We went to the mall today and grabbed some face paint. Me and my oldest boy, Joey had planned on shooting a little scary movie for fun. Of course once we got started, all the kids wanted in on the action. Here are the results:
I had also intended to buy a couple new iphones while at the mall…but to my dismay as an existing AT&T customer with 10 months left on my current contract, I’m ineligible to get the discounted price on the iphones and would have to pay double (at least until April 2009)! The bastards!
October 12, 2008By: Sindustry Category: Gear, Studio
I watched a Final Cut Pro tutorial and finally figured out how to do some video editing. Obviously, I have a long way to go, but here is my first attempt at putting together a video…
Stunning New Look and Interactivity
Sporting a sleek new look, Pro Tools 8 is as easy on the eyes as it is to use.
All of the Pro Tools functionality you know and love is still in place but with some subtle enhancements, double the inserts per channel, more customizability, and easier access to editing options than ever before. Customize the toolbar to show only your favorite tools, and rearrange them the way you want. Tile or cascade your window arrangement. Change the color of your channel strips, tracks, regions, groups, and markers to any hue. Navigate through sessions quickly using the Universe view. And with the QuickStart dialog, you can jump right into an existing session, quickly create a new session from scratch, or start from one of the new session templates.
A Well-Stocked Studio
Pro Tools 8 comes fully packed with a huge, comprehensive collection of music creation and sound processing plug-ins, giving you a well-stocked studio right out of the box.
Create and play music with groundbreaking new virtual instruments, including the Mini Grand piano, Boom drum machine, DB-33 tonewheel organ, and Vacuum and Xpand!2™ synths. Dial-up awesome guitar tone with Eleven™ Free and SansAmp®. Play DJ with Torq® LE. Add character to tracks with 20 new AIR effects. Make music with nearly 8 GB of high-quality loops. And with dozens of professional sound processing plug-ins and tools at your disposal — including nine new additions worth over $1,300 (USD) on their own — you can fix, enhance, and polish your mixes with ease.
More Tracks Than Ever
Got Pro Tools LE or Pro Tools M-Powered? Get ready to create even larger mixes than ever.
Pro Tools 8 expands the power of your current hardware interface, allowing you to work with up to 48 mono or stereo audio tracks. Add Music Production Toolkit 2 (for serious musicians and music producers) or DV Toolkit™ 2 (for complete post production, Pro Tools LE only) and you can create huge mixes, with up to 64 mono or stereo audio tracks. And with the new Complete Production Toolkit (Pro Tools LE only), which combines both toolkits, you can work with up to 128 audio tracks AND get 7.1 surround mixing capabilities, making it easier than ever to collaborate with Pro Tools|HD users.
Score Your Music
The new Score Editor lets you view, edit, arrange, and print MIDI data as music notation.
Whether you want to compose music using the notation tools, or transcribe recorded, imported, drawn (with the Pencil tool), or step entered MIDI data into notation, the Score Editor features everything you need and nothing you don’t. Write parts on a single staff (choose treble, bass, alto, or tenor clef) or grand staff. Place and edit notes, and edit the meter and key signature at whim. Add chord symbols (Dm7, G, and so on) and chord diagrams (for guitarists) to sessions. Transcribe MIDI parts in real time. Print out a score in its entirety or print only certain instrumental parts. You can even export sessions as Sibelius (.sib) files for further finessing in Sibelius.
Complete MIDI Production
If you use virtual instruments and MIDI, Pro Tools 8 features a comprehensive array of new MIDI tools.
Gain extensive MIDI editing power through MIDI Editor windows, which can display MIDI and automation data for Instrument, MIDI, and Auxiliary Input tracks. Work with new features that let you separate, consolidate, and mute MIDI notes; scrub and shuttle through parts; view superimposed MIDI and Instrument tracks for easier arrangement editing; color code MIDI notes by track, type, or velocity; audition velocity changes; and play MIDI notes when tabbing. Edit MIDI automation and continuous controller (CC) data through multiple Automation and Controller lanes. Even watch your musical handiwork scroll by in real time during playback.
Transpose with Elastic Pitch
As a complement to Pro Tools software’s powerful Elastic Time tempo and time manipulating tool, Pro Tools 8 introduces Elastic Pitch, which allows you to effortlessly manipulate or correct the pitch of any audio region in real time, right inside the Edit window.
Easily transpose an entire audio region in semitones — up or down up to four octaves — without affecting its timing or tempo. Fix a less than perfect vocal performance by altering the pitch of individual notes in cent intervals. Or create cool sound effects by linking pitch changes with time compression/expansion using the Varispeed algorithm.
Comp Tracks to Perfection
Creating flawless performances is easier than ever.
