History of Electronic Music

Bibliography

http://juicy-m.com/about/

https://www.facebook.com/djjuicym/info?tab=page_info

https://soundcloud.com/dj-juicy-m

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZLu5b4Arl7U

Introduction

In this essay I have chosen to focus on Juicy M. She is a DJ & producer born in Kiev, Ukraine; her birth name is Marta Martinez. Another reason why I have chosen her is the skills and techniques she uses when she is behind the decks. The way she does her mixing on the decks shows how experienced and talented she is. The genres of music she specializes in is mostly electronic.

Biography

Juicy M began her DJ career in 2007, where she would DJ at popular night clubs in Ukraine such as Orangerea Supper Club, Patipa and Matrix. In that time she would play Hip Hop & RnB. After a few years she participated in the DMC World Eliminations in Ukraine and World Technical DJ Championship in Dubai and was named 'Best female DJ of the year' in ProDJ Awards in Ukraine, 2010. From 2011-2012 she played at international gigs as a Hip Hop and RnB DJ and in that time she opened acts for many great artists such as Black Eyed Peas, Jay Sean, Afrojack and many more. As of 2014 she is the owner of JUMMP Records and she is well known for mixing without headphones.

Techniques



This video is a good example of techniques Juicy M is using while she is doing her set (s). In this video she is using 4 Pioneer CDJs and a mixer. Another good thing about this video is that she is really getting into the music and this is what a DJ has to do because the DJ is there to entertain the audience. The equipment she is using is digital. At 1:12 I really like the she back spinned one of the tracks she was playing on deck A. What I like about this is as the drop of the next track is about to come in she adds more tension before the beat drops on deck B. At 1:30 I notice she is playing the same record on deck B and what she is doing is she is is using the faders to play different sections of the record that is being played on both turntables and I really like the way she is keeping in time with the beat.

When DJ'ing came into the scene a long time ago, the turntables were analog. This made DJ'ing a bit more difficult to overcome because DJs found it difficult to find their cue points on the record and DJs had to use the BPM leveller until the tempo of the first turntable was synced up with the record playing the second turntable. DJs also used vinyl records in that time because digital software and hardware wasn't around at that time. Another bad thing about vinyl records is that they would get damaged easily due to the DJ scratching the record too much. Finally, the software in today's world didn't exist when DJ'ing came into the music scene and this made DJ'ing even more difficult because the DJ found it hard to keep track of where he/she is at during his/her mix.

DJs would place a tiny but of sticky tape on the vinyl record to remember where the cue point (s) on the record are and it was also important for the DJ to remember the tempo of the records he/she is playing are about to play or otherwise the DJ will make more than a few errors while on the decks.

Discography

Juicy M's remix of 'Watch Out For This' by Major Lazer gained over 7 million views and was supported by DJs such as Calvin Harris, Laidback Luke, Bob Sinclair and others as well. She hasn't released many records like other DJs and producers and she also hasn't released her own E.P or debut album. She is mostly touring around the world more than working in the studio. You can listen to her music and setlists directly from soundcloud or youtube and you can watch her live performances or her small mixing sessions.

Project Plan

Introduction

As a producer the main things I like doing are producing, DJ'ing, composing, recording and a bit of sound engineering. One of my goals is to produce for as many artists as I can whether they are signed or unsigned. Another goal is to be a songwriter because I'm finding it difficult to write lyrics and is something I want to improve on. I like producing many genres of music. I don't like producing one genre because it gets boring after a while and I like to experiment with other genres too. If I were to be in the industry my roles would be mainly producing, DJ'ing, and composing and I would see myself touring and producing for artists that famous already.

Content

My product is going to be a 4 - 7 track E.P and the genres will mostly be RnB, ambient and soul. I have chosen this style of music because this kind of music is relaxing, gentle and subtle. I was thinking about making a house E.P but this idea was better for me. The people in my college that are studying music like this kind of music as well as I do and it will be a great opportunity for me to collaborate with them.

Collaboration/Studio Roles

I plan on working with the students in 1st and 2nd year performance because the performance have great singers and they will provide amazing vocals for my E.P. Before I start talking to the performance students about collaborating I will need to have a demo track for whoever I want to work with. This way it will help the student I am working with get an idea of what the instrumental track sounds like and has a good idea for lyrics. Also I wanted to make a track using 2 - 3 live instruments I can also talk to some of the instrumentalists in the performance class and explain to some of them what my final music product is going to be and how they will help a lot with it.

Production Teams

From wednesday 19th November - 3rd December me, Reggie and Boris have been recording Daniel James' track titled 'Home'. I was recording the last two sessions by myself. In these sessions all three of us have been recording Daniel in comping mode. Comping is audio recording with the cycle on and this technique was great for finding the best take for the track. In the first session all three of us managed to record the verses, in the second session I managed to record one chorus and copy it into the other chorus section and finally in the last session I managed to record the last section of the song which was the bridge. During these sessions it was important for us to keep track of what we were doing. Once a vocal take from a comp track was bounced or selected we needed to name it and give it a colour so that every section of the song is obvious to us. Another important thing was to save the file once a new recording has been taken or otherwise this would have given us problems.  Now that the track has been fully recorded it is time to get the track professionally mixed and mastered.

Equipment List

The equipment I will be using in my final product is:

FL Studio
Logic 9
Logic X
NT1000 Mic
AKG 414 Mic
D.I Box
I/O Box
Mixing Desk
Headphone Mixer
Headphones
XLR, line lead and jack to jack cables
Software synths, mixing and effects plugins

I will need FL Studio to compose and produce the tracks for my E.P because I have installed some great plugins which I can use for chords, melodies drums, bassline and more. Plus, I can structure the track neatly and keep everything tidy. However, I will use Logic 9 to make some of my tracks because Logic 9 has library of sounds, drums and software plugins to choose from. It will also be easier for me to record what I want because I will be using a midi keyboard. I don't have a midi keyboard at my house and this I find it difficult to record using the type pad on my laptop. Plus, I will be using Logic X to import my track stems ready for mixing and mastering because Logic X has great mixing and effects plugins. I will be using the recording studio to mix and master my tracks because the recording studio is a great environment for finalising any type of music. The recording studio allows me to hear every frequency clearly and it will help me it focus more when I am listening carefully to my mix downs.

When I record instruments or vocals for my E.P I will be using the NT1000 & AKG 414 microphones, D.I box, XLR, line lead and jack to jack cables, mixing desk and I/O box. I will use the NT1000 & AKG 414 microphones for vocals because they provide clear vocals, don't require much EQ'ing and give enough brightness to the vocals. I will use the microphone stand to place the microphone I am using, from there I will use one XLR cable to plug the microphone into the I/O box and from there I will use the mixing desk to turn the phantom power on and adjust the level (s). I will also use a line lead cable to plug the headphone mixer into the I/O box. After that I will set the headphones up so that the singer/rapper I am recording can hear the instrumental track and me communicating with him/her. I will then use Logic X to import the finished track ready for recording and I will ensure that the tempo is correct on the logic file. I will also create new audio channels for the vocalist ensure that the channels are going to channels 1 & 2 which is the stereo output.

For recording live instruments like guitar, bass and keyboard I will use the D.I box (s), jack to jack, line lead and XLR cables to link up all the instruments and headphone mixer into the I.O box. I will then open a new logic file on Logic X and I will create new audio channels and make sure all the inputs are the same on the I/O box and I will ensure that they are coming out of channels 1 & 2 which is the stereo output. From here I will use the mixing desk to turn the phantom power on for the D.I box (s) and I will adjust levels for the instruments I am using.

Future Plans

For the future I will send 3 - 4 of my E.P tracks to DJs that are looking for new music from up coming artists. This will help me get recognition from people that work in the A&R department of record labels. Creating an official website is another good way of getting recognised because people that work in the A&R department can look at my biography and listen to music I have produced now and before. Social network sites like facebook and twitter will help me make contacts with other unsigned artists and producers and it will probably help me with getting in touch with people that work for events management and A&R. Getting in touch with events management people will help me showcase music that I have produced and it will attract a lot of people's attention and this will help my fan base grow. Plus, it will hopefully attract an A&R employee that is looking for new artists to sign.

Beginners Guide to Synthesis

Introduction

A synth is a software instrument that contains preset sounds and drums. A software synth also contains other controls such as waveforms, oscillators, LFOs, HP, LP and BP filters, ADSR envelope, etc. These controls are used for sound synthesis; creating sounds from default and making great effects with them.

Sound synthesis is a great way for a producer to create a sound that he/she wants if it can't be found in the preset library. However, synthesising sounds is a great way to make music sound much more professional and realistic. Not all songs need preset sounds because synthesised sounds are great to use in tracks of any genre as well. Synthesised sounds are great for EDM, Deep House, DnB and Dubstep.

Acoustic Theory

When an object is hit with another object is creates a sound. Once the sound has been created it travels through the air particles and from there the sound is picked up by the pinna and travels through the air canal. Finally the sound hits the ear drum causes the little hairs in the cochlea to react. The hairs vibrate because there is sound being picked up. However, there is too much sound being picked this can have a serious impact on the three little ear bones and the cochlea. For example if someone were listening to music in headphones with the volume to full, that person's hearing will not be as good as it was before. Everything that the person can hear will sound dull and faint. This is because the three little ear bones are getting to the point where they will be damaged and once they are damaged it will be permanent and this leads to loss of hearing. Tinnitus occurs when the cochlea is permanently damaged. Tinnitus is an annoying ringing sound that you can hear in mostly quiet environments and the only way someone will not hear tinnitus is if that person is a loud environment depending on how bad that person's tinnitus is.

