After looking at my SMART target, set in October, which was set up to help me improve my music theory skills seeing as I practically had none prior. The main idea is that I improve my understanding of chords and be able to read music.
I feel I'm on track as I can read music at a basic level and I can hear chord changes in song much easier because I pay more attention to listening to music.
Friday, 12 December 2014
Thursday, 27 November 2014
4 Areas Of The Music Industry
In this assignment, I will explain these 4 areas:
Record Companies
Artist Management
Music Publishing
Live Performance
Record Label/Companies
A record label is a company that manufactures and sells recorded music. Instead of doing the promotional work themselves, they hire other people to handle that job. They also hire A&R (Artist & Repertoire) to look out for new, young talent in the hopes of finding the "Next Big Thing".
When they sign an artist, the main focus of the label would be to make the artist a "brand" (i.e Wu-Tang, Eminem and The Beatles are all brands). That means the artist (now considered a brand) can sell both records and merchandises and on top of that, the label advertises the artist and gets them out here in the public to increase their fan base. The purpose of this is so they can play at bigger venues for live performances which means more profit can be made.
There are two types of recording labels - major and independent (Note: A lot of independent labels are backed by major ones these days). Here are the pro's and con's of both:
Major (i.e. EMI, Def Jam & Universal):
Pros:
*Resources
They have the money, the studios, the equipment, etc. Even in today's industry where several changes are being made, major record labels still have a lot of money to spend (unlike independent labels). For example, they can invest in the recording, touring, promoting your work, videos, clear samples for you (if any of your songs contain a sample).
*Connections
A lot of major labels have been around for decades (i.e. EMI) so there's no doubt that they have various connections, especially in the media. Which means that they would find promoting an artist much easier than an independent label would.
Cons:
*Priorities
Scenario - You've just signed to a major label, you think that everything's going to go smoothly right? Wrong. To put it in the simplest form, you're simply a page in a big book and you're one of the last few pages. A major label will boast musicians in their rosters who have proven themselves and gained stardom, meaning they would have a bigger fan base than you do.
*Shady deals
There's been a history where major record labels have trapped artists in very bad contracts (very bad for the artist, look at Mase with Bad Boy Records for instance). In these types of deals, the label puts in various things stating so and so and the artists wouldn't know what they mean, so they'd sign it and won't know they'd regret it until later down the line. One way to look at it is that the label puts a leash on you.
Independent (i.e. XL Records, Cherry Red Records & VP Records):
Pros:
*Passion
Independent labels have more passion than a major label does. A major mainly focuses on sales, chart success, etc (basically money). On the other hand, an independent would focus on finding good music and getting it out there. If you're signed to an independent, then the main reason for their interest in you is because they like your music, whether it's innovative, the style, etc.
*Direct relationships
Because an independent label is smaller than a major one, access is easier compared to a major, which means you can build better relationship with the staff members and artists on the roster, which may lead to future collaborations whether it be a single or an LP (album).
Cons:
*Resources
While the major labels are on the greener side of the grass when it comes to finance, independent labels are on the other side doing what they can with what they've got. So while the major labels pour money into promotion and advertisement, independents have to think innovative ways to capture attentions in the hopes of getting their artists some recognition.
*Smaller than major
Because independent labels aren't as big as majors, that means they won't have as many connections as they would, let alone established ones. This would also mean that it would be hard to make their presence known because of the size of their roster, unless they had it packed with proven musicians with big fan bases.
These days, picking an independent label over a major seems to be the way forward and with good reason, however that doesn't necessarily mean going major is a bad thing. It's all down to you and what you'd prefer.
Artist Management:
The best way to describe the artist manager's relationship with the artist is simply yin-yang (Chinese philosophy of how opposing forces are complementary to each other). "Yang" being the "sunny" side, which in this case is the artist since they've got the fame, their face is the one in lights, they're the one person people pay to see perform live, etc etc. On the other hand, there's "Yin" which is the "shady" side.
The artist manager does everything the artist doesn't want to do, things like "taking care of business" (i.e. talking to various people to get stuff done like finding gigs, deal with bookings, meet with labels, etc), looking after the interests of the artists and working very long hours. Note that the pay for an artist manager would be around 20% - 30%.
When is it a best time to get an artist manager?
*When you start doing live performances because you'd have a big enough fan base that are willing to pay to see you perform live, so you'd want a manager to find gigs for you.
*When you sign you're first major label deal. If you sign a major deal, they would provide you with a artist manager but I'd advise you turn it down because you don't want to trust major labels these days as the manager they'd offer you would see that you commit yourself to the label rather than working towards what's best for you and your career/future.
*When you start selling records. This will lead you do live shows and will attract interest from labels, both major and independent.
Skills needed:
*Patience - "Rome wasn't built in a day".
*Communication - because how are you gonna make connections and succeed if you're going to remain quiet.
*Be a nice person - basically meaning don't be rude so you can establish long term relationships.
*Experienced - if you're going to manage an artist/band with no experience whatsoever, then it'll only lead to a road of stress for you and whoever you're managing.
*Industry knowledge - you need to know about the environment you're working on, otherwise you may make some mistakes due to lack of knowledge and you'll encounter trouble along the way.
