Role evaluation

My responsibility was to handle the merchandise store and sell to customers. I also had to keep an eye on the merchandise stall. I learnt how to successfully keep tabs on a merch stall which involved being informative and organised. I think I managed my role really well as nothing went missing and we made a large profit. Nothing went wrong that night. However, the manager thought £50 was lost but that was his own fault. I needed help with setting up which is what my friend did. The next time I worked the merch stall it was just more natural and everything went well as I knew the ins and out of selling merchandise. Also, I was able to give advice instead of just being the recipient.  As an individual the responsibilities I carried out, such as being prompt and professional when it came to serving customers, ultimately makes the live event seem more professional and those helping with it outstanding. By effectively selling a lot of merch, could prompt another up coming event as they have more funding. Therefore, I was contributing to their overall performing success as by making them money buy selling their merch - They can use the funds to update or benefit their stage presence or any thing they desire.
The assistance I gave, the next time I worked the merch stall, was near to professional expectation as I already had a slight idea on how to run the merch stall as I had previous experience. I knew that the products should be on show to show their quality. Also, things should be neat and tidy to attract customers as if they are not, many people will not be interested as things do not look professional. This would ultimately discourage the customers from buying anything. Therefore, I showed of the merchandise by laying out CDs and Vinyl where people can see and have access to. Also, by hanging up t-shirts and posters to show whose merchandise it is will stop people from thinking that they are blindly buying things. I was however instructed to put up a list of the merch and prices which, in my opinion, would encourage customers to buy produce as they know what is there and have easily accessed information about them. Overall, from my first time selling merch at the Lexington I have learn a lot. The extra knowledge I have gained mostly revolves around interacting with customers. I have learn that eye contact is key to making sales as they entice people and can dominate more than words as good eye contact can make people feel comfortable - and when they are comfortable they feel subdued to give something back.

Project plan

SOLO EP PLAN:

I would like to produce my own EP (unit 31) 

This EP will consist of 7 tracks that stem from different genres. They will all have been produced and recorded by myself.


I am a producer, musician and an artist who produces for themselves. I write my own songs both acoustically and for a backing track. The genres I like to use are very wide and range from ballads, rock, hip hop, drum and bass, house etc. Therefore my EP will consist of a lot of different tastes and styles. However predominantly, the main genres will be acoustic and rap. This will be the main content of my EP as this is what I stand for as an artist and will showcase my talent the best. I might plan to work with a few session players in order to give my EP a more professional touch. I am hoping to get in a Co-producer with me at times to help me get the best levels. This will also make my studio time more efficient as things can and will be done faster.

BUDGET: £10,000

Equipment list:
Drum Kit - I want to have live recorded drums instead of sampling -cut and pasting them. This will give more authenticity in the way they sound as the recording will have bleed and the drummers rhythm.
Jam Hub (headphone mixer) - This is essential in a big studio - where the live room and mixing room are separate - as it will enable a feed to be sent to the musicians. It will highly increase the performance of play as the musician can hear any other musicians and/or a backing track; and if need be, a metronome to keep them in time.
Rode NT1000 - This is an outstanding min, in my opinion. I believe that condenser mics offer the best sound as they are much more fragile and respond well to softer tones. This mic has a cardioid polar pattern which makes it really good for recording vocals and anything that is upfront.
Shure58 - This dynamic microphone is very universal - like most dynamic mics. I have used this to record my drum kick and snare in my productions as it can handle a high spl. The quality of this mic is also relatively nice as things sound very crisp and clear.
Audix D6 - This dynamic mic - gives recordings that sound quite soft and low in tone. I used this mic to record a guitar part and it sounded very distant and isolated - whereas I was in a very large room and the base recording of the guitar sounded very resonant. I purposely wanted this sound as I wanted to do something creative with stereo imaging in one of my tracks which is going well.
C414 - This is my favourite mic. It is a condenser mic with more than one polar pattern so its uses are therefore sparse. It quality is fairly simple however the takes are always loud and clear and detailed.
NT1a - I had only used this once and the vocal takes I got were tremendous. They were loud and very atmospheric and gave a nice warm tone to my voice. This is a condenser mic so it is built with vocals in mind.
Electric acoustic Guitar - This is imperative, as my songs are mostly acoustic. However, by having an electric acoustic guitar - would give me the advantage of being able to run the recording out through an amp using a passive di and re recording/recording.
Electric guitar - I want to create different tones in my music so to have an electric guitar alongside an acoustic would do so dramatically.
Mic stands (5-7) - This will enable me to set up mic'ing the drums to a decent standard.
Headphones - For the same reason as the jam hub - The recording artist will need to hear themselves or others.
AKG Pop Filter - This will stop loud sibilance in recordings and also get the vocalist to keep a bit further away from the mic.
SE reflector - This will help with reverb in vocal recordings and natural resonance.
Upright Piano - In one of my tracks which I did using midi - there was piano, so for a live version I wanted a real piano as the acoustics cannot be recreated, nor can the tone.
Bass guitar - I want a live bass it has more edge and power, especially if recorded through a DI.

