This video demonstrates the effects of using compression in a mix.

Discussing compression is opening a can of worms. Robert Henke (Monolake) avoided compression on his latest release, commenting:

Radio, and more recently mp3 players and laptop speakers influenced the way popular music is composed, produced and mastered: Every single event has to be at maximum level all the time. This works best with music that is sonically simple, and music in which only a few elements are interacting. A symphony does not sound convincing thru a mobile phone speaker, and a maximized symphony does not sound convincing at all.

My take on compression is that extreme compression would ideally be left to playback devices, unless it’s being used as a creative tool. If you’re listening to that classical symphony or Monolake release in your car, you could push the “compression” button and hear the quiet bits, without the need for for the track to be squashed.

via muzicali:

Wondering how much compression you should use in the mix? Maybe you’re skeptical that compression really makes a difference? Its a difficult effect to get a handle on and to really use effectively. It starts by being able to hear the difference between a mix that has compression and one that does not. To this end, Ive cooked up a phat drum beat and given it a mix with lots of compression. In this video, I switch all of the compressors on and off while the beat is playing, so you can hear the difference. And, at the same time I flip through the compressors on each channel so you can peep my settings. Enjoy!

4Pockets.com has introduced Aurora a new pattern-based musical sequencing app for the Pocket PC.

This is a teaser video, no pricing or release date has been announced yet.

Description:

Aurora hides a lot of its complexity from novice users, but by switching to advanced mode you get full control over the built in instruments and effects, as well as many advanced modes such as the Atomizer and XY Mode which allows you to manipulate sound in real-time.

You can create your own instrument from recordings made using the built in microphone. Just think, a full drum kit of you beatboxing into the microphone!

Aurora allows a mixture of pattern based recording and live performance. You can piece together complete compositions, or simply improvise a performance, all of which can be captured to a file, for use as a ringtones, or to share with others.

An integrated mixer, combined with the ability to add audio effects and layer automation means that you achieve a pretty sophisticated sound in a fun and user friendly way.

This video takes a look at sensual dub mixing with Touch DJ on the iPhone.

If you’re expecting the sensual dub mixing to somehow involve Scarlett Johansson, though, prepare to be disappointed.

According to Amidio:

The whole mix is done visually (no cueing in headphones). This is a totally new way to DJ and I’m really enjoying it.

I never heard the full tracks before (only previews) and (frankly) loaded them on a random basis. Of course this is wrong because you must know the music that you play. But it was an experiment anyway.

In this video, djmagtv takes a look at the Vermona Cross Filter.

The Cross Filter is a desktop version of the Action Filter with some extra features. It’s designed for live musicians, DJs and remix producers, but is also suitable for studio use.

The Cross Filter can either work as notch- or bandpass-filter (24dB per octave). Each flank has its own controller for cut-off frequency and resonance, so you can easily vary the bandpass or notch range.
There’s an additional cutoff-controller that influences both flanks at the same time for sweeping the band through the whole frequency spectrum.

The Cross Filter is equipped with two trigger buttons and a fader for getting rhythmical effects. The buttons trigger the bypass function whereas the fader smoothly fades it in and out the effect. Inputs and outputs are available as RCA and 1/4-inch jacks.

The Vermona Cross Filter retails for $535.

More details are available at the Vermona site.

This tutorial looks at how to make music with Apple’s Garageband.

via PrimeLoops:

Garageband is a very powerful music-making package from Apple, and can be used to make, edit and remix many styles. Here we show you the Garageband interface, and how to get to grips with the basics.

Touch DJ: teaser video

This is the early alpha preview of Amidio’s new app Touch DJ, expected to be out in September 2009.

Airwindows’ Pop is a universal binary Audio Unit compressor plugin designed to create “extraordinary pop vocals.”

According to Airwindows:

Inspired by radio-friendly Genesis, Pop puts every detail in your lap- the reason it exists is, I was listening to ‘Mama’ and other songs off the eponymous Genesis album, and couldn’t believe how overwhelming Hugh Padgham had Phil Collins’ vocal sounding. It reached out and grabbed and defined every detail so aggressively- I needed to make a special compressor that could deliver a sound like that, because nothing I had was designed for such aggressive behavior.

Pop retails for $59.99. A non-expiring demo version is available.

This video, via HomeStudioCorner, looks at processing bass by duplicating the track.