Looking after you're ears is very important, especially for a producer, sound engineer or technician. The best way you can look after you're ears is by putting the volume low when listening to music in headphones, wearing good quality ear plugs at live events, clubs and parties and giving you're ears a break from time to time ensuring you're ears have time to refresh themselves and relax. Doing all of these things will help you prevent hearing loss and this will help benefit anyone that is a producer, sound engineer or technician.

Frequency

The next thing I will talk about is frequency. Frequencies are measured in hertz (Hz) and show us where each sound and instrument live in a record. Every record is made up of lots of different frequencies and frequencies can be heard from 20 - 20,000 kHz. Frequencies that are 200 Hz or below is where all the deep sounds and instruments live such as kick drums, bass and sub bass. Frequencies that are 200 - 400 Hz is where the you will hear more body of the lo instruments. From 400 - 1 kHz is where all the lo/mid sound lives. Instruments such as guitars and vocals will be in this frequency range. From 1 - 3 kHz you will hear more of the instruments. You will also hear a little bit of the hats and crash cymbals. 4 - 8 kHz is where the hi-mid instruments live but mostly the body of hats, crash cymbals, ride cymbals, etc. You will also be able to hear the top end of most of the instruments. 8 - 10 kHz is where all the hi end instruments such as ride cymbals, hats, crash cymbals, bells and top end of the vocals. Finally, 10 kHz and above is where all the air and hissing lives.

This can be very useful for a mixing and mastering sound engineer because when the engineer listens carefully to the track that is being mixed or mastered, the engineer will know exactly what to do. The multimeter plugin in logic is another good way of looking at different frequencies. The multimeter will be very helpful to a sound engineer because the engineer will know which frequencies to cut off, shelved out or boosted in any instrument or sound that needs it.

Fundamentals of synthesis

Waveforms and ADSR

When it comes to creating sounds there are aspects that need to be learnt before doing the actual creation. For example a producer needs to know the waveforms that are used in synthesis. Those waveforms are sine, square, triangle and sawtooth. A sine wave is great for making bass sounds, however a sine wave doesn't have any harmonics. Sine waves would be around the 44 to 86 Hz zone. Furthermore if a producer wanted some harmonics in the a bass, he could add a sawtooth, triangle or square wave depending on how he wants the bass to sound like. Logic pro 9 has a synth called ESP1 which is great for creating deep house basses.

Another thing you will find on a software synth is the ADSR envelope. ADSR stands for attack, decay, sustain and release. The attack is the time taken for the sound to reach it's peak, the decay is the time taken for the run down from the attack level to it's sustain level, the sustain is the duration of the sound's level until the key is released and finally the release level is the time taken for the sustain level to reach zero after the key is released.

If I were to sound design and use a pad using this envelope I would select the waveforms I would want to use to create the pad and from there I would use the ADSR envelope to configure the control of the created pad. I would put a sharp attack because pads with a sharp attack can be heard easier and you won't have to wait a certain period of time for the pad to reach your ears.

I would then use a short decay because long decays are not really my preference when it come to making pads because the pad will take longer to reach sustain level. I like my decays to be nice and short because this allows my pad to reach it's sustain level much quicker. It's better then waiting for a long period of time.

From there I would use a long sustain because this allows the pad to be heard for a unlimited period of time. Most pads usually have long sustain and a pad with a short sustain would not sound like a pad at all. It would sound like a stab or a pluck. This is the reason why I like having long sustains on my pads because pads with long sustains give a lot of ambience and harmonics and I can play the pad for a unlimited amount of time without letting go of the key.

Finally I would use a sustain that is not too long and not too short. What I mean by that is I would play around with the sustain controller until I found a sustain that is just right. I would first create a loop on logic with the created pad and from there I would use the release controller to adjust how much release I want. Once I found a release I am satisfied with I can just leave the ADSR envelope as it is to show that I have synthesised a pad and used the ADSR envelope to configure the control of it.

Filters

Filters is another feature you will find on a software synth. There are three types of filters. They are called lo pass, hi pass and band pass. The hi pass filter only allows sounds and instruments that have hi frequencies to pass, the lo pass filter only allows sounds and instruments that have lo frequencies to pass and the band pass filter is a filter that sweeps both frequencies together.

A lo pass filter is great for creating white noise sweeps in EDM music. I can easily create a white noise sound with ES2 synth by selecting the noise waveform on all three oscillators and from there I can record 4 - 8 bars of white noise and finally I can select the lo pass filter and automate it from there to create a perfect white noise sweep. A lo pass filter is also great for ambient pads. When a pad has a lo pass filter it takes out all the harmonics in the pad gives a lot of depth and warmth. This is preferably good for EDM, RnB and ambient music.

A hi pass filter is great for snare drum fills. If I had recorded a 8 bar snare drum fill in an EDM track I would add and automate a hi pass filter. I would do this because This shows that the drop is ready to come in. Without the hi pass filter it doesn't create much awareness of what is about to happen next. the best place to automate the hi pass filter is around the last two bar or last bar of the snare drum fill because this where the beat will about to drop.

Another thing I would use a hi pass filter for is giving a bass more harmonics. If I was using a bass that didn't have much harmonics I would use the hi pass filter to adjust the harmonics in the bass. A hi pass filter would definitely make a big difference in how the bass with more harmonics rather than pure sine wave bass because when I compare a bass with harmonics and a bass without harmonics, a bass would doesn't always have to sound deep. When listening to a bass in EDM music you can tell that there is a lot of harmonics used and it sounds so much better than a bass without harmonics. A bass without or very little harmonics is also good as well. Basses like these can be used in house, hip hop, RnB and pop. You can use these bass sounds as 808s, sub bass or deep bass.

LFOs

LFO stands for low frequency oscillator. LFOs are usually used for dubstep and dnb basses and rising sound effects. What an LFO does is it creates a wobble vibrato, the LFO will be heard more from 200 hz and below as it is a low frequency. LFOs is a great thing to use in music, especially when making sound effects. A producer can synthesise a sound and use an LFO to create a wobble rather than using one shot samples.



This piece of music is a good example of what an LFO does and what it sounds like. At 1:19 of the song 'Cinema' I can hear an LFO being triggered. The LFO is making the bass and some another sounds wobble and you can hear different dynamics in the sounds used. This can be a very useful technique for sound synthesis because it will give someone a great idea in his/her head for what you want his/her created sound to sound like and it will help with new upcoming tracks that any producer will make in the future.

Oscillators

Oscillators are controls found on software and hardware plugins. Using more than one oscillator will allow the synthesised sound to sound fatter and more layered. The ES2 synth on logic has three oscillators and each oscillator has every waveform, octave knob, a triangular mixer, glide and tune switch. Synthesising a sound using more than one oscillator is very useful because using one oscillator alone doesn't make a created synth sound very catchy. Using more than one oscillator allows a synth to have more harmonics and a little bit of lo end. Using the triangular mixer will allow you to control how much of each oscillator you want. Creating synths using more than one oscillator is much better than using preset sounds because if you can't find a sound you are looking for in the plugin's library you can use sound synthesis to create the sound you are listening for. When creating a sound that you want the most it is important to use you're ears and listen closely to what sound you are trying to create.


Types of synthesis

Additive synthesis - This type of synthesis allows someone to create a sound made out if sine waves of different frequencies. A sine wave has no harmonics, it's just one tone. If I wanted to make a sound using additive synthesis, I would use the EXS24 synth from logic and from there I would go into the edit setting and add 5 - 10 sine waves. During this procedure I must ensure that the note of every sine wave I insert in the edit function is different. If 10 sine waves are playing the same key there won't be any harmonics, it will just be one frequency. By changing the note on every sine wave you use this means more harmonics can be heard and seen on the multimeter.

Subtractive synthesis - This type of synthesis allows someone to cut off harmonics and any unwanted parts of a sound. For instance, if I wanted to make a pad I would use the ES2 synth in logic and from there I would select the waveforms I wanted and configure the levels on the ADSR envelope. I would not use an LFO envelope because I don't use LFOs when I make my pads. From there I would open the multimeter and take a look at the harmonics of the pad. If I saw some unwanted hi end I would use a lo pass filter to cut off the harmonics in the hi frequency range. This will make the pad sound more deep and mellow without the hi end piercing my ears.

FM synthesis - FM stands for Frequency Modulation. FM synthesis involves two frequencies, they are called the carrier and the modulator. The modulator causes a sound to have a wobble vibrato effect and the carrier is the starting point. When I was experimenting with the EFM1 plugin I used the harmonic wheel on the carrier oscillator to create the sound I want and from there I used the harmonic wheel on the modulator wheel and wave wheel to make the sound I was creating sound more aggressive. After, I used automation on the LFO rate to create a wobble vibrato this made my created sound become a downlifting sound effect. After experimenting with the EFM1 plugin I understand how effective it can be and how useful it is. Not only can the EFM1 plugin be used for FM synthesis but the ES2 plugin and DM7 keyboard are also great for this type of synthesis.

Bibliography

http://abovegroundmagazine.com/columns/pro-logic/10/26/understanding-sound-frequency-a-guide-to-hz-and-khz/

http://wkcphilrobinson.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Beginners%20Guide%20To%20Synthesis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6lVhGeyXuw

Defining Events

The event I will be writing about is the end of year performance that took place at Westminister Kingsway College. This was a small event where parents and friends of the music students would watch them perform live at the end of their first year. The show lasted for over an hour and a half and their were lots of great acts in that time and this is an event that takes place in the college every year. This event also had a small bar where people can buy alcohol or juice.

