I have just finished bouncing down two audio books. It was an interesting project to work on because both books were being translated into Somali as well as English. This proved to be a challenge during the recording process since I do not understand Somali. We had to develop a process for the narrator to let me know when he had made a mistake and where it was located so that we could successfully punch in in the correct place.

The English version of The Golden Cat was recorded by the author. This proved to be another challenge because I had to restore the quality of the audio to a listenable state.

I had the opportunity to provide my voice on the English versions of the story’s within “Story’s from the horn” and had a great time acting as different animals within the book.

Now the masters are being flown to Malaysia where the Author is meeting with the illustrator for production.

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There have been many advances in digital music technology in the past decade but has it had a positive effect on your music?

You can create a song and by using digital instruments, midi and other tools immediately produce audio that resembles your idea in a matter of minutes, but does this music contain the same kind of power as it would if it was recorded organically with real instruments and musicians?

In my experience, aside from a handful of exceptions, I often find myself spending more time wrestling with technology than using it in a beneficial way to make music.  Often, the feel of the song is lost because I find myself using loops and synthetic sound to make my tracks sound big and full too early, this draws from what should be my goal… writing a powerful song.
(This experience pertains more to the singer songwriter than to other genres which may embrace software to create other forms music.  Often leading to big/powerful sounds in those genres.)

I have learned that the big and powerful  feel of a song has more to do with the writing than the production.  A song must have a driving force.  Dynamics can greatly improve my chance of achieving this and more often than not it is difficult to attain real sounding dynamics (in my genre) with software.

Technology does aid in pre-production by allowing me to quickly jot my idea down with the use of midi and other tools.  Listening back to a bare bones track can often provide me with a good starting point.  I find it easier for me to reflect upon partially finished audio than to hear the vague idea in my head, by recording the skeleton of a track I am able to have a more subjective perspective.
I would recommend using a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) or porta-studio to hash out your song before committing to the structure, tempo or lyrics.

After I am happy with the song itself a comfortable use for software emerges.
I will most often record to a DAW.  I may subtly add synthesized pads or effects to add depth or interest to my track.  I also find mixing with software is simple and convenient.  Especially if I would like to recall my settings the next time I come back to my project.

For me technology has never positively effected the creation of a song, only the finished product.  My inspiration may be stifled by the cumbersome flow of most software, the repetitiveness of perfect rhythm or the digital sound of artificial instruments, it is however extremely useful to record and mix audio with software.

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Music production can encompass everything from the layout and progression of the song to the specific sound of each instrument on each track  So how can you use music production to make a good song great?

My goal when producing a track is to capture the feel of the song and to present it in a moving way to the listener.  Often, my first step will be to analyze the structure of the song itself.  Does the songwriting provide enough momentum to build the emotional part of the track?  If not, perhaps the track needs to be re arranged.

If you are happy with the song as it is written you can:

• Add to the dynamics of the track by removing some instruments at certain parts like the intro and verses and adding other elements like back up vocals or a second guitar during the chorus.
• If the song breaks down into a jam in the middle of the track try adding rhythmical elements to bring out the groove.  Often the groove is more interesting then the solos themselves.
• Does the song suddenly change feel? For example does the song go from funk to hard rock or another similar change?  If so the sound of the production should change with it.  You can achieve this by adjusting the balance of the mix, by adding effects like distortion to instruments, or by focusing on the tempo change by bringing the rhythm instruments higher in the mix.

It is important to have a good reference point for your production.  I would recommend finding a well known track that has similar qualities and going from there.  Pay attention to how that track was produced and try to emulate it with your own work.  I am not advocating theft.  Simply use their track for inspiration.

Think about your audience.  What kind of radio station would this track be played on? is it a top 40 hit? would it be more suited for a college station?
Knowing your audience will help you to pinpoint the genre your song should sit in.
Once you know your genre you should be producing with that style of music in mind.  If it is a rock song, maybe you need to pay more attention to the second and forth beat of the track, drums and bass will be crucial to a good dance or rap production, vocals for country and so on.

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Here is a handy little tool I found that is used for training yourself to hear common feedback frequencies. Simply go here to see screen shots and the download area.

It is very easy to use and takes up very little computer resources.

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Recently I have had many inquiries regarding the course available at the beach called APRA, or the Academy of Production and Recording Arts.

I thought that I would take some time to share my experience at APRA so that prospective students can make informed decisions about their audio futures.

Firstly, I think it is beneficial to talk about the level of audio experience I had before I entered the program.

I was twenty five and had already been experimenting with audio for some time.  I was using audio software and had been recording multiple track projects on my own.  I also had a basic understanding of sound and had utilized the internet as a resource to educate myself about software, microphone techniques ect.
What I really wanted to learn by going through the APRA program was how to mix a song properly.

At the time (and I think this is still the case) there were three courses offered.  Sound 101, advanced post production and advanced music production.  Sound 101 was a prerequisite for the other two courses.

We were given a text book called “Modern Recording Techniques” wich is an excellent book to get you started in audio theory.  I would recommend it for anyone interested in a career in audio, or even for the hobbyist.

