Producer's Edge Issue 09 Holidaze Special FALL 2011

Special ISSUE 09: Fall 2011

Name Your Name and Aims

Producer’s Edge Magazine Info@ProducersEdgeMagazine.com

EDITORIAL Editor In Chief/Fist of the North Star Drew Spence Senior Editor Will Loiseau

BRAND BUSINESS Specialist/Manager Pedro Mojica Marketing, Public Relations Richera Jones

Producer’s Edge is created using Abobe Indesign CS5.

Media Editor Griffin Avid Everything left over Xodus Phoenix

Contributing Writers Jennifer Campbell Sean Maru Scarpen © Producer’s Edge Magazine. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or resold without prior written consent of the publisher. Producer’s Edge recognizes all copyrights contained in this issue. Where possible we acknowledge the copyright holder. All contributions are submitted and accepted on the basis of a nonexclusive worldwide license to publish or to license others to do so unless otherwise agreed in advance in writing

Don’t just read about music production, Live it in the pages of Producer’s Edge Magazine.

Busy, busy year I must say. In between all the other bits of life, I was able to squeeze in some production. I’m happy to have been a part of a new group Fallout Shelter and also did a ton of work behind Domino Grey. Right now it’s time to prep for 2012 and take a look back the last 12 months and evaluate how much further along the path we’ve traveled.

everal people have reminded me of the power to speak the S future into existence. The idea is to Name your goals and speak out loud your plan for success. By naming something you give it ownership and are able to claim it in the world of reality.

Well, this year saw the release of the movie I Want My Name Back based on Hip Hop’s first big commercial release “Rapper’s Delight” and the Sugarhill Gang that created it. Well, it’s a story of monetary disputes, rip-offs and a tainted legacy. It’s also a story all of us should be paying attention to.

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here’s a lot more going on behind the scenes than pay me for my beats and as beatsmiths looking to get more involved in commercially released projects, it would be wise to brush up on business behind Royalties and Publishing. You may want to rewind and select some of the archived DVD content on our Griffin’s Youtube Channel. Other than that, enjoy the Holidaze and have a blessed New Year. We will see you in the first quarter with a huge issue number 10. Peace, prosperity and production.

Key Icons: These graphics represent additional content available in the Electronic version of Producer’s Edge.

-Drew Spence, Editor in Chief

4 Producer’s Edge 1st Quarter 2010

To Clone or Not to Clone? That is the Question

Finding Your Own Signature Sound

Drew Spence weighs in: C

reating an original sound you can your own. It’s a pretty common quest for the producer looking to stand out and establish their own flavor of music. There is work and opportunities for the ‘Mimic’ or ‘Follower’ who is able to crank out music in another producer’s style and incorporate the latest production trends into their tracks.

I’m sure every producer has at least once heard -a talent request a [insert popular producer’s name] ___ Track.

Some feel that cloning the sound of another is the short cut to learning the basics. The philosophy is copy now, be original later. Some see it as the simple business of supply and demand: the kind of beats they want are the kind of beats I’ll make.

This is not so much a quest to be different for sake of being different, but a way to be original and successful. Many producers get caught up in an objective viewpoint when it comes to determining the potential of their music. The goal of making a useful piece of music must be met first. If your aim is to make a track for a rapper to write to and record over,

it doesn’t make sense to bend and break so many rules of structure and arrangement, in the name of originality, that the song becomes unworkable and impossible to realize. Even if your goal is to make a piece that is just nice to listen to, it should be… nice to listen to.

We want to make interesting music that people will be interested in.

Griffin Avid posts:

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’m still being hit with questions from YouTube.com/ GriffinAvid on what a producer should buy to create their ‘signature sound’. A signature sound is the kind of thing that tells the listener it’s your track before hearing your tag or the rapper dropping your name.

It’s supposed to be the injection of your producer personality into your music.

