Hassan, who also was on the last Common record as well as Trumpet playing madman Satish on horn and electronics.
And of course resident DJ, Francois K.
Please come and join me, catch up with good friends in a fun night!!

DEEP SPACE AND BROOKLYN MASSIVE
PRESENT
DUB GABRIEL' S BROOKLYN MASSIVE SOUNDSYSTEM (FIRST
TIME BACK IN NY SINCE MOVING TO BERLIN, DUB GABES ONLY
LIVE NY SHOW!!!! A NIGHT NOT TO MISS!!!)
FEATURING
UMAR BIN HASSAN (LAST POETS)
SATISH (TRUMPETS AND ELECTRONICS)
DUB GABRIEL (LIVE SOUNDSYSTEM)
RESIDENT DJ
FRANCOIS K.
MONDAY, JUNE 12TH
930pm (DUB GABRIEL ON AT 10PM!!!)
@
Cielo
18 Little West 12th Street
between Washington Street and 9th Avenue NYC
Admission is $10, $5 before 10pm
For additional information visit:
www.deepspacenyc.com

Step back, all ye wannabe rappers and check out one of
the originals who made hip hop possible. Before Africa
Bambaata was throwing parties in the Bronx, before
Prince Whipper Whip was rocking with the Fantastic 5
and before the Rock Steady Crew ever attempted their
first windmills, Umar Bin Hassan and the Last Poets
were making rhythm and poetry live on the streets of
Harlem.
Thirty years later a number of the more socially and
politically conscious emcees are planning a tribute
album to the Last Poets featuring Common, Dead
Prez, Chuck D, Keith Murray, Buckshot, Kanye West,
Erykah Badu and others.
Since 1999, Brooklyn Producer/DJ Dub Gabriel and Last
Poets’s founder Umar Bin Hassan have collaborated in
many ways.
First with Umar’s now legendary appearance on Dub
Gabriel’s Baraka Orchestra album, Then with Dub
Gabriel and Prof. Shehab releasing Umar’s album
produced by Bill Laswell. Gabriel’s Current album
“Bass Jihad” is a modern Middle Eastern Dub
masterpiece being compared by Billboard magazine to
Brian Eno as well as on the best of 2005 list from
many magazines and radio stations from around the
world.
The night will be a celebration of not only the return
meeting of these two artist, but also it will be the
first time Dub Gabriel is in New York since moving to
Berlin Germany 8 months ago.
This legendary night will feature Dub Gabriel\s
Brooklyn Massive soundsystem doing all live dubbing
and music creating. as well as Trumpet maestro Satish
on the dub trumpet and surprise guest!!
and of course your host and pilot for the evening on
the ones and twos Mr. Francois K.!!

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Audio Plugins advise needed

Martin — Sun, 19 Mar 2006 02:16:35 GMT

I need the following plugins:

1) Harmonizer / vocalizer : I've been looking arround for a plugin that creates a choir sound from a single voice. I've tried a few including Clone Ensemble but they all sound a bit synthetic. Could anyone recommend one?

2) Male to female voice converter: Any plugin out there that makes a male voice sound like a female voice? I've tried using pitch controls but it's not realistic enough.

3) This isn't a Plugin, but does anyone know how to burn a bunch of mp3's on to a CD / DVD in random order. It only seems possible by name, date, size etc..

Thanks! :)

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

TAX POLLUTION!!! New MASHUPS for TAX DAY!!!

®ick — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 06:35:42 GMT

TAX POLLUTION!!! New MASHUPS for TAX DAY!!!

Here's some new music MASHUPS sure to motivate you to turn in those taxes by midnight...

click on this link...
"http://www12.asphost4free.com/erecords/music.html "

Enjoy!

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

MC RAI:: ARABIC ELECTRONICA

jefstott — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 23:31:36 GMT

MC RAI :RAIVOLUTION:

ARABIC ELECTRONICA debut from
from Embarka Records

Raivolution-The debut album from singer MC RAI. A hard hitting collection of tracks that brings the underground alternative music world to the doorstep of the Sahara. The disk spans the range of styles with Arabesque bumping grooves, Raggaton, Indy Rock, Hip Hop and straight up Rock Anthems. Although the vocals are in Arabic, the emotion that comes off the music is universal and heartfelt.
Raivolution is the new generation of Arabic music.
Produced by Jef Stott, MC Rai and Omar Fadel.

Embarka Records is an artist driven music label founded by Jef Stott
(Lumin, Stellamara, Six Degrees) which provides a home for artists who are distinctive forces in the global electronica genre. Embarka seeks to bring listeners distinctive quality of production, soul satisfying performances and an intelligence of spirit where the ancient and modern can converse.
Embarka is currently the exclusive distributor of emerging North African sensation MC RAI. Raivolution is available through our website at www.embarkarecords.com as well as www.amazon.com . Downloads from Itunes and all major online retailers will be up and available very soon. Watch for national distribution in stores in early 2006.
Thank you for supporting the artists at Embarka!

www.embarkarecords.com
www.mcrai.com
www.jefstott.com

Biography:
MC Rai was born on April 5, 1977 in the southern Tunisian city of Gabes.
As a youth he was immersed in the folk music traditions of Chabi, or Mizoued as it is known in Tunisia. He began performing at an early age, and when only eight years old, he was performing live on the local radio station. In 1995, he began to turn his attention from Chabi to Rai music, and realized that he could develop a style of Rai distinct from that emanating from Algeria, and infuse it with the traits of his Tunisian music.
Over the course of his career, MC Rai has garnered considerable attention in Tunisia, as a result of regular successful performances on radio, and television. Currently he is considered a contemporary of a new generation of Rai singers, such as Faudel, Sawt-el Atlas, and Abdu. While many of his contemporaries have moved to France to garner an international audience, MC Rai chose instead to move to San Francisco, to explore the possibility of bringing Rai to the United States.
MC Rai arrived in San Francisco in August of 2000, and has since then gained much attention performing at different clubs and events throughout California. He has performed with well-known Rai musician Khaled, and appeared on stage with artists such as Bonnie Raitt and Joan Baez.
MC Rai lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

Best Lab top?

GyPsy-Nate — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 20:03:22 GMT

Has anyone reserched what is the best PC Lab top computer for music production?
I m going to be buy'in a new comp. and want it to be the best "now" so I dont have to buy a new one next year.I use a tower now but want to have it for live shows and just to take with me.Anyone?

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

author unknown

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 08:45:59 GMT

You are Loved

If you want to know how to heal, and how to become
a healing presence on this Earth, there is one simple
way: that is to know that you are loved. =Feel= how
you are loved. Know that you are absolutely worthy of
love. You will never be abandoned, not ever. You
will never be rejected, not for any reason. The love
that the universe has for you is absolutely without
conditions. You do not have to "earn" it. You do not
have to "deserve" it. You do not have to "prove"
anything. Most important of all, you do not have to
doubt your value or importance or worth to this
universe. The universe loves you without conditions,
without qualifications, and without reservations. The
love that the universe has for you is absolutely
unbounded. You can never expand your receptivity to
this love enough -- there will always be a greater love
that you can keep opening to. You are absolutely
worthy and absolutely accepted and loved and valued
and cherished by this universe. This is the essence of
healing.

If you understand and accept that you are totally
worthy and loved without reservation by this universe,
then you will naturally be a channel of this love for
others. If you doubt that you are loved, if you doubt
that you are worthy of love, if you wonder "Do I
deserve to be loved," then you cannot help but have
doubts about other people being worthy of love. If
you feel that you have to "deserve" love in order to
be loved, then you cannot help but feel that other
people must "deserve" love in order for you to love
them. If you feel that you may be rejected for your
weaknesses and imperfections and the mistakes that you
may make, then you cannot help but feel that other
people may be rejected for =their= mistakes and
=their= imperfections and weaknesses. So if you put
yourself down as not being totally worthy of love, you
re not making yourself a healing presence to others.
But by accepting love and its healing power, you
become a healer because you make it possible for other
people to begin to accept love as well..

If you know that =you= are absolutely worthy of
love, then you will have no doubts that everyone you
meet is absolutely worthy of love also. If you can
truly and fully accept the fact that =you= are loved
without reservation by the universe, then you will
know without doubt that everyone else you meet is also
loved without reservation, and you will share in that
love for them.

undertanding and acceptance of this love can never
cease to expand. As your Acceptance of this love
expands, your Acceptance of others and of the universe
will also expand. When you accept that the universe
loves you without conditions and without reservations,
then you will naturally live a love for others that is
without conditions and without reservations. YOU are
loved absolutely. This love will never be withdrawn.
That is the essence of healing.

Breathe that in...

Author unknown

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Producers/Remixers Wanted

danceofembrace — Sun, 19 Feb 2006 04:04:56 GMT

Hey there! We are a couple of musicians looking for collaborative partners of a particular kind. We have a website http://www.theholographicuniverse.com where our music can be heard. We make music on Protools and Ableton Live and we could sure use some help with editing and production. If you are interested we can send you the Protools and/or Ableton files and the audio sounds. We have many ideas and many projects in the making that we'd love to share. We are good songwriters with new concepts and philosophy in our music and could really use the music production help. We could negotiate a price per project or we are open to other ideas. Send us a message if you think we could collaborate.

Peace Inwards,
The Holographic Universe

theholographicuniverse@mail.com
http://www.theholographicuniverse.com

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

NEW FREE LIQUID STRANGER RELEASE OUT ON CANDY MIND

CANDY MIND — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 12:49:28 GMT

tjoho! We have a fresh release out from malignant grave robber Liquid Stranger. Eight superb tunes ranging from beautiful electronica to infernalia and blipp&drill&bass.

check it out on: www.candymind.com

more Liquid Stranger: www.liquidstranger.candymind.com

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

Looking for music for bodywork videos

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 15:55:52 GMT

Hello,

I'm a bodyworker looking for music for background for bodywork instructional videos.

I'm not a musician and don't know how to go about this.

Any advice greatly appreciated,

Gordon

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 3 replies

New Windsock Malodorous cut

theskunk — Sat, 19 Nov 2005 06:28:37 GMT

http://globalfunkalliance.com/music/windsock/StealinOnYaWgunz.mp3

what do you guys think? does ole windsock have a future in music production? or is it just another electronic piece of crap and he should nip his dreams in the bud...

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Trigger Finger and Reason..

kjell — Tue, 06 Sep 2005 00:56:30 GMT

So I went and bought one of those M-Audio Trigger fingers. I've been searching for a pad based controller and have heard great stuff about them. So I brought it home and plugged it up via the USB connection. It's interesting that the power supply is optional...cool, but interesting. Obviously they intend it to be run mainly USB. I primarily use an Ensoniq ASR-10 as my master, routed through a midi midi controller which is in turn run into my PC. I was assuming I would do the same with this little puppy. I am using Reason 3.0 along ReWired with Logic ( I am checking out Cubase SX as I'm pc-centric) and I had a couple questions for someone who might know...

