Friday, December 28, 2007

Cool new internet resources for musicians

I just found this article over at Reuters that lists several new web-based services aimed at helping independent musicians. The best part? They're all free. Free is such a nice price.

Fanbridge is another cool (and free) service not listed in the article that musicians might want to know about. It basically brings mailing list management for your fan base into the Internet era.

Good stuff abounds.

Korg KAOSSILATOR: Coolest Musical Toy For 2007


There has been a lot of cool high-tech musical gear released in 2007, but for my money, none is as cool as the new Korg Kaossilator. It's so new, Korg USA doesn't even have a page up for it yet. Korg UK does, though, because it's been out in the UK and Europe (and Japan, obv.) for a while before hitting the States.

Anyway, why all the love for the Kaossilator? Because it's probably the most fun new musical instrument of the year. In my book, fun can trump a lot of other factors. It's portable, battery powered, lets you play music and build loops by yourself, and can easily be integrated into your music rig for fun at home or live. Thanks to the XY touchpad interface, you don't have to know scales or play keyboard or anything to play it, either. It's the perfect starter musical instrument for a generation that grew up on video games, cell phones, the internet, and iPods. And for non-technophobic musicians, it's a toy that can keep you entertained and let you make music pretty much anywhere. Plus, it's really, really yellow.

There are several videos up on YouTube (they have all the best stuff over there), including a semi-professional product demo and some user stuff.

You can pre-order the Korg Kaossilator at Musician's Friend.

Monday, June 4, 2007

Stolen Thunder

I've been quiet for a few reasons. The first of which is that I wanted to leave the Internet Radio brouhaha at the top of my blog so anyone who came here would see it and (hopefully) respond. The second is that I was doing some research to put up a big, long post detailing exactly who and what SoundExchange is. A bit of investigative journalism, if you will.

In the course of that research, I found this post on Daily Kos, which pretty much took all the wind out of my sails. In just a few paragraphs Douglas Giles—a.k.a. DJ ProFusion—turns the heat lamps on SoundExchange and illuminates the entire situation Internet radio currently finds itself in.

So instead of listening to me ramble on for eight or nine paragraphs, you can just click over and read the article Save Internet Radio From Corporate Money Grab for yourself.

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Internet Radio Royalty Rate Due Date Pushed Back

FMQB posts that the Copyright Royalty Board has delayed the deadline for royalty payments from web-based radio broadcasters. The date has been moved from May 15 to July 15, giving Internet radio stations and other interested parties (like, maybe the 57 million weekly listeners) an extra 45 days to get their act together and appeal this despicable thing. NPR already has their appeal in the works, and will reportedly be filed soon.

Just as crucial is the need to contact your Congressional Representative to show your support for the Internet Radio Equality Act. You can easily find out who your representative is by going to the Act Now page on the SaveNetRadio.org website and clicking on "Call your members of Congress" link. Enter your zip code, then just dial the phone number and follow the instructions provided on the page. Just think of it as one more way of sticking it to the man. In this case, the man happens to be an 18-member board of trustees formed by the RIAA and instructed to crush Internet radio: SoundExchange.

And if you're feeling especially generous with your time, drop an email to Representatives Jay Inslee and Donald Manzullo to say, "Thanks," for their effort in introducing this important piece of bipartisan legislation.

Friday, April 27, 2007

Use your phone to save music


As I noted in the previous post, the future of Internet radio is in immediate danger. A crippling royalty rate increase for webcasters—which is also retroactive to January 1, 2006—is due to go into effect on May 15. A large chunk of internet radio stations will be forced to shut down on that date, but there is still time to act.

Representatives Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Donald Manzullo (R-IL) have introduced H.R. 2060, The Internet Radio Equality Act, which if passed will save the Internet radio industry. Please call your congressperson to ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 2060.

I called this morning after I was informed how to take action in an email from SaveNetRadio.org. It was very easy. The aide who answered the phone was very non-threatening and it took less than a minute to say my piece. Don't be afraid to call, and don't think it will take a long time. It's painless and the possible payoff is huge.

Call Your Representative!

Find out who your representative is by going to the Act Now page on the SaveNetRadio.org website and clicking on "Call your members of Congress" link. Find who your representative(s) is by entering your zip code, then just dial the phone number and follow the instructions provided on the page.

And if you're feeling especially generous with your time, drop an email to Representatives Jay Inslee and Donald Manzullo to say, "Thanks," for their effort.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Can you save Internet radio?