The sound of a producer is not actually a sound. It’s a trait or tendency or a habit, if you will, that weaves its way into the producer’s work flow. It can be confusing

“Your signature sound is something only you can hear. It’s a hundred small judgments that guide your hands while you are creating.” to hear a range of sounds creep their way into track after track. What does producer-XYZ use to make his… drums…bass…melodies…synth lines?

“Oh, if I could get my hands on that tool, I could be right there with him” Music Production has been defined as a particular sound placed when. These judgments are based on the EAR of the producer. The attraction to a set of production techniques and/or particular sounds is what creates the trend. It’s not what you use; it’s how you use it.

Xodus Phoenix injects:

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his was the first year I got to really say that I made a record.

It was from Producer’s Edge. Drew [XP Edit-the Chief was taking up three chairs with all his personalities lolz], Greg and I sat down and made an instrumental album called Elevator Music: BASSment Level. When I was asked to submit some completed tracks, I didn’t know what to do.

Drew Spence played his and they were all open-type beats.

They had some pretty stuff. I told Will [GA Edit- Will Loiseau, Editor in Chief of Rapper’s Delite magazine who also makes music] My stuff doesn’t fit so maybe I should try some club bangaz. Will said “No, make the kind of music you want to be known for, which is what you already have. Put that on there.” I did and I’m glad I did. People who hear it say my stuff is different and cool. That’s my answer to creating a signature sound. Do what you do and take what you do as far as you can. It’s not the kind of thing you do consciously.

Producer’s Edge surmises:

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our signature sound is something only you can hear. It’s a hundred small judgments that guide your hands while

you are creating. It says this sound here. Add more to this, take some away from that. It establishes itself- as others hear your music and say “I love when you do that”. “You always have those kinds of sounds in your music.” It’s overheard in a beautiful moment when artist requests “Could you do that thing you do on this one, you know when you…”

Certainly, the tools you use will play a factor, but remember with so many other musicians using the same damn “best stuff to make beats with” you can’t always rely on a preset or patch. It is better to have a developed sense of self since it will lead to your own style. Just like your John Hancock signature; your musical signature is unique, only to you, because we are all unique individuals.

Celebrate that while you find and define you own sound.

Getting Gifts worth Getting Words by Xodus Phoenix

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ah-humbug! Let’s face it, after a certain age, all your Christmas presents get crappy. It’s true. You get corny sweaters and random junk from relatives who have no idea what you’re into or about. Maybe it’s fair. I mean, you haven’t called Aunt Edna all year and you don’t exactly put a whole lot of thought into the trinkets you give others either. We can make this year different.

Here are some sure fire ideas to make this X-mas gift-getting season much more productive.

1

. The Big Pitch In, Tell EVERYONE that you are lusting after that dream item and see if they can all go in for it. Better to get 1 awesome present you really want instead of 12 you don’t.

2

. Ask for Cash. That’s right, skip the gifts and advance to the green. Those little VISA gift cards you see at every counter make nice contributions to your expand-the-studio-fund.

3

. The Musician Exchange. Add you music mates to your list of gift giving and decide on all production-related gifts. They know what you like and each gift can really be something worth using. You can set an agreed upon budget and even a place to shop from.

music you like. And so, ask for those albums you know you should have gotten but fronted on. Aw heck, hop on Itunes and send them a playlist of joints ya feeelin- be it the boom bap that first infected you or some modern bangas that got yo beatz hummin.

4

7

. Circulate the Circular. We all get them in our mailboxes. Sam Ash or Guitar Center’s big holiday sale. Don’t toss it. Circle some choice pieces and drop it like it’s hot. Next time someone asks “What should I get you?” hand them the catalogue.

5

. Supply and Demands. Think studio staples.

Yeah, Staples. Ask for materials like blank CDs, a new mouse pad or even blank paper.

A Flash or Thumb drive makes a gift you are certain to use. Skip things that are cool, but hard to find like your printer’s cartridges. Slide a gift card here for a general spree.

6

. Aspire to be Inspired. Request music.

