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Midi Keyboards: Why? How?… & 5 of the Best!

The Edirol PCR-M1, the world slimmest MIDI Keyboard…view more

A MIDI keyboard is a piano-style digital keyboard device used for sending MIDI signals or commands to other devices connected to the same interface as the keyboard.

MIDI is an acronym for Musical Instrument Digital Interface (protocol). The basic MIDI keyboard does not produce sound. Instead, MIDI information is sent to an electronic module capable of reproducing an array of digital sounds or samples that resemble traditional analog musical instruments. These samples are also referred to as voices.

An encoding scheme is used to map a MIDI value to a specific instrument sample. Also, other sound parameters such as note volume and attack are included in the MIDI scheme. The keyboard merely acts as a MIDI controller of sound modules and other MIDI devices, including DAW software.

MIDI keyboards are a very common feature of a recording studio, and any DAW setup. Most include a transpose function and the ability to set different octaves. Many MIDI keyboards have pitch bend and modulation wheels. Some also have extra sets of assignable rotary knobs and/or buttons for sending custom MIDI messages to the synthesiser, sampler or DAW software.

Other features that some MIDI keyboards might include are:

• Input for foot switch (usually used as a sustain pedal)
• Input for a foot expression controller
• Semi-weighted or fully weighted keys
• Capability of sending aftertouch
• Direct USB connection for use with computers

In other words if your serious about making music on a computer a MIDI device will make your work better faster!

How do I connect a MIDI keyboard to my computer?

The first thing to do is to make sure that your MIDI keyboard has MIDI ports on the back. It is very rare to find a modern midi keyboard without MIDI ports.

Here are your options:

1. USB to USB
2. MIDI to MIDI
3. MIDI to USB port
4. MIDI to soundcard gameport

USB to USB

Every modern MIDI controller keyboard we sell excluding those by Fatar now come with a USB connection for easy use with computers. Some keyboard are even ‘class complient’ which means you don’t even need to install any software. The cable you need for a USB to USB connection is just a standard USB cable which should be included with your keyboard. For USB Cables in stock at Dolphin, CLICK HERE

MIDI to MIDI

Some of the audio interfaces we sell such as the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 or the Tascam US-122 combine Audio & MIDI I/O enabling your to connect your keyboard directly to your sound card. For MIDI Cables in stock at Dolphin, CLICK HERE.

MIDI to USB port

If your sound card doesn’t have MIDI connections and your keyboard doesn’t have USB then the next best option is a USB to MIDI interface such as the M-Audio Uno or the Edirol UM 1X.

These devices come equipped with a USB connection for your computer, and a 1 In/ 1 Out 16 channel MIDI connection to your MIDI keyboard. However if you had more than one MIDI device to connect such as a second keyboard or a sound module then mutli port options are avalible such as the M-Audio Midisport 2×2.

MIDI to soundcard gameport

If you are using a standard computer sound card rather than a music sound card, then it may have a joystick port.

If you have a joystick port then all you need is a cable that has a 15 pin ‘D’ connector at one end and MIDI connectors on the other.

If you need any further help, please call us on 0844 815 0888 and speak to one of our experts. We’ll be glad to help and direct you to the best gear for your needs.

More about MIDI…

MIDI data is not the same as sound data. What is transmitted over the wire is information on how to play a song, not the physical sound data itself. MIDI can be thought of better as a player-piano roll than a compact disk: just as the piano-roll instructs the player-piano to create the sounds, MIDI data tells a MIDI device which notes to play, patches (instruments) to use, and other information to help the instrument recreate the song. When you listen to a MIDI file, you’re hearing an actual ‘performance’ by the instrument, not a ‘recording’ of a past performance.

MIDI was not designed to be used with personal computers, but since it is a digital interface, they actually work very well together. Combining at least one MIDI instrument with a personal computer and a MIDI interface (a device that allows the computer to “speak” MIDI) allows for many interesting applications.

The  the easiest way to get this up and running is to us a USB to MIDI keyboard. This will take care of any MIDI channel assignments and route it effectively in your DAW with ease.The USB device drivers are also native with Windows and Mac, which it will just WORK

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MIDI Keyboards: 5 of the Best

M-Audio Oxygen 8 v2 25-Key USB MIDI Controller

The Oxygen 8 v2 is an updated version of the mobile MIDI controller that started the mobile studio revolution. You get a fully functional MIDI keyboard with great action, plus eight MIDI-assignable knobs to control any MIDI parameters you desire in your hardware or software. It’s perfect for composing on the go or performing live bass lines and pads, firing samples, or triggering audio and/or visual effects. New features include full MIDI message support, plus 6 transport controls that can be reassigned to any MIDI parameter. The Oxygen 8 v2 also offers 10 non-volatile memory locations and is compatible with our free Enigma software for computer-based storage, retrieval and management of an unlimited number of patches.

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E-MU Xboard 61 Pro USB/MIDI Controller Keyboard

The new E-MU Xboard™ 61 USB/MIDI Controller features 61 premium full-size keys with aftertouch, 16 programmable real-time control knobs, 16 new patch select/program change buttons, Xboard Control editing software, and a full version of E-MU’s Proteus X Version 1.5 Desktop Sound Module with over 3GB of sounds, including a new custom bank of E-MU’s finest performance keyboard sounds. The Xboard Control (Windows/Macintosh) software provides an intuitive desktop interface that lets you effortlessly create custom templates for all of your favorite hardware and software instruments. The Xboard 61 also gives you four Zones per patch (each with its own key and velocity ranges), allows you to set discrete MIDI channels for each knob and offers unrivalled real-time control and performance features, including Snap Shot that lets you send multiple program changes and controller values by pressing a single button, and Latch Mode that enables you to define a section of the keyboard as on/off triggers – perfect for drum loops. The Xboard 61 is perfect for studio and stage and can run on USB, battery, or AC power.

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M-Audio Keystation 61es 61-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

The Keystation 61e is a 61-note USB keyboard with velocity-sensitive, semi-weighted keys that is designed to easily integrate in any computer music environment.

Class compliancy with Mac OS X and Windows XP delivers true plug-and-play setup. The Keystation 61e is also compatible with many music education and music creation software titles, making it ideal for classrooms and studios alike.

More advanced users can control software synths, external sound devices, and more with the assignable slider, and pitch and mod wheels. This sleek, compact keyboard is USB bus-powered and requires no external power supply.

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M-Audio Axiom 25 Advanced 25-Key Semi-Weighted USB MIDI Controller

Don’t let the compact size of the Axiom 25 fool you. This advanced 25-key USB mobile MIDI controller features both semi-weighted action and assignable aftertouch, plus eight rubberized trigger pads that put drum programming and performance at your fingertips.

Eight endless rotary encoder knobs let you get your hands on synth parameters, virtual mixer controls and more.

Six transport controls can also assign to control other MIDI parameters. Virtually everything is freely MIDI-assignable—and the backlit LCD screen makes programming easy and intutive.

You get 20 memory locations for on-board storage, plus free Enigma editor/librarian software to manage an unlimited number of setups via computer.

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Korg Kontrol 49 USB Studio Controller

The new KONTROL49 combines intuitive design, great feel, familiar hardware and detailed displays into the most comprehensive controller for all your MIDI needs. Equipped with 40 assignable control elements – including the new Vector Joystick – the KONTROL49 provide new musical dexterity when working with soft-synths, MIDI modules, or any digital audio workstation.

Few controller keyboards can boast the high level of hardware integrity found in the KONTROL49. The 49 keys are not only full-sized; they feature the same great touch and feel proven in Korg’s professional workstation instruments. Eight velocity curves let you tailor the response to your own playing, or to a specific application. Octave shift buttons provide full access to the entire 128 note range.

AKG K 171 MK II – Comfortable, Dynamic Headphones!

K 171 MK II is a dynamic, on-ear, closed-back headphone designed for on stage monitoring and tracking as well as DJ mixing. The stage blue K 171 MK II comes with both leatherette and velvet earpads, as well as detachable 10-ft straight and 16-ft coiled output cables. Offering a frequency range of 18 Hz to 26 k Hz, a maximum input power of 200 mW and a rated impedance of 55 ohms, the K 171 MK II’s…

The AKG K 171 MK II combines the benefits of a closed-back design with the lightweight and comfort of supra-aural headphones.

The AKG K 171 MK II is designed for on stage monitoring and tracking as well as DJ mixing. It is an excellent choice for DJ and broadcast applications where no sound can bleed from the headphones into live microphones.

The closed-back, loud and rugged design gives the K 171 MK II a different low-frequency character and maintains its comfort and flexibility.

Key Features

• Professional hi-fi stereo studio headphones
• Self-adjusting headband for optimum fit
• Patented Varimotion speakers
• High ambient noise attenuation
• For broadcast and DJ use
• Rugged construction for tough handling
• Leatherette ear pads and additional velvet ear pads
• Single-sided, detachable 3 m cable and additional 5 m coiled cable
• Type: closed-back, dynamic headphones
• Sensitivity: 94 dB/mW, 107 dB/V
• Frequency range: 18 to 26,000 Hz
• Rated impedance: 55 ohms
• Max. input power: 200 mW
• Earpads: leatherette and velvet
• Cable: 3 m single-sided and 5 m coiled cable (99,9% oxygen-free); plug-in cable on headphones (mini-XLR connector)
• Connector: gold plated stereo mini jack
• Adapter: gold plated 1/8″ to 1/4″ screw-on adapter
• Net weight: (without cable) 200 g (7.1 oz.)

PRODIGY’S FRONT OF HOUSE ENGINEER JON BURTON TRIES OUT sE INSTRUMENT REFLEXION FILTERS, NOW THEY’VE BECOME AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE BANDS TOURING PACKAGE.

When it comes to loud stages very few can compete with the sheer blistering volume of The Prodigy. With an on stage monitor system of epic proportions sound spillage is a major problem.

In an effort to help clean up the drum sound FOH engineer Jon Burton turned to SE for help. “As we were also recording the most recent shows, I wanted to get as clean a sound from the drum mics as possible” says Burton. As most of the mics are mounted internally it was the overheads that were presenting the greatest problem.

“Sonic kindly leant me some instrument reflectors as part of their loan scheme. We tried them in rehearsals and they seem to work so we bought four. When we did the first shows, some small warm up gigs in tiny clubs, they came into their own.

