Ayoba Music Mag june 2013

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Louie Vega

Inside: Soweto uprising, Fiesta Black(the voice behind Xigubu), RaShaan Houston, Charles Pepin, Deejay Zoe, Soweto uprising and much more……

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37 years on from the uprising and now we are here….

South Africa

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3 Content: 4 -­‐ father’s day tridute 5 -­‐ Louie Vega 10 – Elements Of Life 13 – The Politics Of Dancing 15 – Hybrid System 19 – Charles Pepin 20 – The Native Instrument traktor Kontrol Z2 23 – Deejay Zoe 25 – Pioneer CDJ 400 26 – Louie Vega’s Bio 30 – Soweto Uprising 36 – FB aka Fiesta Black 37 – Jules Cheng 39 – RaShaan Houston 42 – MXL Genesis 45 – Midi Keyboards Miya M. G. AKA Dj Tebza Editor of Ayoba Music Magazine also Owner at Ayoba Music Radio And Ayoba Entertainment Record Label.

The magazine focuses on House Music, Deejay's and producers, Hot Clubs to go to, Producing Programs, Deejaying and Studio Equipment National and international, South Africa and its history with House Music.

Powered by Ayoba Entertainment www.ayoba-entertainment.webs.com www.twitter.com/deejaytebuza www.twitter.com/ayobamusicmag www.twitter.com/ayobaent

Marketing Manager at Ganyani Entertainment http://www.djganyani.co.za/ http://www.ganyanientertainment.co.za/ tebza@djganyani.co.za call: 060 333 5373

Aenean eget urna

623B Ndlovu road, zone 5, Meadowlands, Soweto, 1852, Gauteng South Africa

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Louie Vega 1. Please tell me a

little about yourself? Who is Louie Vega?

I WAS BORN IN THE BRONX, NEW YORK. I AM A FATHER, A HUSBAND, A MUSICIAN/DJ/PRO DUCER/ENTREPREN EUR, AND A DOWN TO EARTH KINDA GUY! 2. When did your career start?

MY CAREER STARTED PROFESSIONALLY MANY YEARS AGO, 1985. I STARTED DJING WHEN I WAS 13 YEARS OLD, INSPIRED BY DJS JAZZY JAY (WHO TOOK ME UNDER HIS WING), AFRIKA BAMBAATAA, RED ALERT, LARRY LEVAN, DAVID MANCUSO, TONY HUMPHRIES, DAVID MORALES, KENNY CARPENTER,

JELLYBEAN, AND MANY OTHER NYC DJS IN THE EARLY TO MID 80s. I STARTED DJING MY FIRST JOB AT A CLUB CALLED THE DEVILS NEST IN THE BRONX, PLAYED THERE FOR 10 MONTHS AND GOT MY FIRST JOB AT A HUGE CLUB IN NYC CALLED HEARTHROB, WHICH WAS THE OLD FUNHOUSE WHERE JELLYBEAN PLAYED. I WAS A KID WITH A DREAM GOING TO SEE MY HEROES PLAYIN MUSIC AND I ENDED UP (AFTER WORKING SUPERHARD) PLAYING AT ONE OF THE DREAM CLUBS. FROM THERE WENT TO STUDIO 54, AND BY 1989 I PLAYED IN JUST ABOUT EVERY HUGE CLUB IN NYC. THESE CLUBS HELD 2500 - 4000 PEOPLE AND EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY THEY WERE PACKED. I PLAYED HOUSE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF HOUSE, FREESTYLE, DISCO, RNB, HIP HOP, REGGAE, ALL IN THE SAME NIGHT WITH A SEAMLESS FLOW.

Lorem Ipsum 6 I HAD ALREADY STARTED REMIXING IN 1986 AND BY 1990 I HAD ALREADY REMIXED OVER 100 RECORDS WHICH CONSISTED OF FREESTYLE, HOUSE, POP, HIP HOP AND DANCE ORIENTATED ROCK. IN 1991 I MET KENNY DOPE GONZALEZ THRU A MUTUAL FRIEND TODD TERRY AND KENNY AND I STARTED MASTERS AT WORK (PRODUCTION TEAM). AS MASTERS AT WORK WE PRODUCED FOR 10 YEARS STRAIGHT FROM 1991 - 2001 AND WE CREATED OVER 1500 RECORDING THAT CAME OUT DURING THOSE YEARS. IT WAS IN THOSE YEARS THAT I MADE A HEAVY MARK ALONG WITH KENNY IN THE WORLD OF DANCE. WE BROUGHT ALL THE INFLUENCES HE AND I HAD INTO HOUSE MUSIC. MENDING CULTURE, HIP HOP, JAZZ, ROCK, SOUL, GOSPEL, LATIN, BRAZILIAN, AND WHATEVER ELSE INSPIRED US INTO THE HOUSE VIBES!! WE WORKED WITH MANY MAJOR ARTISTS AND BROKE NEW ARTISTS IN THE PROCESS. WE PRODUCED TO NAME A FEW: GEORGE BENSON, TITO PUENTE, JOCELYN BROWN, ROY AYERS, LUTHER VANDROSS, THE BRAXTONS, JAMIROQUAI, JOE SAMPLE, WILL SMITH, JAZZY JEFF, AND REMIXED ARTISTS MICHAEL JACKSON, MADONNA, CURTIS MAYFIELD, AND MANY MORE!!!!

2.1 How did you get your start in the music business?

JAZZY JAY (ONE OF THE PIONEERS OF HIP HOP) RECOGNIZED MY MIXING STYLE AS A DJ IN THE EARLY 80s. HE THEN INVITED ME TO PLACES IN NYC LIKE THE ROXY WHERE HE, AFRIKA BAMBAATAA AND RED ALERT WOULD ROCK THE PARTY!!! IT WAS HIP HOP AS THE FRESHEST NEW SOUND AROUND. I WAS THERE AS A SPECTATOR WHEN ONE OF THE EARLY HIP HOP MOVIES, IF NOT ONE OF THE FIRST THAT WAS CREATED. I WAS AT THE FILMING!!! EPIC!!!

I THEN FOUND EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO HANG OUT AND HEAR MY FAVORITE DJS AT THAT TIME, IT WAS A DREAM. ONCE I PLAYED MY FIRST CLUB AT THE DEVIL'S NEST THERE WERE LABEL EXECUTIVES WHO CAME OUT AND GAVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO MY FIRST MIX. IT WAS TOMMY BOY RECORDS (AT THAT TIME, ONE OF THE HOTTEST HIP HOP AND DANCE LABELS). AFTER I DID ONE SONG, ANOTHER TWO MIXES CAME IN AND I BUILT IT FROM THERE, THE FANS IN NYC ALSO HELPED MY LOTS

BY SUPPORTING THE EVENTS I PLAYED AND I DEVELOPED A HUGE FOLLOWING IN NYC. 2.2 How had the internet changed your relationship with music and the industry?

THE INTERNET HAS ALLOWED US ALL TO CONNECT DIRECTLY WITH OUR FANS, AND INSTANTANEOUSLY!!! ITS CHANGED THE ENTIRE GAME ON RECORD BUSINESS STANDARD WAYS OF WORKING. IT ALLOWS ALL OF US INDIE LABELS TO OPERATE AND REACH SO MUCH MORE!!! MY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INDUSTRY HAS GROWN SO MUCH, AND ITS AN INTERNATIONAL THING, A BODY THING, A SOUL THING!!! ;) 3. Which country have you visited through being booked and which is your favorite?

I'VE BEEN TO SO MANY PLACES AROUND THE WORLD: JAPAN, AUSTRALIA, SOUTH AFRICA, ANGOLA, ITALY, GREECE, RUSSIA, UK, FRANCE, SWITZERLAND, THAILAND, PHILLIPINES, CANADA, AND SO MANY MORE!!!

ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS OF COURSE SOUTH AFRICA!!! I WOULD NEVER THINK I COULD COME THIS FAR, ITS BEEN AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. THE LOVE IN SOUTH AFRICA IS SO APPRECIATED, I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE ITS HAPPENED THE WAY IT DID!!

JAPAN I LOVE AS WELL AND ITALY!!

Lorem Ipsum 7 4. Do you use loops or prefer to program your beat from single hits?

WE'VE SAMPLED OF COURSE, BUT I PLAY KEYBOARDS, SO I'VE CREATED MANY ORIGINAL GROOVES THAT HAVE BECOME INFLUENTIAL IN TODAY'S HOUSE MUSIC. I RECORD LOTS OF MUSIC LIVE WITH MY BAND ELEMENTS OF LIFE. I CAN WORK ON SYNTHS AND SAMPLES OR I CAN RECORD LIVE MUSICIANS, I MIX THE WORLDS VERY MUCH! 5. What is the key ingredient in a track? break down? Style of production? Bassline?

THE KEY INGREDIENT IS HAVING A POWERFUL MELODY, HOOK, LYRIC. IF ITS A TRACK, THEN THE BASSLINE, RHYTHM CHORDS, AND POCKET OF THE TRACK. 6. When building a track how do you normally work? Do you start with the drum and build from that?