Nothing better to get you in the mood than

. Be there, Be Square. Go with your beloved to get each other’s gifts. Make sure you make getting their gift first a priority- so you look like you really care and you know what your budget is. [DS Edit- Really Xodus?]

8

. Exchange Policy. We do this all the time at the mag.

Swap studio pieces with fellow producers. We have something we rarely use kicking about. Trade it over and get something new you can play with.

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ll in all, it’s not so much that we’re trying to be Scrooges, but these are tips to help you ensure the stockings are stuffed with goodies that can be appreciated and not tossed away or given to someone else next year. [GA Edit- Xodus!]

No really. Music is our passion and putting every bit of focus and energy into pushing it forward, is okay- even if it adds Christmas as a bonus.

Advice on makin

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trangely enough, most of these thoughts DO NOT center on

or taking lessons. I don’t believe you

and even what went wrong when you don’t.

Is it tied to your mood? Your focus? Some cosmic… energy or synergy? Why were those last 4 beats usable, but today I just made okay stuff?

Let’s go back and answer some early questions and see what bubbles up.

get better by making more beats either.

What helped yall to make better beats?

buying more equipment, better sounds

I see advice like “Just keep making beetz and you’ll get better”

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n the beginning, it’s mostly about technical concerns.

How Do I…? Eventually, it’s about Control. You want creative freedom to do what you want in the way you want to. You want what fits your style.

A better MIDI controller/keyboard/DAW. A Simpler work flow. A more organized system of production.

After control comes the quest to control your creativity.

You want to understand WHY you get the results you do

1. Putting your ego aside that you don’t know everything. Lots of producers make consistently “good” beats and think they suddenly know it all. That causes them to stop progressing. Even when every beat is ‘excellent’, you can still continue learning/ improving.

2. When you listen and adjust to feedback. What’s the point of asking for opinions if you are already convinced that you are the best you can be. There needs to be a balance between pleasing yourself and pleasing others. Avoid making beats that you don’t like, but you think others might. (mostly) Avoid making beats that are fun to make or nice to listen

ng better beats “Make music as an exercise in self-expression.

Take inspiration from everything around you and NOT just what you hope to gain from the exploitation of your art.”

to. You want to create music that is usable in whatever context you are aiming for.

3. Stop building beats/songs/tracks around drum kits and sounds. Ideas and concepts make memorable records. When you merge a mood to the music, you have something special.

4. Aim for the top. Accept that your career is what happens AFTER you make a hot beat. When rappers begin to think about performing in front of a large audience, they make different rhymes/music. When rappers think about standing in an office pitching their music, suddenly a lot of things that seemed cool in the studio or on their profile page are no longer good enough. Imagine that THIS RECORD/THAT BEAT. That union of rapper to your music is supposed to make it happen. Are you turning out the kind of music someone (rapper + label) can bank it all on?

5. Focus on learning what you need to know. And knowing it WHEN you NEED to know it. Lots of cats

try to master aspects of the production chain when they only need a working knowledge. I see cats trying to find DA BEST EQ and learn EVERYTHING about EQ when they need to only understand the basics of mixing and what EQ is for. It’s better to grasp what it’s for as opposed to using it on EVERYTHING because you keep reading that it’s the answer to HOTT BEETZ (along with over-used compression). Why are you studying the intricacies of Publishing when you still haven’t learned how to deliver a finished track in the proper format(s)?

6. Sharing them with the intended audience and seeing what happens. My girl loves my beats. So do my homies.

The local rappers aint really feeling them. They mostly say They Aiiight. Do I need to step it up?

When did you realize that your beats were starting to sound good?

1. When people wanted to use them for records.

2. When people are willing to pay for my time and talent. I would start charging for beats when people ask “How much do you charge for beats?”