The spill was dramatically reduced and the sound more focused. They exceeded my expectations”. The reflectors have now been on tour for two months doing major festivals around the world, and have become an essential part of the bands touring package.

Jon Burton has also mixed for Beth Gibbons (Portishead) and Bjork at Live8 in Japan. Katrina & the Waves, Radiohead, Suede, Cocteau Twins and has also done monitors for Stereophonics, Lulu and Blue.

Sound On Sound said this……

“Those recording in less-than-ideal recording environments have been looking for a ‘magic bullet’ quick fix for recording vocals since the term ‘home recording’ came into being, and the SE Reflexion Filter represents a serious step in that direction. It can’t keep all reflected sound out of the mic, as some will end up bouncing into the mic’s frontal axis from the wall behind the singer, but it certainly reduces this by minimising the amount of voice making it out into the room and by attenuating off-axis sounds. This could be particularly useful in a typical studio vocal booth where there is often a glass door directly behind the microphone. If rear-wall reflections are still a problem for you, some thick blankets, duvets or similar behind the singer should bring about the desired degree of improvement, and in combination with the Reflexion Filter should allow anyone to record clean vocals that are free from damaging room coloration. The price of the Reflexion Filter could actually be said to represent extremely good value when you consider that it might well make more difference to the subjective quality of your recordings than blowing an extra grand or two on more sophisticated mics and preamps! “

SE Electronics Instrument Reflexion Filter

The SE Electronics IRF Instrument Reflexion Filter. Innovative and useful portable acoustic isolation screen for recording instruments. The SE Electronics IRF is a development from the hugely successful Reflexion Filter. Designed to give a degree of acoustic isolation and rejection of room ambience for drum mic separation, the Instrument RF can also be used for micing guitars, pianos, wind instruments……

SE Electronics The Reflexion Filter

The Reflexion Filter ‘portable vocal booth’ is a revolution in recording technology. The Reflexion Filter is a portable device for recording live sources with reduced room ambience. It is an advanced composite wall which is positioned behind any microphone by means of a variable position stand clamp assembly which ships with the product. The main function is to help obtain…

Rode Podcaser USB Microphone & Podcasting.. What is it?

Broadcast Quality USB Microphone
Seamless integration was the idea, and it was obtained by creating a studio dynamic microphone with unparalleled A/D converters, so that the microphone can be plugged into any computer with no in/out boxes, no expensive computer pre-amps, just a USB cable.

The Podcaster offers an end-address configuration, the clarity of RØDE’s tailored-for-voice frequency response, an ‘ON’ L.E.D, a direct headphone amp, and of course very low self noise.

The Podcaster opens up possibilities for anyone who records audio – from podcasters, journalists and students to business people adding audio files to websites and multimedia presentations.

* Broadcast Sound Quality
* 28mm dynamic capsule
* 18-bit resolution, 8-48kHz sampling
* Windows and Mac compatible
* Powered by USB bus
* Internal capsule shock mounting
* 3.5mm stereo headphone output with volume control built-in to body
* Ideal for voice recognition software

Podcasting is creating your own content (mp3 or video for example ) with intent for users to download using one of several programs that have been created to retrieve your audio file automatically, like iTunes or Google reader etc.

Podcasting is simply distributing audio content using RSS. The process is suprisingly simple, and by making audio content available using RSS, podcasters give listeners more control over what they listen to and when. Also, many podcasts are available for syndication, which increases a broadcasters exposure.

For more infomation on RSS check our article here

Here is a breakdown of what you will need and need to know to be able to Podcast:

Skills you may need….

1. How to record your audio and save it to an .mp3 file. (Video is of course also allowed)

2. How to upload the .mp3 file to a website or hosting service

3. How to upload the RSS “feed”  burner service.

After creating your material using an audio editing program of your choice you’ll need somwhere to store it online. if you have a sever upload it here, if your lost at the word ’server’ …get a blog like ‘WordPress’ or ‘Blogger’.

The majority of things you will have to master in order to Podcast are online and if your new to Blogging, Podcasting is an ideal  reason to start. Your ‘Blog’ will allow to to upload you MP3’s and store them within your Blog enabling users to visit your site and download or even better ‘Subscribe’!

There are many different ways to create/ store your Podcasts, you just need to find the server and Feedburner that works for you, the videos here all do things a little different so dont worry if you do things different also!

An RSS feed is the final step in transforming your collection of audio/video files into a bona fide podcast! With FeedBurner’s SmartCast service, you can use any blogging tool that creates a feed to publish your podcast. Here’s how it works: If your blog post contains a link (<a href=””></a>) to an audio/video file, we’ll convert it to an RSS enclosure — a special link found only in your feed — that programs like iPodder, iTunes and NetNewsWire recognize. Google Reader and several other online readers also recognize enclosures and offer a playback link or audio control when they encounter them.

Equipment you may need…

1. Audio Editing Software

2. A Microphone

3. A Sound Card

Drum Circles = Drum Therapy:The Therapeutic Effects of Drumming

Drum therapy is an ancient approach that uses rhythm to promote healing and self-expression. From the shamans of Mongolia to the Minianka healers of West Africa, therapeutic rhythm techniques have been used for thousands of years to create and maintain physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Current research is now verifying the therapeutic effects of ancient rhythm techniques. Recent research reviews indicate that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and produces feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma, and reintegration of self.
Playing within the context of a drum circle is truly an example of the concept of teamwork at its highest level. As the rhythms come together and grow, we quickly realize the need for trust and dependence amongst our fellow drummers. So many of the lessons we learn in the drum circle can be directly applied in our homes, our schools, our workplaces, and our lives.

We learn to relax.

We learn to let go.

We learn to lead when necessary, and follow as needed.

We learn to focus intensely at times, and to just feel our way along at others.

And we learn how–without balance and harmony–the slightest hint of discord can send the whole thing spiraling out of control.

These are important lessons. The beauty is that, when learned in the proper environment, the actual learning process becomes invisible. The transition between these elements is seamless and transparent, and the concepts become as natural as breathing. Not the individual rhythms, of course–many of those take years to truly master–but rather our awareness of ourselves and our role in the bigger picture (in the circle and in life).

Rhythm for a Healthy life : using rhythm for relaxation, meditation and healing

HumDrumStrum now offers workshops and courses aimed primarily at allowing you to use an African-style hand drum as an aid to relaxation and meditation. We cover basic hand drum techniques, understanding rhythm, playing multi-part rhythms in a group, improvisation, finding rhythms to play on your own and meditative drumming.

The workshops specifically provide you with the knowledge and confidence to play your drum both on your own for relaxation and meditation and with a group at a drum circle event (where the focus is on ‘music-in-the-moment’ rather than playing culturally specific rhythms).

We live in a vibrational universe where playing a drum can really help us to relax, de-stress and connect with ourselves and those around us.

Health benefits of drumming: the healing power of the drum

As well as the numerous benefits of drumming that are associated with empowerment, communication, confidence, community and team building, the drum has an amazing ability to facilitate healing and therefore there are also many health benefits associated with playing a drum and participating in a rhythm-based event.

Rhythm-based events:

• enhance psychological and spiritual well-being
• enhance physical well-being
• enhance social relationships
• enhance sensory awareness and physical dexterity
• improve self-esteem, self-confidence and personal development

Check out the following new article from the BBC:

Check out the following link from the BBC, where a new study suggests that drumming sessions at work can help reduce stress and lower staff turnover:

Drumming up a happier workplace

Other interesting articles (please click on the title):

Therapeutic effects of drumming

The voice of the drum

Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3507109.stm,
http://www.humdrumstrum.co.uk
http://www.humdrumstrum.co.uk/health.html

Danny Elfman (The Simpsons theme) Discusses Scoring Terminator Salvation with Omnisphere!

Spectrasonics Omnisphere is the first virtual instrument to be based on the Spectrasonics STEAM Engine, the company’s newly developed core technology.

The Omnisphere development team will be revealing the new instrument to the public through a series of video episodes from the Spectrasonics website showing features and behind the scenes details on how the instrument and its unique sounds have been created.

“This is truly an Epic project,” said Eric Persing, Founder and Creative Director of Spectrasonics. “We have been working for many, many years; sampling unique sounds, experimenting, specifying the synthesis features and building the STEAM Engine to run it all. It’s been a very exciting process involving our team of software engineers, sound designers, musicians, and graphic artists from all over the world. We’ve been very deliberate in making it easy to use, and yet extremely powerful. Omnisphere is our new flagship synthesizer, and points the way to all our future virtual instruments. We are thrilled to offer a new product that will new have a host of expansion capabilities in the future.”

With the fourth installment of the sci-fi series Terminator, composer Danny Elfman weighs in with a gripping film score that features Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere virtual instrument on many of the music cues – Elfman often used two Omnispheres for up to sixteen possible sounds at once.

Danny Elfman told us, “I would have to say that discovering Omnisphere this last year has been one of my greatest pleasures. I’m always looking for new sounds and new plug-ins to run with my sequencer, which is Digital Performer. Using Omnisphere along with DP is fantastic for several reasons. First, there’s a great core library to choose from and Eric Persing has, along with all the Spectrasonics sound designers, done a really vast and thorough job. It’s great, finally, to have sounds organized so well with the many ‘tags’ that they provide. Secondly, it’s really easy to program your own custom sounds. My first day, I already had several dozen edits that I really liked and put them in a separate ‘Favorites’ folder. The Omnisphere browser system made it super easy to find them as I needed them.”

“When I began Terminator Salvation I knew I was going to do a lot of synth work and so I began with a bank of their sounds and a slew of my own variations that I thought I could use, and use them I did. On almost every cue,” continued Elfman.

“More specifically, I found myself diving into the ‘Psychoacoustic‘ sounds a lot, frequently in the ‘Experimental’ and ‘Film’ genres. I also found myself often going to the ‘Distortion’ category, also in the ‘Experimental’ and ‘High-Energy’ genres.”