Pro Tools 8 features new track compositing workflows, enabling you to quickly and easily piece together the best possible version of a performance from multiple recording passes. Simply loop record multiple takes on an Audio track, view and audition the takes in Playlist view, select the best parts from the track’s alternate playlists, and copy them to the main playlist with a single click. You can also rate regions on a scale of 1 – 5 to help identify which takes you like the most when compositing playlists.
New Editing and Mixing Capabilities
Pro Tools 8 equips your system with even more editing and mixing capabilities.
Lock regions to the timeline to prevent them from being inadvertently moved or edited. Use the Automation and Controller lanes to view and edit track automation (such as volume, pan, and plug-in automation) and MIDI CC data (such as velocity, pitchbend, and modulation) without changing track views. And with 10 inserts to play with per track, you can now use more plug-ins than ever before.
Expanded Pro Tools|HD Features
Pro Tools HD 8 extends the extensive capabilities of Digidesign’s Pro Tools|HD audio hardware with the new Satellite Link option, which allows you to control up to five Pro Tools|HD systems as one.
For the ultimate in post-production efficiency, the new Video Satellite and Video Satellite LE options bring Avid® and QuickTime HD/SD video playback to Pro Tools in high definition, without sacrificing your audio track counts or processing power. Pro Tools 8 also delivers major enhancements to ICON users, bringing new functionality to the Soft Keys, adding a local assign mode, introducing I/O view, and letting D-Command® and D-Command® ES users expand their console to 40 faders.
Expanded Hardware Control
Pro Tools 8 deepens its ICON console, Digidesign control surface, and M-Audio® controller integration, enabling you to map plug-in parameter controls to almost any encoder on your controller, and access each track’s 10 inserts. With ICON, Pro Tools 8 brings new and improved functionality to the Soft Keys; adds a local assign mode for assigning Inserts, Sends, Inputs, and Outputs; introduces I/O view; and lets you expand a D-Command® or D-Command® ES console to 40 faders with an additional Fader Module.
More Great New Features
Pro Tools 8 is chock full of many other amazing new features that’ll help you become more efficient, inspire your creativity, and provide more flexibility for your workflow needs. Here’s what you can experience when Pro Tools 8 hits the streets:
Check for Updates feature keeps Pro Tools and your plug-ins up to date
Windows Vista (32-bit Business or Ultimate) support on Pro Tools|HD
QuickTime HD support on Mac OS X-based systems
Enhanced session open and close times on Pro Tools|HD
Supports files up to 4 GB in size, letting you work with longer files with higher sample rates
This year I had a goal to get more music placements and make some new networking contacts. Things are coming along. One thing I am working on currently, is putting together a demo reel of video, music and printed materials to hand out to prospective clients in the form of a dvd with inserts. One of the inserts will be a business card. A friend of mine, put a really nice package together for himself, and I will be using his as a rough template for mine. Here is the first draft of my new business card. It will be two-sided, heavy glossy stock.
My new studio space is 99% done. I added all new pictures to the STUDIO GALLERY , so click the link and check them out. I gotta put the closet doors on yet (they’re backordered) and I’m waiting on one Mackie 824 monitor that is also back ordered. I plan on putting up some more pictures once I take them between the sound treatments and also plan on putting in a small modern looking couch. I went with really bright colors because the winters here are so dark and I tend to get depressed as hell, so I figured I’d keep things light. I was a little worried it would be too obnoxious but I’m real happy with it. I got four rows of lights including the track lights all on separate switches so I can dial in the right amount of mood. I don’t have any window treatments yet, so the daylight comes crashing in making it hard to take decent pictures. I’m broke as hell, but eventually I’ll add some kind of blind to the window. I’m pretty much using the same setup I have been using the past year or so with the exception of adding the Akai MPK49 keyboard controller, the Mackie 824 monitors and the Mackie sub which shakes the foundation, as its truly a beast. I also got that IK Multimedia ARC in hopes to eq my room a bit so I can mix things with the monitors the best I can considering the imperfections in the room. Since I mainly record straight in and do little vocal recording, I concentrated on setting the room up for mixing while still keeping the room available to be converted into a bedroom or something should we sell the house. I may foam up one of the closets and make that a makeshift vocal booth. Overall I’m pretty damn happy with the outcome. Maybe now I can dedicate some time to actually making music again…
I finally got the studio space done….well, almost. Still gotta set up some gear and hang a couple closet doors. I’ve been taking some photos of my kids, and plan on decorating the walls with their pictures…kinda to remind me why I do all this stuff.
Here are some of the pictures I’ve taken. I’m still learning Photoshop, but I’m getting a little better. All of these were taken against my room walls in the morning, when the natural sun light shines in through the window.
The kids had a lot of fun seeing themselves on the computer screen. It was the boys idea to make the zombie monster type shots….they got a kick out of em’. I’ll post some studio pictures once I get settled in.
