AVID Pro Tools Blog :: Pro Tools Training and Support

Digidesign Structure Sound Sets - The Complete Collection

2009-12-29T08:38:00.000Z

We've been working hard this year to make sure that Structure users get serious sounds, these now number over 5,000. Not only are there over 500 high quailty FREE sounds there's some great collections to invest in. So as a quick round-up here's what there is if you want to invest! All the libraries are at seriously low prices...

Motif Library featuring 514 patches in over 7gb - more here
Triton Library featuring over 200 patches in over 3.5gb - more here
The first 100 Structure FREE patches in one handy download, featuring 350 patches in a 3.5gb download - more here
The new Digital Sound Factory E-MU collections, 3500 patches from E-MU Proteus - more here

Structure Multi Patch Video

2009-11-14T09:19:00.002Z

Check out this video to see how to create multi-instrument set-ups in Structure and then save them for quick recall in sessions.

Playback issues, watch it here

Digidesign Structure Set 144 - Shifted Dance Patches

2009-11-12T22:23:00.004Z

Blog fan, producer and songwriter, New York based Jay-J has submitted this cool set of 3 patches to use in dance, R&B and other tracks. Jay-J runs Shifted Music. Thanks Jay-J, enjoy!

Please think about donating and keep us free forever.

Fantom X6 For Structure

2009-11-11T16:30:00.003Z

Yes the rumours are true, we are currently working flat out to get a very nice library of Fantom X6 patches out for Structure Users, this will include:

Acoustic and Electric Piano
Guitar
Bass
Synth
Brass
Many more, a full list will be available soon.

It's going to be several gig in size and we are working flat out to get it ready, we're also moving forward with the libaries so they include meta-data and patch listings so that users can audition them quickly. Updates for previous paid libraries will also include this.

We aim to have it out in the next week or so, if you want to be the first to know when it's ready then click here to sign up for release info.

Eleven Rack Live at Music Live 2009

2009-11-11T15:33:00.003Z

Anders shows off the cool Eleven Rack to the guys from Sonic State.

Playback issues? Watch it here

Ten Minutes Can Make A Lot of Difference

2009-11-11T08:04:00.002Z

You may remember my recent article on how much time we can spend learning how to use our equipment. One of the main aims of the blog has always been to equip users with the necessary skills to allow them to get on with making music.

There are some great resources out there from some of the friends of the blog:

Groove3 are the leading creators of training material, there are plenty of FREE demo sessions you can check out.
Producing with Pro Tools from David Franze.
Show Me Pro Tools who give away a 164 page book in PDF form.

And many more to boot!

But I want to offer you a simple piece of advice when it come to become a serious Pro Tools user, the next time to have to figure something out, take time to learn that one thing once and for all, rather than putting it off until later.

For example, figure out the short cut for something you keep doing, they are all listed in the supplied PDF documentation. Or figure out how to import session info, or create windows configurations - this is one of my personal favourites.

So often we think it's quicker to plough on with the session and leave all those handy tricks to learn on another day. If truth be told that day never comes. So next time you're doing the same thing for the 100th time and you know there has to be a shortcut, take a moment to learn it!

Here are a few I challenge you to learn:

Figure out the tempo of an imported song using 'Identify Beat'
Work out how to use Windows Configurations and then import them into all your sessions.
Work out the keyboard short-cuts to flip between the Mix/Edit/Midi windows

Just figuring out those 3 will make your sessions fly!

Remember frustration creates stress and stress is a killer for creativity.

Digidesign Structure Set 143 - PPG Phaze Sweep

2009-11-11T00:38:00.003Z

Another cool PPG patch to add to your collection, today a very nice phase sweep.

PPG Phaze Sweep MP3

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Structure Motif Library Update 1.0

2009-11-09T19:42:00.007Z

A small issue was recently identified in Bank 2 of the Structure Motif library which meant sounds were playing off centre to the left. In 99% of cases users simply adjusted their pan settings. However following an email this has now been fixed and is available as a FREE update, the fix also includes meta-data for all patches and in some cases additional patch options.

IMPORTANT: Simply download the ZIP file which contains updates of the patches only NOT samples. DO NOT DELETE YOUR SAMPLES, simply drag the new patches into the folder where the old patches are situated, it may be the case that when you first load a new patch you will need to point Structure to the correct folder to find the samples, after this all patches should load without any issue.

Sorry for any delay, I know the vast majority of you know that this is a labour of love, so at times things can get held up.

