El DJ es una de las figuras más importantes de nuestra escena y para muchos es la pieza clave que permitió que el Hip Hop floreciera y llegara al gran público. Algunos de los más grandes Productores de la historia fueron, mucho antes, excepcionales Djs. En este Post invitado DJ Jótatebe te invita a descubrir porqué.
La entrada 5 Motivos por los que ser DJ te ayuda a Producir Mejor aparece primero en Produccion HipHop.
In this second video of a series on advanced chord theory, Dubspot Instructor and Saxophone innovator Max Wild explains chord voicing and demonstrates practical applications of chords with extensions. Learn more about music theory and the music you love from the inside out in our upcoming Music Foundations course in NY, LA, and Online. Check out the course details and enroll today!
Click here to view the embedded video.
In this second video of a series on advanced chord theory, Dubspot Music Foundations Instructor Max Wild talks about various chord extensions and how chord voicings can be used to enrich your music. Expanding on 7th chord inversions from part one in the series, Max demonstrates how to play Major, Minor, and Dominant chord extensions. Learn how to play Dominant 7th and Minor 7th chords with extensions to the 9th, 11th, and 13th chords. Max also introduces us to Lydian and Dorian Modes while demonstrating how to avoid tritones. To wrap up the video, Max shows us how to apply various chord extensions using examples from Disclosure’s hit track “White Noise.”
Also, check out Music Foundations – Advanced Chord Theory Part One: Chord Inversions w/ Max Wild
Click here to view the embedded video.
Electronic Music Production Instructor
Saxophone innovator and producer Max Wild has been a forerunner on the Afro-jazz scene in New York since commanding international attention with his ObliqSound release Tamba, which features Zimbabwean vocalists Chiwoniso and the late Sam Mtukudzi, as well as Wild’s all-star band from New York. Raised in Zimbabwe by German parents, and later moving to Berlin, London, and then New York, Wild was exposed to a broad spectrum of music from an early age. With credentials that range from performing with Grammy-nominated jazz tenorist Mark Turner to recording with Afropop icon Oliver Mtukudzi, Wild started producing music as well as incorporating electronic elements into his live performances using Ableton Live. He has performed at major jazz and world music venues and festivals around the world such as Nuits d’Afrique Montreal, Celebrate Brooklyn New York, Harare International Festival of the Arts Zimbabwe, Maalmakula Festival Estonia, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club London UK, House on Fire Swaziland, and Music Meeting Holland.
Wild is an accomplished educator and teaches music theory and ear-training at Manhattan School of Music Precollege as well as giving music workshops around the world. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from London’s Guildhall School of Music and a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music. In April 2012 he was recruited by Dubspot to teach Music Foundations.
Connect with Max on the Web!
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
The best producers, DJs, and musicians in the world strive to be well-rounded. So should you. In Dubspot’s Music Foundations Program, you’ll explore three major aspects of music: rhythmic theory, melodic theory, and critical listening.
Unravel electronic music’s origins, build your chops, learn musical language and theory, and make and play music the way you want.
Click here to view the embedded video.
What’s Included:
“This course exceeded my expectations. I went through everything I needed to have a solid knowledge of basic music theory.” – Jonathan Crespo, Miami
“MF has been an amazing experience! I didn’t realize I was going to learn so much about electronic music history, something my generation missed.” – Yianno Koumi, United Kingdom
Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.
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On Friday May 1st, join Dubspot’s Computo and Viktor Carrillo at Dubspot LA for a free workshop focused on modular synthesis and music technology with special guest Cyrus Rex.
Join Dubspot’s Computo and Viktor Carrillo for CNTRPNT, a new monthly series of free workshop focused on modular synthesis and music technology at Dubspot LA. This month we are excited to present artist, modular ambassador, co-owner of DarkPlace Manufacturing, and head honcho at Muffwiggler, Cyrus Rex. Cyrus will present a brief performance and demonstrate some modular patches that he uses. He will also discuss his evolution in the modular world, recording with modular hardware, and some of his favorite pieces of gear.
This event is FREE and open to the public. Space is limited, please arrive early to sign in.
Cyrus Rex has been writing, producing and performing electronic music for over ten years. He has been entrenched in the LA electronic music scene, toiling ceaselessly with a multitude of electronic bands spraying a barrage of audio shrapnel across the entire spectrum of music. His new project with Douglas J McCarthy is called DJM|REX. Cyrusrex has toured alongside with notable electronic bands such as Skinny Puppy, Depeche Mode, and Venetian Snares. Collaborations and remixes include Depeche Mode, Skinny Puppy, ModWheelMood (Alessandro Cortini). His current focus is music crafted on Modular Synths, and has recently launched the company MuffWiggler which promotes and sells modular synth equipment. He is also co-owner of DarkPlace Manufacturing, which handles manufacturing of many Eurorack brands including Malekko, Roland Modules, Harvestman, Sputnik, 4ms, Qu-bit, BEMI, LZX, and many others.