3. When people started calling the room with all my equipment in ita studio.

4. When I started wanting to share my music with rappers and NOT with other beatmakers.

5. When people began to imagine known rappers over my beats “You should give this to…”

MORE GEAR IS NOT THE ANSWER

6. When my music stopped sounding like beats and started sounding like the instrumentals to records.

7. When people began hearing my beats and asked questions. How did you…What did you…

BIGGER DRUMS IS NOT THE ANSWER

8. When I began to answer those questions without naming drum machines, synthesizers, DAWs or samples.

You said: “I don’t believe you get better by making more beats either. I see advice like “Just keep making beetz and you’ll get better” So what’s the friggin answer, Griffin?!

Look outward for the reality, look inward to make reality real.

Mighty Zen of you.

Sometimes. Would it be clearer if I said develop the YOU and YOUr music will improve?

Still too hard to understand.

How about “Make music as an exercise in selfexpression. Take inspiration from everything around you and NOT just what you hope to gain from the exploitation of your art.”

Okay.

Griffin Avid’s Catalogue of Gift Ideas The big bonanza, giant deluxe special, huge … bonanza thingie

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hen you’re a kid, any gift (that’s a toy) is awesome. As we get

older, our pursuits become a bit more focused and playing isn’t always first on our minds. We appreciate Aunt Edna’s sweater [XP Edit- I seen what you did] and the Reindeer decorated gloves from Uncle Artie. That big metal tin of hard-ass sugar cookies from g’ma? Sweet. Really though, since about the late teens, I’ve always gotten myself the best gift(s).

It’s okay, I consider it a bonus for all the good I’ve done all year. Now I present you with a list of sick items to consider placing under your tree.

KING KRONOS …the reference to a Titan is the most appropriate

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y number one pick is the KORG Kronos. Let’s rewind

They say:

a bit. I owned a Triton and still swear by that record

Prepare to be Amazed

number of sounds on records. It got to the point where people were being asked to NOT use them anymore.

What a compliment for a company to have too many people using your sounds. Lolz. [XP Edit- Can he put lolz in the magazine?] The M3 is in my current go to set up and

For nearly half a century, Korg has set the standard for technical innovation, leadership, and superior sound. Korg has created entire categories of musical products, and has produced some of the

the OASYS is a beast that needed a massive sampling

top-selling synthesizers and keyboard instruments

session over at Saga’s. With Native Instruments going

ever; the instruments favored by musicians around

at the throat of the common beatmaker gear list (Drum

the globe. In 1988, Korg defined the workstation

machine and a ROMpler), it was going to be interesting to see what the Big 3 would do to return fire. KORG, who is the smallest of the Trio tends to lean towards fun gadgets, gizmos and goodies that are a blast to use. No one figured they’d be first to layeth the smacketh down.

category with the revolutionary M1. Today, in 2011, Korg redefines and reimagines the music workstation, revolutionizing the capabilities of the hardware instrument and exceeding the demands

Take a look at this first generation herald of a new Golden

of the modern player: introducing the Kronos Music

Age. Okay maybe that’s a bit much, but…

Workstation.

The Game Has Been Changed Kronos is more than a new instrument. It is a milestone in synthesis and workstation evolution; one that embodies fresh ideas and

breakthrough

technologies.

Kronos

brings together multiple sound engines working in harmony and new interactive performance features that reflect the way musicians play. Most importantly, Kronos provides a seemingly inexhaustible supply of breathtaking, spectacular sounds. Prepare to be amazed.

Nine Engines; a Universe of Sound Kronos unites nine individual synthesis engines in a single instrument, each providing the finest sound creation techniques available. Together, they represent not only the rich legacy of Korg, but the history of the electronic keyboard industry itself. Dig into the classic sounds of timeless instruments that are still loved to this day. Enjoy unique sounds that once startled the world. Venture into new sonic territory with sounds that have become possible now. https://www.korg.com/kronos

Roland goes back to the future with the

Jupiter 80 Prepare to explore a planet of modeled traditional instruments

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y number two is the Roland Jupiter

you wish someone would create a

80. I understand the reasoning behind

modern translation that was truer to

Roland’s usage of the name Jupiter with this

the source material. Or more simply

keyboard -although it’s no analog box like

put, those movies had different names.

the original Jupiter line. Be that as it may, it still gives me the same disappointment like seeing Will Smith in iRobot or Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. Don’t get me wrong, those are both great movies, but it makes

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hat we do have is a monster that specializes in Acoustic Instruments. So what? all my keyboards have- well no, this is

closer to a forward-retro kind of deal. It’s got the 4 parts to mix together like the JD-800 (one of my secret weapons) and it’s got the Fantom’s (ARX) SuperNATURAL engine too. Add in a wicked touch screen and you have a board worth looking at.