*Contacts - the more you have, the more key's you have to open more doors of opportunities.
*Organized - as an artist manager, you have a lot of work to do and a lot of things to keep track, so it's very important to keep things in order to make work easier for you in the long run, as long you stay organized.
Music Publishing:
If you're a song writer (or if it's one of the things you can do) then I highly recommend you get a music publishing deal. Music publishers treat songwriters much like how a record label would treat their roster of artists: contract agreement, promote their songs to other singers (for example "End Of The Road", sung by Boyz II Men but written by Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds), Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons) and other reasons such as adverts, movie soundtrack, etc. It's also very important to note that songwriters are entitled to 50% of profits made from a song they wrote the lyrics for.
Much like contracts between an artist and a record label, there are certain types with some being good for a songwriter. Some can help the songwriter a lot in both their craft (style) and career, and as you'd expect, there are some bad ones that can either slow down your growth as a songwriter or just ruin your career.
Although it has various similarities with record labels (in how they function), there are also different types of music publishers:
*Major - Mainly and directly linked with the major labels (i.e. Sony), these songs would be the "creme dela creme" and would boast great songwriters who are on the top of their game.
*Independent (associated with major) - These types of publishers have it easier than publishers that are 100% independent. The difference is that the independent labels that are directly linked with majors let them handle their licensing.
*Independent (actually independent) - Instead of allowing majors to handle it, they handle their own licensing and on top of that, they have their own money.
*Writer-Publishers - This is truly independent, where you do the work yourself. It's not "out of the ordinary" that some writers publish their own written work. If the song writer decides that there is too much work for them to handle alone, they'll hire someone to handle some of the work for them (mainly the administration of the song). However, instead of receiving a % of income the song makes, they work on a salary.
Live Performance:
This is very fundamental to artists, especially in this day and age. Due to the internet, you can pirate (illegally download) music which means bad news for record labels and their artists because they won't be selling any records. So the artists have to generate their income mainly through live performances. That being said, it doesn't mean live performances are a negative thing. If the people that attended your shows give a good review to their friends then you've done a good show, but if you do a bad one (or arrive late, etc etc) then there's a chance you could lose some fans (however if you mess up, you can learn from it by not making the same mistake). It's also good to do your research into venues to see which ones can match/suit the genre you mainly work in (you don't want to be a classical musician playing in the House Of Blues).
Performing live grants you more advantages than disadvantages (in fact, there are practically no disadvantages), such as:
*Experience - One of the things you'll need during life in general and it's also an important thing for live performance. The more accustomed you are to performing in front of a large number of people, the better the show you can put on.
*Popularity/Reputation - You can increase it in the music industry if you do great live performances (i.e. Kanye West) and that also increases your fan base which means more people will want to see you and that means more money for you.
*More money - indicating from the above points (experience & popularity/reputation), the more you have of both, then more people will want to see which means you'll have to move to bigger venues and that will mean prices for tickets will increase and that will increase your pocket size.
Record Companies
Artist Management
Music Publishing
Live Performance
Record Label/Companies
A record label is a company that manufactures and sells recorded music. Instead of doing the promotional work themselves, they hire other people to handle that job. They also hire A&R (Artist & Repertoire) to look out for new, young talent in the hopes of finding the "Next Big Thing".
When they sign an artist, the main focus of the label would be to make the artist a "brand" (i.e Wu-Tang, Eminem and The Beatles are all brands). That means the artist (now considered a brand) can sell both records and merchandises and on top of that, the label advertises the artist and gets them out here in the public to increase their fan base. The purpose of this is so they can play at bigger venues for live performances which means more profit can be made.
There are two types of recording labels - major and independent (Note: A lot of independent labels are backed by major ones these days). Here are the pro's and con's of both:
Major (i.e. EMI, Def Jam & Universal):
Pros:
*Resources
They have the money, the studios, the equipment, etc. Even in today's industry where several changes are being made, major record labels still have a lot of money to spend (unlike independent labels). For example, they can invest in the recording, touring, promoting your work, videos, clear samples for you (if any of your songs contain a sample).
*Connections
A lot of major labels have been around for decades (i.e. EMI) so there's no doubt that they have various connections, especially in the media. Which means that they would find promoting an artist much easier than an independent label would.
Cons:
*Priorities
Scenario - You've just signed to a major label, you think that everything's going to go smoothly right? Wrong. To put it in the simplest form, you're simply a page in a big book and you're one of the last few pages. A major label will boast musicians in their rosters who have proven themselves and gained stardom, meaning they would have a bigger fan base than you do.
*Shady deals
There's been a history where major record labels have trapped artists in very bad contracts (very bad for the artist, look at Mase with Bad Boy Records for instance). In these types of deals, the label puts in various things stating so and so and the artists wouldn't know what they mean, so they'd sign it and won't know they'd regret it until later down the line. One way to look at it is that the label puts a leash on you.
Independent (i.e. XL Records, Cherry Red Records & VP Records):
Pros:
*Passion
Independent labels have more passion than a major label does. A major mainly focuses on sales, chart success, etc (basically money). On the other hand, an independent would focus on finding good music and getting it out there. If you're signed to an independent, then the main reason for their interest in you is because they like your music, whether it's innovative, the style, etc.
