An Option Of Cymbals
Musical use Cymbals are developed in different category of metals, when you have tried using the basic cymbals and sense the urgent need to spice up your cymbals enhancement, then there are lots of types of cymbals available that can take your cymbal preference far beyond the standard ride, crash and hi-hats method.
China cymbals typically have a bell with a shortened cone shape, with an outer rim that is turned up in reverse shape to the main bow of the cymbal, and are mounted with its bell side down. China’s provide a darker, trashier unusual cymbal sound; this became fashionable with drummers in the 70’s and 80’s. These days China cymbals are obtainable in a much wider range of sizes. Rock and Pop drummers usually invert them and mount them upside down.
Splash cymbals are smaller versions of crash cymbals, generally measuring between 6"-12" in diameter. Splashes have a quick, bright attack with little sustain, creating a swift burst of sound that’s remarkable for accents when a standard crash could be too much.
Sabian APX Ozone, Zildjian EFX cymbals, and Meinl Generation X Trash have holes in them, producing a drier range of sounds and shorter sustain, somewhere in between a Crash and a China. The Meinl Filter China has holes in it that give it a quieter, shorter sound than a standard China.
Stacked cymbals layer 2 or more cymbals on top of each other, creating a quick, focused burst of white noise-like sound. These include the Sabian Chopper, Meinl Generation X Signature Benny Greb Trash Hat, Meinl Generation X X-treme Stack Effects, Sabian Mike Portnoy Max Stax Pack, Paiste Noiseworks Triple Raw Smash Cymbal Set, and Meinl Generation X Electro Stack 8" and 10" Effects, among others. With their harsh, almost electronic timbres, many of these stacked models are ideal for modern genres like techno and drum’n’bass.
Conclusively, there are a number of metal percussion instruments available now that really can push the envelope, challenging traditional ideas of what a cymbal is. For example, Zildjian’s Spiral Trash Effects Cymbal features a hanging metal spiral that creates wave-like sounds. Factory Metal Percussion creates a variety of cymbal-like metal percussion instruments mountable on cymbal stands, many of which include bells, jingles, and other effects. Hammerax is known for their absolutely unique cymbals, beautiful to look at and capable of creating a peculiar range of metallic sounds. So for the drummers and percussionists looking to expand their sonic expressions, these choice of Cymbals offer captivating choices. Just type "Effects Cymbals" in Google and you will see what I intended to tell you with all the other options of creative cymbals.
Cheers
Alphonso Soosay
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Looking for that Factual Soundstage
A Precise Balance of Soundstage
On hand there are issues to check when having difficulty in getting a smooth, flawless soundstage from your front left speaker across to the centre speaker and then to the front right speaker. On the other hand you have to know if the majority of your audio imaging appears to fold over into the centre speaker only.
If that is the problem you are having, then it’s time to cautiously measure the centre-speaker distance (inches or cm) and level (volume) program it in your Dolby Digital receiver's setup menu. This also applies to all other speakers’ connected to your Dolby Digital audio system. Many Hi-Fi and Home Theatre disciples seem to run the centre a little too loud, not sure why. For that reason you have to fine-tune the centre speaker level for its quality of sound and loudness (85dB), make sure its dialogue has good tonal and clarity, but not louder than the other channels. Use the volume test meter (VU) to read the volume level. A perfect balance between the other speakers has to be there with links to where you are seated.
Make an effort to place your Left and Right speakers so their front panels are even with the centre channel, then move the centre channel slightly further back, if possible wall-mount it just below the Home Theatre screen or Plasma TV, that’s just another option. When the three main front speakers form a logical “Arch” facing your sweet spot settee, with the centre speaker slightly further away, then you will experience favourable improvements in the front soundstage.
Centre Speaker Intelligibility
Even though most conventional forward-firing speakers are directional to a degree, it also depends on the output frequencies of its sound. Especially high treble can be quite directional, and lots of midrange sounds, where most voices exist in. It’s easy to confirm this effect by just standing in front of your centre speaker and walking well off to either side, or "off-axis". You will hear the midrange and highs become less detailed and voices become a bit lifeless. Characteristic and accuracy are among the prime requirements of any centre-channel speaker. If you seem to have trouble understanding movie dialogue, then start with increasing the volume of the centre speaker using your Dolby Digital receiver’s speaker setup menu, and then try these solution:
In situations where centre channel is above the full-size TV, then it will be well above the height of your seating area, you will have to modify the focus issue by getting a couple of rubber doorstops and wedge them under the rear part of the speaker base so that the front of the speaker fires directly towards the listening sweet spot. Most quality centre channels have broad horizontal dispersion, but it’s always important to have the centre speaker aimed toward the listeners. Options are if your centre speaker is on a shelf beneath the Screen or TV; angle it upwards towards the sweet spot area. You must have noticed that in large movie theatres the centre channel is always behind the centre of the screen and carefully horn-loaded to direct the dialogue over a broad horizontal angle and a narrow vertical one, to avoid sound bouncing off the ceiling, which can hinder its clarity. Similarly never position a centre channel more than 15 inches above the LCD or Plasma TV display.
When you reposition a speaker when you feel like may significantly alter its sound. So, it's very dependent on your particular setup,
The tonal changes that can occur are generally minor but in some unique cases they can be quite audible. But with a bit of fiddling with the two fronts and centre speakers placement you will be able to restore the tonal balance.
The results can be charismatic, Just changing the centre-channel location will certainly determine how neutral or transparent your centre channel loudspeaker will sound, and how well it will tonally blend with your front left and right speakers.
It is exciting to experiment with multi speaker placements for best results, and most of the time it can take a whole day or two. But if you can identify obvious tonal differences between your centre and the main left and right speakers and you find those tonal differences distracting, then it's a must to experiment with your speaker’s placement. Every room is different, so experiment with different locations, even sliding the speaker a little to the left or right.
For a superior centre channel sound coverage especially with a large 100 inches screen and a front mount projector, experiment using two centre channel speakers, one above and one below the screen. This is a advantage for several viewers at the same time. When two centre speakers running in parallel it will image the dialog to the centre of the screen, the effects will be just like your local Cinema, This dual centre-speakers configuration will also reduce the effect of the location on the tonal balance. Even when you are walking around the room, the tone of the dialog (voice) is captivating.
Enjoy your Music.
Alphonso Soosay
Audio Recording Engineer
Perth
On hand there are issues to check when having difficulty in getting a smooth, flawless soundstage from your front left speaker across to the centre speaker and then to the front right speaker. On the other hand you have to know if the majority of your audio imaging appears to fold over into the centre speaker only.
If that is the problem you are having, then it’s time to cautiously measure the centre-speaker distance (inches or cm) and level (volume) program it in your Dolby Digital receiver's setup menu. This also applies to all other speakers’ connected to your Dolby Digital audio system. Many Hi-Fi and Home Theatre disciples seem to run the centre a little too loud, not sure why. For that reason you have to fine-tune the centre speaker level for its quality of sound and loudness (85dB), make sure its dialogue has good tonal and clarity, but not louder than the other channels. Use the volume test meter (VU) to read the volume level. A perfect balance between the other speakers has to be there with links to where you are seated.
