The Score Magazine November 2021 issue! by The Score Magazine

ISSN 0974 – 9128

Vol 14 Issue 10 November 2021

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Music Technology

How to Increase The Depth of Your Guitar Sound? Band of the month

The F16’s On the cover

Jonita Gandhi

Jonita spills the tea over a cup of black coffee

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In conversation with Nikitaa, 7 Greatest Carnatic Music Compositions of All Time and more.1 highonscore.com The

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INDEX

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Bollywood Music Inspired by Ragas,

10 artists to check out if you like Jonita Gandhi

Score Indie ClassicsEuphoria

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Did you know?

Music Technology

8 Ultimate International Duets of all time

How to Make Your Own Pedalboard

Should Autotune Still Be A Taboo?

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GENELEC & SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING With the publicity surrounding the recent COP 26 climate summit, we thought it was an appropriate moment to reflect on our responsibilities in making Genelec a truly sustainable brand. Our focus on running a sustainable, environmentally responsible business began with our founder Ilpo Martikainen long before he launched the company in 1978 with Topi Partanen. Ilpo had grown up on a farm in his native Finland, so was familiar with the annual cycle of seeding, fertilising, weeding and harvesting, and he saw first-hand how the country’s huge timber industry constantly replenished its forests to ensure that the business was sustainable. Additionally, that tree cover absorbs huge amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, so maintaining it was not only sensible business but was also kind to the environment. Ilpo himself became actively involved in tree planting programs each year and his understanding of running a company in a holistic, sustainable way became embedded in his thinking.

BUILT TO LAST For that reason, all Genelec loudspeaker products from the original S30 onwards are built to last, even in tough, demanding professional environments – and coupled with a commitment to long term technical and spare parts support, we are still able to service and repair loudspeakers after many decades of use. Fast forwarding to 2008, we entered a previously unwritten part of the company’s philosophy and heritage directly into our strategy, namely that “environmental issues are just as important as sound quality and profitability.”

Since then, our efforts to follow this path have been unwavering. The heating of the Genelec factory transitioned from oil to renewable energy some years ago, and our most recent factory expansion in 2019 now brings solar energy to the mix courtesy of over 450 roof-mounted solar panels which will supply 30% of our annual power. This decision to continue developing and manufacturing all our products under the same roof means that we can guarantee the use of environmentally efficient solutions, and this has helped us to view productivity from a new and far more healthy perspective.

RECYCLED MATERIALS The use of recycled materials in our loudspeakers has also been a long term commitment. More than 80% of our professional two-way loudspeaker products use recycled aluminium, saving 95% of the energy required to produce the material compared with virgin aluminium, and after much research into the use of composites in injection moulding,

we started a program in 2009 to develop loudspeaker enclosures which comprised of at least 50% mouldable wood fibres – which are recyclable and do not require painting. Genelec Managing Director Siamak Naghian explains that: “Though every action has its environmental footprint, so every action taken to improve sustainability and to reduce that footprint is a step towards reducing the impact of our industry on our environment. The conservation of natural resources does not stop with the use of recyclable natural materials, it continues throughout our efforts to create new innovations that will enrich the lives of our users. Genelec is committed to the pursuit of its ethical goals both now and in the future, when we believe that sustainability and profitability will go hand in hand.” For more information on Genelec’s sustainability principles, visit www.genelec.com

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SNEHA RAMESH / PRAGASH VM

Jonita Gandhi spills the tea over a cup of black coffee 8

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She’s a live-wire, she’s a triple threat, she’s the full package, we caught up with the singing sensation Jonita Gandhi this month and here’s our conversation made up of mirth, modesty, vigour, vision and passion, just like the music maestro herself.

First things first, you’ve given some amazing hits from ‘Na Na’ to ‘4 AM’ and of course ‘Doctor’ movie in Tamil has released, and your Chellama song is out. What did you love the most? I loved the fact that despite the pandemic, I could still work remotely, otherwise these amazing songs wouldn’t have seen the light of day. During the pandemic, every industry took quite a big hit and I just felt blessed and excited about the fact that I could continue to create music, and collaborate with people virtually. I even did a song with Merchant Records called ‘Gallaan Teriyan’ which was a collab with Raj Pandit and Salim-Sulaiman. We shot the video for that song completely remotely. I shot my portions in Los Angeles and Raj shot his portions in Mumbai. I’m thrilled that we were able to continue entertaining people with our music when they needed it most. How did the production process of all these tracks happen? It was a challenge. I remember for the ‘Na Na’ shoot with Mickey Singh, it took place in Los Angeles and during the dance rehearsals I was wearing a mask. It was really scary to be around people and to be on sets during the pandemic, but we ensured that people got tested and we all tried to be as safe as we could be. We did what we could even though the process was elaborate at times - we had a lot more than usual to worry about, like quarantine schedules and things like that. We probably could have shot the video remotely too but we wanted to make sure we had choreography, and that we had Mickey and I in the same frame. It did require a little extra time because of the COVID restrictions, but it was all worth in the end. Though recording has always been something that could be done remotely, the pandemic has opened up the general perspective around it and more and more people got comfortable doing recording sessions virtually, especially in the film recording circuit. I’m really glad I was already set up with a proper home recording system to be able to submit studio quality recordings for these tracks.

How important is it for a musician to be classically trained according to you? I have trained very vaguely and sparsely. I wouldn’t consider myself a trained musician. I’ve done lessons in Hindustani classical, and learnt the basics as well in Western Classical Music. When I went to university, for my elective courses I picked up a bit by taking music courses. I learned art songs, which are kind of like Opera, and a different way for me to exercise my vocal skills. I think it’s very important to have the training. I don’t think it’s absolutely essential, but it is something that I wish I had more of, especially now that I’ve been in this industry for around eight years and I’ve dabbled in a lot of different genres. A lot of people say that sometimes classical music can restrict how creative you can be in terms of cross-genre collaborations; that it can put you in a box. I’ve been trying to be versatile, to keep things fresh and to keep learning. And that’s the best way to learn - we have to keep listening to music as much as possible. That being said, if you do have the resources and time to take training, I do recommend it because it’s an asset to have that foundation. So, we know you have a home band and that your father is also a hobby musician, so could you tell us how did your father introduce you to music and how did this home band come into being? He has been playing music for his whole life. He played guitar in his college band, and he sang too. Music has played a very important role in his life. Growing up, my brother and I were exposed to music since we were born. The younger you’re exposed to something, the more ingrained it becomes in your being. I think because of that, I fell in love with music and I think it happened secretly. Initially, I was extremely shy. I would run away when my dad would ask me to sing in front of guests. Eventually, I think because of the perseverance of my parents, I began opening up and I fell in love with singing and performing. From a very young age, I knew that music was going to be a big part of my life. The

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So you feature in so many music videos, you dance, your LIVE performances are on fire, your style quotient is always on point. All your videos are amazing but which video did you love the most being a part of?

Over the last few years, we’ve seen a lot of remakes of yester-year hits, how challenging is it for today’s singers to do justice to these songs and yet deliver a fresh version?

My favourite would be “4 AM”. In general, with Na Na and 4 AM and my most recent single “Chal Koi Na”, there’s a very conscious effort being made to showcase myself in a way I have always wanted to. I was always focused on being a singer first, but I feel that in these recent videos, I’ve started to showcase my artistry in a more well rounded way and perform more. These last videos have been extra fun for me because I enjoy dancing. For 4 AM, we put in a lot of time and effort into nailing the choreography. Even the styling was a great fit for me personally.

As somebody who does covers all the time, this is an interesting question. I just consider it as a fun challenge, to present a song that you know and love, that everybody also knows and loves, in a way that stays true to the original composition but also showcases your personality and creativity. It’s a very delicate balance that you need to achieve. Covers for me are always like a tribute, it’s challenging but with remakes the labels are doing now I don’t know if people care that much about staying true to the original, they just want to dance.

You’ve sung in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada and Punjabi. How do you manage the diction, the pronunciations despite growing up in Canada? Could you share some pro-tips for aspiring singers?

With remakes in general, I’ve never really been happy with the concept in film, mainly because Bollywood as a platform is so far-reaching. I’ve always felt there is so much great original music getting displaced.

The thing is, for diction, ear training is very important. This training comes in handy, so for anybody who is starting, pay attention to ear training. When I learned Western Classical, we did ear training specifically. We had to identify chords and notes with a chord. Things like that help you develop a sharper ear. That’s your best bet when it comes to diction; you have to rely on listening and mimicking sounds. We can’t know all of the languages we sing in, so it’s a challenge; but a really fun challenge, because I connect with the melody and the arrangement, more than just the lyrics. When I’m recording, I write down the translations for the lyrics, especially keywords if I need to know the meaning for specific words. I note the pronunciations to distinguish between the soft sounds and the hard sounds. The biggest piece of advice is to make sure somebody who is a native speaker of that language is present while you are recording and just leave your ego out the door and surrender to them. If they tell you it’s wrong, it’s wrong. In an earlier interview, you’d spoken about how Bollywood songs have way more lyrics for the man as opposed to the woman. We would like to hear a little more about it. Do you think any changes have taken place? I do think some changes are happening. The issue I think was primarily because there were more films were male-centric, so that would lead to the songs being more male-centric as well since the songs cater to the film. Now, as non-film songs are becoming more prominent in the Indian music scene, I think that’s a great opportunity for more female-heavy songs to come to light. I am trying to take advantage of that too and put out more music that doesn’t rely on an actor to push it.

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What do you think about the digitalisation of music, about the marketing aspect of music? It’s overwhelming to be honest. For that reason, I try my best to keep myself focused on creating music rather than promoting it. Of course, when it comes to social media, I am very involved. I’m always striving to think of creative ways to introduce people to my music. But it’s a numbers game and quite frankly a money game, so it’s very intimidating. When YouTube was new, things used to go viral organically. Now it’s so hard to gauge what viral means. Repetition works though; the more you hear something, the more it catches on. It’s impossible to keep track realistically of how well a song is actually doing, though I think streaming numbers are a more reliable way to figure it out of all the metrics. Now, let’s talk about Jonita as a listener, what according to you makes a good song? What do you like to listen to? There’s a lot that makes a song good, but honesty is extremely important. I am someone who listens to anything and everything and sings anything and everything. It’s as simple as do I feel it or not. It could be a very simple production of just a few layers but someone put their heart out there, or someone’s playing the violin and poured their heart into the song and I’ll love it. On the other hand, it could be a very well-orchestrated symphony piece but if it didn’t strike a chord with me, I may not like it. That’s the beauty and the curse of music: that it is so subjective.

Are we going to see more Jonita dancing? Yes! I always look forward to dancing. Ever since I did a couple videos on YouTube and Instagram, the response made me realize that I need to dance in my music videos. Whether it’s a romantic song, or a rona-dhona song, you’ll find me dancing on the sides…. haha.