The key things that made this event a success is:

• The music didn't have explicit content
• All the equipment was working properly
• The sound engineers and technicians knew what they were doing
• There was good lighting and smoke machines
• The musicians performed fantastically to the audience
• The DJ played different genres of music the people liked

Before this event happened, the event needed to meet important targets. These targets are:

• Promotion
• Venue
• Costing
• Equipment
• Performers
• Tickets
• Performance rehearsals
• Posters
• Banners
• Sound engineers & technicians
• Staging equipment
• Lighting
• Food & drink

Without these important factors the event would have not happened. These factors are essential for live gigs because a gig is a live show where musicians go on stage and entertain the audience and the audience will expect a great performance from each act. Promotion plays a big role. Promotion is the main factor that attracts people's attention to the gig that is taking place. Social network sites such as facebook & twitter are very useful for promoting an event. Also, sticking up posters is another way of promotion. The more promotion an event obtains, the more people are likely to show up at the event.

Without promoting an event, the people of the public won't know about these new and upcoming bands and solo musicians. Promotion will help the artist (s) mostly because it will not only attract other people's attention but it will help them get recognised by A&R consultants. A lot of people attended the end of year performance and this happened because the promotion of the event was spread across in and out of the college and the music students that were performing there told their parents and friends to come along and watch. 

These two videos show two songs performed by L2 music. By watching these two videos you can instantly tell that this music class rehearsed really hard. It took them a few months to choose or create the songs they were going to rehearse and perform to the college. It was crucial that L2 music, L3 music performance and production 1st year and 2nd year classes months before the actual show because the students will have been well prepared and organised for what they needed to do to make the show a brilliant success and that it why it was crucial to be well prepared.

The sound engineers & technicians also played another key role in the end of year performance. The sound engineers & technicians are responsible for setting the equipment up and making sure the gain levels for all the equipment are equal. The sound engineers & technicians who are working before, during and after the gig must always pay attention to what they are doing. This means no one else should be distracting them while they are concentrating on what they are doing because if there are distractions then the sound engineers & technicians will lose focus on what they are doing and this can become a serious problem in a live gig.

The sound engineers & technicians that were supervising for the end of year performance did a brilliant job at making the event run smoothly and sound perfect. They really understood what they needed to do and what needed tweaking.

Tech Log

Gaia Synth

What is it?

A Gaia synth is musical hardware equipment that reads midi & audio data. This synth is great for synthesis because you will find the waveforms, filters, LFOs and ADSR envelope. This synth is also great for live performance & music production.

How have you been using it?

I wanted to make a deep bass sound with this synth. So the way I went about putting this synth in good is I selected the waveforms I wanted to use to create the bass sound I wanted. From there I used the ADSR envelope to manipulate the bass. I put a sharp attack, an average decay, a long sustain and a short release.

From there the bass didn't sound the way I wanted it to sound. There was a lot of harmonics that were not needed. So I used a lo pass filter to cut of some it's harmonics in the hi frequency range and the bass started to sound much deeper and fatter and it was a sound I wanted to create. Finally I didn't add an LFO because the bass I was creating didn't need an LFO. I was creating a bass that is commonly used in house music. If I were to create a dubstep bass then I would use and LFO to make the bass wobble.

What are the limitations?

This synth is not too heavy to carry around and it is not that hard to set up for live performances. This synth can save up to 64 created sounds allowing you to use them as presets in live performance. However, this synth only has 37 keys. This means you would need to change the octave using the two buttons underneath the LFO envelope and this could become a bit tricky when performing live. There is no room for error when performing live.

Another good thing about this synth is the pitch and modulation wheel, which is very useful for live performance. This wheel can be used for adding great articulation to the melodies that the performer is playing. The modulation & pitch wheel is also useful for

Can you think of any examples of it being used already by other performers?




Here is an example of how the synth is being used in live performance. By listening to the performer play the synth I can tell he is not only using the keys on the synth but he is also using the controls to create great effects and articulation. I also notice him changing the presets on the synth as he is playing. This is a great example of how useful the controls and commands can be when using the synth in live performance.

Traktor

What is it?

Traktor is piece of DJ equipment made by native instruments and comes in software and hardware equipment. The software equipment allows used for showing bpm, waveform, EQ deck, fader and cross fader, gain switches, effects, etc of any song. The hardware equipment is used for enabling a person to create DJ mixes, adding great sound effects and great for scratching.

How have you been using it?

I use traktor by loading a song onto deck one and two. From there I play the song on deck one and I take a look at the song deck two. I look at the bpm on deck two and I check if it's the same bpm on deck one. If it isn't the same I press the sync button on deck two and the song automatically matches the bpm on deck one. When I DJ I don't always use the sync button because when I bring the next track in because the track loses it's original vibe and the key of the song doesn't sound very nice. I rarely use effects while I'm DJ'ing because I don't find effects important to me unless I'm about to drop the next track. I like my DJ set (s) to have a great groove and vibe and without the effects deck my mix will sound perfected. In some DJ I try to do a bit of scratching because it's a great technique to use when doing a DJ set.

What are the limitations?

The good thing about the DJ controller is it's easy to use and you can carry it around anywhere you go. The controller has plenty of functions to make a DJ set sound perfect such as the EQ deck, faders, cross fader, looping buttons, cue points, effects deck, sync buttons & gain controls. These controls can become overwhelming when using it for the first time but practise always makes perfect and eventually you will like what traktor can do. However, the bad thing about the DJ controller doesn't display what track you are playing. The traktor controller doesn't have a small screen showing what track is being played on which deck plus it also doesn't show the bpm and this can become a bit of a problem when a DJ is about to drop the next track.

This is where traktor software comes in. The good thing about traktor software is it enables you to see what track you have loaded on which deck and it also shows the tempo and track title. Furthermore, the software also allows you to see the track's waveform, which is good for showing the song's frequencies. The lo frequencies will have a dark blue colour and the mid and hi frequencies will have white colour. By looking at the waveform carefully you will know where the main beat comes in and where all the mid and hi frequency instruments come in. Finally, another good thing about traktor software is you can see where you have placed you're cue points. It will make you're DJ set much tighter because you will know where the cue point (s) are when looking at the screen and you will be able to get the timing correct when bringing the next track in.

Can you think of any examples of it being used already by other performers?



Here is a video of Phenomena using the traktor s4. As you can see in this video he is using cue points, EQ deck, effects deck, faders, filters, scratching, sync control and looping. What this video is showing is how Phenomena is really keeping in time with the tracks he is playing and how he is adding these great effects and techniques to make his set sound good and tight. This video is great evidence of what traktor software and hardware can do.

Boss RC-50 Loop Station

What is it?

The Boss RC-50 loop station is a piece of hardware equipment that enables someone to record loops with any musical instrument, vocals and beat box sounds. With this hardware equipment you can record some loops and from there you can control the loops with you're feet and arrange into a professional track. This hardware equipment can be great for a live performer to use if he/she knows how to use it correctly and knows what he/she is doing.

How have you been using it?

When it was time for me to experiment with the RC-50 loop station, I was put into a group so that it would be easier to use and configure. The first thing we had to do is select phrase one, which is another way of saying pattern one. From there we had to put the metronome on because it was difficult to record the loops without the metronome. From there, I pressed the 'Rec/Play/Overdub' button to record, afterwards my group used phrase one to record two loops. Likewise for phrase two and three. Once the loop had been recorded I ensured that the stop button on the loop station was pressed or otherwise the loop will not have been registered.

However, if a recorded loop isn't in time with the metronome, the loop needs to be recorded again. The way my group did this is someone would select the phrase and press the 'Undo/Redo' button or press and hold the 'Stop' button. These two buttons ensure that the loop is undone or erased and will be recorded again. Before recording the loops, we had to ensure the instruments and mics had enough gain. This means that if some instruments and mics had low gain level, the gain needed to be turned up and from there everything was ready for recording. During recording, the instruments such as the synth and bass guitar needed a mic near an amp that the sound was coming from. This was to ensure that the sound can be picked up more; if the mic was too far away from the amp, hardly anything can be heard.

What are the limitations?

This hardware equipment is easily transportable and not difficult to set up. It is also great for showing a musician's great skills and techniques. However, when a musician is using this in live performance for a long period of time, his/her feet will start to get tired and will start to ache. Another thing that could go wrong is the loop not being in time with the metronome and this is can be a major error. A musician who isn't familiar with how to use the loop station will need to have a lot of practise before using the actual thing in live performance. The RC-50 only has three phrases, which is good for recording unlimited loops but can be a bit difficult when recording too many on one phrase. If too many loops are recorded in one phrase the loops will sound over compressed and probably distorted. This is would be a major error to encounter in live performance.

Can you think of any examples of it being used already by other performers?




In this video, we see Gundy Keller demonstrate the RC-50 loop station to an audience. As you can see, he is selecting which phrase to record on and he is keeping in time with the metronome without having to listen to it. As well as using his guitar to make the loops, he is also making beat box loops too. Also, he has used a vocoder along with his guitar to make his voice sound electronic. This video shows that using the loop station isn't easy as it looks and it probably took Gundy lots of practise to make sure he got everything correct before demonstrating it to a full audience.

Summer Task: E.P

In this piece of work I will write about Jhene Aiko' E.P titled 'Sail Out' and what I like about it. What I like about the musical content is the vocals and instrumental tracks. The vocals provide a smooth and relaxed vibe and the instrumental tracks add on to this. The instrumental tracks contain some spacy pads and gentle synths. Some of the tracks have explicit content but I really like the way Jhene shows her feelings and emotions when she sings in her tracks.