Make an effort to place your Left and Right speakers so their front panels are even with the centre channel, then move the centre channel slightly further back, if possible wall-mount it just below the Home Theatre screen or Plasma TV, that’s just another option. When the three main front speakers form a logical “Arch” facing your sweet spot settee, with the centre speaker slightly further away, then you will experience favourable improvements in the front soundstage.
Centre Speaker Intelligibility
Even though most conventional forward-firing speakers are directional to a degree, it also depends on the output frequencies of its sound. Especially high treble can be quite directional, and lots of midrange sounds, where most voices exist in. It’s easy to confirm this effect by just standing in front of your centre speaker and walking well off to either side, or "off-axis". You will hear the midrange and highs become less detailed and voices become a bit lifeless. Characteristic and accuracy are among the prime requirements of any centre-channel speaker. If you seem to have trouble understanding movie dialogue, then start with increasing the volume of the centre speaker using your Dolby Digital receiver’s speaker setup menu, and then try these solution:
In situations where centre channel is above the full-size TV, then it will be well above the height of your seating area, you will have to modify the focus issue by getting a couple of rubber doorstops and wedge them under the rear part of the speaker base so that the front of the speaker fires directly towards the listening sweet spot. Most quality centre channels have broad horizontal dispersion, but it’s always important to have the centre speaker aimed toward the listeners. Options are if your centre speaker is on a shelf beneath the Screen or TV; angle it upwards towards the sweet spot area. You must have noticed that in large movie theatres the centre channel is always behind the centre of the screen and carefully horn-loaded to direct the dialogue over a broad horizontal angle and a narrow vertical one, to avoid sound bouncing off the ceiling, which can hinder its clarity. Similarly never position a centre channel more than 15 inches above the LCD or Plasma TV display.
When you reposition a speaker when you feel like may significantly alter its sound. So, it's very dependent on your particular setup,
The tonal changes that can occur are generally minor but in some unique cases they can be quite audible. But with a bit of fiddling with the two fronts and centre speakers placement you will be able to restore the tonal balance.
The results can be charismatic, Just changing the centre-channel location will certainly determine how neutral or transparent your centre channel loudspeaker will sound, and how well it will tonally blend with your front left and right speakers.
It is exciting to experiment with multi speaker placements for best results, and most of the time it can take a whole day or two. But if you can identify obvious tonal differences between your centre and the main left and right speakers and you find those tonal differences distracting, then it's a must to experiment with your speaker’s placement. Every room is different, so experiment with different locations, even sliding the speaker a little to the left or right.
For a superior centre channel sound coverage especially with a large 100 inches screen and a front mount projector, experiment using two centre channel speakers, one above and one below the screen. This is a advantage for several viewers at the same time. When two centre speakers running in parallel it will image the dialog to the centre of the screen, the effects will be just like your local Cinema, This dual centre-speakers configuration will also reduce the effect of the location on the tonal balance. Even when you are walking around the room, the tone of the dialog (voice) is captivating.
Enjoy your Music.
Alphonso Soosay
Audio Recording Engineer
Perth
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Room Reflections & Absorption
Hi-Fi & Home Theatre
If you want to hear a superior and more balanced sounds of CD’s and DVD’s in your home Hi-Fi or Home Theatre system, the one aspect most people often pay “No” attention to is the listening room itself. Although audio speakers most of the times get the blame of being "too harsh or too bright" or "too boomy," But majority of the time it’s often the reflective or absorptive nature of the room’s furnishings and ornamentation that are determining the audio speakers' sound rather than any ingrained problem with your quality speakers.
Any ideal "Hi-Fi or Home Theatre" listening room needs a touch of reverb to help increase the perceived loudness of the home speakers and also to prevent the room sounding unnaturally dead. Also the reverb time needs to be roughly equal at all frequencies across the audio spectrum if coloration is to be avoided.
Consciously, modern loudspeakers designed for home listening have their tonal balance in synch so they will sound refined and natural when heard in living rooms that are "typically" furnished with rugs or carpet on the floor, upholstered furniture, curtains of some sort, and book-cases on the back wall.
However in a fancy situation where tiled floors, with walls of exposed glass or face brickwork used, the problem will be when using balanced normal speakers it will cause too much midrange and also treble energy bouncing around the room. With midrange and treble sounds boosted, these surfaces react like mirrors and light, reflecting the high-frequency energy from the speakers.
Using an Equalizer (EQ) can be of a small help, but a healthier approach is to make the first move by solving the problems in the deflective areas by means of using rugs, curtains and perhaps a tapestry or two to break up and absorb some of the high-frequency liveliness. Using upholstered furniture benefits a lot with acoustic control, also boxed enclosure and bookcases will break up and disperse sidewall reflections. The thicker the floor carpets with under-pads, the more unique absorption will take place of reflected treble and midrange energy. Taming the multi reflections of a bare room is very interesting and it can go a long way in getting that ideal balance of smooth highs, clean midrange and deep bass that we all would like from our own preferred speakers.
Happy Listening.
Alphonso Soosay
Audio Recording Engineer
If you want to hear a superior and more balanced sounds of CD’s and DVD’s in your home Hi-Fi or Home Theatre system, the one aspect most people often pay “No” attention to is the listening room itself. Although audio speakers most of the times get the blame of being "too harsh or too bright" or "too boomy," But majority of the time it’s often the reflective or absorptive nature of the room’s furnishings and ornamentation that are determining the audio speakers' sound rather than any ingrained problem with your quality speakers.
Any ideal "Hi-Fi or Home Theatre" listening room needs a touch of reverb to help increase the perceived loudness of the home speakers and also to prevent the room sounding unnaturally dead. Also the reverb time needs to be roughly equal at all frequencies across the audio spectrum if coloration is to be avoided.
Consciously, modern loudspeakers designed for home listening have their tonal balance in synch so they will sound refined and natural when heard in living rooms that are "typically" furnished with rugs or carpet on the floor, upholstered furniture, curtains of some sort, and book-cases on the back wall.
However in a fancy situation where tiled floors, with walls of exposed glass or face brickwork used, the problem will be when using balanced normal speakers it will cause too much midrange and also treble energy bouncing around the room. With midrange and treble sounds boosted, these surfaces react like mirrors and light, reflecting the high-frequency energy from the speakers.
Using an Equalizer (EQ) can be of a small help, but a healthier approach is to make the first move by solving the problems in the deflective areas by means of using rugs, curtains and perhaps a tapestry or two to break up and absorb some of the high-frequency liveliness. Using upholstered furniture benefits a lot with acoustic control, also boxed enclosure and bookcases will break up and disperse sidewall reflections. The thicker the floor carpets with under-pads, the more unique absorption will take place of reflected treble and midrange energy. Taming the multi reflections of a bare room is very interesting and it can go a long way in getting that ideal balance of smooth highs, clean midrange and deep bass that we all would like from our own preferred speakers.
Happy Listening.
Alphonso Soosay
Audio Recording Engineer
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
The Options of "Pitch Correction"
"Auto Tune"
Greetings to the Millennium. Creative Music is shifting; we are into an outburst of inventive audio technology.
"Auto Tune" can be useful audio-processing "Pitch Correction" software developed by Antraes Audio Technologies.