Theoretical budget (average) :

Studio time:
My budget at blackfrogstudios would be:

www.blackfrogstudios.co.uk - This Studio would allow me to book their studio for £10 an hour. Therefore, to produce my Solo and Group EP there would roughly cost £270 over 9 weeks, for 3 hours a week. I believe that 3 hours a week isnt enough but it fits into my budget. However, this comes with equipment similar to that listed below. On the other hand, it does not offer as much in terms of equipment - therefore I would have to buy some and/or bring mine in which could come up to £3-400. I would also have to hire session players which can range from £100 pound an hour (£2,800 for 3 hours a week, over 9 weeks). However, I do know people who are musicians - so in effect, that could cut out that expenditure completely. Although, hiring musicians may not be a bad idea as they would be more commited as they are getting paid - which would give my recordings a higher standard.

Overall, to get the same grade of recording I could get in my college - if I had to pay - it would cost around £310 an hour for a single session player and the studio. However, in college it is free considering I have friends who are musicians and the college has no commision for using the studio. If I wanted a decent recording - considering the mic's in blackfrogstudios studio are dynamic - I would have to buy a condensor mic such as the Audix D6 for £145. I would also have to buy a drum kit - which would cost £200. Therefore, in total, for a relatively decent EP at this studio - I would have to pay £3415 for the 7 tracks. Which is nothing considering I have a £10,000 budget. In retrospect, I could just buy all of the equiptment I need and set up my own studio - which in the long run would save me a lot of money, time and effort.

Equipment:
Drum Kit - £100 - £300 (£200)
Jam Hub (headphone mixer) - £250 - £650 (£450)
Jam Hub Solemix remote - £60 - £70 (£65)
Rode NT1000 - £200 - £250 (£225)
Shure58 - £100 (£100)
Audix D6 - £120 - £170 (£145)
C414 - £250 - £635 (£392.50)
NT1a - £110 - £140 (£125)
Electric acoustic Guitar - £60 - £300 (£180)
Electric guitar - £50 - £700 (£375)
Mic stands (5-7) - £12 - £30 (< qty 1 >) (£21); Average for 7 (£147)
Headphones - £20 - £150 (£65)
AKG Pop Filter - £50 (£50)
Reflexion Filter Pro Design - £70 - £90 (£80)
Grand Piano - £2,000 - £10,000 (£6,000)
Bass guitar - £80 - £600 (£340)
XLR cables - £5 - £20 (£12.50)
Jack Leads - £5 - 10 (£7.50)

Average total of equipment in college: £8980


If I didn't have the college studio to use - I would have to pay out a lot of money to record. Theoretically, if I did pay to use the college studio I believe I would have to pay a lot over my initial budget. However, if I then bought 100 blank CDs, for roughly £150, to burn my Ep onto and sold them for £5 each I would only make back 1/20 of the money I spent to record. So to speak, using blackfrog studio for my first ep - would be a the best way to start my music career as I would have over £6000 to market my product. Therefore, by having a free studio to use and continuing the idea of selling my EP I would make a £500 profit.

If I were to have used black frog studios the best way to make my money back would be if I sold cds and put on events showcasing my music. However, even then I may still have to pay out money for all of that to be up and running. Therefore, using blackfrog studios would only be beneficial if I were starting out in the music industry and needed a quick fix to get my music recorded to get myself, as an artist, up and running.

WEEK 1 (2/12/13) - 8 : I have booked 

Studio 1 is booked on Friday from 10:30 - 1

During this time I plan to continue and finish recording: A live instrument version of my song 90 which i have already tracked a bass line, drums and the piano myself. However, I decided that I needed help with the piano and engineering so I got in an engineer and piano player. During this week I also plan to make a few new tracks to add to my EP - whether using midi or just writing lyrics (acoustic or for a beat).

9 - 15:

I plan to book the recording studio on monday, wednesday and friday as usual. I will also produce tracks to record on in the meantime. I will hopefully do this same regiment every week if I can, alongside with writing new material. 

(2 week break) - I will use these two weeks to continue producing and hopefully recording new material. Group Production work: I will use this time to write a track that will be recorded for my group production work.

WEEK 3 (6/01/14) - 12

Monday - Tuesday: I will spend my days of either in the music studio in college or at home or at my friends studio recording and producing.

Wednesday- I will continue writing material - getting it to the best quality before recording it. I will also consider the instruments to use and principles of how to record them.

Thursday- I will most likely practice the songs or tracks I have written for in order to get them to be best performed for recording. This will also give me new ideas on how to perform them and possibly a new sound overall.