The engineering and recording of the tracks is another good thing about the E.P. The tracks have been well recorded and I can tell this by listening to the tracks carefully. Nothing in each track is out of time or out of key. Everything is 100% on point and nothing is out of place. The mixing of the E.P is perfect as well because the instruments sound clear, no sounds or drums sound filtered out, the volume levels are well balanced and the use of EQ, Compression, Limiting, etc has been used appropriately. All the instruments sound in the right band of the EQ e.g. The kick drum is in the lo ends and the percussion instruments are in the mid or hi ends.

The main that makes the E.P stand out is the cover art. The E.P is called 'Sail Out' and it shows Jhene on the beach and ahead of her are some ships and the seas. I really like the ideas and the final product of the cover art because the ships fit in with the title of the E.P and it also shows the ships are ready to sail out. Another thing I like about the cover art is the writing. I like the design of the writing, it's not basic script writing and it looks very suitable and well perfected. Basic writing doesn't look too bad for cover art but it's much better to have writing that looks outstanding and not boring.

When I listen to the tracks I can't seem to hear any synthesised sounds. From my point of view I think the sounds are mostly presets and one shot samples. From point of view I think at least four of the tracks in the E.P have synthesised sounds and drums. When I listen to the tracks I listen for any obvious techniques used and I believe that four of the tracks have used sufficient sound design.

The songs were mostly written by Jhene Aiko but the other writers of the E.P were Vince Staples, Mac Robinson, Brian Warfield, Donald Glover, Kendrick Lamar and Ab-Soul. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail_Out#Track_listing

Seven of the tracks in the E.P were composed and produced by the fisticuffs and the 8th track was produced and composed by No I.D. So they are credited as the producers of the E.P.

The engineers who mixed and mastered the E.P are Derick Ali, Jim Caruana, Maximilian Jaegar, Jaycen Joshua, Ryan Kaul, Rob Kinelski, Dave Kutch, Sam Martin, Christian Plata, Donnie Scantz and Michael Thomas. Apart from Ryan Kaul who is the mastering engineer, the rest of the people named in the last sentence mixed the entire E.P. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sail_Out#Personnel

The E.P was released by Def Jam Recordings and it is a major label company.

Outboard Mixing

I have chosen to re-mix the hip hop logic project. In the project the audio have not been mixed down properly. The way I went about mixing down the project I listened to the whole track and I knew what needed improving. I first soloed the kick drum and it was as punchy and strong as a kick drum should be. So what I did was I added and EQ and I adjusted the lo ends because the kick drum is a lo end instrument. When I listened to kick again it sounded much more strong, punchy and aggressive. I then decided to bypass the EQ so that I can hear the difference between what the kick sounds like with and without EQ. I then repeated this same method for the other instruments and vocals.

I did all of this because I wanted all the instruments to sound clear and not flat in the mix. When mixing it is always important that everything is balanced and clear. You don't want any of the instruments to be behind the or in front of the expected mixing limit. It always important for a producer/engineer to mix and master his/her tracks because when a track is mixed and mastered the track will sound so much cleaner, it won't distort and it will be cleaner. It won't sound dull or flat. Mixing and mastering back in the early days wasn't that up to standard. This is understandable because the equipment that was used for mixing and mastering tracks wasn't that efficient enough. For instance, when an engineer was trying to EQ an audio recorded guitar, the EQ was not good enough for this because no matter how hard the engineer tried to get the hi ends to a good standard the EQ was not good enough for it. As of today digital technology has made mixing and mastering so much easier especially EQ'ing. When the digital EQ was invented it has made instruments and vocals sound much cleaner, brighter and not dull or flat.

During the vocal mixing I inserted some bus sends so that I could add reverb and delay. I did this because bus sends allow me to control how much of something I want. So when I was using the bus to control how much reverb and delay I want I first decided to play around with the bus until I got something that satisfied me and fitted in well. The vocals were dry and I wanted to improve the vocals by adding reverb and delay because this made the vocals more wetter and it also gave the vocals a little bit of ambience.

Mixing a track is an essential thing to do. When a track is unmixed it doesn't sound like a professional track. When a track has been perfectly mixed down it sounds clear and hearable. Mixing down tracks is a long process but it's a process worth getting your tracks sounding to high quality. This shows that not only do you want your tracks to sound musically but sonically as well. In my opinion it is important for every producer to get his/her mixed down properly coz this shows that a producer wants his/her tracks to sound as good as possible. This is sort of thing I  would do in every track I make because it shows that I want my tracks to sound clear and not dull. It shows that I can do more to my tracks sonically rather than musically.

Listening Skills

The song I'm going to be talking about is Calvin Harris' new single titled 'Summer'. What I like about this song sounds used in the song. I like the strings in the first verse of the because they sound very real even though they are not. It also gives the first verse a smooth and subtle feel. The vocals is another thing I like about this song. The vocals sound very clear and sharp. The mic that was used to record Calvin' vocals is very likely to be a condenser mic because condenser mics are the best mics for audio sound. I like how the melody changes at 0:33 and how the lo pass filter gives the song that ready for the drop feel. When the melody changes it makes the song become more interesting and not boring, most songs are repetitive because the melody is catchy or the melody has a nice harmonic sound. This song has a nice harmonic sound but instead of keeping the same melody it was changed to something much more harmonic. The lo pass filter is filtering the main melody that will soon drop after the break. This creates a little bit of ambience for the music and also shows what is about to happen next.

Another good thing about this song is the mixing and mastering. I like how everything is not too loud or too quiet, everything is balanced out perfectly. This is what every song should sound like because is the mixing and mastering is a poor quality then the doing will sound distorted and not very pleasant to listen to. So in every song the song should be mixed and mastered to a high standard. This makes the sonic components sound clean, bright and easily heard.

Business Plan

The project that I will focus on doing is releasing an E.P. My target audience will be everyone of all ages and I can keep people updated via social networks e.g. twitter and facebook. I can also upload short previews on music sharing websites like soundcloud to show people of what is yet to come. Before I start making an E.P I can let people know that I am working on new material for a new product, then this way people will know that I am going to create new music that people will want to hear.

The styles of music that will be on my E.P are Soul, RnB, Ambient, Hip Hop and Rap. I will probably involve some instrumentalists on some of my tracks because they can provide good instrumental playing and I want to include some live instruments in some of my tracks because the music will sound more real. I want to involve mainly guitarists because they can provided very good instrumental playing for genres like Soul and RnB. For the other styles I can use midi instruments on daws such as logic, fl studio, etc. For artwork, I can look at some official websites of graphic designers and if I like their work I can contact them an see if they would be interested in making cover art for me. I can also discuss a reasonable price for it. This shows that I am serious about making a good E.P and it shows that I want to be recognised by loads of people. It also shows me being a serious musician that doesn't waste time when it comes to music.

If I have a good idea for a track that goes well with my E.P I can upload a short demo of it onto soundcloud and from there I can share onto facebook and twitter to so I can find out people's opinions on it. If I get positive feedback I can continue to compose the whole track and once it's finished I can mix and master it and then I can ask someone in or out of college to sing or rap on it. This is a great way for me tow network with musicians and advertise what I am currently making. If I didn't do this then not many people would know about my music. So it is always important for a musician to advertise his/her work. If my track involves recording live instruments I can ask a instrumentalist to play the chords or notes on the instrument. For example if I wanted a live guitar recorded I can ask a guiatrist I know to play the chord sequence or the melody and if I like the sound of the guitar I can record it onto logic. The tracks I will make for my E.P will not always have audio tracks, they might be tracks with midi instruments only. It's good to use a variety a combination of audio and midi when making tracks because it shows that the track a producer is making wants to make the track sound as good as possible. In my opinion live instruments make music sound more realistic and it gives the track good imagination. An E.P is meant to have 4-5 tracks.

The next thing I will need to think about is a release date and someone to create my artwork. E.P do take some time to make. If a producer wants his E.P to be a brilliant success he will need to spend good quality time on composing ideas that sound good to him. Producing a good track takes quality time to make because a good track is made using imagination and thought. Also, once a track is fully structured an complete it will need to be mixed and mastered. I have learned how mixing and mastering works so it won't be a problem for me to do it by myself. So in theory it would take about 2-3 months to make produce and engineer a full E.P. This is more than enough time to make an E.P brilliant. For artwork, I can look at some offical websites of graphic designers and if I like his/her work I can contact him/her to make an E.P cover for me. If payment is involved I can disuss a reasonable price.

If I do everything that is required I will be able to make my E.P successful not only for me but for the people that are listening to it. This shows that I am serious about making good quality material for people to listen to and it also shows that I am putting a lot of thought and effort in making a track sound brilliant.

Understanding Technology

Q1) Equalisation (EQ) can come as software or hardware and it's role is to make instruments sound more clearer in the mix and for taking out frequencies you don't want or need while mixing. EQ is very good for instruments, live instruments, sounds and vocals. EQ can make so much difference to what you are mixing down. EQ is the most important thing to use while you are mixing because it can really improve your song and to ensure that nothing sounds quiet or flat in the background. For example if a kick drum doesn't sound strong and punchy you can add an EQ and adjust the lo end frequencies until you get a strong and aggressive hit from the kick. You can also use the EQ to take out some of the air if you can hear it in the mix.