I START IN DIFFERENT WAYS. BUT IT FIRST COMES FROM WHAT IS INSPIRING ME. I MAY HAVE A BASSLINE IN MY HEAD OR A CHORD MOVEMENT. I TOOK PIANO LESSONS AS A CHILD FROM YEARS 6-11 AND I TOOK LESSONS AGAIN WHEN I WAS IN MY MID 20s. PIANO LESSONS HELPED ME TO ACHIEVE MY EAR FOR KEYS IN SONGS MATCHING WHEN I'M DJING WHICH HAPPENS NATURALLY AND WORKING WITH SINGERS, I HAVE GOOD PITCH. ALSO ARRANGING SONGS CAME FROM MY RECORD COLLECTION. I HAVE OVER 20,000 RECORDS VINYL AND I'VE COLLECTED ALL KINDS OF MUSIC, STUDIED WHO PLAYS WHAT, AND LISTENING TO ARRANGEMENTS OF SONGS. SO IF I START WITH A CHORD MOVEMENT, I WOULD USUALLY LAY DOWN THE BASSLINE AFTER. IF I'M WORKING ALONE, I MAY HAVE A SIMPLE BEAT WITH JUST A HI HAT, CLAP, SHAKER, KICK, THEN I MAY BUILD ON IT AFTERWORDS. IF I'M HAVING LIVE MUSICIANS I MAY HAVE MY BASS PLAYER PLAY MY BASSLINE OVER BUT ADDING THE EXTRA FEEL WITH HIS PLAYING. OR I MAY KEEP MY BASSLINE, IF ITS A SYNTH SOUND THAT I LIKE AND ITS IN THE POCKET. THEN I BUILD FROM THERE. WHEN I DO EOL MUSIC LOTS OF TIME I BRING IN LUISITO QUINTERO TO LAY DOWN PERCUSSION, BUT I WORK VERY CLOSELY CREATING THE RHYTHMS WITH HIM, ITS NOT JUST LET HIM PLAY WHATEVER. SOMETIMES HE MAY GET INSPIRED AND LAY DOWN A CLASSIC LUISITO POCKET. WE ALSO WORK ON PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS AND USE MANY DIFFERENT SKINS (DRUMS). SOMETIMES I MAY DO AN ENTIRE TRACK WITHOUT MUSICIANS AND I MAY PLAY THE VIBES. WITH THE RIGHT SOUND YOU WOULD SOUND LIKE A MILLION BUCKS, LOL. THEN I WOULD LAY DOWN MORE DRUMS. WHEN I WORK WITH KENNY IN OUR MASTERS AT WORK PRODUCTION TEAM, HE WOULD LAY DOWN A BEAT AND I WOULD FEED OFF THE BEAT OR OTHER TIMES I WOULD COME WITH CHORDS AND BASSLINE ON RIGHT AND LEFT HAND AND KENNY WOULD FEED OFF MY GROOVE AND COME WITH A HOT BEAT.

Lorem Ipsum 7. Do you mainly use analog or digital soft synth sources? Do you think analog makes a different?

I LOVE ANALOG, THERE ARE GREAT PLUG INS BUT THERE IS A REALNESS THAT COMES FROM ANALOG IN SOUND. BUT THE PLUG IN IS NOT THAT BAD, EVEN TO LAY DOWN THE IDEA AND USE THE REAL LATER! BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME PLUG IN SYNTH SOUNDS THAT ARE LAYERED AND SOUND OUT OF THIS WORLD. I LOVE BOTH WORLDS. BUT THE ANALOG SOUND IS SO MUCH MORE WARM AND LUSH!!!!

8. Any advice on monitoring? Quiet? Loud? Do you prefer flat and boring Speakers, headphones or Big, Phat and chunky monitors?

I USE DYNAUDIO SPEAKERS AND BAG END BOTTOMS, BRYSTON AMPS. ITS A TIGHT SMALL AND COMPACT SETUP, AND SOUNDS INCREDIBLE. I'VE BEEN USING IT OVER 15 YEARS, FROM BIG STUDIOS (LIKE MAW BACK IN THA DAY) TO MY HOME STUDIO (DADDY'S WORKSHOP).

CHECK OUT MY MIXES AND THATS WHAT I HEAR. 9. What are the biggest barriers new producers face?

BIGGEST BARRIERS IS WHEN YOU GET PIGEONHOLED INTO A SOUND, BUT YOU NEED TO GO IN AND JUST NOT BE AFRAID TO TAKE CHANCES AND COLLABORATE WITH ARTISTS OUT OF YOUR SCENE AS WELL AND NEW THINGS COME ABOUT. FOR ME I'VE NEVER BEEN AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, IF THE SCENE WENT LEFT I WAS GOING RIGHT AND I WORKED HARD TO MAKE THE BEST RECORD I COULD. MAKING SOMETHING I COULD HEAR TEN YEARS FROM NOW AND STILL SOUND GOOD HAS BEEN A MOTTO FOR ME. I THINK ALSO PRODUCERS SHOULD TAKE PIANO LESSONS, OR TAKE UP AN INSTRUMENT AND LEARN ABOUT MUSIC. IF YOU WANT TO DO MORE THAN JUST MAKE A TRACK AND PRODUCE MUSICIANS AND SINGERS YOU NEED TO BE READY FOR THAT. KNOWLEDGE AND PREPARATION ARE KEY!!!

10. How important do you think it is to have your music mastered commercially? Can you do it yourself as effectively and what tools would you recommend?

I HAVE MY MUSIC MASTERED, THE MASTERING LABS AND ENGINEERS I USE, THEY ALL REALLY BRING ANOTHER LEVEL OF SOUND TO MY MUSIC, MASTERING IS VERY IMPORTANT: HERB "PUMP" POWERS IN FLORIDA WALLY COELHO AT MASTERPIECE IN LONDON CARLOS ALVAREZ AT MIAMI MASTERS THEY ARE ALL AMAZING!!

Lorem Ipsum 11. What do you believe is the secret to your success as a producer?

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE SECRET IS. I THINK WE SHOULD ASK MY COLLABORATORS: JOSH MILAN, ANANE VEGA, LUISITO QUINTERO, YAS INOUE, LISA FISCHER, CINDY MIZELLE, AND OTHERS. ;) 12. Any advice for the aspiring producers out there?

LEARN YOUR INSTRUMENT. TAKE SOME MUSIC LESSONS, PIANO OR GUITAR, TRUST IT WILL COME IN HANDY IN THE FUTURE. LEARN YOUR COMPUTER SOFTWARE, BUT WHATEVER INSTRUMENTS YOU USE, KNOW THAT PIECE INSIDE OUT THEN GET THE NEXT ONE. WHEN I STARTED ALL I HAD WAS A DRUM MACHINE AND ONE KEYBOARD AND I'VE CREATED SOME OF MY BEST RECORDS WITH THOSE TWO INSTRUMENTS. KNOWLEDGE AND PREPARATION IS KEY AS I SAID BEFORE. READ THE BOOK ON QUINCY JONES!!! AMAZING !!!!

DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, DON'T MAKE YOUR RECORDS REPLICATING A HOT SONG OR TRACK OUT THERE. ITS OK TO GET INSPIRED BUT DON'T COPY IT. WORK HARD, FIND YOUR SOUNDS AND CREATE!!!!

13. Anything cooking in the studio right now or what can we expect in the near future from Louie Vega?

THE NEW ELEMENTS OF LIFE ECLIPSE ALBUM IS COMING OUT OFFICIALLY IN SOUTH AFRICA AND VARIOUS AFRICAN COUNTRIES ON KALAWA/UNIVERSAL RECORDS, LOOK OUT IN JULY 2013 FOR THE ALBUM!!!

I HAVE A SINGLE I PRODUCED FOR BUCIE, THE PROJECT IS CALLED "ANGELS ARE WATCHING ME" BY LOUIE VEGA STARRING BUCIE. FOR ME THE SINGERS ARE THE KEY TO THESE SONGS, THEY HAVE THE JOB OF INTERPRETTING THE SONGS, SO STARRING IS VERY APPROPRIATE. THE LYRICS WERE WRITTEN BY JOSH MILAN AND THE MUSIC BY EFRAIN "JUNITO" DAVILA AND MYSELF. ITS A BEAUTIFUL SONG THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF. WORKING WITH BUCIE WAS WONDERFUL, SHE'S A TALENTED SINGER. ITS AVAILABLE NOW ON WWW.VEGARECORDS.NET AND BEATPORT.COM, TRAXSOURCE.COM NEXT SINGLE FOR ELEMENTS OF LIFE ON VEGARECORDS.NET WILL BE "YOU CAME INTO MY LIFE" BY ELEMENTS OF LIFE FEATURING ANANE AND A BONUS TRACK FROM EOL CALLED "MY PEOPLE". ANANE SANG A FLAWLESS INTERPRETATION OF THE ROY AYERS PENNED SONG. ITS ONE OF MY FAVORITES ON THE ELEMENTS OF LIFE ECLIPSE ALBUM.

A NEW SINGLE WITH DUANE HARDEN, HE IS A SINGER / SONGWRITER WHO HAS WRITTEN SOME HUGE INTERNATIONAL DANCE SONGS. "NEVER STOP" BY LOUIE VEGA STARRING DUANE HARDEN. I'M IN THE STUDIO NOW PRODUCING A SONG WITH LUCIANO OF CADENZA RECORDS, COMING OUT HOT!!! AND I'M RECORDING A MASTERS AT WORK ALBUM NOW WITH KENNY DOPE GONZALEZ, SHOULD BE READY FOR 2014 WMC. I MAY BE IN THE STUDIO REMIXING A HUGE INTERNATIONAL AND USA STAR, NEWS COMING SOON!!! REMIXING A TRACK FOR ARTIST PABLO FIERRO ON NULU MUSIC!!!

NEW COLLABORATION WITH LOUIE VEGA & UHURU COMING SOON!!!!

NEW COLLABORATION WITH LOUIE VEGA & PROFESSOR COMING SOON!!!!!

CHECK OUT THE NEW ELEMENTS OF LIFE ECLIPSE ALBUM COMING SOON ON KALAWA/UNIVERSAL RECORDS IN SA!!!

FOR MORE INFO ON VEGA AND FAMILY CHECK OUT WWW.VEGARECORDS.NET AND WWW.ANANESWORLD.COM

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Frederic Messent The Politics Of Dancing #02

Welcome to the second editorial in the series here on Ayoba. My name is Frederic Messent, equally known as MFSB (although with a slightly different meaning) and I’ll humbly get you into the so many different reasons that have led to the situation we have to deal with on a daily basis, wherever we may be, regarding that thing reputedly uniting us: in other words, the music…

The goal of this series is certainly not to divide ourselves, but contrary have us all thinking as to the why, the how and whatsoever explaining the obvious lack of impact of our scene, despite the existence of undeniable talents, and countless initiatives hailing from all over the world geared towards its recognition…

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“It’s Just Me, Myself and I”, used to sing Hip-­‐Hop famous De La Soul back in the day. A theme which, almost 25 years after, has never seemed so up to date when everything should be the opposite. How come have we collectively managed to find ourselves so far from the words of wisdom preached during what was the Genesis of House Music, not to mention during the Disco daze??? Or eventually the Hippy ones as embodied by the souvenir of the legendary Woodstock Festival???