1. I had the trigger finger connected USB, opened Reason and went to the Control Surface Selecton Menu it didn't have the trigger finger listed along with the other M Audio conttrollers like the Oxygen. Is it supposed to be like this, or should Reason recognize it proper...pic and all..?

2. What might be some advantages and disadvantages of running this primarily midi proper like my ASR10?

3. At first I didn't install the drivers it came with as it said it would be recognized by reason etc. So I went ahead and pluged it up and the PC recognized it...but not reason, or at least as mentioned above....I had to select a generic listing in the control surface section. I went back and installed the drivers and nothing really changed. Any thoughts?

4. Anyone have any thoughts on the software included with the trigger finger for librarying sounds and presets?

Thanks much all, hopefully someone else out there can help shed a little light on this for me...

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

Abelton Set From Kraddy - Glitch Hop/Breaks

kraddy — Fri, 30 Sep 2005 15:32:55 GMT

For all the lovers of glitch, this mix is for you.

It includes tracks from Kraddy, SOTEG, Lawgiverz, Lorin, edIT, and Jnr Hacksaw.
Glitch hop remixes and tweaky breaks that will infest your brain with nanospiders.

www.kraddyodaddy.com/audio/kraddy_livemix.mp3

Here's the tracklisting:

bellydancer : lorin + kraddy
conscious : kraddy
next episode rmx : kraddy
mos beautiful : kraddy
faux show : kraddy
dangerous rmx : kraddy
get ur freak on : edIT
akbar beat : soteg
property : kraddy
forgot about dre rmx : kraddy
godzilla : kraddy
ocill8 : jnr hacksaw
end of six : soteg
tunnel : lawgiverz
no turn unstoned: jnr hacksaw

Go to www.kraddyodaddy.com to join my mailing list
_______
Also be sure to check out all the artists on the mix - they all do some damage to the synapes:

SOTEG :: www.blessrecords.com ::

Lorin :: www.bassnectar.net ::

edIT :: www.myspace.com/edIT ::

Jnr Hacksaw :: www.jnrhacksaw.com ::

Lawgiverz :: www.trigger.uk.net ::

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

New in the Tribe - Cuir Bleu

pixie_bleu — Thu, 14 Apr 2005 00:34:41 GMT

Hi, I'm just joining - time to get connected with other artists, producers & all, so Hi to everyone!

I'm the Lead Singer… Vocalist/Lyricist... Dancer… for a Bay Area electronic rock band, Cuir Bleu. We have been together for three years and will shortly be releasing our first full-length album, Blue Leather, on Asylum Arts (our Indie Label). For a description of our music, free downloads, photos and all that cool stuff, you can check out the band’s website at www.cuirbleu.com – so I won’t list it all here. Please feel free to give feedback on the site, too - I created it, and it’s a work in progress!

Mostly, this band is about making my dreams come true. I’ve wanted to do this for as long as I can remember, and it’s an amazing feeling to actually be doing it! I have been a singer and songwriter for most of my life (before I could write down my own lyrics, according to my parents). My great joy is in performing - the bigger the crowd the better, though I take my profession seriously and always give good show, even when it's sparse.

As far as the "Introduce yourself" list... I'm interested in many aspects of the music business (yes, even the business part) - and I like the idea of getting paid for my opinion! I have lots of opinions...

I hope that gives you a bit of background on me. Feel free to ask questions or just say Hi, hit the site, check out my profile or whatever. I’m looking forward to exchanging ideas and info!

~ Pixie

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 3 replies

Commercial writers/producers

Mac — Wed, 07 Sep 2005 16:24:04 GMT

Im hearing some real cool stuff in this tribe. I'd love to hear from people who write/produce mainstreem pop/rnb with electronic influences.

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Why file sharing is so popular.....

AUDIOMIND — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 02:49:59 GMT

Just some of the reasons why p2p is a friend to the indie and just a few more of the many reasons why the big record companies are going the way of the dinosaurs.

CD Price fixing class action [antitrust] lawsuit against the big music labels settled:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-cd-settlement.htm
http://www.musiccdsettlement.com/english/default.htm

The full suit can be downloaded here(quite interesting I may add)
http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2000/aug/aug08a_00_attach.pdf

And just in case you weren't sure how the music industry works (and why we are inundated with lackluster crap advertised on the knob.....errrr, i mean 'played' on the radio by big manufactured label artists)!!

We've all known for a long time that contemporary pop music stinks. We hear "hits" on the radio and wonder, "How can this be?" Now we know. And memos from both Sony's Columbia and Epic Records senior vice presidents of promotions circa 2002-2003 — whose names are redacted in the reports but are well known in the industry — spell out who to pay and what to pay them in order to get the company's records on the air.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,163537,00.html

Recording industry titan Sony BMG Music Entertainment agreed Monday to pay $10 million and stop bribing radio stations to feature its artists in what a state official called a more sophisticated generation of the payola scandals of decades ago.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/25/AR2005072501025.html?sub=AR

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

Tweaks for Optimizing your PC for Audio in Windows

AUDIOMIND — Wed, 10 Aug 2005 15:08:54 GMT

Just because you buy a computer with the latest specs, doesn’t mean you’ll get the best performing PC, especially when it comes to audio. There are certain configurations and settings that can make your PC optimal for audio work.

PLEASE NOTE: The following tips are only suggestions that I have tried on my PC. They are not requirements. Just because they work for me, doesn’t automatically mean they will work for you. I will not be held responsible for any damage they may cause if you do something incorrectly. Try these suggestions at your own risk.

TWO DRIVES ARE BETTER
The first thing I did to boost my PC’s performance was to add a second hard drive just for audio data. So now my C drive contains Windows and all my software, and my D drive contains only the audio data from my projects. This allows my audio software to access the audio data much more quickly.

Of course I also had to ‘tell’ my software where to find the data. In Cakewalk’s Sonar, this meant moving my WaveData folder to the second hard drive. And then in Sonar, choosing Options > Audio > Advanced, and entering the new folder location in the Data Directory parameter. For Steinberg’s Cubase, you would need to move your Audio Files Folder. To find out the name of the current folder, in Cubase choose Options > Audio Setup > Audio Files Folder. Take note of the folder, and then move it to the new drive using Windows Explorer. In Cubase, choose Options > Audio Setup > Audio Files Folder again, and this time select the new folder location.

AUDIO DRIVE FORMATTING
When configuring the second hard drive, I made sure to set up the drive using the FAT 32 file system, which (to me) seems faster than NTFS (although I haven’t done extensive testing). Please refer to the Windows Help on how to set up your drive using FAT 32.

I also used a special formatting command that would create bigger hard drive data clusters. Larger clusters allow the data to be read and written faster. Here’s how I formatted the drive:

1) In Windows, choose Start > Programs > MS-DOS Prompt. (WinXP users choose All Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt)
2) At the C:\WINDOWS> prompt, I entered FORMAT D:/Z:64 and pressed Enter on my computer keyboard. (WinXP users should enter FORMAT D:/A:64)

I just followed the prompts after that and Windows formatted my drive accordingly.

TURN AUTO RUN OFF
Windows likes to scan the CD drive continuously to see if a CD has been inserted, allowing programs to run automatically. This can possibly cause disruptions in audio recording and playback. I disabled it as follows:

1) Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties.
2) Click the Device Manager tab.
3) Double-click on the CDROM listing.
4) Double-click on your CD-ROM drive shown in the list under CDROM.
5) Click the Settings tab.
6) Deactivate the Auto Insert Notification option and click OK.
7) Repeat for all CD drives you have in your system.

For WinXP users, the procedure is different:

1) Choose Start > My Computer.
2) Right-click on your CD-ROM drive and choose Properties.
3) Click on the AutoPlay tab.
4) Choose a file type from the drop-down list.
5) Activate the Select An Action To Perform option.
6) Choose Take No Action.
7) Repeat steps 4 through 6 for each file type in the drop-down list.

TYPICAL ROLE OF THIS PC
(WinXP users can skip this one) I’m not sure if any significant performance increase is provided by this Windows change, but I’ve made the change on my system none-the-less. Supposedly, by ‘telling’ Windows how your PC will be used determines the priority of hard drive access. So by specifying your PC as a Network Server, Windows will give hard drive access a higher priority. Here’s how to do it:

1) Right-click My Computer and choose Properties.
2) Click on the Performance tab and then on the File System button.
3) Click on the Hard Disk tab.
4) Choose Network Server for the Typical Role Of This Computer parameter.
5) Click OK.

LIMIT VIRTUAL MEMORY
Windows uses a swap file on your hard drive when it doesn’t have enough physical memory to run its operations. Usually, the size of the swap file is changed on-the-fly, which can cause excess disk access (a definite no-no on an audio PC). So to specify an exact size for the swap file (thus stopping the on-the-fly resizing and providing better audio performance), do the following:

1) (WinXP users choose Start first) Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties.
2) Click on the Performance tab and then on the Virtual Memory button. (WinXP users click on the Advanced tab, then click on the Settings button in the Performance section, then click the Advanced tab, and finally click the Change button in the Virtual Memory section)
3) Choose the Let Me Specify My Own Virtual Memory Settings option. (WinXP users choose the Custom Size option)
4) In the Hard Disk drop-down list, choose a location for the virtual memory swap file. This should be the same drive on which you have Windows installed. You probably won't have to change this setting. (WinXP users can skip step 4)
5) For the Minimum and Maximum parameters enter the same value. The value should be anywhere from 2 to 4 times the amount of physical memory you have installed in your computer. Try going with 2 times at first. The higher the number you use the more disk space you need for the swap file. For example, if you have 128MB of memory installed in your computer, you can try a value of 256 for both the Minimum and Maximum parameters. (WinXP users enter values for the Initial Size and Maximum Size parameters accordingly)
6) Click OK.
7) Click Yes. (WinXP users can skip step 7)

CRACK DOWN ON FILE CACHING
(WinXP users can skip this one) In an attempt to make reading and writing disk drive data more efficient, Windows uses a cache to store some disk data in RAM. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work well at all for audio data, and can actually cause problems. So to limit the file caching, do the following:

1) In Windows, choose Start > Run.
2) Type SYSEDIT in the Open field, and click OK to open the System Configuration Editor.
3) Click on the Window showing the SYSTEM.INI file.
4) Scroll down to find the section labeled [vcache].
5) Directly beneath the [vcache] heading type the following:
MaxFileCache=8192
MinFileCache=8192
6) Choose File > Exit to close the System Configuration Editor, and choose YES if asked to save changes.

OTHER BASIC TWEAKS
There are a few other basic Windows parameters you can adjust to make things run more smoothly. One such thing is the system sounds. You really don’t need them, and they can be distracting when working with audio and music. To disable them, do the following (see below for WinXP):

1) Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.
2) Double-click the Sounds applet.
3) In the Sounds Properties dialog box, choose No Sounds in the Schemes drop-down list.
4) Click OK.