In the early days digital equipment wasn't invented. Mixing and mastering was used with analog equipment. The equipment used in the early days wasn't good quality. This meant that the records that were mixed and mastered were not mixed and mastered to a high quality standard. The EQ that was used in the early days wasn't efficient enough to make the instruments sound as clear, bright and clean as possible. Maybe the reason why the EQ wasn't efficient enough is because the frequency limit wasn't high or there wasn't many band frequencies. This meant that no matter how hard the engineer tried to make the instruments sound as good as they should, The EQ wasn't efficient enough for the instruments he/she was mixing down. In today's world digital EQ has become very popular in sound engineering. Digital EQ is much more efficient for mixing anything whether it's audio or midi, digital EQ will give you the right sound that you are listening for. There are three types of EQ and they are filter, shelf and parametric.

Q2) The polar patterns on the U47 are cardioid and omni directional and the polar pattern on the RCA 44 ribbon is a figure of 8. The U47 mic helps the vocals sound clear, mostly in high end frequencies and it doesn't let the vocals become dull in after recording. The U47 mic is now a frequently used mic in today's world and is industry standard for recording mainly vocals. The figure of 8 polar pattern picks up sound and ambiance from opposite sides, so this didn't make recording vocals easy whereas the U47 was and still is perfect for recording vocals because it the when the vocals were recorded using this mic, the engineers were satisfied with how the vocals sounded. The hi ends of the vocals were clean and bright and they do not sound dull in the actual mix. This microphone was used for recording Frank Sinatra's vocals.

Q3) A software mixer is a mixer that contains effects, mixing plugins, faders and master output and a hardware mixer is a mixer that contains faders, headphone buses, auxiliary buses, pan knobs, phantom power and daw switches, etc. On a hardware mixer you can only use it for recording live instruments and vocals and listening back to what has been recorded. On a software mixer you can use it for a numerous amount of things such as EQ'ing, compressing, limiting, automating, adding effects, etc. Software mixers are good for mixing and mastering any track to a high standard whereas on a hardware mixer you can't mix and master properly unless the studio contains a high standard of hardware mixing equipment. So in theory software mixers are best for EQ'ing, mixing and mastering and hardware mixers are best for recording live instruments and vocals. On a hardware mixer there a limited amount of channels you can use to mix down and you would need to rig up hardware plugins if the studio has any whereas on a software mixer you can mix unlimited channels and you can instantly select which plugin you want to use. However on a hardware mixer you can control headphone gain and turn phantom power on whereas on a software mixer you can't do any of those things.

Q4) I would choose a software mixer because when I have finished recording audio or midi data I can listen back to the recording and I can think about what sounds good and what can be improved. With the software mixer I can instantly choose what plugin and I can play around with it until I can hear a change that sounds perfect. For instance I can play around with the EQ on a kick drum until the kick sounds strong and punchy in the mix, finally I can use a compressor to squash the kick drum down so that it doesn't clip or become more dominant in the mixing process.

Q5) The good thing about DI boxes is that you can hear the sound of an instrument directly rather than a mic being put near the amp. When you listen back to a recorded guitar it does sound dull and and flat but you can instantly EQ it make the guitar sound more like a bright and clean. DI boxes are perfect not only for recording guitar but are good for record bass and synth keyboard. If a producer is recording one of these instruments and doesn't want to put a mic near the amp, he/she can instantly grab a DI box, jack - jack and XLR cables and set it up straight away. It doesn't take long to set up a DI unless you know how it's set up. If I was recording guitar, bass or keyboard I would definitely use a DI box because I know what they are used for and I don't find it difficult to set up. To set up a DI box you would need to grab a jack to jack cable and plug one end into the whichever instrument you are recording and you would need to plug in the other end into the DI box's input. Then you will need to grab an XLR cable and plug one end into the DI box and the other end into the box that leads into the main mixer. Finally you will need to turn the phantom power on because a DI box is a condenser piece of equipment. DI boxes pick up unbalanced audio from the input section of the DI box and balanced audio comes out of the XLR output and goes into the main mixer.

Q6)

Production Diary: Track 2

Equipment - The equipment I used to create the second track was:

FL Studio 10
Nexus2
One shot drum samples from a hip hop drum kit
Sub bass from a hip hop drum kit

I used nexus2 to make the melodies and chords because nexus has a good variety of sounds and drums and this synthesizer was the best one to choose. I managed to find good strings, choir, bells, piano and a trancy lead and I put them into good use. I then needed some one shot drums, so I grabbed a kick, 2x snare, closed and open hats and a sub bass. Finally I used FL Studio to structure, mix and master the entire track. FL Studio has a lot of good effects and mixing plugins and I wanted to put the into good use as well.

Recording - I didn't record the sounds and drums on FL Studio because I didn't have a midi keyboard to use for the recording. So I used the type pad on my to make chords and melodies and when I came up with some good ideas I inputted the data into the piano roll and extended the legato of the notes if it was necessary. Firstly I started playing some chords for the string section because the string section sounded very much like my kind of hip hop and it sounded very catchy as well. I then opened the piano roll to input the notes in exact length I wanted it at. I then copied and pasted the same chords into the choir section to give the strings some layering. After I put quarter notes on every crotchet in the bell section because It sounded catchy and I really liked the idea itself. Then I played some piano notes on the type pad until I came up with something that fitted in well and that I was happy with it, then I put the notes into the piano with adjusting the legato of the notes if necessary. I then repeated the same process for the other remaining sounds and the drums.

Once that was all done I put each sound and drum into separate patterns and I began to structure the song. The song structure is:

16 bar intro
16 bar verse
8 bar pre chorus
16 bar chorus
16 bar verse
16 bar chorus
16 bar verse
16 bar chorus
outro

Vocal Recording - I gave the instrumental track to Reggie so that he can write and record his verse. On wednesday 14th May, in sequencing he used the pro ducting room to record his verse. Once he had finished recording his verse I saved the project onto my memory stick with the copied audio files and I put his verse onto fl studio to mix down. I have also included Bryan, Jordan and a friend outside of college to write lyrics to the track.

Mixing - Once the instrumental track was full structured it was ready for mixing down. I used EQs for the drums because the sounded flat and couldn't be heard as much as the sounds. So for the kick drums I adjusted most of the lo ends because the kick has a boom kind of sound. When I adjusted the lo frequencies of the kick drum I could hear it very well. It sounded much more punchy and aggressive compared to the kick that wasn't EQ'd. I then used the volume fader to adjust to a reasonable level in the mix. It was too loud in the mix, so I had to reduce the volume fader until the kick drum can still be heard but at a reasonable volume level. I then repeated this method for the other one shot drums and sub bass because this method of mixing is very easy and it doesn't take that long too get right. I did use a little bit of compression on the two snare drums because the volume fader wasn't enough. For the sounds I used the volume faders mostly because some of the sounds were too loud or too quiet in the mix. For example the strings and choir were too loud, so I used the volume fader to make them a bit quieter, however the bells, piano and trance lead were a touch too quiet, so this meant I needed to turn the volume fader up by 5 - 10% for them to be heard. After I mixed everything down I listened back to the whole instrumental track and I knew straight away that it was properly mixed down and ready for mastering.

The plugins I used to record Reggie' vocals were EQ, compressor, limiter and reverb. I used the EQ to cut of some of the lo frequency because I could hear a bit of popping and this didn't make the track sound very clean. So this is why I cut off most of the lo frequency. I then adjusted a little bit of the hi frequency because the hi frequency sounded dull and flat. When I adjusted the the hi end the vocals sounded so much brighter and sharper and it fit in very well with the track. When I was looking at the vocal waveform, it didn't require much automating, the waveform was fine as it was. I only applied a little bit of compression alongside with the limiter and this made the vocals not very dominant that the instrumental track. Finally I added a little bit of reverb to the vocals because the vocals sounded dry and didn't fit in with the instrumental track. So I added a reverb plugin and played around with until I found a suitable amount for the instrumental track. I listened back to the whole thing and I was happy with the mixing, EQ'ing and effect with the vocals.

Mastering - I used a plugin called 'maximus' which is a good plugin for mastering a mixed track. It acts like a compressor and has pre gain knobs which allow me to adjust how much lo, mid and hi I want or that sounds acceptable for the song. I soloed the lo frequency an I used a little bit of compression and pre gain I felt it should have. Once I was happy with it I then repeated this method for the mid and hi frequencies. When I switched off the solo mode it didn't sound the way I wanted it to be. I could hear too much of the mid frequency than the other frequencies. So what I did was I reduced the mid frequency and I brought a little of the lo and hi frequencies. When I listened back to the instrumental track I was satisfied and happy with what I heard back. Finally I added a little bit of compression and a little of pre gain so that the output master level would be equal. I also inserted a limiter into the master channel and used the gain knob to adjust how gain I wanted. I did this to ensure that the master track doesn't clip. If the master channel is clipping it will sound very distorted and not very pleasant to listen to. So when mastering a track it is always important to check that your master channel is not clipping. If it's not clipping then it will sound 100% clear and not distorted, especially when your wearing headphones listening to it. I then exported the song as a wav file and I then burned it into an empty CD. The song is not finished because the other people that were meant to be on the track didn't record their vocals in time for the song. So I burned it as it was.