THE SOUNDS
“An example of what I did would be taking the ‘Buzzord’ sounds, which I had half a dozen custom variations that I came up with. Several variations on the ‘Big Boomer Trash Strike’ from the ‘Impacts and Hits’ category was used a lot. From the ‘Pads + Strings’ group I went to the ‘Sweeping Pads’ and ‘Quirky’ tags a lot. The patch ‘Secondary Strike’ from the ‘SFX and Noise’ category and ‘Sound FX’ genre was very useful and like the others, I had a number of variations on it. Finally the ‘Hybrid Organic’ category gave me sounds that I would use both as hits and pads and sometimes a cross between them,” Elfman explained.

“I can’t say enough good things about Omnisphere,” said Elfman. “I love doing my own synth editing, but I’m no programming genius and I have very little patience for new plug-ins that require steep leaning curves to start really ‘working’ the patches I like. Omnisphere was really easy and intuitive. And for each file in DP, I’d make all the edits and variations on my sounds as was required, and having them attached to that file for later use made my life easier.”

“My compliments to Eric and all the folks at Spectrasonics.  Good work.”

Daniel Robert “Danny” Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is a Grammy Award-winning American musician, best known for composing music for television and movies, and leading the rock band Oingo Boingo as singer/songwriter from 1976 until its breakup in 1995. He is a frequent collaborator with long-time friend Tim Burton, and has scored all but two of his films. He was nominated for four Academy Awards and won a Grammy Award for Tim Burton’s Batman and an Emmy Award for his Desperate Housewives theme. Elfman also wrote the theme for the video game Fable. He is also famous for creating The Simpsons main title theme, and his role as Jack Skellington’s singing voice in The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Be sure to check out Danny’s fine score for the film!

Source: http://www.spectrasonics.net/

The Rode NT1-A say NO To Noise!!

Say No To Noise!!

The RODE NT1-A is one of the most quiet microphones in its class.

For a long time standing it hs been known that Rode make some of the best microphones around. The NT1-A is no exception

Sound On Sound said this about the NT1 A

“Despite its low cost, the NT1A delivers professional performance, both for vocal recording and for general instrument use. The lack of any heavy-handed presence boost makes the sound well suited for use with a range of singers and vocal styles and makes it’s also easy to fine-tune using modest amounts of EQ. At the same time, the high end is as open and detailed as you could wish for, so if you like a vocal sound with a modern breathy quality, you can achieve it using little or no EQ.”

Why is this important?

Light and dark, hot and cold, loud and quiet! These are examples of the contrasts found in nature. A low noise recording will give your work it’s dynamics. It will give you the impact you dream of. Adding noise from any device, especially at the source, only degrades your performance.

The RODE NT1-A has a self-noise of only 5 dBA!

Low Noise is only half the story

• Multi award winning, and one of the world’s biggest selling studio microphones, the NT1 original is now a legend. The NT1-A continues this tradition while improving specifications and tonal qualities.
• Using cutting edge technology for the electronics, RODE has implemented a computer controlled manufacturing line. Unlike many leading brands, all electronic boards are made without human hands assuring high specifications, tight tolerances and unsurpassed consistency.
• Built to last with a new computer controlled matching process. The body is then satin nickel-plated. The NT1-A is designed to last a lifetime.
• No PAD or Filters. Some microphone manufacturers include these in their budget products, but at what cost? The NT1-A can be used with very high sound pressure levels without perceptible distortion. Most people never use a high ppass filter on their microphones. Why pay for features you don’t want or need at the cost of what is really important, true performance!
• Complete solution: The NT1-A comes complete with a dedicated shock mount and zip pouch. No optional extras to buy.

Specifications

• Acoustic Principle: Externally polarised 25 mm (1″) condenser
• Active Electronics: JFET impedance converter with bipolar output buffer
• Pickup Pattern: Cardioid
• Frequency Response: 20 Hz ~ 20 kHz
• Output Impedance: 100 ohms
• Sensitivity: -31.9 dB re 1volt/pascal (25 mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB
• Equivalent Noise: 5 dBA SPL (per IEC651, IEC268-15)
• Maximum Output: + 13.7dBu (@ 1% THD into 1k ohms)
• Dynamic Range: 132 dB (per IEC651, IEC268-15)
• Maximum SPL: 137 dB (@ 1% THD into 1 K ohms)
• Signal/Noise: > 88 dB (1kHz rel 1 Pa; per IEC651, IEC268-15)
• Power Requirements: Phantom P48, P24

FREE Music Making Resources – Exclusive FREE Plug ins, Music Making Advice

Creativity is a wonderful thing! It can come in many different guises and is completely subjective to critique. (Luckily)

It’s known to calm stress, relieve boredom and generally costs nothing, unless of course you develop G.A.S. develops (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)….and that’s what this article is about some of the best resources out there available for FREE to help you create, design and distribute your music for FREE! Its a comprehensive resources for music making

First you’ll need some of these…….

Audio Editor:

A digital audio editor is a computer application for audio editing, i.e. manipulating digital audio. Digital audio editors are the main software component of a digital audio workstation.

Audacity® is free, open source software for recording and editing sounds. It is available for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems. Learn more about Audacity…

Short history

Audacity was started in 1999 as part of a research project, then over time was developed into a general audio editor. More recently (the mid-years) other people started helping with development. Today, Audacity is being developed by a team of volunteers under the open-source model, using Sourceforge, an online service that allows people around the world to collaborate on free software projects. Dozens of people have contributed to Audacity, and progress is continually accelerating. Audacity is distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) . You are free to use this program for personal or commercial purposes.

Download Audacity 1.2.6

for Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista

Download Audacity 1.3.7 (Beta)

for Windows® 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista

Every song from the New Orleans based group, Unauthorized Personel, is recorded using Audacity! Check out their songs on myspace!!

http://myspace.com/havocup

http://myspace.com/lbgreg

http://myspace.com/jroc1591

http://myspace.com/eboyup

http://www.myspace.com/actafoolradioup

Plug ins

These are usually software devices which ‘plug in’ to enable third-party developers to create capabilities to extend an application. Ie a piano sounding instument on your PC in software form which can plug ito say Cubase or Audacity.

Make sure you installed the plugin(s) into the “Plugins” or “Plug-ins” sub folder inside the sequencer folder. We recommend that you create a sub folder with the name of the plugin in that folder and install it there. After restarting the application, you will find it on the Filter menu.

Take a look at these EXCLUSIVE bepoke Dolphin  plug-ins made by our good friends at Delamancha.

Enhancer

dual-band parallel compressor with a simple interface for easy enhancement of audio.

http://www.delamancha.co.uk/plugins/dolphin_boost.zip

De-enhancer

studio free of noise? pristine digital audio with no artifacts? You need a little Imperfection in your life, bring tha noise!

http://www.delamancha.co.uk/plugins/dolphin_Imperfection.zip

Simple SID chip synth

Instant chiptune sounds, using waveforms from a 6581 SID chip and a configurable arp for retro gamer sounds

http://www.delamancha.co.uk/plugins/dolphin_miniSID.zip

Lofi retro synth

It’s retro, it’s lofi, it’s Casiotastic. Modelled after the waveforms of the Casio HT 700, but adding more features, plastique will do chiptune, lofi and much more besides

http://www.delamancha.co.uk/plugins/dolphin_plastique.zip

And here is several more well worth a look at, all free!

Download DSK BlueZ

Hosted by rekkerd.org

- 2 Oscillator with 134 waveforms and wavedraw option

- Sub oscillators

- Advanced filters

- LFO routing to filters

- 2 Fx (delay & chours / flanger)

- Midi automation

- Preset Manager

Download DSK Analog Matrix

Hosted by rekkerd.org

- 2 OSC with 6 waveforms

- Amp. Envelope

- Octave & finetunning

- Advanced pulse modulation

- 2 LFO with 6 waveforms

- 2 Filter (4 modes)

- Osc 1/2 Balance

- Osc sync

- Velocity response knob

- OSC & Filter route

- 7×14 Matrix panel

- 3 Effects: Chorus, Reverb & Drive

Download DSK DrumZ MachineZ

Hosted by rekkerd.org

- 8 sound slots (C3 to C4 white keys)

- Level and pan control – 8 stereo outs

- 226 samples

- 18 kits

- Midi automation

- Preset selector

Download DSK KaoS

Hosted by rekkerd.org

- 3 Oscillators, ADSR, “FREE DRAW” mode

- Octave select and micro-detuner

- 3 aux. oscillators, wafeform control

- 3 LFO – Effects (Space, delay, flanger)

- 3×0 LFO / OSC matrix

Top 10 Sites for Music Advice

1.  SOUND ON SOUND

http://www.soundonsound.com/

SOUND ON SOUND has consistently remained at the forefront of music technology since it was launched on Channel 4 TV’s The Tube in 1985 by the visionary SOS Publications Group, championing the convergence of MIDI, computer technology and recording equipment that continues to revolutionise the music production industry today.

The magazine is excellent and the website is no exception!

2. YOU TUBE

Youtube can teach you lots of useless and wondeful things, music technology and software is no exception. If you have query or a problem simply ask yOUTUBE and chances are 14YRD old from  Milwaukee will tell you eveything you need to know!2 Audio tuts+

3. Audio Tuts+

Audiotuts+ is an in depth blog for musicians, producers and audio junkies! It features tutorials on the tools and techniques to record, produce, mix and master tracks. Audiotuts+ also features weekly articles for the music obsessive. Our commisisoned tutorials are written by industry experts and professionals, but anyone with an awesome skill to showcase can contribute a post and  pay $150 if we publish it.

4. MUSIC RADAR

Like a few of the sites who are on this list, Musicradar.com is not exclusively about guitars, but a good amount of their features, including news, reviews and tutorials focus on guitars and are all of excellent quality, making this another essential stop. And their lists of the most outrageous guitars are simply hilarious…check them out!

5. REMIX MAG

Endles resource of information. Remix educates DJs, engineers, producers, and performers of electronic music about the latest applications and new products specific to the electronic and urban music markets. Remix is the premier consumer magazine in North America dedicated 100 percent to the tools, techniques, and production syles of electronic and urban artists

6. HARMONY CENTRAL

Harmony Central is generally a great place for anyone interested in any sort of musical gear info: tons of resources including news, reviews and forums about synths, souncards, software and much more. Great user reviews section!

7. SYNTHTOPIA

Synthtopia is a portal devoted to electronic music.There are lots of electronica sites, but they all seem to cover one tiny aspect of electronica: trance, classical electronic music, dance, or synthesizers. Synthtopia covers it all.