Download the update here

Get A FREE 164 Page Pro Tools Book

2009-11-09T15:15:00.003Z

AIR Blog friend and fan Chris Bryant is currently giving away a 164 page PDF book for anyone who signs up on his blog. It's a nice bit of work and handy for any Pro Tools user. Often these books can be poor quality, but not this one. Head over to his site and sign up

Create Big Synth Patches in Structure FREE

2009-11-09T11:34:00.000Z

Structure FREE is the perfect VI for creating large synth patches. Russ shows you how to do just that and save them later as part of a multi-collection.

Trouble with play back - watch it here

Digidesign Structure Set 142 - PPG 5th Slam

2009-11-07T18:20:00.003Z

Sound 2 of our PPG set, this time a very cool metallic 5th sound. Very nice!

5th Slam Pad MP3

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10,000 Hours!

2009-11-06T10:04:00.004Z

I'm not sure if me having 154 plug-ins and VI's is an excessive amount to have for Pro Tools? A lot have of course come as part of the Pro Tools package, a lot haven't! I;m not sure if that's an average or that I need medical attention?

I have recently been reading the new book from Malcolm Gladwell, 'The Outliers'. Gladwell is best known for his book 'The Tipping Point', it is similar to the book Freakanomics and talks about the statistics and research behind seemingly ordinary things.

In one chapter he writes that research shows that those who are truly remarkable in their field, have usually invested around 10,000 hours of their life in becoming that good.

It got me thinking, how many hours does the average person need to invest in Pro Tools to become really good at using it? After all, if we want to attract jobs as studio engineers or programmers then it goes to reason that we need to know how to use the stuff?

So here's some sums of my own. These are based on some guesses and that all users are able to pick up and learn this stuff at my pace:

The average plug-in takes about 30 minutes to get to grips with. If we assume that with the included set and the purchase of others, the average user has 50 plug-in, then that's 15 hours to learn the lot, or 2 average days.
The average VI takes around 4 hours to figure out. Let's assume the average user has 4 additional VI's, that makes 16 days.
If we assume every VI has a minimum of 200 presets and we audition every preset for 30 seconds then that's about 3 hours to audition an entire VI well enough to know what every preset can do. So that's 4 x 3 hours which is 12 hours, or 1.5 days.
Now add to that the time it takes to figure out how to use Pro Tools efficiently, this includes every short-cut, my conservative estimate is if a user sat down to become an expert this would take a minimum of 30 days.
So if we add all the numbers up so far, that's now nearly 50, 8 hour days, or about 6 weeks.
Now if we take that back to hours (which is 600 hours, based on 8 hour days), because the reality is that most of us are either doing this as a hobby, or we are doing it as a job, so the most we can invest on an average day is about 2 hours then that is 300 days (or an entire year! If you are paid by the hour, if we assume the average cost of a studio engineer is about $50 an hour, that's a whooping $15,000 of your time, or of income lose whilst learning the stuff.

Now of course these numbers are not scientific. It's based on some best guesses and averages, if you're like me with your huge plug-in collection then the numbers are more likely to be around 3 years and $50,000 in time! I've also NOT included any hardware!

In most cases we don't sit down and start to learn stuff in such an organised way. In a lot of cases it's in the middle of a song, or a session that we have to figure it out - and sometimes it's the client who pays for this time without even realising it.

The second thing is that we tend to work with the things we know, so we use the same old plug-ins, the same old VIs and the same old settings. Ironically all this investment in the latest and best sounding technology leads us to keep falling back on the same old things because we don't have the time to learn them. In other cases they just take up space on our hard drive hoping to show their face in a song sometime soon.

In some ways a lot of us are seduced by the next best thing, which we must have. It's nothing new, when hardware was the only way, many of us bought a DX7, then a D50, then a Korg M1 ad infinitum... And so because so many of us don't have the time to invest in learning out gear well enough to make it sound original, all we get is a generation of songs with the latest cool presets, be that a DX7 piano, a D50 Fantasia Sound or a M1 Universe!

Never before have their been so many sounds and so many tools available to so many people, the variation means a limitless palette! Sadly because we have no time to invest in figuring the stuff out, most of our songs are in musical black and white!

Awesome Cymbal Samples

2009-11-05T23:44:00.003Z

Thanks to Erkan Dogantimur, here's an awesome set of cymbal samples to use in any of the Structure family or Transfuser. Enjoy!

Download

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Digidesign Reel Tape Saturation Video

2009-11-05T06:44:00.002Z

Russ shows how cool the Digidesign Reel Tape Saturation plug-in is for warming up your sounds. He also waxes lyrical about the 'good ole days' of tape hiss!