Internet radio has had a stake driven through its young heart by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board. To make a long story short, the Royalty Board—spurred on by hacks and lawyers at SoundExchange (an RIAA front)—decided to raise the royalty rates Internet broadcasters must pay to broadcast music. While the rate raise is only pennies per song, it adds up to a nearly 150% increase in fees. That's a lot. Increase your rent by 150% and see how quickly you have to move.

To make it worse the fees are retroactive, meaning a lot of Internet broadcasters will have to immediately shell out a lump sum payment for music they've already played. I'm not going to sugarcoat it: things look bad. An appeal of the decision has already been denied.

SaveNetRadio.org is a website that's trying to spread the word and also offers fans of Internet radio a chance to contact their representatives and have them ask for a Congressional appeal of the decision. Take a few minutes, click over to SaveNetRadio.org and use their extremely easy to use website to contact your Congressional representative(s) and ask them to help save Internet radio.

Thursday, April 12, 2007

RIP Kurt Vonnegut

He's gone.

Poo-tee-weet?

Everything was beautiful, and nothing hurt.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Pro-quality FireWire audio interface for $200


Yeah, that's the stuff right there. Sweet gear on the cheap. In case you've missed it, Musician's Friend is blowing out the Mackie Onyx Satellite.

The Satellite is a very rugged 2x6 computer audio interface that gives you eight separate inputs and six line outs, has two clean-and-clear-sounding Onyx preamps, and high-quality 24-bit/96kHz audio converters. It also ships with a full version of Tracktion for recording, processing, and mixing audio on your PC or Mac. But the coolest part of the Satellite is its totally unique two-piece form factor made up of the Pod and the Base Station. It allows you to easily take your recording interface wherever you go without having to unhook all the wiring and cabling you have it connected to at home. It's a fresh, functional idea that works exceptionally well. All this for $200.

But WAIT, there's MORE!

Forgive me—I've always wanted to do that. Not only is the Satellite only 200 clams, but for a limited time (through the end of April) when you buy a Mackie Satellite from Musician's Friend you're also eligible for a rebate that gets you a free padded carrying bag for the Satellite and a FireWire cable kit. Huzzah! Free stuff!

Monday, April 2, 2007

DRM-free downloads from EMI and iTunes

EMI and Apple have struck a deal to distribute high-quality, DRM-free music through the iTunes Music Store. The 256kbps AAC files will cost 30 cents more per track and you can still download the 128kbps version for the regular 99 cent price.

The wall hasn't fallen, but I think I see a hole.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Got $50 to spend on music?



Of course you do. If you're like me you easily spend more than that on CDs, LPs, and digital music files each year already. But Peter Jenner says $50 a year is all it would take to save music. He made his argument at a panel held at SXSW last week called Reinventing Payment Models for Digital Music. The influential manager of musical acts from Pink Floyd to The Clash to Billy Bragg has publicly gone off on this subject before, but this time he's put forth a bold and simple solution to the situation. And no one has to put up with any crappy DRM schemes.

Needless to say, I like this idea. But do you think anyone at the Big Four will listen? Color me doubtful . . . but hopeful.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

U2 in 3-D


If only this was some kind of B-grade science fiction flick where Bono's head swells to ginormous proportions, threatens to block out the sun, and only the Edge can save him. But no, it's simply a concert film shot entirely in 3-D. Its producers say the movie, creatively titled "U2 3D," is in fact the very first live action movie ever shot, edited, and publicly shown entirely in 3-D. The company behind the movie is called Real D, and they've worked on a boatload of projects from various studios, everything from Disney's latest cartoon Meet The Robinsons to 3-D remakes of classics like The Nightmare Before Christmas as well as StereoGraphics scientific 3-D visualization products. "U2 3D" was shot during the South American leg of the Vertigo tour in 2006.

Real D 3-D isn't like the stereoscopic film you may remember from your childhood, though. All the 3-D rendering is done in digital for a much higher quality level, and you can't even watch a RealD-ified movie in a standard theater. You have to see it in a cinema outfitted for the RealD experience. While RealD has made serious strides in 3-D technology, here's a heads up: you still have to wear special glasses. You don't have to feel silly for wearing dark glasses in a theater, though . . . you know Bono will be wearing his.

Photo from PulseTC.com

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Stax and SXSW




Okay, there's nothing even remotely high-tech about this, but as a soul fan—and a Stax Records fan specifically—I gotta post this. Number one soul man Isaac Hayes will be hosting a Stax Records revue at SXSW.