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What’s super interesting that people don’t know about your music? I think there’s a lot! For instance, a lot of people wouldn’t know that I’ve been writing a lot of English ballads. Many don’t know that I’m Punjabi. They think I’m Gujarati but I’m not. A lot of people think I speak Tamil, so they’re confused right now, but that’s the part of the journey. There’s always so much to discover about me if you’re a follower, which I hope is keeping it interesting and not confusing. Another thing that many might not know is that I am always struggling with an identity crisis when it comes to my music. Why would you say that? Because like you said, I do so many different things, and sing in so many different genres and languages. But that means you’re versatile, right? Yeah. Many people say when it comes to ‘Jonita’s music’ what does it sound like? I am zeroing in a little more on a specific sound so that people can identify me with it. I am going to try to use my versatility as a strength for sure, I just want to bring it all together. I want my music to appeal to all my people. All my musical family are true music lovers. For instance, my North Indian following loved Chellamma. I want to bring it out as ‘Jonita’s music’ and not as ‘Jonita sang for XYZ’. How do you manage your vocal health? Drink lots of black coffee! Haha, I am kidding. Drink lots of water, for sure. In general keep your whole body fit and healthy. Your voice is a part of your body. Sleep properly. Be happy. I know it sounds silly but the mood does affect your vocal performance. Just look at it holistically, and you should be just fine. People say don’t eat this and that, but my take on that is don’t cut anything out because it’s like building immunity. Plus, lots of Riyaz! Practice, and practice a lot. What’s that one thing you do before a recording session or getting on stage? Is there a regime that you follow? Haha, don’t follow what I do because I drink black coffee! It’s like a comfort thing; something warm generally feels nice so I always restrict myself to one, then I switch to warm water. Can you just tell us what we can look forward to in terms of music?

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I have a lot of exciting new things happening, including some new music I am rebranding myself with that I can’t wait to share! Other than that, I have some YouTube collaborations and film songs in the works as well. Stay tuned to find out more!

Rapid Fire A musician you’re dying to collaborate with? Bruno Mars, that was fast I knew that one. One actress, you would love to playback for that you haven’t yet. Sanya Malhotra, I think she’s adorable and she dances well. Your favourite 90s/vintage song/ album? Dil Se Looking back at your journey so far, what was one of your pinch-me-I’mfamous moments? My pinch-me-I’m-famous moment was when I saw myself on a billboard at Times Square. And also, right before that, I was on a billboard in Toronto and I was my with parents. That was an even bigger moment for me, I think. A song that’s super cringy but you just can’t get out of your head! The scary thing is that I had a song in my mind instantly! Haha, no, I’m not saying it, haha! One folk song you would love to revive. My grandma sings this one all the time “Lathe Di Chaadar”. It’ll be cool to do this one! What was the last thing you googled? I googled what 4 million rupees are in dollars. That’s the last thing I googled. If you were a food item, what would you be? I would be a chatpata samosa! Haha. The

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NAVYA C

7 Greatest Carnatic Music Compositions of All Time

Liking and admiring an art is perceptive and musical compositions are of no exception. It would be a daunting task to actually pick the limited number of greatest Carnatic compositions of all time, but the based on the lyrical grandeur, experimentation, and composition style, Score brings you an exclusive curated list of 7 greatest Carnatic music compositions of time. These may not be the only set of greatest compositions because music itself is an ocean and every drop of it is melodiously appealing. 1. Viriboni Varnam- Raaga Bhairavi- Ata Taalam-Pacchi Miriyam Adi Appayya: This

varnam set in the complex 14beat cycle of Ata Taalam can be a nightmare for students to learn but once the composition is mastered, the beauty of it starts getting to us. The amazing nuances of a bhaashanga raaga like Bhairavi are greatly included in the composition. For any student who wants to study Bhairavi as a raaga and learn the raagalapana, Viriboni would be the first challenge to take up!

2. Chakkani Raaga Maargam- Raaga Kharaharapriya- Adi Taalam- Saint Thyagaraja:

The legendary composer is famous for being an ardent devotee of lord Rama but this composition speaks about the path which humans should lead and demarcates between the royal highway to rugged streets! The lyrical brilliance makes the listener rethink about perspectives of life and the suave nature of full scale raaga Kharaharapriya is effortlessly blended in the composition.

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3. Vaatapi Ganapathim Bhaje- Raaga HamsadhwaniAdi Taalam- Mt. Dikshitar:

Ganapathi is the deity of removing obstacles and Vaatapi Ganapathim speaks about the grandeur of the deity in the town Vatapi. There must have been thousands of concerts that begin with this auspicious composition and though heavily adapted in film versions and stage, dance plays- the sanctity of the composition remains intact.

4. Hiranmayeem LakshmiRaaga Lalitha- RupakamMt.Dikshitar: Written from

an extreme introspective state of mind when the composer had to choose between materialistic riches or eternal enlightenmentHiranmayeem is a pained yet thought provoking composition that does look like hailing the goddess but speaks about choices in life. The composition is surely aimed to bring tears of ecstasy for the subtleties of Lalitha Raagam and the painful plea of the composer to the deity.

5. Bhairavi SwarajathiKamakshi- Misha ChapuSyama Sastry: Known for being

as complex as an advanced kriti, this swarajathi is a delight to hear. Another important aspect of this swarajathi is , every charanam escalates one note each from the first shadjam till the top shadjam of the Bhairavi scale. The finale with Syama Krishna Sahodari will give goosebumps no matter how many times one might have heard it.

6. Maanasa SancharareRaaga Saama- Adi TaalamMysore Vasudevachari: As

people say quality matters more than quantity, Mysore Vasudevachari is a perfect example. In comparison to the musical trinity, the number of compositions written by him are quite less. But this composition is like a lilting lullaby that can put even the most active person to a peaceful slumber.

7. Raghuvamsa Sudhambudhi- Raaga KadanakutuhalamAdi Taalam- Patnam Subramanyam Iyer: Often

misunderstood as a composition of Thyagaraja, Raghuvamsa is indeed composer by Thyagaraja’s one of the prime disciples Shri Patnam Subrahmanyam Iyer. But the style of lyrics, the scale’s progress and the usage of words shows the influence of his teacher on his composing! No matter how many vocal/ instrumental/ film/private versions come of this eternal number, the composition is timeless masterpiece.

Tell us about your album High Priestess High Priestess almost feels like a coming of age for me. It’s my debut album and is a collection of what I know to be my most authentic work as an artist and producer to date. Part of it is lived experience, part of it is the exploration or/and embodiment of different archetypes (Goddess, Empress, Queen of Coins) but all of it is my truest heart! I wrote, produced and recorded a lot of this album on my own during the course of the pandemic. This is also the first time I focused fully and properly on authenticity over sheer perfection... which is where I think the magic will always lie!

Take us through each of the songs and the story behind them Well, the album opens with Clutch - a sensual and cheeky reclamation of my sensuality and sexuality. At the time that I wrote Clutch I was surrounded by men that consistently fetishised and objectified me. Clutch was a response to all of that - a clear statement: my body and my pleasure belong only to me. We then come to Boomerang - a bridgeburning song. I wrote this about an ex-partner who took me for a ride during and after our relationship. I wrote this during the pandemic as a way to release the anger and frustration I felt when I drew boundaries with this person and was met with disrespect. It’s a reminder that your actions speak louder than words, and that no one is ever truly irreplaceable. It was my way of solidifying the ties I was cutting with this person.

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Nikitaa

We come now to Farewell - which feels like the other side of the same coin as Boomerang, although I wrote Farewell several years before writing Boomerang and they sound nothing alike. Farewell is the emotional turmoil that I faced in knowing that I had to let go because I deserve so much more and better, while still loving deeply. DITK - Dancing In The Kitchen - is a song I wrote while deep in the angst and commotion it portrays sonically. I was finally free of the story of my abuse from when I was only a child, but I was still rediscovering what safety in my body and in my home meant to me. I wrote DITK from this space of questing and anguish. The

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Queen Of Coins is the first of the many archetypes I bring forth on this album, and it is inspired by the tarot card of the same name. The Queen of Coins is often considered the Queen of monetary and material abundance. There is nothing that stands in the way of this figure and their success. I wanted to embody and manifest that, and so I wrote Queen of Coins from this space. It is a commanding and yet sensual space and song! Goddess is the very first time I explored archetypal energy in my songwriting - way back in 2017, which is when I wrote it! I wrote Goddess to redefine this term, which has so often been overused and been made to represent a very binary image of either kind or harsh, benevolent or disciplinary... When really a Goddess is all of those things and more - an ever expansive being that requires your full focus and effort! I also wanted nonmen to experience a sense of empowerment in listening to the song. The Goddess is an archetype that lives within all of us. Here is a song that helps you channel that! Empress is another archetype, also drawn from the realm of tarot. If the Queen of Coins represents abundance of the material variety, the Empress represents that very same abundance across every plane imaginable. The Empress is a sensual being capable of creating, experiencing and celebrating joy and pleasure in every sphere of life. When I was creating Empress, I really wanted to concentrate on that. The opening melody and lyrics just came to me one day, and I immediately began by sampling my own voice and built the entire track around that. City of Angels is dedicated to the city that I first felt fully at home in, that I began my career in, fell in love and had my heart broken in... A city that still has my heart and I deeply miss and desire to return to - Los Angeles. It was also a bit of a manifestation ritual - the second half of the song I imagine the feeling of being back there again, and as the song closes there remains the promise that I will return. It was one of those songs that simply flows out of you, written all in one go on a whim one of the many days through the pandemic that I missed the people and places that still feel like home to me. Wolf is more of that archetypal exploration. Produced by Mukund, I started writing Wolf after he began crafting the beat. Between the flute and the drums, I couldn’t help but picture a fierce and deadly Wolf running through the forest. Wolf was a reimagining of the Big Bad Wolf image that we’ve all been fed. I wanted to dismantle that and bring

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back the Wolf of old - a symbol of protection, guidance, wisdom, loyalty and intuition. Wolf as a song is a fierce ally against the fears we all battle within ourselves Voodoo Man - like Farewell, Goddess and Clutch was written quite a while ago! I had the idea of writing a song about a man who ensnares his potential partner (in a good way), almost as if by magic... But I recently went in and reproduced it completely, as well as re-wrote some sections. I wanted Voodoo Man to call in a partner that is embodied, empowered and grounded in himself, and so fully capable of celebrating me as well being open and vulnerable. This Goddess isn’t settling for anything less! BlueBeard is a song that pretty much came to me one rainy afternoon as I sat in front of my setup. It’s heavily inspired by the story of Blue Beard, yes, but even more so by the breakdown of the archetype of Blue Beard and the lessons he brings as provided by Clarissa Pinkola Estes in her book “Running With The Wolves”. BlueBeard is a song about the fact that sometimes the only way the feminine intuition within us can be re-awakened and empowered is by dealing with someone (whether in our lives, or in our minds) as dangerous as Blue Beard... and recognizing that the natural curiosity (or wolfishness, as Clarissa puts it) that lives within all of us, is a saving grace that might protect us from the worst and help us survive and thrive. I wrote it in a near meditative state, and so of course the song reflects that quality. I added actually foley sounds of koyals that I had recorded from around my neighborhood and other birds & rain as well! Last but certainly not least we have High Priestess. I didn’t know I was writing High Priestess until the very words came out of my mouth. I started with the bass line, and wanted to produce a track that just felt good down to my very bones; I wanted it to feel like a celebration, something I could dance and groove to. When I began adding lyrics, I recognized I was writing about the archetype and role that has followed me and been mine my whole life - The High Priestess. The High Priestess is a role given to temple specific priestesses since time immemorial as they serve and help others serve the Goddess and actualize the divinity and true potential that exists within all of us. Long since misunderstood (as has been the Goddess), the High Priestess is often portrayed in modern occult as a brooding and lonely figure, or an overly sexualized one. Really, the High Priestess is devoted the mysteries of the Goddess, yes, but above all the High Priestess is devoted to love, forgiveness, and acceptance of wholeness - just as the Goddess!