Initially, Auto Tune was mainly used as a logical way to cover the mistakes (out of pitch) of a Singer in Recording Studios. Recording Engineer's select the vocal track and then define the "Target Key and Scale". The vocal track is then processed according to how much pitch correction is required, just a touch, to correct minor pitch issues or applying a great deal to create a certain vocal effects like "Cher". This is done effortlessly by clicking and sliding the incorrect note to the correct note. Auto Tune works as either a plug-in for RTAS equipments to auto tune in real time or as a Standalone editor. What formulates the auto tune processor to sound so extreme is that it makes minor changes in pitch and pulls them dramatically into key.
It's important to remember that audio recording is not a competition; it's a creative process of expression. Only genuine singers and gifted talents have to be at the session. The end result is when you are creating music with lyrics for entertainment; the main aim for the Artists has to be prepared the correct way (Performance with Emotion) so that Singers can perform on stage with no problems.
The reality is, in recording studios, Artists performance, enhancing studio tricks takes place with all kinds of technique's, from Pop, Rock, Jazz, Rap, Country to Metal Music. It is clearly obvious that various audio processes are used in the recording studio with audio dubbings, premix, editing, click tracks, drum replacement, quanitsing, layering of Guitar parts, pitch and timing replacements. A studio recording by a Pop Band is about as close to a real performance on stage as the Band is always happy to master all the corrections done in the recording studio before they perform Live.
Without a doubt of the exception of Jazz and Classical music, creating a Pop recording is not really about capturing a real musical moments like Jazz or Classical, it is all about creating the definition of what that composition is all about. Pop music can be subjective in many different ways. Pop songwriters form their understanding of how musical instruments sound through the recordings we listen to, some songwriters create new ideas as they move on to the final stage. The easily identifiable sound of Rock Drums bears little resemblance to the sound of a acoustic Drun Kit in a room, instead it is defined by the heavy compression, gating and reverb that characterises the genre. These artificial sounds already define what we expect music to sound like.
If Auto Tune is wrongly used by an in experienced user then it can take the Singer's expression right out of the track. Then again when used by an experienced recording engineer, it can make improvements on a less gifted vocal performance. It's a matter of how the recording and mix engineer uses the Auto Tune as a tool to get the job done for what he or she is aiming for, just by tweaking Pitch correction here and there or special vocal effects at certain parts of the song. Auto Tune cannot deceive individuals into thinking as substandard singers can be made to sound good. It does not work that way.
My point of view has always been, if you think you are a Singer and if you can't perform in the studio, (while you are given time) you will never make it in a Live Performance situation.
While "Waves" Auto Tune has been popular for many years, there are also other good applications that has been tested and performs the similar way, so look out for Melodyne, TC Helicon vocal processor, Apple Logic's Pitch Corrector, DigiTech vocalist and others. Auto Tune and the many similar software plug-in's can make a good Singer better and a better Singer an impressive Singer in terms of Pitch and Vocal effects.
Auto Tune is a tool that majority of Recording Studios, Producers and Audio Engineers use and its always available and used tastefully.
When is it considered cheating?
The truth is, if you are using Pitch Correction because you abviously cannot sing, and unable to hit the correct notes (can't sing in tune) on nearly every song, then that is considered cheating. Relying on it for your mediocre vocals to sound more perfect on key all the time, that's cheating.
If ever there is a project to embark on Actors as Singers who cannot sing and using Auto Tune is cheating.
Individuals who depend on a computer generated using Auto Tune to fix their non gifted mistakes should go back to their vocal teacher and ask them, if they have got the talent to become a genuine Singer. If yes, start taking serious vocal lessons to see if you can over come the assistance of using such a tool. Note; It can be very stressful at situations when Auto Tune has technical problems just like any other tools.
On the other hand, a few years ago I heard a duet recorded by Christina Aguilera and Andrea Bocelli. It was an exceptional song, but the producer blew it by processing all Vocals with Auto Tune. The question is, does Christina Aguilera really need Auto Tune? If you have heard Christina's voice "Live" you would agree that she does not need it al all. The same goes with Andrea Bocelli, does he need Auto Tune? You can by all means go for pitch perfection, but that perfection can cause high drawback with vocal tone. Christina Aguilera and Andrea Borelli's vocal style has a registered-persona that should be respected. So, the use of Atuo Tune in that song in my opinion was disrespect to both Singers and this happens a great deal these days in "Live Concerts". I consider it as a discredit to the professional Singers.
When is it considered "NOT" cheating?
It is not cheating if it is used purposely trying to enhance your voice as an effect. There is no harm using Auto Tune as long as you create something beautiful to listen to. As for me it is a creative correction tool and it is just as legitimate as creating new sounds on a Guitar or electric Piano with my final mix in the studio. If it sounds good then you have succeeded something for the audio market.
Generally in Recording Studios, Singers, Producers, and Recording Engineers are simply trying to express their interpretation of the song they are working on "Vocal tonal perfection" which will please as many of the audience that they are attempting to reach as possible. So when recording a good Singer, it is not cheating to use a good technology of the day to fine tune a Singers voice which makes it sound creative in a peculiar kind of way.
Auto Tune can also be used on a Guitar or any musical instruments to change the timbre of certain notes, this actually enhances as special effects to the original sound. But if you cannot play the Guitar then do not waste your time and money using Auto Tune.
People know what they like to hear and do not like. The buying individuals have the last say, and they will also let the music industry know when its not acceptable to use Auto Tune, its only then that the use will come to a halt. The consumers are always correct so its not fair to discriminate the music entertainers as they are only trying to create new sounds and trying to be as perfect as possible.
It is true that an excellent Singer does not need pitch correction. On the other hand, some good Singers do make mistakes in terms of pitch and that is quite normal. and in those situations the Singers simply do it again and again to get it corrected. In real term it can be difficult for any Singer to focus on Lyrics, Structure of Melody, Pitch, Tempo, Phrasing and Emotions at the same time. So that's why producers in Recording Studios are never happy with a single take performance as it is never perfect, producers normally work on a composite of the two best takes, edited together to make one good take. Can this be considered cheating? The answer is NO because the most important part of any vocal production is the "Performance and Emotion", so its not the "Pitch", it's the performance and emotions that captures and sells the artists. Performance and Emotions are what connects the audience with the Singer, and aften one shot is all you get at that "Live Concert", even worse if the Singer is ad-libbing. When a Singer achieves a great performance with good emotions but slightly pitchy here and there, then Auto Tune can be used to correct the pitchy parts without sacrificing the great performance and emotions.
A famous Singer with impressive performance and good emotions "Cher" had used Auto Tune on her recordings (Believe) in 1998 and it worked really well to her advantage as an effect, it did not affect her Singing as she can genuinely sing. However, her producer for that album used Auto Tune to create a specific, obvious sound as part of her artistic creation. It's futuristic effects on her vocals is an integral part of the subsequent record, and believe me, it became the biggest hit of Cher's career. To this day, in recording studios, the distinctive "Auto Tune" sound is often referred as to the "Cher effect".
Other Recording Artists who have used "Auto Tune" just to name a few for vocal effects are: Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow / Rhianna - Live Your Life / Jamie Fox - Blame It / Chris Brown - Forever / Draft Punk - One More Time / T-Pain - Buy You A Drank / Kanye West - Heartless.