For me the class sizes at APRA were to big.  I found there was very little time for individual exploration with the equipment.
Also I found the course moved extremely slow.  I kept waiting for things to pick up and for more information to be provided.  Days just kind of dragged along without making much progress.  Perhaps this was because I already had a background on the subjects we were learning.
There was a lot of really nice equipment and the studios themselves sound fantastic.  But there was a very limited amount of digital/software technology experience to be had.
I was interested in learning more about protools, other software and techniques on how to use them.  Apparently they are integrating more new technology into the studio now.
There are many beautiful mics, monitors, mixing boards, rack gear ect. to use and the owner Lanny is very easy to talk to and welcomes any questions you may have.

The projects that were assigned were quite simple in nature and often involved working in a group.  There was much to be learned from other peoples experiences and mistakes but I found it irritating on some projects to work this way because very little audio was achieved in the end.  Much time was spent debating between group members on how something should be done.

When we were given personal projects I found that I was battling with my fellow students for studio time.  Simply because there are only three studios available and so many people in the class.  This in combination with a projects deadline made it quite difficult to accomplish what I wanted to do with the projects in the limited amount of time available.

When we began to record bands things started to look up.  I began to learn more about mic placement and it was easier to tell minute differences in there placement because of the separated control room and record room.
The recording process was nicely shown and it was good to meet musicians and to hear there music.  When it came time to mix, it was done as a group at first.  It was nearly impossible.  It was like trying to paint a painting with ten other people.
Lanny Williamson is a brilliant engineer.  Unfortunately he rarely made an appearance in the class instead it was taught by former students of the course.

Some of the benefits are that once you have taken the course and you know the gear there, you can bring projects to the studio as a contractual engineer.  This is a fantastic feature of APRA that can be utilized if you can find musicians that are willing to pay for this kind of recording experience.  Also you are sure to make some good contacts whether they were students with you, musicians or random people who just happen to be around in the building and of course it is nice to be around such great sounding rooms and to have some access to all the gear.  Also to be able to pick Lanny’s brain when you can think of a good question to ask him.

Don’t expect to come out of the course and to land a job in a working recording studio as an engineer.  It takes way more perseverance than APRA to become successful in audio, especially if your goal is to work in a recording studio.  There are many people trying to do this and not very many studios with enough work to support them.  Not to mention all of the recording options available to artists now because of new technology.

Over all I think if you are interested in APRA I would encourage you to consider what you would like to get out of the program.
If you have no prior background in audio the course could be beneficial to you.
If you have some experience you will pick up some tidbits and possibly get to know other like minded people, also you will get to use some gear that may not otherwise be available to you.
If you have a broad amount of experience in the industry then you must be looking for a very specific type of education.  Ask APRA if they offer specifically what you want.      Overall the big question is whether the cost of the course is worth the experience you are going to receive.

I remember, when I was considering the course, I spent some time trying to find an opinion like this online and there was nothing so I hope this helps you.

If you are looking for an introduction to recording, production and audio theory I will pitch my own course which is offered through Chinook learning services.  Here is the link

Cheers

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Case Study

Smart Homes Inc

The Company

Smart Homes Inc facilitates lease to own programs for people who wish to purchase there own home but may not be able to place the initial deposit.

The requirements

When Dan Wakeling, the entrepreneur behind smart homes, approached me to develop his web page he faced many of the same problems that start up companies face; limited money, little knowledge of the web and internet marketing.  He was looking for a web page that was more utilitarian in nature than design heavy. He wanted people to provide information on there rental needs by email so that he could help them rent to own.

The Approach

The first thing we needed to do was tell people what the company was about. Instead of creating an about us section. We used the landing page to sell the idea of renting to own. By doing this we get to know what service the company is providing and immediately show the user the benefit of that service.
We created a how it works section which provided information on what the rental process would be like. This section allowed for many keywords to be included in the content which would improve the pages search engine ranking.
A form was custom made to provide Dan with exactly the information that he needed to follow up and finish sales. When users took the time to fill out the form they would be committing themselves to be contacted and were starting a process, showing Dan that they were serious about renting to own which would limit the time Dan spends following empty leads.
Marketing is the key to bringing customers to Dan’s site. Since the site was a startup and there were limited monetary resources we pursued google adwords to bring potential rent to owners to the site. This allowed Dan to only pay for the ads when users clicked through to the site.

The Future

In the future we will analyze how people are using the pages and will adapt the flow and look to encourage more users to fill out the application form.

The Result

Dan has received many contact forms by email and has followed many leads resulting in sales which will propel the future growth of his busniess.

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This Saturday (February 21st) I will commence the second run of the audio recording and production course I developed for Chinook learning services.

I am very excited to meet my new students and look forward to sharing my joy of audio production with them.

The course has evolved slightly from the last run, I will include more media content this time.  Students will now be able to hear the frequencies we speak of in class and there will be more music samples throughout the course.

If you are interested in the course layout, search for course layout on this weblog.  It should be posted shortly.

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A company of rogues actors studio and Trepan theatre company has recently hired giant spheres to create the sound design for David Mamet’s the old neighborhood which will be playing at the pumphouse theatre in Calgary starting on March 18th.  http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca/

The peice has a very distinct feel so I am planning on creating music wich embodies the styles of the times.  I will be drawing inspiration from Chicago and New York jazz in that time period.

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Hello,

Thank you for visiting the Giant Spheres Web Log.

This web log will serve as a resource to augment the information held on giantspheres.com.

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