And so to embody or to work with the High Priestess is to come to that energy with open arms, an open heart, a celebration of self and of authenticity, or not at all! As the song says - “Put your soul into it, when you’re dealing with the High Priestess”.

What’s your songwriting process like? I have a few guidelines that I work with: Never show up with an agenda when writing something brand new Be vulnerable and honest, even if it seems petty, weird or crazy! Always voice note any melodic ideas while they’re fresh Solidify your bass line first and foremost Don’t overlay drums unless you’re happy with the melodies! Write from the heart Don’t worry about the “hit single” Of course these are just guidelines, not solid rules. But They work very well for me. I let the rest of my process vary from song to song, mood to mood. I also never force a song

if I find I’m not in a space to write or produce, it just ends in major frustration.

Talk to us about the gear you used to produce this album? First off, I am lucky, privileged and blessed enough to have created this entire project in my home studio here in Mumbai. The whole album was produced in Logic Pro X, and supplemented by the use of the amazing Komplete Kontrol S49 by Native Instruments! I also used a few samples from Splice, which really is very versatile and useful for production. I recorded all my vocals in ProTools using an SM7B (Shure) and of course my Apollo Twin X was on board throughout the entire process. I used a lot of Waves plugins too, they’re my go-to for several things. I used my Audio-Technica ATH-M50x a lot, as well KRK Rokit 5’s.

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SHAURYA SINGH THAPA

INTERESTING FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE MRIDANGAM

The mridangam is an essential instrument in Carnatic music ensembles and a preferred pick of many percussionists in not only classical music but also South Indian films. From the Sangam age to present times, the instrument has been played in some way or the other. Such is its popularity that it even reached countries like Nepal. Here are some amusing facts about the instrument that you would not know.

1 The Origin of the Name

The word mridangam is a sandhi (amalgamation) of the Sanskrit words mrt (clay) and angam (limb/body part). This is interesting to note as the modern mridangam isn’t made out of clay. The name has still stuck on as earlier versions were built of hardened clay. As for the current times, mridangams have core bodies built out of hollowed pieces of jackfruit wood. The two mouths of the drum are then covered with goatskin and tied together with leather straps.

2 Fusion of Mridangam and Rap The mridangam received a larger global audience with Canadian rapper Shan Vincent de Paul and his friend Yanchan as they released a series of ‘mridangam raps’. Having Sri Lankan roots, de Paul has been at the forefront to combine hip-hop with Carnatic beats and Tamil lyrics. A usual collaborator of the rapper’s, Yanchan Rajmohan is a producer and singer who also happens to play the mridangam. In their video series, Yanchan used to play the drum while de Paul rapped in English. The settings kept on changing from the duo climbing a tree or sitting in a studio, and so on. These videos have amassed millions of views, furthering the rise of the instrument.

5 Importance In Nepal The mridangam is not only relevant in South Indian music but even in Indian neighbors like Nepal. For those who are unacquainted with the concept of Newar music, this traditional music was developed in the country by the Newars (inhabitants of Kathmandu Valley and its neighbouring areas). In fact, one of the earliest manuscripts from this region include a mridangamspecific treatise called Mridanga anukaranam.

3 Other Instruments like Mridangam Mridangam is an essential part of Carnatic music but up north, the pakhawaj might be a close counterpart in Hindustani music. While the tabla looks vastly different from a mridangam, it is interesting to note a certain myth that connects the two instruments. Legend has it that the tabla was built after a mridangam was split into two. Other myths also include the fact that the tala (rhythm) system came out of a mridangam only.

MRIDANGAM

4 A Recent Mridangam-centric Film In 2019, the instrument saw its resurgence in mainstream popularity in Tamil Nadu. This was largely due to the release of the movie Sarvam Thaala Mayam that revolved around a famous mridangam player and his student. The starcast included GV Prakash Kumar and Nedumudi Venu as the teacher and student respectively. AR Rahman scored the film while Kumar also took mridangam lessons from ‘mridanga vidwan’ U Sivaraman to get into his character.

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PAKHAWAJ

SOUVIK CHAKRABORTY

A Tribute to Innovation in Music: Remembering Tabla Gharanas of India Tabla has been one of the greatest players of melody since time immemorial. With generations, our musical tastes have filtered themselves through various sociopolitical landscapes. It is really fascinating for one to track the various Gharanas that came into being after the percussion emerged in the Indian sub-continent. According to the lineage and the degree of innovation, the family of musicality varies with the various regions of our nation. It had been studied that the protégées of a Tabla maestro of Old Delhi had been commissioned as court musicians of various parts of India. It was their practices and love for the medium that percolated through generations after them and flavored the style and influences of the music of that region. Interestingly, the proponents of the Gharanas were not only territorial but, also very possessive about their individualism and styles. The core intricacies remained a secret until; they have been extensively researched later. At its peak, any trade secret leakage would mean outcasting of the musician/disciple by the Guru and of the Gharana. If one needs to understand the varied world of the Gharanas. The understanding of the bandh and khulaa baaz are paramount. The khulaa baaz meant that the sound

would be a sustained one and much more resonant than the muffled bass of the bandh sound. The techniques used while playing the drums are the most important differentiator.

experimentations and eventually came up with a fresh rendition, now famous as the Benaras Gharana. This newer form was independent enough to be played solo. However, the flexibility was interesting to One of the oldest Gharana is the note when accompanied by dance Delhi Gharana. Believed to have and other music. The Benaras been originated from the time of theka and other newer forms were Akbar. The style became famous developed under rigorous practices for its much rich yet softer tones. It and innovations. As a stark contrast got its popularity due to the stylized to the Northern style of Delhi, the rendition of the two fingers of the eastern style of Benaras meant that player. The index and the next finger the full hand would be used by the create a very defined sound for giving player rather than selective use of the clarity and its edge. fingers. The Eastern Gharana of the Lucknow region was born out of a historic collaboration between the Kathak dancers and the tabla players of the region. This combination resulted in a new style that put more importance on the virtue of accompaniment. The full hand thaap and the right-hand hits along with the important relas were the new tools of expression for the artists. Much of the techniques were used to simulate the art and intricacies associated with the dance form of Kathak.

The present-day peshkari and laykari of the tabla maestros come through ages of filtration of an art form that originally had its immediate roots in the Pakhawaj Gharana. It was Ustad Alla Rakha Khan of the Punjab Gharana who envisioned a newer treatment to the existing formats. And, then emerged the irregular meters and fresh relas in the mainstream music. Much later, such innovations would become the style of celebrated players like Ustad Zakir Hussain.

Disciples under one Gharana usually attain the mastery to play around the compositions to create a fresh variation to the original. After being a disciple at Lucknow since the age of five, Pandit Ram Sahai moved to Lucknow for further

It is ironic that in the age of information overload, the ignorance of such heritage is alarming. It’s time that we delve deeper into the annals of history and find out the significance of such a great lineage of pure music! The

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PALAK DOSHI

BAND OF THE MONTH: THE F16’S Is It Time to Eat the Rich Yet? Relax. I am not talking about a utopian world, but the latest EP by the Chennai indie rockers F16s that might’ve stirred a certain storm in the music scene. The F16s have developed their inimitable brand of eccentric and danceable alt-pop. They fascinatingly, maintain a nostalgic vibe through their indie and alternative routes into styles of experimental, funk, and jazz. This month we had this incredible opportunity to chat up with the four-piece band featuring Abhinav Krishnaswamy, Shashank Manohar, Joshua Fernandez along with Harshan Radhakrishnan. And here are some juicy tit-bits that we got them to spill!

LET’S HIT CTRL+S ON THIS ONE-TO-ONE WITH THE F16S FOREVER! What does the name F16s mean and where did the inspiration come from? We’d like to think that the origins of the name are immaterial at this point, but sure - F16-ing is when you meet your friends for a meal but there’s one ‘sandwich’ amongst you. You take a bite and pass it around, salvaging the food till it comes back to you. Also, refer ‘taxiing’.

You have been performing and making music for almost a decade. Looking back now, what was one of your pinch-meI’m-famous moments? Anytime we have people singing our songs back to us at full volume during a show.

How did all of you meet and decide to collaborate? We were all bred on the college competition circuit in Chennai. All of us were in different bands till they melted away and left us together.

Do tell us about your latest gig ‘Is It Time to Eat the Rich, Yet?’ that’s an eclectic mix of songs evoking different emotions and moods. And, what do you love about it? It took a toll on us to make this, considering the business end of this album came during the pandemic. Cloistered together indoors, distraught and unsure of what the future held, we decided to finish this as an exercise for ourselves in DIY. We love watching the album unfurl and blossom the way it currently is.

How did you discover the winning formula for this EP? Keep it DIY, simple. From recording and mixing it ourselves, to filming the video and sourcing props for it ourselves. We don’t discount outsider perspective, but this felt like the right way to do things, for this EP at least.

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How vital do you think music videos are to amplify the impact of a track? It did kill the radio star. Visuals are part and parcel of a fully-formed aesthetic that better informs a listener about the band’s vision. Does every song need a video? Probably not, but a good video can do wonders when used for the right song.

You’ve gained immense global cred, you’ve performed at some fabulous destinations around the world, which one has been the most memorable and why? A backyard show in Brooklyn in 2014 would rank up there. Playing your music live to an audience in a city that has birthed the music you love is a different trip.

Which is your favourite track from the EP?

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

We love all of them, but like every Indian parent, it’s the song that takes care of our retirement that we will undoubtedly love the most. “Sucks To Be Human” could be the most accurate distillation of the EP so we’d choose that one.

Keep going.

What’s your process of creating music? Could you break it down or give us a little peek? We pay close attention to Josh as he sleeps, writing down his incoherent night terrors into legible ideas that we then work on overtime. Jokes, there’s no set way really. Some songs come from a riff or melody, while others have the core idea established while we build around it.

And, what’s the one solid piece of advice that you would like to give upcoming non-conventional artists? Keep going, put your music out as it has never been easier to do that. Even if it’s received badly, it’s out there and you can move on and make more.