Roland’s all-new JUPITER-80 is a groundbreaking live performance synthesizer that simply could not have been built until now. It’s the first synthesizer designed completely around SuperNATURAL® sound modeling technology, delivering expressive instrumental realism far beyond anything previously possible. Authentic sounds spanning acoustic, electric, orchestral and ethnic spring to life at your fingertips.

It’s all in the same keyboard as powerful cutting edge synths bridging the past, present and future of electronic music. As you might expect with all this hyperrealism, the JUPITER-80 is also a dream to play.

One touch and you’ll forget the amazing technology under the hood— never looking back from the day your music changed forever.

SuperNATURAL Sound Modeling The JUPITER-80 is built from the ground up around

Roland’s

proprietary

SuperNATURAL

modeling technology. Far beyond mere sampling, SuperNATURAL sound engines model both the sonic characteristics of the original instruments and the way they react to performance nuances— responding to your creative expression like an extension of your soul.

The

JUPITER-80

puts

a

world

of

authentic

traditional and ethnic acoustic instruments at your fingertips. You’ll find dedicated buttons for Roland’s highly acclaimed SuperNATURAL Piano and Virtual Tone Wheel Organ—plus a complete palette of other new expressive SuperNATURAL instruments.

Electric pianos. Clav. Brass. Woodwinds. Guitars.

Strings.

Ethnic

instruments

from

around

the

world—and much more. And all with more realism than you’ve ever experienced before. You can even adjust modeled parameters like piano string resonance, sax growl and marimba mallet hardness to customize these incredibly alive SuperNATURAL instruments.

Behavior Modeling Roland’s

latest

addition

to

SuperNATURAL

technology—Behavior Modeling—let’s you easily bring to life the authentic natural performance articulations of

traditional instrument players.

Flamenco strums. Multi-mallet vibe rolls. Seamless shifts between legato, marcato, pizzicato and spiccato strings. Trumpet half-valve trills and rips… and much more. Previously unattainable with such fluidity on a keyboard, these performance nuances complete the realism of SuperNATURAL instruments—all without changing patches or doing contortions. We guarantee you’ll get off on good behavior. http://www.rolandus.com/go/jupiter-80/

http://www.rappersdelite.com/

Dave Smith storms to the front of modern analog drums with the TEMPEST

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ho knew- besides the thousands who sat patiently waiting to see what the final results of Dave Smith and Roger Linn collaboration would be? Well, the two became one and the one is the DSI Tempest. Who doesn’t

want one? Here’s many reasons why you do or at least should:

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ach of the six analog voices has two analog oscillators plus two digital oscillators (with a large bank of included samples), the classic Curtis analog lowpass filter with audio-rate modulation, an additional highpass filter, analog VCA with feedback, five envelopes, two LFOs, an extraordinary variety of analog modulation routings, and stunning sonic quality, warmth, and punch. Although optimized for drum sounds, it excels at tuned sounds as well, and even doubles as a six-voice analog keyboard synth.1

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ixteen pressure- and velocity-sensitive lit pads are arranged in a 2 x 8 configuration, providing intuitive access to all your fingers and the ideal compromise between the popular 4 x 4 pad arrangement (popular for realtime programming ) and 1 x 16 arrangement (popular for step programming) because Tempest does both. The pads can be used to play thirty-two drum sounds2 (two banks), mute/unmute the thirty-two sounds on playback, play and arrange sixteen beats in real time, play one sound at sixteen tunings (in a variety of scales) or sixteen velocities, or as sixteen time steps for step programming. The ROLL button permits creating drum rolls or repeated groove patterns by varying pad pressure as the beat records, and doubles as a momentary “stutter” effect when the pads are assigned to play beats.