*Direct relationships
Because an independent label is smaller than a major one, access is easier compared to a major, which means you can build better relationship with the staff members and artists on the roster, which may lead to future collaborations whether it be a single or an LP (album).
Cons:
*Resources
While the major labels are on the greener side of the grass when it comes to finance, independent labels are on the other side doing what they can with what they've got. So while the major labels pour money into promotion and advertisement, independents have to think innovative ways to capture attentions in the hopes of getting their artists some recognition.
*Smaller than major
Because independent labels aren't as big as majors, that means they won't have as many connections as they would, let alone established ones. This would also mean that it would be hard to make their presence known because of the size of their roster, unless they had it packed with proven musicians with big fan bases.
These days, picking an independent label over a major seems to be the way forward and with good reason, however that doesn't necessarily mean going major is a bad thing. It's all down to you and what you'd prefer.
Artist Management:
The best way to describe the artist manager's relationship with the artist is simply yin-yang (Chinese philosophy of how opposing forces are complementary to each other). "Yang" being the "sunny" side, which in this case is the artist since they've got the fame, their face is the one in lights, they're the one person people pay to see perform live, etc etc. On the other hand, there's "Yin" which is the "shady" side.
The artist manager does everything the artist doesn't want to do, things like "taking care of business" (i.e. talking to various people to get stuff done like finding gigs, deal with bookings, meet with labels, etc), looking after the interests of the artists and working very long hours. Note that the pay for an artist manager would be around 20% - 30%.
When is it a best time to get an artist manager?
*When you start doing live performances because you'd have a big enough fan base that are willing to pay to see you perform live, so you'd want a manager to find gigs for you.
*When you sign you're first major label deal. If you sign a major deal, they would provide you with a artist manager but I'd advise you turn it down because you don't want to trust major labels these days as the manager they'd offer you would see that you commit yourself to the label rather than working towards what's best for you and your career/future.
*When you start selling records. This will lead you do live shows and will attract interest from labels, both major and independent.
Skills needed:
*Patience - "Rome wasn't built in a day".
*Communication - because how are you gonna make connections and succeed if you're going to remain quiet.
*Be a nice person - basically meaning don't be rude so you can establish long term relationships.
*Experienced - if you're going to manage an artist/band with no experience whatsoever, then it'll only lead to a road of stress for you and whoever you're managing.
*Industry knowledge - you need to know about the environment you're working on, otherwise you may make some mistakes due to lack of knowledge and you'll encounter trouble along the way.
*Contacts - the more you have, the more key's you have to open more doors of opportunities.
*Organized - as an artist manager, you have a lot of work to do and a lot of things to keep track, so it's very important to keep things in order to make work easier for you in the long run, as long you stay organized.
Music Publishing:
If you're a song writer (or if it's one of the things you can do) then I highly recommend you get a music publishing deal. Music publishers treat songwriters much like how a record label would treat their roster of artists: contract agreement, promote their songs to other singers (for example "End Of The Road", sung by Boyz II Men but written by Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds), Antonio "L.A." Reid and Daryl Simmons) and other reasons such as adverts, movie soundtrack, etc. It's also very important to note that songwriters are entitled to 50% of profits made from a song they wrote the lyrics for.
Much like contracts between an artist and a record label, there are certain types with some being good for a songwriter. Some can help the songwriter a lot in both their craft (style) and career, and as you'd expect, there are some bad ones that can either slow down your growth as a songwriter or just ruin your career.
Although it has various similarities with record labels (in how they function), there are also different types of music publishers:
*Major - Mainly and directly linked with the major labels (i.e. Sony), these songs would be the "creme dela creme" and would boast great songwriters who are on the top of their game.
*Independent (associated with major) - These types of publishers have it easier than publishers that are 100% independent. The difference is that the independent labels that are directly linked with majors let them handle their licensing.
*Independent (actually independent) - Instead of allowing majors to handle it, they handle their own licensing and on top of that, they have their own money.
*Writer-Publishers - This is truly independent, where you do the work yourself. It's not "out of the ordinary" that some writers publish their own written work. If the song writer decides that there is too much work for them to handle alone, they'll hire someone to handle some of the work for them (mainly the administration of the song). However, instead of receiving a % of income the song makes, they work on a salary.
Live Performance:
This is very fundamental to artists, especially in this day and age. Due to the internet, you can pirate (illegally download) music which means bad news for record labels and their artists because they won't be selling any records. So the artists have to generate their income mainly through live performances. That being said, it doesn't mean live performances are a negative thing. If the people that attended your shows give a good review to their friends then you've done a good show, but if you do a bad one (or arrive late, etc etc) then there's a chance you could lose some fans (however if you mess up, you can learn from it by not making the same mistake). It's also good to do your research into venues to see which ones can match/suit the genre you mainly work in (you don't want to be a classical musician playing in the House Of Blues).
Performing live grants you more advantages than disadvantages (in fact, there are practically no disadvantages), such as:
*Experience - One of the things you'll need during life in general and it's also an important thing for live performance. The more accustomed you are to performing in front of a large number of people, the better the show you can put on.
*Popularity/Reputation - You can increase it in the music industry if you do great live performances (i.e. Kanye West) and that also increases your fan base which means more people will want to see you and that means more money for you.
