Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon: How to Make CRAZY Thick, Well-Produced DRUMS!

How to Make CRAZY Thick, Well-Produced DRUMS!


Layering is the key to creating phat Drums, but not everyone who tries this does it successfully. It's essential to make sure that the hits you use don't fall on the exact same frequency – I'll show you how to do this and build a beat that's bold and beefy.


Step 1: We're going to layer up a beat from the ground up, and our first port of call is to establish a tempo and time signature. Then find a kick drum sound – if necessary, we'll layer up more than one sound to create a fat kick. Good hits can come from a wide variety of sources, Vinyl, Cd's, Mp3's & Live drums. just because we're making 'unreal' beats doesn't mean the hits can't come from a 'live' source.


Step 2: Once you've got the kick playing, use a spectrum analyser to determine where it's peaking. (I like izotope and waves plugins myself) If it shows the kick pumping away at 50Hz. Just bear in mind that you don't want the frequency of the kick to clash with that of the bassline. Also remember that you can resample a drum sound and repitch it in a sampler, if needs be.


Step 3: Virtual drum machines are very useful for layering, as you can use the pitch controls to shift sounds into the desired frequency area. To reinforce the sound further, and make it punch, I'm using a fat kick layer from FXpansion's Guru, which also allows for very fine adjustments to the amplitude envelope. Once the kick is sorted, use the same techniques for layering up a snare.


Step 4: Once you've got suitable kick and snare layers on the go, it's time to start sequencing the rest of your percussion. Reason, FL, & Guru is great for this and includes a nice selection of funky groove templates to shuffle your beats. Playing with the different velocity, shift, and swing levels can add character by varying the sound of each hit.


Step 5: So far, we've worked with single hits, but, to really give the drum beat a sense of size, depth and momentum, we're going to layer on an old breakbeat. Guru comes with its own loops, although if you're feeling adventurous, Go DIGGING! You never know whats gems you could find, or you could construct your own rhythm and then use the effects section to make it sound dated, as if it's been recorded from vinyl.


Step 6: Once you're satisfied that you have a nice, fat loop – complete with kicks that punch and snares that kick, and a good sense of separation, depth, and clarity – you'll need to route all the layers to a bus channel. Here, you can apply subtle effects to help gel all the sounds together, to promote the illusion of one big, bad beat. I've used Warm from Antares, a Waves compressor and Izotope. (My secret weapon is: Guitar Rig 5 from Native Instruments. It's CRAZY on drums!)


Step 8: Now that you have everything bussed, you can inspect the overall frequency distribution by using a spectrum analyser on the Group Channel. If you need to make adjustments to the sounds after this point, it's a good idea to refer to the analyser to help you determine what effects your adjustments are having. But remember to prioritise what you hear over what you see – it's only there to identify problems.

That's it Fort Pitt! Try out some of my techqunics and see what works for you. In the mean time I want to wish everyone blessings and and success in 2012!!!
That's all for this year, now go out there,Make CRAZY Thick, Well-Produced DRUMS and win some awards and make some money!

Hit me with any ?'s, Comm's, or Concerns.

Peace!

Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon: Mixing Vs. Mastering!

Mixing VS Mastering!

From internet forums to music magazines, the term "mastering" is one of somewhat mythical proportions–the final step to end all of your problems and to give you that "BIG, major-label sound (!!!)" Mastering is important and it is the final step, but any respectable mastering engineer will tell you that mastering is not a substitute for a good mix. Mastering can, however, take a mix from good to great! Many musicians may be curious about what the difference is between the two. Since most people refer to both mixing and mastering together, they must basically be the same thing, right?

No! Well, not quite. They are related, though. They are both part of the post-production process of recording an album. They both involve using equipment to tweak the sound of your recording to get it sounding like a professional product. But they’re not exactly the same, and they are never done at the same time. Mixing and mastering are two distinct and separate steps of making an album.The most important thing to understand is this: a mix engineer applies effects and level changes to each individual instrument separately. A mastering engineer can only apply effects to everything in a mix at the same time.

For example, a mastering engineer can't add echo to the vocal without adding echo to all the other instruments in the song too. So what's the point of mastering, anyway? Mastering serves as a 'glue' to your mix by making overall changes. The main goal of mastering is to match the overall loudness and frequency balance (bass, treble and mid range) to A) your favorite professional (or amateur!) recordings and B) the other songs on your album, EP, etc.