Friday- I hopefully have the studio booked in college for me to continue recording my tracks.

Saturday - Sunday : I will spend my time practicing and touching up material.


12 - 19:

Monday - Tuesday: As per usual, I will spend these two days either in the music studio in college or at home or at my friends studio recording and producing.

Wednesday- Hopefully I can book a production room and/or the studio in order to continue recording my work and/or mix.

Thursday- I will most likely continue mixing or mastering the final tracks. 

Friday- I may or may not need to book the main studio to continue recording or a production room in order mix.

Saturday - Sunday : I will have bounced all of the tracks and put them as a mix on sound cloud or elsewhere so I can listen to the final sound of all of them and make sure that the levels are coherent with each other.

TARGETS:

By the end of each week I plan to have the instrumental of 1-2 tracks ready for vocals. This includes having the mixing done.

The people who I may get to help me will be an engineer as it will make the recording of my tracks easier with someone in the mixing room, checking levels etc. I may also get in a session player to track either piano, drums, bass or guitar - if needed. This would be beneficial if I want a really well played piece, which I can't do myself. Other than this, that is all the help i will need. I plan to mix and master my EP myself. However, I may or may not have people featuring on some of my tracks in order to  give my EP more depth in terms of performances. 

GROUP PRODUCTION WORK PLAN:


Production teams
You will need to work with your classmates. Identify different roles in the studio and who could
potentially fill them. ((Refer to roles in studio/industry: EG engineer, songwriter, technician)

I plan to work with 4 other individuals. However, the type of group production will consist of us, as a group, producing as a team but for each other. In my opinion this will get the best out of recordings as we will all be very hands on. Also, by alternating roles it will enable different ideas to come through in the recordings. We will most likely do this by knowledge of the specific genre being recorded.

Therefore, the roles in this group will be:
Producer -  Main person behind the mixer who will manage the overall track
Engineer - The person who will make sure that the levels are right and all that can be done to boost levels have
Artist - The artist will be the person we a re recording
Musician - This may or may not be just 1 person.
Technician - The technician will set up the mic's, instruments etc.

Over the allotted time which may be 4 - 5 weeks, I plan to have 1 track recorded (hopefully mixed and mastered) each week. Therefore, everyone in the group will have a track finished by this time. Depending on the tracks, will depend on the equipment used.

We may use:
Drum Kit
Bass Guitar
Mashine
Amp
Mics (condensor and dynamic)
Acoustic guitar
Electric guitar

Beginners guide to sythesis

Synthesis is the combination of elements such as ; LFOs, oscillators, envelopes, filters, modulation and more. All of these components together can create a different sound. When creating a synthesised sound you would start by choosing your oscillators - in terms of synths, waveform. A wave form is a tone or set of tones (frequencies); a sine wave however, always consists of one. In music, frequency can often describe the pitch of the sound. Therefore; low frequencies sound bass, high frequencies sound treble, mid range frequency sound mid. On a synthesiser such as the ES2 on Logic, there is a choice between 3. By using a sort of digital mixer you can blend the different sounds. The types of waveforms you can use are practically endless; however the main 5 are sine, saw, triangle, square and noise. Depending on which kind of sound you want would vary your choise in wave. For example, a bass line in dubstep would normally consist of a sine wave because its more easily manipluated; where as a harmony of chords in a house track would be a sine and triangle - which gives off a warm tiny sound.

By using the filters (LP,HP and BP) you can cut out certain frequencies. The LP lets the lower frequencies through - the high pass lets the high frequencies through. The band pass allows all of the frequencies through however with a slight oscillation between them. By using the cut these filters, and anything routed to the cut, can be modulated through routing. This is when the source is linked to a modulator - meaning whatever you want to change can be modulated through a different envelope. This is prominently how most sounds are made - therefore inducing more originality into music.

Effects can then be added such as your normal effects (reverb, flanger, overdrive). However you can use modulations by routing an aspect through an LFO or Envelope. For example one can change the pitch by routing it to the envelope and then using the ADSR (which changes the sound over time) to change when the pitch starts to change (attack) - when it stops (decay) - how long/fast it lasts for (sustain) and the tail of the sound (release).

The main types of synthesis consist of additive, subtractive, modular and sampling.

Additive synthesis is when one combines frequencies. This is the most common type of synthesis as when mixing oscillators together, as they all have different frequencies, one is creating something much larger. However, additive synthesis is done by choosing singular sine waves and layering them to create a more original sound. By understanding the mathematics of synthesis you can create a very harmonic sound as all frequencies link together in a certain way. This explains why the 1st and 2nd note of a scale cannot combine harmonically in a chord. A good example of an additive synthesiser would be the Combinator on Reason or Harmor on Fl. Additive synthesis can be used to create synth string ensembles in, prominently, house or funk. An arpeggiator sound can be formed from using additive synthesis as the sine waves can be layered on over time.