8.  eMUSICIAN

EM is the premiere resource for musicians interested in personal-music production. EM consistently publishes the most “how-to” applications and reviews-a real benefit for the recording musician. Our editors react quickly to changes in the industry to deliver the in-depth technical expertise and tools necessary to successfully use new concepts and technology.Being an American publication  this could be the first place you hear news!4 http://www.kaosaudio.com

Kaos Audio is a huge database of audio software and news, books, synth presets, samples and loops libraries, video software, links, interesting free soft and much more for all the audiophiles out there.

9. KAOSS AUDIO

Kaos Audio is a huge database of audio software and news, books, synth presets, samples and loops libraries, video software, links, interesting free soft and much more for all the audiophiles out there.

10. COMPUTER MUSIC

CM and its similar sites (Futuremusic etc) have  vast array of reviews articles and good image content

If I was an unsigned/independent artist in 2009, I would (in no particular order)…

by http://WWW.SENTRIC.WORDPRESS.COM

Twitter

If you’re unaware of Twitter then allow me to inform you that 2009 will be the year of Tweeting and all things Twitteriffic. Twitter is a social network/micro blogging site which allows you to send and read messages of up to 140 characters in length (the same size as a standard SMS Text Message). Sound brief? That’s the whole point; you ‘Tweet’ to tease per se. “Did you see this article on how the Ting Ting’s are coping with the economic recession? (Insert mini link here)” for example.

Barack Obama Tweeted his way through the last election and Stephen Fry often informs us of his daily musings but this post here informs you of the 10 Twitters you should follow if you have an interest within the music industry. You should also have a gander at these articles; Gerd Leonhard’s “So now you’re on Twitter – so what should you do next?”, The Guardian’s “Making the most of Twitter”, About.com’s “How to use Twitter for music promotion” and Mashables “The top 10 reasons why I will not follow you in return on Twitter”. After you’ve read all of them you should be a Tweeting machine!

If my word isn’t proof enough for you I even noticed that Twitter was ‘Hot’ in the hot or not column of Glamour magazine last month and we all know they’re at the forefront of young professional female based technology.

Have a play with SEO

Now granted this is a rather technical one for all the geeks out there so if you fancy yourself as ‘web savvy’ then this is something to have a look into. SEO stands for ‘Search Engine Optimisation’ which in laymans terms simply means “If I type my artist name into Google, will I be at the top of the results?”. This is rather useful for those out there who may have a common name that is easily lost in the ether, for example my favourite folk artist ‘John Smith’; the man who possesses the most common name in Great Britain appears 6th when you search for him on Google but with a bit of SEO then he may very well appear higher. Want to listen to Liverpudlian electronic duo and Sentric’s favourites ‘A Cup Of Tea’? A search on Googles proves unsuccessful for the first 15 pages of results.

Read this by the ever brilliant Google and you’ll be way on your way…

Focus on making money from areas other than selling my music

As it stands the majority of artists reading this blog will be way off making a living from their art – such is life and the industry we work in – but there are a few areas that can help subsidise you through this downturn.

• Performance Royalties Societies can obviously collect all your performance royalties for you, if its £40 or £4,000 its still money that’s yours so why not collect it?
• Club nights- Quite a few artists of note started putting on gig nights in their home cities in order to earn a few bob (Kaiser Chiefs are probably the best example) but I do ask one thing of you, if you are going to do this then please do a good job! The last thing this country needs is more useless promoters. (Further reading: Where is Everyone? – The ‘art’ of gig promotion)
• Merchandise – Nothing groundbreaking here but it’s unbelievable how lazy artists can be in terms of merchandise. Think outside the box. The world doesn’t need another name on a shirt (unless the name is emblazoned as an amazing looking logo of sorts) so be entrepreneurial; buy things that are cheap and add value to them somehow.
• Library Music – Have you got decent quality recordings of old songs you don’t use/care for hanging around? Get in touch with a library music company and potentially earn money for nothing. An artist informed me “my mate makes over 10grand per year of 35 instrumental tracks and he doesn’t have to lift a finger to push them. I like them apples”.

Gig like hell

Simple one but the more you gig the more your music is heard, the better you get and the more you’re talked about.  Discuss with the rest of your group (or your imaginary friend if you’re a solo artist) how often you’re willing to gig.  Twice a week? A fortnight? A month? And start booking as many as possible in your region. Try to avoid playing the same city more than once a month though or people will get bored.

Practice like hell

Simple yet again but the more you practice the better you get.

Write constantly

When ‘us industry types’ go and see an artist we’re always keen to know how long the artist in question has been going for as there is a kind of music line graph in our head ranging from conception to death. This graph changes for each genre and artist type (I.E. solo or group) but click here for an example of an acoustic singer/songwriter (pinch of salt please).

The more you write the better your art will be (of course there are always exceptions to this rule but in the majority of cases practice really does make perfect).

Keep up to date with the industry I was part of

The internet is a wealth of information and knowledge and most of it won’t cost you a penny which is nice during this economic climate. (On a side note: remember when none of this money malarkey mattered? I was spending some time with my 2 year old niece recently and she was delirious with joy over a stickerbook. Amazing scenes. She probably thinks Credit Crunch is some form of biscuit treat. To quote Russell Howard “We’re all just a brief sneeze in time” – words to remember the next time you’re feeling the strain in your wallet, or just stressed about anything really).

Anyhow; coolfer, DiS, Gigwise, New Music Strategies, No Rock and Roll Fun, the twitter people mentioned above and of course the Sentric Music blog should be enough to keep you in the loop. Get used to using RSS feeds as well and it’ll save you no end of time.

Brand myself

This could be as simple as a colour/random object or as complicated as you’d like it to be, but is well worth implementing to your image. Using consistent branding and font styles to all your artwork/websites etc help continuity and also make you look more polished, but as before with the merchandise, think outside the box. Envy and Other Sins always set out their stage so it looks like my Nan’s hallway of sorts with rugs and hat stands and now every time I see a hat stand (which granted isn’t that often but that’s why it works in my opinion) I think of them. Extremely subtle yet effective at the same time.

Know who my fans are

Constantly get compared to a couple of well known artists? Well aim for their fans as chances are they’ve more chance of liking your music then others. Using tools like Last.fm, iTunes Genius or Amazon’s ‘people who bought this also bought’ feature can help you define the market you’re aiming for to give you a better chance of successful exposure.

You should also make the effort to engage with fans, responding to Myspace messages, emails, tweets, staying after gigs if any of them want to have a drink with you etc. Just be nice, it genuinely helps.

Utilise free tools

Mailing lists, analytical tools, blogging platforms, social networks etc They’re there, they’re free, they’re useful

Making music improves your health. FACT!

Make music and feel better.

From children to students to OAP’s music is a consistant part of our lifes. Not only does it give us pleasure but it helps keep us happy and healthy. Buckets of research has gone into uncovering direct links between making music and enhancing your well being.

Get Healthy! – Making music improves your health. Evidence from around the globe has proved that playing a musical instrument can:

# Help Asthma sufferers reduce their symptoms

# Relieve stress and increase well-being

# Build muscle strength and aid recovery

# Enhance the function of the immune system

Get Back! – Making music keeps you younger. An increasing amount of research shows that for older people making music can delay the signs of ageing and help with the symptoms of some degenerative diseases. Making music, particularly within a group setting, can:

# Help decrease anxiety, loneliness and depression

# Improve self-esteem

# Help improve memory

# Give a general sense of well-being

By 2020 over half the population will be over 50 and this ever increasing group will face new challenges in maintaining their health and well-being.

Another study in the volume looks at whether music training can make individuals smarter. Scientists found more grey matter in the auditory cortex of the right hemisphere in musicians compared to non-musicians. They feel these differences are probably not genetic, but instead due to use and practice.

Brain Food

The difference between a catchy tune and a dirge may be which part of the brain the notes activate, says a scientist.

Professor Peter Janata, of Dartmouth College, in the US, played a group of volunteers a series of keys and watched the way the brain responded.

He told the BBC: “One chunk of the brain was responding when the melody was in G major or E minor and another part of the circuit was responding when it was in E major for example.”

Get Smart! – Making music makes you smarter

Music can play an important role in the development of children – from pre birth to the end of their education. Quality music education can open the door to many important benefits:

Stanford University research has found  that musical training improves how the brain processes the spoken word, a finding that researchers say could lead to improving the reading ability of children who have dyslexia and other reading problems.

The study, was the first to show that musical experience can help the brain improve its ability to distinguish between rapidly changing sounds that are key to understanding and using language.

The research also eventually could provide the “why” behind other studies that have found that playing a musical instrument has cognitive benefits.

“What this study shows, that’s novel, is that there’s a specific aspect of language … that’s changed in the minds and brains of people with musical training,” said researcher John Gabrieli, a former Stanford psychology professor now at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge.

“Especially for children … who aren’t good at rapid auditory processing and are high-risk for becoming poor readers, they may especially benefit from musical training.”

The researchers then examined how musicians and non-musicians processed similar word syllables, like “da” and “ba.” A person has only a 40,000th of a second to differentiate between the two sounds when the physical signal hits the ear, and the musicians made those rapid auditory distinctions more accurately and quickly than non-musicians did.

When the two sounds were clearly different, like “da” and “wa,” the two groups performed similarly, the differences emerging only in the finer distinctions.

“The musicians are better able to detect small differences than the non-musicians, which is surprising,” said Nadine Gaab, a postdoctoral associate

# It can help children manage information, think about and solve problems, be adaptive, learn continuously and work well with others.

# Students who play music tend to achieve higher test scores.

# Playing music enhances creativity and self-expression

# Playing in a group can reinforce self-discipline and teamwork.

A groundbreaking study published in the February 2005 issue of the international research journal Medical Science Monitor shows for the first time that playing a musical instrument can reverse multiple components of the human stress response on the genomic level. The study’s principal investigator, Barry Bittman, M.D. of the Mind-Body Wellness Center in Meadville, PA, says these unique findings not only shed new light on the value of active music participation, but also extend our understanding of individualized human biological stress responses on an unprecedented level.

The research team led by Bittman included researchers from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and Applied Biosystems, the developer of the original technology that led to the successful mapping of the human genome announced in June, 2000.