WinXP users do the following:

1) Choose Start > Control Panel.
2) Click the Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices category.
3) Under Pick A Task, choose Change The Sound Scheme.
4) In the Sound Scheme drop-down list, choose No Sounds.
5) Click OK.

Other nuisances you don’t need are the various Windows Effects and the Active Desktop. To disable these, do the following (see below for WinXP):

1) Right-click on the Windows Desktop and choose Properties.
2) Click on the Effects tab.
3) Deactivate all the options in this dialog box.
4) Click on the Web tab.
5) Deactivate the View My Active Desktop As A Web Page option.
6) Click OK.

WinXP users do the following:

1) Choose Start. Then right-click on My Computer and choose Properties.
2) Click the Advanced tab.
3) Click the Settings button in the Performance section.
4) Under the Visual Effects tab, choose the Adjust For Best Performance option.
5) Click OK.

Other tweaks you should perform are to turn off any background processes that are hogging resources. Here are just a few:

1- Turn off your screensaver.
2- Adjust the power settings of your monitor [Right Click on Desktop and select Properties and select advanced or settings tab under screen saver/monitor.] The Power Scheme should be Always On and all the settings underneath this power scheme should read ‘NEVER’.
3- Turn off and/or shut down all of your virus/spyware protection programs and/or the Internet in general.

One additional tweak I've found helpful (excluding hardware upgrades like faster disk drives or additional RAM) is to ensure that the "DMA" option is checked for every disk drive on the IDE bus (including CD-ROM and CD writers).

Go to Control Panel/System/Device Manager/Disk Drives, and look at the settings for each of the IDE drives. DMA (direct memory access) enables the audio software to access the hard disk directly without going through the CPU. This makes a vital difference in multi-track audio recording.

Hope you all find that these tips are helpful. Please check some other fine links below as well.

If you are using Windows XP, this site is awesome for optimizing your PC for audio.
http://www.musicxp.net

If you're setting up a new system, this entire guide is highly recommended; go to TASCAM's web site at this address:
http://www.tascamgiga.com/pdf/optimizing-xp-and-2k.pdf

If you have windows 98, I sincerely suggest upgrading just as I did a couple years back. You will certainly pull out less hair in the long run, because the blue screen of death will almost cease to exist.

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

New Tracks uploaded!

GyPsy-Nate — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 23:35:33 GMT

I got 'em uploaded for your pleasure!
Please write back and let me know what you think!http://www.myspace.com/gypsynate

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

engineers

lordpyro — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 02:47:10 GMT

does anyody know of any good engineers that are really good at mixing breaks tracks? I dont mean mixing like the sonic wizardry the DJs on this tribe do..I mean mixing like an audio engineer...I know that a good engineer is a good engineer but I was hoping for someonw who is familiar with the genre...

if that was clear already I apologize!

you can also email me directly at lordpyro@gmail.com

peace

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 3 replies

Vocoding the hard way

Reactor — Sun, 29 May 2005 17:18:27 GMT

Hi people,

I'm Dave the singer in the band Reactor. The last track on our debut album is a dark and bendy vocoder epic called 'Reaching Out'. It uses the traditional 'voice through chords' vocoder technique with one crucial difference. All the notes in the chords are independent lines which bend in different directions to make the chord changes. It's very trippy!

www.reactor-site.com/clips/reactor_reachingout_clip.mp3
(1Mb)

You can buy the album and get loads of free stuff at www.reactorsite.com (video, mp3s, sampled instruments, gallery etc)

Hope you like it!

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

DUB GABRIEL RECORD RELEASE PARTY 6/1 JOE'S PUB NYC W/ DR. ISRAEL, DESMOND WILLIAMS, DIGITAL TUBBY, INFINITY, DUB GABRIEL

dubgabriel — Sun, 15 May 2005 00:59:55 GMT

This week I am very excited to announce that the new album “BASS JIHAD” has entered the top 10 in the world music CMJ radio charts beating out some of my heroes like the Congos, Dub Syndicate and the legendary Celia Cruz (I’m not worthy!!!)
http://www.cmj.com/industry/chart_preview.php?id=6
Also, keep an eye out for record reviews and features coming out in Billboard, XLR8R, Paste, NY Press and LA Weekly.
Unfortunately, Brooklyn Massive Warehouse party has been postponed, but all steam ahead for the record release party @ Joe’s Pub here in New York on June 1st.
This promises to be one of the best Dub shows of the year featuring Dr. Israel who is the latest member to join the legendary Praxis with Bill Laswell, DJ Krush, Buckethead & Brain as well as will have a new album coming out soon on Roir Records.
Desmond Williams who has worked with the likes of Dub legend Scientist, Thievery Corporation and his own amazing records.
Digital Tubby, Nephew of the legendary King Tubby and an amazing producer in his own rite bring the Dub Royalty to the next generation.
And Dub Poet Infinity whose work with Francois K in the past 2 years has put him up next to legends like U-Roy and Mutaburuka.
It will be a night not to miss, when we bring a full sonic sound of low-end theories when these Dub Shamans hit the stage at Joe’s Pub.
The new record is now available at www.amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0008FPJ8K/qid=1115821198/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-1390778-8979832?v=glance&s=music&n=507846
as well as Downtown Music Gallery
http://search2.downtownmusicgallery.com/Searching/WWW_DMG_Search.cgi#results
and fine record shops through out North America.

June 1st
BROOKLYN MASSIVE, AZRA RECORDS & JOE’S PUB
PRESENT
RECORD RELEASE PARTY FOR
DUB GABRIEL
PRESENTING HIS NEW RECORD
“BASS JIHAD”

MUSIC BY
DUB GABRIEL (AZRA RECORDS)
DR. ISRAEL’S BROOKLYN JUNGLE SOUNDSYSTEM (Praxis/Roir Records)
DESMOND WILLIAMS (18TH STREET LOUNGE)
DIGITAL TUBBY (NEPHEW OF KING TUBBY/ROIR RECORDS)

PLUS SPECIAL GUEST
DUB POET INFINITY

SHOW TIME 11PM
$10

JOE’S PUB
@
The Joseph Papp Public Theater
425 Lafayette Street
Between East 4th and Astor Place in
New York's East Village
Call 212.254.1263 for further information

WWW.DUBGABRIEL.NET
WWW.AZRARECORDS.COM
WWW.JOESPUB.COM
WWW.DESMONDWILLIAMS.NET

WHAT THE REVIEWS ARE SAYING!!!!!!!

SMOTHER.NET
Blending urban sounds of dub with ethnic complex rhythms, Dub Gabriel’s “Bass Jihad” is a relentless assault on your body—you will have to dance the entire length of the album. Personally I love dub, though for a lot of folks it’s an acquired taste that most unfortunately aren’t willing to develop. But if you’re ever interested in hearing some of the best dub out there you must pick up this essential album. The songs swirl about in this cerebral musical landscape that boasts tremendous space while not feeling like it’s missing something. Production-wise the album is jaw-dropping with its low-end frequencies perfectly tweaked for even the worst speakers out there. I can’t complement this album enough; you have to hear it for yourself!
http://www.smother.net/reviews/techno.php3?ID=316

PASTE MAGAZINE
4 stars
Educated in the Laswellian school of bass-heavy
deconstruction,Brooklyn-based producer/DJ/four-stringer Dub Gabriel returns with another exploration of Arabic-leaning landscapes tuned to the sound of his namesake.
A confluence of warlike rhythms (hence the album
title) are ingeniously layered by an analog flurry of percussion, mizmar(reed pipe) and ney(Turkish flute). The 11-track record plays like a Kubrickian soundtrack
for future societies where all the world’s instruments are thrown into one circle and the orgy is conducted by none other than the archangel Gabriel himself.

DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY
This is my man Dub Gabriel's second solo effort and again he's got it down. Our hero has worked with Bill Laswell, Qaballah Steppers, Baraka Orchestra and Samara Sound System. His first solo disc, 'Ascend' from last year was one of the few great dub efforts I've heard in recent memory. He is back again with a little help from Mark Deutsch on bazantar (an acoustic bass-like invention), Subluna on didgeridoo, Fred Stubbs on ney, Ahad Nazarzadeh on saz and a couple of MC's Young Sand and Khalil. Dub Gabriel is a strong producer, always doing an enchanting job of layering a swirling array of exotic percussion, cosmic snaking-charming double reeds, thick bass and mesmerizing echoed guitars and keyboards. This swell, sly music is mostly instrumental, the groove and ambiance always intoxicating. The occasional vocal bits are often sampled and used like another tasty ingredient in this mysterious and delectable stew. Yo Dub-mon, this sh*t is pretty ripe, supremely righteous and completely groovy! Word! – BLG
http://search2.downtownmusicgallery.com/Searching/WWW_DMG_Search.cgi#results

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

EMP Workshop in a Transylvanian castle!!!

styx — Thu, 05 May 2005 21:53:13 GMT

check www.transylvaniacalling.com for infos

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

A TON OF TIPS ABOUT HOW TO CALL MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR MUSIC

AUDIOMIND — Fri, 08 Apr 2005 15:33:27 GMT

Do not EVER say that I've never giving you anything..........

BELOW ARE A BUNCH OF TIPS ABOUT HOW TO CALL MORE ATTENTION TO YOUR MUSIC.

They're really meant as individual "thought of the day" things. Eating them all at once could make you sick. So instead, go through this one long article slowly. Get inspired and undertake some crazy ideas. They'll work and excite you. Then on the following week you'll try another and another…..and everyone will ask you why you're so lucky.

IMPORTANT: Nothing here is telling you to be something you're not. The goal is to turn up the volume on who you really are so the world can hear it. Never forget you're an artist. And part of an artist's job is to call attention to what they're creating. A toothbrush in the sink isn't art. A toothbrush mounted on a wall, with a spotlight on it and a room full of people paying attention to it, is art.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### BIG STRATEGIES #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

CALL THE DESTINATION AND ASK FOR DIRECTIONS.

Work backwards.

Define your goal (your final destination) - then contact someone who's been there and ask how to get there.

Know a magazine you think you should be in? Call their main number, ask for the editorial department and ask someone in the editorial dept. if they would recommend their three favorite publicists. Write down the publicists' names and thank the nice editorial person for their time. (Don't waste their time asking for the publicists' contact info. You can find that on the web.) Then call each publicist and try to get their attention.

Know a radio station you should be on? Call them and ask for the music director. Ask if they could recommend a few good radio promoters. Call the radio promoters they recommend and try to get their attention.

Know a venue you should be playing? Bring a nice box of fancy German cookies to the club booker and ask for just 5 minutes of their time. Ask them what criteria must be met in order for them to take a chance on an act. Ask what booking agents they recommend or if they recommend using one at all. Again, keep your meeting as short as possible. Get the crucial info and leave them alone.
(That is until you're back….headlining their club one day!)