Tempest is a professional drum machine that generates its sounds using six powerful analog synthesis voices, and uses an innovative, performance-oriented operating system that permits an extraordinary level of control to create, edit, arrange, and manipulate beats in real time without ever stopping.

The performance-oriented operating system,

• Use the generous sound controls to edit any of the drum

ninety panel controls, and bright 256 x 64 dot

sounds

OLED display work together to provide a tightly

• Tweak the analog effects or drum mix

integrated, non-stop workflow.

• Arrange beats in real time and record the live arrangement

• Record a drumbeat in real-time

into a song

• Switch to another drumbeat and use the lit pads to

• And all of the above without ever stopping play.

record it using step programming

Tempest is a well-considered professional design

• Switch to another drumbeat and record tuned

that could only come from Roger and Dave, with

keyboard parts

a sonic quality and natural human rhythmic feel

• Use the two touch controllers to to record real-time

that are second to none.

note sound animations or perform beat-wide sound changes

IK Multimedia Before software could break the software/hardware debate barrier, IK Multimedia rolled in a tank. Sampletank 2.5 is here

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eah, I know. We are all using their Amplitube and TRacks. A bunch of us snatched up their SampleMoog, SampleTron and some of you naming their Philharmonic

titles as your orchestral secret weapon. You are also aware of what they’ve done on the iPad and for the iPad, iPhone and iPod. What you might be sleeping on is the return of one of the earliest solutions to having keyboard sounds in your studio without a workstation…keyboard being…in…your studio. It’s A LOT of sounds for buck and makes a nice addition to whatever you’re rolling with.

SampleTank is the ultimate sample-workstation. With an exclusive combination of features and sounds, SampleTank stands apart from any other sample-based virtual instrument, as one of the most powerful and easy-to-use solutions for making fully produced songs out of the box.

The widest variety of sounds in all instruments categories just one click away. You can immediately get tons of Acoustic Grand Pianos, Electric Pianos, Strings, Brass, Winds, Vocals, Orchestral sounds, Organs, Percussion, Drums, Basses, Guitars, Synths, Loops, Ethnic sample and more. Plus now SampleTank has the ability to read all “Powered

by SampleTank” instruments’ sounds, including Miroslav Philharmonik, Sonik Synth, SampleMoog, and SampleTron. This way you can work much faster and more creatively by having access to thousands of highquality sounds from a single interface. If this is not enough, you can also import your own WAV, AIFF, AKAI, SDII and Samplecell files for a truly unlimited world of sounds.

The new SampleTank 2.5 is available in 2 versions: SampleTank XL and L, which differ only by the number of sounds included. If you want the best, the new SampleTank 2.5 XL comes with 2 DVDs and over 2,000 sounds (for over 6.5GB of samples) plus an extra bonus sound disk! Your second option is the L version, an affordable introduction to SampleTank that includes 1 DVD and over 1,100 sounds.

And so, last is the NI

Maschine. There’s no need to discuss

the deluxe unit as the world has already been captivated. BUT!

MASCHINE MIKRO is a professional

We will take a glance at the Jr sibling, the Maschine Mikro.

music production tool, combining the flexibility of software with the

Native Instruments is considered the top software developer

immediacy of hardware. Create

when it comes to creating powerful production tools aimed

rhythms, bass lines, chords and

at addressing the needs and wants of producers, musicians

melodies, and build tracks on-the-

and sound designers. They have the taken the Virtual

fly with the intuitive, clip-based

Instrument definition to new highs and done a wonderful job of merging the hardware interface with the convenience of software. It really does seem like there isn’t much they can’t do once they set their mind to it. Spectrasonics is the

sequencer.

MASCHINE

MIKRO

also gives you a high-performance sampler, professional effects and full support for VST® and Audio Units™ plug-ins. What’s more, you

other champion, but we have to consider them a brilliant

can also run MASCHINE MIKRO as

middle weight only due to their smaller number of releases.

a plug-in in your DAW.