Production Diary: Track 1

Track 1

Equipment and Recording - In the first song I composed, I used garageband to make the chord progression and string section. The reason why I used this daw it has a nice electric piano. The song style I wanted to make is smooth rnb. I set the tempo to 96 bpm because rnb songs are produced at a slow speed. I played the chord on the type pad on my mac because I didn't have a midi keyboard to use. When I came up with some chords I made a new channel region and inputted the notes using the piano roll and it did not require quantising. All I had to do was adjust the length of the notes. I did it this way because I found it very tricky to record with the type pad on my mac. Once I inputted the notes in the piano roll, I opened a new instrument and I selected a string from the sound library. I then used the type pad to come up with idea for a string section. When I came up with a string section I opened a new midi region, opened the piano roll and used 16th notes with make the string section. I did this because I liked what I played over the electric piano and thought this can go very well with the track. I then bounced the electric piano and strings individually and emailed the files to myself.

Once that was done I opened fl studio because I was going to make the drums. The reason why I used fl studio is because fl studio has very good one shot drums and they were perfect for the style of music I was composing. Before I could make the drums I had to set the tempo to 96 bpm so that the audio files can match the bars on fl studio, then I downloaded and imported the audio files onto fl studio. I then put some one shot drums into the sequencer and I inputted the drums into the piano roll. I found this method of making drums much easier because I don't need to extend the length of the notes at all plus it was easy for me to correct the errors I made while I was making the drums and did not require quantising. When I finished making the drums I structured the track and bounced the unfinished instrumental. I then emailed it to myself so that I can download it from college, import it onto logic so that I can come up with a good bass line and a melody line.

When I opened logic I set the exact tempo of the song, created a new audio, imported the unfinished instrumental, put it on the exact crotchet it's supposed to be on and created to new software instrument channels. When I found a nice bass I used the midi keyboard to make a bass line. I found using the midi keyboard so much easier to use because I can instantly come up with melodies, bass lines and chord progressions. Once I came up with a bass line, pressed the 'R' button to record and once that was done I pressed 'R' again. I then opened the piano roll and noticed that the notes were not quantised. So what I did was I pressed 'cmd a' to select all the notes, clicked on 1/16 and it quantised all the notes in the region. I then clicked 'functions', 'fixed velocity' and I selected the velocity to 100 and then pressed 'select and operate'.

I found this method of recording very useful because it doesn't require me to use the mouse as much, it is much faster and quicker than inputting notes into the piano roll and I can use commands using the type pad. I repeated the same process for recording the melody line.

Once I recorded the bass line and melody line I structured them ensuring to their suitable places in the song. I then bounced both sounds individually from start to finish, e-mailed to myself, downloaded them and imported them into fl studio where the full song is fully finished and ready to be mixed and mastered.

On May 9th I used the recording studio with Norell to record his vocals. I used the NT1000 condenser mic, a pop shield and a pair of headphones. I used the NT1000 mic because it delivers bright, clean and crisp vocals, also it is a condenser mic and these mics are good for recording audio sound in a small environment. This mic is my favourite mic and I will continue to use this mic in future recordings. I used a pop shield to prevent any words that have a burst of air entering the mic during the recording. I wanted the recording to sound sound sharp and clear without any burst of air in the recording. Whenever I or someone else is about to record vocals it is very essential to use a pop shield because it can prevent words with bursts of air entering the mic and prevent mess up the recording. Finally I used a pair of headphones so that Norell can hear me communicating with him and hear the instrumental track as well. If he can't hear me or the instrumental track, the recording process could go very wrong. So it is always important to use a pair of headphones when recording vocals and live instruments because it can help recording go smoother for the person you are recording.

When I finished recording Norell I saved the logic project with the copied audio files and I then put the audio files into fl studio ready for mixing and mastering. I then sent the track to Leon so that he can write a 16 bar verse as he was part of the song.

Mixing - During the mixing phase of the song I listen very carefully to what I can hear. I noticed that the drums were flat and not punchy enough. So what I did is I added a EQ and I adjusted the lo ends of the EQ so that I could get a much better punchy sound of the kick. I then used the volume fader in the mixer to adjust the right volume in the mix. I didn't want the kick drum to be louder than the other instruments. I wanted the volume just right in the mix. I then repeated this method for the other instruments and sounds but some of them didn't need EQ because when I listened back to them I was happy with what I heard. But other than that I used limiters and compressors and the volume faders on the mixer to adjust each sound and instrument to it's best quality. Once I mixed down the instrumental track I listened back to it and it was nearly ready for mastering. I just had tweak one or two channels in the mixer and then it would be ready for mastering.

When I was mixing Norell' vocals I found it very hard to overcome because I do not know how to mix vocals properly yet. So what I did with Norell' vocals is I automated the volumes on the parts I couldn't hear very well and on the parts that were too loud, then I added reverb and delay to make the vocals sound wetter and more suitable for the instrumental track. Finally I added an eq because there was a bit of popping in the recording. Also I wanted to make the mid and hi ends of the vocals sound brighter and clearer. When I listened the vocals without the EQ it sounded very dull and flat. When I listened to the vocals with EQ it sounded so much brighter and clearer and I was very convinced that this would be enough.

Mastering - Before I went to the mastering phase of the I bounced the fully mixed instrumental track as a wav file and I imported it into logic. I then set the exact tempo of the song and placed the in time with the click track in logic. Once that was done I reduced the volume on the instrumental track channel because it was clipping a little bit, after that I put and adaptive limiter in the output master and I adjusted how much pre gain I wanted. I did this because I wanted to ensure that the volume of the entire song was at an appropriate level. This means I didn't want it to be too loud or too quiet. I finially exported the mastered track asn a wav file and I burned it into an empty CD. The track is not fully finished because Leon didn't finish his verse in time for the song.

Royalties

Licensing and royalties agencies that pay and copyright music that artists/producers have composed, written and recorded. Without licensing, people could take music that other musicians have produced and class it as there own and that is called fraud. It is important that a musician has royalties and licensing because this way musicians can earn money for the music they make and no one can class it as their own because it is copyrighted, so this means that the industry knows who it really belongs to.

PRS and MCPS are agencies that earn royalties from the music that other musicians have made. PRS royalties go to musicians, producers and publishing companies that have made original music. They earn their royalties when their music is played via radio, tv, live, etc. MCPS goes to musicians and producers that have reproduced their music, When their music is played via radio, tv, live, etc, MCPS earn royalties and the artist (s) earn money.

PPL is another agency that collects and distributes money to performers or record companies for use of their recorded music. It is important that a performer has the right license because if the performer does not have the appropriate license, this can be classed as copyright infringement and it will affect the musicians, songwriters, producers and composers of the track that they have created. So it is essential that a performer has the right license. This means the performer will earn royalties and will not have any issue with copyright infringement.

Joining licensing and royalty agencies are good ways of earning money you make for music and ensuring that no one can infringe it. When you join whichever agency you will be given an ID number. Once you have received your ID number, you can send your you music to any radio station and if it gets played on the radio you can give them proof by sending them the link and telling them where to skip in the show. Once they know your song has been played on the radio they pay you quarterly. Here is a link to show you what I mean by paying quarterly:

http://www.prsformusic.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Emails/Newsletters/Newsletter%20April%202013/Distribution_times-web.pdf

I would strongly recommend that an artist, producer, writer, session player, etc signs up with one of these agencies because it can really help them with their music in the future and their career also. Plus young musicians can earn money for the music they make and they can earn protection ensuring that no one else steals the artist' work and classifies it as their own.

Functions of a Keyboard: Term 3

Piano - When you press a key on the piano the hammer on the piano hits the string and sound is created via the vibrations and air. On a piano you can control the amount of volume, sustaining and velocity. On an organ you can't do any of these. No matter how hard or soft you press a key on the organ it creates the amount of volume it was designed for. On an organ there are no pedals whereas a piano has three pedals making it easier to play. On an organ there are toe boards and the toe boards adjust the depth of the organ when someone is playing. On a piano you can control velocity, pitch, volume, etc.

Pipe Organ - A pipe organ is a musical instrument that has big whistles on it. You can't control the sustaining on a pipe organ. You would need to use a lot of articulation to keep the flow of the organ. Toe boards on the organ can control the amount of depth that you want while playing. When you press a key on an organ compressed air travels through the whistle via vibrations. It's like blowing gently into an empty glass bottle and it creates a deep sound. A bad thing about an organ is that you can only sustain the sound with your fingers rather that using pedals. While controlling the sustaining with your hands it can cause hand stress and hand cramps. On an organ you can't control the effect e.g. you can't control delay, threshold, etc.

Harpsichord - When you press a key on the harpsichord a plectrum plucks the string and creates sound via the vibrations. A bad thing about a harpsichord is that the plectrum could cut the string in half and this can be a bad thing if the performer is playing live to an audience. Like a piano it has three pedals, so this means you can control sustaining and many other parameters. These parameters are reverb, velocity, etc. However you cannot control the amount of resonance or on a harpsichord and you can not change the sound of the harpsichord. This what the harpsichord was designed for, to create a plucking, small resonant sound.

Electric Keyboard (Synthesizer) - An electric keyboard synthesizer has sounds made from default synths using synthesis. Synthesis creating your own sound from scratch instead of sampling a sound. When you press a key on an electric keyboard, it creates sound via the built in speakers, however it doesn't have proper sustaining pedal. You have to plug a pedal into the keyboard to control the sustaining. The sustaining pedal acts like an on/off switch. So no matter how hard or soft you press the pedal it will still create a lot of sustaining, resonance and ambience. A good thing about the electric keyboard synthesizer is that you can choose a variety of presets in the keyboard library. This means that you can play anything you want with any sound of your preferred choice.