Here's an example of what mastering can and can't do: Let's say a kick drum sounds weak. A mastering engineer may try boosting the low-end with a specialized mastering EQ to add impact, but if the instruments are poorly separated in the mix, the bass line will also be boosted by this EQ–in a way that causes the mix to become muddy. Both mixing and mastering are essential.Understanding both the power and limitations of each process is crucial to your success and your art.

Mixing and mastering go hand-in-hand.

Mixing always comes first. After recording your tracks, they go to the mix engineer, who listens to the song and adjusts each track individually—every guitar track, every vocal, even individual drum microphone tracks. He makes sure each one’s volume is at a good level and in the right proportion to the others. He puts effects on each track individually—like reverbs, delays, and compression—plus he puts effects on the overall mix as well. He also pans everything left or right, and sets up automation to make sure all volumes, effects, and pans are adjusted exactly right for every part of the song, every time he plays it back. Finally, the mix engineer bounces the mix to a stereo audio file, usually in full-quality WAV or AIFF format.

Next is when the mastering happens. Mastering serves a similar purpose to mixing, but instead of being applied to each individual instrument, mastering is applied to the completed mix, (two-channel stereo audio track). It is the final step of the process, the cherry on top of the recording. Mastering gets the finished product to sound sonically full and balanced, plus it brings the volume up so the recording can compete with other professionally made albums.

So although mixing and mastering similar, they are not one and the same. A good general rule to remember: if your song is mixed and not mastered, it’s not finished!

Hit me up with any ?'s, Comments, Or Concerns! Until next time, Go Mix a Hit Record! (then do it again!)

How to get Samples/Download Videos (Audio Only) from YouTube

Aight, so....!


You're surfing online through some YouTube vids, came across a channel with some songs that you want to flip into some hot tracks. Easiest way I have found to do this is by using YouTube-MP3

YouTube-MP3 is a very handy site. Unlike it's other competitor sites, YouTube-MP3 has only 3 easy steps without dragging you through windows or tabs of pop-ups. Simply insert the song you want to sample's YouTube URL into the search field, click "convert video", click "download file" and you're done! That simple. Try it out


For some practice samples to flip, go here 

The Ground Flow - Some samples for you producers!

Peace!


All right, so today I have some fly samples for you producers and beat heads out there. When I'm on my digital crate digging tip, I get lost and wander through other Blogspots and YouTube channels full of some gems. Here are some I came across early this morning




Ace Spectrum - Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight



New Birth - Somebody's In Your You




New Birth - Fallin' In Love



To learn how to download YouTube videos to sample for your production, click here


:: Idasa Tariq ::
Emcee, Producer, Blogger & Graphic Designer

Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon: Hip Hop-Rap Beatmakers/Producers and Representation

Hip Hop-Rap Beatmakers/Producers and Representation

This week on Its all about Producer Representation.

I Feel that I have to share everything that I either deal with currently or have gone thru on my long journey as a music producer. That way, I can give you a very clear account on what works and what doesn't work because I have used myself as a test dummy. (it may be funny, but it's real!) A lot of producers I know act like they would chop off their right hand to get into the business of selling and placing tracks with prominent recording artists. Well, keep your limbs because their is a much more practical way to get you music where it need to be in order of "at least", getting heard.

Representation, such as a manager or a lawyer, is an essential asset to any recording artist trying to succeed in the music industry. But for hip hop beatmakers/producers, representation takes on a whole new meaning. For one thing, the role of a hip hop-rap beatmaker/producer is different than that of a typical recording artist. Hip hop-rap beatmakers/producers provide beats for other recording artists to write and perform to. Moreover, unlike other recording artists, who sell their persona and image to the public just as much as they do their music, beatmakers/producers sell their music to other recording artists, and they usually do not have to worry about their persona or image being in the public eye. Instead, their primary concern is pairing their beats with recording artists who need new music. Thus this precarious music-matching process is one reason why beatmakers/producers need to have representation. They must have someone who can flush out opportunities for music placements; they need someone who can find recording artists and other comparable parties who are seeking new beats.