Like I stated in my earlier post, I went with the stripped down version of the home studio I had hoped to build due to projected usage and construction costs involved. Still, it is coming along nicely and if all goes well, will sound and look good. The insulation and drywall are up and the mudding has begun. The paint colors are picked out and the flooring too. The wife convinced me to abandon the idea of wood flooring and go with carpet. It’ll save me another grand going this route and will probably be a little cozier come winter time. I have all my old studio foam from the old place, but I won’t be using it for the most part. This time around, I’m going with acoustic panels. They’ll cost me a little over a thousand dollars, but won’t involve glue on the walls and they’ll look better. I’ll probably still throw up my old Auralex bass traps behind the corner panels also (though you won’t see them). I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do for vocal recording yet, but I’m thinking of making my own version of Realtraps’ Portable Vocal Booth. I got the extra foam and I’m sure I can make comparable version for far less than the $299 they charge. I also bought some nice new looking stand alone office partitions that will make excellent baffles for recording, or just to nicely section off the room. Next update I should be pretty close to finishing the room. I’ll be sure to have the paint done and the carpet installed. I’ve decided on some fairly bright colors. I’m still projecting that everything will be done by the end of the month if all goes well. I just got another ASCAP check today which added to what I already saved this year and should cover all my costs, with the exception of the acoustic panels. I would also like to update my monitoring setup and make two software purchases, which should set me back another 3 grand. Then I should finally be complete! Maybe by fall I’ll have everything, we’ll see. My attitude is good and musically things have been going very well for me this year as I’ve made a lot of new contacts and rekindled some old friendships. I’m very excited looking forward to the year ahead. Anyway….here are the pics:
I’m finally building a studio space in my new house since moving last Thanksgiving time. I originally had elaborate plans to make a very pro space with a live room and control room. I consulted a couple studio designers, and had a design somewhat in place that I had made a rough sketch of. After crunching the numbers on cost and really considering what I will be using the space for (not what I thought would look cool, or impress others)…I decided to go with a one room stripped down version. I mainly use my room for mixing. Most of my recording is done internally with no microphones. And though I plan on doing more live recording in the future, the space will take into account for that. I originally planned for hardwood floors but since I’m in the basement, I’m going to go with carpet. I will have my control room on one end and will fully sound treat the room. I also purchased some office partitions I will use as baffles when live recording or just to partition off a section of the room. My original estimates with my first design would have put the construction costs at around $18,000. My stripped down version will cost less than about half of that. My space I’m working with is 13′x25′. Here is my original design, I will not be doing:
Here is my rendition of what it may look like when finished as well as a couple construction shots. I hope to have everything completed by the end of April.
God knows I needed to lose a couple pounds and I’ve been meaning to get back on my diet and exercise program. Then I got my tonsils out seven days ago. I haven’t been able to eat solid foods yet. My throat seems to be progressively getting worse and I’m starting to crack! I figured it would be painful, but I had know idea how bad. The pain meds they gave me don’t seem to do a whole lot for the pain, they just make me a little dizzy. I was hoping they would make me sleepy, but I only sleep a couple hours at a time if I’m lucky. I’m drained. I guess I just have to tuff it out.
I’ve been going on a spending spree lately, which I sometimes do during the gray winter months here in Michigan. I got BFD2 the other day. I bought the original BFD 1.0 when it first came out several years ago, and was thoroughly disappointed. My computer met the minimum requirements, but the sounds wouldn’t stream correctly and the program was full of other bugs. I ended up selling it on ebay, then finding a hacked copy of 1.5 last year. With a faster computer and more RAM, I found BFD to be pretty nice and even bought the Joe Berassi Evil Drums expansion pack for it. Still, I didn’t use it much because it was lacking something. When I saw some of the previews of BFD2, I thought it looked like they made some major improvements and decided to give it a second chance. I forked over my $399 and went legit again with Fxpansion.
I’m a “try before I buy” consumer. If I can’t find a demo version and I can find a hacked version, I don’t have a problem trying it. Ninety-nine percent of the time I end up not using the program, but there’s always that 1% that turns out to be a gem. I believe BFD2 to finally be one of those gems. Out of the box, it was an easy install and activation. I got up and running in less than an hour (a full install of 55GB!). It’s pretty intuitive to use and laid out well. I was jamming to the luscious new sounds within minutes (although I strongly suggest reading the extensive manual to learn everything this has to offer). How good does it sound? Unbelievably realistic. You get a whole new library of sounds, and I can still import my expansion pack to use with it. It comes with an extensive array of fx, so you can use it for any genre of music. I’m really pumped about this release and am recommending it to anyone who is wishing to capture that acoustic drum sound without the hassle of mic-ing up a real kit.
Jim Meeker, a.k.a. "Sindustry" is a semi-pro composer, songwriter and home recording enthusiast. He has a long list of credits on television, film, video, video games, and albums.
Jim Meeker, a.k.a. "Sindustry" is a semi-pro composer, songwriter and home recording enthusiast. He has a long list of credits on television, film, video, video games, and albums.