Unity, togetherness, mutual support and the list goes on… As many things which have been replaced by the progressive building of the cult of the ego which seems to have turned into the norm nowadays, with the help of tools that have turned people into thinkin’ they could do/get and eventually become everything from a single click!!! Forgetting it takes years to have the necessary experience, whatever the domain may be…

Of course, and don’t get me wrong, the ongoing computerization of our environment has allowed us to do things we couldn’t have done on our own months, years, decades ago… But at which price??? The one of havin’ developed individualism (and on most cases selfishness) to an extreme extend. The one of havin’ turned human beings into a virtual world addicts, takin’ them almost away from any form of necessary socialization, including on the said social networks, meanwhile being offered the so to say ideal environment to develop attitudes…

How many times have I heard/seen people saying/writing that a DJ is not necessarily a good producer, and vice versa??? With the same applying to any other domain, like it or not. And this is exactly why so many people – including established ones for ages – are litterally struggling nowadays. So pathetic, don’t you think???

Talents (artists, producers, DJ’s and therefore quality music) with no image, when wannabes can become worldwide reknown superstars even though comin’ up with crap, when financed by marketers in record companies and corporate media!!!

So what’s the solution then??? Well, I suppose that once people will have understood they first need to communicate in a proper way, this will already be the start of a significant improvement, meaning by that, that being a talented artist (whatever you may be) doesn’t make of you a communicator. And the proof to be shown on an every day basis in the social networks with acknowledged people havin’ almost dead pages, poor feedback, no real impact…

None of us whoever she/he is can pretend to be able to cope with everything. Firstly, materially speakin’ (due to the fact that there are only 24 hours a day). And second, because of the impossibility of being everywhere at the same time. And I’m not even talkin’ about the necessary skills one needs to have, apart from reputedly doin’ quality music. Such as communicating in a proper way, meaning knowing how to use the tools for that, but also how to write, making design, networking with people… No more can we think that because of knowing how to use a pc we can be a good DJ, producer, photographer, etc…

The savoir-­‐faire, equally known as know how, is the result of a long process of maturation along with time.

Like wine, oil, quality food such as ham or cheese. Not to mention experience and therefore life itself…

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Hybrid Systems Hardware In The Software Studio Matt Houghton Whether you’re a wet-behind-the-ears newbie, or have many years’ recording experience under your belt, the chances are that you do a lot of your mixing work now ‘in the box’ (ITB), on your computer. Indeed, after the recording stage itself, it’s possible now to do everything inside the computer, with no other hardware except a mouse, a VDU, and a pair of speakers or headphones. The ITB approach to mixing gives you the ability to fine-tune every parameter in your mix, and of course you get full recall of your project.

Tracking through a processor such as a compressor or de-esser, or through an effects unit such as a delay pedal for a guitar, is relatively straightforward: you just take a feed from the last unit in the chain into your audio interface input and press record; and if you want a dry line or DI feed for safety, just take that before any processing appears in the signal chain. Job done. The same goes for tape: track to tape as normal, and then play it back into your DAW — although there’s a useful time-saving tip when working with tape that I’ll discuss later. There’s little more to say in this context about the recording stage.

When it comes to mixing or mastering, though, the options for routing to and from your hardware are more diverse, the demands for multiple ‘instances’ of your hardware become potentially greater, and the integration of all that outboard into your system can therefore become much more complex. When we talk about running a ‘hybrid studio’, it’s really this mix-oriented system that we have in mind: a setup where the DAW software remains the central hub of the studio, but the hardware and software is configured in such a way that you can simply patch in hardware to add a little character, quality and immediacy where you need it most, without having to leave your otherwise ITB mix. To some, the term might also extend to how best to sum the various signals in your mix, whether individual tracks or stems, although to my mind that’s a slightly different question. Hugh Robjohns explores the arguments in favour of both analogue and digital summing on page 32102 .

So, if you’re interested in augmenting your software setup with hardware — or if you’re one of those rare folk who have only just decided to invest in a computer and would like to know what’s possible — how do you go about plumbing your hardware into your DAW in the most efficient and flexible way?

What hardware is worth using? What options become available when working with a desk alongside your DAW? What about recalling settings on your hardware? And what tools have the software designers given us to make setting up a hybrid studio that little bit easier?

Before we get on to anything to do with your choice of software or hardware processors, let’s deal with one of the main practicalities. If you’re planning to add any outboard gear to your system (other than on the Master stereo bus — and even then if you want a separate channel for monitoring), you’ll need a means of routing several channels of audio from your DAW to your hardware and back.

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That may or may not mean using a patchbay or mixer, both of which I’ll discuss later, but it definitely means using an audio interface with multiple analogue input and output (I/O) channels.

It’s not terribly expensive these days to purchase a USB or Firewire audio interface that includes several channels of analogue I/O: something like the MOTU 828 Mk3 is typical, giving you eight mono (four stereo) analogue audio channels going in and out of your computer. At first, that may sound like plenty... but you’ll need at least two outputs to monitor your DAW software’s stereo mix, which leaves you with eight inputs and six outputs. A single dual-channel hardware compressor could easily use up three of those outputs (one audio input per channel and one side-chain input) and two inputs to take the processed signal(s) back to your DAW. In this scenario, you’d be left with seven more inputs, and only three remaining analogue outputs on your interface.

Although there are traditional ways around such limitations — you can always ‘print’ (record) the output of each effect to its own track(s) — realistically, if you plan to use more than three or four pieces of outboard simultaneously, you’ll need to start thinking about adding more analogue I/O to your setup. Most multi-channel interfaces, like the MOTU device mentioned above, include at least some digital I/O in addition to their analogue channels. Digital inputs and outputs come in various shapes and forms, but the most popular are ADAT ‘lightpipe’, which offers up to eight channels, depending on the sample rate, stereo S/PDIF via phono plugs, and AES/EBU, which can carry two channels on a single cable via three-pin XLR connectors, and is often configured to carry eight channels on D-sub to XLR breakout loom.

If you opt to go the PCI or PCI Express route, there are some other setups designed to give you more than enough I/O. MOTU’s PCI424 system, for example, enables you to connect up to four of their breakout boxes: adding four of their 24IO boxes would give you a system with 96 I/O in only 4U of rack space. See the ‘I Need More I/O’ box for more advice on expanding your setup.

A-D/D-A Conversion With your audio travelling back and forth between your computer and the analogue domain, you’ll need to get the best converters available, to avoid nasty noise and distortion elbowing its way into the recording, right? Well, yes... to an extent. Obviously, the better your converters, the fewer unwanted distortion artifacts will creep into your mix at each stage of conversion; and the fewer times you go through A-D or D-A conversion stages the better. So, in theory, it makes sense to get as good quality converters as you can afford and, if you plan on using more than one outboard processor in series, to connect one device to the other, rather than use A-D and D-A stages for each.

That said, converters would almost never be top of my shopping list — and you might be surprised by just what you can get away with, given the quality of audio interfaces currently on the market.

Although there are also a few high-end converter manufacturers such as Burl, whose products are deliberately designed to colour the sound (albeit subtly) in a pleasing way, most converters are designed to be as clean and neutral as possible... and the fact is that, as bad as some designs were in the past, the converters on most audio interfaces these days are actually rather good. (Note that I’m not thinking about the mic preamps in your interface here, where there’s a more tangible difference between different models!)

Even with modestly priced models such as the Behringer ADA8000 ADAT expander, audio signals should stand several ‘generations’ of conversion before there’s audible degradation of the signal quality. Furthermore, if you’re sending signals out of the box and back, it’s usually to add ‘flavour’ or ‘colour’: there’s no point sending audio out and back to get clean gain when you have infinitely tweakable access to that in your DAW. So even in the event some tiny artifacts do creep in, you might discover that it doesn’t present the problem you’d imagined, or that it’s at least a price worth paying to get the tonal colour you’re seeking.

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Mixing Desks An alternative means of patching in the analogue domain is to use a mixing desk, with your processors or effects permanently plumbed into inserts and sends. Your DAW remains the hub of the studio, where all the serious editing work is done, but you’re able to send any channel from your DAW out to any channel of your desk, either for processing with the channel EQ, inserts or compression, or any aux sends you have set up. There are a few ways to connect your computer and desk to each other (let’s ignore the patchbay for now), and which is best will depend largely on how much I/O you have and the configuration of the desk.

With a decent large desk, you’re likely to have tape sends and returns on each channel, and the normal approach is to connect the patchbay or interface I/O to these. You can then mix on the desk, using channel EQ if desired, and record the results back to the DAW. I you want to use any aux sends under this simple setup, you patch the returns into spare channels and record those. Unlike analogue tape, of course, you have the option of keeping previous takes and then selecting between them all later.

If you plan to do any actual mixing on your desk, though — recording the summed result — you’ll need to save some of your interface’s inputs to record the signal from the Master bus, as you will if you want summed stems, some for the group buses, any dedicated effects return channels and so on. Before long you’ll probably end up building a full-on analogue studio, with a computer pretty much taking the place of a tape machine! As you’ll see when I discuss ergonomics, below, this may or may not be the best approach for you.

On a smaller desk, such as one of the Mackie VLZ3 series, the routing options are more limited, as you tend only to get a stereo tape send/return for two-track recording. In such cases, you have to look at what options the mixer presents. With the VLZ3 series, you’d be able to plug your interface outputs into each channel’s line inputs and take a feed from either the channels’ direct outputs, or the group bus outputs (assuming it’s a large enough model to have those). If you’re planning to acquire such a mixer, it’s probably a good plan to make sure you have a few spare channels on the mixer, so you don’t have to keep plugging and unplugging the jacks that feed the line inputs.

