Logic 9 from Apple

just been to the Apple site and saw they launched logic 9! here's a few things to lookout for: Flex tool - to push audio around, Audio Quantize - not just for MIDI anymore, Editing drum tracks - to edit across a set of grouped multitrack drums and my personal fav! Drum Replacer replace or double drum tracks with triggered samples... and then loads of guitar gear like classic amps and pedals! see what's new here.

i wasn't born a mac/logic freak! i used to be a Cubase and PC fan but I got into so much tech/compatibility problems that i decided to give mac a try and i never looked back. even Cubase didn't come close to Logic 8. Apple just make it so simple and straight forward to create music that you can focus on your art and not have to worry about tingkering with computer bits. i'll NEVER go back to the dark side again! thanks Apple!

bass traps in the making - step 1

ok, so i finally finished my two corner bass traps and i thought i might as well take a few pictures along the way. first i created a wooden frame, 70 cm x 250 cm (width x height) - you're wasting your time if you go narrower than 60 cm. i'm no wood work buff so i just used a glue gun, staple gun and some brackets to create the frame.

bass traps - wire mesh

next step is to cover the one side with some wire mesh before i filled it up with insulation batts

bass traps - add the greenstuff

now i add the insulation batts - i used greenstuff's insulation. easy to work with and you won't cough blood when you're done.

bass trap - add some vinyl

wedge some vinyl before you fold it over for some extra density

bass trap - close both sides

now you can close the open side with some wire mesh too...

bass trap - final cover

and then lastly i put some "felt blanket type cloth" - if that makes any sense - over it

bass traps - tie-dyed

i bought some cheap bed sheets that i tie-dyed to create some cool looking retro covers. there's a method behind this madness... the colours that i used stimulate creativity.

bass trap - final product

and here's the final product in my magic-room-project-mixing-recording-studio

and they work really good too!

Toontrack DrumTracker does not work on my Mac OS 10.5.x

so i thought i'd download Toontrack's DrumTracker demo and give it a shot. but sadly it doesn't seem to work with my configuration. i've got a Mac and an Edirol FA-101 and when i open a drum file in DrumTracker i just get an error saying: "unable to start audio device: Edirol FA-101". I tried to search for a solution but to no avail. that sucks! i was really looking forward to DrumTracker and now this! luckily Logic Express 9 is on the horizon and it will have a drum replacer - among other things. can't wait! i just hope it's not as disappointing as DrumTracker from Toontrack.

EQ

i read a great article on hometracked.com about EQ. all the articles on that site are pretty good actually. anyway - it's about how you should cut narrow and boost wide because the human ear will find it strange if you do it the other way around. there's another article about EQ for vocals so that it "sits" better in the mix. the way that i always approach it is by creating a "hole" in the frequency range for the vocals (see above) to sit in and the another instruments around it. i usually follow the EQ settings given by Bobby Owsinsky who wrote The Mixing Engineer's Handbook. in there he clearly specify the EQ for each instrument so that they can all coexist in the frequency spectrum.

there is no magic

over the years, i've heard people refer to ''studio magic'' as if there is some sort of magic knobs the engineer/producer can do to make everything sound great. in the end, people make recordings... not machines... not gadgets. so, much of the tone of the drums, bass, guitar and vocals is within the musician themselves. don't believe me? hit the drums and try to make them sound bad! intentionally make your guitar sound bad just by the way you are playing. it's not difficult to make an instrument sound bad. obviously, the better the player, the better tone they can get out of it. for example: Dave Grohl on a kids drum set.

bass traps

acoustic treatment - not to be mistaken with sound proofing - is possibly the most important component in the recording studio/mixing room. over the years i looked at quite a few commercial options - RealTraps, GIK - but the biggest turn off for me was not the product price... it was the shipping price to me from where ever in the world to New Zealand.

after spending some time on the web researching bass traps and acoustic treatment, i decided to go the DIY route. the one ingredient that was constantly mentioned in the forums was 705 and 703 rigid fiberglass. just one problem... i can't find it here in New Zealand! so i'm going to go with the GreenStuff option from Autex or Pink Batts - Silencer.

the name bass trap is actually very misleading, as it is easy to think that it will be trapping the bass and that it would only be useful in a room with too much bass. not true!! what a bass trap does is to reduce problems caused by room modes (standing waves) etc, and distribute them more evenly in your room. you will find that by evening out the peaks and troughs of the low frequency standing wave, you're likely to hear more high quality bass at your listening position. you'll also hear more midrange clarity. every room can benefit from bass traps, whether you have too much bass or not enough bass.

i'll put some pictures of my DIY bass traps project up soon... maybe i'll even do a step by step "phototorial" :)

my approach to recording a band

the band records the guide tracks live.
the drum tracks get put down.
the bass tracks get put down - rhythm foundation section out of the way.
the guitar tracks are next.
lead vocals.
backing vocals.

then the mixing begins! when i'm happy with the final mixes i'll send it off to get mastered... you can do it youself if you want by using some mastering software like Ozone from Izotope, but i prefer to stand back when it comes to the black art of mastering.

oh and none of the above would be going smooth if it wasn't for logic 8 from apple...