In other words: Call the destination and ask for directions!

You'll get there much faster than just blindly walking out your front door, hoping you arrive someday.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

PUT YOUR FANS TO WORK.

You know those loyal few people who are in the front row every time you perform? You know those people that sat down to write you an Email to exclaim how much they love your music? You know that guy that said, "Hey if you ever need anything - just ask!"

Put them to work!

Often people who reach out like that are looking for a connection in this world. Looking for a higher cause. They want to feel they have some other purpose than their stupid accounting job.

You may be the best thing in their life.

You can break someone out of their drab life as an assistant sales rep for a manufacturing company. You might be the coolest thing that ever happened to a teenager going through an unpopular phase. You can give them a mission!

If they are a fan of your music, invite them over for pizza to spend a night doing a press kit mailing to colleges. Go hit the town together, putting concert flyers on telephone poles. Have them drive a van full of friends to your gig an hour away. Have the guts to ask that "email fan" if she'd be into going through the Indie Contact Bible and sending your presskit to 20 magazines a week.

Soon you can send them out on their own, to spread the gospel message of your amazing music, one promo project at a time. Eventually, as you grow, these people can be the head of "street teams" of 20+ people, in any city, that go promote you like mad each time you have a concert or a new CD.

Those of us who are busy people may think, "Why would anyone do this slave work?" There are plenty of people out there with time on their hands that want to spend it on something besides TV.

Don't forget that to most people, the music business is pure magic. It's Hollywood. It's glitter and fame and fantastically romantic. Working with you might be the closest they might get to that magical world of music. Give someone the chance to be on the inside circle.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

PHOTOS OF YOUR AUDIENCE ON YOUR WEBSITE.

This is the secret trick in getting people in the audience to sign your mailing list AND to become a part of your ‘inside club’.

1. At every show you do, from now on, bring a camera and a notebook.

2. About halfway through your show, when everyone is having fun, take pictures of the audience, from the stage. Tell them to smile……make a face……hold up their beer…….whatever.

3. Afterwards, pass around the notebook and say, "Please write down your email address in this notebook and in a few days I'll email you, telling you where you can see YOUR goofy picture on my website."

4. At the end of the night, before bed, write up a journal/diary/memoir of that show. Scan and upload all the pictures onto a page of your website. Dedicate a page of your site about that show with the diary, photos, and a little link on that page that says, "If you were at this show, please introduce yourself!" – so people will contact you.

5. Email everyone that was there that night. Of course most everyone will go look at your site. How could they not? People are infinitely more interested in themselves than they are in you.

6. Stay in touch with them all!

(p.s. The other hidden idea in this is to make every show a Real Event. A Big Deal and something worth documenting. This will get you out of the habit of thinking of it as "just another gig."….because for many of your fans, it's not. It's the most fun they've had all month.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

GO WHERE THE FILTERS ARE

Have you been filtered? If not, you should start now. (Huh?)

With the Internet, there are more "media outlets" than anyone can digest. A site like IUMA.COM has 150,000 artists on there. Many of them are crap. People in the music biz get piles of CDs in the mail everyday from amateurs and many of them are also crap.

But you're not crap, are you? No! Sooooo prove it! Don't just sit in the bin with the rest.

You need to go through filters. Places that reject many artists, while only letting the best of the best pass through. As long as you're good (really good) - what you want are MORE filters! More obstacles... More hurdles...

Because these things weed out the "bad" music. Or the music that isn't ready. Or the people that aren’t dedicated.

If you REALLY BELIEVE in your music, have the confidence to put yourself into those places where MOST people get rejected. (Radio, magazines, big venues, agents, managers, record labels, promoters...) Because each gate you get through puts you in finer company. ("The best of the best")

……And you'll find many more opportunities open to you once you've earned your way through a few gates.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

EXTREME RESULTS = EXTREME ACTIONS.

You don't get extreme talent, fame or success without extreme actions.

Be less leisurely.

Throw yourself into this entirely.

Find what you love and let it kill you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

IF THIS IS DRAINING YOUR ENERGY, PLEASE STOP!

"Whatever scares you, go do It." <-- one of my favorite slogans

If something scares you in an excited way, (something that *gives* you energy) - that's a good sign.

BUT IF SOMETHING IS MAKING YOU MISERABLE AND DRAINING YOUR ENERGY, PLEASE STOP.

Life is telling you that is not the path for you.

Please don't make this mistake.

If anything I'm talking about here makes you weary instead of wired, just don't do it! Stick with what excites you. That's where you'll find your success.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

HAVE SOMEONE WORK THE INSIDE OF THE INDUSTRY

I prefer to ignore the music industry.

Maybe you're happy on the outside of the biz. (I know I am.)

But if you want to tour with major-label artists, be on the cover of national magazines, be in good rotation on the biggest radio stations in town, or get onto MTV [haha], you're going to have to have someone working the inside of the biz.

Someone who loves it. Someone who is loved by it. Someone persuasive who gets things done 10x times faster than you ever could. Someone who's excited enough about it that they would never get discouraged.

LOVE your love of making music. You wouldn't just "stop" making music because you didn't get a record deal, would you? Then you need to find someone who's equally passionate about the business side of music, and particularly the business side of YOUR music.

It IS possible. There are lots of people in this world.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BE A NOVICE MARKETER, NOT AN EXPERT.

Get to the point of being a novice marketer/promoter/agent. Then hand it to an expert.

Moby, the famous techno artist, says the main reason for his success was that he found experts to do what they're best at, instead of trying to do it himself.

(Paraphrased:) "Instead of trying to be a booking agent, publicist, label and manager, I put my initial energy into finding and impressing the best agent, publicist, label, and manager……And I just kept making lots of the best music I could."

If you sense you are becoming an expert figure out what your real passions in life are and act accordingly. Maybe you're a better publicist than bassist. Maybe you're a better bassist than publicist. Maybe it's time to admit your weakness as a booking agent, and hand it off to someone else. Maybe it's time to admit your genius as a booking agent, and commit to it full-time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### THINK OF EVERYTHING FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

CONSTANTLY ASK, "WHAT DO THEY REALLY WANT?"

Want to know the basic rule of marketing and promoting your music?

Constantly ask, "What do THEY really want?"
(With "they" being anyone you are trying to reach)

Think hard and don't take this one lightly.

Thinking of everything from the other person's point of view is a seeeerious Jedi mind trick. If done right it will elevate you into the clouds, along with a few select immortal beings.

Every time you lift up the phone. Every time you write an Email. Every time you send out a presskit.

Think about why people in the music industry are REALLY working this job. Try to imagine them as just a well-meaning human being who is probably overworked, underpaid and looking for a little happiness in the world and likes music (or the music world itself) enough to do what they do, even though they could be doing something else.

Think what their Email "Inbox” must look like and how it would be unwise for you to send them an email with the subject of "hey" followed by a 7-page Email detailing your wishes for success.

Think about what people are REALLY looking for when they go out to a club to hear music. For some people, it's just a way to be seen, to increase their popularity. For some, they're searching for some music that does something completely original and mind-blowing. Some are looking for total visual entertainment.

Nobody owes you his or her attention. Not your audience. Not a person you happened to call or Email. Not even the music industry.

Let go of your ego entirely. Think of everything from their point of view. Be their dream come true. Do what they really want.

(This even spirals down to the smallest levels: what kind of phone message you leave, what kind of cover letter you write in a package, what kind of subject header you put in your email.)

And maybe, just maybe, after being a little bitch for a little while, they'll be or do exactly what you want!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

REACH THEM LIKE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE REACHED.

Reach people like you would want to be reached.

Would you rather have someone call you up in a dry business monotone and start speaking a script like a telemarketer?

Or would you rather have someone be a cool person, a real person?

When you contact people, no matter how it's done (phone, email, mail, face-to-face) - show a little spunk. Stand apart from the crowd.

If it sounds like they have a moment and aren't in a major rush, entertain them a bit. Ask about their day and expect a real answer. Talk about something non-business for a minute or two.

Or - if they sound hectic, skip the "how are you", skip the long introduction, ask your damn question and move out of the way.

This means you must know your exact question before you contact them, just in case that ultra-quick situation is needed.

Reach them like you would want to be reached. Imagine what kind of phone call or Email YOU would like to get.

If you're contacting fans, imagine what kind of flyer they would like to get in their mailbox. Something dull and "just the facts" – or something a little twisted, creative, funny, entertaining and unique? Something corporate or something artistic?

This is a creative decision on your part. Every contact you make with the people around your music (fans and industry) is an extension of your art. If you make depressing, morose, acoustic music, maybe you should send your fans a dark brown-and-black little understated flyer that's depressing just to look at. Set the tone. Pull in those people who love that kind of thing. Proudly alienate those that don't.

If you're an in-your-face, tattooed, country-metal-speedpunk band, have the guts to call a potential booking agent and scream, "Listen you motherfucker! I'm going to explode! Ah! Aaaaaaah!!!" If they like that introduction, you've found a good match.

Be different. (Even if it's just in your remarkable efficiency.)

Everyone wants a little change in their day.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT YOU. DON'T ASSUME ANYTHING.

People will always and forever ask you, "What kind of music do you do?"

Musicians often say, "All styles, really….."

If the stranger you said that to happens to be a fan of African music, watch out! You better combine the polyrhythmic drumming of West Africa with the rich vocal harmonies of South Africa, with the microtonal reeds of Northeast Africa. And if they have any awareness of the rest of the world, then your CD better combine rage-rap, country linedancing, Chinese opera, ambient techno trance, Hungarian folk songs, and the free jazz of Ornette Coleman. (Hey - you said "all styles", didn't you?)

This example is extreme, but constantly remember: people know nothing about you, or your background or where you're coming from. If you say you sound "totally unique" - then you had better not have any chords, drums, guitars, words or any sounds that have ever been made in the history of music.

When you speak to the world, you are speaking to strangers from all kinds of backgrounds and tastes.

Open your mind. Realize you don't sound like all styles and that you're not totally 100% unique. Do them a favor. Don't assume anything. Say what it is you sound like. Narrow it down a bit.

If you do this in a creative way, ("We sound like the Incredible Hulk having sex.") - you can intrigue people and make them want your CD or want to come to your next show. Whereas if you had said, "Everything" - then you might not make a fan.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

WHAT HAS WORKED ON YOU?

Any time you're trying to influence people to do something, think what has worked on/for YOU in the past.

Are you trying to get people to buy your CD? Write down the last 20 CDs you bought, and then for each one…write down what made you buy it.

Did you ever buy a CD because of a matchbook, postcard, or 30-second web soundclip? What worked? (Reviews, word-of-mouth, live show?)

Write down your top 10 favorite artists of all time and a list of what made you discover each one and then become a fan.

Here's where it gets heavy: Ask your friends to answer these same questions…..