*More money - indicating from the above points (experience & popularity/reputation), the more you have of both, then more people will want to see which means you'll have to move to bigger venues and that will mean prices for tickets will increase and that will increase your pocket size.
Wednesday, 26 November 2014
DJ Assignment
DJ Assignment
In this essay, I will be explaining how DJing developed (using case studies) from the 70’s to the present day, also discussing the equipment used (and it’s development over the years) and fundamental DJing techniques which were groundbreaking upon discovery.
First however, it's best that I define what a "DJ" actually is:
A DJ can play various roles in the music industry. A DJ can be on a radio station playing music and sound effects (such as explosions and voices). However, the DJ is given a playlist by their superiors (most likely the people who manage the station) and it's their responsibility to play it because that playlist is aimed at a certain target audience and will most likely revolve around 1 or 2 music genre's. It's also the DJ's responsibility to answer calls from the listeners, this could be anything from a contest being hosted by the station to a listener simply giving their opinion on the playlist selected by the station.
On the other hand, a DJ can showcase their skills in front of a live audience, whether it be a prom or a dance club, a DJ playing live has one main goal; to play songs that will entertain the crowd and affect the audience by giving them the feeling they desire.
DJing has come a long way in it's growth and development, dating back to as far as the start of the 20th century, but in this assignment, I'll start from the 70s, a decade where it took a big turn, all the way to the present date; where so many changes have happened thanks to technology.
1970s
The decade hip hop was born. The decade where the art of DJing/turntabilism was evolving. Here's an example of a technique that really got it running:
Beat Matching:
 |
| DJ Francis Grasso |
Once considered a skill, now a basic and "must have" technique for all DJ's (which can easily be mastered due to technology), was discovered by DJ Francis Grasso in the late 60s/early 70s.
Set Up:
The main equipment set up for DJ's during this decade were simply 2 turntables, a mixer (usually 2 channels, but more there have been more skillful DJ's down the years and some could use 4 channel mixers, even more), vinyls, headphones and speakers. The best thing that a DJ could have during these times was the Technics SL-1200 Turntable. Ever since it's release (and the release of later models), Technics has become the industry standard for DJing/turntabilism from the start (70s), through the 80s and up until the 90s.
Some features of the Technics SL-1200 are:
*Servo-controlled direct-drive
*EPA-120 tonearm
*Pitch controller - Allows you to change the speed of the platter (which also adjusts BPM of a song), ranges from -8% to +8%
 |
| Technics SL-1200 |
Stand Out DJ - DJ Kool Herc:
Born as Clive Campbell, he is best known as the founder of hip hop but is also highly respected as a DJ for what he did. He was considered as a "rebel" amongst his peers because he wouldn't do what most DJ's were doing at the time: playing the main bit of a song/album that everyone knows.
Instead, he'd play the break of a record, which got positive feedback from the audience but it'd only last 30 secs - 1 minute, and that's where the hip hop DJ's come in. They'd get the break of a record and elongate it so people can dance to it longer.
1980s
Another huge step in growth...
Scratching:
 |
| DJ Grand Wizard Theodore |
The most common thing that anyone would associate DJing with. A technique "unintentionally" discovered by DJ Grand Wizard Theodore. Thanks to his mother asking him to turn down the music, he put his hand on the vinyl and heard the sound it made, then proceeded to expand on his discovery. Scratching can produce a unique sound by moving the vinyl record (spinning on the platter) back and forth. It's mainly associated in hip hop as you'd hear scratches (mainly in choruses/hooks) in many songs.
Scratching truly left it's mark on the world at the 1983 Grammy Awards during Herbie Hancock's performance of "Rockit". It was in this performance that scratching was truly exposed a bigger audience, including DJ's such as Qbert, Mix Master Mike (of the Beastie Boys), etc. Here's a video of the legendary performance:
Set Up:
Much like the 70's, the main set up in the 80's were still 2 turntables, a mixer, vinyls, headphones and speakers. However, instead of the Technics SL-1200, it was the Technics SL-1200MK2 model that was being used as turntables among DJ's.
Some features of the Technics SL-1200MK2 are:
*Quartz enhanced timing
*Aluminum die-cast cabinet with rubber base which reduces external vibration
*Resistance to feedback
How does it compare to it's predecessor?
It's simply a better model. It's has the same features but also has improvements, hence why it popular among hip hop DJ's at the time.
 |
| Technics SL-1200MK2 |
Stand Out DJ - Afrika Bambaataa
Respectfully hailed as "The Godfather", real name Kevin Donovan, he was apart of the notorious "Black Spades" gang before leaving them to create the "Zulu Nation"; an organization which is mainly based around music. Alongside Kool Herc, he's one of the initial DJ's to utilize break beats. His song "Planet Rock" with Soul Sonic Force is truly one of his crowning achievements to date as it's credited for helping the development of electro music (one of the reasons why he's the "Father Of Electro Funk). The song also took hip hop a few steps forward, experimenting with other genre's.
1990s
The 90s. The decade where DJing expanded and gained a heap of popularity.