The other reason why a beatmaker/producer needs a representative, especially early on in their career, deals with the compositional method of hip hop-rap beatmaking/production itself. Hip hop beatmaking/production is a very meticulous and often arduous craft that is usually orchestrated in a solitary environment. It is this solitary dimension to beatmaking/production that prompts the need for representation. Beatmakers/producers need a representative, someone to pitch and/or broker the sale of their beats. So just as with the music-matching process of the beat-selling world, here, it’s easy to see why a representative—or better yet a “beat broker”—is absolutely critical to the chances of beatmaker/producer landing the much sought after placement on a commercial release.

Representation is varied, but the three kinds of representatives that hip hop-rap beatmakers/producers should look for are:

• Beat brokers
• Managers
• Lawyers

Beat Brokers:

A beat broker is someone who simply shops (promotes) the beats of a beatmaker/producer. A beat broker can be a friend, a music insider, or anyone that has access to a network of recording artists, in particular, recording artists who are likely to be in the market for new music material. A beat broker’s only responsibility is to shop the beats of the beatmaker/producer that they represent. They need not be skilled in negotiating the terms and sale of the beats that they’re shopping. (An entertainment lawyer privy to beat/instrumental placements can handle that). Because of this limited (but critical) scope, an agreement between a beat broker and beatmaker/producer can be rather simple, straightforward, and short in duration. In fact, a beat broker can be commissioned for a 10% finder’s fee, worked out over a per beat or per situation agreement.

Producer Managers:

A producer manager is perhaps the most ubiquitous (and undefined) kind of representative that a beatmaker/producer can have. Normally, a manager is someone who manages the entire career of a client. But as noted earlier, a beatmaker’s/producer’s career is based primarily on their ability to sell beats; beatmakers/producers are not expected to perform, make public appearances, and/or maintain a public image. And thus a producer manager’s responsibilities can fall anywhere from simply shopping beats to negotiating the terms of beat sales, to arranging pivotal meetings with prospective beat buyers, to setting up beat showcase meetings with key decision makers at record labels. But because of the scope of a manager’s role, it is likely that a beatmaker/producer will have to enter into a more lengthy and more detailed agreement than they would with a beat broker. A typical producer’s management agreement will stipulate that a manager receives 15-20% of all music-related revenue that a beatmaker/producer earns. It also maintains the representation usually for 2-4 years.

Entertainment Lawyers:

The role that a lawyer usually plays in the career of a beatmaker/producer is very different from both that of a manager and beat broker. Shopping the beats of a beatmaker/producer is not the primary role of a lawyer; though in some limited cases, lawyers do indeed pass on the music of their clients. (This practice is much more common and accepted in other pop music genres). Lawyers are mostly responsible for drafting or reviewing the legal agreements that their clients enter. It is in this capacity that lawyers can ultimately be more important than beat brokers and managers.

So What Kind of Representation is Right for You?:

Though the kind of representation that you choose depends on your individual situation, I contend that most beatmakers/producers only need a lawyer, and at times a beat broker, but NOT a producer manager. Beatmakers/producers are already self-contained and usually very organized. We are not like other recording artists; that is, our careers depend primarily on servicing the musical needs of other recording artists rather than performing ourselves. Furthermore, given the nature of the general openness of the beat shopping process itself, it’s not terribly important who gets your beats into the hands of decision makers. In fact, increasingly, recording artists are accepting beat/instrumental submissions through other outlets, namely email, social networking sites, and national contests.

Moreover, it’s important to keep in mind that once you sign with a producer manager, they are entitled to a 20% cut of all the music-related revenue you earn. And typically, the representation period will last for two years or more. All this for essentially doing exactly what a beat broker could do for a much cheaper rate and a less restrictive representation period? That being said however, I think that as your career grows, and as you become a more sizeable figure in the recording industry, then it may indeed be not only advantageous but necessary for you to get a manager, mainly because you will be eligible for opportunities outside of selling beats to other recording artists.