You'll end up with a "how-to" list, giving you 100 ideas for how to make people a lifelong fan of your music.

P.S. This goes beyond music. Which TV ads made you buy something? What anonymous Emails made you click a link and check out a website? Which flyers or radio ads made you go see a live show by someone you had never heard?

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO TARGET. #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

BAD TARGETING EXAMPLE: ‘PROGRESSIVE ROCKER TARGETTING TEENYBOPPER’

Say you are an amazing heavy-progressive-metal band…..and in the ‘search keywords’ section (asking for three artists you sound like) of a website you write, "britney spears, ricky martin, jennifer lopez, backstreet boys, mp3, sex, free"….one has to ask “What the hell are you thinking?”

Do you want to turn up in people's search engines at any cost.

But for what? And for who?

Do you really want a Britney Spears fan to get "tricked" into finding your dark-progressive-metal record? Would that 13-year-old girl actually spend the 25 minutes to download your 10-minute epic, "Confusing Mysteries of Hell"? If she did, would she buy his CD?

Have the confidence to target the REAL fans of his music.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU DON'T SAY WHAT YOU SOUND LIKE, YOU WON'T BUILD ANY FANS.

A person asks you, "What kind of music do you do?"
Musicians usually say, "All styles. Everything."

That person then asks, "So who do you sound like?"
Musicians usually say, "Nobody. We're totally unique. Like nothing you've ever heard before."

What does that person do? Nothing. They might make a vague promise to check you out sometime. Then they walk on and forget about you!
Why??? Because you didn't arouse their curiosity! You violated a HUGE rule of self-promotion! Bad bad bad!

What if you had said, "It's 70's porno-funk music being played by men from Mars." Or... "This CD is a delicate little kiss on your earlobe from a pink-winged pixie." Or... "We sound like a cross between AC/DC and Tom Jones." Or... "It's deep-dancing reggae that magically places palm trees and sand wherever it is played and grooves so deep it makes all non-dancers get drunk on imaginary island air, while dancing in the sand."

Any one of these and you've got their interest.

Get yourself a magic key phrase that describes what you sound like. Try out a few different ones until you see which one gets the best reaction from strangers. Use it and have it ready at a moment's notice. It doesn't have to narrow down what you do at all. Any of those three examples I used above could morph into anything.

And that's just the point - if you have a magic phrase that describes your music in curious but vague terms you can make total strangers start wondering about you.

But whatever you do, stay away from the words "everything", "nothing", "all styles", and "totally unique".

Say something!!!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

PROUDLY EXCLUDE SOME PEOPLE.

Proudly say what you're NOT: "If you like Celine Dion, you'll hate us." ...and people who hate Celine Dion will love you. (Or at least give you a chance.)

You can't please everyone in this world, so go ahead and recklessly leave out people.

Almost act like you're the doorman at an exclusive club that plays only your music. Maybe you wouldn't let in anyone wearing a suit. Maybe you wouldn't let in anyone without a suit! ……But know who you are and have the confidence that somewhere out there, there's a little niche of people that would like your brand of music. It may only be 1% of the population, but 1% of the world is 20 million people!

Gladly and Noisily leave out 99% of the world. When someone in your target 1% hears you excluding the part of the population they already feel alienated from they'll be drawn to you.

Write down a list of artists who you don't like and whose fans probably wouldn't like you. Use that.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

THE MOST EXPENSIVE VODKA

There is a vodka company that advertises itself as The Most Expensive Vodka You Can Buy.

I'll bet they're very successful with it. It's almost a dare. (And it proudly excludes people!) Other companies are all trying to find ways to be the cheapest and someone had the guts to decide that they were going to do exactly the opposite of everyone else.

There are some people who read the Billboard charts, and try to imitate the current trends and styles.

I suggest, even as an experiment, strongly declaring that you are something totally UN-trendy - the opposite from what everyone else wants or is trying to be.

Perhaps you could advertise your live show as, "The most boring concert you'll ever see."

Perhaps you want to call your music, "The most un-catchy, difficult to remember, un-danceable music you've ever heard."

Or tell the music industry, "This music has no hit potential whatsoever."

I'll bet you get their attention.

It's almost a dare.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

IF YOU TARGET SHARP ENOUGH, YOU WILL OWN YOUR NICHE

Let's say you've decided that your style of music should be proudly called "powerpop".

Say, "We're powerpop!" in the very first sentence or paragraph on all of your marketing materials. Configure your Email address to be "powerpop@yahoo.com" Name your album title "Powerpop Drip and Drop" Have your license plate on your band’s van say "POWRPOP"!

Well then.…..when someone comes into a record store and says they like/want powerpop, guess what they are going to told to buy?

Have the confidence to find your niche, define who you are and then declare it again and again and again and again. If you do it persistently enough, you will OWN that niche. People will not be able to imagine that niche without you.

(You can try to make your own, if you're brave. You might be "the best techno-opera artist in the world".)

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### GRAB PEOPLE'S ATTENTION, SENSES AND EMOTIONS. #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

TOUCH AS MANY OF THEIR SENSES AS YOU CAN.

The more senses you touch in someone, the more they'll remember you.

BEST: A live show, with you sweating right on top of everyone, with the PA system pounding their chest, with the smell of the smoky club and the flashing lights.

WORST: an email. a single web page. a review in a magazine with no photo.

(Let's say that "emotions" are one of the senses.)

Whenever possible try to reach as many senses as possible. Have an amazing photo of yourself or your band, while convincing every reviewer to put that photo next to the review of your album.

Send videos with your presskit. Play live shows often. Understand the power of radio to make people hear your music instead of just hearing about it.

Get onto any TV shows you can. Scent your album with patchouli oil. Make your songs and productions truly emotional instead of merely catchy.

(Touching their emotions is like touching their body. If you do it, you'll be remembered.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

NEVER USE CORPORATE-SPEAK

Don't try to sound pro or use industry catch phrases.

Would you do that to a friend?

Your fans are your friends. Speak to them like real people.

Write every letter or email as if it were to a good friend. From you to your best friend Beth.

Even if it's going out to 10,000 people…….

----------------------------------------------------------------------

LEAVE 'EM WANTING MORE

What's more appealing?

Someone holding a carrot in front of your face, then pull it back towards them slowly?

Or someone shoving 50 carrots in your mouth?

Brian Eno says the best thing you can do is to bring people to the point where they start searching. Not so plain or obvious that there's nothing left to the imagination but not so cryptic that they give up.

Give people just enough to pull them in, but make them want more. Make them go searching for clues, or details, or explanations or "more of what you just gave me."

----------------------------------------------------------------------
##### ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE. WHAT CHARACTER ARE YOU? #####
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

IMAGINE A PLAY WITH 1000 ACTORS ON STAGE.

Imagine you're in the audience of a play. Big theater. Opera house.

Imagine there are one thousand actors on stage.

Which ones would stand out? Which ones would you remember?

It's not always going to be the loudest or most hyperactive.

Maybe you'd be drawn into the misty-blue woman with the long black hair in the deep blue cape with half her face hidden, standing silently at the edge of the stage.

Now you, as a musician, are one of the actors on that overcrowded stage.

Would you stand out? Would people remember you? Are you being a strong enough version of YOU, so that the people who DO want who YOU are, can find you in the crowd?

(P.S. The most memorable actor on stage might be the one that gets off the stage, walks up to your seat and gives you a kiss.)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BE AN EXTREME VERSION OF YOURSELF.

Define yourself. Show your weirdness. Bring out all your quirks.

Your public persona and the image you show to the world should be an extreme version of yourself.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

EVEN CONSERVATIVE LEGENDS WERE EXTREME.

Think of the legendary performers that had a conservative style.
(The ones even your grandmother could like.)

Frank Sinatra. Charlie Chaplin. Liberace. Liza Minelli. Barbara Streisand.

Even the most conservative "legendary" performers were rather extreme characters.

Don't be afraid to be as extreme as you can imagine. Being in the spotlight is the excuse. You can get away with anything, all in the name of entertainment.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### THINK TEST MARKETING - PROOF OF SUCCESS #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

TEST. IMPROVE. PERFECT. ANNOUNCE.

In this indie music world the best thing you can do is to think in terms of "Test Marketing."

This is what food companies do before they release a new product. They release it just in Denver (for example) to see what people think of it there. They get feedback. They try a different name. They try an improved flavor, based on complaints or compliments. They try a different ad campaign. They see what works. Constantly improving.

When and if it's a huge success in Denver, they know they're on to something good. They can now release it in Portland, Dallas, and Pittsburgh and do the same thing.

When everyone seems to like it, they get the financial backing to "roll it out" and confidently spend a ton of money to distribute it around the whole country or even the whole world. The people investing money into it are confident, because it was a huge success in all the test markets.

Think of what you're doing with your music as test marketing.

When you're a huge success on a lower level, or in a small area, THEN you can go to the big companies and ask for financial or resource help to "roll it out" to the country or world.

Then they'll feel confident that their big money is being well invested.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A GOOD BIZ PLAN WINS NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS.

In doing this test marketing you should make a plan that will make you a success, even if nobody comes along with their magic wand.

Start now. Don't wait for a "deal".

Don't just record a "demo" that is meant only for record companies.

You have all the resources you need to make a finished CD that thousands of people would want to buy. If you need more money get it from anyone except a record company.

And if you, as you're following your great business plan, are selling hundreds, then thousands of CDs…..selling out small, then larger venues and getting on the cover of magazines... you'll be doing so well that you won't need a record deal.

Thus, if a record deal IS offered to you, you'll be in the fine position of taking it or leaving it. There's nothing more attractive to an investor than someone who doesn't need their money. Someone who's going to be successful whether they're involved or not.

Make the kind of business plan that will get you to a good sustainable level of success, even without a big record deal. That way you'll win no matter what happens.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### THE POWER OF PEOPLE #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

GET USED TO THE IDEA OF DATABASE AND QUANTITY

If you want any level of success beyond the admiration of friends and family, you have to get used to the idea of dealing with great numbers of people.

One good review means almost nothing. Getting airplay on one radio station is not enough.

You need to stay in close touch with hundreds, and soon, thousands of people. Whether fans, music biz, or the endless characters you're going to encounter around the world on your way to the top, you're going to need to keep track of them all.

You're going to need a database. A "contact manager". A fancy term for "a fancy address book". An amazing tool with endless memory to help our artistic and creatively musical brains, which often get lost in space and notoriously flaky.

It takes a discipline and orderliness you may not be used to, but comes in handy when you need to contact that graphic designer who introduced himself to you once after a gig in……or to be able, in 5 seconds, to find the 28 drummers you know in northern Oregon.

Get used to this concept and we'll go into detail later…

----------------------------------------------------------------------

STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE

It's a shame when you get lost in a project, or go out on a tour, or get stuck in a demanding relationship, only to find out that all of your old contacts have dried up.