Note: Auto Tune is an Audio processor created by Antares Technologies. In the beginning it was mainly designed to correct pitch problems in Recording Studios. This has saved lots of unnecessary studio time and stress out of the Artists.
These days it is also used for the big time "Pop Live Concerts" all over the world. I suppose show producers are using it to smooth out pitch imperfections with artist's voice to give the impression of an even more perfect show. That's "Show Business".
Cheers
Alphonso Soosay
Greetings to the Millennium. Creative Music is shifting; we are into an outburst of inventive audio technology.
"Auto Tune" can be useful audio-processing "Pitch Correction" software developed by Antraes Audio Technologies.
Initially, Auto Tune was mainly used as a logical way to cover the mistakes (out of pitch) of a Singer in Recording Studios. Recording Engineer's select the vocal track and then define the "Target Key and Scale". The vocal track is then processed according to how much pitch correction is required, just a touch, to correct minor pitch issues or applying a great deal to create a certain vocal effects like "Cher". This is done effortlessly by clicking and sliding the incorrect note to the correct note. Auto Tune works as either a plug-in for RTAS equipments to auto tune in real time or as a Standalone editor. What formulates the auto tune processor to sound so extreme is that it makes minor changes in pitch and pulls them dramatically into key.
It's important to remember that audio recording is not a competition; it's a creative process of expression. Only genuine singers and gifted talents have to be at the session. The end result is when you are creating music with lyrics for entertainment; the main aim for the Artists has to be prepared the correct way (Performance with Emotion) so that Singers can perform on stage with no problems.
The reality is, in recording studios, Artists performance, enhancing studio tricks takes place with all kinds of technique's, from Pop, Rock, Jazz, Rap, Country to Metal Music. It is clearly obvious that various audio processes are used in the recording studio with audio dubbings, premix, editing, click tracks, drum replacement, quanitsing, layering of Guitar parts, pitch and timing replacements. A studio recording by a Pop Band is about as close to a real performance on stage as the Band is always happy to master all the corrections done in the recording studio before they perform Live.
Without a doubt of the exception of Jazz and Classical music, creating a Pop recording is not really about capturing a real musical moments like Jazz or Classical, it is all about creating the definition of what that composition is all about. Pop music can be subjective in many different ways. Pop songwriters form their understanding of how musical instruments sound through the recordings we listen to, some songwriters create new ideas as they move on to the final stage. The easily identifiable sound of Rock Drums bears little resemblance to the sound of a acoustic Drun Kit in a room, instead it is defined by the heavy compression, gating and reverb that characterises the genre. These artificial sounds already define what we expect music to sound like.
If Auto Tune is wrongly used by an in experienced user then it can take the Singer's expression right out of the track. Then again when used by an experienced recording engineer, it can make improvements on a less gifted vocal performance. It's a matter of how the recording and mix engineer uses the Auto Tune as a tool to get the job done for what he or she is aiming for, just by tweaking Pitch correction here and there or special vocal effects at certain parts of the song. Auto Tune cannot deceive individuals into thinking as substandard singers can be made to sound good. It does not work that way.
My point of view has always been, if you think you are a Singer and if you can't perform in the studio, (while you are given time) you will never make it in a Live Performance situation.
While "Waves" Auto Tune has been popular for many years, there are also other good applications that has been tested and performs the similar way, so look out for Melodyne, TC Helicon vocal processor, Apple Logic's Pitch Corrector, DigiTech vocalist and others. Auto Tune and the many similar software plug-in's can make a good Singer better and a better Singer an impressive Singer in terms of Pitch and Vocal effects.
Auto Tune is a tool that majority of Recording Studios, Producers and Audio Engineers use and its always available and used tastefully.
When is it considered cheating?
The truth is, if you are using Pitch Correction because you abviously cannot sing, and unable to hit the correct notes (can't sing in tune) on nearly every song, then that is considered cheating. Relying on it for your mediocre vocals to sound more perfect on key all the time, that's cheating.
If ever there is a project to embark on Actors as Singers who cannot sing and using Auto Tune is cheating.
Individuals who depend on a computer generated using Auto Tune to fix their non gifted mistakes should go back to their vocal teacher and ask them, if they have got the talent to become a genuine Singer. If yes, start taking serious vocal lessons to see if you can over come the assistance of using such a tool. Note; It can be very stressful at situations when Auto Tune has technical problems just like any other tools.
On the other hand, a few years ago I heard a duet recorded by Christina Aguilera and Andrea Bocelli. It was an exceptional song, but the producer blew it by processing all Vocals with Auto Tune. The question is, does Christina Aguilera really need Auto Tune? If you have heard Christina's voice "Live" you would agree that she does not need it al all. The same goes with Andrea Bocelli, does he need Auto Tune? You can by all means go for pitch perfection, but that perfection can cause high drawback with vocal tone. Christina Aguilera and Andrea Borelli's vocal style has a registered-persona that should be respected. So, the use of Atuo Tune in that song in my opinion was disrespect to both Singers and this happens a great deal these days in "Live Concerts". I consider it as a discredit to the professional Singers.
When is it considered "NOT" cheating?
It is not cheating if it is used purposely trying to enhance your voice as an effect. There is no harm using Auto Tune as long as you create something beautiful to listen to. As for me it is a creative correction tool and it is just as legitimate as creating new sounds on a Guitar or electric Piano with my final mix in the studio. If it sounds good then you have succeeded something for the audio market.
Generally in Recording Studios, Singers, Producers, and Recording Engineers are simply trying to express their interpretation of the song they are working on "Vocal tonal perfection" which will please as many of the audience that they are attempting to reach as possible. So when recording a good Singer, it is not cheating to use a good technology of the day to fine tune a Singers voice which makes it sound creative in a peculiar kind of way.
Auto Tune can also be used on a Guitar or any musical instruments to change the timbre of certain notes, this actually enhances as special effects to the original sound. But if you cannot play the Guitar then do not waste your time and money using Auto Tune.
People know what they like to hear and do not like. The buying individuals have the last say, and they will also let the music industry know when its not acceptable to use Auto Tune, its only then that the use will come to a halt. The consumers are always correct so its not fair to discriminate the music entertainers as they are only trying to create new sounds and trying to be as perfect as possible.
It is true that an excellent Singer does not need pitch correction. On the other hand, some good Singers do make mistakes in terms of pitch and that is quite normal. and in those situations the Singers simply do it again and again to get it corrected. In real term it can be difficult for any Singer to focus on Lyrics, Structure of Melody, Pitch, Tempo, Phrasing and Emotions at the same time. So that's why producers in Recording Studios are never happy with a single take performance as it is never perfect, producers normally work on a composite of the two best takes, edited together to make one good take. Can this be considered cheating? The answer is NO because the most important part of any vocal production is the "Performance and Emotion", so its not the "Pitch", it's the performance and emotions that captures and sells the artists. Performance and Emotions are what connects the audience with the Singer, and aften one shot is all you get at that "Live Concert", even worse if the Singer is ad-libbing. When a Singer achieves a great performance with good emotions but slightly pitchy here and there, then Auto Tune can be used to correct the pitchy parts without sacrificing the great performance and emotions.