But in regards to just starting out, well, the decision to get a manager can go both ways. Here, it’s important to point out that hip hop-rap beatmaking/production is a relatively new and rather unique phenomenon in the recording industry. And as such, many recording artists are still trying to navigate their way through the current model of obtaining beats. Moreover, because of the aforementioned solitary factor of the hip hop-rap beatmaking/production craft itself, beatmakers/producers do not typically need the guidance of a producer manager. Though a producer manager can help a beatmaker/producer gain exposure early on, it’s important to remember that once a beatmaker/producer is established on any significant level, the task of successfully shopping their beats themselves actually becomes rather easy. In fact, should you reach a point of acclaim, people interested in your brand of beats will often reach out to you. As beatmaker/producer DJ Premier told me, “Christina Aguilera was the one to reach out.” So if you’re a beatmaker/producer just starting out, the question of whether or not to go with a producer manager is really a question of exposure. If you feel that the exposure a producer manger can get you is above and beyond what a beat broker can provide, then getting a producer manager might be the way to go. Just make sure that the producer manager’s responsibilities and obligations are well-defined in writing. It’s also a good idea to include benchmarks (set goals) within the language of any agreement that you enter into with a producer manager. But before you actually commit to an agreement with a producer manager, remember this: savvy beat brokers are more likely to go to better industry parties than producer managers.

Hit me up with questions, comments, or concerns! One!

The 4th Quarter: Free Drum Kit

Download the free drumkit here

Here's a brand new drumkit from Lbbeats. Free to everyone here at TheBeatJawn. These are some of my favorite drum sounds and hopefully you'll find some sue for them. This kit comes with 28 different drum sounds from Kicks to Cymbals. Feel free to send the link around and keep producing dope beats.

Beezy

The Dubb Pad with tcdubbz "Top 100 Music Equipment Manufacturers"

The list below displays web sites for manufacturers of music equipment, instruments and hardware ranked by popularity as indicated by traffic on the Web. What is your favorite Brand of hardware that you love to use the most and why? 

1.   Akai Musical Instrument Corp.
2.   Fender Musical Instruments
3.   Gibson Musical Instruments
4.   Ibanez
5.   Peavey Electronics
6.   Roland U.S.
7.   Digidesign
8.   Infinity Systems
9.   Korg

10. Mackie Designs

11. Boosey & Hawkes
12. Roland Corporation
13. BEHRINGER
14. JBL Professional
15. Emagic
16. The Selmer Company
17. TASCAM
18. Alesis
19. Samson Technologies Corp.
20. E-MU / ENSONIQ
21. Cardio Theater
22. Yamaha Drums
23. Yamaha Music
24. Audio-Technica
25. AKG Acoustics
26. Eastern Acoustic Works
27. Roland UK
28. United Musical Instruments
29. Tannoy
30. Inter-M
31. Crown International Inc.
32. Rane Corporation
33. PS Audio
34. Meyer Sound Laboratories
35. Yamaha Synthesizers
36. Crest Audio
37. Leblanc
38. Fostex
39. Korg UK
40. Pass Labs
41. Rockford Corporation
42. dbx Professional Products
43. Sonance
44. Miller & Kreisel Sound Corporation
45. TOA Electronics
46. Meridian Audio
47. Bryston
48. Aram
49. The L.A. Sax Company
50. Kudelski Group
51. Gemeinhardt
52. Allen & Heath
53. Event Electronics LLC
54. Atlas Sound
55. Eventide Inc.
56. L C Audio
57. Audio Precision
58. Citronic
59. Renkus-Heinz
60. Rolls Corporation
61. Guitar Armor
62. Lee Oskar Harmonicas
63. Nirvana Audio
64. McCauley Sound, Inc.
65. AMEK
66. Fairlight
67. Universal Audio
68. Aphex Systems, Ltd.
69. Clear-Com
70. Manley Labs
71. Solid State Logic
72. Ashly Audio
73. Telos Systems
74. MBL
75. Folkers & Powell
76. Densen Audio Technologies
77. PreSonus
78. Studiomaster
79. Benchmark
80. Klark Teknik
81. Sonic Frontiers
82. Keyfax
83. GOLD LINE
84. ENCO Systems
85. NorthStar Leading
86. Professional System Sound
87. CabinSP
88. JLCooper Electronics
89. Quicksilver Audio
90. BGW Systems
91. Otari Corporation
92. AMS Neve
93. Biamp Systems
94. The Music Link
95. K&K Sound Systems
96. Sound Devices, LLC
97. Kenton Electronics
98. Timewave Technology Inc.
99. Ivie Technologies, Inc.
100. First Act Inc.