You go to call a booking agent you used to see weekly and she says, "I'm sorry - I don't really remember you. You're going to have to remind me..."

A successful publicist advises that you secretly give everyone in your phonebook an A, B, C, D, or F. That's your A-list (call every 3 weeks), B-list, (every 5 weeks), C-list (every few months), D-list (twice a year), and F-list = Friends.

There are a few people in my life that would have disappeared long ago if they hadn't been so persistent in calling me every month or insisting on a face-to-face a couple times a year.

Go through your database and call those people just to say, "Hi.", or even better - know their interests and life (from memory or perhaps from your notes), and call them with some news that's of interest to them, even if it's of no other interest to you.

In other words, don't *only* call to say, "How are you?", when it's always going to end with "So - can you come to my gig tomorrow night?" Call unselfishly. Call with some news that will make them happy. Keep in touch to make both of your lives better.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

DATABASE TIPS

Database tips, from an expert:

Best programs, in order:

(1) Indie Band Manager:
http://www.IndieBandManager.com
It does EVERYTHING I recommend. It works on Mac and Windows. And it's only $39. If you don't have a database program already, start with that.

(2) Filemaker Pro. Sells for $299 but you can find it used on EBay.com for $40. Both Mac and Windows. Totally flexible.

(3) MS Works or Claris Works comes with a database section. These programs are usually free and included on your computer.

(4) ACT. http://www.act.com Sells for $189. ACT is meant more as a "salesman's tool" and so it's more corporate and less flexible. But it is already set up to do exactly what you want. On the Mac I've heard that "Now Contact Manager" is very similar to Act.

(5) MS Access. It's like using an army tank to go do your groceries. It's so powerful and complicated that it might take you a long time to learn. But like Filemaker, it can do everything you need if you harness it.

(6) MS Outlook. Yuk. Inflexible. Hit by viruses. But if you have it already and you can't afford something new go with it.

(7) Do NOT use a spreadsheet like MS Excel….or a word processor….or a notebook of paper. These just won't do the job.

Preferably choose #1- #5.

- Keywords! Multiple keywords are the most important thing in your database. Every person in your address book should have a few words attached to their record like "drums, webdesign, percussion" or "agent, clubowner, songwriter". Some folks will only have one word there; some will have a list of the 25 instruments they can play. This comes in the most handy when you need to find "drums" in Texas, or you're trying to remember the full name of that webdesigner named "Dave". If your address book program doesn't have keywords already, put it in there! Find out how! It'll save your life many times.

- Collect all the information you can. Have areas in your database program for first name, last name, two phone numbers, fax, email, website (know their website!), two address lines, country, keywords (see above), mailing list tags (who gets your mailings and who doesn't want them), date last contacted, and very important: NOTES. Other ideas would be birthday, interests, and referred by.

- NOTES. There should be a big giant text area underneath their contact info, where you're free to type anything you want. Type notes from your conversations. Cut-and-paste Emails they've sent you. In ACT and Filemaker you can set it up to make an "event" for every single conversation or contact you have, each with its own notes. Very handy. Set this up if you can. But even if you do, keep the big giant Notes field for all permanent notes you want to remember about this person

- Learn how to mail-merge these people, so that you can send them all a personalized Email or letter. Using a person's name in the letter instead of "Dear Music Industry Professional".

----------------------------------------------------------------------

MEET THREE NEW PEOPLE EVERY WEEK

One of the best books about the music business is called "Making It in the New Music Business", by James Riordan.

He suggested that, as an aspiring musician (or producer/agent/writer/etc.) – you should make it a point to meet three new people in the music industry every week. (……and not just burned-out guitarists.)

Imagine that! Three new people every single week - people that could actually help your career! A year from now you'll have relationships with over 150 new people that are potential "lottery tickets", and hopefully the interest is mutual. (Meaning – always keep in mind how YOU can help someone, not just how they can help you.)

The thing is you have to *develop* these relationships. Put them on your A, B, or C list. Stay in touch. Go beyond the introduction and really get to know these people, what they're looking for in business and life, what they're interested in, and how you can help them.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

ALWAYS THINK HOW YOU CAN HELP SOMEONE

As you're meeting all of these people in your life and career, always keep in mind how you can help someone. You should practically meditate on it before contacting them.

There must be some resource you've got, where you could really make their day.
There must be some favor you can do.

An article you read in this morning's paper might be of particular interest to someone you met last summer. Cut it out and mail it to them. A film/TV music supervisor might mention she's getting married and is looking for a reggae band. You don't do reggae, but with your database you can help her find a great band that does.

Maybe you spent 3 months shopping for a laptop. Maybe a booking agent you met today mentioned that he's looking for a new laptop. Send him a fax or Email with all the best info you found.

Give and sometimes you will receive.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

GET PERSONAL

Some people, out of the thousands I know, actually contact me on a regular basis and I consider them friends.

But some of those always stick with a strict business "script" when they call: "Hi I'm calling to check in to see how sales are doing, if you need more inventory and how things are going."

Others seem to have the gift of Smalltalk. I don't know how they do it, but soon we're talking about my girlfriend, their snakes, about Kung Fu movies, high school, Iraq and something that happened on the way to work today.

Now when an opportunity comes up to help someone - (say, a Film/TV person I know calls up and asks "Who's good in that standard rock genre?") - guess who comes to mind first? The person who hasn't departed from the standard business call or the person who went beyond?

Be a real person. Be a friend.

Don't always try to sell yourself. You'll be like that annoying uncle who shows up at the family reunion to try to sell everyone on life insurance.

Have the confidence to know that being a cool person and being a friend will sell you more than being a pushy salesperson.

People do business with people they like…….with their friends, whenever possible.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR FAVORS

Don't be afraid to ask for favors.

Some people LIKE doing favors.

It's like asking for directions in New York City. People's egos get stroked when they know the answer to something you're asking. They'll gladly answer to show off their knowledge.

One bold musician I know called me up one day and said, "I'm coming to North Carolina in 2 months, can you give me a list of all the important contacts you think I should meet?" What guts! Nevertheless, I laughed and did a search in my database, emailing him a list of 40 people he should call and reminded him to mention my name.

Sometimes you need to find something specific: a video director for cheap, a PA system you can borrow for a month, a free rehearsal studio. Call up everyone you know and ask! This network of friends you are creating will have everything you want in life.

Some rare and lucky folks (perhaps on your "band mailing list") have time on their hands and would rather help you do something than sit at home in front of the TV another night. Need help doing flyers? Help getting equipment to a show? Go ahead and ask!

----------------------------------------------------------------------

KEEP IN TOUCH!

…….Mentioned earlier, but important enough to say again.

Sometimes the difference between success and failure is just a matter of keeping in touch!

There have been some AMAZING musicians who have sent a CD to me and when I heard it, I flipped. In a few cases, I've stopped what I was doing at that very moment and called them to tell him how much of a genius they are!

Often I gotten an answering machine and guess what... they haven’t call back!! What masochistic anti-social success-sabotaging kind of thing is that to do?

Then 2 weeks later I've forgotten about their CD as new ones came in.

The lesson: If they would have just called back and kept in touch, they may have made a fan like no other. A fan that would go out on a limb to help their career in ways others just dream of. But they never kept in touch and now I can't remember their names.

Some others whose CDs didn't really catch my attention the first time around, just keep in touch so well that I often find myself helping them more as a friend than a fan.

Keep in touch, keep in touch, and keep in touch!

People forget you very fast.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

SMALL GIFTS GO A LONG WAY.

A little gift you might give to someone, as you climb the ladder of success, may go a long way and mean a lot to someone down the road.

If those people, that have given me gifts, called me today to ask a favor, you can be sure I'd stop what I was doing to help them out.

Be generous. It will be returned. As you stay in the music biz you're going to see the same faces for years to come.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

KEEP IN TOUCH - (LONG VERSION)

Give away lots of CDs, but do NOT just toss them away. Make every one count!!

Get volunteer friends/ bandmembers/ fans to help call or Email and track the results of as many of these as possible. Go ahead and ask for favors - be a little bit of a pest. Ask each magazine/zine what they'd want to put you on the cover and take notes of each conversation.

Keep everyone happy. Don't lose touch. Ask for references. Ask if there's anyone else they know that can help you. Then contact all THOSE people and keep repeating the process.

It requires a LOT of Emailing and calling, but it means EVERYTHING.
(As long as you superhumanly balance this with making new music and writing great songs.)

I think KEEPING IN TOUCH is THE single most important thing in your career and here's why:

Whenever I'm talking to someone in the "industry" or have the opportunity to help promote, I often found myself hooking up the person who I just got off the phone with.

Do you often wonder about those people that let a potential fruitful relationship just disappear into anonymity, that is not me!

Imagine if you actually stayed "close" with 100 little companies! Or 1000!! You'd have people in all corners of the industry everywhere constantly recommending you, referring you, hooking you up with opportunities, promoting you, etc.
You'd be very successful and very soon.

When you're on tour look up all the people who you've sent CDs to in that area.
Meet with them. Sleep at their house.

Ask everyone's advice. Pick everyone's brain. Hear their thoughts & point of view AND remember it.

Oh…….and send them a present every now and then. Lipan the Shadowbunny gave me me a bag of Candy Corn once! Guess who comes to mind first now when people are asking for her manner of music??

Radio stations are just people. Magazines are just people. Websites are just people. Record companies are just people.

People like to work with their FRIENDS whenever possible. Be a good friend. Be a real person, not a slick schmoozer. If you're acting TOO professional in all this "keeping in touch" then it just sounds fake and IT WILL be forgotten.

However, try to sense when someone doesn't like you. Sometimes they just don't like your music and aren't willing to help. Don't take it personally. Mark it in your address book/database and move on to the next.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

LIFE IS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL.

Ever had this thought, "I've been working hard – so why the fuck isn't it paying off?"

Keep this in mind... LIFE IS LIKE HIGH SCHOOL.

When you're in High School, it's ALL about popularity, cliques, being 'cool', what you wear, what parties you're at, etc.

When you go to College the focus shifts to academic achievement.

Many people get out of college thinking that the world will be like that.
"The harder you work, the more you should be rewarded." – But in reality it's not.

Life is like High School. It's all about who you know, how socially charming you are, what 'scene' you're in, what you wear, what parties you're at, flirting and being 'cool'.

BUT YOU CAN MAKE THIS WORK IN YOUR FAVOR.

When I think about every big triumph that has happened to some famous or successful persons career, it was always because of "someone they knew."….always friends of friends of friends, etc…….people in some position of power who they kept in touch with, did favors for and got the same in return.

Go meet 3 people each week you think could help your career and be a good friend. Make it mutually beneficial, not some suck-up relationship. There's always some resource you have that can totally help out someone who may be "above" you on the ladder. Invite a NEW friend to a party or show you know about.