Click here to view the embedded video.
Become fluent in the language of sound design and synthesis with this comprehensive program. This six-level Sound Design program uses Native Instruments’ Komplete as a platform for learning synthesis and sampling techniques. Starting with an introduction to the properties of sound, this comprehensive series of courses covers the major techniques used for contemporary sound design.
Click here to view the embedded video.
What’s Included:
Sound Design Level 1: Introduction to Komplete
Sound Design Level 2: Synthesis with Massive, FM8 and Absynth
Sound Design Level 3: Sampling with Kontakt and Battery
Sound Design Level 4: Advanced Sound Design
Sound Design Level 5: Reaktor Ensembles and Production Techniques
Sound Design Level 6: Reaktor Programming and Instrument Building
Become fluent in the language of sound design and synthesis with this comprehensive program. This six-level Sound Design program uses Native Instruments’ Komplete as a platform for learning synthesis and sampling techniques. Starting with an introduction to the properties of sound, this comprehensive series of courses covers the major techniques used for contemporary sound design.
You will learn to create your own sounds with a variety of techniques and add a personal sonic signature to your tracks. We introduce you to the latest synthesis and sampling technologies and show you how to use the world’s largest and most diverse sound library. In the advanced levels, you will acquire total control over all aspects of the Komplete instruments while practicing genre-based sound design.
Click here for detailed information on this program, including start dates and payment plans.
If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.
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The post Dubspot LA EDU Sessions: CNTRPNT – Modular Synthesis + Music Technology w/ Cyrus Rex appeared first on Dubspot Blog.
On Wednesday April 29th, join Sydney-based producer and educator Mr. Bill for a free workshop on working more efficiently and getting ideas out quickly in music production and sound design.
Join Sydney-based producer and educator Mr. Bill for a free workshop on getting ideas out quickly in music production and sound design. Mr. Bill will give an inside look at his production and sound design processes while he demonstrates his methods for getting music out of your head and into your projects. Learn how to work efficiently and complete projects.
This event is FREE and open to the public. Space is limited, please arrive early to sign in.
The Mr. Bill project is based on evocation, I like to write music that excites the ear and the brain. This requires me to explore a vast range of strange production methods and musical theories to keep exciting my senses. The best way to describe the music associated with this project is a mix of unlatched, glitchy breakbeats, heavy, swung-out bass lines and flawless edits with a large dash of palatable melodic content.
Connect with Mr. Bill on the web!
Website | Facebook | Soundcloud
Click here to view the embedded video.
Dubspot students and workshop attendees will receive a discount to get into the show. Event Details
The flagship of our music training, with every Ableton Live course offered at the school. After completing this program, you will leave with a portfolio of original tracks, a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.
This program is about learning Ableton Live by going through the entire process of being an artist, by developing your own sound through a series of sketches and experimentation. You will also learn the ins and outs of this powerful software through a series of exercises designed to help you master the steps involved in producing your own music. After a level of getting familiar with the tools that Ableton has to offer, you will then develop your sonic ideas into full-length tracks. You will be exposed to a variety of approaches to arrangement and composition, storytelling techniques, ways of creating tension and drama in your music. At the end of the day, it is the sum total of your choices as an artist that define your sound, and levels 2 – 6 will give you the experience of actually completing tracks to add to your portfolio.
If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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The post Dubspot NY EDU Sessions: Getting Musical Ideas Down Quickly in Music Production w/ Mr. Bill appeared first on Dubspot Blog.
On Thursday April 30th, join Dubspot Instructor Dan Freeman and Splice developer Jonathan Lee for a free Dubspot Ableton User Group workshop about integrating Ableton Live and Splice.
Join Dubspot Instructor Dan Freeman and Splice’s Jonathan Lee for a workshop focused on integrating Splice online collaboration tools into your Ableton Live workflow. Learn how Splice works, the benefits of using Splice, how to integrate this technology into your workflow, and how to collaborate with others using this technology.
Splice is a new online music technology platform that helps facilitate collaboration among producers and musicians. Below, you will find a brief overview of this exciting new program and a Q&A with co-founder and CEO Steve Martocci.