Industry Knowledge with Akil Esoon "Working With Musicians."

This week: it's all about "Working With Musicians."

Whats Good Drum Snobs & Melody Monsters! Its been a while! I'm sorry guys, I had to step off last month to meet more song placement deadlines, Expand my sound, and of course start work on the new Formula412 project! Which I am proud to say we just filmed a new music video with...well you'll see! Anyway, I wanted to share some of what I have to deal with in PGH, ATL, and NYC in the studio and also what I have to do to make Formula412 beats come to life. I have to, collaborate with musicians!

Some of the greatest music ever created would never have seen the day of light if artists, producers and musicians didn't collaborate. Some times it only takes a small but important contribution from another musician to turn a good song into a great song. But how do you find the right collaborators? In that respect I got an interesting question I would like to share with you guys along with my answer.

Hey, I was wondering how I would get musicians to come record at my home studio. Do you have any tips or tricks that would make it easier for me to get people to record?

Actually there are several options for you to try. First of all, you can simply pay them to play to your tracks. Quite often getting a great guitarist to play on your beat can lift the beat to new heights and attract more established writers to work with the beat. In the end you could be getting that great song you need to get a break and being offered a publishing deal. Don’t be afraid to pay for quality to get that extra edge.

If you can’t afford to pay musicians to play on your tracks, try offering them a share of the song for their contributions. After all they do contribute to the finished song with their music parts and deserves a share if they are not getting paid a buy out fee. Of course they do need to believe in you or the song for that to happen.

Finally another good option which I have used quite often is to offer them a favor in return. Offer to record a demo in exchange for guitar parts. Artists (Emcees, Singers, and Bands) always needs good demos to help them get gigs and so on. Also artists needs demos to help them shopping a deal and will often record a demo free of charge if they can use it in their show reel.

There are much to be gained using this method. Learning good collaboration skills is very important if you want to get far in the music industry. Even the best songwriters and artists collaborate every day. One of the most important skills a music producer can have is good people skills. Learning how to get the best out of musicians and artists are essential. A great example is Dr Dre who is one the best producers in the world. He is famous for being able to get sensational performances out of Emcees, Musicians, even other Producers that no one else could do thanks to the way he interact with the Artists.

Quality Kidd - Lunch Break (Beat Tape)

Quality Kidd is back on the scene releasing his debut beat tape "Lunch Break". The tape features 10 cuts produced by the Bingo Boomer (Binghamton, NY) that are sure you to keep you nodding from beginning to end. Hit him up on Twitter if interested @QualityKidd

FL Studio Techniques (Facebook Page)

 Came across a page on Facebook that showcases artists and producers who use FL Studio (fka Fruity Loops) , as well as giving some useful info on the popular music production software. Check it out and like the page! 


Click here to go to the FL Studio Techniques page

FAF Beats On The Streets - Banging On A Trash Can

Came across this video today. This man goes K.A.M. (Kosher As A Mutha F*cka) on these cans, buckets, lamposts, etc. 

Oddisee - Rock Creek Park (COMPILATION)

The Akh Oddisee does it again! This time presenting a smooth, funky, soulful tape entitled "Rock Creek Park". Here's the info on the tape, courtesy of Odd's BandCamp:

"Rock creek park is & has always been one of my favorite places in Washington, DC. It has a way of aging with you & adapting to where you are in life. When I was younger, it was a place for skipping rocks, bike rides & imaginary adventures in the woods. As a teen it was a place where I played basket ball, had cook outs with friends & walked through with dates. As an adult it's my short cut through the city, my quickest way from Silver Spring to George Town. One thing it still is and always well be is my retreat. 

Listening to the Black Byrd's "Rock Creek Park" inspired me to create an entire album around the park & my relationship with it. If the park were to have a soundtrack, what would it be? What does walking along the trails of the park sound like? What does driving on the narrow tree lined roads sound like? This album is my interpretation of Rock Creek Park through break beats, samples & live instrumentation."