I think it's possible to approach the music business as if you were a new kid going to a new high school and wanting to be the most popular kid in class. Sounds sort of shallow, I know, but it works.

Ask people like Andy Warhol or someone like Prince, who actually made GREAT music, but knew how to toss in a little controversy & sex appeal to get the world's attention.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

MAKE THESE HABITS AND THEY WON'T SEEM DIFFICULT.

All of these suggestions may sound exhausting to you, but keep that database at your fingertips. Get used to taking 1 minute after a conversation to take some notes about it and give some of these ideas a try.

You can probably tell, by reading this, that if you were to actually DO all of these things I’ve mentioned you'd be much more successful than you are now.

The gates of life would swing wide open…….

Hard to start, but easy to continue.

These ideas are incredibly powerful when done every day.

Make these all habits and they won't seem hard.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

MAKE YOURSELF A SHINING EXAMPLE

If you are at a music/tech conference go up to every single person at the conference and introduce yourself and get into great conversations, finding out what everyone does, while taking notes.

Befriend hundreds of people in those days.

Whenever you have a show on the road, go in the day before and do countless meet-and-greet interviews, in-store appearances, flyer-promotion and every other promotion tool you've ever heard of. Get right into the crowd after every show to sell CDs and sign up hundreds of people to your mailing list.

Answer every fan letter with your own letter.
Immediately send a thank-you card to every biz contact you meet.

…….All the while you should be constantly practicing, writing and recording new music.

Meet everyone. Remember everyone's name. Develop relationships. Follow up and constantly keep in touch and TREAT EVERYONE SPECIAL.

So…..the real point of giving you all these details - is so that you analyze your own networking and promoting efforts. I've heard many great records, but have only seen a few great promoters.

If you care about your music and you really REALLY want - in your heart and bones - to become incredibly successful at it, you're going to have to go meet tons of people and "plug away" with a tireless drive and joyful determination every waking moment.

Meet every person you can and treat them the way you'd love to be treated.

And still somehow balance this with making the best music you can and constantly improving your songwriting and performing skills.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### THE POWER OF WORDS #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

ON THE INTERNET, WORDS MATTER MORE THAN EVER.

On the radio, descriptions don't matter. People hear your song one time or a hundred times and decide if they like it, and hopefully the DJ says who it is.

In concert, descriptions don't matter. You don't have to describe your music while you're performing. You get on stage and perform. People love it or like it, or they don't. No words necessary.

But on the Internet, and in print, and in conversation, words matter a LOT.

If you take just one night to come up with some good descriptions of your music you can use those phrases for years and you will find many more fans than you will without descriptions.

On the Internet, whether web or Email, you need to entice people to click their mouse before they'll ever become a fan.

In order to get someone to listen to your sound clips, sign up to your mailing list, or buy your CD, you have to:
(1) catch their attention
(2) appeal to their senses or emotions
(3) arouse their curiosity
(4) persuade them to do something about it (clickity-click!!)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

A SHORT DESCRIPTION - 10 SECONDS OR LESS

Most of the world has never heard your music.

Most of the world WON'T hear your music, unless you do a good job describing it.

It's like a Hollywood screenplay. You not only have to write a great screenplay, but you have to have a great description of it that you can recite in 10 seconds or less….in order to catch people's attention.

Find a way to describe your music that would catch anyone's attention AND describe it accurately. There is no use in coming up with a funny description of your music if it doesn't actually describe what you really sound like!

HOW TO GET THE BEST SHORT DESCRIPTION OF YOUR MUSIC:

(1) Ask friends for their opinion. Ask a friend who talks too much or someone in sales to tell something about you. Listen in and remember.
(2) Get silly. Get drunk. Write down 50 ridiculous descriptions with some drunk friends. One of them may be good.
(3) Take your favorite one and test it on the world. Whenever you meet strangers and they ask about your music, have your catch phrase handy. If it doesn't make their eyebrows go up try a different one.
(4) Send an Email to everyone on your Emailing list. Give them your three favorite phrases and let them pick which they like the best and let them offer a better one.

Once you've got a great one, you'll know it.

Keep using it again and again until people almost associate your name with that one-sentence-phrase that describes it beautifully and accurately.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

THINK LIKE A PERSON OR POET, NOT A MUSICIAN.

When describing your music, PLEASE don't be a musician.

Don't say, "The wonderful harmonies and arrangements on this release are sure to delight…….Not to mention the tight rhythm section and insightful lyrics!"

Real people don't think like that. Think what one teenager down at the mall would say to another when describing what they love about your CD. Think what an office-worker who wasn't much a music expert would say to a friend about your music.

Real people often compare an artist to other famous artists. Real people talk about the overall "vibe" or sound of something. Real people DON'T talk about "insightful lyrics" and "wonderful harmonies" and "tight musicianship". That's musician-speak. (OK - *some* music fans are deep enough into music that they do end up using these musician terms, but that's pretty rare.)

Play your music for some non-musicians and ask them what they'd say to a friend about it.

Learn to describe your music in ways that actually *reach* people's emotion and imagination and your music itself will be that much more likely to reach and touch people. Your descriptions of your music should be almost as exciting (or touching, or sad, or shocking) as the music itself.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

READ ABOUT NEW MUSIC AND USE THE TRICKS THAT WORKED ON YOU.

Go get a magazine like CMJ, or Magnet, or Alternative Press or URB or EM.

You'll read about (and see pictures of) dozens of artists who you've never heard of before. Out of that whole magazine, only one or two will really catch your attention.

WHY?

I don't have that answer, only you do. Ask yourself why a certain headline or photo or article caught your attention.

(Was it something about the opening sentence? Was it a curious tidbit about the background of the singer? What was it exactly that intrigued you?)

Analyze that. Use that. Adapt those techniques to try writing a headline or article about your music.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

YES YOU DO SOUND LIKE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE.

Yes you DO sound like something or someone.

Thousands of musicians describe themselves as sounding "Totally unique. There is nothing like this music you have ever heard!" Then when you put on the CD, it's straight-up pop/rock/blues.

Instant disappointment.

When asked, many musicians think it's fine to say, "We don't sound like anyone."….or when asked what kind of music they play, they say, "You can't describe it. Just check it out."

That's just lazy, inconsiderate, and stupid.

What if a business out in New Jersey somewhere said, "We can't describe what our store does? Just check it out!" Would you get in your car and spend a Saturday driving out to Route 17 to check it out? No!

You have to convince people! Grab their curiosity. Describe what you actually do in an interesting way!

Make the wheels in their head turn. Make them taste it, hear it, see it, want it.

Be accurate and don't disappoint.
Read that twice: (1) Be accurate. (2) Don't disappoint.

This is a creative writing exercise. You can do it. It's important. It will make the right people stop and listen to your music.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

BLAH BLAH BLAH... WHAT NOT TO SAY.

Imagine if you ran into an old friend who now owned his own business and you asked what his company does. He then says, "We're a top-notch 9-person company in New Jersey. We believe in service, quality, and dependability."

-= YAWN =-

Would you remember that 1 minute later or give a damn what that business did?

Nope. They lost you.

Think how many people you're losing when you describe your music in a boring or generic way.

When asked for a little more info, musicians often say, "The members grew up in Boston and met in high school. After the bassist left to pursue another career they found a replacement that has solidified the lineup as it stands today. They regularly play the local club scene."

-= YAWN =-

Imagine a computer store saying, "Our VP of finance graduated from Penn State. We found our office manager through an employment agency, after our initial marketing director left…"

-= YAWN =-

When a fan is learning about an artist for the first time the last thing they care about is uneventful band history. As a rule, it's safe to assume people don't care about your history until you've got a gold record. Don't bore them with it before then. (Unless it's buried deep in your website for those few folks that are deeply curious.)

Describe your music or history in a way that you would want a total stranger running a little shop somewhere to describe his business to you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

…. OR YOU CAN NOT TALK AT ALL

Words got you down? Nothing new to say?

Then spend some money on a great photographer.

Calvin Klein has shown you already that you don't have to talk and talk and talk, but if you don't it's all up to the image.

Unless you're in heavy rotation on top 40 radio stations, it's not very easy for people to hear your music. They have to go seek you out and make an effort to go hear you.

Music is like perfume. You have to convince and persuade people with your words and images, to take that initiative and to make an effort to hear your music.

If you try to just "let the music speak for itself", most people will never hear you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

HAVE FUN – BUT DO NOT BE ‘CORPORATE’

Never use corporate marketing-speak.

Be weird.

Be a real person.

Sound like one person speaking to one person.

This is a big reason why it's COOL to be indie instead of corporate.

Real people respond better to the weird & fun stuff.

----------------------------------------------------------------------
######### TOOLS AND WEAPONS #########
http://www.shadowbunny.org
http://www.myspace.com/audiomind
----------------------------------------------------------------------

PROMO BOX ON YOUR DESKTOP

The self-promoting musician of the past needed to always have a presskit (with CD and photo) nearby and ready to send.

The modern self-promoting musician needs to keep a "PROMO BOX" folder on the desktop of your computer.

It will take you just one hour to put together and you'll be able to use it again and again and again……….

MAKE A FOLDER ON YOUR DESKTOP CALLED "PROMO BOX" (or something) AND PUT THESE THINGS INSIDE FOR QUICK EASY ACCESS:

1. At least one full-length MP3 file of a track from your CD, encoded at the standard 128k-bit rate. Give it a nice long name, without spaces, so that if anyone runs across it on the web they know who it is. (Example: Audiomind-Sistersong.mp3 ) Preferably have 3-10 songs from your CD encoded here and ready to go.

2. An entertaining bio written four times, in four different lengths.
- Long version (over 3 paragraphs. 1-2 pages. exhaustive and rarely used.)
- Medium long version (2 - 4 entertaining and important paragraphs. the top end of what people will sit and read on the web.)
- Short version (1 killer paragraph)
- One-liner (1 killer sentence )

3. Quotes from reviews:
- one big text file with every review you've ever gotten, all typed out and credited
- one text file with only the best short quotes from these reviews

4. Graphics, with a few different sizes of each:
- artist photos (studio shot, live shot, up close, far away)
- album cover graphic (big version, small version)
- your logo, if you have one.

IF YOU DO THIS, JUST ONCE, then the job of uploading your information to another website will be painless. You'll just say, "la-di-dah! All done!" and let your MP3s upload while you go make dinner.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

KNOW THE IMPORTANT SKILLS

Like proper manners or knowing how to drive, here are some things in the online world you just need to know:

1. EMAIL - Have a good signature file that tells who you are, how to find you and entices people to click through to your web address. Do this all in 4 lines or less. Make good subject headers, so when your Email is one of 500 in an "IN" box, it will say exactly what is contained inside, from the other person's point of view. Quote someone's email message back to them. Use manners, spelling and good punctuation and learn to turn off your caps lock key. Communicate personality through these typewriter keys by separate sentences into paragraphs. Reading a computer screen is different from reading a book, there's no paper to waste, so leave plenty of space.