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received about your music or what’s something amazing that your fans have done, that left you speechless? A wonderful fan of ours made a limited edition run of t-shirts with the four of our faces on it. Another got a tattoo of artwork from WKND FRNDS

RAPID FIRE: Q. If you could have any slogan on your T-shirts, what would it be? / What would the slogan on your T-shirts read? A. “Good at living, bad at life” (?) // “Certified Plant-Dad” // “Halfasleep at checkout time” Q. What’s your favourite ad jingle of all time? A. There was this jingle for a bike called Fascino. Perhaps the worst one we’ve heard. It takes a special skill to make a jingle that sucks so hard that it sticks in your brain. Q. A pet peeve that triggers youou. A. Used coffee grounds in the machine. EMPTY THAT OUT BEFORE YOU MAKE A NEW BATCH, THANKS Q. What’s the one superpower you’ve always wanted? A. Punctuality Q. If you could have your pick of any artist in the world, who would you want to work with Rick Rubin, The Strokes, Kenny Beats Q. Your favourite 90s/vintage song/album? A. ’Loveless’ by My Bloody Valentine / Ok Computer by Radiohead / Cher’s ‘Believe’ Q. What’s your favourite pizza topping? A. Dirt Q. One word each to describe every member of the band. Josh: A man Harshan: A man but slightly taller Sashank: A man but slightly better looking Abhinav: Barely a man

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KANUPRIYA MODI

The Beautiful Secret Behind Iconic Bollywood Songs Not very long ago, most of Bollywood songs were inspired by Classical Ragas. To tell you a secret, it’s still a very important influence on most songs barring the raps or the dance numbers which are inspired by Gen Z! Let’s look at some of the most loved Bollywood songs that have their roots in Hindustani and Carnatic Classical Music.

RAAG BHUPALI ‘Bhupali’ or ‘Mohanam’ is a raag that presents a pentatonic scale (uses 5 notes in ascending and descending scale). Bhakti rasa is the core of this raga. Some of the all-time favourite Bollywood film melodies like ‘Dekha Ek Khwab’- ‘Silsila’, ‘Albela Sajan Ayo Ri’ from ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Mohe Rang Do Laal’- ‘Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Jiya Dhadak Dhadak Jaye’- ‘Kalyug’, are all based on ‘Raag Bhupali’. RAAG BHIMPALASI ‘Bhimpalasi’ is a warm and enticing raag in Hinsustani Classical Music. The most crucial note in this raag is Madhyam (fourth). ‘Pani Da Rang’- ‘Vicky Donor’, ‘Kismat Se Tum’- ‘Pukaar’, ‘Nainon Mein Badra Chaaye’- ‘Mera Saaya’, are a some of the all-time favourite Bollywood Songs based on this raag. RAAG GUJRI TODI This raag works wonders in creating the Karuna ras. Some of the amazing music compositions based on this raag are: ‘Bhor Bhaye Tori Baat’- ‘Dilli 6’, ‘Ek Tha Bachpan’‘Aashirwaad’, ‘Ja Ja Re Ja Re’‘Lekin’

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RAAG AHIR BHAIRAV ‘ Ahir Bhairav’ is a confluence of Bhairav and the now rare raga Ahiri or perhaps a mixture of Bhairav and Kafi. ‘Teri Ummid Tera Intezaar Karte Hai’- ‘Deewana’, ‘Ab Tere Bin Jee Lenge’ - ‘Aashiqui’ and ‘Hai Rama Ye’- ‘Rangeela’ are a few timeless favourites etched in our memories forever. RAAG MEGH MALHAR ‘Megh Malhar’ has the power to bring rains where it is sung. The peppy beats of this raag would welcome the rains and also make you sway along with its enchanting rhythms. Some of the classic gems based on the Megh Malhar raag are ‘Yaara Silli Silli’- ‘Rudaali’, ‘Dukh Bhare Din Beete Re Bhaiya’- ‘Mother India’,’Tan Rang Lo Ji Aaj, Man Rang Lo’- ‘Kohinoor’. RAAG YAMAN This raag has inspired some of the most iconic songs in the history of Indian cinema. ‘Ghar se nikalte hi’ – ‘;, Aaye ho meri zindagi mein’ – ‘Raja Hindustani’,Koi jo mila toh’ – ‘Breathless’, ‘Jhonka hawa ka aaj bhi’ –‘Hum dil de chuke sanam’, ‘Humesha tumko chaha’ – ‘Devdas’,

‘Laal ishq’ – ‘Ram Leela’, ‘Aaj Ibadat’ – ‘ Bajirao Mastani’, ‘Abhi na jaayo chhod kar’ – ‘Hum Dono’, Iss mod se jaate hain’ – ‘Aandhi’, ‘Inhi logo ne le leena dupatta mera’ – ‘Pakeezah’ and the list goes on. RAAG HARIKAMBHOJI Not too many Bollywood tracks are based on this raag from Carnatic Music. ‘Mere Dholna’ from the 2007 comedy horror film, “Bhool Bhulaiya” is a lovely example of Harikambhoji. This is not it; you can explore numerous other raag-based songs in Bollywood. It’s always advisable to prep up your swaras well as per the Classical Music to up your music game for any kind of song. Now that you know the secret recipe of the most successful songs, get set riyaaaz!

ARCHANA LAKRA

RENDITION OF OLD GHAZALS WHICH TAKE YOU BACK TO THOSE DAYS Once the pride of Mughal Darbaars, now lost in the loudness of electronic music, ghazals are those beautiful pieces of music in which people today too, irrespective of whichever generation they belong, find solace. The calmness it helds in itself makes one stop from all the hustle of this ever running Usain Bolt life and maybe for once makes them actually.. live it or atleast have a feel of it. In this era when we have lost most of those big, respectable names in ghazal gayaki such as Mehdi Hassan, Jagjit Singh, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Mohammad Rafi and many more, we still have some gems among us who care enough to make covers and renditions of those beautiful Ghazals which always touch our hearts. Some of the renditions of old ghazals by artists of our times who make us live time through their music picked especially for those evenings when you want travel to those times when things were simpler RANJISH HI SAHI - ALI SETHI One of the finest deliveries till date by Coke Studio Pakistan, this rendition has mesmerised tens of millions of people from both sides of the border. Originally composed by Nisar Bazmi and written by Ahmed Faraz, Mehdi Hassan popularised this ghazal. With all due respect to the late singer Mehdi, this rendition is one of the best versions sung and available in the industry right now. Ali Sethi has done a tremendous job in delivering each and every line of this complex Urdu piece which calls upon one’s lover to come back even if, to again shatter the heart into thousand pieces one more time. The famous band “Strings” produced and directed this rendition. AAJ JAANE KI ZID NA KARO SEVEN EYES This Pakistani Nazm has been sung by many artists including Farida Khanum, Papon, etc there’s even an electronic version of it in the film “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil”, but what differentiates this version by Seven Eyes is the people performing it. Seven Eyes comprises guitarist Paulo Vinicius from Brazil and UK vocalist Tanya Wells who came together to make music which comes from diverse cultures. They

have performed this ghazal at many occasions including Jashn-e-rekhta, and the way it was performed touched everyone present at the venue. AFREEN AFREEN- RAHAT FATEH ALI KHAN, MOMINA MUSTEHSAN / NAUMAN SAFI It is very unlikely for one to have not heard this song, there are various versions of it but Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan originally composed and sang it. Most likely the most heard version of it would be the one by Coke Studio Pakistan, performed by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Momina Mustehsan which also had some additional lyrics. Among contemporary singers, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is much respected and known for his amazing work with classical music which he definitely showcased in this song, but it was Momina’s big break which she absolutely deserved after such an amazing performance for a short cameo. But if you want something fresh, something new, one should definitely listen to the Nauman Safi version by Bluewind Studio. It has additional lyrics, acoustic music and it feels a bit more intimate which definitely enhances your overall experience.

KOI FARIYAAD - MUSTAHSAN KHAN When it comes to Indian Ghazal singers, one of the very first names that comes into mind is Jagjit Singh. His works are considered one of the best and are basically magic in the form of music. Koi Fariyaad is one of those. It was one of the most popular songs of its time. This rendition by Mustahsan Khan is a perfect blend of that era with a bit of modern instruments which makes it perfect for ears used to electronic music. Mustahsan’s voice also compliments this song to perfection. It’s astonishingly amazing that we are still listening to music that Mughals and Kings and those Darbaaris used to listen to, yes maybe we have changed them a little bit according to our own times but still those centuries old Ghazals carry the same magic they used to have in those times. Here hoping our coming generations may listen and carry the legacy forward with pride and grace.

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SHAURYA SINGH THAPA

Artists To Check Out If You Like

Jonita Gandhi Starting out with viral YouTube covers, Jonita Gandhi has gone on to become a trending sensation when it comes to Indian playback singing. Her multi-lingual proficiency has allowed her to helm several songs in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi, Kannada, and Punjabi films. More recently, she has also ventured in the space of OTT platforms as she also sang songs for projects like Amazon Prime’s Bandish Bandits and Netflix’s Feels Like Ishq. Along with hits like Main Tumhara, The Breakup Song, Kahaan Hoon Main, Gandhi represents a new age of Indian singers who can shift between playback and non-film formats. For instance, her recent release Chal Koi Na finds her debut in the Punjabi independent music space. Here are a few artists that you might dig if you like Jonita Gandhi.

1. Shalmali Kholgade

The crooner behind Pareshaan has also sung for Marathi, Tamil, and Bengali films. However, recently, she is also transitioning towards nonfilm songs such as Here Is Beautiful, the high-profile collaboration with industry legend Sunidhi Chauhan. The track is a part of Kholgade’s new album 2x.

2. Aanchal Shrivastava

Aanchal Shrivastava is a popular name when it comes to the folk and indie scene of the country. Some essential recent tracks include Chalat Musafir and Chithi Khat aur Tum, along with the acclaimed rendition of Din Shagna Da that plays during a crucial same-sex marriage scene in Amazon Prime’s Four More Shots Please.

3. Shirley Setia

When it comes to Indian vocalists who acquired fame through YouTube, Shirley Setia is a recurring name. Her covers won her millions of subscribers and collaborations with YouTube artists from all over the world. Since then, Setia has sung Bollywood songs as well as major

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international collaborations such as a cover of A Whole New World (for 2019’s Aladin) with pianist Kurt Hugo Schneider and BIBA with Pritam and Marshmello.

4. Pallavi Ishpuniyani

Be it with her covers or originals, Pallavi Ishpuniyani carries a certain freshness and diversity to her discography. Just compare her first two singles Night Out and Sehreyan Wala. While the former was a clubfriendly peppy number, the latter was a rendition of a popular Punjabi wedding song.

5. Shivam Mahadevan

Early this year, Jonita Gandhi lent her voice to three tracks for the soundtrack of the musical series Bandish Bandits. Gandhi’s cocollaborator on Sajan Bin, Shivam Mahadevan, also shone in the album with the aforementioned collaboration as well as Chedkhaniyaan, a joint effort with Pratibha Singh Baghel.