In contrast, subtractive synthesis takes away frequencies in order to leave one with the fundamental tone. One would start of with a rich waveform that consists of a lot of different sine waves at different intervals (possibly a saw wave) and you would use tools to subtract them, either at once or over time. This can be done using a filter/ envelope or LFO. A hardware subtractive synth would be the Roland Juno 1. This could possibly sound good in electro music - maybe as an introduction like the song "Do The Robot". This type of synthesis may sound best in techno music - as it can mimic the minimalistic rhythmic patterns used.

Sampling synthesis can be done using the EXS24 sampler. Firstly you would have to find a sample to use, then by pressing edit in the top left corner it opens a piano roll. On this page all you have to do is drag and drop in the sample and assign it to wherever you want on the keyboard. This sampler can be use to create a personalised drum rack by putting different one shots on each note. On the other hand, you can use the sampler to use your chosen sample as a sound instead of the piano, for instance. However, some samples are tuned different so opening a tuner on the plug ins section on logic may be required to make your sample coincide with your current work. Like with all of the other synths, your sample can be shaped accordingly; by using the cut, ADSR, filters, fx and adding gain. It is advised that one adds effects to the sample and exporting it again - before using the sampler in order to get a better quality sample. Mashine or MPC 2500 are good hardware samplers which can be used to perform live in stead of using a keyboard. They are mostly used to play drums as you hit them more rhythmically. Also, instead of having keys which correspond to different tones it is all the same therefore playing melodies would be harder to play, however still just as achievable with a lot of practice.

Modular synthesis is the hardware of all that goes through a synthesiser in logic - one of the first of its kind was the Moog - however now - hardware synths now are made by yamaha, roland and work by using samples. All of the routing and fx, on modular synths, must be done manually. This is done by using cables to patch together the different modules ring modulator, envelope, LFOs and noise sources. These can all be manually modulated by turning knobs and re-patching cables to route the source and modulator differently to create different sounds. However, by using the ring modulator - a lot of different sounds can be made by patching two different VCO's (waves) where you can also control the ADSR to the x and y ports of the ring modulator. This can be used live to demonstrate the art of synthesis and how it fully functions, more physically. Not many people use original modular synthesisers as they are very costly considering all of the components need to be bought seperately.

FM synthesis stands for frequency modulation. This inferers nore timbre - whether harmonic of inharmonic. The structure of FM synthesis is done by using two osciallators - one of which being modulated through, usually, amplitude. In my opinion this creates a more gritty tone. The fundamental process of FM modulation is when one tone is put through another and due to the different frequencies - they either cancel each other out, or it amplifies a frequency. The frequency used to modulate the overall wave has to be in the audio range (meaning in the range of the fundamental tone). 

Notes of what I am doing.

Yesterday I was working at my friends studio. Currently we are in a producers collective and are summing up a number of tracks which will then be on our sound cloud. Together, we produce tracks for ourselves to perform on.

We also make instrumental tracks which help us improve our producing skills. This compromises of drum and bass and other genres.

Over the past couple of weeks I have been booking the studio in college so I can record my own tracks for my EP. I plan to use some of the tracks I produce with my friend, on my EP, as they have a s,all vocal booth where I can record vocals.

Overall, I spend most of my time producing tracks for me to use on my EP.

Today I am going to continue producing midi tracks to lay down an idea of what I want to produce in the studio, live.

Over my christmas break I have continued working closely with my co-producer. I have also done as I have planned, which was to write new acoustic material in preparation for recording on my ep. I have decided to start work on a seperate EP with my co-producer which ultimately means that my EP for college will be solely live music recordings. This enables me to precisely seperate my ideas and roles and make an ep instead of a mixtape.

December gigs

Evaluation of my technical input:
I couldn't have set up the event by my self. However, this is only regarding setting up the PA system and using auxillaries. I knew how to link the DI box with the instruments and the mixer. I personally think I set a good gain structure using the mixer. However, there were times where the sound would clip. I wasn't always checking the metering for the sound which would have helped prevent clipping. Regarding the performances, I should have spoken to the performers before and asked them roughly how they wanted to sound. Also, I could have told them to do a quick sound check before they started which would have helped with the overall sound. I should have turned up the Amp fully before I started to put up the gain structure on the mixer in order to get the loudest sound. On the other hand, the general layout for the event, in my opinion, was reasonable - considering there were not many instruments that needed to be set up there was enough space. The direction of the speakers enabled a large crowd directly in front of the performers. The loose cables was an issue at a point. This could have led to a bad accident. The fact that the piano and mic was in close proximity to one of the PA's could have lead to more feedback. I left the built in speakers on the electric piano on to replicate a ridge for the pianist/singer. This was a good idea as it would have been jarring just hearing the vocals from behind with the instrument you're playing below it.