Joe Gilder of Home Studio Corner explains parallel processing and demonstrates how to use parallel processing with drums.

Are you all ready for this?

Indaba has introduced a new JavaFX-powered digital audio workstation, Music Console, that’s like GarageBand for the Web.

Music Console lets you record and mix high-quality uncompressed audio directly with your browser and work both on and offline. The console features advanced web-based mixing and editing tools, real-time effects, and loops.

Features include:

• Recording: High-quality audio recording directly to Indaba
• Clips Library: Choose from hundreds of Creative Commons-licensed loops
• Real-Time Effects: Chorus, reverb, EQ, flanger, and more!
• Online/Offline Use: Use the console anytime, anywhere!

This is brand-spanking new, and Indaba is pushing the envelope of what you can do via the Web. So, they’re asking people to give the new Music Console a try and to give them feedback.

The site and service is free, with two paid versions available also: Pro ($5/month), and Platinum ($25/month).

If you give Music Console a try, leave a comment with your thoughts!

This video demonstrates how The 88 used Sonoma Wire Works FourTrack (App Store link) to record their latest single on an iPhone.

FourTrack is $9.99, which is amazing, considering it transforms your iPhone into a functional recording studio.

Impressive? Leave a comment with your thoughts!

Details below:

This Spring, we were on tour opening up for the B-52s, with shows all around the East Coast. One day while we were driving, Keith was browsing through the applications on the iPhone and came across FourTrack. We thought this app would be a great way to record song ideas while we are away from home.

So we downloaded it, and I thought it would be a neat experiment to record the full band on a phone. I was very curious to see how it would sound.

First, we picked out a tempo that felt right for the song. We used a pair of our own headphones that plugged directly into the iPhone. The first track we recorded was acoustic guitar.

Keith recorded a quick scratch vocal just to have something in place for us to listen to that we would eventually record over. Then we used Anthony’s daughter’s toy drum set that he played with brushes. (In order to get a good volume level that didn’t overload the phone, we covered the drum set with a sheet.)

Keith played the electric and slide guitars through an old Silvertone Amp that a good friend gave to us a long time ago. I recorded the piano part on a small Yamaha keyboard using the built-in speakers.

We ran the bass through a practice guitar amp to give it a different sound and to also keep a similar theme with the way we recorded the drums. We recorded the backup vocals like they did in the old days — we all gathered around the phone and sang all the parts onto one track.

All in all, thanks to the bounce feature on FourTrack, we laid down 14 tracks — including a crash cymbal I added at my house at the end.

After finishing a mix of the song, we really liked the way everything was sounding, however we thought that the lead vocal sounded a bit distant. We ended up using an Alesis ProTrack, which allows you to connect an iPod or an iPhone to both a microphone and headphones, and adjust your input level.

So that’s the way we recorded Love Is The Thing on the iPhone. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it! -Adam

TRACKS RECORDED 6/8/09

• Acoustic guitar
• Scratch Vocal (which was replaced)
• Drums
• Bass
• Electric Guitar
• Slide Guitar
• Piano
• Backup Vocals
• Hand Claps
• Lo Vocal
• Hi Vocal
• Double Vocal (which was replaced)
• Shakers
• Crash
• Vocal (recorded on 6/13/09)
• Double Vocal (recorded on 6/13/09)

The Soundcraft Guide to Mixing, embedded above, is an 18-video series on mixing live sound for music performances, aimed at beginners in the art.

The information isn’t specific to electronic music, but there’s a ton of info here.

This video tutorial looks at side chain compression in Ableton Live, Deadmau5 & Glenn Morrison style.

via LuminaChannel:

Download the MP3 and project at http://taho.ws/b/?p=25

So this a tutorial showing how to use side chain compression in Live. I made this little song in the style of Glenn Morrison, Deadmau5, Adam K and Pryda style.

Using the StudioLive in the Studio

via presonusaudio:

Heres a look at a typical recording session in a studio using the StudioLive as my interface as well as sending headphone mixes to an entire band.

More below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

This video, via PrimeLoops, demos clip playback automation in Ableton Live 8.

DJ and producer, Deadmau5 (Dead Mouse), talks tech with Wired.com.

It’s a bit ironic that he makes a point of saying he doesn’t like quantized beats aligned to a grid, and then reveals his “secret weapon” to be a Monome.