Electric Keyboard (Sampler) - A sampled sound is not a synthesized sound made from scratch, it is a sound that has been audio recorded. An electric keyboard like a roland synth will likely have a lot of sampled and presetted sounds. If you wanted, you could save a preset onto a hard drive and then you could import it onto logic and you could play around with it and use it in a track you are composing. This is a good thing about using sampled and presetted sounds. A bad thing about and electric keyboard sampler is that if you are looking for a spscific kind of sound and the keyboard doesn't have it you would need to use synthesis to make the sound you are looking for, and you can't do this on a roland synth. But sometimes presets and samples can come in very handy when it comes to composing music.

Aural Test

Q1) The instruments in the song 'Kelis - Jerk Ribs' are:

Bass
Drums and percussion
Trumpet and horns
Electric Guitar
Piano
Strings
Accordion

The bassline's role is to play the main bassline throughout the song and the trumpets and horns play mostly in the chorus.

The instruments in the song 'James Blake - The Wilhelm Scream' are:

Drums and percussion
Electric piano
Arpeggio
Pad

The role of the drums is to keep the song in time and to add different rhythms throughout the song and the role of the electric piano is to keep the song deep and relaxed.

Q2) The two notes in the vocal interval in the song 'Janella Monae ft. Prince - Give Em What They Love' is a major chord and in the song 'Somewhere over the rainbow' from the film 'The wizard of oz' the two in notes in the vocal interval are both minor.

Q3) The chord progression in the first verse of the song 'The roots - The Seed (2.0) ft. Cody ChestnuTT' is Am, D, Am, G and I know this by listening very carefully to what is being played. The chord progression  in the first verse of the song 'Belle and Sebastian - Funny little frog' is Em, A, D, A and the A chord is a 2nd inversion. The rest are root position.

Q4) The song 'Desmond Dekker - Jamaica Farewell' is a reggae style song. So the rhythm in this song is swung and the time signature is in 4/4. Most reggae songs are meant to have swung drums or otherwise it wouldn't feel like a reggae song. The kick and snare drum are always hitting on 2 and 4. This is another feature of reggae music. The kick and snare is always meant on 2 and 4, finally the guitar is hitting on the off beat and this is called skanking. This is also another common thing in reggae music.

The time signature in the song 'Andromedia' is in 3/4 and the drums sound very complex and syncopated.

Techniques and Technology

Mixing

In the mixing process of a song you have to ensure that the listener can hear all the instruments and sounds you have used in your song. This means all the instruments have to be equally level, you don't want any instruments clipping. When an instrument is clipping it will sound very distorted and horrible to listen to. In the mixing process you have to listen very carefully to what instrument you can hear. If some instruments are too loud, you can reduce the gain, add an EQ, add a compressor or add a limiter so that it doesn't sound loud and that it's not clipping. If and instrument is too quiet turn the gain up until you can hear whatever instrument you are trying to listen to. You can also add an EQ to make the instrument not sound flat and make it sound punchy and tight. 

It is very important that you give your ears frequent breaks from what's going on in the track because sometimes your ears will become confused of what's going on in the song that you want to mix. When you are mixing a song down DO NOT look at the levels on the mixer because the levels on the mixer can deceive you. It's all about having a good pair of ears and listening carefully to what you can and can't hear. Once you have listened to the full and that it's properly and fully mixed down, you are ready to bounce and master it.

This is is one of the techniques I want to achieve because if I can mix my own songs I don't need to pay anyone to do the mixing for me. It will also show me to be a freelance worker. The way I can mix I can to mix my tracks to the best of my ability is by listening to what I can and can't hear. If the kick drum for example to too flat and not punchy, I can use an EQ to make the kick sound more punchy and more powerful. If there is too much bass on the kick I can just cut off the low frequency and this will make the kick not sound too bassy.

When I mix my tracks I will take frequent breaks so that my ears don't get exposed to too much sound or otherwise my ears will become confused on what is going on in the mix. I will also rely on my ears and not my eyes because the levels can deceive me, so it is essential for me to have good ears while mixing down I'm mixing my tracks down. I can use limitation and compression to reduce the gain on other instruments and sounds and to ensure that nothing is clipping. If and any instrument or sound is clipping this can cause distorting and this would not be very nice to listen to. The mix of the song will sound crisp, on point and not distorted and this is what the public of the public would want to listen to good quality music.

Before I can mix my own tracks down I will need to learn what mixing is and how it is done. I can do this by watching tutorials of engineers mixing down tracks, reading tips on mixing tracks and learning from my teachers that teach me about technology. Once I have got an idea of how a mixed song should sound like, I can make an attempt at mixing down my own music, this way I won't have so many problems with mixing.

Textures and Acoustic Environment

Track 1

In the first track the environment the song is being performed at is very big and very wide. The instrumentation is perfect for this environment because it doesn't have a lot of reverberation and the reverberation does not last a long period of time. I'd say the reverberation lasts for less than a second due to the place where the performance is taking place. There isn't many hard surfaces for the sound to bounce of. When it comes to performing a song you want an environment that's just right. You don't want to have a lot of reverberation in the background or delay. Most importantly you don't want to have a venue that will have high volume levels.

As the camera and mic move around some of the instruments become more louder and clearer. When the camera is further away it sounds less louder and less ambient. As the camera and mic start to move around the arena the volume slowly builds up and starts to become much louder and clearer. Maybe the reason for this is because the mic is picking up more high frequency levels, plus the mic could be dynamic, so it can pick very loud volume levels without getting damaged. However, as the camera and mic start moving around some more some instruments sound a bit muffled and quieter in the background. This is because the mic is being moved around in different directions and maybe the mic' polar pattern is uni directional, so it will pick up sounds in one direction.

Track 2

The 3 textures I can hear in this song are monophonic, polyphonic and homophonic. The homophonic and polyphonic textures play can be hard in the first 54 seconds of the track, then the monophonic  part comes in. Polyphonic means that the same melody is being played but not being played in unison. Homophonic means playing or singing the some melodies in unison and finally monophonic means playing or singing without any harmonies, it's the same melody being repeated.

The place the song is being performed at is a church. In churches you will hear a lot of reverberation, a little bit of delay and ambience because churches are very big buildings, also the material of the churches can vary the amount of sound it can absorb. The song that is being performed at the church is a perfect environment because it fits the style of music, has perfect ambience so it can sound very atmospheric and clear for the people at the church and finally that is where church singers/choirs perform at.

Track 3

The texture of this piece of music is homophonic. Homophonic is a texture that is has one melodic line. Only one melody is being played but the singer can add different variations to the same melody. In this track the instrumentation defines what a melodic line is and what it sounds like. In this song the melody is not that repetitive, there are some changes in the song but the main melody is repetitive. Also you can notice the singer adding different variations to the song such as singing high and low.

The environment the song is being played looks like a small gig. There is the band and a small audience. The venue the song is being performed is a perfect environment because I can hear only a little bit of reverberation plus it's not very ambient. In my opinion songs that are being performed to a small audience should be in environments like this because everyone that is watching whoever perform can hear the performers clearly, plus the song delivers a brilliant atmosphere without using too much reverberation, delay or ambience.

Gerald' Band Recording Mixdown

Band Recording Evaluation

On Tuesday 1st April me, Shai, Juan and Yinka were going to do a multitrack band recording. Yinka didn't show up so it was only Shai and Juan helping me out. We needed to record bass, electric guitar, drums, synth and 2 female vocals. Firstly we had to set the equipment. We used:

XLR cables
2x Rode NT5s
1x Audix D6
2/3x SM57s
2x SM58s
1x DI box
Mic Stands
Headphones
Headphone mixer

Me, Shai and Juan had to rig all the equipment and plug it into the main box that leads into the main control room in the recording studio. This took a long time because it required a lot of team work and concentration. If we made one mistake then everything will go wrong in the recording. So it was important to us to keep track of what we were doing.

Once everything was rigged up and ready to go, we went back into the main control room in the recording studio to set up the audio channels in logic. I communicated with Juan about what mics were plugged in to which numbered channels. I then had to change the input and output settings, I then had to turn the phantom power on to the condenser mics only. For the dynamic microphones I left the phantom power off because the phantom power will damage the microphone.

Once I set all the audio channels, input settings and phantom power I needed to get some levels on all the channels. The I did this is I communicated with Juan and told him to talk into the mics and play the instruments, secondly I used the gain knobs on the mixing desk to get some levels and finally when I got levels on all the channels I told Juan we are good to go.

The band we were recording came into the rehearsal room, the drummer needed to wear headphones because the drummer is the time keeper, he needed to let the band know that we are ready to record and that he was going to count them in after 1 bar. We told the drummer that we are ready to record, I pressed the record button, the drummer counted after 1 bar and they started playing the song they were meant to be playing. Half way throughout the recording they made a few minor errors and they requested that we record them again. So we stopped the recording, deleted all the audio recordings, put the marker back to it's original position, told the drummer that we are ready to record again and pressed the record button and the drummer counted in after 1 bar and started playing again.

Once the full song was recorded we stopped the recording and thanked the band for their good work. Me, Juan and Shai saved the audio project on our memory sticks ready for mixing down. Once we saved the projects on our memory sticks we saved the project onto the audio drive desktop and labelled it 'Juan Shai Gerald assessment'. Once that was done I closed logic and put the mixing desk back to it's original setting.

The only thing that was left was put all the equipment back to where it belongs. Juan and Shai were the only people putting the equipment away. I had a bit of trouble getting in because the door was locked, eventually Grant opened the door and I went in the rehearsal room to give Shai and Juan a helping hand. They were half way finished, so I didn't need to do a lot. I looped up all the XLR cables and put them back on the pegs, then I put the Rode NT5s back in their box and finally I put the synth keyboard back to where it was before which was near the P.A systems. When everything neat and tidy, Grant told me, Juan and Shai that we are free to go.