Raves:
DJing gained a lot of it's British popularity through predominantly illegal squat raves. These raves became popular in the late 80s, and hit it's peak in the 90s. Acid house was a big part of this. Acid house used state of the art (at the time) synthesizers to create brand new sounds which were used to make this sub-genre of house music, and this became the primary genre of raves in the late 80s and 90s.
 |
| Roland TB-303 - The synthesizer responsible for the creation and development of acid house. |
In the mid 90s, jungle drum & bass, techno from Europe and south London and happy hardcore became the main genres played at raves, all of which were produced to be easily mixed, as they all ran at similar tempos and had similar drum patterns. It was because of this that DJing started becoming bigger, as it allowed the audience to experience a seamless transition between songs which meant they could keep dancing while the track changes.
Hip Hop:
DJing gained an immense amount of popularity because of it's association with hip hop (acts like Run DMC through the 80's and Gang Starr in the late 80's and 90's). On the other hand, this proved to be a blessing and a curse because more and more MC's didn't require a DJ to perform as they could rhyme over instrumentals, which meant that DJ's were slowly declining in the hip hop scene.
However, some DJ's picked up on producing instrumentals and some songs ensured DJ's stayed intact in hip hop. An example of some of these DJ's and their crowning achievements are are:
DJ Premier:
*Contributed 3 times in Nas' classic album "Illmatic" ("N.Y. State Of Mind", "Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)" and "Represent")
*"Unbelievable" for The Notorious B.I.G album "Ready To Die"
*"Mathematical" on Mos Def's album "Black On Both Sides"
*All Gang Starr (Guru as MC and Premier as producer) projects are highly respected by the underground scene.
DJ Pete Rock:
*"Juicy" for The Notorious B.I.G's "Ready To Die"
*"The World Is Yours" for Nas' "Illmatic"
*"They Reminisce Over You" for his collaborative album with C.L. Smooth "Mecca And The Soul Brother"
Set Up:
The 90's saw the birth of CDJ's amongst DJ's, however turntables were still in high demand.
The turntable set up still remained the same, consisting of 2 turntables, a mixer, vinyls, headphones and speakers. The Technics SL-1200M3D succeeded the MK2 model which included more features to make DJing a little easier:
*Reset button - Sets the pitch back to 0, disregarding where the slider was positioned
*Removal of the click at the 0 point in the pitch slider granted DJ's more control
*Dust cover hinges removed
How does it compare to it's predecessor?
Like the comparison between it's predecessor and the one that came before, it's simply a better model. However this time, it's much more accurate and convenient for DJ's for mixing (i.e. finding the specific point they desire, hence the removal of the "click"). On top of that, removing the hinges was a move forward as it annoyed many DJ's.
 |
| Technics SL-1200M3D |
When it came to CDJ's, Pioneer were supplying the models back then and still are to the present day. The main set up for a DJ using CDJ's were the same as a turntable set up, instead you'd have CDJ's instead of turntables and CD's instead of vinyls. CDJ's would prove to be a instant hit amongst DJ's for one reason in particular: Convenience. Imagine a DJ having to go to all these venues carrying heavy crates of vinyls around with them, with risk of losing them or getting stolen. CDJ's offered DJ's everything a turntable set up can do, but only carrying CD's instead of crates of vinyls.
There were few prototypes before it, but the CDJ-500 was the ground breaker for Pioneer as it offered many things, such as:
*Jog dial - making things like selecting cue points easier (rather than putting tape on vinyl)
*Loop function
*An insight of where DJ technology was heading
 |
| CDJ-500 |
Stand Out DJ - DJ Craze:
 |
| DJ Craze |
Three time World DMC Champion. In a row. He's the only person to achieve that feat. Craze (born as Aristh Delgado) specializes in genres such as hip hop, drum n bass and trap and is regarded as one of the best DJ's so far. He's been a DJ for Yelawolf and Kanye West. If there's one thing that makes him stick out in contrast to other DJ's: his style.
Below are 2 videos: the first is his winning 1999 DMC World DJ Championship set and the second is (if you take note of the start of the video and the vocal samples he uses) a challenge to all DJ's he considers "fake". In his Kanye West routine (second video), you get a much better idea of his style of mixing, but in both videos (different time periods), you can see he uses his "signature move" (look below the videos).
4:25 (signature move)
2:00 (signature move)
2000s - Present
In the 2000s, software began to replace hardware amongst new DJs. Although hardware was still in high demand, many DJs who were learning at that time started to turn to digital software to learn how to DJ.
EDM (Electronic Dance Music) grew very, very quickly in popularity in the 2000s. There were two ways that artists played EDM live; analogue recreation and performance, and DJing. Also, some EDM was produced deliberately for DJ's to mix.
Set Up:
For turntable DJ's, the set up still remained the same; 2 turntables, mixers, vinyls, headphones and speakers. As usual, a new decade means a new turntable model, however in the 2000s, Technics released two models (and as you can tell, each model has a new feature and/or has been improved:
Technics SL-1210M5G:
Marked the 30th anniversary since the release of Technics SL-1200 model. The SL-1210M5g model mainly had improvements:
*Pitch range increased from -8% - +8% to -16% - +16% (digital control)
*Blue LED light - shows you how much you adjusted the pitch
*Dampens out more unwanted vibration (in the case of a club DJ, the vibration would come from the dance floor)
 |
| Technics SL-1210M5G |
Technics SL-1200MK6:
More improvements:
*Dampens even more vibration
*Improved accuracy in pitch control
*Better LED light
 |
| Technics SL-1200MK6 |
In 2010, Technics turntables ceased production because there were a shortage of parts needed to create future models.