6. Lisa Mishra

When Lisa Mishra started building some buzz from her YouTube

channel, she lent vocals on Chance The Rapper’s All We Got (when she was just 13). In 2018, she uploaded a mashup of Tareefan (from Veere De Wedding) and Justin Bieber’s Let Me Love You. The cover caught the attention of actress Sonam Kapoor and Mishra even got a chance to record an official reprise of Tareefan for the film. Since then, she has been signed under Universal Music.

7. Sanam Puri

The brainchild behind the Hindi pop band Sanam, Sanam Puri is known for his covers of classic Bollywood songs as well as his originals. He emulates pop energy as well as a balanced mellowness, depending upon the sound. Some of Sanam’s best works include collaborations with Jonita Gandhi, Teri Aankhon Se and Pinjra (Coke Studio).

8. Sona Mohapatra

Sona Mohapotra has evoked tones of rock, folk, and pop in her Bollywood discography that includes Bedardi Raja from Delhi Belly and Ambarsariya from Fukrey. Outside film, she has released two solo albums, performed the folk song Rangabati for Coke Studio, and even remixed English songs like Just Dance by David Bowie and Afterglow by INXS.

9. Akash Gandhi

Indian-origin American composer Aakash Gandhi was one of Jonita Gandhi’s earliest collaborators through his YouTube channel 88 Keys To Euphoria. Aakash himself helms musical arrangements involving piano and other world instruments and his initial work on the channel featured ‘hidden musical talents’ like Jonita and flutist Sahil Khan.

10 Vidya Vox

Another one of famed Youtube cover singers, Vidya Vox was born in Chennai but migrated to America at the age of eight. Just like her upbringing, she began to blend the Indian with the Western in her music with viral YouTube covers like Closer/Kabira and Lean On/ Jind Mahi.

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ISE 2022:

Visitor registration

opens

ISE 2022 is a must-attend event for the AV industry. Offering a compelling show floor combined with a five-day conference programme, ISE 2022 provides an ideal opportunity to ‘Rise up. Reconnect. Ignite the future’ of AV. Visitor registration for ISE 2022 is now open, offering the international AV and systems integration community a long-awaited opportunity to ‘Rise up. Reconnect. Ignite the future’ at its new home at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía. ISE 2022 will safely and securely reunite the AV industry and provide attendees with the chance to interact and experience world-leading technologies and solutions in person and at first hand. A new development for 2022 is a paperless approach to visitor registration in the form of digital badges issued via the new ISE app. The app will also be a rich source of additional information and content. Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events Managing Director, stated: “As an in-person event, we are uniquely placed to bring all elements of the industry together under one roof. In the build-up to our return to Barcelona, along with our co-owners AVIXA and CEDIA, we have worked hard to ensure that ISE 2022 offers the industry a truly worthwhile experience – showcasing innovation, becoming inspired by some of the brightest in the business, and most importantly, meeting up after so many difficult months apart.” Spread across five halls at the Fira Gran Vía, the show floor has been organised into five Technology Zones to provide a much-improved

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visitor experience. So far, over 700 companies have committed to exhibit. With wide aisles, an easy-tonavigate layout and industry-leading brands showcasing technology innovations and more, ISE 2022 will provide both the AV channel and end-users with plenty of inspiration and solutions for transforming their businesses. The five Technology Zones are: · Audio (Hall 7) • Digital Signage & DooH (Hall 6) • NEW: Lighting & Staging (Hall 7) – featuring special Lighting Demo Zone • NEW: Residential & Smart Building (Hall 2) – newly combined zones • NEW: Unified Communications & Education Technology (Hall 2) – newly combined zones

New to ISE

An innovation for 2022 is ISE’s Sound Xperience. Set just metres away from the Fira Gran Vía, this dedicated cinema complex offers twelve uniquely configured listening rooms to showcase audio with depth, accuracy and pin-point clarity. This initiative, in partnership with Eventos Filmax Cinema Gran Vía complex, is the ultimate setting to sample the signature sound of the world’s leading audio brands. ISE has also greatly expanded its technology demonstration areas. There will be three new demo areas covering lighting and staging (within the Lighting & Staging Zone), audio and digital signage (both outdoors). Taking advantage of the expansive facilities at the venue, these new areas will allow visitors to experience these major multitechnology solutions in ‘real-life’ set-ups.

Inspiring conference and content programme

Renowned as a destination for inspiring content, ISE 2022 will provide plenty of opportunities for professional development through its five-day, multi-language content programme. Combining a mix of paid-for and free sessions, the 2022 thought-leadership programme covers a wide variety of industry topics. Starting on Monday with two, full-day conferences, the programme will take place on three dedicated stages within Hall 1. The Forum, a free-to-access feature commencing with daily keynote sessions, will be hosted by futurist Amelia Kallman. There will also be Spanish content in the AV Experience Zone, produced with AVIXA, while the Catalan Pavilion, in association with ACCIO, promises a great experience for visitors from the local region. “We’re excited to gather the AV community together at ISE’s new home in Barcelona, a vibrant city known for its creativity and innovation,” said Sarah Joyce, Chief Global Officer, AVIXA. “There will be many education opportunities for attendees to explore, including our CTS (Certified Technology Specialist) half-day workshops in multiple languages, along with member events such as the German CTS breakfast, Italian members’ breakfast, and AVIXA Women’s Council and AVIXA Diversity Council events. The AV Experience Zone returns with a two-day conference presented in Spanish that will explore AV in the retail, hospitality, and corporate markets. We can’t wait to see everyone at the show in 2022!” Featuring expert speakers, presentations and panel discussions, the ISE Conference programme comprises: • Smart Building Conference (Monday 31 January) • Digital Signage Summit (Monday 31 January) • Control Rooms Summit (Tuesday 1 February – am) • NEW: Smart Workplace Summit

• • •

(Tuesday 1 February – pm) Digital Learning Summit (Wednesday 2 February – pm) NEW: Live Events Summit (Thursday 3 February – pm) NEW: Superyacht Technology Conference (Friday 4 Feb – am)

Giles Sutton, Interim Co-CEO at CEDIA commented: “Along with the whole professional home integration community, CEDIA is very much looking forward to ISE 2022 in Barcelona. The event next year marks the beginning of a new and exciting era for our industry as we look beyond the challenges of the past eighteen months to a brighter future for us all. CEDIA will be running an extensive professional development programme at the show, providing a wide range of opportunities for attendees to learn new skills, grow their knowledge and build a vibrant, fulfilling career path in the industry. We can’t wait to re-connect with visitors from across the world at the Fira Gran Via in February 2022.”

Features and events

AV Career Day returns to ISE 2022, this year taking place on Thursday 2 February. Supported by AVIXA, CEDIA and ISE, this initiative is designed to showcase career opportunities throughout the AV industry and ensure that the next generation of AV professionals has the skills to meet the challenges of the future. A select group of technology students from universities and technical colleges across Europe will enjoy a hosted visit. ISE is also working closely with the city of Barcelona, the Catalan government, and Spanish authorities. There will be some very enjoyable social events and features designed to showcase ISE’s new home in Barcelona. More details will follow. Making its debut in Barcelona is the Inavation Awards, produced by IML. Long associated with ISE, these awards celebrate the projects and technologies deployed by systems integrators, consultants and

technology managers. The Inavation Awards will take place on Tuesday 1 February and promise to be a great night out. The Stand Design Awards, which celebrate and acknowledge the efforts of ISE’s exhibitors in creating impactful and effective exhibition stands, will also take place during the show.

A safe environment

Covid safety measures will remain under constant review to ensure the most appropriate plans are in place for the situation in February 2022 as ISE continues to work closely with the venue, the city of Barcelona and the local and national health authorities. Potential measures could include the wearing of face masks, social distancing, and provision of enhanced sanitisation measures throughout the venue. A negative test, proof of vaccination or proof of recovery will be required to access the venue.

More details regarding these measures will be announced soon, but in the meantime, registration is now open – so go here to book your ticket: https://iseurope.org/register.php Integrated Systems Europe, ISE 2022, will take place at the Fira de Barcelona Gran Vía on 1-4 February 2022. The ISE Conference programme runs from Monday 31 January through to Friday 4 February. For more information, please visit www.iseurope.org The

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SHAURYA SINGH THAPA

EUPHORIA’S MAERI EVOKES A NOSTALGIC ROMANCE FROM THE 90S

SCORE INDIE CLASSICS

Fronted by Dr Palash Sen, Euphoria has been one of the first independent Indian acts to become a household name. Continously making music since their 1998 album Dhoom, they have had a consistent track record and continue belting out singles till this day.

Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, the 6-minute short starts off from a chaotic railway station scene. As the band members hurriedly enter their Dehradun Express coach with their instruments, the band’s lead singer just sits near a window staring aimlessly.

But for the ‘90s kids’ who grew up with their music, Maeri might be one of their most preferred tracks. As Sen revealed in an MTV Unplugged episode, he wrote this song as a tribute to his mother. A single child, he started off Maeri to show his frustration at his father who was never there. But towards the end of the track, he just ends up getting emotional and cheery thinking about the mother that raised him.

The train starts moving and Sen goes on a walk down memory lane. He thinks about his town and how he used to spend time with his partner (a pre-fame Rimi Sen playing the part). As this environment and period are devoid of social media, the couple engages in simple and naive past times like eating sugarcane and pressing coins on the train tracks. And then in typical Bollywood fashion, the girl’s parents extend their reservations with this romance and get her married off to someone else. Sen eventually gives up and finds a new purpose with the timeline shifting to the present.

The equally memorable music video however changes the connection and finds Sen musing on an old romantic interest with whom he couldn’t end up. He misses her with bittersweet memories with some positive, singalong energy accompanying the mellow lyrics.

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Interspersed with this ill-fated storyline are some contrasting jovial scenes as Sen tries to forget his sadness and jam with bandmates like

bassist DJ Bhaduri, percussionist Prashant Chaturvedi, guitarist Gaurav Misra, and harmonium player Kajal Ghosh. Despite the Bollywood romance angle, Sen and his musical ensemble are far from a mainstream film industry act. As Sen said in a recent interview, ‘Being called a Bollywood singer is as good as an insult to me.’ As for Euphoria’s stint as an indie act, the band has stuck to performing and releasing music for more than two decades now. And given the interactions they receive on social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube, they don’t show any signs of stopping. This is a notable fact for a 90s band in India as most of them ended up being one-hit wonders or just broke up after a few years. In this sense, they are no less than indie legends and tracks like Maeri have become landmark songs in Indian independent music. Till today, the video of Maeri continues to get nostalgic comments from teary viewers and listeners. For instance, a user commented ‘Maeri is not only a song, it’s an emotion...a journey back to childhood’.