During the first hour of the novel two-phase study, researchers employed a frustrating puzzle assembly exercise to induce stress in 32 adult volunteers who did not consider themselves “musical.” In the second hour, subjects were randomly divided into three groups. One subset of individuals continued the stressful activity, while another was allowed to de-stress, relax and read newspapers or magazines of their choice. The third group participated in their first group-based recreational music making keyboard program called the Clavinova Connection which focuses on nurturing, support and non-verbal creative expression, as opposed to mastery and performance.

Yet beyond stress-induction, the research shows that the stress-reduction impact was far greater for individuals participating in their first group keyboard lesson than for subjects who simply relaxed and read newspapers and magazines. No statistically significant reversals of initial stress-induced gene expression were noted in individuals who continued the puzzle exercise during the second hour. In contrast, six genes in the relaxation group reversed during phase two of the study, compared with 19 genes in the music group.

“In simple terms, using a unique combination of the latest genomic technologies, we showed for the very first time that we could turn off the DNA-based switches that literally turn on components of human stress response,” said Muhammad A. Sharaf, Ph.D., Senior Staff Scientist at Applied Biosystems. “The far-reaching potential of inducing and subsequently reversing gene expression in this manner introduces new and exciting possibilities for testing and tailoring specific treatments to an individual, rather than a group.”

The following extract is from a Music Industries Association newsletter:

“Asthma is serious; 5.1 million people in the UK have asthma, every 7 hours someone in the UK dies from asthma. 75% of hospital admissions due to asthma are avoidable (source – Asthma UK). Learning to play a wind instrument teaches the sufferer to breathe properly and can also improve lung function. Therefore, when asthmatics get an attack they are less likely to panic. People who rely on inhalers or even steroid treatment to stave off their breathlessness and panic attacks can minimise the impact asthma has on their lives – naturally. Recent research found significant improvement in the condition of children with asthma who learned to play wind instruments.”

So clearly music making  has a lifelong ability to enhance and better your health and well being. If you dont already play an instument there has never been a better time to start!

For more information on any the above please contact the MIA Head Office on office@mia.org.uk

The Top 100 Music Related Blogs ranking was compiled by calculating their popularity using the well known metrics of Alexa Ranking for each site.

Rank	Blog Site		Alexa Traffic Rank	About
1	Listening Post		609	Wired.com’s music blog.
2	All Music		1623	The most comprehensive music reference source on the planet
3	Hear Comes the Flood		3087	this is a blog about music. Real music. Live music. Its about guitars, king size keyboards, grumbling bass lines and pounding drums. Its about violins and violas. Its about left-field. Its about art.
4	Blob Musica		7410
5	Stereogum.com		10,228	blog devoted exclusively to music
6	ALis Blog		24,256
7	Music Videos and Lyrics – Music Lovers Group		46,855	A site dedicated entirely to music. Albums and video downloads, latest hits, music news, celebrities and other cool stuff, share music and download free mp3s. Join us building the biggest music community on the internet !
8	Unreality Music		48,318	We’re a music blog dedicated to sharing music news with the world, served up with a healthy dose of snark and cynicism. You’ll also find our opinions on the latest releases, and we love to cover unsigned/emerging bands that you may never have heard of.
9	Metal Underground.com		48,762	With a mission to help readers discover new metal music, MetalUnderground.com has been faithfully serving mainstream and underground metal news for over seven years. In addition to comprehensive news coverage, the site also features reviews, interviews, band info, live concert reports, photos, and more, updated daily by a dedicated staff of die-hard metalheads.
10	Pop Justice		52,337	Popjustice is also a weekly London club night, a range of illustrated pop biographies, a compilation album, a mobile service, a weekly email and a regular London live showcase night.
11	Justin Guitar .com		54,467	Quality guitar lessons for everyone with access to the internet!
12	Large Hearted Boy		68,698	Largehearted Boy is a music blog featuring daily free and legal music downloads as well as news from the worlds of music, literature, and pop culture.
13	Gorilla Vs Bear		68,874
14	Metal Music Blog		69,054	Blog that introduces bands that play music, free downloads available.
15	Day trotter		71,228	Daytrotter is attempting to do to give you something that you truly have never heard.
16	RitmoBlog		83,419	Blog de Musica, videos musicales, salsa, reggaeton, musica para descargar, biografias, conciertos, nticias, fotos, cantantes, dance, pop, historias secretas, letras de canciones, etc
17	Loronix		95,773	Loronix is all about Brazilian music from the 50s to 70s, Bossa Nova, Samba, MPB, Samba Jazz and everything you should know about the Music from Brazil
18	Chromes Waves		139,568	Named one of “100 Greatest Websites and Named “Top 5 Music Blog for 2005″ by eye magazine
19	Nialler9		161,870	Nialler9 is an Irish music/mp3 blog which posts MP3s of new, sometimes overlooked but always brilliant music.
20	Culture Bully		163,716	Culture Bully is a Minneapolis-based music blog that provides daily updates including news, band features, album reviews and interviews on both national and local levels.
21	TheModernMusic.com		176,017	This blog is based on amazing moments from stunning music samples. When a reader smiles because of a song we present, it means we all smile! Not only does MM spread the word on music, it also is reminds one of the power of love within everything.
22	Odd Music		191,157	Oddmusic provides a space where instrument makers, artists and musicians can showcase their inventions and creations, as well as links to other interesting sound and music sites that offer a wealth of information and sound oriented content.
23	Redthreat		224,007	redthreat is a music blog out of chicago. all music featured on this site is up for promotional purposes only.
24	The Odd Instrument Collection		228,232	Odd instruments, music, and sounds from around the world.
25	Each Note Secure		233,329	Each Note Secure is a music blog with the best in indie rock and other genres. Daily downloads, and lots of interviews, album reviews and concert reviews.
26	the9513countrymusic		250,567	The 9513 is the web’s premiere country music blog, and a go-to resource for thousands of readers in search of the latest country music news and reviews.
27	Said the gramophone		252,858	daily sampler of really good songs.
28	Ryans Smashing Life		268,263	A New England Indie Rock mp3 weblog that has a tendency to inform and intrigue. I cover shows, write music reviews, do interviews and share fun videos, feeds and offer quick comebacks.
29	The Cat bird seat		269,242	The Catbirdseat is a freeform weblog about music, subject to the whims and idiosyncrasies of Ryan Catbird since May 2002.
30	Between Thought and Expression		298,011	An eclectic guide to lifes musical journey. Features free music downloads, indie and electronic mp3s, mash-ups, and entertainment.
31	CANZONI ITALIANE – ITALIAN SONGS		313,828	Best Italian music videos; songs from Yesterday, Today, Pop, Classic, Rock, Lyrics, Opera, Dance, Traditional, progressive, SanRemo, Italian Tv Shows, all Best Singers; Neapolitan Music; History and Culture from Italy.
32	Rawk Blog		319,008	The Rawking Refuses To Stop! is an mp3 blog that kicks out the jams daily.
33	No Rock and Roll Fun		330,681
34	IG blog		346,239	IG BLOG is a place of inspiration, ideas, and learning for anyone interested in making music with guitar.
35	Music is Art		350,615	musicisart is authors own personal reflection of the way she feels music, art and words.
36	Muzzle of Bees		359,774
37	Souled On		382,521
38	The Late Greats		404,293	The goal here is to expose you to music not usually found anywhere else in the Blogsphere.
39	Guitar Flame		408,447	GuitarFlame.com is a blog about personal musical experiences, my vision of rock music, of electric guitars and acoustic guitars. Also GuitarFlame.com is about how to play the guitar, without being a guitar tutorial website.
40	Guitar Noize		414,157	Guitar news from the furthest corners of the world. GuitarNoize is the number 1 resource for crazy and cool guitar news.
41	Indieblogheaven		418,824	Indieblogheaven is a music blog, primarily focusing on indie bands/artists. This may include some americana, pop, punk, or whatever we might like at the time. There might be some pop culture sprinkled in periodically.
42	The Guitar Bass Man		420,335	I am a definite gear-head and I started this blog with the intention of ranting, raving or just mentioning my experiences with all sorts of music, albums and gear ranging from effects pedals to guitar picks, to whatever else I feel like talking about.
43	Disco Delicious		452,230	All the music here is shared for promotional reasons only.
44	Guitarebooks		458,238	News about Guitar
45	Analog giant		463,665	on music (hip hop mainly, electronic, jazz, blends, dub and R&B) and sometimes culture and politics.
46	17 dots		470,487	17dots is the work of several employees at eMusic. Its by no means an official endeavor, and its opinions dont reflect those of eMusic. Rather, its opinions reflect the dangers of what happens when ignorance meets ineptitude in the Information Age
47	Musicnewsculture (previously named as Hearing Test)		484,072	A music news and reviews blog that focuses on noncommercial artists.
48	Silence is a rhythm too		518,794	An eclectic audioblog documenting one guys music collection and related obsessions.
49	sonic itch music		561,588	its a music website
50	Music Snobbery		565,838
51	70s Classic Rock		579,097	A blog to celebrate the musical influences of the 70s. Classic, Southern and British Rock styles equally. Come and take a trip back in time. Be sure to check out the “Classic Players” for take-with-you music.
52	Retro Music Snob		606,899	We gather the best music news, mp3s, cover songs, and classic videos. Old School meets New School.
53	Nothing But Green Lights		705,330	Nothing But Green Lights is a U.K based music, mp3 & culture blog. Showcasing the very best in lo-fi, hi-fi, indie, folk, electric & eclectic music with a focus on UK artists. The music is interspersed with enlightening links & comment.
54	Pop Songs		733,987	The goal of this blog is very simple: I am going to write a post about every song on every R.E.M. album, plus most of their major non-album tracks.
55	Mad Stratter		753,989	Stratocaster news, set-up, maintenance, and hot-rodding, guitarist gear reviews and more.
56	Earfuzz		804,206	Ear Fuzz is a venue for music appreciation. Files are shared out of love and respect, and is only meant to help expose and promote the featured artists.
57	La Onda Tropical		855,667	an mp3 blog about good latin music.
58	Jessica Duchens Classical Music blog		858,536	# Music and writing, with ginger, in London, UK “It is very rarely that I find a new writer whose work I love so much.” Katie Fforde on Hungarian Dances # “Everything she writes is worth reading” – The Times # “A persuasive novelist” – Evening Standard
59	Ukulele		874,052
60	A Deeper shade of soul		874,159	Soul man and music man; Ive loved, written about and been involved in the creation of music for a long time now…and my love grows stronger every day
61	Zoilus		885,746
62	Floodwatch music		1,133,135	Floodwatchmusic is my self-aggrandizing audioblog, although I try my best to adhere to the listen-to-how-great-this-is concept rather than adopting a look-how-much-I-know stance. I eat, sleep, live, and breathe music, and I enjoy sharing it.
63	Feed Me Good Tunes		1,195,159
64	Sweeping The Nation		1,297,133	About music. In a satirical style. With comment on the music news of the day, mentions of new and old songs, live and recorded reviews, audience participation, plus here a singles chart review on Sunday evenings.
65	GuitarPlayerZen		1,311,943	Our mission is not just to help guitar players worldwide get better at what they do. It is also to inspire, encourage, and uplift each guitarist we interact with, even if it is just through our online community. To instill inside each one that anything is possible.
66	The Music.FM		1,329,068	Not provided
67	AM, Then FM		1,341,637	encourage you to get out to the music stores, real or virtual, or out to support live music.
68	Shake your Fist		1,356,752	Amy blogs about music
69	Laylas Classic Rock Faves		1,396,275	Classic Rock – the foundation of todays music. Its a passion of mine and I like to share my favorites bands, artists and photos with you!
70	The cigar box guitar		1,408,240	This website has been created to give the cigar box guitar a home in music history. Everything is presented magazine-style with articles, pictures, sidebars and factual snippets. Theres a whole lotta things to click and many pages to see!
71	The Music Slut		1,642,013	Not provided
72	Banana Nutrament		1,925,193
73	Music Liberation		1,926,971	Music Liberation has wide ranging tastes from Rock, Electro, Metal, Punk, Hip Hop, etc etc…basically anything thats done with the right intent and sounds good!
74	Sounds and Fury		2,239,794	Commentary on classical music, opera, architecture, theater, television, cinema, culture, and the arts
75	Rock House Blog		2,288,058	Information about Rock House, Rock House Artist and Leanring to Play Music!
76	Musical Perceptions		2,315,309	Perceptions about music, perceptions that affect music, perceptions colored by music, perceptions expressed by music.
77	Guitar toy box		2,510,845
78	Headphones On		2,519,784	Friedrich Nietsche once said that life without music would be a mistake. Truer words may never have been spoken. I live my life with, for and to music. In fact, you could say that I go through life with my headphones on.
79	75orLess Records and Music		2,550,819	electronic, hip-hop, indie, folk, punk, disco, pop, cock rock, math rock, brit pop, nu gaze, blues, garage, country, new new wave, rockabilly, idm, crust, techno, grindcore and all other music
80	Soho the Dog		2,689,438	Classical music and other entertainments.
81	Deceptively Simple		2,865,524	Music and culture from Marc Geelhoed in Chicago.
82	Thumbrella		2,887,274	MUSIC GUITARS COMPUTERS INTERNET SCIENCE FAMILY LIFE COFFEE MUSIC GUITARS COFFEE MUSIC GUITARS COFFEE
83	My hmphs		3,069,434	Searching for melody and meaning in today’s atonal hip-hop world. Showcase some real music (80s)
84	Imagine Echoes		3,847,411	Not provided
85	Tricky Disco		3,924,025	Tricky Disco are Bristols Balearic disco crew. Sell By Dave, Tricky Nicky, Christophe and Legendary Tone are all DJs with a passion for the good groove. They are also dance music nerds, specialising in disco, house, techno, electro, and, of course, balearica. Occasionally they put on parties. Most of the time they just DJ at other peoples parties, go out, get drunk and talk a lot about obscure records. Let the good times roll…
86	The Grizzly Life		4,004,755
87	Bloggerhythms		4,023,013	Bloggerhythms grew out of my love of popular music and features CD reviews, concert reviews, and articles of general interest on a wide range of musical topics.
88	Eric Vandenberg Blog		4,147,965	Random thoughts, mini-lessons about everything guitar-related
89	Feast of Music		4,240,026	coverage of the New York music of 21st Century.
90	A Monks Musical Musings		4,590,624	A Semi-Hemi-Demi-Semi-Erudite Music Theory and Guitar Blog
91	Jeff Consi		4,931,464	A blog by Jeff Consi a New York drummer who currently lives and works in Melbourne, Australia. Jeff is most known for his work with guitarist Nuno Bettencourt from the multi-platinum selling band Extreme.
92	The Ones That Got Away		4,979,221	Every guitarist has that one special guitar that they wished they had back. It might be because it was a sentimental gift, maybe it was sold to pay the bills, or maybe you just didnt realize how much you loved that guitar until it was gone. These are the stories of the ones that got away. Most of them are my own stories, but send me your stories as well and they just might get published here.
93	Soul Amp		5,000,950	Pure Rock and Roll from a Milwaukee Jam Band. Eclectic range of music with touches of alt-country. Approx. each week a new tune is released in a blog post. Three piece band with Fender electric guitar, vintage Lugwig drums, Hammond B3 and M3, piano, Nord Electro, and Nord Lead. Over 100 free mp3s
94	The Aluminium T-beam Guitar		5,196,327	Here, I describe the concept of the aluminium T-beam guitar. I intend to post regularly as the design and building of the prototype progresses.
95	Sounds like now		5,300,886	A blog by saxophonist
96	Music for listeners		5,579,990	New music that no one has heard, and older music that everyone should hear. Music that can only be heard if youre listening…
97	GuitArticles		7,237,183	GuitArticles is a resource for guitarists of all skill levels and musical preferences. Tips, advice on practicing, scales, modes, techniques, chords, tricks and even advice on how to get the best out of your playing, as well as composing.
98	Renewable Music		9,045,049	A displaced American composer writes about music made for the long while & the world around that music. New, experimental, systematic, classicist, mannerist, minimal, political. New musical materials.
99	The Six Strings		9,170,069
100	Scotts Guitar Blog		10,935,758	Interesting articles on custom guitars, guitar repair, and guitar related themes!
101	Of Music and Men		13,811,730
102	Felsen Musick		14,280,344	The Web Log of a Certain Daniel Felsenfeld: Composer, critic, avid reader, aspiring bon vivant, capricorn, shadowy figure, advice for the lovelorn
103	Guitritus		14,288,278	Guitritus is the guitar blog of Nick – an uncomplicated guitarist from Buckinghamshire, England. It documents the licks, tricks, riffs and twiddly bits that he dislodges during his slow ascent up the gnarley north face of Mt. Guitar.