On the other side, digital mixing is still on the rise with brands such as Numark, Traktor, Reloop and Denon proving DJ's with a digital format to mix on. But for now, we're gonna look at the Pioneer CDJ that came after the CDJ-500: the CDJ-1000, which then the CDJ-800 was released after.
CDJ-1000:
*First CDJ with the ability to scratch - so a lot of DJ's started to use it
*Digital display - you could see the music as it was playing, meaning DJ's could apply cue points much more accurately and gives DJ an advantage by letting them know if a drop is coming rather than actually waiting for it
*Master tempo function
 |
| CDJ-1000 |
CDJ-800:
*Auto loop - DJ's can instantly loop anything they want for however many bars (1/1, 1/2, etc) at the touch of a button
*Auto beat
*Two modes
- CD: Allows you more accuracy when changing tempo
- Vinyl: Acts like a turntable so you can treat the CD like a vinyl
 |
| CDJ-800 |
Ableton Launchpad:
Many DJ's today have this in their set-up. The magical thing about it is that it allowed DJ's to remix a track in front of a live audience. Features include:
*Has 64 buttons (8x8 grid) where you can assign audio/MIDI (looped or not)
*Allows auto-map control
*Brought DJ performance to a different level
Ableton Live:
(Note that it isn't in a DJ's set up)
Although it's one of the best software's to produce music on (Producers such as Flying Lotus use it), Ableton Live has proven to be a big hit amongst DJ's for this simple reason: It can easily find out the tempo of any song. This makes it easier for DJ's of all genre's, instead of spending time trying to find out themselves.
 |
| Ableton Live 9 |
Stand Out DJ - Andy C:
Although active from the 90's, Andrew John Clarke (real name, stage name is simply a shortened version) started gaining a lot popularity as of recent (around 2009) and is considered a pioneer for DnB, however he could prove to be an important pioneer for DJing itself. Andy C is the first DJ to mix music and visuals at his shows, you can see a demonstration below:Hardware/Software:
Because a lot of production was moving away from hardware and onto software, not many performers were doing analogue recreations at their shows, so DJs were fully in demand. This meant that they were playing bigger venues and festivals, earning more money and becoming more a part of mainstream entertainment. This lead to the creation of softwares such as Serato, Traktor and Virtual DJ, which made DJing more accessible to a younger audience, and also minimized the number of cables and bits of hardware required to perform.
Analogue:
Pros:
*Cheaper
*Easier/faster to set up
Cons:
*Means you have to carry on crates of vinyls around
*Doesn't have much audio interface
Digital:
Pros:
*Can deal with things like distortion and soft limiting better
*Higher quality audio
Cons:
*Expensive
*Can't set up and use straight away
To conclude with my opinion, I think digital mixing is better than analogue because it offers more to the DJ, however I like analogue mixing better because it's harder to catch on but when you get good at it, you'd find mixing on a digital format much easier. Let's not forget that digital mixing makes DJing "easier", so if a DJ considers themselves to be really good at DJing, then they'll need to think how they'd compare to DJ's in the 80's and 90's.
Bibliography:
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bj1r6u8zLPo
Mainly for 70s and 80s
Director: Doug Pray
Title: Scratch (movie)
Year: 2001
*http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1909
Knowledge on Technics (models)
Author: Jordan Rothlein
Title: Industry Standards: Technics SL-1200
Year: 2013
*http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1910
Knowledge on Pioneer CDJ's (models)
Author: Jordan Rothlein
Title: Industry Standards: Pioneer CDJ
Year: 2013
*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Kool_Herc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afrika_Bambaataa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DJ_Craze
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_C
Information for the Stand Out DJ's of each decade
Title(s): DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Craze & Andy C
Year(s): Unspecified
Thursday, 20 November 2014
First Recording
For my first recording session, I was in a group with Nick and Tristan. Tristan was behind the mixer while Nick and myself went into the recording studio to record some performances. Nick picked out some drums (pre-programmed backing track) of his choice so it can keep him in time while he played the guitar.
In the recording studio, we set up the Jamhub (for the headphones) using a jack cable and microphones using a xlr cable so we could communicate Tristan, who was in control room. To successfully record 2 tracks simultaneously, we sung the chorus of Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc." while he played the guitar.
The following week, we did the same procedure but this time recorded a tambourine and myself and Nick clapping to the guitar and drum line.
In the recording studio, we set up the Jamhub (for the headphones) using a jack cable and microphones using a xlr cable so we could communicate Tristan, who was in control room. To successfully record 2 tracks simultaneously, we sung the chorus of Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc." while he played the guitar.
The following week, we did the same procedure but this time recorded a tambourine and myself and Nick clapping to the guitar and drum line.
 |
| Recording Studio. |
 |
| Guitar Nick played with. |
 |
| Jack and XLR cables for microphones and Jamhub. |
 |
| Jamhub for the headphones. |
Saturday, 15 November 2014
Research Project: Mastering
The Definition Of Mastering:
It is the final stage in the recording process. Every major label release is mastered to be prepared for retail sale (i.e. CDs, Vinyl, iTunes, etc) and/or radio play. Major releases that are going to get radio play get compressed a lot to raise the overall level of the loudness, this is make the song "stand out" compared to other songs, so the general public will assume the song is better because it's louder.
