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Fast Forward

Rest Is the Best Medicine, Says “Liverpool Beat” Doc

by Leah R. Garnett February 22, 2010

Stephen L. Cash lives a double-life: Chief hand surgeon at Lankenau Hospital outside of Philadelphia and “George” in the Beatles tribute band “Liverpool Beat.” Dr. Cash graciously agreed to be interviewed by Music After 50 on aches and pains of older musicians. Read more…

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Behind the Glass with Joe Chiccarelli

by Howard Massey January 22, 2010

Joe ChiccarelliAs the producer of classics from Frank Zappa, The White Stripes, and Kurt Elling – Joe Chiccarelli draws inspiration from a variety of sources.

Unlike many producers whose sonic stamp is immediately recognizable (a Roy Thomas Baker or a JohnShanks, for example), you’d be hard-pressed to identify a Joe Chiccarelli “sound.” It’s hard to believe that the same individual who produced the rough-and-ready White Stripes’ Icky Thump was also responsible for the ephemeral, moody ambience of the Shins’ Wincing the Night Away or the smooth, slick jazz tones of Kurt Elling’s Night Moves. Read more…

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Holiday Gear Guide

by Keith Hatschek December 7, 2009

NightTrainEach year our Pro Studio expert seeks out a range of products which might make for a welcome addition to your music-making or home studio recording in the new year. This year is no exception, as he spoke with a pro audio expert to learn about some great additions to your home recording rig, and also visited a local music store to try out some new music-making toys that deliver outstanding results. Read more…

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Pre-Production and Your Recording

by Andre Calilhanna December 7, 2009

Whether you’re entering the studio for the first or fiftieth time, embarking on a full-length album or a soundtrack one-off, successful recordings start with some form of pre-production. It could be as simple as a one-time conversation with the studio manager to go over the studio’s etiquette, layout, fees, and the specifics of how your time in the facility will play out. But for most projects, pre-production is a much more involved process that allows the artists and production team to define things like which songs will be recorded, the key of each song, and their tempos. Read more…

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How To Break Into the (Lucrative) College Market

by Jeri Goldstein December 2, 2009

crowd-smallSchool’s in session, and here are some insights into playing the college market as you begin the fall touring season. Many acts successfully use colleges as a point from which to launch their careers, while others have found it leading to a dead end. As we explore both ends of the spectrum, keep an open mind about how this market might fit into your booking plans. Read more…

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Indie Resolutions

by Jesse Gray November 23, 2009

10 ways to stay focused and build your independent music empire.

As we roll into the New Year it’s time to make those ever-famous (or infamous) New Year’s resolutions. But have no fear; our list doesn’t require cutting out chocolate or getting up at 5AM to run. We want to help you where it really counts – your music career.

So how did we come up with this master list of goodness? We asked. We solicited answers from working musicians far and wide, as well as tapping into our own staff (we have a few hundred active musicians working here). After we sifted through the rubble we found ten diamonds that kept getting mentioned over and over. And now, here for your career-enhancing pleasure are the best of the best. Read more…

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Home Project Studio: Parts 3 & 4

by Disc Makers November 16, 2009

Half-round Geometrix sound absorbersPart 3: The truth about isolation booths
We find ourselves immersed in the building of the isolation booth, after a slight delay caused by unforeseen delays.

The room is coming along well. Two dedicated 20-amp circuits have been installed for audio power. Lines have been run for lighting. The ceiling has been insulated and the outer walls are ready to be prepped for paint and wall treatments. Now that the main part of the room is taking shape, it is time to look at the ISO booth design and construction.

I had just ordered industrial felt to “float” the inner framing of the booth when I spoke to Nick Collerian at Acoustics First. Read more…

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The $999 Home Studio

by Keith Hatschek November 16, 2009

A pair of VLA-4 powered monitors makes it easy to mix your project. As the cost of home recording technology has continued to fall, the list of products and their available features continues to grow. So it seems timely to ask the question, “Can you put together a viable home recording set up for less than $1000?” To help answer this question, we turned to pro audio veteran, Richie DeCarlo at Philadelphia’s music superstore, 8th Street Music. Let’s see what gear goes into a prototypical home studio rig and how much bang for the buck can you get with a grand. Read more…

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iTunes Success in 12 Steps

by Ariel Hyatt October 29, 2009

How indie artist Making April went from 0 to 1,000 sales a week on iTunes in one year.
I recently was having lunch with my dear friend, music attorney extraordinaire Dan Friedman, who was in town to showcase a band he represents who he mentioned was selling 1,000 singles a week on iTunes. Read more…

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Open Mic Performance Tips

by Marc-Alan Barnette October 21, 2009

In the back of most everyone’s mind who has ever picked up a guitar, manned a keyboard, or stepped behind the microphone on one of those open mic nights, there is always that dream of performing for thousands of people on stage or television. For those of us that are actually attempting to make those dreams realities, from New York to California, and all over the world, one of the physical manifestations of this dream is the songwriter’s night. Read more…

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9 Ways Releasing a CD Can Help Your Career

by Andre Calilhanna October 15, 2009

The news surrounding the music industry these days might make you wonder if anyone is buying CDs any more. Major-label CD sales are down again. Downloads are up. So the question on the table is: As an independent artist, do you really need to make CDs these days? Read more…

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How to Align with Local and National Sponsors

by Bobby Borg October 15, 2009

Sponsorships are a symbiotic relationship between artists and product-based companies. You can receive free merchandise, cash awards, recording time, promotional items, assistance with promoting local shows, distribution through CD samplers, and exposure from company advertisements. You can appear more credible in the eyes of the public, as well as the eyes of club bookers who might be interested in having you perform at their event. Read more…

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Do You Need a Direct Box for Home Recording?

by Keith Hatschek October 9, 2009

01_HosaSidekicksmVirtually all of today’s home recording digital audio interfaces allow easy connection of microphones as well as various high impedance sound sources such as an electric guitar, bass or keyboard. But are you really getting the best possible sound quality plugging your instrument directly into these interfaces? This month we’ll do a test recording of bass guitar using a typical digital audio home recording interface, and then add a direct box into the equation to see what difference, if any, such a device makes in the quality of the sound. Read more…

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Drum Mic Showdown

by Keith Hatschek October 5, 2009

p810-fig1-3We took three drum mic packages into the studio for a live showdown.
Although most engineers will tell you they select microphones based on the type of instrument or the tonal quality of a particular instrument, we all have a trusted set of “go to” mics when it comes to recording drums. In the last few years, many microphone manufacturers have grouped sets of drum mics into affordable, easy-to-use packages for both the studio and live performances. This month we put three sets of drum mic packages through their paces to test what kind of performance you can expect. Read more…

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Drum Tuning Advice for Recording and Gigs

by Bobby Owsinski and Dennis Moody October 5, 2009

Step 1: New Heads
There is nothing like a new drum head to give you great tone to work with. I prefer the sound I get from thinner heads such as Remo’s Diplomat, FD and Thin/FD lines. The disadvantage to thinner heads is that they tend to wear out quickly. A general-duty head, such as Remo’s Ambassador line, will last longer and, if new, should sound nearly as good. For recording purposes, avoid heavy-duty heads, such as Remo’s Emperor, PinStripe, PowerStroke, and the Black, Clear or White Dot series. These are all great heads, but they are designed more for live performance and tend to constrict the sound, making it a bit flat sounding instead of bright and exciting. Read more…

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