Band Recording Plan

In this recording assignment I need to record drums, bass guitar, synth and 4x female vox. Here are some snapshots of my plan for doing it.

These pictures show my list of equipment I will need and my diagram of how it's all going to be linked to the main control room. If there are mics that are not available to use then I will have to figure which mic will best be suited for what instrument.

I have chosen the NT5 condenser microphone for recording the overheads of the drum kit and I have chosen the Audix D6 microphone for the kick drum. The reason why I have chosen these microphones for the drum kit is because they are both condenser microphone and they can pick up a higher frequency level. In the first year festival I noticed that the rode NT5s were on the overheads and the Audix D6 was inside the kick drum. So I thought these microphones will be the best for recording the drums.

I have chosen the NT1000 mic for recording vocals because I have used the microphone before and I like the clear sound it creates when someone is singing/rapping through it. When I play the vocals back it sounds clear, not muffled and bright. The NT1000 is also a condenser mic, so it will pick up a higher frequency level. If this mic is not available to use then I will use the SM58 dynamic microphone which is also good for recording vocals and doesn't require phantom power. Condenser microphones need phantom power because they can't provide their own power whereas a dynamic mic can provide it's own power and no matter how much you yell into the mic it won't get damaged, whereas if you yell into a condenser mic it will get damaged.

I have chosen the SM57 mic to record the synth. I have chosen this mic because I can rig it up and put it next to the amp where the sounds from the synth will come out of. Also it is a condenser mic, so it will pick up more frequency levels and that is what I want. The SM57 will fit in well with recording the synth because when I listen back to it, it will sound very clear and and not very distorted. If it sounds distorted I will need to put the mic further away from the amp, then that way it will sound less distorted and much more efficient. The SM57 will definitely work for recording the synth via the amp.

For the bass guitar I have chosen to use a DI box. The reason why I have chosen this piece of equipment is because it's very easy to connect and rig up to the main control room, plus the sounds from the bass will be recorded directly into the main control room. If a mic is needed to record the bass then I will use the SM57 because I can put it next to the bass amp and the bass will sound clean, bright and not distorted. The SM57 mic is the best mic to use near an amp because it is a dynamic mic, so it will pick up a higher frequency rate.

1st year festival review

My favourite song of the first year festival is the original song called 'Right Way'. The song was produced and composed by YungFayz (Faysal) and written by Cogent (Leon). What I like about the song is the style, lyrics and flow. The style is very chilled and is at a slow tempo. The lead vocals and doubles fit in very well because it gives the song a very atmospheric feel. The synths used in the song also give it that atmospheric feel and vibe. The lyrics written for this song fit in very well with the song because it fits the purpose and concept of the song. The lyrics were not rushed, they were written carefully and thoughtfully.

Roles & Contracts

In this assignment I am going to write record labels and what they do. Records labels are big companies that exploit an artist' music out to the public. Not only do they do that, they own the copyright of the artist' music for a certain period of time. When an artist or musician is about to get signed to a label it is important that the artist and the artist' manager are happy that the contract is fair and reasonable. Some record labels tend to offer musicians rubbish contracts and sometimes the contracts end up in the bin. In order to find a good contract with a good label it is important that you have loads of connections with other people and it's also important to have a good manager who will understand what you want and when you want it. Contracts can give a range of objectives. For instance if a producer signed a contract and the contract involved making a full album for an artist in 4-8 months, the producer will have to be very dedicated that he will not waste time and actually get it done. If the contract involves touring then the musician/producer will have to tour whether he/she likes it or not. This includes touring worldwide. When a musician signs a contract this shows the musician is accepting what is on the contract and will be dedicated to what is required on the contract. But before a musician signs a contract, the musician's manager and the musician must read through the contract first to see if it's a reasonable contract. If both them are satisfied with the contract they will sign it off and accept what is on there and if they are not satisfied they will reject whoever's offer and they will look somewhere else for work.

A fixed term contract is a contract that doesn't last forever. It will have an expiry date on it. When a musician has signed this kind of contract it that he/she will have a number of duties such as touring, making an album, selling merchandise, etc. But when a fixed term contract ends then the artist is no longer works for whoever he/she was working for. However these contracts can be renewed. These kind of contracts will have the duties required, pay, promotion, hours of work, etc including the expiry date. This contract is very different to a freelance contract because a freelance contract allows a musician to work solo and it also gives the musician a limited amount of work to do. This means that when a freelance musician has finished working for whoever he/she does not have any more work to do unless he/she is hired for some other freelance work.

A freelance contract means that you work by yourself and and you do your jobs one at a time. A freelance artist owns their own tax and insurance. A producer, sound engineer or session player are the main freelancers. They are the main freelancers because a producer will make tracks mostly by himself, an experienced sound engineer will mix and master the tracks and a session player will either play piano or guitar for an artist. You hear a session player on the radio or on tv. Producer and sound engineers mainly work in the studio. A freelance artist can work until he/she has no more work to do and probably he/she will be hired for some new work. The good thing about working freelance is that a musician has no one bothering him/her and it allows the musician to focus on what is important and what needs to be completed. However a freelance artist will be under a lot of pressure to get work done because a freelance artist has quite a lot of work to do and freelance work needs to be 100% high standard. This could probably mean that the artist hardly gets a chance to take a break or rest because freelance work never pays off.

These two contracts will have features such as hours of work, pay, job security, independence, etc. Some of these contracts may not satisfy the artist or the artist may not like what's on it. When an artist looks for work it is important that he/she has loads of connections with people and that he/she is serious about being a known artist. Before signing a contract it is important that the artist and whoever is with the artist reads the contract and also looks at the factors e.g. pay, hours of work, etc. Finally if they are both satisfied then the contract will be signed off and the artist will be more than happy to work for whoever he/she is working for.

A distribution contract allows an artist to sell his own CDs at concerts as well with a label, the artist own rights for his/her music that make he/she makes and the artist doesn't get any advances when signing. This contract can really help and artist or freelancer because it gives them copyright protection of his/her music and the artist earns royalties as well. Not every musician has to sign this contract but in my opinion I would sign this contract because I know that my music will be protected and I will earn royalties for the music I make plus I can sell my own CDs if I wanted to. Without this contract a musician will be unable to protect the rights for the music he/she makes. So from my point of view it is important that a musician sings a distribution contract because it can really help with earning rights and royalties for music.

A record deal contract allows a record label to exploit someone's music. They do this by selling CD's, vinyls, digital downloads, etc. When an artist is about to sign a record deal contract it is important that the artist and his/her manager read the contract properly and read what the terms are. They also need to look at the hours of work, pay, promotion, etc. Some record labels tend to offer rubbish deals to the artist (s) and this is not what a artist wants. The artist's manager is the expert at knowing a what a good contract looks like. When an artist is not sure on whether he/she should sign a contract for a record deal, the artist should ask his/her manager for his opinions and points of view on it. The artist must always listen to what his/her manager is saying because the manager is doing his job by keeping the artist's wishes safe and accepting what the artist wants for his/her career. This makes signing a record deal contract much more easier for the artist because he/she is listening and taking into account of what the manager is telling him/her. When the manager and the artist have read the full contract and both of them are happy with what's on it, they will sign the contract and they will accept the terms on there.

The salaries of record producer can vary quite extensively. The reason why this is because producers that are out there now have more than 20 - 30 years experience, they are very good at what they do, they have a good ear for music and they don't waste time when it comes to music. The skills that are needed to become a successful producer are:

A good ear for music
Networking with other people
Budgeting
To be assertive and persuasive
To know the whether a song is going to be a good hit
Plenty of experience
Good grades
Self released material

Record producers work very long hard hours including weekends, so it is important that person who wants to become a successful producer is passionate about what he/she wants to do and is willing to work long hours a good effort.

The A&R department (Artists & Repertoire) in the record label is the department that looks for new, unsigned and talented people. The artist' manager is the person who usually gets in touch with them and they would discuss terms and conditions on why the artist should be signed to the label. Usually some people from the A&R department would go to gigs to find new unsigned and talented people. If an artist finds a god artist/band for their label, the artist's name will be passed onto the manager of the A&R department. From there the department will decisions on whether artist is good or not and then they will come to a final conclusion. When the manager of the A&R department is satisfied that the artist/band is good and talented for their label, the manager of the A&R department will get into touch with the artist' manager and they will discuss terms and conditions on the contract. When the artist and artist' manager read the contract and that both of them are happy with it, they will accept the deal with the record label.

When it comes to live performance the artist or band needs to be well prepared and ready for their gig. Some errors can occur during live performance. For instance there could be some squealing sounds coming from the p.a. systems, the mics are not loud enough, the guitar and bass could be damaged, the mic stands are not an appropriate height for the musician, etc. So when technicians and musicians are doing sound checks before the gig it is essential that they do the sound check properly. This means no rushing and checking that every piece of equipment works like a clock and runs smoothly. It is also important that musicians and bands have pre rehearsals before the gig. This shows that they are taking the gig seriously and they want the gig to go well for their fans and not to disappoint them.

Punctuality and knowing the date of the gig are two very essential things when it comes to performing live. The musician or band needs to know when the date of the gig is and what time it starts at. If they are late to their own gig this slows everything down and it doesn't show any courtesy for the fans. So it is very important that a musician or band knows what date and what time they need to be at for their own gig.

If they do all of this then the gig will be a major success and everyone including the performers will enjoy themselves. This shows you people are here for the music and want to have a good time. All the hard work will have paid off eventually.