EASWARAN ANANTRAM

INDIAN SCIENTIFIC MUSIC SEASONAL RAGAS – PART 1 Seasons!! Something that everyone looks out for!! Everyone has their own reasons to like a specific season: Some like the Rains, getting wet, the petrichor, looking out at the heavy thunderstorm sipping a cup of hot chocolate; there are some who love the Autumn which marks the advent of Winter, the mild temperature, the red-yellow dried leaves falling off the trees on the sidewalk, a walk down that sidewalk with a loved one; then there’s Winter the coldness that grips you for good, cuddling up under the blanket with pillows to cover your ears, the late sunrise and early sunset, sitting by the fireplace sipping a glass of warm brandy; Oh Yes! Then it’s the spring time! The flora and fauna back into blossoming, the birds chirping around happily as you go jumping around the garden playing carefree as a kid and finally the Summers when the Sun shines in all his power, exhorting his powerful rays that could tan us almost instantly. Running back home to have a popsicle after a morning full of play in our Summer vacation is something that almost all of us have experienced and have a cherishing memory about. Ragas, also have taken a position in the expression of these seasons. This article will take you through a few of these ragas and will show you the beauty of expression of Indian music through its technicality without compromising on the mood and emotion. For starters, India (the land of the Indus – from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean) is said to experience 6 seasons or Rutu: Basant or Spring, Greeshma or Summer, Varsha or Monsoon, Sharad or Autumn, Hemant – Pre-winter and Shishir or Winter. This article will cover the first 2 seasons

Spring: Bahar or Basant The spring is one of the happiest times as descried in all literature, with lush greenery and colourful flowers everywhere this time is the mating time for most animals. There are two main ragas that describe this through music, Raag Basant and Raga Bahar. Basant is a tad more serious in its expression as we call it shows more traditionally masculine characteristics, whereas Raag Bahar is chirpier, fast paced and expressive thereby portraying the traditionally feminine characteristics Almost all compositions in these Raags describe the beauty of the season or the environment during the season. Take the following lyrics from a composition in Raag Bahar by Bharatratna Pt. Bhimsen Joshi for example: Kaliyan sang karta rang raliyaan, Bhanwar gunjaare phooli phulwaare, Chahoon oar mor bole, Koyal ki, kook suni, hook uthhi Kaliyan sang karta rang raliyaan This roughly translates to “Look!! the honey bees making love to the flowers, The Bee that is humming its way over blossomed fauna, From the four directions can be heard the sweet wail of the Peacocks, And my heart is overwhelmed by the sound of the cuckoo birds chirping away!” This is a typical poetic description of the Spring season.

Summers: Greeshma The Summers are a tough one to express through music, there is a kind of mixed feeling associated with it. Different ragas are used to describe the different times in the Summers. 1. Early summers and late spring is showing with the help of most types of Sarangs. Shuddha Sarang, Salang Sarang 2. The mid summers are best described by Ragas like Multani and Bhimpalas, the mood of these ragas is heavy and show the tiredness caused by the Sun blasting us in full force 3. The leaving summer and the advent of monsoon is described by Lighter ragas like Des, and Brindavani Sarang With this I complete the first part to Ragas and Seasons. The second will deal with my favourite Season the Monsoons. The

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AKARSH SHEKHAR

How to Increase The Depth of Your Guitar Sound? A lot of guitarists have faced this issue. The final mixing has started and the guitar just doesn’t sound right. You have done a flawless job recording your guitar parts but it just doesn’t sound right. Your guitar layers might blend harmonically but sound sonically inadequate. Here’s what you need to do in such situations:

Try Different Guitars

Carefully curating the guitars you use for particular parts in an arrangement can make a huge difference in terms of things coming together easily when you get to the mixdown stage of a project. Even on the same guitar, that doubled rhythm part might work better voiced differently or simply up an octave

Think 3D

It helps to think of your mix in three dimensions: width (stereo spread), height (frequency range), and depth (individual relative track volume, reverb, and delay). As you record, overdub, and make rough mixes, you are developing a mental picture of your final mix — or, at least, you should be.

Create Space

Start by muting all the guitars. Get a good bass and drum mix and bring up the rhythm guitars one by one. See if they lock in with the bass and drums.

Less is More

Having multiple guitars all competing for attention dilutes the power of a track. Yes, if you are recording something like Marty Friedman’s Forbidden City, you will need multiple guitar parts but most

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of the rock hits don’t have more than two complementary rhythm guitar tracks.

Fill the Stereo Spectrum

Use the stereo spectrum to spread out guitars and create a sense of air in the mix. Start with those two complementary rhythm guitars panned hard left and hard right, still monitoring with drums and bass. If you’re contractually obligated to use four rhythm guitar tracks, make sure that they are distinctly audible and balance well with bass, drums, and lead vocals.

Use the Equalizer

Equalization (EQ) is an effective tool for making guitars work together and for opening up sonic real estate for bass, drums, vocals, and solos. If all the guitar parts sound like a muddy mess, but the producer insists on using them all, trying cutting (as opposed to boosting) at select frequencies to suck out duplicated areas of the frequency spectrum can thin out these tracks and make them fit together like jigsaw puzzle pieces.

Use Compression

Compressing guitars (and bass) effectively squeezes them into their own “envelopes,” which can be useful to make multiple guitars in an arrangement more distinct from each other

Create Depth with Relative Track Volumes

When too many tracks are competing for attention at the front of the mix, dropping a guitar back just enough so that it can still be heard gives the mix ear-catching dimension. Ideally, you want to create a “frame” for the lead vocal, so you have to leave space for it in the center of the soundscape you’re constructing.

Build the right ambience

Today’s DAWs offer an endless supply of high-quality reverbs from sophisticated convolution engines to old-school plate and spring emulations — and everything in between. Once you overcome the option anxiety and find the right ambience treatments for the tracks you’re mixing, you then have to place them so that they enhance the mix without sacrificing clarity.

Shape your tone with re-amping

If you’ve heard about re-amping and haven’t tried it yet, you’re in for a treat — it’s a powerful way to reshape guitar tone. If you plug your guitar directly into the DI input of your audio interface, record a guitar track in your DAW, and assign an amp model to that track, then you’re already practicing a form of reamping.

NAVYA C

8 ULTIMATE INTERNATIONAL DUETS OF ALL TIME

While solo performance is a challenge altogether and hundreds of individual artists have made their mettle in the world of music, duets have a special space always. The conversational dialogue that happens in duets cannot be seen in any other style of songs. While people might think duets are only meant for romantic purpose or expressing the feelings of love, it goes beyond just this single aspect. A duet can be a debate, a fun conversation between friends, or a counter argument as well! Score brings you the 10 Ultimate international Duets of all time that will surely make you rethink on the scope of duets! 1. Girl from the North CountryBob Dylan and Johnny Cash: The song is a classic example of how a duet can also mean strong friendship between two legendary artists. With Bob Dylan’s thoughtful lyrics and Johnny Cash’s unique approach towards Country music, this song is an undisputed classic. 2.Time of My Life- Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes: A dancing masterpiece, and the passionate voices shows the chemistry between a couple so brilliantly. A song that rocked the 80s decade in style, it became a jewel in a crown kind of a movie “Dirty Dancing”. 3. Cheek to Cheek- Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong: When two Jazz legends come together, nothing less than extravaganza would happen. With Jazzy rhythms, Louis Armstrong’s baritone voice is amazingly complemented by Ella’s powerful voice. Duets are made for such reasons is it not?

4. When You Believe- Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey: A duet needn’t be just another romantic number but about women power that gets doubled with these two power packed artists. A song that uplifts feminine spirit in a simplified way, don’t miss the amazing vocals that dominate the composition throughout. 5. I Believe in You- Celine Dion and Il Divo: The fantastic vocalist Celine Dion blended so perfectly with the Italian group Il Divo who bring harmonies to complete life. The blend of multiple vocals in a breezy ambience is the biggest highlight of this song.

7. A Whole New World- Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott: A song that is sheer magic, and breezy at its hilt. Just like the magic carpet scene shown in the film Aladdin during this song, the song glides like a river that is unstoppable. 8. Beauty and the Beast- Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson: Timeless number that speaks about the fantastic tale of Beauty and the Beast- an eternal fairy tale. Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson bring live to the composition with their passionate renditions.

6. No Me Amez- Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony: The real time singing couple sets the song into instant liking with their fiery renditions touched with Latino feels and taking the listener instantly to the blue seas of South America and Mexico! The

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How to Make Your Own Pedalboard Pedals contribute a lot to an electric guitar’s sound. The more advanced you get on the electric guitar, the more pedals you might want to utilize in your guitar playing. Managing all of your precious pedals and using them requires a pedalboard. If you pick up pedalboards off market shelves, they might end up burning a deep hole in your pocket. Thankfully, we are here to help you save a lot of cash by telling you how you can make your own pedalboard. It isn’t really very difficult and it’s something all guitarists should know how to do.

Assembly Measurements The first thing you need to know to build this custom accessory is how many effects pedals you are going to use. From the quantity, you will determine more or less the size of the pedalboard you need. The next thing in this aspect is to take into account if you are going to put it inside a briefcase or not, because then you need the base to be exactly the measurements of the interior of the said briefcase. We recommend looking for a metal briefcase, the kind that can be found for cheap on online stores such as Amazon and Flipkart or stores that sell tools and objects for DIY.

Design Now it’s time to decide which model you want, the steps to follow in the assembly of how to make a homemade pedalboard will vary a little based on the design that you have considered. One is a singlelevel, nearly flat surface with slots

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for cable routing. Another option is almost the same as the previous one, but with a slightly higher level, which makes it quite comfortable to use, and the other option you can choose is to make it inclined, which might make it easier to use during a live performance.

Materials Now among the steps of how to make a homemade pedalboard, it’s time to choose the material with which you are going to make it. Wood is most frequently used, but it is not mandatory, what is necessary is that you use something that is resistant enough to withstand stomping, not only yours but those of those who may step on it by accident. You will also need tools such as a jigsaw or an electric drill, quite a wide velcro, hammer and nails for wood, glue and paint. The boards can be cut from the corresponding measurements directly in the place where you buy them.

Now we only have to assemble. It will be the longest step in our process of how to make a homemade pedalboard, but it is quite fast and simple. First join the wooden slabs with nails and special wood glue, leaving space between them to pass the cables or first make holes with the jig that are wide enough to pass the cables through there. If you have chosen to make it a double decker, remember to set aside a longer space where the second level does not reach, so you can put a wah or volume pedal if you want to use it. Once the glue has dried, apply a coat of paint and let it dry, then apply a second coat to make the color more uniform. Once this process is finished, it only remains to glue the velcro to the wood and the pedals. That will make it easier for you to change them and keep them in place when using your new pedalboard. And now you’ve learned how to make a homemade pedalboard and it’s ready for you to put it in your metal case and transport it wherever you go to play your electric guitar.

