Tech Knowledge

Digital technology has evolved to the point that musicians can easily produce and mix their own music at home. There are plenty of computer programs that supply you with more than enough tools to crank out your own mixes right from your computer desk. The problem is that even with this technology right at our fingertips, many producers lack a few simple nuggets of knowledge that could help them produce a high quality mix.
I have stepped into some studios that were so loaded with studio equipment that you could literally hear the electrical humming when you entered the room, but once they played me the latest track of a composition or vocal session they recorded, it was very clear that a room full of technology will get you nowhere without the proper knowledge and skill set.
First of all, if you want to produce high-quality music, you're going to need a computer that can keep up. Older machines are fine for Internet use or word processing, but when it comes to mixing, adding effects, and multitrack recording, the old Packard Bell desktop running Windows 95 is not going to get it. You need lots of memory and hard drive space. Music files get extremely huge, so you don't want to crash or run out of hard drive space during a session or mixdown. Believe it or not, some laptops are advanced enough to handle these tasks, they may just cost you a pretty penny.
Once you get past your hardware dilemma, the right software is essential. Depending on what you really plan on doing with your setup, different softwares provide different functions, so it's really up to you to choose the best software package available for your endeavor. If you don't have a lot of hardware like compressors, a mixing board, etc. then you should look for software that does most of what you need behind the screen. Find software that has mixers included and the ability to import plug-ins. For many people, plug-in chaining is the answer to a quick high-quality recording. Experiment with various programs and see what works best for you.
Once you start cranking out some pretty good mixes, you should really consider investing in some suitable studio monitors. A lot of speaker setups are quick to lie to you about what the music really sounds like. You can get away from this problem by investing in a good set of studio monitors. Powered monitors are a little more expensive but in my opinion, they are really worth it.
Invest in programs that you have read positive reviews about. The cheapest program is going to perform like the cheapest program. If it is free, it probably won't produce a mix that is radio ready. You must be willing to spend something to achieve a decent sound. If you really love music, then you can't be afraid to invest in it.
When you start working with equalizers, please be careful that you don't use it too excessively. When done correctly it can really spice up your mix and enhance the parts you really need to hear. Just remember that when you start using this feature, it is better to take away than to add. You would be surprised how much damage you can do to a mix trying to boost the highs to give it a more crisp sound. You may end up with a crunchy sound instead of a crisp one.
Boosting increases the amount of noise. It is easy to end up with a distorted mix this way. Any time I mix and use the EQ feature I always have my decibel meter in view to make sure that I never exceed my desired level. Knowing how to EQ properly helps you produce a mix that doesn't clip. Clipping is one of the most irritating things that can happen to any song or track. If you can get a handle on equalization and avoid the pitfalls that result in distorted audio and clipping, then you're well on your way to producing great mixes in your own home using your computer.
The last thing I want you to remember is that you should always keep your audio sessions in the session form. Back them up on a CD/DVD or something. There is nothing more frustrating than having a great song that is a bad mix and can't be edited. Invest in a pack of blank DVDs and back up every session you record or compose. I sometimes pull up sessions from 2001 and can drop vocals on a beat that was made yesterday. It is fun seeing things like that come together.
I will touch on compressors and the de esser in a later article. Just know that with the right knowledge and skill set, it is not hard to have a home studio up and running in a short period of time. Have fun.

All Sliced Up

I can remember fast forwarding through my favorite hip-hop songs to that small portion of instrumental at the end with little or no vocals recorded against it. I would use this little portion of beat to my advantage. This is when I started splicing beats.
Before I had a computer, before I had a beat machine, before I had a set of drums, I had double cassette boombox with an auxiliary in jack. One of the first beats I ever spliced was Black Moon's "Buck'em Down" joint.
There was a portion at the beginning where all of the midrange and highs were filtered out. I would have my recording cassette deck loaded with the pause button engaged. When this be started to play I would hit the pause button to punch in. After a couple of bars I would hit the pause button again to punch out.
After I got good at this. I started to accumulate tapes full of me rapping over these spliced beats. Around the time when I was doing this, you could buy a hit single on a cassette tape with the instrumental on the other side. This was convenient when the beat was one I wanted to rap over, but a lot of times the beats I really wanted weren't available and that form.
If you tried this with the wrong boombox, then your beats probably contained a lot of clicks and pops. Some pause buttons weren't reliable enough to guarantee that you stop in the right spot. When we were doing this, there was no going back and correcting a beat in a spot where you punched out too early or in to late. Every single splice was serious business. Every once in a while you come across the perfect boombox for splicing. Before the real stuff came along, these trusty little music jewels were a joy to find laying around waiting for your talent.
Of course there is software that does all of this for you now. A couple of clicks of a button can do what took me 15 minutes to do then, but if you never got to experience this method of artistry in its old-school form, I must say you really missed out on something you would have considered phenomenal.

How the True Producer Treats His Customer

How the True Producer Treats His Customer
by: Jonathan Daniel

One thing you should consider when buying beats from a producer is whether they have the ability to produce more beats that cater to your style within the one beat you interested in. I know some producers who have that one fire R&B track, but couldn't produce another one of the same caliber if their life depended on it. This is a quality that all producers should have. This is a must if you are in search for a producer that you want to work with on an ongoing basis.