Why it would be beneficial to learn more about it:
Because my passion in music is being an MC (rapper) as well as being a producer, which means I'd be in the studio a lot of the time either recording or making music. So instead of paying professional a lot of money to make my songs sound better, it'd make more sense if I learn the skills of mastering music and craft the final product of my own music.
Mastering is an especially good skill to acquire in the industry today because it will ensure that you will last longer as labels/artists/bands will come to you to get songs mastered. The better you are at mastering music, the higher your reputation meaning more people will come to you.
Techniques I need to explore to improve mastering:
*Knowledge on speakers:
To get the very best results, it's best that you make sure your speakers are in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This is because the hearing system of a human generally can hear anything from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, so you'd want to hear everything you can while mastering, otherwise this will cause issues in the long run.
*Knowing how to record:
If a song doesn't level up to expectations, the issue may not be in the mastering but the recording itself. To make a recording sufficient enough, you need to make sure you have the best possible microphones to record vocals/instruments (i.e. Use a condenser mic for things like vocals and piano because it has a greater high frequency response). You'll also need to make sure the space your recording in is good enough, so you'll need to take many things into account for when you master the track (i.e. Space in the room, positioning of the singers/instruments, positioning of the microphones, etc). The biggest advantage is; if you're present from the very start of the recording sessions, then you can pick out the best recording in general, have it mixed then add the finishing touches.
*To know plug-ins:
This is very essential as plug-in's (i.e. EQ, Reverb, Multi-band Compressor, etc) are the main tools everyone uses to master a song. It's also important that you know what each plug-in does. Most composers and producers use plug-ins to either pull off a certain sound or to add something so subtle that can effect the song so much.
*Know what you're listening out for:
The most important tool anyone can have when mastering music; ears. When you're listening to a song that has been sent to you for mastering, before you open up your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and get right to work, it's best that you listen to the song over and over again to pick out any and every flaws. Preferably, I'd listen to it once to get a feel/groove of the song, then keep listening to it over and over to pick out every mistake then work on it.
Pros & Cons:
It's good to know about speakers so you know which one to buy to get the best sound.
Being efficient in a recording sessions will help you loads in the studio, it would greatly benefit you if you're going to work in the studio, regardless what you do in the music industry (performer, producer, sound engineer, etc). This would mean that operations can run much smoothly when recording a track.
Plug-in's can do so much to a song as long as you know what you're doing. It's a standard that there are plug-in's in all DAWs.
Improving your ears for music is something all performers, composers, producers and sound engineers should do if they want to get better at what they do. When you have a better ear for music, you could do so many things compared to someone that doesn't have a good pair for music.
Speakers and Recording both have one common disadvantage: Money. In terms of sound systems (speakers), it costs quite a lot to get good ones. Most (if not, all) professional studios (both recording and mastering) have speakers that cost an arm and a leg. However, recording is even worst as it'd cost even more to get all the equipment you want like mics (both condenser and dynamic), acoustical soundproofing treatment, the list goes on.
When it comes to plug-in's and sharpening your ears for listening to music, there's only one common con (which really isn't a con) and that is time. Learning about plug-ins and how they effect a song will take time, as well as improving your ears for music. In my view, if you see time as an "investment" in this case, then it's no longer considered a con.
It is the final stage in the recording process. Every major label release is mastered to be prepared for retail sale (i.e. CDs, Vinyl, iTunes, etc) and/or radio play. Major releases that are going to get radio play get compressed a lot to raise the overall level of the loudness, this is make the song "stand out" compared to other songs, so the general public will assume the song is better because it's louder.
Why it would be beneficial to learn more about it:
Because my passion in music is being an MC (rapper) as well as being a producer, which means I'd be in the studio a lot of the time either recording or making music. So instead of paying professional a lot of money to make my songs sound better, it'd make more sense if I learn the skills of mastering music and craft the final product of my own music.
Mastering is an especially good skill to acquire in the industry today because it will ensure that you will last longer as labels/artists/bands will come to you to get songs mastered. The better you are at mastering music, the higher your reputation meaning more people will come to you.
Techniques I need to explore to improve mastering:
*Knowledge on speakers:
To get the very best results, it's best that you make sure your speakers are in the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This is because the hearing system of a human generally can hear anything from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, so you'd want to hear everything you can while mastering, otherwise this will cause issues in the long run.
*Knowing how to record:
If a song doesn't level up to expectations, the issue may not be in the mastering but the recording itself. To make a recording sufficient enough, you need to make sure you have the best possible microphones to record vocals/instruments (i.e. Use a condenser mic for things like vocals and piano because it has a greater high frequency response). You'll also need to make sure the space your recording in is good enough, so you'll need to take many things into account for when you master the track (i.e. Space in the room, positioning of the singers/instruments, positioning of the microphones, etc). The biggest advantage is; if you're present from the very start of the recording sessions, then you can pick out the best recording in general, have it mixed then add the finishing touches.