Click here to view the embedded video.
The flagship of our music training, with every Ableton Live course offered at the school. After completing this program, you will leave with a portfolio of original tracks, a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.
This program is about learning Ableton Live by going through the entire process of being an artist, by developing your own sound through a series of sketches and experimentation. You will also learn the ins and outs of this powerful software through a series of exercises designed to help you master the steps involved in producing your own music. After a level of getting familiar with the tools that Ableton has to offer, you will then develop your sonic ideas into full-length tracks. You will be exposed to a variety of approaches to arrangement and composition, storytelling techniques, ways of creating tension and drama in your music. At the end of the day, it is the sum total of your choices as an artist that define your sound, and levels 2 – 6 will give you the experience of actually completing tracks to add to your portfolio.
If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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The post Dubspot Ableton User Group: Integrating Splice and Ableton Live w/ Jonathan Lee and Dan Freeman appeared first on Dubspot Blog.
On Friday May 1st join entertainment lawyer Shana Fried for an Dubspot NY EDU Sessions workshop about the basics of music law for producers and songwriters.
Join us for a free Dubspot NY EDU Sessions workshop about the basics of music law for producers and songwriters, hosted by Shana Fried, an entertainment lawyer who specializes in the music industry. Shana will cover topics such as copyrights, the difference between compositions and master recordings, revenue streams, record sales, sync licenses, and public performance royalties. There will be a Q & A after the lecture and attendees will receive a recommended reading list for further knowledge on the subject.
This event is FREE and open to the public. Space is limited, please arrive early to sign in.
Ask questions. Watch demos. Test drive workstations.
Visit our New York and Los Angeles locations! Ask our Admissions Counselors in-depth questions about our programs, curriculum and philosophy. Watch live music production and DJ demos, and test drive our student workstations. If you are still trying to decide what you are looking for, stop by one of our Open Houses in NYC or schedule a tour in LA to find out more about the learning process at Dubspot. We can also help with scheduling details and payment options.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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The post Dubspot NY EDU Sessions: Foundations of Music Law w/ Shana Fried, Esq. appeared first on Dubspot Blog.
For this week’s installment of Dubspot Radio Podcast, we are pleased to have prolific music producer and downtown New York native, Blockhead.
For the latest Dubspot Radio Podcast, we sat down with prolific hip hop music producer and downtown New York native Blockhead a.k.a. Tony Simon for an exclusive interview and overview of his discography. Tony started as a rapper but found his calling as a beat-maker. He has collaborated extensively and produced beats for critically acclaimed rapper Aesop Rock, and also worked with underground hip hop luminaries like Atmosphere, Murs, and Mike Ladd. As a solo artist, he has released critically acclaimed instrumental albums, including his now classic debut “Music by Cavelight” and the sophomore effort “Downtown Science” on the influential independent imprint Ninja Tune. Many of the tracks in this podcast are mainly solo instrumental works mixed with some newer featuring less familiar rappers. Together they offer a brief look into Blockhead’s work for the past two decades as a solid music producer.
Tony Simon, a.k.a. Blockhead has been making and releasing utterly distinctive, funky, and emotive music for the last two decades. Blockhead grew up in downtown New York City. As the son of an artist, surrounded by visual culture, he found that his passion was for music. A fan of a whole range of sounds, especially hip hop, Blockhead steadily built a tremendous collection of tapes and later CDs from innumerable artists, as well as an accumulation of knowledge and know-how. After a brief stint as a rapper, he realized his calling was behind the boards and not on the mic – and from there he began to produce beats. Since making that decision, he’s kept pretty busy carving a niche as a sought-after underground beat maker that people call when they want something special. Blockhead produced nine tracks on Aesop Rock’s critically acclaimed album “Labor Days.” Additionally he produced half the tracks on Aesop’s follow up EP, “Daylight.” He has also worked with other indie giants Atmosphere, Murs, Mike Ladd, and Illogic. In between, he found time to complete a breakbeat album entitled “Blockhead’s Broke Beats,” with ten hard-hitting instrumental tracks, which released on Mush Records, the US home of cLOUDDEAD.
To understand Blockhead’s Stateside presence and gravitas – look no further than the fact that he has also contributed three tracks (including the first single) for Cage’s “Hell’s Winter” on Def Jux. The other producers on the project are DJ Shadow, El-P, and RJD2. All this occurred simultaneously to his debut album on Ninja Tune, “Music By Cavelight.” The album is described as “one of the most fantastically good albums you’re going to hear this year” (Sunday Telegraph) and “a beautiful record” (Metro). Blockhead himself was tipped as “definitely one to watch” (Touch). Blockhead returned in 2005 with “Downtime Science,” another set of deep, emotional instrumental hip hop tracks dedicated to the downtown area of Manhattan where he grew up and has lived his entire life. The album encompasses all the attitude, anger, and edginess of the neighborhood and features some melancholy reflections upon failed relationships and the promise of future loves.