It’s also possible to take a feed from the insert points on a desk, but that’s not really advisable, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, on smaller mixers these are very often unbalanced send and return signals combined on a single stereo jacks; and secondly, if you’re planning to use a mixer to link to other hardware devices, you’ll probably want to keep the insert points available for patching to those.

If you’re looking to acquire a desk to give you some ‘analogue flavour’, there are plenty of options.

Popular recent models include the Toft ATB, TL Audio M1 and, slightly lower in price, the Mackie Onyx range. However, none of these is an investment to be taken lightly. Prices on the second-hand mixer market have fallen through the floor in the last few years, and you can easily pick up an old desk with characterful EQ, such as a TAC Scorpion or a Soundcraft 6000, for what appears to be a bargain price. Beware, though, that the quality and state of repair of old consoles varies massively — and even if you find one in perfect working order, you may still have to go through the rigmarole and expense of replacing many of the capacitors.

Mixer-controllers & Digitally Controlled Patchbays A promising development in the last few years has been the emergence of dedicated hybrid mixing devices, such as SSL’s flagship Duality console, which is a fully-featured analogue console whose faders can also be used to control most DAW software. Their Matrix does the same thing on a smaller scale, and dispenses with the expensive channels of preamps, analogue EQ and compression, leaving you with an excellent line-level summing mixer and a very convenient patchbay system.

Audient have also made inroads with their Zen mixer, which uses the DAW to record fader movements — whether for DAW control or analogue-mix recall — and recently the much more affordable ASP 2802, launched at this year’s Frankfurt MusikMesse.

Lorem Ipsum 18 Digital mixers, of course, have been capable of doing some of these tasks for several years, with products as old as the Mackie D8B and DXB offering a means of DAW control as well as a means of digital mixing and routing. More recent digital devices such as the Yamaha N-series mixers have made DAW/hardware integration at the more affordable end of the market much easier.

It’s only recently, though, that we’ve seen analogue devices offering anything like this degree of integration reach anything near a project-studio budgets. The Allen & Heath ZED R16 is an analogue mixer that transmits MIDI data from its faders — but the faders are static, so there’s no mix recall.

Mackie’s latest Onyx mixers (the 1640i is reviewed in this issue) don’t offer you control over the DAW’s faders, but do give good, easy options for routing the signal between the DAW, the mixer and the outside world — and the footprint is such that you could conceivably use it alongside a dedicated control surface. So there are some great hybrid mixers out there, but there’s still room in the market for something that really does offer you the same degree of control over an analogue mix and an ITB mix (I imagine anyone who can run with this design idea and manage to do so to a reasonable price will find an eager market in the education sector).

Similar developments have been occurring in the humble world of the patchbay, and again SSL seem to be leading the drive to further this particular frontier. Their X-Patch is an eight-way patchbay that’s controlled by computer software, routing any input to any output without the need for patch cables, and multiple units can be linked to increase the I/O count. Other companies have developed patching systems for mastering applications, but which could also prove useful (Manley Labs’ Backbone, for example). Excellent as these products may be in delivering a flexible but top-notch analogue signal chain, they remain an expensive option compared with a £30 Behringer patchbay and a few decent patch cables, or even a more commercially priced Neutrik bantam patchbay.

Is It Worth The Hassle?

That pretty much completes this guide to setting up a ‘hybrid’ studio, but I’ll leave you with a little catamong-the-pigeons thought: computers are getting faster, and plug-ins are getting better at mimicking pretty everything that analogue can do... so perhaps it’s simply a matter of time before it really is impossible to tell the difference in sound between ‘real’ gear and the plug-in equivalents. I’d also hope to see similarly promising leaps in the design of control surfaces that enable you to interact with these models. So before you decide that you need to invest a heap of cash in esoteric hardware, think hard about what it’s worth spending your money on. What hardware really can’t yet be ‘done’ in software?

The revered Manley Massive Passive has been emulated to a quality that Manley Labs are happy to put their name to; and Lexicon have released their most celebrated reverb algorithms as a native plug-in. But it’s as much about what has or hasn’t been emulated as about what can or can’t be.

There are plenty of desirable devices that don’t yet appear to have been been modelled successfully: I can’t think of a great plug-in equivalent to some of the earlier Lexicon reverbs, like the PCM60, or similarly unique-sounding units like the Klark Teknik DN780; and there are plenty of quirky guitar effects pedals out there too. I, for one, will be pleased when we can do all the processing we want in the box, and spend all that hard-earned cash on nicer spaces in which to record and listen — but that time isn’t here yet. Spending your money wisely on good hardware gives you something unique, and it gives you an asset that, unlike most software, keeps at least some of its value. For the time being, at least, hybrid systems really can offer the best of both worlds!

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For More detail about this article please visit

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/may10/articles/hybrid.htm#Top

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Public figures are by no means forced or even expected to redirect the fruit of their public activity back to the community.

Galawela's Kwaito stars from Richard's Bay, Shakes no Singil, are making it a responsibility from which they do not intend to shy away.

For a few years already, Galawela Productions is providing school uniforms to some children’s particularly in needs from Sizakahle Public School in Roosboom, a few kilometers outside Ladysmith, the very same school where Shakes (Thokozani Maxwell Ngema) and Singil (Sphamandla Innocent Ngema) completed their Matric in 2002 and 2006 respectively.

This year though, Galawela Productions is taking their involvement to another level. A short while ago, the Disaster Non Profit Organization brought to their attention a project that they judged worth while dedicating time and energy.

The project consist of building and installing an access ramp for wheelchairs intended for children’s and teenagers with disabilities. And this year, it is the Nongweleza High School of the Ngwelezani Township in Empangeni who is going to benefits from the generosity and altruism of the Galawela Family.

The final product is completed; it is now time for the handover. During the week following Youth Day, Galawela is planning an event on site, at the Nongweleza High School to which is going to attend, on top of the whole Galawela Family, E.F Mbatha (Mayor of Umhlathuze), Thembaka Mchunu (uThungulu District Mayor) and Senzo Mchunu (Kwazulu-Natal Education Minister). On that day, not only the access ramp is going to be installed but also Shakes and Singil are planning a performance of about 20 minutes with Msawawa; 2 or 3 songs are on the menu, "Intombi Yomzulu", "Woza Woza" & "Nyusu Braah". One thing for sure, it is going to be a great day in Zululand!

Written by Charles Pepin www.tia-house.com Facebook: TIA Hous @TIA_DJChuck "This is Africa" on Pure.FM (Deep House Channel), every second Saturday at 7pm (GMT-4), 60 mins Exclusive Guest Mix fresh out of Mzansi !

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The Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol Z2 2+2 MIDI Mixer is a heavy-duty Traktor Scratch Certified two-channel professional DJ mixer with on-board Traktor Pro 2.6 MIDI controls for many of the advanced DJ software features such as Loops, Remix Deck Slots, Hotcues, MacroFX and much more. The Traktor Kontrol Z2 is the first true DJ mixer produced by Native Instruments that will perfectly compliment the Traktor software (with DVS package) while also providing DJ’s with an true analog DJ mixer solution to play nonsoftware sources like audio CD’s from CD decks or vinyl from turntables.

Construction The Traktor Kontrol Z2 resembles the other Traktor Kontrol DJ controllers that are in the NI family, but the Z2 has a seriously heavyduty all-metal chassis that makes this thing feel like a tank. The Z2 has a nice rubberized coating on the side panels, metal on the bottom/front/rear and a shiny plastic inlay in the middle of the front panel similar to what is found on the S2/S4. My only minor gripe with the build quality is that all of the knobs have plastic posts underneath instead of metal posts meaning the user must be careful not to expose the mixer to any hard knocks during transport. The knobs all have a rubberized coating to them and they still feel very good to the touch and easy to control. Overall the Traktor Kontrol Z2 is very well made and it feels like it will last for years and years to come.

The buttons are a mixture of plastic (for indicator controls) and rubberized pads (for Hotcue, Remix Deck, and FLUX controls) that feel like they are smaller versions of the pads found on the Traktor Kontrol F1. All of the buttons have a long-lasting feel to them and they all illuminate so the DJ knows the “mode” they are currently in. The rubberized pad buttons are also illuminate color coded to match the file color type found on the audio loaded in the top Remix Deck slots of Decks C and D. The sound quality of the Traktor Kontrol Z2 is top-notch with club-tier performance throughout our entire testing period.

Inputs & Outputs The back of the Traktor Kontrol Z2 has all of the inputs and outputs. There are four RCA Stereo Inputs (2 x Line, 2 x Phono), an RCA Aux Input for any additional Line Level device such as an iPod or MP3 player and a quarter-inch Mic Input. There are also a healthy number of outputs with a quarter-inch Booth Out, RCA Record Out and an XLR Main Out. There’s also a USB Port to connect to the computer and a two port USB Hub.

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Traktor MIDI Control The Traktor Kontrol Z2 has lots of MIDI buttons and knobs that control many different functions of the Traktor Pro 2.6 Software. There are two Effect control sections, one on the left for FX1 and one on the right for FX2. These MacroFX sections consist of two knobs to control effect parameters and an on/off rubberized button to activate the effect. Traktor 2.6 has a slew of effects and they’ve now added 10 new MacroFX which are newly engineered effects that are really creative and different from anything else in the industry. The new MacroFX are Wormhole, Bass-o-Matic, EventHorizon, Zzzurp, Strrretch, GranuPhase, FlightTest, LaserSlicer, PolarWind, and DarkMatter. (Click Here to learn more about MacroFX directly from the NI website.) Each MacroFX section on the Traktor Kontrol Z2 only controls one effect at a time. Traktor can handle three different effects per FX bank, so some supereffects users would’ve liked to see more knobs and buttons for easier control of multiple effects in a single FX bank, but I assume that for most timecode users this level of control would be enough.

The Traktor Kontrol Z2 is also known as a 2+2 Mixer because below the MacroFX sections are volume knobs on both sides to control the volume of Deck C and Deck D. The C and D knobs make it possible to play audio from the two additional unseen decks within Traktor.