*To know plug-ins:
This is very essential as plug-in's (i.e. EQ, Reverb, Multi-band Compressor, etc) are the main tools everyone uses to master a song. It's also important that you know what each plug-in does. Most composers and producers use plug-ins to either pull off a certain sound or to add something so subtle that can effect the song so much.
*Know what you're listening out for:
The most important tool anyone can have when mastering music; ears. When you're listening to a song that has been sent to you for mastering, before you open up your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) and get right to work, it's best that you listen to the song over and over again to pick out any and every flaws. Preferably, I'd listen to it once to get a feel/groove of the song, then keep listening to it over and over to pick out every mistake then work on it.
Pros & Cons:
It's good to know about speakers so you know which one to buy to get the best sound.
Being efficient in a recording sessions will help you loads in the studio, it would greatly benefit you if you're going to work in the studio, regardless what you do in the music industry (performer, producer, sound engineer, etc). This would mean that operations can run much smoothly when recording a track.
Plug-in's can do so much to a song as long as you know what you're doing. It's a standard that there are plug-in's in all DAWs.
Improving your ears for music is something all performers, composers, producers and sound engineers should do if they want to get better at what they do. When you have a better ear for music, you could do so many things compared to someone that doesn't have a good pair for music.
Speakers and Recording both have one common disadvantage: Money. In terms of sound systems (speakers), it costs quite a lot to get good ones. Most (if not, all) professional studios (both recording and mastering) have speakers that cost an arm and a leg. However, recording is even worst as it'd cost even more to get all the equipment you want like mics (both condenser and dynamic), acoustical soundproofing treatment, the list goes on.
When it comes to plug-in's and sharpening your ears for listening to music, there's only one common con (which really isn't a con) and that is time. Learning about plug-ins and how they effect a song will take time, as well as improving your ears for music. In my view, if you see time as an "investment" in this case, then it's no longer considered a con.
Friday, 14 November 2014
Venues
Venue
|
Capacity
|
Promoter
|
Genre
|
How to get a gig
|
Black Heart, Camden
|
80-100
|
Danny Black
|
Heavy Metal, Rock
|
Email : danny@blackheart.com
|
Barfly, Camden
|
220
| MAMA | Hip-Hop, RnB, etc | Online reg |
Water Rats Theatre, Kings Cross
| (Currently changing promoters) | Rock, Pop and Folk | Just go there | |
Servant Jazz Quarters, Dalston
| 60 | Alice | Jazz, glitch-hop, acidhouse | |
Harrison, Kings Cross
| 60-80 | Folkroom Records | Folk | |
Upstairs at the Garage, Highbury & Islington
|
150
| Apply for artists registration on website for a promoter to contact you | Garage | Tel: 02076196721 Email: hire@thegaragehighbury.com |
The Buffalo Bar, Highbury & Islington
|
150
|
Garage, indie, Motown, Rock n Roll for dancers, soul
|
Email - buffalobarlondon@gmail.com
| |
The Drop, Stoke Newington
| 120 |
Each band has their own promoter depending on the genre the band plays.
|
RnB, pop, UKG, hip-hop, electro and indie
|
You apply on the website which can be found on the left side near the bottom.
|
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
My Favourite Song
I have a long list of songs that I really enjoy listening to, like many other people. However, the one song that sticks out the most for me is "Juicy", The Notorious B.I.G's debut single released in 1994 which peaked at #1 on the Billboard charts.
"Juicy" is the track that made The Notorious B.I.G a legend in such short time, prior to his album "Ready To Die" which came out a month later. It's also one of the first mainstream rap songs to discuss a rapper's rise to the top, talking about his early years in poverty, dreams of being a rapper and paying respect to his early influences:"Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine/Hangin' pictures on my wall/Every Saturday, Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl". He also speaks about the time he spent in crime and dealing drugs and the success he eventually gained within the music industry and realizing his dreams, alongside the lifestyle he was living at the time. The song was produced by Poke (of the Trackmasters) and the now legendary producer & DJ, Pete Rock. They sampled the classic Mtume record while also "sampling" the title "Juicy Fruit".
Over 20 years on, the song is still very much appreciated by many listeners and will continue to loved by many. It's also arguable that this song not only made The Notorious B.I.G a legend but also tells the story of how Hip Hop itself became popular.
"Juicy" is the track that made The Notorious B.I.G a legend in such short time, prior to his album "Ready To Die" which came out a month later. It's also one of the first mainstream rap songs to discuss a rapper's rise to the top, talking about his early years in poverty, dreams of being a rapper and paying respect to his early influences:"Salt-n-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine/Hangin' pictures on my wall/Every Saturday, Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl". He also speaks about the time he spent in crime and dealing drugs and the success he eventually gained within the music industry and realizing his dreams, alongside the lifestyle he was living at the time. The song was produced by Poke (of the Trackmasters) and the now legendary producer & DJ, Pete Rock. They sampled the classic Mtume record while also "sampling" the title "Juicy Fruit".
Over 20 years on, the song is still very much appreciated by many listeners and will continue to loved by many. It's also arguable that this song not only made The Notorious B.I.G a legend but also tells the story of how Hip Hop itself became popular.
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