In 2009 “The Music Scene,” was released, and with it both critical acclaim and commercial success – launching Blockhead on a global string of headlining dates ranging from Pittsburgh to Poland. He participated in the world famous Zubroffka festival, providing a live score for some of Charlie Chaplin’s earliest films. Blockhead followed this album with “Interludes After Midnight,” further showcasing his development as a solo artist with a unique voice.
2014 brought the launch of “Bells and Whistles,” the latest release from Blockhead and a bold artistic statement, unlike his previous work. According to Blockhead, the naming of the album speaks of emerging trends in music. He is seeking to address “The whole idea of the album is that music has gotten so far away from just being music. I think that whole way of thinking, relating to music and art, in general, is bullshit. I don’t want to use those tactics to distract people or create a buzz that’s separate from my album. I want to be judged purely on the music itself – just well-constructed songs with no frills…thus Bells and Whistles.”
The album unfurls to the listener deliberately, unspooling twisted melodies and building emotions through many of the delicate tricks Blockhead has loaded into his arsenal over the years. He tells us “Some of my favorite moments are the more minimal ones. Like on “Sacrificial Santa,” the ominous beginning really gets a mood across. On “FTW,” the way it builds is exactly how I saw it before making the song. I think, in general, this album shows my slow but steady progression. I’m never going to veer off and start making trap music or dubstep. I feel as though, with my last few albums, I’ve created my own lane, as far as sample based instrumental hip hop.”
Now in 2015, Blockhead charges on! Keep your eyes online as he updates his fans daily through all means of Social Media – whether on his blog Phat Friend, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. This aspect of his career has become more and more important and isn’t something Blockhead takes lightly. He mentions “I don’t have that thing in me where I feel I’m above just shooting the shit with people. With things like Twitter and Facebook, I’ll respond to most questions. I’d like to think it makes the fans form more of a connection and recognize you as a normal person, as opposed to a foreign being who makes music they like.”
Keep up with Blockhead on Soundcloud, Facebook, Twitter, and on his blog Phat Friend.
Ask questions. Watch demos. Test drive workstations.
Visit our New York and Los Angeles locations! Ask our Admissions Counselors in-depth questions about our programs, curriculum and philosophy. Watch live music production and DJ demos, and test drive our student workstations. If you are still trying to decide what you are looking for, stop by one of our Open Houses in NYC or schedule a tour in LA to find out more about the learning process at Dubspot. We can also help with scheduling details and payment options.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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The post Dubspot Radio Podcast: Blockhead (NYC) – Exclusive Interview + Selections appeared first on Dubspot Blog.
Definitivamente hay vida más allá del trío Cubase-ProTools-Logic pero ¿vale la pena cambiar de Secuenciador? Descubre porqué Studio One es la opción a tener en cuenta. Studio One es un espacio que te ofrece todas…
La entrada ¿Cambiar de Secuenciador? Las 10 Armas de Studio One aparece primero en Produccion HipHop.
In this Ableton Live tutorial, Dubspot’s Dan Salvaggio aka curl up takes us through his approach to achieving stereo width for sounds in a project. Learn four great techniques used to make your sounds wide. Our all-new Ableton Live program at Dubspot LA, NY, and Online starts soon, Enroll Now!
Stereo space is a crucial and often overlooked factor when it comes to making our productions the best they can be. In this article, curl up takes us through four simple techniques used to widen our individual tracks utilizing native Ableton Live 9 devices.
The simplest method of widening the stereo signal on an individual channel in Ableton Live is to use the Utility device. This wonderful little device is quite powerful and tremendously easy to use. Here, let’s focus on the ‘width’ parameter. By default, it’s set at 100%, which gives us an unchanged signal. When we reduce the width to 0%, we’re removing the stereo signal completely, leaving us with a mono signal. Setting sounds to mono is often used on elements that are intended to sound tight and solid in the mix (i.e.; kickdrums, sub basses, the bottom portion of a snare, etc.,). Alternatively, if we increase the width to 200%, we’re left only with the widened stereo signal. Typically, this is quite an extreme effect, and while you may have things sounding wide, it’ll be at the cost of your element sounding very thin and losing a lot of its meat. It’s recommended to use a light touch of stereo width (not straying too far above 100%). In addition, you could load a Utility on a Return Track with the width set to 200%, using (again) a very light touch with regards to sends, favoring select elements.