Moving downwards on the mixer there is a loop knob on each side for each channel. The loop section can be used to create automatic loops by pressing down on the loop knob and using the knob to grow or shorten the loop by bar length. The bar length of the loop is continuously displayed in the small LED indicator above each line fader. Below the loop section is the shared Hotcue and Remix Deck (sample) Buttons. When A or B is selected, then these four rubberized buttons work as Hotcues on the tracks of Deck A or B. When C or D is selected, then these four rubberized buttons work as the first four slots of the Remix Decks C or D. These four slots can be used as sample banks, full tracks, or even used to do controllerist style performances similar to the highly publicized DJ Craze Z2 Demo video.

All the way at the bottom is the FLUX button which activates Traktor’s new FLUX Mode.

When the FLUX button is pressed and the FLUX mode is turned on, the DJ can then play a track and press cue points or loops any way they wish and as soon as the cue point or loop control button is released, the track will continue to play where it would have been if the track wasn’t manipulated at all. It’s pretty hard to explain but it’s just like Pioneer’s Slip-Mode except users can only activate Loops and Cue points but DJ's can’t scratch with the FLUX feature in Traktor.

The Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol Z2 2+2 Controller/DJ Mixer is an excellent Digital Vinyl Solution for any DJ looking to get a heavy-duty mixer with excellent build and sound quality that can seamlessly control the Traktor Pro 2.6 DJ software features. The Z2 has a top-notch built in Traktor scratch certified soundcard and comes bundled with the full version of the Traktor Pro 2.6 software and timecode CD’s or vinyl to get you started. The MiniInnofader crossfader is silky smooth and accurate while the Mini-Innofader linefaders are very good for mixing. The Traktor Kontrol Z2 has onboard controls for MacroFX, Loops, Hotcues, Remix Decks, FLUX, and Browse/Load controls along with an additional RCA AUX/MIC input and lots of outputs. On the downside, there are no linefader adjustment controls, users can only control one effect at a time per module using the onboard controls, and the knobs all have a plastic post underneath instead of metal.

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Other than these minor gripes, the Traktor Kontrol Z2 is a solid mixer and perfect for any DJ who uses Traktor Pro DJ software with external vinyl or CD timecode decks for playback. The Traktor Kontrol Z2 also makes for a great mixing tool for controllerists who want to use a modular style of DJ tools and add deck-like controllers to the Z2 for transport and playback needs.

Pro's: -Solid Construction Heavy-Metal Build & Top Sound Quality -Built-in Traktor Audio Interface & Traktor Pro 2.6 Software for DVS Timecode Playback -Excellent Scratch-worthy Mini-Innofader Crossfader & Linefaders -On-board Traktor Controls for MacroFX, Loops, Hotcues, Remix Decks, Browse/Load, FLUXMode, Post-Fader FX -Additional Aux/Mic Input w/Tone Control -Lots of Inputs & Outputs Con's: -No Linefader Curve/Reverse Functions -On-board Controls for only one effect per module -Rotary Knobs have Plastic Post Instead of Metal

Traktor Kontrol Z2 Features: -2+2 channel DJ mixer/controller and 24-bit audio interface -Best-in-class, tour-safe build quality with robust, aircraft-grade aluminium chassis -Ergonomic industry-standard layout with 3-band EQ plus dedicated filters per channel -Precision-designed, high-end knobs and buttons, plus premium faders by Innofader -Multi-colored Remix Deck?/cue point trigger buttons and LED loop display -Built-in powered USB hub* for 2 add-on DJ controllers such as TRAKTOR KONTROL F1 or TRAKTOR KONTROL X1 -Instant plug-and-play setup, with full TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2.5 software** and timecode media included -One-knob Macro FX for effortlessly expressive sound manipulation using the comprehensive array of TRAKTOR effects -Innovative Flux Mode for maximum creativity and point-perfect timing -Lossless post-fader effects using the industry-leading TRAKTOR effects suite *You will receive a download link for the TRAKTOR SCRATCH PRO 2 software instantly after registering your hardware unit with Native Instruments. Remix Deck™ content is available as a separate free download. The software requires activation after installation.

Brand Native Instruments Weight 11.2000 Dimensions (WxHxD) 272mm x 109mm x 388mm For More info on the Traktor Kontrol Z2 you can go to http://www.djbooth.net

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Deejay Zoe Name: Zodwa Matsebula DJ Name: DJ ZOE Sex: Female Location: JHB Music Styles you mix: Deep, Soulful, Drum and base, Jazzy House.

Influences: My biggest influence is the love of music.

Where have you Dj’s before: I've played in clubs, corporate and private functions, parties, radio as well as TV shows.

Special Events: Every event is special to me since I take every gig I get seriously. I always enjoy myself when djing.

How long have you a DJ : I started djing in 2003, which makes it 10years now.

How long have you been DJ-in @ club level : 10yrs

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Latest projects and direction: I will be releasing my first single with Ganyani entertainment soon.

Please tell me a little about yourself? Who is Zoe. Born and bred in Swaziland. I have always had an ear for house music and decided on taking a djing course at Foreal Records in Pretoria. I obtained a.

Certificate in beat and phase mixing and I've been rocking ever since. I've playing in clubs, private and corporate events, weddings, and birthday parties. I have also played in the following radio stations: Ligwalagwala FM, Metro FM, YFM and Ukhozi FM. I was also a resident dj in SABC1's dance show "Jika Majika" and was also featured in SABC1's show called "LIVE" When did your career start?

It started back in 2003 in Swaziland my home country.

How did you get your start in the music business?

When I was back in Swaziland I joined a stable called Sandla entertainment.

The stable played a major role in the start of my career.

Which countries have you played in and which is your favorite?

I've played in Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique and all over South Africa. Mozambique has always been my favorite. They have the biggest crowd.

I've shared a stage with Dj Giants like Ganyani, Vinny Da Vinci, Christos, Fresh, Black Coffee, Ralf Gum, Frank Rodger and many more.

To Book Deejay Zoe Contact M. G. Miya(tebza) Artist Manager Marketing Manager at Ganyani Entertainment http://www.djganyani.co.za/ http://www.ganyanientertainment.co.za/ tebza@djganyani.co.za call: 060 333 5373

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Pioneer CDJ-400 Features The CDJ-400’s cosmetic design is simple and compact yet elegant with all of its various controls and features located directly on top of the unit.

DJ Software Compatibility and MIDI Control With more of today’s DJs utilizing different DJ software for their performances, the CDJ-400 is also equipped with a PC mode. In this mode, the CDJ-400 is a native controller for software such as Pioneer DJS2 computer software and

USB Integration and MP3 Playback The CDJ-400’s cosmetic design is simple and compact yet elegant with all of its various controls and features located directly on top of the unit. A USB port found on the face of the player allows DJs to play their MP3 music collection from a wide variety of portable music devices such as thumb drives, MP3 players or external hard drives. With the use of a multi-function selector knob/button and its large, bright, dot-matrix LCD display, locating and accessing of files from these types of music devices as well as MP3 music files on CD and CDR/RW through the CD slot are done with a turn and press of the knob.

For example, the movement of the pitch slider on the CDJ-400 can control the pitch slider on the computer software and no timecode CD is required for audio control. The player can also act as a MIDI controller where the user can assign virtually every button on the player to trigger functions of various DJ software programs. World’s First Scratch Jog Effect A highlight and an advancement of the CDJ-400 is its scratching capability. In addition to traditional “vinyl” mode scratching, Pioneer implemented the World’s First Scratch Jog Effect.

Three highlighted buttons, each assigned to a special effect, Bubble, Trans and Wah, creates unique scratching sound effects that can be enabled by the DJ on the fly. A “hold” button was also added to retain the different effects throughout the session or until its release, which can also be triggered at any point of play.

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Soweto uprising The Soweto Uprising, also known as June 16, is a series of protests led by high school students in South Africa that began on the morning of 16 June 1976. Students from numerous Sowetan schools began to protest in the streets of Soweto in response to the introduction of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in local schools. An estimated 20,000 students took part in the protests. The number of people who died is usually given as 176, with estimates of up to 700. June 16 is now a public holiday, Youth Day, in South Africa, in remembrance of the events of 1976.

Causes of the protests Black high school students in Soweto protested against the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974, which forced all black schools to use Afrikaans and English in a 50-50 mix as languages of instruction.[7] The Regional Director of Bantu Education (Northern Transvaal Region), J.G. Erasmus, told Circuit Inspectors and Principals of Schools that from 1 January 1975, Afrikaans had to be used for mathematics, arithmetic, and social studies from standard five (7th grade), according to the Afrikaans Medium Decree; English would be the medium of

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instruction for general science and practical subjects (home craft, needlework, woodwork, metalwork, art, agricultural science).[7] Indigenous languages would only be used for religion instruction, music, and physical culture.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s the system began to show distinct signs of wear and tear.

Influenced by many events such as the death throes of colonialism in Africa, the rise of ‘Black Power’ in the USA and a growing worldwide antagonism towards Apartheid, Africans began to fight back.

The association of Afrikaans with apartheid prompted black South Africans to prefer English.

Even the homeland regimes chose English and an indigenous African language as official languages. In addition, English was gaining prominence as the language most often used in commerce and industry. The 1974 decree was intended to forcibly reverse the decline of Afrikaans among black Africans. The Afrikaner-dominated government used the clause of the 1909 Union of South Africa Act that recognized only English and Dutch (the latter being replaced by Afrikaans in 1925) as official languages as pretext to do so. While all schools had to provide instruction in both Afrikaans and English as languages, white students learned other subjects in their home language.