2. DATABASE SKILLS - Know how to work your "address book" program.
How to find people, sort, print, add, remove, change and how to do bigger find commands (how to find all the drummers in the 704 area code) Keep it nice and clean and updated. Keep street address’ separate from the city, state, zip and country. Don't be sloppy in these early stages. Assume you ARE going to get more popular and soon your little address book will need to sort thousands of people. If you get really fancy, track each contact you have with someone……each call, email and visit. This comes in handy when someone from a year ago calls you up saying, "It's Polyopia! Remember?"

3 . WEB SKILLS - Get comfortable uploading an Mp3 file. (Practice at IUMA.com) Sort your bookmarks/favorites into categories/folders so you can find things later.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

YOUR INTERACTIVE WEBSITE

Your website can be your best tool if you MAKE IT COMMUNICATE **WITH** YOUR FANS and potential fans.

Your website should get people involved and make them want to introduce themselves, ask questions and shout out.

YOUR WEBSITE SHOULD:
#1 - Get their Email address and Interact! Make an easy fill-out form. (Hint: try a fun question like "Who are you?" or "Do you know your own name?")
#2 - Encourage them to buy your CD constantly. It's a great way to start a relationship.
#3 - Show what's unique about you. Images, quirks, colors, moods, insanities.
#4 - Make the sound clips easy to get to, not buried under layers of pages.
#5 - Answer the obvious questions: who are you, what you look like, what/who you sound like.
#6 - Acknowledge them! Have their pictures on your site and answer their questions on your site. Show them they ARE a part of your life!

The best webhosting company to host musicians' websites, and help you do the hard stuff is Hostbaby!

http://www.hostbaby.com

The web has replaced college radio as THE way to turn people on to your music.

Use it!

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 6 replies

tascam fw warning

thephatconductor — Tue, 26 Apr 2005 19:40:27 GMT

tascam fw warning

1 year, 2 pcs, 3 firewire cards, 4 installations of windows, and 5 driver updates later... it works WORSE THAN EVER!!!

i cannot warn you strongly enough, this is the worst piece of kit ever. i have spent a year of my life and hundreds fo dollars trying to get it to work and it is now worse than ever before. it is basically an overpriced mixer with no eqs.

0/10

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Hey all...

mubali — Thu, 17 Mar 2005 01:32:00 GMT

I figured I would join this tribe and learn some stuff.

My name is Greg 25 and I live in Marina California.

I produce psychedelic trance under the name Mubali. I have two releases so far on Mistress of Evil Records and Trishula Records. I also have 3 tracks available for download on www.resonantearth.com

I tend to make more of the darker sound of psychedelic trance but I do enjoy some of the groovier stuff. I used to be a viola player for 7 years and I have been a dj for about 4 years. I just started producing back in August 2003 and I really enjoy communicating through my music.

I am working on my debut album for Trishula Recs, and I never thought that once you get a deadline for something you would become less productive. I have had the worst case of writers block for the past couple of months.

I currently am an all software guy, I use Logic 5.5 on PC. Never really got into Cubase, even though I probably should eventually...

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 1 reply

the operating table

lordpyro — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 19:08:41 GMT

hey does anybody out htere use the Operating table to make tracks? sounds pretty phat to me!!

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 2 replies

electronica - rap fusion

sixthsense — Mon, 14 Feb 2005 22:32:51 GMT

Hello to all,

Does anyone know of any (good) experiments in fusing electronica and rap? Thanx for sharing any possible linx.

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 3 replies

Hypnotic Ambiant Music

joannasunshine — Wed, 01 Sep 2004 17:12:46 GMT

Hi Creators of the Vibe!
I am a hypnotherapist looking for music to do sessions by. The only problem is I don't like the traditional new-age music that is out there. (I am too spoiled from raving in San Fransisco.) Does anyone know someone willing to collaborate with me so make hypnosis CDs to further higher conciousness through music and intension? I realize from dancing that music is really an important part of the trance process.
Thanks for any input!
:)
Joanna

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 10 replies

meatsock album

pete — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 02:18:46 GMT

hello. i have completed my first full length album, called 'a cleverly named release' -- if you would like a copy, please email your address to meatsock @ gmail with the word 'DEMO' in the subject line, and i'll send you one when i get the copies finished.

furthermore, if you know of any labels that might be interested in receiving a meatsock demo, please tell me of them. if you know some people that would also like copies, tell me, and i'll send you a few copies. i'd surely appreciate it.

thanks.

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

mix real guitar with electronic music

d-noiser — Sun, 19 Dec 2004 16:05:48 GMT

hi dudes
how you like this one
its done with real guitar and cubase sx
i tried to change the theme of the lunatic is in your head
(dark side of the moon)
in a way that fits into psytrance and goatrance :-)
check it out and tell me what u think about it
http://207.218.206.15/phpnuke/html/download/DJ-D-Noiser-lunatrick.mp3

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

new DNA is out NOW

d-noiser — Thu, 16 Dec 2004 19:32:18 GMT

checkout my newest release
DNA from israel
www.balloonia-records.com

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 2 replies

Kush -BhangraIndustrial Dancehall Madness from San Francisco

Kush — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 05:43:22 GMT

Hello, this is Kush Arora from RecordLabelRecords, based here in San Francisco Bay Area. I want to turn you on to my cd "Underwater Jihad"and upcomign cd "Bhang Ragga" which is basically a whole new direction of industrial music, punjabi bhangra, and dancehall, experimental sounds- putting it together in a non jungle/sample cd beats form, and giving it to you raw from the dark side of the asian underground that seems to be completely absent in the world today - tackling the ridiculous politics of today, living in 9/11 america with idiots, and a hate for freemasons.
Here I take vocalists from Jamaica, India, and beyond with live dhol, tabla, tumbi, double flute,insane dancehall and bhangra beats mashed together in a sound design futuristic style and much more. A dub style from beyond right now for all desi youth brought up in this country and all over who refuse to let their entire musical heritage be summed up by a bunch of sleazy club producers who just rip other people off like leeches- You will find no bad desis trying to rap or be dreadlocks, catchy club mixes that sound like 50 cent with out of time dhols, or adult contemporary "indian electronic" music. RecordLabelRecords is here to show these forms of music approached from a progression point of view, not commercial approval.
Check it- practicaly half the album is given away on the site and the newer tracks can be found directly here- posted today. Also, view the upcoming issue of XLR8R magazine to get tracks by me and other RLR artists with the magazine.

http://www.mixchange.net/kusharora/musicpages.htm

http://www.mixchange.net/kusharora
and check out our label RecordLabelRecords for even more free mp3's from other bay area artists

http://www.recordlabelrecords.org

kush

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

samples 4 NWO tune needed

thephatconductor — Wed, 25 Aug 2004 07:32:26 GMT

samples 4 NWO tune needed

i'm making a new world order tune and i need samples. i have lots to trade.

i especially need:

-carlyle group, hollinger group, bildeburg group, trilateral comission, CFR, illuminati, etc...

-'problem - reaction - solution', using disasters to control

-new world order/police state stuff

-news broadcasts of terrorist attacks

-blatant propaganda + fear mongering

i will heavily reward anyone who hooks me up.

peace!

d

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Music Release for the Tribe

metricks — Fri, 30 Jul 2004 23:06:40 GMT

Music Release

Hi all!

Music Release

show to the tribe your latest tracks...post them here music-release.tribe.net/ , so that all the tribe can know whats new in the Indie World

If you are an artist, or artist manager, and want to promote a song or album, please just put in the header the name of the song and genre. And inside the post is up to you!

-You can put a link to your mp3, wma etc...
-or just the link for streaming

-or only the link for the artist page

followed by a brief description!

Wish you all the best music!

Metricks

http://music-release.tribe.net/

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Sound Swap Tribe created.

kjell — Thu, 24 Jun 2004 02:00:33 GMT

Sound Swap Tribe created.

A tribe for producers, composers and creators of music to share ideas and sounds. That piece of gear have that "just right" sound? Let people know. Have a sound library you're looking to expand? Others do too. Here's your spot to enlighten and connect.

http://soundswap.tribe.net/

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

my stuff sucks (maybe)...

Tuorum — Mon, 07 Jun 2004 04:03:33 GMT

.. but I am all for giving inspiration to others.

http://www.tuorum.homeunix.org

Free for you.. Free for them..
Tuorum

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

new STOMPBOX PEDALS tribe

looppool — Thu, 03 Jun 2004 10:04:15 GMT

Even though I started my musical life off as a drummer, I have always loved stomp box pedals.

For someone who can hardly even play a proper chord on a guitar, I have collected them; lusted after them; perused hundreds of catalogues; gawked at dozens of floor pedal setups of performing musicians (damn, have you ever seen the LA band, WOVEN's floor pedal set up? DAMN!!)

Tonight, I was wishing I had a tribe to go to, to ask a question about distortion pedal recommendations and I couldn't find one, so I thought I'd start this tribe going.

Please come join me at the STOMPBOX PEDALS tribe if you resonate with this obsession.

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

laptop sound cards PC

hunabku — Sat, 10 Apr 2004 17:49:24 GMT

Hi

I am looking into getting a sound card for my new laptop. PC

Looking at

M-audio, Audiophile USB Audio and MIDI Interface card.

also

Echo Audio, Indigo io.

Any one have any advice to which of these is the better choice??
Or other sugestions?

Thanks
Pahx~

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

Hey Check Out Foamyhome!!!

Mister — Thu, 04 Mar 2004 07:15:26 GMT

Hey check out my website http://www.foamyhome.com
Music Art Fun all kinds of craziness!
333

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 0 replies

listen to my music or I'm going to kill myself

Sat, 29 Nov 2003 01:52:57 GMT

right now I have this:

http://portal.etherland.com/loki/music.html

which is a small not-selected-by-me selection of some of my audio works. I can't seem to get the feeling of having a real 'audience' for this stuff, though, and as a result I feel that my life isn't necessarily all that worth living. Not trying to be dramatic, OK never mind that - I am, but not *trying* to be....right?.... but hey, if you find that you like any of these, there are roughly 30x as many or more available to be sent to you, free of charge, over the email, for your entertainment, amusement, critique, etc.

"Bloody Concrete" is the one on etherportal that I like the most. Dreadfully Insidious and Dromozoa Friendship get close to it also. War Anthem was made-to-order for a dance show, so it isn't really exemplary of my stuff. i also make a lot of stuff which others have said is reminiscent of Eno - which is gratifying in a way as he's so highly regarded, and yet I hadn't heard his work at all until so many people told me i sound like him. Hunh.

Hey - I'm actually really ego-healthy despite what this reads like. but heck - a man gets bleak in the heart sometimes. Listen, and tell me what you think, and add me to your list of pals, because I'm nice, and so forth.

posted in MUSIC PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS UNITED - 7 replies