It's a celebration of many related events. The first is the reactivation of the Stax Record label, Isaac re-signing with Stax, and the 50th anniversary celebration of the label. Many thanks to Isaac Hayes, Stax and SXSW for working to put something like this together.

Thanks to Modern Guitars Magazine.

Friday, February 23, 2007

SXSW sampler torrent


Hey, music fans, the people behind SXSW have served up a tasty treat just for us. In order to help promote the event, the various showcases, and the artists involved, they've posted a giant torrent (direct link) in the SXSW Toolbox.

This the first torrent in what I suspect will be a two-part set. They did the same thing last year (and maybe the year before—does anyone remember?) and it was a pretty popular download. I grabbed it and discovered quite a few bands I like because of it, one of which is the beloved Sound Team, who I saw at the excellent Kuyahoga Music Festival last summer. Listen to new music!!

eMedia for education

For years eMedia has made it easier for computer-savvy individuals to learn to play music with their award-winning multimedia music method software. I've checked out a few of their titles and I have some friends who've used it to learn guitar and drums. It moves at a nice pace and is affordable, with a single title being comparable to a round of lessons with a professional instructor.

Now eMedia has gone and gotten all charitable while furthering the cause of rock 'n' roll at the same time, which in my book deserves some kudos. The company donated a bunch of music software, namely their Guitar Method, Rock Guitar Method, Bass Method and the super-easy-to-use Band in a Box music software app to the Seattle-area Rock School. Rock School is a non-profit school with several locations around Seattle that gives its students a chance to learn about music and creativity. And thanks to eMedia, their curriculum just got a little more high tech. If you're betwen ages 12 to 21, live in Seattle, and are ready to get in touch with your inner Angus Young, then there's a school just for you.

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

Better hearing through science

Now THIS is cool. Suffering from hearing loss? If, like me, you've spent most of your life playing music—LOUD music—chances are pretty good your ears have been damaged and your hearing has slipped a bit. Thanks to modern stem-cell technology and old-fashioned electricity, scientists may have found a way to reverse hearing loss.

The funny thing about this article though, is that the writer discovered it isn't the traditional sources of hearing loss which fueled this research. No, it's something much more recent: the iPod. It's the audio equivalent of teenage gamers with carpal tunnel syndrome, a medical issue normally associated with middle-aged office workers. Let's not forget, though, that just as in the case of CTS, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Let's turn down the volume, folks. Like the world really needs more noise.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Get educated on the tube

YouTube, that is. Seems you can find just about anything on YouTube.com. It's especially nice for musicians and music fans as there is a ton of musical content scattered across the millions of videos the site hosts. Now Cakewalk has joined the fray with their own dedicated music software channel.

The company's videos are mostly focused on SONAR and range from general overview type stuff to tutorials on things like setting up your PC for audio and MIDI recording.

Hopefully this encourages other music software manufacturers to start their own channels. I'd love to see it. If you feel the same, make sure you voice that opinion to your favorite manufacturers, even just by emailing Musical Machines. I'll try to make sure your message ends up in the appropriate hands.

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Bonnaroo line up posted


The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival (didn't know the full name, did you?) has posted their initial list of bands slated to play this summer. The 2007 line up is chock-full of musical goodness. Get your MasterCard or Visa ready, folks. You'll pay anywhere from $184.50 to $214.50, depending upon how quickly you buy. I'm not slagging the prices, either. Two hundred bones for three days of music and fun is a good deal. No pushing or shoving in line, folks . . .

Thursday, February 8, 2007

Warner Loves Last.fm

Punknews.org is reporting that Last.fm has signed a deal with Warner Music that will allow users to listen to the label's entire music catalog online.

The music will be fed through a stream (no downloading, you naughty kids) and Last.fm account holders will be able to use the site's cool search tools to discover new music in the Warner catalog. Could be a win-win.

Wednesday, February 7, 2007

How to record good electric guitar sounds


There's a treasure trove of information stored on the various websites Musician's Friend runs which isn't very visible to the general public. Unless you know it's there, you'd probably never find it. From time to time I'll highlight some of these articles and help spread the wealth.

Guitar Miking: Getting a Great Guitar Sound is an article by the skilled Barry Rudolph. If you're unfamiliar with Barry, some of his credits include work on gold and platinum records by musicians such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Corrs, Waylon Jennings, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, and The Beach Boys. Trust me, you're in good hands.