How to Start a Band

Here is a great article on the starting stages of beginning your own band…….sound advice!

For the solo musician, playing music with others is a whole new experience. If you love playing music on your own and with recordings, you’ll probably find playing with others challenging and rewarding. It requires a new set of skills, including listening to others, making space for their playing, and learning what role you play in the music.

If you enjoy it enough, you might consider starting a band. That’s harder than you might imagine. Few bands last years, let alone decades. Very few find fame and fortune.

I was sitting at home one Saturday afternoon when the phone rang. “Adrian, it’s Eugene. I’m putting together a band, and I’d like you to play keyboards.”

Eugene was a talented lead guitarist, and owned the music store where my wife bought a case for her electric guitar. Since then we’d learned that he was related to some of our best friends.

“I’m not sure, Evvie. Uni is really busy right now. It may not be the right time for me to commit to something like that.”

“It won’t be a problem. Just think of it as the occasional jam session. We’ll only get together every few weeks. The other guys are busy too. Wally’s working days and studying and night, and the drummer is in Year 12. We’re all busy.”

I reluctantly agreed to give it a go.

When I arrived at the practice venue I could hear the band rehearsing from up the street. They were loud! And impressive. Things came together really well. We didn’t just play together well – we inspired one another to play better than we’d ever played before. There was a sense of anticipation. Maybe even a sense of destiny.

I was surprised at the end of the practice when Eugene said there would be another practice the following week. Then the next week. And the next again. Around a month later Evvie announced disappointment at our lack of commitment, and (other than playing together at a few parties) the band ended shortly afterwards. I still have the utmost respect for every one of those musicians, and sometimes wonder about what might have been.

Bands don’t work out for all sorts of reasons. The issues this band faced had to do with timing and expectations. Here are some principles that might keep yours together.

Plan Your Rehearsals

There are no rules on how to run rehearsals, but it is important for everyone to have the same expectations and understand one another’s availability. The bigger the band, the harder it is to organize. Luckily, you’re probably starting fairly small, maybe with just a few friends. Be clear about dates and times, and make sure everyone writes them in their diaries. It may be worth following up with an email or SMS.

Once you’ve sorted out when and how often to rehearse, here are some other things to consider:

• Provide music/chord charts. It’s amazing how much time you can save at a practice by doing some preparation beforehand. This is especially true of providing chord charts. One simple chart can save hours of arm-waving and explanation.
• Don’t annoy your neighbors. It’s better to practice in a local hall rather than at home. If you do have to practice at home, be kind to your neighbors. Keep the volume as low as possible, and consider warning them in advance. Especially if you live in an apartment.
• Avoid unnecessary volume. Be kind to your ears, too. Volume can be fun, but it’s not healthy, especially over long periods of time. Make sure that the volume is loud enough for everyone to hear themselves, and no more. Besides, too much volume can cover up some fatal flaws in your sound. Crank it up from time to time just for fun, though.
• Have a separate rehearsal for vocals. It’s hard to focus on two things at once. You don’t want to keep stopping the band that’s sounding great to deal with a problem with the singing. You’ll make more progress on the melody, harmony and arrangement of the singing parts if that’s all you’re thinking about.

Get Some Equipment

Unless you’re an a cappella singing group, you’ll need some equipment. As a group of musicians, you’re bound to have some already, including your instruments. You may need to purchase microphones, stands and a PA.

The usual rule with buying music equipment is to purchase the best you can afford. But when you’re starting out, you don’t want to break the bank.

Consider buying some of your gear second-hand. A lot of used musical gear is in excellent condition, and is being sold because the previous owners are upgrading. You may also be able to find some slightly out-of-date gear on special.