Auto Pan is a device most commonly used for bouncing the audio signal on a channel from left to right and vice versa at different rates. Based on that bit of info alone, we’re able to use the device to trick the listener into believing that they hear a static, wide track. This approach to widening a sound is achieved by adjusting the Rate control on Auto Pan to send VERY rapidly the signal from left to right and back. However, the issue with this technique is that when listening to a soloed track with this effect on, the LFO action is often quite apparent. This technique is less noticeable within the context of a busy song, as you’ll hear at the end of this article (spoilers!).
Using Simple Delay to achieve stereo width is by far my favorite method, and gets the most use in my studio. Ableton’s Simple Delay device boasts timing controls for both the left and right channels. What we’ll do here is change the delay mode from Beat Sync (yellow box that reads “Sync”) to time-based (orange box that reads “Time”) by clicking on it. Using time-based delays gives us infinitely more control over the speed of our delay. Let’s create a feeling of width here by offsetting the left and right channels, just slightly. In the example below, I’ve set the left channel to 23ms and the right to 59ms by adjusting to taste within the context of my song.
Quick, easy and sounds great!
Duplicating sounds to create stereo width is a technique I picked up ages ago from working with rock/metal engineers. Guitar tracks are often “double-tracked,” meaning they’re recorded twice (once for the left channel and once for the right). It’s preferred that the artist record two separate takes, as the differences in each, make them just slightly distinguishable from one another. This technique creates a similar feel as to what you get with the Simple Delay method. However, there are times when the mix engineer will have to make due with a singular (often mono) guitar track. With a bit of effort, the engineer can achieve a very similar effect.
First, we take the singular track, and we duplicate it. You may want to bring the volume on both channels down a tad. From there we ‘hard pan’ them, bringing one all the way to the left and the other all the way to the right. There is already some noticeable widening going on, but we can take this a lot further. Let’s start by offsetting the timing of each track. For this, we’re going to be using Ableton Live’s Track Delay, an often ignored but powerful tool. If we offset the Track Delay for each channel by a few milliseconds (one positive, one negative), we will have one track playing a few milliseconds after the other. This same concept is what we would be aiming for by having an artist record two takes. The farther apart these elements are, the less subtle the effect.
Another attribute we can change so that our result will more closely resemble something that was double-tracked is pitch. Even though you may be tuning your guitar before every take, it’s not unlikely that the two recorded tracks will be very slightly off-pitch from one another. If we’re working with audio, it’s as simple as offsetting the pitch of both clips (positive and negative) apart by just a few cents.
The beauty of this effect is that it’ll go as far as you take it. You can go even further by adding warp markers to each transient in the clip and manually offsetting each point from the corresponding clip in the other channel manually instead of using Track Delay. This technique will give you even more overall control.
Hearing a channel go from centered and dull to wide and beautiful can be instantly gratifying, and resisting the urge to widen EVERYTHING can be a challenge. I can personally attest to that. I recommend using a light touch in most cases (a little goes a long way!), as you do not want to lose sight of elements that are competing for space in your mix.
“There is no loud without quiet.” I don’t know who originally made that quote, and I probably butchered it (sorry!), but the same principal holds true here. Having centered elements makes your widened elements just that much more pronounced. For this article, I’ve crafted a short a tune utilizing all of the above techniques and elements to illustrate the effectiveness of widening certain elements within the context of a finished production. Enjoy!
Good luck and happy widening!
The flagship of our music training, with every Ableton Live course offered at the school. After completing this program, you will leave with a portfolio of original tracks, a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.
This program is about learning Ableton Live by going through the entire process of being an artist, by developing your own sound through a series of sketches and experimentation. You will also learn the ins and outs of this powerful software through a series of exercises designed to help you master the steps involved in producing your own music. After a level of getting familiar with the tools that Ableton has to offer, you will then develop your sonic ideas into full-length tracks. You will be exposed to a variety of approaches to arrangement and composition, storytelling techniques, ways of creating tension and drama in your music. At the end of the day, it is the sum total of your choices as an artist that define your sound, and levels 2 – 6 will give you the experience of actually completing tracks to add to your portfolio.
If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.
Click here to view the embedded video.
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The post Ableton Live Tutorial: Four Ways to Achieve Stereo Width w/ Curl Up appeared first on Dubspot Blog.