If you've ever struggled with getting the guitar sound you want for your recordings, check out this two-part article. It deals chiefly with speakers and mic positioning, delivering some basics on each and divulging some of Barry's favorite, tried-and-true techniques. There's a lot of voodoo out there on recording electric guitars but Mr. Rudolph slices through it with his practical, experience-honed take on the subject.

For more infomation on guitar miking and recording in general, check out Cherry Lane's DVD Miking Guitars In The Studio, Hal Leonard's Professional Microphone Techniques, or Hal Leonard's The Recording Guitarist.

For those just getting started in recording, check out books like Hal Leonard's Musician's Home Recording Handbook, Making The Ultimate Demo, The Desktop Studio, or Berklee Press' Recording and Producing In The Home Studio.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

DRM Free Europe

This article has been causing quite a stir on the 'net and even sparked a few lively debates within our office. In it Steve Jobs airs his thoughts on Digital Rights Management (DRM), the iTunes store, the iPod, and music. He makes some good points and it's definitely worth a read.

I like the article because it abolishes the popular misconception that somehow Apple is the prime mover behind the iPod and iTunes store being a closed system. Using a DRM—in this case FairPlay—was simply the only way Apple could convince the major record labels to let them license their music for sale through the iTunes store.

I was shocked to discover that if Apple's FairPlay DRM encoding is hacked, Apple only has a short amount of time to fix it or the labels can pull out of the iTunes store without any recompense. Yikes.

Another point which Steve Jobs did not address is that the iTunes store and the music it sells don't make Apple any money. The music sold through iTunes is a loss leader for Apple, something they carry simply so they can sell iPods while avoiding the record label's wrath.

This excellent article by the esteemed Eliot Van Buskirk puts forth the proposition that soon all music will go DRM-free MP3 anyway. It's only a matter of time.

Monday, February 5, 2007

Indie Is The Future

This excellent article by the talented Eliot Van Buskirk neatly summarizes the state of the whole major label versus indie label dynamic as it exists today.

I think there are some really great changes taking place that will reshape America's musical landscape for the better: More creativity and diversity with less marketing and posturing. That's just my take on the situation, but it's always nice to find out someone agrees with you, right?

As with every situation, there's another side of the coin. With the muscle these independent record labels are suddenly finding through organizations like Merlin, A2IM, and the Association of Independent Music (AIM), who's to stop them from consolidating and moving right into the void left by the collapse of the major record labels? That little bit of postulation is complete conjecture, but it's not unreasonable either. Hopefully musicians, music lovers, and consumers in general have learned a little about letting giant corporations control their art and culture. With some luck and faith we just might come out of this mess with a bit of balance between music, creativity, and commerce.

Friday, February 2, 2007

iTunes issues for early Vista adopters

Some early reports indicate that Windows users upgrading to Vista may experience some clashing between iTunes and the minty-fresh OS. It seems music, movies, and television shows purchased from iTunes can't be authorized on a Vista PC.

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs has a particularly funny take on the situation.

Thankfully Apple just released the fix. Good luck to all the iTunes and Vista people out there.

Fight the power!



Okay, I realize I probably can't say that with quite the conviction of Chuck D and his boys in Public Enemy, but that's how this story released by the Associated Press makes me feel.

Remember that litigation spree the RIAA and a few of the major record labels went on a few years ago where they brought lawsuits against kids and their parents for downloading and sharing music? Apparently one of the young boys the RIAA decided to sue has filed a counter suit. Robert Santangelo was only 11 years old when the four labels suing him claim the music downloading took place. Despite not having any proof of Robert engaging in any illegal downloading activity, the RIAA continued to prosecute him and his family for the past four years.

Santangelo has maintained his innocence and has now gone one step further by filing a suit against his accusers accusing them of violating antitrust laws, conspiring to defraud the courts, and making extortionate threats. Wow, that's a mouthful. I'll bet Chuck D could still make it rhyme.

Internet Jamming Part Deux



In the interest of competition, Sonoma Wire Works offers a similar service through their excellent RiffWorks software. The technology, called RiffLink, is built into RiffWorks. Although still in beta, I've heard second hand that it works pretty well.

The excellent Line 6 Guitar Port RiffTracker comes with a version of RiffWorks as well as a passel of Line 6's famous amp and effects models. In addition to hosting RiffLink, RiffWorks is an excellent computer recording and practicing platform developed especially for guitar and bass players.