Decide on Who Makes the Decisions

Decide in advance who makes the decisions – it may save some arguments down the track, or at least make the arguments shorter. Does your band have one main leader – a dictator – who makes the decisions, or will you make them by consensus after careful discussion? And when there are disagreements – and there will be – how will the disagreement be resolved? Will you vote, or will someone have the final say?

If your band becomes successful and you sign with a label, it may be that most of your decisions are made by someone else. Discuss in advance how much control you are willing to give away.

It’s not bad to have strong personalities in a band. It’s just not easy! Strong personalities can give your band the distinction and sense of direction it needs. In fact, a band with two or three strong personalities can develop a style and image that is very attractive – if you survive the disagreements and arguments that are bound to follow! Hang in there, it’s worth it. In a successful band, personality often trumps musical talent.

Decide on money matters early on, too. If you manage to make any money, how will it be divided? Where will the money for buying more equipment come from? And what happens if someone leaves?

Develop a Distinctive Style

Probably you share similar tastes in music to the other band members, or you wouldn’t want to play together. Try to identify the style(s) of music you enjoy, and especially the styles of music that seem to work best when you play together. A recognizable band has a recognizable style.

You may want to start by playing other people’s songs rather than writing your own. You’ll get to learn which styles work for you and which don’t, and you may stumble on some interesting sounds that start to define your band. Watch out for the songs and styles that feel good when you play together.

Sometimes what stands out in a band

is not what the individual musicians are doing, but how they blend and respond to one another. That only comes by practice – lots of practice.

Here are some things you need to learn:

• Listen to the other musicians, and be aware of what they are playing.
• Make sure everyone is not playing in the same range. Spread your sound out over the octaves.
• Don’t always blend. Sometimes you need contrast.
• Make space for the other musicians so they have somewhere to play. Intentionally stop playing or simplify your playing so they are able to step in.
• Intentionally leave gaps in your playing. You don’t need to fill every gap – a second or two of silence here and there can be very effective.
• Listen to the rhythm of the other players, and intentionally emulate it or play against it.
• Listen to the phrases of the other musicians, and play something to answer them.

Start Gigging

At some stage you will realize you have a sound and style that is distinctive and works well, and enough material to fill an hour or so. It’s time to take things to the next level, and find a gig.

You won’t fill an arena for your first gig, and you probably don’t want to. Choose something safe, like a party, especially if you haven’t played in front of an audience before. You’re enjoying your own playing, but how does the audience react? Do you get people moving, or put them to sleep? Do people move to your music, or stand there watching? The band should get together afterwards and conduct a careful evaluation (or post-mortem) of how you went and how you can improve. Try to identify positive points as well as negative.

You may not make much money to begin with. But you need the experience. Look out for local events where you can play and become better known.

In your first gigs you probably won’t bring the house down. See those gigs as an educational exercise. Take any criticism on-board. Carefully watch audience reactions. Try to identify the type and age of the people who enjoy your music. Start your life-long career of improving your music!

Once you are convinced that you’re going somewhere, you may want to consider getting an agent and/or a manager. But do it carefully. An agent can make contacts for you with the right people. Make sure they can deliver. A manager can look after the business side of your band while you focus on the music. Make sure you’re actually busy enough to need a manager, and you get someone you trust. Get good advice before signing anything.

Consider Your Stage Setup

Before your mind jumps to lights and smoke machines, consider the more simple requirements of stage setup – they’re important. You need to make sure that everyone can be seen, everyone can see each other, and everyone can hear the music.

Some stages are quite small, and it may be a challenge to fit you all on it. Other stages are huge, and you may want to spread out as much as possible. Try to make sure that each musician can see the others. It’s possible for musicians to communicate with one another on stage with just a look or a nod, but you have to be able to see one another. Don’t set up in a straight line, make it more like an arc.

The placement of foldback speakers and on-stage amps are important. Make sure that everyone is standing close enough to foldback that they can hear themselves. If possible, have one for each musician. Guitarists and keyboardists may have their own amps. Try to angle them so that everyone can hear them. And make sure that every musician can hear everyone else.

You may like to place the bass player close to the drummer so they can see the bass drum. Physical proximity can help give you a tight sound.

Once you have all of that organized, consider lights and smoke machines. You will need a dedicated person (or team) to run them, and probably someone to keep an eye on the mix of the music.

Develop an Image that Sells

A band without a distinctive image won’t be remembered. A band’s image should support and reinforce its musical style. It should also be consistent.

A band’s image takes on the style and sound, looks and dress of the band, hooks it together with a name, and delivers it in a memorable way to the fans and audience.

Take time choosing the name of your band. It should probably be a group decision, and you may need to work through dozens of potential names before choosing one.

Work on your stage presence. How will you engage the audience and keep their attention? Will you talk between the songs, and entertain the crowd with witty banter? Will you work on your dance moves, or just do what comes naturally? Will you dress for success, or wear your favorite ripped t-shirt? There are no rules. You need to find what works for your band, and stick with it.

Create an online presence for your band – a website or MySpace page or both. Consider recording some of your best songs and making them available for download or streaming.

You will have more success with agents and clients if you have a distinctive image and definite stage presence. Work on it like you work on your songs. Being a successful band is not just about being talented musicians, it’s about having a recognizable product to sell – your band.

Learn About Marketing

Hard to imagine Jimi Hendrix doing a in H.N.D. in  Music Performance containing “music business” modules, but chances are that’s what a 17 yr old with an interest in a music career does now! Artists have to have more than basic foundations in music if they want to standout from the crowd. An understanding of marketing , multimedia, sound editing, copyright law, people management are just some of the assets you may encounter in a good days band work and that’s without even playing a note.

30 Very Useful sites for an Independant Musician

The days of  ‘waiting’ to get signed by a label are over!  Now an artist or band can fully empower themselves  by composing,  recording, mixing , mastering, burning a CD, distributing an Mp3 across the world via the internet through iTunes and even taking payments for merchandise through Paypal!

All this can be done without even leaving your bedroom!! John Peel would be proud!

It’s pretty safe to assume most musicians see the power of computers in the modern music making process, but what do you do after you have made your track??  How do people to find your music exists??

There are many sites available now to help with the management of artists and bands. Most musicians have a Myspace page but there’s more to life than that! You could do far worse that take a look at these.

AmieStreet.com – A social network and music marketplace for indie artists. They give the artists 70% of the sale.

AnyGig.com – A place for musicians to get listed for small gigs, or find venues to play at.

Artistopia.com – An online venue for performers to give themselves an online presence with a profile and display their work.

BandBuzz.com – A social network where artists can set up a profile, upload their music and get reviewed and recommended by users.

BandChemistry.com – A site for musicians to find new members for their group or form a whole new band.

Bandwagon.co.uk – A social network for lovers of indie music where the bands can sell mobile content such as ringtones and wallpapers.

Bbc.co.uk – One of the most encouraging sites out there. Lots of good advice and the chance to get your music on actual Radio. Its easier than you think so get in touch with them!

ChampionSound.com – Free mailing list manager for artists, promoters, and venues.

Elisteningpost.com – A way for musicians to upload their music and sell it just about anywhere they want such as MySpace and Facebook.

Drowned in Sound.com – Online Magazine and busy user community, promote you things here!

FireGigs.com – A site with the aim of promoting unsigned bands by arranging to get their music to be played in the background at cafes, coffee shops and more. Also promote you through a Facebook app and MySpace widget.

Fuzz.com – Lets performers upload their music sell it, as well as manage mailing lists and more.

HumbleVoice.com – A place for all types of independent artists, including musicians, to upload their work and promote it.

iJamr.com – Indie musicians upload their music and bloggers can display your songs on their sites for free, and if a sale is made, they blogger gets a cut.

Indistr.com – A company letting independent artists sell their music directly to the public and the musicians receive 75% of the sale.

mTraks.com – An online marketplace and network for indie artists to promote and sell their music.

Mubito.com – Allows you to set up a band website easily and sell MP3s. Two levels of stores with one of them being free.

Musicane.com – Promote and sell your music and ringtones.

MusicNation.com – A community of musician profile pages that engage regularly in competition for various prizes.

Panjea.com – Bring all your clips from the web together and put them in to one player so they take up less space on your page, so you can promote all your music easily.

Planbmagazine.com – Magazine with good online presence, lovely reviews and great forums for mindless self promotion! Owned by the Everett True so can’t be a bad thing.

PocketFuzz.com – A place for musicians to sell ring tones of their works and notify their fans of news via mobiles.

Popfolio.net – A music widget provider for blogs that lets independent musicians upload their songs for inclusion, and possible sales.

PumpAudio.com – A service for indie artists to get their music licensed for television and film.

Ripple9.com – A site to help bands promote themselves on mobile devices to their fans. New sign-ups are frozen while they are being purchased by Google.

Scriggleit.com – Software you can use on a laptop at your merchandise table so people can sign up for your mailing list.

SessionSound.com – A site for independent musicians to try to stay indie by selling their music online.

Sonicbids.com – Allows you to construct a low cost electronic press kit that can be constantly updated so the recipients always get the latest version.

Tunecore.com – USE THIS SITE! This allows you for very little costs to upload your music and it will distribute it to iTunes, Napster, Amazon, e-Music and most of the major download sites.  It truly is the answer

Unsigned.com – A site for unsigned to put up a profile page and host a play list of MP3s to attract new listeners.

Youtube.com – Obvious be true! More videos, more specific keywords, more subscriptions, more ‘fans’

1. Sonoma Wire Works Riffworks T4

Designed specifically for guitarists, Riffworks features a loop-based workflow that enables you to build up songs quickly. The good news is that the T4 version can be downloaded for free, and the even better news is that this enables you to collaborate with up to three other players online. You can then post your finished tracks on the RiffWorld website.

2. Hobnox Audiotool

There are loads of one-trick Flash-based music-making toys on the internet, but Audiotool looks and feels like something you’d like to spend a bit of time with. It features emulations of classic Roland synth/groovebox hardware, plus a mixer to plug them into and a selection of stompboxes that you can use to process your sounds. Fire it up and see a five-minute tinker turn into a multi-hour production session.