Another thing to look for is the quality of the music. And a lot of times, you will find producers on websites selling beats and providing you only with a 128 bit rate encoded MP3. While this may be satisfactory for amateur artists, a true producer makes it his responsibility to be available to provide artists with their preferred track in various formats. For instance, some artists would rather have their track snail mailed to them on a CD or DVD containing 24-bit wave files of each instrument track. A producer should always be prepared to fulfill this request. I make it my business to do this even for non-exclusive tracks. I'm not saying you have to do this every time, but if the artist requests it, you want to give great customer service which will in turn give you repeat business.

Exceptional customer service is what will set the professionals apart from mediocre producers trying to make a quick buck online. They always check back with their customers to make sure that their CD or DVD arrived safely and that no problems have occurred. They are also willing to adjust instruments that artists feel are too loud or low, or if the artist requests a better mix all together. Even if the beat is non-exclusive, the artist will be comfortable with referring these producers to their next potential customer because of the service they were given.

At least half of the time, an artist would like to know if exclusive beats are available. Even though all of the beats on my website are nonexclusive, I make it known that exclusive services are available. This conversation may arise after an artist purchases one of a producer's nonexclusive beats. They should always be ready to make a beat just like the nonexclusive beat they sold. This happens to me often. An artist buys and nonexclusive beat and makes a demo that they is satisfied with, but decides he wants to take it further. They then ask me how to obtain exclusive rights for the beat. In this situation I convinced them to let me produce a beat just like the nonexclusive one they have purchased. It's an easy fix for producers providing exclusive and nonexclusive beats.

So the keys to finding an exceptional music producer who is versatile and Knows how to reproduce the magic over and over again and in all styles, having a quality mix and providing it to the customer in various formats, providing exceptional customer service, and being able to assist customers who wish to have exclusive rights to their works.

What's Your Style?

I read an article quite some time ago around the time when Missy Elliott was talkin' about how she was "Supa Dupa Fly" She made the comment that she didn't watch a lot of TV and that she seldom listened to the radio. This was because she didn't want other peoples music to interfere with her creativity.

While I believe it is important to know what people like and what music is being embraced, Rappers and singers do need to isolate themselves to a certain extent to find out what type of style they are truly supposed to project. When I hear a lot of music that sounds repetitive and eventually turn it off, I think to myself "That formula is not working for them."

I come to the conclusion that a lot of rappers and singers don't know their style. The main reason for a lot of this is that most artists automatically lock themselves into a certain style of rap based on their geographical location.

In my opinion, you should strive to be unique anyway. Sure you live in the south and the south is making music that is selling, but if you sound better arranging your lyrics like an east coast rapper, that's just the way your gift was given to you. I took Missy's advice way back when I heard it. Today, I feel like I can't be put in a box. I'm in the south, but while most would expect crunk beats, my music is kind of mellowed out and R&B-ish, and a little unorthodox too. I've heard MC's who would actually sound better over my style of beats ask for more crunk down south beats. I can give them exactly what they want, but then they try to rap over those beats with a flow that needs more of a storytelling instrumental. Most of the rappers who have this problem are quite gifted. They just need to turn the radio off and study themselves for a minute.

I've heard rappers try to spit deep lyrics with metaphors over beats that are only fit for booty shaking or club fighting. I seldom see this type of music get far. They want a hype club song, but they're really saying something that has substance and people don't grasp that over beats they would rather be shakin' it fast to. You also have to ask yourself "Do I even look like that style of rapper I'm attempting to be?" I think if these MC's find their true style and delivery and put it with the right beats, they have a better chance of getting where they desire to be.

My Start with Christian Rap Music

My Start with Christian Rap Music

By Jonathan Daniel

Rap music is what I indulged in as a child. It is the music genre that played the biggest part in shaping me into the artist I am today. It was popular among my two sisters and their peers. As a child, watching them dance to it in their bedroom sparked my interest even more.

Unaware that Christian rap had been around since the late 70's, I thought I was the first to do it. I didn't attach the word Christian to rap to define what I was doing because I just considered myself to be a rapper rapping about Being the new person I had become, I utilized lyrics that expressed the message of my faith, and was anxious to introduce this new form of music the world . However, I walked to a retail store one day and discovered a Gospel Gangstas Cassette tape and realized that I was only becoming a part of something that was already in motion.

From the jump, many Christian churches have dismissed this form of music ministry. Since there is a clear difference from the traditional gospel music, a great number of churches put up resistance to it. Even I have experienced people getting up and walking out of the building when I rapped in a church service. As time has moved along though, Christian rap has gained some acceptance from churches and also has been making it's way to the mainstream.

Christian Rap is similar in ways to Traditional Christian Music, but I strongly feel that christian rap lyrics take a more evangelistic approach. Most Christian Rap artists use this music to tell their testimony in a compelling way to provoke change in their peers and youth. Christian rap or hip-hop music can be likened to an art that is a form of expression. Over the years, this art has been accepted by several communities that has adopted rap- themed songs in their places of worship.

Currently some Christian Rap artists have gained recognition and had some mainstream success . Christian rap or hip-hop music is an effective way of reaching out and touching those who share cultural similarities with these artists.

I feel that believing I invented the art form lets me know that I do it because I am called to, not just because I heard about it somewhere. I love what I do, and I feel that God does too.

You can hear Music From Jonathan Daniel at: http://www.myspace.com/jdeyebrows