Punt Janson, the Deputy Minister of Bantu Education at the time, was quoted as saying: "A Black man may be trained to work on a farm or in a factory. He may work for an employer who is either English-speaking or Afrikaans-speaking and the man who has to give him instructions may be either English-speaking or Afrikaans-speaking. Why should we now start quarrelling about the medium of instruction among the Black people as well? … No, I have not consulted them and I am not going to consult them. I have consulted the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa …

The decree was resented deeply by blacks as Afrikaans was widely viewed, in the words of Desmond Tutu, bishop of Lesotho and later Dean of Johannesburg, as "the language of the oppressor". Teacher organizations such as the African Teachers Association of South Africa objected to the decree. A change in language of instruction forced the students to focus on understanding the language instead of the subject material. This made critical analysis of the content difficult and discouraged critical thinking.

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The resentment grew until 30 April 1976, when children at Orlando West Junior School in Soweto went on strike, refusing to go to school. Their rebellion then spread to many other schools in Soweto. Black South African students protested because they believed that they deserved to be treated and taught equally to White South Africans. A student from Morris Isaacson High School, Teboho 'Tsietsi' Mashinini, proposed a meeting on 13 June 1976 to discuss what should be done. Students formed an Action Committee (later known as the Soweto Students’ Representative Council) that organized a mass rally for 16 June to make themselves heard.

In a BBC/SABC documentary broadcast for the first time in June 2006, surviving leaders of the uprising described how they planned in secret for the demonstration, surprising their teachers and families (and the apartheid police) with the power and strength of the demonstration (see 'Radio' section below).

The uprising On the morning of 16 June 1976, between 10,000-20,000 black students walked from their schools to Orlando Stadium for a rally to protest against having to learn through Afrikaans in school. Many students who later participated in the protest arrived at school that morning without prior knowledge of the protest, yet agreed to become involved. The protest was intended to be peaceful and had been carefully planned by the Soweto Students’ Representative Council’s (SSRC) Action Committee, with support from the wider Black Consciousness Movement. Teachers in Soweto also supported the march after the Action Committee emphasized good discipline and peaceful action.

Tsietsi Mashinini led students from Morris Isaacson High School to join up with others who walked from Naledi High School. The students began the march only to find out that police had barricaded the road along their intended route. The leader of the action committee asked the crowd not to provoke the police and the march continued on another route, eventually ending up near Orlando High School. The crowd of between 3,000 and 10,000 students made their way towards the area of the school. Students sang and waved placards with slogans such as, "Down with Afrikaans", "Viva Azania" and "If we must do Afrikaans, Vorster must do Zulu".

A 2006 BBC/SABC documentary corroborated the testimony of Colonel Kleingeld, the police officer who fired the first shot, with eyewitness accounts from both sides. In Kleingeld's account, some of the children started throwing stones as soon as they spotted the police patrol, while others continued to march peacefully. Colonel Kleingeld drew his handgun and fired a shot, causing panic and chaos. Students started screaming and running and more gunshots were fired.

The police loosed their dogs on the children, who responded by stoning the dogs to death.

The police then began to shoot directly at the children.

One of the first students to be shot dead was 13-year-old Hector Pieterson. He was shot at Orlando West High School and became the symbol of the Soweto uprising.[20] The police attacks on the demonstrators continued and 23 people, including two white people, died on the first day in Soweto.

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Among them was Dr Melville Edelstein, who had devoted his life to social welfare among blacks. He was stoned to death by the mob and left with a sign around his neck proclaiming 'Beware Afrikaaners'.

The violence escalated as the students came under attack; bottle stores, and beer halls seen as outposts of the apartheid government - were targeted as were the official outposts of the state. The violence abated by nightfall. Police vans and armored vehicles patrolled the streets throughout the night.

Emergency clinics were swamped with injured and bloody children. The police requested that the hospital provide a list of all victims with bullet wounds. The hospital administrator passed this request to the doctors, but the doctors refused to create the list. Doctors recorded bullet wounds as abscesses.

The 1,500 heavily armed police officers deployed to Soweto on 17 June carried weapons including automatic rifles, stun guns, and carbines.They drove around in armoured vehicles with helicopters monitoring the area from the sky. The South African Army was also ordered on standby as a tactical measure to show military force. Crowd control methods used by South African police at the time included mainly dispersement techniques.

Casualties The number of people who died is usually given as 176 with estimates up to 700.

The original government figure claimed only 23 students were killed.

The number of wounded was estimated to be over a thousand men, women, and children.

Aftermath The aftermath of the uprising established the leading role of the ANC in the liberation struggle, as it was the body best able to channel and organize students seeking the overthrow of apartheid. So, although the BCM's ideas had been important in creating the climate that gave the students the confidence to strike out, it was the ANC's non-racialism, which came to dominate the discourse of liberation amongst blacks. The perspectives set out in Joe Slovo's essay No Middle Road - written at just this time and predicting the apartheid regime had only the choice between more repression and overthrow by the revolutionaries - were highly influential.

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The Soweto Uprising was a turning point in the opposition to white rule in South Africa.

Formerly, the struggle had been fought outside of South Africa, mostly in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), South-West Africa (now Namibia) and Angola. But from this moment onwards, the struggle became internal and the government security forces were split between external operations and internal operations.

The clashes also occurred at a time when the South African Government was being forced to "transform" apartheid in international eyes towards a more "benign" form. In October 1976, Transkei, the first Bantustan, was proclaimed "independent" by the South African Government. This attempt to showcase supposed South African "commitment" to selfdetermination backfired, however, when Transkei was internationally derided as a puppet state.

For the state the uprising marked the most fundamental challenge yet to apartheid and the economic (see below) and political instability it caused was heightened by the strengthening international boycott. It was a further 14 years before Nelson Mandela was released, but at no point was the state able to restore the relative peace and social stability of the early 1970s as black resistance grew.

Many white South African citizens were outraged at the government's actions in Soweto, and about 300 white students from the University of the Witwatersrand marched through Johannesburg's City Centre in protest of the killing of children. Black workers went on strike as well and joined them as the campaign progressed. Riots also broke out in the black townships of other cities in South Africa.

Student organizations directed the energy and anger of the youth toward political resistance.

Students in Thembisa organized a successful and non-violent solidarity march, but a similar protest held in Kagiso led to police stopping a group of participants and forcing them to retreat, before killing at least five people while waiting for reinforcements. The violence only died down on 18 June. The University of Zululand's records and administration buildings were set ablaze, and 33 people died in incidents in Port Elizabeth in August. In Cape Town 92 people died between August and September. Most of the bloodshed had abated by the close of 1976, but by that time the death toll stood at more than 600.

The continued clashes in Soweto caused economic instability. The South African rand devalued fast and the government was plunged into a crisis. The African National Congress printed and distributed leaflets with the slogan "Free Mandela, Hang Vorster", immediately linking the language issue to its revolutionary heritage programme and helping establish its leading role (see Baruch Hirson's "Year of Fire, Year of Ash" for a discussion of the ANC's ability to channel and direct the popular anger).

International reaction The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 392, which strongly condemned the incident and the apartheid regime. Henry Kissinger, United States Secretary of State at the time, was about to visit South Africa at the time of the riot, and said that the uprisings cast a negative light on the entire country.

African National Congress (ANC) exiles called for international action and more economic sanctions against South Africa.

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In the media Images of the riots spread all over the world, shocking millions. The photograph of Hector Pieterson's dead body, as captured by photojournalist Sam Nzima, caused outrage and brought down international condemnation on the Apartheid government.

The Soweto riots are depicted in the 1987 film by director Richard Attenborough, Cry Freedom, and in the 1992 musical film Sarafina!. The riots also inspired a novel by Andre Brink called A Dry White Season, and a 1989 movie of the same title. In the 2003 film Stander, the Soweto riots start Captain Andre Stander's disillusionment with apartheid, and he seeks forgiveness from the father of a protesting student he killed.

Radio Twenty years on from the uprising, for June 1996, the Ulwazi Educational Radio Project of Johannesburg compiled an hour-long radio documentary portraying the events of 16 June entirely from the perspective of people living in Soweto at the time. Many of the students who planned or joined the uprising took part, as did other witnesses including photographer Peter Magubane, reporter Sophie Tema, and Tim Wilson the white doctor who pronounced Hector Pieterson dead in Baragwanath hospital. The programme was broadcast on SABC and on a number of local radio stations throughout South Africa. The following year, BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service broadcast a revised version containing fresh interviews and entitled The Day Apartheid Died. The programme was runner-up at the 1998 European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO) TV & Radio Awards and also at the 1998 Media Awards of the One World International Broadcasting Trust, and was highly commended at the 1998 Prix Italia radio awards. In May 1999, it was re-broadcast

by BBC Radio 4 as The Death of Apartheid with a fresh introduction, providing added historical context for a British audience, by Anthony Sampson, former editor of Drum magazine and author of the authorised biography (1999) of Nelson Mandela. Sampson linked extracts from the BBC Sound Archive that charted the long struggle against apartheid from the Sharpeville massacre of 1960, through the riots of 1976 and the murder of Steve Biko, and right up to Mandela’s release from prison in 1990 and the future president’s speech in which he acknowledged the debt owed by all black South Africans to the students who gave their lives in Soweto on 16 June 1976.

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FB aka FIESTA BLACK

Thandi Mokgoankgoa is a singer, songwriter, born on the 30th August 1989 at Baragwanath hospital.

She was raised in Norwood by her grandmother (Elisa Ramokgopha), father (Thomas Ramokgopha) and her foster mother (Liz Zylstra).

She is from a family of 7 and she’s the eldest plus she is an aunt to her beautiful niece Desire and nephew Blessing. Her siblings are Mpule, Paul, Tebatso, Kenneth, Felicity and Sonti, She says ‘they are what keeps me going, they are my life’.

She has always loved music but she only recently started treating it as a priority. When she moved in with her birth mother (Emily Mokgoankgoa) she realized that she really loved entertaining people because at the time she was in pre-­‐school she would sing for the parents and children on parents day and whenever they had functions at the pre school, Xighubu is my first major break all thanks to my boy Tibi and Dj Ganyani. She has written songs for Thembi Seete, worked with Denim, Dj Mbuso and Jerah.