A famous Singer with impressive performance and good emotions "Cher" had used Auto Tune on her recordings (Believe) in 1998 and it worked really well to her advantage as an effect, it did not affect her Singing as she can genuinely sing. However, her producer for that album used Auto Tune to create a specific, obvious sound as part of her artistic creation. It's futuristic effects on her vocals is an integral part of the subsequent record, and believe me, it became the biggest hit of Cher's career. To this day, in recording studios, the distinctive "Auto Tune" sound is often referred as to the "Cher effect".
Other Recording Artists who have used "Auto Tune" just to name a few for vocal effects are: Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow / Rhianna - Live Your Life / Jamie Fox - Blame It / Chris Brown - Forever / Draft Punk - One More Time / T-Pain - Buy You A Drank / Kanye West - Heartless.
Note: Auto Tune is an Audio processor created by Antares Technologies. In the beginning it was mainly designed to correct pitch problems in Recording Studios. This has saved lots of unnecessary studio time and stress out of the Artists.
These days it is also used for the big time "Pop Live Concerts" all over the world. I suppose show producers are using it to smooth out pitch imperfections with artist's voice to give the impression of an even more perfect show. That's "Show Business".
Cheers
Alphonso Soosay
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Basics Of Human Hearing
"Your Ears"
When you are at your place listening to Pop / Rock / Jazz or Country music in your recording studio sitting behind your recording console / equipment or even on stage if you are performing. What is that one important thing that makes your job easy to communicate with? When Singing, playing the Piano, Guitar, Acoustic Drums, Audio Recording or working on your final Mix. "Its Your Ears".
There is no subsititute for good natural hearing. Without a healthy condition ears, a career in or even the simple enjoyment of music would be impossible, even with today's digital hearing aids. If you do not protect your ears from the early stages, your chances of a long, prosperous career as a musician / singer or music lover could be easily be ruined. So if you are not careful, you could become problematical with hearing and have to always ask people to repeat what they are saying; in some of the worst cases, you could live the rest of your life with a constant buzzing or humming noise called tinnitus in your ears. Hearing conservation is a serious issue for anybody and music professional and general music hobbyists; you need to understand how your Ears work and how to protect them.
Generally speaking you would know by now that sound is nothing more than waves of energy. The strength of those waves is called Sound Pressure Levels, or SPL's which are measured in decibles (db). The higher the SPL, the louder the sound, and the worst it can get for your hearing. The frequency spectrum of sound waves can be understood very simply: the slower and more widespread the sound wave, the deeper the sound; the higher and tighter, the higher the frequency. Frequencies are measured in hertz or cycles. Human Ears can only pick up a limited range of the aural spectrum generally 20Hz (very low Bass) to a maximum of 20,000Hz (20 kilohertz- 20kHz), but in general most of us are unable to hear past 16kHz as we reach our adulthood.
As you might know that sound comes through our ear's canal as waves of energy, where they meet the eardrum, which is very similar to a stretched drum-head skin on a drum kit. The Ear drum causes the bones of the inner Ear to vibrate, which in turn causes the cochlea, or inner Ear to vibrate. The cochlea is filled with tiny hairs, and when the fluid in the inner Ear is vibrated, the energy is transferred to those hair cells, which translates the vibration to electrical energy which is then sent through the auditory nerve to the brain. I hope it is not complicated but you will find it interesting in the end.
Hearing loss can take place from various reasons. In fact, hearing loss can be a common birth defect, nearly one in every 1,000 babies are born with some degree of hearing loss. While we naturally lose a degree of hearing as we age, the most prevalent reason for losing hearing in today's age is overexposure of any kind of loud sound. Remember this simple modus operandi, time + exposure = loss. When you expose your ears to loud music, you damage the tiny hair cells inside your inner ear. Sometimes this damage is temporary if the exposure was limited for a short time. Have you ever had your ear's ringing for a couple of days after a loud live concert? So if this happens too many times repeatedly over a long period of time, then that's where hearing loss comes in and sits for a long time.
Always try to limit your exposure to any loud sounds. At the majority of live concerts you will experience SPL's of about 110dB decibels or greater, depending on where you are sitting or standing. At 110dB, OSHA (the Occupational Safety & Health Administration) recommends only a half hour of exposure per day. Help your cause by wearing earplugs; reducing the SPL's by even 10dB to 15dB can allow you to listen to a concert without risk of hearing damage for up to two hours. There are a number of companies now offer custom fitted musician's Ear plugs with a filter to allow unattenuated high frequencies to pass through, presenting a much better listening experience. Earplugs can cost in the region of $120/- plus a visit to your audiologist, but you can purchase universal-fit versions for as little $25/- to $50/-.
If you are a Guitarist or Musician, there are a couple of "Be Concern" things to deal with from the start. Always keep the volume low of your guitar amplifier, only bring it up to the required volume when really required. In reality no one truly needs their amplifier to be cranked up to volume 10 from the start, do they? Believe me, its not a pleasing experience for any audience or for your Ear Drums to have loud ampiifiers on stage competing for volume.
As with today's technology, just leave it to the mix engineer to do the mix for the front house speakers so that audience will enjoy your music as properly mixed. Good music should sound as if it is coming out from a CD player. That's why your personal sound on stage should not be too loud, and it will make it easy for an sound mix engineer to create that healthy sound mix which is so important for your paying audiences.
Latest technology "In-Ear Monitoring" has been the choice for professional concert tours since its introduction in the mid 1980's. Reducing the loudness on stage by using these monitors in your ears as a replacement from deafening floor speaker wedges can help you stay healthy and still carry out your performance without any loudness issues.
See your audiologist for routine hearing tests regularly, at least once or twice a year if your livelihood depends on your Ears and by doing this you are making sure that your Ears are in good health. If you do not have health insurance just like many musicians and freelance audio engineers that I do, then consider other options like a hearing screaning which can cost in the region of about $120/-, which is a small investment for a lifetime of hearing. You can also check with your local universities and teaching hospitals close by for a free Ear checkup. You might be lucky and have an audiology clinic nearby that can help you meet your hearing requirements. Very importantly, always use your commonsensical at all situations. By keeping your Ears healthy it will prevent you from being one of the many musicians who after years of overexposure is still healthy by means of hearing. Be aware of your noisy surroundings and your options, and you too can have a long prosperous Audio career creating and enjoying your quality music.
Happy Listening.
Alphonso Soosay
Audio Recording Engineer
Perth
When you are at your place listening to Pop / Rock / Jazz or Country music in your recording studio sitting behind your recording console / equipment or even on stage if you are performing. What is that one important thing that makes your job easy to communicate with? When Singing, playing the Piano, Guitar, Acoustic Drums, Audio Recording or working on your final Mix. "Its Your Ears".
There is no subsititute for good natural hearing. Without a healthy condition ears, a career in or even the simple enjoyment of music would be impossible, even with today's digital hearing aids. If you do not protect your ears from the early stages, your chances of a long, prosperous career as a musician / singer or music lover could be easily be ruined. So if you are not careful, you could become problematical with hearing and have to always ask people to repeat what they are saying; in some of the worst cases, you could live the rest of your life with a constant buzzing or humming noise called tinnitus in your ears. Hearing conservation is a serious issue for anybody and music professional and general music hobbyists; you need to understand how your Ears work and how to protect them.