Update: Apparently, RiffLink works really, really well because it's already inspired a band. I'm proud to present to you the RiffLink Junkies. Enjoy, people, enjoy.

Thursday, February 1, 2007

Jamming comes to the Internet age

Tired of playing with the flaky musicians in your home town? Thanks to eJamming now you can play with flaky musicians in other cities, too! No, seriously, eJamming is a cool new online service company which uses peer to peer technology and good ol' fashioned MIDI to make playing with other musicians online a reality.



The technology is being demoed at the appropriately named Demo conference to generate interest and show off what they've accomplished. Which, if it works as advertised, will be pretty liberating for musicians. I mean, I would imagine that if you're a huge post-rock fan living in Tuscaloosa, you've probably had a hard time finding four or five other mates to come over and jam on the latest Sigur Ros record. eJamming to the rescue! The computer requirements seem reasonable so if you're MIDI and Internet equipped—and looking for new people to jam with—you should check it out.

If you're in need of a computer and MIDI-savvy instrument, you can pick up something small like the M-Audio Axiom 25, or the E-Mu Xboard 49. If you've got a keyboard with MIDI, you can just get the M-Audio USB Uno or the Yamaha UX16 and you're ready.

For guitarists, check out the Switch Wild IV MIDI electric guitar or the Brian Moore i8.13 MIDI electric guitar. You could also simply buy a special pickup like the Shadow Quick Mount guitar-to-MIDI converter.

Yeah, iTunes is that good

Music download startup SpiralFrog appears to be aborting before it even launches.

Despite my flip title, I don't think SpiralFrog is really an iTunes victim as much as it is the victim of a really, really tough market that's in bad shape right now. It's also tainted with a "me, too!" flavor. Previous variations of the ad-supported download model floundered and flailed as well and nothing tastes worse to consumers than failure.

Supposedly they've hired a new CEO and maybe things will turn around for the little musical amphibian but the pond is quickly drying up for music retailers and soon everyone will be forced to evolve.

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Sonic Finger studio plug-ins

Some cool new plug-ins have been released by a little company called Sonic Finger. I know, I know; there are a bazillion plug-ins released each second by obscure developers around the world. But these are pretty unique and deserve a look.

I'm especially intrigued by the Virtual Studio Visitor. My studio could use some traffic and it seems like the perfect way to generate some.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Stung By The Police Reunion Rumors



This has been reported many other places besides here already, but it's just so freakin' cool I can't resist spreading the word. The Police are back!

Billboard put this announcement on their website back on the third of January:

"Rumors are swirling that the Police will reunite for 2007 dates in England and the United States, which would be the legendary trio's first since disbanding in 1986."

And now this is up on the NME site:

"The Police have scheduled rehearsals in Vancouver for a reunion tour, according to a report on the city's classic rock radio station, CFMI."

Other news reports are claiming the band hasn't reunited for a tour at all, but instead are simply making an unannounced appearance at the Grammys to play one song. Given this is the 30-year anniversary of "Roxanne" being released, I think we all know which song they should perform.

-sniff, sniff- Smell that? Ahh, sweet nostalgia . . .

Edit: It's confirmed!! The Police are playing the Grammys. Get your DVRs ready!

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Music, computers, and high-tech gear: it's a wonderful thing

What's this blog about? The short answer is pretty much summed up by the headline.

The long answer is a little more complicated, but since you asked, here we go: Musical Machines will nearly always be about music first and foremost: favorite artists and associated news as well as rocking out and recording the mayhem. In addition I'll share what knowledge I have about music, gear, and recording.

I'll also be writing about computer recording hardware, software, and associated gear like monitors, mics, preamps, MIDI, synths, keyboards, etc. Since I'm a writer for Musician's Friend, I'll be posting news of hot, fresh gear and equipment I think is cool or unique in some way. I'm sure I'll dip into guitar and bass stuff occasionally, since I also play bass and guitar.

That about covers it, I think. Feel free to leave comments or email. I might be opening a can of worms here, but I'll also try to serve as a question and answer guy. Emphasis on the try. Remember, I have a full-time job in addition to this blog. I'll do my best to respond and if I get some questions that I think might have relevance for other musicians, I may post them or put them up on the Musician's Friend ring of websites for everybody to see.

Mm'kay? Let's all go out and make some music, boys and girls.