Tibi introduced her to Dj Ganyani and before she knew it, there was a hit. She has come a long way to get to where she is and she is happy what she went through, all the rejection helped her grow and gave her a chance to learn more about the industry, so now she’s schooled. She is working on her own solo project at the moment with Ganyani Entertainment, with the help of Ganyani Entertainment team who makes sure that everything runs smoothly. There is much more in store for her, compliments of THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK, and as she always say.....POUND IT!!!!!! FAITH!!!!!!!

To Book FB, Contact M. G. Miya(tebza) Artist Manager Marketing Manager at Ganyani Entertainment http://www.djganyani.co.za/ http://www.ganyanientertainment.co.za/ tebza@djganyani.co.za call: 060 333 5373

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AmieStreet.com - A social network and music marketplace for indie artists. They give the artists 70% of the sale.

AnyGig.com - A place for musicians to get listed for small gigs, or find venues to play at.

Artistopia.com - An online venue for performers to give themselves an online presence with a profile and display their work.

BandBuzz.com - A social network where artists can set up a profile, upload their music and get reviewed and recommended by users.

BandChemistry.com - A site for musicians to find new members for their group or form a whole new band.

Bandwagon.co.uk - A social network for lovers of indie music where the bands can sell mobile content such as ringtones and wallpapers.

ChampionSound.com - Free mailing list manager for artists, promoters, and venues.

Elisteningpost.com - A way for musicians to upload their music and sell it just about anywhere they want such as MySpace and Facebook.

FireGigs.com - A site with the aim of promoting unsigned bands by arranging to get their music to be played in the background at cafes, coffee shops and more. Also promote you through a Facebook app and MySpace widget.

Fuzz.com - Lets performers upload their music sell it, as well as manage mailing lists and more.

HumbleVoice.com - A place for all types of independent artists, including musicians, to upload their work and promote it. iJamr.com - Indie musicians upload their music and bloggers can display your songs on their sites for free, and if a sale is made, they blogger gets a cut.

Indistr.com - A company letting independent artists sell their music directly to the public and the musicians receive 75% of the sale. mTraks.com - An online marketplace and network for indie artists to promote and sell their music.

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Mubito.com - Allows you to set up a band website easily and sell MP3s.

MusicNation.com - A community of musician profile pages that engage regularly in competition for various prizes.

Panjea.com - Bring all yourclips from the web together and put them in to one player so they take up less space on your page, so you can promote all your music easily.

PocketFuzz.com - A place for musicians to sell ringtones of their works and notify their fans of news via mobiles.

Popfolio.net - A music widget provider for blogs that lets independent musicians upload their songs for inclusion, and possible sales.

PumpAudio.com - A service for indie artists to get their music licensed for television and film.

REVERBNATION

Ripple9.com - A site to help bands promote themselves on mobile devices to their fans. New sign-ups are frozen while Google is purchasing them.

Scriggleit.com - Software you can use on a laptop at your merchandise table so people can sign up for your mailing list.

SessionSound.com - A site for independent musicians to try to stay indie by selling their music online.

Sonicbids.com - Allows you to construct a low cost electronic press kit that can be constantly updated so the recipients always get the latest version.

Unsigned.com - A site for unsigned bands to put up a profile page and host a playlist of MP3s to attract new listeners —

By Jules Cheng FEELING BLESSED ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

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Rashaan Houston

1. Please tell me a little about yourself? Who is Rashaan Houston?

RaShaan Houston is a singer/songwriter, online radio personality, event host, event producer, talent buyer and tastemaker living in the home of house, Chicago, IL. 2. When did your career start?

My professional career as a recording artist started in 1995. Prior to that I was an actor in theater and commercials since the age of 9. My first house recording was "The Right Way" produced by the Pound Boys on Look-at-You Records released in 1998.

3. How did you get your start in the music business?

I grew up in a musical family and starting singing when I was 5. My start in the music business came about through a connection from the legendary DJ Eldon who introducted me to the Pound Boys which led to our string of house hits in the last 90s to early 00s.

4. How had the Internet changed your relationship with music and the Industry?

The internet has changed the landscape for all genres of music. When I first came out there was no social media and now it has become one of the greatest tools for any artist to use. File sharing, international collaborations and promotion have been made music easier by the way social media has connected us all over the world.

5. Which countries/states have you visited through being booked and which is your favorite?

I've had the opportunity to travel much of the world throughout the course of my career and I've loved every gig I've played but playing in Las Vegas have been my favorite thus far.

6. What do you believe is the secret to your success as a singer and Songwriter?

I don't know the secret to success. I've only learned to own all my mistakes, try to keep professionalism when others aren't and learn from every experience. I've been in the business long enough that I now am fortunate enough to mentor other artists but I am still opening to learning from whoever and whatever I can.

7. What projects are you currently working on?

My current projects soon to be released are "Get You Back' produced by Byron Stingily, a duet with Nicole Mitchell, "Black Magic" with AudioJazz and future collaborations with Maurice Joshua, Frank Ryle, Andrew Hartley and Terry Hunter. My most recent release "Let Me Live" (Spiritchaser Remixes) on Look-at-You Records hit the top 10 on both the Top 100 and Soulful House charts of Traxsource.com. and upcoming release collaboration with Sean Ali and Sheree Hicks…..

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Lorem Ipsum 8. What does 2013 hold for Rashaan Houston?

2013 should hold a lot for myself. My publisher, Musical Elements and myself signed a deal with Mood Media to place my music in thousands of retailers throughout the world. Currently, RedSoul & RaShaan Houston "Love is a Miracle" is playing in all 1100 Abercrombie & Fitch stores through this deal. I took a hiatus from live performances but plan to hit the stage again soon this year.

9. Any advice for the aspiring singers/songwriters out there?

My advice to all aspiring singer/songwriters is to copyright your work, register your publishing, perform as much as you can and never give up. If you don't have a support base, find a way to build one and stay loyal to them so they will stay loyal to you. Always reinvent, listen, learn and grow.

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RaShaan Houston’s Bio

A gifted vocalist, songwriter, and live performer, RaShaan Houston has garnered much praise as a rising star in dance music who combines equal parts gospel roots, jazz sensibility, and 70's soul with just a dash of rock influence. This product of a musical family began singing at the age of five in church choirs, performing musical theater, and entertaining within various professional groups, and hasn’t looked back since.

In 1996, RaShaan began his recording career and long time collaboration with the Pound Boys/LAY Records. It was the 1998 anthem "The Right Way" (LAY Records USA/Slip N' Slide UK) that first brought RaShaan to the attention of the dance world. The worldwide dance community stood up and took notice of this now underground dance classic. Three solid groovers followed; the funky, soulful UK top pick, "Be With You" (LAY Records USA/Media Records-Heartbeat Italy), the uplifting, empowerment canticle, "Shine" (ROI Germany), and the personal, deeply introspective paean, "Power" (ROI Germany). After a fantastic six year run with the Pound Boys, RaShaan ventured out on his own via collaborations with DJ Oji, "I'm So Glad To Be Alive" from the "Underground Xperience" CD on Poji Records, Audiowhores and George Jackson, "Work it Out" (Peppermint Jam UK), and Magic Touch, "Happy" (Bumpin City Chicago). Throughout the past decade, RaShaan, who finds his best home live on stage, has performed consistently, and has left audiences from coast to coast clamoring for more.

RaShaan has developed a strong supportive following, sharing the bill at times with dance greats Pepper MaShay, Ultra Nate', and Kristine W. He has opened shows for world-renowned DJS such as Hex Hector, Farley Jackmaster Funk, Julius Papp, Stacy Kidd, and Joe Bermudez. RaShaan continues to work tirelessly, honing his craft and inspiring his audience to dance. He believes his greatest work is yet to be heard and continues to strive toward musical excellence.

In 2006, RaShaan released his most favorably reviewed track to date, Its Alright" (Generate Music US). Co-written by music icon, Ce Ce Peniston and George Jackson with production by Dave "RedSoul" Wareing, and remixes from Soularis and DJ Meme, this funky and soulful bouncer has become a mainstay in the DJ crates of the dance music elite. Also in 2006 was "Warrior" on Ruff-NTuff Records, a tribal affair produced by George Jackson, featuring a spirited Ron Carroll remix and a must hear reworking by Grammy-nominated producer, E-Smoove. 2010 saw the release of "Love is a Miracle "on Playmore Records UK. With tremendous buzz, radio airplay and early support from CJ Mackintosh, The Dizz, and the Godfather of House himself, Frankie Knuckles, this slinky and sensuous jam is became a massive hit.

After a 10-year break, RaShaan and DJ Dealer of The Pound Boys reunited for "Let Me Live" and RaShaan joined ranks with Sol4orce and House 4 Life Records to create the #1 Clubology charting hit, "Must Be Present to Win".

RaShaan has been welcomed to the roster of The Brothers Records with the release of "30 Days" and "Just Say Yes" The Funklovers & Mirco Esposito mixes and achieved two Traxsource.com Top 10 hits with "Let Me Live" The Spiritchaser remixes.

RaShaan remains in demand as a live solo performer.

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MXL Genesis Cardioid Valve Microphone Paul White

MXL’s Genesis is a visually imposing tube microphone with a narrow cardioid pattern and — on paper, at least — a nominally flat response. This is slightly unusual, because most large-diaphragm mics have a noticeable presence peak. Examination of the polar pattern shows that the mic is slightly sensitive to sounds coming from directly behind it, which indicates that the capsule design veers somewhat towards the hypercardioid pattern.

The Genesis is positioned towards the top end of the MXL range (only the multi-pattern Revelation costs more) and uses a NOS (New Old Stock) Mullard 12AT7 tube, powered by an external supply unit (110/220V AC, 50-60Hz), the latter being small but very solid. The mic itself is quite large, at 59mm in diameter and 240mm in length; it’s not dissimilar in this respect to a Neumann U47. Like the PSU, the microphone body is finished in red, but the mic grille is gold-plated — and I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether or not this is tasteful!