Generally speaking you would know by now that sound is nothing more than waves of energy. The strength of those waves is called Sound Pressure Levels, or SPL's which are measured in decibles (db). The higher the SPL, the louder the sound, and the worst it can get for your hearing. The frequency spectrum of sound waves can be understood very simply: the slower and more widespread the sound wave, the deeper the sound; the higher and tighter, the higher the frequency. Frequencies are measured in hertz or cycles. Human Ears can only pick up a limited range of the aural spectrum generally 20Hz (very low Bass) to a maximum of 20,000Hz (20 kilohertz- 20kHz), but in general most of us are unable to hear past 16kHz as we reach our adulthood.
As you might know that sound comes through our ear's canal as waves of energy, where they meet the eardrum, which is very similar to a stretched drum-head skin on a drum kit. The Ear drum causes the bones of the inner Ear to vibrate, which in turn causes the cochlea, or inner Ear to vibrate. The cochlea is filled with tiny hairs, and when the fluid in the inner Ear is vibrated, the energy is transferred to those hair cells, which translates the vibration to electrical energy which is then sent through the auditory nerve to the brain. I hope it is not complicated but you will find it interesting in the end.
Hearing loss can take place from various reasons. In fact, hearing loss can be a common birth defect, nearly one in every 1,000 babies are born with some degree of hearing loss. While we naturally lose a degree of hearing as we age, the most prevalent reason for losing hearing in today's age is overexposure of any kind of loud sound. Remember this simple modus operandi, time + exposure = loss. When you expose your ears to loud music, you damage the tiny hair cells inside your inner ear. Sometimes this damage is temporary if the exposure was limited for a short time. Have you ever had your ear's ringing for a couple of days after a loud live concert? So if this happens too many times repeatedly over a long period of time, then that's where hearing loss comes in and sits for a long time.
Always try to limit your exposure to any loud sounds. At the majority of live concerts you will experience SPL's of about 110dB decibels or greater, depending on where you are sitting or standing. At 110dB, OSHA (the Occupational Safety & Health Administration) recommends only a half hour of exposure per day. Help your cause by wearing earplugs; reducing the SPL's by even 10dB to 15dB can allow you to listen to a concert without risk of hearing damage for up to two hours. There are a number of companies now offer custom fitted musician's Ear plugs with a filter to allow unattenuated high frequencies to pass through, presenting a much better listening experience. Earplugs can cost in the region of $120/- plus a visit to your audiologist, but you can purchase universal-fit versions for as little $25/- to $50/-.
If you are a Guitarist or Musician, there are a couple of "Be Concern" things to deal with from the start. Always keep the volume low of your guitar amplifier, only bring it up to the required volume when really required. In reality no one truly needs their amplifier to be cranked up to volume 10 from the start, do they? Believe me, its not a pleasing experience for any audience or for your Ear Drums to have loud ampiifiers on stage competing for volume.
As with today's technology, just leave it to the mix engineer to do the mix for the front house speakers so that audience will enjoy your music as properly mixed. Good music should sound as if it is coming out from a CD player. That's why your personal sound on stage should not be too loud, and it will make it easy for an sound mix engineer to create that healthy sound mix which is so important for your paying audiences.
Latest technology "In-Ear Monitoring" has been the choice for professional concert tours since its introduction in the mid 1980's. Reducing the loudness on stage by using these monitors in your ears as a replacement from deafening floor speaker wedges can help you stay healthy and still carry out your performance without any loudness issues.
See your audiologist for routine hearing tests regularly, at least once or twice a year if your livelihood depends on your Ears and by doing this you are making sure that your Ears are in good health. If you do not have health insurance just like many musicians and freelance audio engineers that I do, then consider other options like a hearing screaning which can cost in the region of about $120/-, which is a small investment for a lifetime of hearing. You can also check with your local universities and teaching hospitals close by for a free Ear checkup. You might be lucky and have an audiology clinic nearby that can help you meet your hearing requirements. Very importantly, always use your commonsensical at all situations. By keeping your Ears healthy it will prevent you from being one of the many musicians who after years of overexposure is still healthy by means of hearing. Be aware of your noisy surroundings and your options, and you too can have a long prosperous Audio career creating and enjoying your quality music.
Happy Listening.
Alphonso Soosay
Audio Recording Engineer
Perth
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Endorse Your Music Online
"Undiscovered Song Writing Talents"
Other options are: Look for a Music Publisher. A music publisher is in actual fact a copyright administrator. I am always amazed by the many ways a music publisher can turn music into richness. Publishing companies have the ability to collect and produce income from your original music recordings. Lots of independent artists and musicians make a living off their music because they have an experienced music publisher. If I were you, I would send my music to as many music publishers as possible all over the world. Example: Abet Music - Contact: Tony Nersoyan. Big Fish Music - Contact: Chuck Tennin. BMG Music Publishing - Contact: Scott Francis. Dream Works/SKG Music Publishing - Contact: Molly Kaye. EMI/New York - Contact: Evan Lamberg. Fox Music Publishing - Contact: Mary Jo Mennella.
When each and every stage is accepted and concluded, do not forget to look for a Music Booking agent. They are also known as venue booking agents or Talent agents for the Entertainment Industry. Music agents are responsible for the organisation of Live Music scenes in the Night-Clubs and Live Concerts. Your music agent will be able to get you and your Band booked to perform Live Shows. It is the booking agent's job to make sure that you as a Singer are performing for the correct Live audiences, they monitor your performances and get you and your Band more public exposure. The majority of experienced music agents work closely with music promoters all over the world, radio stations and Record labels to effectively promote your music. It is also your Booking Agents responsibility to take care of your negotiations with venues and show promoters.
Thousands of independent Songwriters, Singer and Musicians have made it through Online Sales. Being successful as a song writer in show business at any level requires dedication, perseverance, enthusiasm, and passion. In simple philosophy, it's not a good idea to wait for a recording company to discover you as they are always too busy. In this modern world it is possible to reach out to your audience and find them. You have to start taking charge of your own produced music career progression. Start working on it as soon as possible.
According to the internet media statistics, more people are downloading their music through various mediums, including popular sources such as I Tunes and others. That is just one example of how music sales in general are changing and it's an indication that online sales are on the big time increase.
In my search, this is one of the trendy sites out there for "Undiscovered Song Writing Talents" on the web. Anyone can sell their own composed music productions (CD) on "CDbaby" right now. One of the best things about "CDbaby" is that if you sign up for digital distribution through them, they will send your music to ITunes, Rhapsody, Napster and others available through their online contacts music stores at no extra charge.
The only thing you have to do is send them at least a couple of CD's, home produced with front covers, recorded and mixed correctly should be good enough as long as it sounds and looks respectable. Importantly do not forget your biography, it should be a one page and should be interesting to read, so create an exciting story, just explain where you and your band came from and how you got into the music scene and up to the current stage. Use your news paper reviews and magazine articles written about yourself or just create one. Remember, these online investors will set you up with a personal page on their internet site where your creative music will be for sale. Currently I believe when you register online, there is a one-time fee of about $35/-, it is an affordable cost for any song writers. Note that "CDbaby will also hold on to about $4/- for every CD sold and 9% of digital downloads sales. Importantly, you will have to make decisions on your own CD cost which is a good thing. Try to keep it within $15/- range so as to get a bigger volume of sales. Check on CDbaby.net for more details.