The Players:

Producer : Oddisee

Drums : John Lane

Keys : Ralph Reel

Bass : Dennis Turner

BUY & DOWNLOAD

Applejac Presents: Playin' Favorites (FRESH TAPE)

Applejac never disappoints! Check out his latest release "Playin' Favorites"

FREE DOWNLOAD

Devonwho - "Holup" [BEATS]

Devonwho
Funraiser Vol.1: Thumbtracks
"Holup"

Some of the hottest watches I've ever seen from the designers over at FLÜD!

BoomBox (Gunmetal)

$90.00

TableTurns (Silver Linked)

$70.00

And my favorite of them all...the MPC2000XL!

The BPM White (MPC White/Gray)

$80.00

FLÜD Watches Home

Need some soundfonts?

Came across some free soundfont sites that might help with your Hip Hop/Soul/R&B production for all you digital producers out there. Enjoy!

Sound Fonts - Home Musician

Their sound font library is very similar to Hammer Sound's

SF2MIDI

Nice selection of sounds ranging from reed instruments, strings, percussions and more. 

HitSquad

HammerSound

The Grand-Daddy of them all!

Shade Cobain - TEARS

Pittsburgh's very own Shade Cobain is back alongside The Fighting Words with this new beat tape entitled "TEARS"! Check this hotness out!

DOWNLOAD AND SUPPORT

This Week on Industry Knowledge With Akil Esoon: Create A Website To Showcase Your Beats!

Create A Website To Showcase Your Beats!

I've received many emails over the last two weeks from up-and-coming music artists and a few hip-hop producers asking how they can create their own band website to showcase their music or beats. So I figured I would take a moment and explain how easy and effective it really is.

What Are The Benefits Of having A Band Website?

There are many benefits to creating a band website, we will go over some of the key benefits right now.

Control.

Having complete control of what is on your band website and it’s pages gives you a huge advantage. This allows you to be able to create and design your own website from scratch or use a template for your band website from a place like ThemeForest, which means the design and hard annoying work is already done for you, all you would need to do is add your music, beats, videos, pictures and whatever else you want displayed on your band website, that is entirely up to you!

Exposure.

Chances are that if you’re making music or beats, you’re trying to get your hard work out there for the world to hear. Having a website to showcase your beats or your bands music makes it really easy for people to find on search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. It also gives a central place for your trusty online followers and local fans to get updates on your music and upcoming music events you or your band may be involved in. You can also link all of your social media profiles like Facebook, Twitter and SoundCloud and include recent message snippets right on your home page

Millions of people are using search engines to find new music to listen to and purchase everyday, you can really take advantage of that depending on how involved you get with your music, like they say “if you build it, they will come”. So if you’re making great music you can be sure people will be coming back to hear more.

What Will I Need Too Get Started?

The cost to actually start your own website is very minimal. Here is what you will need to start your own website.

Domain Name.

You will need a domain name (eg; mybandname.com or mybeats.com). You can go to a place likeGoDaddy.com to search for an available domain name that will represent you or your band, and costs 5-10 dollars to own for an entire year.

Web Hosting.

Once you have picked out your bands domain name, you will need to buy web hosting, which will be the place where you log into (typically via FTP) to upload your files for your websites design and content. Having good hosting is very critical, some places offer hosting for as little as 2 dollars a month, but you end up with slow support and a lot of downtime.

Over the years I have found that HostGator is by far the best place to host your website. They have hundreds of awesome features such as unlimited emails, unlimited disk space, unlimited bandwidth and MUCH more, their support team is very quick and will help you with any questions as well. I have included a price comparison of their hosting plans. You can find a full comparison of ALL features by clicking here.

What Do I Do Now?

Once you have selected your bands domain name and pointed it to your new web hosting account, you can start working on your website. Add as much or as little content and information as you want, even a basic website is better than none.

You have a ton of options as a producer of musician. You can showcase all of your work, add a shop for people to buy your beats and music, build a community and a stay connected with your fans, It’s up to you, you are no longer bound by any rules.

All-in-all, it isn’t as hard to get started as most people think. Technology has allowed us as people to put together great websites in as little as an hour, with no basic knowledge of design whatsoever, and the limitless benefits to having your own website are often overlooked. Are you ready to expose your work and talent to the world? I’d suggest that you create a band website today.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, Get at me right here on The Beat Jawn! Ramadan Mubarak! -AE