3. Indaba Music

Network, collaborate and discover are Indaba’s watchwords, and they sum up the site pretty well. You can make contact with musicians from around the world, create music with them in a web-based app, and listen to other people’s music. There are also remix contests – stem files of songs can be downloaded and you can then set about reworking them.

4. JamGlue

With the emphasis on remixing, JamGlue enables its members to upload music files and then arrange them in a DAW-style browser-based app (you can record into this, too). This isn’t the end of the story, though: you can also make use of all the other audio material on the site, and go to work on other people’s mixes. Predictably, there are strong community elements, too.

5. Digital Musician Recorder

As well as offering plug-ins that enable you to work with others via your existing DAW, digitalmusician.net also has this standalone 16-track recording app for download. It’s available to anyone with an account on the website (you can sign up for a free variant) and enables both offline and online collaboration. Webcam and talkback support mean that you can see and chat to your buddies, too.

6. YourSpins

If your dream is to remix commercially released tracks, YourSpins gives you a quick and easy way of doing it in your browser. Select from a list of artists, pick one of their songs and you can then work your magic on it via an onscreen mixer. This lets you adjust levels and bring in alternative parts. Finished remixes can be saved and posted on your own profile page.

7. eJamming

The focus here is very much on playing with other people – sign up for a free trial and you can download the cross-platform eJamming AUDiio software application. Open this and you can start playing with other members, with the Jam Mode promising near-zero latency collaboration. There’s also the Virtual Recording Studio Mode, which lets you work on an ‘add-a-track’ basis, and you can mix sessions down to WAV files.

Here’s eJamming being demoed by, err, Smashmouth.

8. Ninjam

It’s a more techy system than many of the others on our list, but Ninjam is an online, almost real-time collaboration option that many people have had a lot of success with. Some reading-up will be required if you want to get started, but if you want to give it a try, you might also like to download the Reaper DAW for evaluation, as this gives you direct access to the Ninjam servers.

Be sure to check our  Lesson Blogs!

• Guitarlessons
• Bass lessons
• Drum lessons
• Sax lessons
• Singing lessons
• Clarinet lessons
• Keyboard lessons
• Piano lessons
• Music theory
• Ableton lessons

Source :

Audiotuts+

sentric.wordpress.com

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/11/17/MNGQ9FPODP1.DTL

mia.org.uk/getalive_findoutmore/

medicalnewstoday.com/articles/19535.php

audacitystore.com/

rekkerd.org

mildonstudios.com

Many thanks to de la Mancha plug ins for their co-oporation

www.delamancha.co.uk

The Top 10 Music Technology Websites On The Web

1.  SOUND ON SOUND

http://www.soundonsound.com/

SOUND ON SOUND has consistently remained at the forefront of music technology since it was launched on Channel 4 TV’s The Tube in 1985 by the visionary SOS Publications Group, championing the convergence of MIDI, computer technology and recording equipment that continues to revolutionise the music production industry today.

The magazine is excellent and the website is no exception!

2. YOU TUBE

Youtube can teach you lots of useless and wondeful things, music technology and software is no exception. If you have query or a problem simply ask yOUTUBE and chances are 14YRD old from  Milwaukee will tell you eveything you need to know!2 Audio tuts+

3. Audio Tuts+

Audiotuts+ is an in depth blog for musicians, producers and audio junkies! It features tutorials on the tools and techniques to record, produce, mix and master tracks. Audiotuts+ also features weekly articles for the music obsessive. Our commisisoned tutorials are written by industry experts and professionals, but anyone with an awesome skill to showcase can contribute a post and  pay $150 if we publish it.

4. MUSIC RADAR

Like a few of the sites who are on this list, Musicradar.com is not exclusively about guitars, but a good amount of their features, including news, reviews and tutorials focus on guitars and are all of excellent quality, making this another essential stop. And their lists of the most outrageous guitars are simply hilarious…check them out!

5. REMIX MAG

Endles resource of information. Remix educates DJs, engineers, producers, and performers of electronic music about the latest applications and new products specific to the electronic and urban music markets. Remix is the premier consumer magazine in North America dedicated 100 percent to the tools, techniques, and production syles of electronic and urban artists

6. HARMONY CENTRAL

Harmony Central is generally a great place for anyone interested in any sort of musical gear info: tons of resources including news, reviews and forums about synths, souncards, software and much more. Great user reviews section!

7. SYNTHTOPIA

Synthtopia is a portal devoted to electronic music.There are lots of electronica sites, but they all seem to cover one tiny aspect of electronica: trance, classical electronic music, dance, or synthesizers. Synthtopia covers it all.

8.  eMUSICIAN

EM is the premiere resource for musicians interested in personal-music production. EM consistently publishes the most “how-to” applications and reviews-a real benefit for the recording musician. Our editors react quickly to changes in the industry to deliver the in-depth technical expertise and tools necessary to successfully use new concepts and technology.Being an American publication  this could be the first place you hear news!4 http://www.kaosaudio.com

Kaos Audio is a huge database of audio software and news, books, synth presets, samples and loops libraries, video software, links, interesting free soft and much more for all the audiophiles out there.

9. KAOSS AUDIO

Kaos Audio is a huge database of audio software and news, books, synth presets, samples and loops libraries, video software, links, interesting free soft and much more for all the audiophiles out there.

10. COMPUTER MUSIC

CM and its similar sites (Futuremusic etc) have  vast array of reviews articles and good image content

Review Sony Acid Pro 7 Digital Audio Workstation

Acid debuted over a decade ago and really defined the way so-called “loop music” is produced. From its rather humble beginnings as a simple remixing tool, Acid Pro has matured into a full-blown audio workstation featuring multitrack recording with video sync, a robust MIDI sequencing suite with virtual instrument support, mixdown automation and myriad other production tricks. With all that fully integrated alongside the legendary looping functionality that first made Acid famous, the application is still a staple with DJs, remixers and game-music/video/film post-production houses.

But Acid has had some stiff competition along the way. Programs that once specialized strictly in audio recording, editing, sequencing and mixing stepped into Acid’s kitchen of time stretching, pitch shifting and other loop-music features. In a marketplace where being everything to everybody often makes the difference between a sale and no sale, even the classics have to reinvent themselves to remain relevant.

Acid Pro 7’s look and feel hasn’t changed much, except that the redesigned, dedicated mixer window is sizable, scalable and customizable, offering a view of all tracks and busses not previously possible. Also note the new track switches.

Your New Creative Partner

ACID Pro 7 software is a DAW powerhouse that combines full multitrack recording and mixing, MIDI sequencing, and legendary ACID looping functionality for a seamless music-creation and post-production environment. More creative partner than production tool, ACID Pro 7 software inspires you like nothing else. With its Transparent Technology™ design, ACID Pro 7 software removes typical barriers to the creative workflow so you can effortlessly transform ideas into real results.

Professional Multitrack Recording

For uncompromising 24-bit, 192 kHz sound quality production live or in studio, ACID Pro 7 software has an expanded set of features for maximum audio performance. Whether you’re recording your band or creating MIDI-based studio sequences, ACID Pro 7 software is the optimal platform for reliable multitrack recording and production: on-the-fly punch in/out, unlimited tracks for audio and MIDI, control surface support, powerful plug-in processing, and 5.1 surround mixing.

Innovative Loop-Based Music Creation

ACID Pro software has been the leader in loop-based music creation for nearly ten years. Version 7 has all of the core ACID Pro features: automatic pitch and tempo matching, real-time loop previewing, unlimited tracks, and our signature pick/paint/play interface. ACID Pro 7 software also includes over 3,000 Sony Sound Series loops and 1,000 MIDI files so you can start creating music right out of the box. Fundamentals

Comprehensive MIDI Support

Experience unparalleled MIDI sequencing in ACID Pro 7 software, with real time MIDI processing and precise control over MIDI events. All note and controller data can be recorded and edited on the timeline as easily as audio tracks. Use track envelopes to automate and modify modulation, expression, or other types of MIDI controller data over time. Other features let you record multiple tracks of MIDI, apply real time MIDI quantization, perform filtering and processing, create and edit drum patterns, and step record. ACID Pro 7 also includes over 1,000 free MIDI files for music creation. MIDI

Superior Mixing and Editing

ACID Pro 7 software has a dedicated mixing console for a flexible and efficient recording environment. Specify routing, assign audio effects, and use external effects processors with tracks and busses. ACID Pro 7 software also supports control surface automation and channel tracking for devices such as the Mackie Control and Frontier Design TranzPort. Its unique Beatmapper tool makes remixing easy, and the Chopper tool helps you create impressive drum fills, stutters, and DJ-style effects. Mixing and Editing

Professional Effects and Soft Synth Support

Expand your sound palette with native support for VST instruments, as well as VST and DirectX audio plug-ins. Create resonant sweeps, dramatic fades, EQ changes and add effects with parameter automation. ReWire and ASIO support help you smoothly integrate ACID Pro 7 software with your existing studio. Audio Control

Exclusive Quantization Tools

Transform loops and MIDI tracks into fresh, new sounds with our exclusive Groove Mapping and Groove Cloning quantization tools. Change the groove of a track, apply different grooves to the same track, extract a groove from one file and apply it to another, or even create custom grooves. Quantization Tools

Professional Workflow Features

Maximize efficiency with folder tracks and cluster editing to drag, pitch-shift, cut, copy, and paste sections of loops. Use the Clip Pool to choose and arrange events to use in your compositions. Create dramatic or subtle tempo changes using new tempo curves. Deliver projects in nearly any format without leaving the ACID Pro 7 environment. Import and Export Support

Interactive Tutorials New!

ACID Pro 7 software now includes built-in interactive tutorials for step-by-step help. Work along with the tutorials from within your project so you can learn and create at the same time.

Included with ACID Pro 7 software New!

ACID Pro 7 includes software for professional music production and editing, including ACID Pro Effects Rack, powered by iZotope, Garritan Aria for ACID Pro Player, Submersible Music KitCore, and Native Instruments Guitar Combos. Included with ACID Pro 7

Free Loops and Samples

Add to your content library with ACIDplanet.com 8packs. Available as a free download each week, an 8pack is eight loops arranged into a song. ACID Pro registered users can also download free exclusive content using Get Media. Click Get Media on the ACID Pro 7 toolbar for instant access to folders full of royalty-free loops. Get Media

Read a great review at  Remixmag.com