So, when you have decided to sell your music online try to have a Facebook or MySpace site setup. MySpace is a social network website, note, SnoCap is a flash program where you can use it to sell your music and apply it on your MySpace page. Do not be concerned about how much MySpace commercializes music; believe me, it is a huge exposure for it connects you with lots of people worldwide. For your info, this online service is actually reasonably easy to use.
The sincerely thing about online sales is that, you set your own cost for your songs. Market it as a SP, EP or LP as a whole album; it's up to you. CDbaby.net will setup a small window on your profile where your Fans can buy your music directly. It is as simple as that. There are other distribution methods through SNOCap as you might be interested in, so check them out at: SNOcap.com. Actually there are quite a few websites online right now that allows you to upload individual songs or upload an entire CD that required to be distributed through their site. The solution I would recommend is to go for as many as possible and monitor them daily.
Majority of individuals who shop online these days are about 90%, these are the people who are looking for exactly for what they want. That means that exposure is the solution for an "Unknown Artist" because that's the only way to nudge into that 90% of online music shoppers. Please do your research on the other many online sites available and select the online site that suites you best.
Hopefully this should cover the basics on what you can do with your composed music in terms of online sales. Keep in mind that this is not a get-rich-quick scheme to selling music online, please make sure you have some real creative quality music content to distribute before jumping into deep waters. If you have already got some exciting creative music composed and has been recorded then why not toss them out to the online market, you have got nothing to lose, time is money. It will be a waste keeping them on your shelf. Just try your Luck and you will never know as you might just be astounded by the outcome of the results. So, Good Luck with online fishing.
Please note that it's your responsibility to communicate with your download buyers at every level. Let the world know exactly what they are buying. From the day you start sending out your songs, make sure you check it every morning and keep your website up to date. If viewers like your songs, it will be the first place they will go and see what you are up to and also check where and when your next performance is. Use mailing lists, email lists, local news paper, Fliers and posters to promote your Gig's. Send your mastered CD's to radio Stations and popular DJ's. Many local commercial stations have "Music Specialty" shows now and then. Try to get your latest CD into their hands, make friends with your local radio and TV stations. Offer to play at any of their live charity functions they may be sponsoring. You must be creative. if you can win them over as your fans then the radio stations will be able to help you along the show business way.
Send all your recordings on CD to "APRA" and apply for full membership. Your innovative recorded music is protected legally.
Your music buyers can be certain of what they are reaching for if you include detailed description of your Live Performances, Location and Date. Also include photos of your CD's where possible as it will make your page even a cut above others. Make it easy and clearly state your return policies on your site in a spot where buyers can easily find it. Respond promptly to all enquiries. Show buyers that you are listening to them and really care by courteously responding to any questions they might have before, during and after the sale of your CD. There is always things to learn from their opinions and you will develop effectively with each recordings.
At the mastering stage of your CD, make sure to include a Universal Product Code (barcode) and register your product with "Sound Scan", as this service can be used to track CD sales. This site also gives permission to Recording Companies, A&R research Managers to notice and track any sales from their head office.
Online sales option are: WWW.dittomusic.com/sell-music http://www.gotthembeats.com/ http://www.songcastmusic.com/ http://www.tribeofnoise.com/ http://www.vibedeck.com.com/ http://www.webcrawler.com/ WWW.info.com/SellMusicOnline WWW.selldownloadeasy.com/
Other options are: Look for a Music Publisher. A music publisher is in actual fact a copyright administrator. I am always amazed by the many ways a music publisher can turn music into richness. Publishing companies have the ability to collect and produce income from your original music recordings. Lots of independent artists and musicians make a living off their music because they have an experienced music publisher. If I were you, I would send my music to as many music publishers as possible all over the world. Example: Abet Music - Contact: Tony Nersoyan. Big Fish Music - Contact: Chuck Tennin. BMG Music Publishing - Contact: Scott Francis. Dream Works/SKG Music Publishing - Contact: Molly Kaye. EMI/New York - Contact: Evan Lamberg. Fox Music Publishing - Contact: Mary Jo Mennella.
When each and every stage is accepted and concluded, do not forget to look for a Music Booking agent. They are also known as venue booking agents or Talent agents for the Entertainment Industry. Music agents are responsible for the organisation of Live Music scenes in the Night-Clubs and Live Concerts. Your music agent will be able to get you and your Band booked to perform Live Shows. It is the booking agent's job to make sure that you as a Singer are performing for the correct Live audiences, they monitor your performances and get you and your Band more public exposure. The majority of experienced music agents work closely with music promoters all over the world, radio stations and Record labels to effectively promote your music. It is also your Booking Agents responsibility to take care of your negotiations with venues and show promoters.
When and if you are looking to promote your live music the good old tasteful way, then these contacts below will definitely come in handy in your favour.
Focus Promotions / Brian Davidson Management / Booking Entertainment.com / Perth Professional Entertainment Services.
Good Luck to you.
Focus Promotions / Brian Davidson Management / Booking Entertainment.com / Perth Professional Entertainment Services.
Good Luck to you.
Alphonso Soosay
Perth
Perth
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tips for New Singing Talents
So You Want To Be A "Singing IDOL".
A Review By:
A Review By:
Alphonso Soosay
Okay, the challenge is, do you think you have got what it takes to be the next unique “Singing” sensation? If the answer is “Yes”, please read on.
Here are some guidelines for talent / noticed in the music showbiz world.
What is A&R? It is the short form for "Artist and Repertoire" which is the department that is vital to a “Recording Company's” existence. An A&R Manager is responsible for decision making of new performing artists, songwriters, employing producers and then developing singers as professional artists. The A&R person is also the main key link between the performing artist and their record company.
1) Please note that it can be tricky to get one foot into a show-biz door. But on the other hand if you are on the way to become recognised and develop into one of the top singer in show business, then you must try to stand out from the crowd, you must be willing to work hard and love what you do. You must be really passionate about music. But the most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing as it creates joy and happiness for other people to enjoy, remember, you are in the entertainment world.
2) Practice makes your performing perfect and the last thing you would want is to get noticed before you are primed. Take vocal lessons if you feel it is necessary, rehearse on a regular basis and make sure your live show is to your satisfaction before putting yourself out there. Always maintain an open mind and try to get your head around at all the different variety of music out there.
Okay, the challenge is, do you think you have got what it takes to be the next unique “Singing” sensation? If the answer is “Yes”, please read on.
Here are some guidelines for talent / noticed in the music showbiz world.
What is A&R? It is the short form for "Artist and Repertoire" which is the department that is vital to a “Recording Company's” existence. An A&R Manager is responsible for decision making of new performing artists, songwriters, employing producers and then developing singers as professional artists. The A&R person is also the main key link between the performing artist and their record company.
1) Please note that it can be tricky to get one foot into a show-biz door. But on the other hand if you are on the way to become recognised and develop into one of the top singer in show business, then you must try to stand out from the crowd, you must be willing to work hard and love what you do. You must be really passionate about music. But the most important thing is to enjoy what you are doing as it creates joy and happiness for other people to enjoy, remember, you are in the entertainment world.