SHOULD AUTOTUNE

STILL BE A TABOO? In many ways, Autotune is to music what Photoshop is to pictures. In other words, it is an editing program that allows you to polish defects until you get an improved version of your song. So if you go out of tune here and there, Autotune can correct it. There are few who raise their voices against the use of Autotune, considering it deception and a perversion of the musical spirit. But does editing photographs pervert the spirit of photography? In our opinion, it is one more element that must be taken advantage of. And yes, moderation is the key. Just like in photo editing, we don’t want the end result to appear inhuman and artificial. The positions, in this field, are fierce. Those who oppose Autotune are convinced that they stand for “real music.” But what is real music? Even the people who stay away from auto tune, always use some kind of technology when they record their songs. Well, those same people continue to argue that Autotune allows secondrate artists to pass for people with a talent that they lack. But that assumes that the consumers are stupid, that they are not capable of evaluating quality music, made by someone with real talent.

What is “real music”?

Have those who defend these positions considered that Autotune has been used in practically all music for many years? Is Metallica or Radiohead real music? Because they, like everyone else, use computers and technological

advances to make their music better every day. The reality, too, is that talent goes far beyond just tuning. If you are not capable of writing songs that convey your emotions well, if you cannot give off the charisma that a live concert needs, what does it matter if a program tunes the songs for you? You will sound like an impersonal robot, unable to reach the masses. Autotune is just one more tool, of many that exist, born as a compliment, an aid for artists. It isn’t a tool to turn the Average Joe into a pop star. Now, let’s break down the advantages and disadvantages of using Auto-tune:

Helps composers One of the most common uses and, in our opinion, the most necessary. A great composer who lacks vocal talent can use auto-tune to present their creations in acceptable quality.

Disadvantages of using Auto-tune

Fixes small issues with the recording There are fat, unpresentable mistakes in a professional job that would force a whole piece of the song to be repeated if it weren’t for the existence of Auto-tune. The program allows you to fix it in a simple way.

False expectations Even people who are born with the perfect pitch will find it difficult to tune every element of a song, perfectly. In one way or another, listening to the music edited ad nauseam raises expectations that can make certain audiences feel disappointed when they hear what should be the ultimate expression of music: live performance.

Helps save time Something related to the previous one, allows both the artist and the studio managers to save time. Especially in the case of young artists, unaccustomed to the pressure of the recording studio, who, despite being able to tune perfectly, may not be able to do it at their best under these circumstances.

Loss of humanity Music, like any other art form, is very expressive. Being extremely crisp, clean, and robotic makes any art sterile. That note and that one a little up or a little down, endow a song with personality, with humanity. So it’s not really necessary to retune perfectly capable artists until their music looks like the work of flawless robots.

Advantages of using Autotune

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Anirudh Deshmukh

The Architect-TurnedClubhouse Star

Around last December, architectturned-singer Anirudh Deshmukh had released his first single, a soothing love ballad titled Besabriyan. Now, a few months and more tracks later, Deshmukh’s popularity as an indie singersongwriter seems to have considerably risen. Apart from his talent and gleeful personality, Deshmukh has made good use of the social media app Clubhouse. In fact, one can even refer to him as a ‘Clubhouse star’ as the app has even roped him in as their ‘first Indian icon’. For the ones unacquainted with Clubhouse, it began as a social media startup with the app launching in March, 2020. The purpose of Clubhouse is to create chat rooms of all sorts where people and artists can connect together and debate, discuss, or just engage in everyday chitter-chatter. The timing of the release seemed to be perfect as lockdown season had just commenced. However, Indian users gained access only this year. One popular Clubhouse room is Deshmukh’s Late Night Jams, a show that he hosts every day. Musicians, singers, poets, and other creatives come together to share their art and encourage each other with Deshmukh hosting this wholesome safe space.

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SHAURYA SINGH THAPA Today, the Clubhouse club called ANIRUDH (that hosts Late Night Jams) has over 73k members. Deshmukh’s personal profile on the app has 42.6k followers. If this wasn’t enough, he has also become the face of the app (quite literally). Just search for Clubhouse on the Google Play Store and you will find Deshmukh’s face. So, before these whopping numbers, how did Anirudh’s Clubhouse journey begin? ‘I first heard about Clubhouse in February 2021 through a friend. The app was invite-only then, and she sent me one. It was the first time I had heard of an audio-only app, so I was extremely curious to see how that worked as a concept.’ Deshmukh says while going back to the start. He adds that the app proved to be the perfect getaway as it opened the possibility of meeting and interacting new people in the pandemic. In the face of dwindling physical performances, virtual concerts proved to be a marketable opportunity for some singers in the post-pandemic era. Our story’s protagonist similarly utilised Clubhouse by just letting his voice do the talking. ‘As a musician, the best part about the app for me is the ability to just unmute and start singing! I don’t have to worry about anything else and being able to perform from the comfort of my home has been one of the most liberating feelings.’ With more and more people finding a platform to share and appreciate art, ANIRUDH started gaining more followers. Clubhouse allowed his music and presence to also reach overseas. Even people from Canada and USA actively participated in the club. No complex marketing strategies were required. Anirudh’s club simply started growing from word of mouth and the sheer talent of its members. Every night in the club goes on a

non-scripted, impromptu note as Anirudh opens the show at 10PM IST and members start joining in with their performances, one by one. How does Anirudh feel about his newfound fame on Clubhouse? When asked about this, the singer was humble enough to see this rise in popularity as ‘the building of a strong community’. Just look at how he describes the exhilaration of his first Late Night Jam session. ‘The “Late Night Jam” started on 22 May after my first vaccine jab. I was feeling low after the shot and thought music would help. It was around the same time that Clubhouse had announced they were opening the app to Android users, and when I opened the room to jam that night, a lot more people joined than we would normally have seen then. There were other musicians who joined in too, and we ended up jamming till around 7am in the morning!’ Clubhouse has hence been a productive venture for the singer. This story feels pretty optimistic in the face of social media toxicity that only seems to grow year by year. Deshmukh feels that no app is

inherently toxic but rather, it is the users that can make it toxic. As more and more musicians are trying to helm their own social media campaigns, Deshmukh’s rise to fame seems to set a precedent. ‘I’ve always tried to not focus on the numbers, be it on my social media or as streams and the progress of my songs. But I’m starting to learn how if these numbers are supported by a strong community, it can do wonders for artists and creators who work with social media. These are the people who believe in you and will stand by you and your work, and we should never take them for granted.’ He adds. As of now, he continues to host his sessions on Clubhouse every night at 10 while working on his upcoming singles. While his first two songs Besabriyan and Rehnuma talked about a love that couldn’t be, the upcoming releases would cover the stages that lie ahead. In 2017, he made the switch from an architect to a full-time musician. He has never looked back since. And his Clubhouse fanbase definitely gives him enough reasons to make more music and connect with more artists. The

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KRIPA KRISHNAN

FACING

THE IMPOSTER

SYNDROME

IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY!

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We are seeing an increasing democratization of access to mental healthcare owing to the constantly evolving technologies. Mental health is shifting away from the conventional hospital setting to a more community-driven approach. There has been an exponential growth in the number of jargons; terms used to classify a set of behavioral patterns. The Imposter Phenomenon, or rather, Imposter Syndrome as we call it, is definitely one of them. It is gradually becoming more apparent and widespread across the globe. Although it isn’t an official illness according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), it can have detrimental implications on mental and physical health. Thus, it is best to have a conceptual understanding of the imposter syndrome so as to prevent any potential vicious downward spirals of negative thought patterns. The first ever academic reference to the imposter phenomenon was mentioned in an article regarding “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women” in 1978. This was coined after a brief qualitative experiment on 150 high-achieving women, most of whom were not able to internalize their respective academic achievements and instead credited their success to luck. This set of feelings attributed to low selfconfidence and self esteem, as well as a distorted perception of oneself despite the presence of external validation is what we commonly refer to as the Imposter Syndrome.

The notion of external validation is subjective and inevitably varies per scenario. For example, let us take three scenarios : (1) An individual who has amassed more than 1M views for their new music video (2) A singer, not known to many, but finally got an opportunity in film (3) A new independent artist who just released a new music video. Are all individuals therefore high achievers? Or do we only consider the individual with a high viewership a high achiever? Is it even worth comparing? Let’s say we consider all three to be ‘high achievers’ in their own regard, they can all still be susceptible to the syndrome if they feel they don’t deserve the success. This could be a function of inevitable comparisons, lack of external validation, or even intrinsic self-doubt. However, by no means should one allow such intangible and most often artificial constructs of success to govern their character and way of living/ achieving. Having said that, certain external conditions can fuel the development of the Imposter Syndrome among more susceptible individuals. For example, let us take a rather oppressed society built on strong gender stereotypes. A woman in this society releasing a rap/hip-hop music video is probabilistically more likely to experience more profound feelings of self-doubt and even guilt for that matter compared to a society where the gender gap isn’t as apparent. It is therefore important to understand the context and be conscious of why you are feeling the way you are feeling.

of self-doubt, and perceived selfincompetence that could either be transient and/or more chronic across various circumstances. We live in a world that is intrinsically built upon various social constructs, one of which is hierarchies. We encounter many hierarchies, some of which we are conscious of, and others we have subconsciously imbibed as valid. Some examples are: corporate organizational structures, gender and ethinic specific prejudices, income classes, and employment types. As such, comparisons and judgement are inevitable. In fact, although this notion of being an ‘imposter’ may have negative connotations, there are endless upsides as long as (1) you are cognizant of its occurrence and (2) you make a conscious effort to ensure those feelings don’t dictate your personal integrity/work ethic/ personality. For example, if you can pinpoint why you doubt yourself, or perhaps, why you think you may not be deserving of something, then you can make a conscious effort to prove yourself wrong. In fact, we should all question ourselves and continue to learn and grow. Why not consider using these feelings to your own advantage and allow yourself to grow outside these mental constraints you are creating within yourself?

Again, since Imposter Syndrome is not an official diagnosis , there’s often ambiguity in how one defines and interprets the term. It is seen as an umbrella term for feelings

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Microphonology:

How To Get Your Mic Selection Right? Microphone noise

Like any electronic element, the microphone produces noise inside it, so we must ensure that the noise generated is as low as possible compared to the audio signal that we are recording.

Signal to noise ratio (S / R) The signal-to-noise ratio actually represents the difference between the SPL level (Sound Pressure level) and the microphone’s own noise. The higher the SPL and the lower the noise, the better the signal-tonoise ratio, and vice versa. The higher the signal-to-noise ratio the better. It tells us what percentage of the SPL signal is above the background noise. If we have an SPL of 100 dB and a self-noise in the microphone of 30 dB, the signal-tonoise ratio will be 70 dB. For a 100 dB signal, a signal-to-noise ratio of 80 dB is very good and 70 dB is good.

Phantom power for microphones Some microphones require power to function, specifically to keep the condenser charged. Some of these mics use batteries and others use phantom power. This supply is usually 48 volts and sometimes it is in the microphone itself and others in the device to which we are going to connect it. It is important to remember to connect it or not

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A microphone may be great for picking up the sound of a flute but fatal for recording ambient sound in a football stadium. Therefore, the first thing is to know what we want it for and under what conditions. Based on that we will decide what directionality we need and what frequency response. Once defined, if we have several candidates and we do not decide, we can compare the sensitivity, and other data that we will see below:

when we are working with them and to have it turned off if it is not a microphone that needs it because we can charge it.