More than 6 GB of productionready

samples,

patterns,

and

effects for all styles, with drums and basses plus dynamic synth and instrument sounds – many created by renowned artists and producers – and a range of dynamic studioquality effects are included. Select sounds using MASCHINE MIKRO’s super-simple browser and start playing immediately. And if you need even more, get an extra boost

Before I leave, let me not give you the impression that these are the

for your library with MASCHINE

ONLY solid self-presents out in the world. These are just my favorite

Expansions.

picks. Another option to consider for the holidays is an update to your DAW or the most current version of your top plug-ins.

Now I turn to one of my favorite sites. It’s ThinkGeek and the name says it all.

They have sci-fi clothing (get yourself a Red Shirt), Star Wars goodies, science toys, collectibles and even musical instruments. It’s a one-stop shot for nerds and outcasts alike. I can pretty much guarantee if you stop there, you will buy something.

This also makes a great place to send your peeps who are fresh out of ideas of what to get you for anytime you need to um…get something cool.

Dead Space Plasma Cutter Replica Tell me this isn’t a geeked-gift. $239.99

Bliptronic Philosophy... in Regards to Music

In the world of the Bliptronic, creating a song revolves around an ever evolving 4-beat pattern. Each row of vertical buttons represents the notes in one octave. Push a button to turn on a note, push the button again to turn off a note. Push multiple buttons in one vertical row to make a chord. The Bliptronic plays whatever you have selected in sequence horizontally across the display. When it reaches the end of the pattern, it repeats. The genius comes as you modify the pattern by turning notes on and off while the pattern is still looping to create evolving electronic melodies. I bought a bunch of these and me and me friends jammed away. No lie. Restock waiting list :(

Yeah, I bought one of these too. And yes I hooked it up to everything with a guitar patch in my studio. It’s a full-fledged MIDI controller. Most MIDI controllers out there are in keyboard form. This is great if you’re a pianist, but if you’re a guitar god, trying to get your great riff from your brain into your computer via a set of imitation ivories can be difficult.

Now you can load up your favorite multi-track recording or sequencing software, plug in your YouRock, and output MIDI data directly

TAKE OUR FUN

QUIZ

AND

FIND

OUT!

Are you still crying and whining?

Maybe you need changing and your diapers are full of bad attitude.

Another year is upon us and as always, New Years becomes a marker for making resolutions and changes. Make the best change of all and subscribe to Producer’s Edge Digital Magazine. Join the 99% who get it and at the same time -get a ton of goodies with every issue.

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producer’s career happens in real time. I’ve heard beat makers say “I’ll be good enough in a year or two” or “That they have a five or ten year plan to conquer the music industry. I do believe there is an exact date when you will consider yourself “arrived”. I also believe that the things you do and the work you put in NOW- other than just making beats will bring that date closer. So the next time you decide to give someone a beat, consider giving them more… of yourself. It’s the best gift you can ever give...yourself.

Give the Gift of Beats for the Return of Records

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ow. I can remember back far enough to remember when making a demo package was a main focus. Now, years later, the mixtape is the new demo and the streets have become the A&R. In a universe where the things we spend most of our worry fretting over (beats) have less and less value, we need to change how we look at the hustle behind our music. I’ve said before that it’s the person that holds value. And to only consider ‘yassself’ a beatproduct is worse than selling yourself short; it’s truly not selling yourself at all.

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e create works of value by creating music as the foundation records are built upon. We create a value in ourselves by learning more about music production and what occurs after the beatz. We provide a service by carrying the project to its end by shaping, planning and helping the creative process along. Don’t just make the beat, produce the record.

It’s the holidaze and in the spirit of giving, I want you to reflect on what you are actually giving to a music project. Is your contribution done once you hit the upload or send button?

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e will be back and fresh in 2012. Happy Holidaze from all of us at Producer’s Edge Magazine.