2) Practice makes your performing perfect and the last thing you would want is to get noticed before you are primed. Take vocal lessons if you feel it is necessary, rehearse on a regular basis and make sure your live show is to your satisfaction before putting yourself out there. Always maintain an open mind and try to get your head around at all the different variety of music out there.
3) Get a video demo done when you are ready and try to put at least three of your best songs on it and have it ready at all times for any A&R manager that might pop in at one of your live sessions. Confidence in yourself is the key, so make sure it is to your satisfaction.
4) Do you have your own Facebook or MySpace page setup? If not, its time to create one for yourself as a Singer including a brief biography of yourself from day one, insert your latest songs as video footage to You-Tube and not forgetting a recent picture of yourself, it doesn't have to be a fantasy, just current with the best shots you have. Note: Utilising the free online media such as You-Tube and MySpace are excellent ways through which new up and coming acts may establish a lucky contact with A&R managers from any part of the world.
5) The most common comprehensive way to build up your singing confidence is performing live as often as you can, video recording it as often as you can, observe the playback and correct the mistakes yourself. Remember, there is no Gig-show that is too small when you are starting out. Performing at any club & school functions, talent quests to local festivals or holiday events all help.
6) Performing for live audiences is really an important step for a new talent singer, getting all the exposure and experience up on stage in front of live audiences is a step to confidence and achievements. If you look around, there are lots of competitions that take place all year round and you are entitled to enter these competitions as an unsigned performing singer, this is where Show-Biz talent scouts hang around.
7) When you are hand picked and confirmed to perform for a show by any show promotor, always try promoting it yoursel first. Get involved with your local weekend news activities, Express Magazine or try creating your own and invite all your friends over the weekend. Don't forget to inform your local suberb news paper of your performance, find out who writes CD and Gig reviews in your area, forward them your detailed information and invite them to your performance.
8) Music recording companies always fancy an already established Fan base, creating one and keeping your Fans up to date is very important. Social networking sites like Facebook are a super easy and fun way to keep in touch. Informing your personal contacts about any upcoming Gigs and make sure at every show you have a small table near the entrance area where new fans can sign up for your mailing list, a monthly e-mail letter to your fans will touch them and they will be happy to know all the latest gossip (who said what) about your last music performance. So you are creating a news letter gossip which people love and will remember you for a long time.
9) Its a known fact that fame very seldom happens overnight. If you want attention from a recording company, you must have the active responsiveness of the public. The other option to get your music to an A&R person is to create a gossip among your fans and get them to invite the A&R person to your next gig. Promote yourself online and locally and don't wait for an audience to find you, tell your mum first, then your closest friends and your many friends at work.
10) So, if you would like to be in the music business, you must keep up to date with the Australian, American and British music scene. When writing new songs, always try to get hold of knowledge of what the market is listening to and get motivated in that area, if that is your style. Success in the music business at any level requires passion, dedication, persistence and enjoyment. When you are performing, dress according to your style of music, make sure it’s enjoyable music that people around you can sing along too, a good audio recording (CD) can be a bonus income at your gigs, at all times put up a good show even on a bad headache day, create a worthy fan base and have the enjoyable fun to your advantage as you perform on every occasion.
11) Remember: Singing is a talent that most people have and singing is about life. People like to sing because they can show their different emotions in a song. Singing is all about freedom and makes anyone feel good. Singing is a expression within a person and it will communicate within the Singers to the listeners. Singing is an essential part in people’s life as it is also a stress reliever and it is a wonderful vocal instrument that God has given to all Singers. Singing is all about expressing emotions, joy and pain. Singing allows a singer’s feeling to come alive and singing is a genuine way of expressing their emotions like feelings of desire, feelings of sadness, feelings of love and romance and whatever feelings they might have at that time.
Professional Singer’s sing with their feeling’s most of the time, when they are sad they will sing to a more gentle song, when they are angry they will sing a difficult song, when happy they will sing just about anything, and when they are relaxed they will sing easier songs, and when they are joyful or motivated they will sing real entertaining catchy fun songs.
Hey! Enjoy singing while you can as it is also a stress reliever after a hard day’s work.
12) As a Singer, it would be wonderful to write your own songs as you will benefit with Royalties. Song writing is the focal point of what makes many Singers and Bands breakout into their adaptable air of superstardom. A Songwriter’s inspiration for a song is the point of magic. Writing impressive songs is a replica of vision, there is no denying of that. When it comes to serious song writing it’s all about work of art and rewrite until the whole song is packed together into a perfectly balanced slice of truthful way of life. Sometimes it does not matter if the meaning of the song is lost on some areas (it can be subjective) because most song writer will present their own meaning, so in the end it will sound true to that song writer and this will eventually come through to the listeners. When you are listening to a gifted songwriter you will hear that he or she writes about Love, Pain, Happiness, or Universal practicality.
13) So, you have decided to become a Singer singing great songs that you will want to hear yourself on the Radio and TV. The point to note about good Singers is that most of them have extraordinary voices plus a huge vocal range. That is why after a while they become "Divas". They inspire their Fans and audience to sing along with them and most audiences love that. Sometimes while in the shower most people think that they can sound "just like them". Ha, ha, ha. As a new talent Singer you will have to work on "Compulsory Foundations" that will get you to become a successful Singer in no time. Practicing exceptionally on every of its musical scales daily is the way to success. So take action on: a) Vocal warm-ups (musical scales), it is a measure of its vocal range. Range is the distance between the lowest notes and the highest notes a Singer can sing. It is very important because you will be able to measure your singing base line so that you will be able to chart your progress as you improve. b) Most of the successful popular Singers know their range and which notes they can and cannot sing. I have noticed that most of them choose songs according to their range, example, if a Singer has a range of 12 notes, then choose songs which will fit into a 12-note range and the majority of Singing teachers will be able to help you find songs that are acceptable within your range. c) Importantly for you to know is the lowest note you can sing and the highest note you are most comfortable with. Then you must measure the range of the songs you have in your mind and you are thinking about singing. So it is a matter of listening to many of the songs in your list and in which you have decided which is best for you and importantly you must identify the highest and the lowest notes of each song. Note: the highest notes in most Pop Songs are generally to be found mainly in either the chorus or the bridge section. d) Look for a Musician friend with a musical instrument such as a Piano or Guitar to work out those high and low notes in real time. Check and see if these notes are in your singing range. If they are not, then you have two choices. You can either change the key of the song lower or higher or replace the song completly with another song. e) Make sure that you are singing songs that are within your range. Choosing a song that best suits your range will give you a far better chance to be noticeable as a good singer by the contest Judges, public and audiences. And finally if you are looking for the correct songs that will suit you, then there extensive hit songs out there on Radio and CD shops, not just for "Divas", but for every vocal range. You will just need time to find the right song to suite your singing style and range. That is what most of the popular Singers do and also the young talents that go for the Australian Idol and X-Factor contest.
To be a "Pop Star" as yourself, you must glitter your own light, be devoted to your own path, and pay no attention to the darkness. For that is when your Star will shine brightest.
Good Luck to you.
Alphonso Soosay / Audio Recording Engineer
Perth
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