A 150Hz, 6dB/octave low-cut filter switch is located on the mic body, along with a 10dB pad switch. In addition to the aforementioned power supply and a 15-foot, seven-pin Mogami connecting cable, the mic comes with a 15-foot Mogami three-pin XLR mic cable, a robust elastic cradle-type shockmount, a cleaning cloth and a curved, gold-plated pop screen that clips onto the mic body. A further, rigid stand-clip is included, and this attaches to the threaded outer section of the XLR housing. While the mic has its own plush-lined wooden box, the accessories are all neatly packed in separate cardboard boxes, although I doubt many will use these for long-term storage: perhaps this is one instance where an aluminium case would have made good sense.

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Inside Out Removing the threaded ring from the base of the mic gives access to the innards, supported on the type of metal frame that’s common in Chinese-built microphones. Most of the circuitry, other than the switches, is mounted on a single circuit board populated by good-quality but non-esoteric components. Interestingly, whereas most tube mics have a transformer output stage, this USoriginated design appears to be a hybrid, with three further solid-state devices but no output transformer. Everything is very neatly assembled. The 12AT7 tube fits into a ceramic base, and is firmly clamped by a metal hoop, lined with heat-resistant silicon rubber. Electrolytic capacitors connected to the tube circuit are rated at 250V, which suggests that the tube is run at a suitably high voltage.

The 32mm-diameter capsule is based around a six-micron, gold-sputtered membrane, and manages a 20Hz to 20kHz response within 3dB — although the mid-range isn’t entirely flat, with shallow dips of a couple of dB evident around 250Hz and 3kHz. I don’t know if this is coincidental, but the dips occur at those parts of the spectrum that can make material sound boxy (250Hz) and harsh (3kHz), so their inclusion may have been a deliberate attempt to sweeten the mid-range in a subtle way. The 18dB (A-weighted) self-noise figure isn’t particularly low, but it’s typical of many tube microphones and should be no cause for concern in the majority of close-miking applications. With the pad switched in, the mic can handle levels up to 140dB (at 0.5 percent total harmonic distortion). MXL claim the Genesis is suitable not only for vocals, but also for use with many instruments, including piano, drums (overheads) and percussion.

Studio Test There’s no mistaking the Genesis power supply, which is coloured to match the mic!

In all my tests, the MXL Genesis sounded very much like a slightly brighter version of my own Rode K2 tube mic, which is in itself an excellent tube mic at a slightly lower price point, but we also compared it with a rather more expensive AKG C12VR, which we’ve decided to use as our reference tube mic.

The Genesis delivers a naturalsounding vocal that balances lowend warmth with clarity, while adding a little welcome density to the voice.

As ever, different mics suit different voices, but a little gentle EQ should fit this mic to most male voices. In this instance, Hugh Robjohns preferred what the C12VR did to his voice a little more, but for me the Genesis worked better, with less chesty muddiness and a hint more detail. As you’ll see in the vocal mic article elsewhere in this issue, female voices tend to be more tricky to match to microphones, so as we keep stressing, with any vocalist, it’s important to try different mics to see what works best.

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Acoustic guitar came across with a good tonal balance, the sound giving the impression of being slightly compressed. There was enough zing from the strings, but the result was never ‘scratchy’.

However, as always, I had to hunt for the sweet spot for the mic in relation to the instrument, rather than relying on textbook positioning. By comparison, the C12VR, again, sounded somewhat ‘chesty’.

Hand-percussion tests proved the Genesis to be equally capable in that application. The results were articulate and detailed, but still conveyed adequate depth. In this test, both the C12VR and the Genesis delivered a slightly different tonality, but both worked really well.

Electric guitar combo with distorted guitar is a challenging test: few capacitor mics I’ve tried (with the notable exception of the Audio Technica 4050) excel in this application. With no EQ, and with a mic placement of 30mm or so from the grill, pointing midway between the centre and edge of the speaker cone, the sound came across as slightly aggressive, but still very usable. By experimenting with mic distance and keeping the mic close to the edge of the speaker, rather than aiming it at the centre, we achieved good results that only needed a little taming with EQ. You could also rotate the mic slightly to take the sound a little way off-axis, which invariably shaves off some of the high end. Clean electric guitar translated well, given care with placement and EQ. Having a near-flat response makes the Genesis more versatile than a mic designed to exhibit deliberate coloration, and while it sounds more ‘airy’ than my Rode K2, which I also dug out, and less ‘chesty’ than the C12VR, that doesn’t make any of them bad mics: it just underlines their different personalities. It’s also likely that the transformerless output stage of the Genesis is more transparent to transients than the usual tube-mic output transformer, which may account for the slight sense of brightness, even though the response curve shows no obvious presence lift. These characteristics should also work in the mic’s favour when working on piano and drums, where a clean but unhyped transient response is important.

All That Glitters?

The Genesis is predictably good-sounding as a vocal mic (with the caveat, of course, that you need to check that it suits your voice), but its lack of obvious coloration and capable handling of transients also makes it a natural for acoustic guitar and percussion. It worked adequately as a guitar-amp mic, a trick that few capacitor mics can pull off effectively, and while most people would choose the Genesis primarily as a vocal mic, it’s also a good choice for the musician who needs one good tube mic that can be used for just about anything, but without spending silly money. I’m still not sure about the bling factor, though!

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Finding The Perfect Midi Keyboard To Buy Before deciding which midi keyboard is right for you, you'll want to figure out the features you need, and just as importantly the features you DON'T need. Then when you know exactly what will fit, you can find the best priced and highest quality options.

I should note that some people wonder what's the best midi keyboard for ableton, pro tools, fl studio, cubase, logic, sonar, reason, garage band, or whatever program they use is.

The keyboards found on this page will work with any digital audio workstation (DAW) as keyboard compatibility has to do with the operating system you are running rather than the music production software you are using. So find the best keyboard that suits your needs, and rest assured if it's compatible with your OS then you'll be fine regardless of what music production program you are using.

Let's run through some of the basics details of midi controllers of 2013 to narrow down the type of midi keyboard best suits what you're after.

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Midi Keyboard Controller Vs. Midi Synthesizer Keyboards Which one do I need?

Before going any further, it's important to understand the difference between a midi controller and a synth keyboard.

A typical keyboard synthesizer has actual "built in" sounds (or a built in software synthesizer) ready to play audio from the keyboard itself. These are the typical keyboards most people think of when they go into a store and start playing music from them.

A keyboard controller however is NOT capable of generating any sound from the keyboard, and must be plugged into something that can generate sound such as an external synthesizer or sample player.

A typical synth keyboard is usually capable of functioning as a midi controller, but a strict midi controller won't function as a synthesizer.

So why would someone want a controller vs. a synth? Well if you are using a digital audio workstation or external synths, you probably don't want to spend your money paying for built in sounds you're not even going to use when all you want is to "control" sounds and midi data with the keyboard. Even bands that play live with keyboards may only use a controller keyboard to control a software synthesizer.

Most synthesizers in the several hundred dollar range don't offer that great of built in sounds, and so it makes a lot more sense for producers to simply buy a high quality midi controller, and let their software take care of the synthesis needs.

If you need a keyboard that actually generates sounds, go with a midi synthesizer instead of a midi controller. For those who want the most power and cheapest keyboard to produce music using computer software or external hardware synthesizers, keep reading to find the best midi controllers.

How to Connect The Keyboard USB vs Midi Cable and Audio Interfaces

These days, virtually every modern midi controller is powered and functions through usb rather than a midi cable. They usually feature "plug-n-play" capabilities allowing a person to plug the keyboard right in out of the box and play as the computer recognizes it as a midi device.

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Be sure to verify if the keyboard software is compatible with your OS (most work with Mac and Windows), although I have yet to see one that isn't compatible with most operating systems.

I should note that some older laptop computers may not generate enough power to power the keyboard and still run midi data. This is a rare occurrence, but could be an issue if you are purchasing older usb keyboard controllers.

Once the keyboard is plugged in, you'll want to find where your software (daw or synthesizer) manages midi inputs. If it has automatically done so, be sure to select your keyboard as a midi input. You may need to install drivers found with the keyboard or from online before your computer will recognize the keyboard.

If you'd like to save the usb port, you can connect mid controllers to external power and run through a midi cable. You'll need either a midi to usb converter or an audio interface with a midi input to do this.

If you don't have an audio interface, I HIGHLY recommend getting one if you're doing any sort of music production or just wanting to run synths on your computer whether or not you need to connect your keyboard to it or not. One benefit of an audio interface is that it will reduce the lag time (called latency) that occurs from when you strike a note on the keyboard and when you hear it come from your computer.

Best Portable Midi Keyboards Best of The Smallest and Cheapest Keyboards A) Want to make music at any location.

These small compact keyboards let you take your keyboard with you on the go with a laptop.

B) Those who don't have a lot of space and want something that fits on their desktop next to their computer.

C) Those who just need something to input midi data into a program and aren't as concerned about actually "playing" a piece of music. IE: Producers rather than actual keyboardists/pianists. Typically you will use these to input melodies, bass lines, drum parts, etc. one part at a time separate from one another in a digital audio workstation.

D) Those who want the cheapest midi keyboard controllers and are minimalists who do NOT need a bunch of knobs and faders or extra keys.

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Best Minimalist Keyboards Cheapest Keyboards For The Number of Keys A) Want to have the flexibility to play more keys, but don't need a lot of knobs, faders, and additional features.

Note: I can't remember the last time I've needed more than a single knob or slider for anything I was producing.

(Most people only really need the keys and sometimes pitch bend and modulation) B) Want the cheapest midi controller to get the job done and don't need it to "feel" like an actual piano. IE: No weighted keys.

Best Full Featured Keyboards Quality, Features, Price Balance A) Want additional control with more sliders, knobs, and other features at an economical price.

B) Want the best price for those features and willing to sacrifice a little bit on the feel of the keys in order to get the most features for the dollars spent.

C) Want something from a reputable brand. M-Audio sometimes gets hated on, but I haven't found another brand that balances the quality, compatibility, features, and cheapest price outside of say Alesis.

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