Overall, a good interview, with lots of geek gear talk.

via wired

Paul van Dyk talks about the anatomy of a mix, via remixhotel, with an emphasis on compression.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mixed in Key is Windows and Mac OS X software which analyses MP3 and WAV files. It identifies the musical key of every track, and highlights which other tracks are harmonically compatible. Designed to quickly analyze music files, Mixed In Key shows which tracks can be mixed together without a key clash.

Pricing is $58.00 USD.

New features:

• Improved algorithm to find the key of every track
• Improved graphic design
• A fast way to create playlists in “Browse Collection” to organize music files
• New quality-control feature: While scanning music files, Mixed In Key detects if the volume is too loud, the song is off-key or there are too many clipped peaks. Version 4.0 suggests how to improve those audio files to make them sound better for a live DJ performance
• Ability to add custom keywords to each track for quick searching

Mixed In Key software users include Pete Tong from BBC Radio 1, Dubfire from Deep Dish, Nick Warren, David Guetta, High Contrast, BT and Kaskade.

Version 4.0 is available in two styles: The original theme and Allen & Heath XONE theme. The original theme is available from http://www.MixedInKey.com. The Allen & Heath theme is available from http://Xone.MixedInKey.com.

Created by Shayman and Kagi Media, Hustle Harder XXL captures Shayman producing music for diverse genres and markets, negotiating deals, selling beats to major artists, developing various product brands and flying around the world as a headlining D.J.

“This insiders view of the hip hop/techno music business is amazing,” said Charles Dye, Grammy-winning engineer, mixer, producer. “David’s studio chops are so on game. You see every step as he builds amazingly killer beats, skillfully pounding his MPC into submission, and then constructing monster arrangements in his DAW.”

Production Course is where Shayman teaches beat making and music production, including, start to finish, production coverage of sample acquisition and chopping, tracking beats, song construction, arranging, plug-ins and hardware DSP applications, tracking vocals, scratch recording, mixing and DAW mastering. The production coverage makes up the majority of runtime minutes and the user comes away with a firm understanding of how to produce modern music that “cuts well” in the boardroom, broadcast, club or car.

“Disco D’s energy is infectious, the content on the DVD, including the Pro Tools Sessions, MPC techniques and Samples is killer. This high-energy DVD will definitely inspire you to hustle harder in your own career and give you new motivation,” said David Franz (Instructor for Berklee College of Music and Bestselling pro audio author).

Music Business Exposé, where Shayman shows the user the art of getting publicity, making contacts, publishing, cross selling, placing beats and a host of other music biz insights.

Lesson Files, which the user can launch, run and use on their system to follow along with the video lessons and practice the techniques Shayman teaches in the video. The DVD ROM Audio Assets are created by Shayman including Choice Samples (Hits, Synths, Drums, Guitar and Bass) he rendered from his own finished songs + AKAI MPC Sequence, Program and Song DATA and finished Pro Tools Sessions.

Achievement Driven Messages spoken by Shayman engage the viewer in forms of analytic reasoning that challenge the user to think and act in different ways.

Featuring 3.5 hours of video instruction, Pro Tools Sessions, AKAI MPC Data Files, Disco D Samples and Mega-Doses of uplifting attitude, Hustle Harder XXL is undeniably a breakthrough course from Kagi Media and Disco D Productions.

The Monitor Station is a desktop monitoring and communications system for your recording studio. Based on the award winning Central Station, the Monitor Station is designed to provide everything you need to control your recording environment.

You can listen to your mixes on different speakers; with and without the subwoofer, compare your mixes to your favorite CDs and vinyl, listen in mono to check phase cancellation, use talkback to communicate to the artists during recording, and send Cue Mix to the four headphone amps and the Main Mix to your speakers.

Features:

• Main Speaker Volume control
• 3 stereo inputs (two balanced TRS, one RCA Aux/Phono)
• 3 sets of balanced TRS speaker outputs, each with level adjustment
• Talkback microphone with volume control to feed headphone and Cue output
• XLR input for external dynamic talkback microphone
• Accurate fast-acting dual 8-segment LED for metering
• 4 loud and clear headphone amplifiers with separate volume control and input selection
• Main and Cue stereo output have independent input source selection
• Dim with variable level adjustment
• Aux and Phono level adjustment
• Mute and Mono