Pass filters Some microphones incorporate a high-pass filter that eliminates ambient noise. If, for example, we have a filter with a frequency lower than 150Hz, it means that it will eliminate all bass noises and only allow frequencies from 150Hz to pass through.

WHAT MICROPHONE TO BUY? Shotgun microphone They are long or narrow tube microphones that make them very directional super or hyper cardioid, to pick up sounds at long distances. Shotgun microphones are perfect for short films and documentaries.

Condenser microphone They are called condensers because of the way they are constructed. They are high-fidelity and highly sensitive microphones, fragile and sensitive to humidity. This is why condenser microphones are often used in studios. These microphones need phantom power to keep the condenser charged.

Tie or Lavalier They are usually omni-directional and may or may not be wireless. The lavalier microphones are ideal for interviews and podcasts as they manage to capture a clear and clean sound of the human voice.

Dynamic Microphones Another type of microphone based on its construction is electrodynamic or dynamic. The mobile ones are the most common in live situations. They are low cost and very easy to use microphones. It is the idea that we all have of a microphone. They are very robust, very resistant and that is why they are perfect for outdoors and for live performances.

Electrodynamic tape Electrodynamic microphones can be of two types: moving coil like the previous ones or ribbon. The ribbon ones work in a similar way to the dynamic ones, only that the element that vibrates inside is a very thin ribbon. They are very good two-way hi-fi mics but they are very heavy and expensive. They are typical of the 50’s movies when two people sang in a duet.

AKARSH SHEKHAR

AUDIO INTERFACE 101

READ THIS BEFORE PICKING ONE UP

What is an audio interface? An audio interface is a device that converts the electrical signal into digital to be able to work it in our DAW.

During this process, several physical elements (of the interface) are involved that influence the quality of the analog/digital (A / D) conversion. The quality of these elements, the input preamp and the converters, often determine the price of the interface.

What audio interface do I buy?

Before deciding, ask yourself the following questions: • Do you play an instrument and need to record yourself? • Do you have a group and would you like to be able to record your rehearsals? • Do you produce electronic music and will you record sporadically? • Do you have a lot of hardware that you need to get into the computer? The resolution of all these questions is the first point to start defining the characteristics of our audio interface.

What are the main characteristics of an audio interface? If you don’t record or you will eventually, a 2In / 2Out interface serves you perfectly. If you are

afraid of falling short at some point, you can choose some 4In / 4Out. If you record a lot, you should ask yourself more questions to finish defining the characteristics that your interface should have.

Do you have a lot of hardware?

If you have a studio with a lot of hardware, you may need a lot of line inputs for synths, samplers, or whatever you have. If you also have compressors, equalizers or some other type of processor, you will need a lot of line inputs and outputs.

How many mics do I need?

So if you want to record your band, you will need a lot of mic preamps and line inputs. Remember that only for drums, you need an army of different types of mics.

Do I need digital inputs in order to connect a rack of preamps and increase the number of mics that I can record at the same time?

inputs (the number of inputs will vary depending on the sampling frequency that we use when recording) the number of physical inputs (analog) of our interface. This will be useful to be able to add 8 more preamps to our physical inputs and thus be able to record for example up to 16 mics at the same time. If you’re only going to record vocals, it might be worth investing in a good tube preamp or a high-end channel strip, instead of using the card preamp.We already know what to take into account when choosing the number of inputs and outputs. Now comes the last point.

What to look for before buying an audio interface? •

•

The answer to this question will further clarify for us how many inputs we need and how they should be. There are many interfaces where you can see 18In / 18Out but they only have 8 preamps and eight line outs. The rest of the inputs and outputs are digital, that is, by ADAT multichannel protocol we can enter and exit up to 8 more

•

When choosing a model with a more or less economical price, we will look at the quality of its components, always taking into account its use. If we only produce electronic music and we do not record anything or we only eventually record a voice or an instrument, why spend money on a high-end interface? As you can see, it doesn’t make much sense. It is important to be aware of the use that we are going to give it. If, on the other hand, you are going to record regularly, it is worth investing in a good interface.

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Studio Tour Aura Studios

Tell us about space At Aura studios we have three stages: a) Stereo recording and mix stage with a booth for live recordings and voice overs. b) Dolby 7.1.4 Atmos surround mix suite and a composing suite with a compact booth. c) ADR/ Voice dub and foley stages: at the ground floor , with two control rooms and two booths.

Take us through the process of setting it up The studio design was conceptualised with an idea to maintain symmetry in terms of acoustical design. The music production and stereo suite was started in 2010 and then the surround mix suite in 2013. The Voice dub and foley sound design suite was launched last year 2020.

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Mr. Manoj (Sound Engineer and Studio Architect) of spectral synthesis, built the stereo suite and the surround mix suite. Mr.Roman ravi did the Dub and foley suite.

What are some of the studio essentials you would recommend? Main essentials for any studio should be a good team of sound engineers as you need to have a good set of ears for good judgement of sound. Apart from that, good set of monitors, preamps and mics to achieve utmost precision related to sound.

What equipment do you use?

The different equipment that we have in our studio as: Focal twin be 6 monitors Focal sub 6 sub woofers Focal Cms series surround monitors SLS cinema sub woofer ( surround mix suite ) Apogee/ Avid MTRX interfaces / Avid Omni HD native interface C 24 and Euphonix artist mix series control surfaces Preamps: a) UNIVERSAL AUDIO 2-610 silver face b) Audient and Art pro multichannel preamps Micophones: Nuemann/ Akg C414 / Studio projects (SP) / Sennheiser K416 / Avantone Cv12 / SE 4400 / Ashton Starlight / AKG drum mic bundle / Shure Dynamic mics along with small diaphragm microphones.

Pieces of gear you cannot live without For the studio obviously you can’t operate without the monitors. Prime thing is to take care and maintain the monitors so that it doesn’t disrupt the workflow. So my Focal monitors are the ones without which it’s hard to operate.

Describe your typical work day in the studio. Everyday is a new experience and a challenge. It’s usually not the same routine as we get to meet and work with different clients for different needs. As we have all the departments pertaining to audio and sound production under one roof, it helps in the efficiency and consistency to supervise the workflow and also to give hassle free solutions. We have our own team of sound engineers taking care of their respective departments and hence the process flow is streamlined.

Take us through some of your most significant releases from your studio and why it is special? It’s hard to point out only one project or title. We have worked over 600 films ,several indie bands and contents. I could point out two instances which are special ones. Music Production process of SPIRIT of chennai song. I got an opportunity to compose and record 33 singers and 20 plus live musicians. We had all the singers together during the recording sessions and it was a great experience to track and conduct some of the legends like SPB, Shankar Mahadevan , Hariharan ji to the current singers etc. Another most memorable session was with Maestro Ilayaraja visiting us for a mixing session, where we had a wonderful experience sharing his works and concepts.

Tips to aspiring owners of studios It’s always good to have a clarity on the sound you would want to deliver.it’s a competitive industry and it’s important to make choices ( Acoustics, sound aesthetics, equipments, hardware and DAW) to reproduce the right sound without any compromises. I would suggest that the choices are made based on the functionalities an equipment can offer. We are in a digital lossless era and we are heading towards it so it’s important to have a hybrid setup ( Analog and digital integration) for future needs and adapt accordingly

What’s your next buy for the studio? We have upgraded the studio with the latest technology, be it software or hardware. We are planning to integrate all the three studio workplace through Dante connectivity. That’s something which we are in the process and would be incorporated soon.

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AKARSH SHEKHAR

How To Overcome Songwriter’s Block? START WITH THE TITLE Find an interesting title and most of the song will almost write itself, reputable songwriters claim. This is something that songwriters use in many songs. Renowned composers and artists have used this strategy, and great hits and songs have been written in this way. Keep in mind that in many songs, the title tells the whole story. LOOK AROUND FOR INSPIRATION Whether it’s being on a train, walking, or just having a conversation with someone, you never know what you are going to hear. So when you’re really paying attention to what’s going on around you, you can sometimes hear someone say something randomly and think, “That’s a great phrase! I should use it. ALWAYS RECORD OR NOTE This may seem basic, but since you never know when inspiration might hit songwriters, it’s important to have a way to document a great musical idea every time it’s presented. If you’re comfortable with traditional music notation, a small lined notepad (staff) may be all you need. If you prefer to sing your tunes, a voice recorder on a smartphone or other small recording device can get the job done.

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USE OTHER COMPOSITIONS FOR IDEAS TO FINISH YOURS Even if you are only able to put a verse here and a chorus there, it is imperative to save everything you write. A lot of famous songwriters have written many unfinished ideas for different songs that they turn to when they get stuck. WRITE CONSTANTLY The more hours you spend writing music, the easier the creative process will be. Consistently writing like professional songwriters helps you feel comfortable creating songs and with yourself as a songwriter. IDENTIFY YOUR CLICHES When there is a blockage, it is not because you do not hear anything, what happens is that you are hearing old clichés. You’re only getting those ideas you’ve sung and written a million times. In times of creative frustration, it can be easy to slip back into melodies or chords that you’ve been using for years. But being able to see your own cliches can also incentivize you to do something unique. POSITIVE SELF CRITICISM Self-criticism can be a paralyzing force when trying to write a song. It can also cause you to lower the bar while writing worthwhile words or melodies. Good writing, like acting or singing, is a marriage of heart, talent, and skill. If it is meaningful to you, it will also be meaningful to other people.

GET SOME HELP Rather than viewing a co-writer as a burden, you have to view it as an opportunity to push yourself as a composer. Co-writing was once described as helping a friend solve a crossword puzzle. Co-writing can help you overcome your fears. USE A SECONDARY INSTRUMENT Creating fresh musical ideas often means writing songs for instruments that you are not familiar with. One thing you can try is to pick up a bass, improvise melodies on it, and sing a lyric while playing the bass. The less familiar you are with the instrument you are playing, the better. It will really help you get out of your own cliches. TAKE A BREAK Sometimes you just have to take a break to find inspiration again. For them you only need, for example, to listen to music, read a book, go for a walk, or maybe turn on the television. GET INSPIRATION FROM YOUR FAVOURITE ARTISTS Listen to the recordings of some of your favorite songs and play along with them, regardless of what instrument is played. This will help you come up with ideas like instrumental form, chord structure ratio, or chord progression, or even something that later transforms into a song. The

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Unleash your creativity Introducing GLM 4.1 loudspeaker manager software For 15 years, GLM software has worked with our Smart Active Monitors to minimise the unwanted acoustic influences of your room and help your mixes sound great, everywhere. Now, GLM 4.1 includes the next generation AutoCal 2 calibration algorithm and a host of new features – delivering a much faster calibration time and an even more precise frequency response. So, wherever you choose to work, GLM 4.1 will unleash your creativity, and help you produce mixes that translate consistently to other rooms and playback systems. And with GLM 4.1, both your monitoring system and your listening skills have room to develop and grow naturally too. Find out more at www.genelec.com/glm

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