Playback problems? Click here...

Digidesign Structure Set 142 - PPG Spectra

2009-11-04T21:21:00.003Z

The PPG was a landmark synth in it's day, giving another sound palette for musicians to create unheard of sounds, it was owned by every man and his dog! Over the next week, we are going to be bringing some sounds to add to your Structure library which are unmissable, if nothing else for their sheer uniqueness. Today a PPG Spectra sound, just take a listen and then download.

PPG Spectra MP3

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Music Live 2009

2009-11-04T11:04:00.006Z

This week the UK's biggest music show, Music Live takes place in Birmingham and AVID will be there in force, showing the new Eleven Rack, M Audio, Pro Tools LE and AIR. The whole team including myself will be on hand to answer questions and meet with you all.

As an added incentive the team from Absolute Music will be there doing lots of special show deals!

More info here

WIN A Copy of Digidesign Reel Tape Saturation

2009-11-03T17:59:00.005Z

Even more love from AVID HQ, this month in the shape of the $300 Reel Tape Saturation.

I'm going to making a video to show you this baby in action, even better you can download a full copy of it to try for 14 days! More information here...

Digidesign brings the unmistakable warmth and punch of analog tape color, compression, and saturation effects into the digital domain with Reel Tape™ Saturation, a powerful plug-in designed to beef up your mixes and add that elusive magnetic vibe to your live sound, without the hassle of actually owning and operating a reel-to-reel tape machine. Whether you’re a professional audio mixer, musician, or live sound engineer, Reel Tape Saturation brings the vintage sound of analog tape to digital audio while providing all the advantages of today’s state-of-the-art digital effects processors.

To answer simply answer the question 'Which Studer tape machine has the plug-in been modeled on?' Head over here and enter for FREE

Vintage Synth Top Trumps

2009-11-03T15:17:00.003Z

Find of the week as far as I'm concerned. The guys over at GForce software and purveyors of the finest vintage synth plugins have released Vintage Synth Top Trumps. Brilliant!

If you want to get you hand on a set then head over to their site...

http://www.gforcesoftware.com/cards.php

Digidesign Structure Set 141 - Metal Choir

2009-11-03T10:15:00.002Z

Based on Yamaha FM synths this is a very nice choir sounds with complexity and movement. Enjoy!

Metal Choir MP3

Eleven LE Winner

2009-11-03T09:42:00.002Z

The lucky winner of this month's prize a full copy of Digidesign Eleven LE is Scott Miller from Wichita Kansas. 'I love the AIR User's Blog. I use the Structure video tips, especially the Structure Sampling 101 and Vocal Tips videos. And the Structure samples are great and they have greatly increased my tonal palette.'

We're glad we can help you in your creative pursuit. Scott is also working on a musical adaptation of the Bunyan classic Pilgrim's Progress. I hope there's some serious axe grinding in there Scott!

Structure FREE Back to Basics 2 Video

2009-10-31T09:29:00.002Z

The second part of the back to basics session for Structure FREE.

A more in depth look at the additional features which give you the ability to manipulate samples.

Playback issue watch it here

To Know When Something Is Right

2009-10-30T13:44:00.005Z

I've written before about the advances in music technology and how in the last 20 years the quality has gone up as the price has come down. What cost us £100,000 20 years ago now costs around £2,000 on a bad day!

So with all this technology at our disposal and knowing what anyone can buy with around £10,000, the days of the producer must surely be numbered one would think? With our own gear, we must all be producers?

It depends what we define the producer role as, if it is just to get an amazing sound with the hottest new gear, then yes, we're all producers. But that's as mad as suggesting that if we can lay our hands on a canvas and oils then we're all as good as Picasso, Holbein or Constable. Anyone with an ounce of sense knows that's just a silly deduction.

I've just read an interview with producer Trevor Horn which ended with this quote 'How would Horn describe his job, now that anyone with a computer can sample and synthesize to their heart’s delight? “To get the record finished. And that’s harder than you might imagine. I guess there’s only one real job for the producer: to know when something is right.'

And there is the truth, the job of a producer is to know when something is right. It's not compulsory for a producer to know how to play, or how the gear works, although to my mind it's essential if a producer is going to get the best performance, they at least have some understanding of how to get the sound, or empathize with their performers.

The producers I value most are those who know what a thing will sound like before it's finished, in most cases before it's started. They have a visionary, prophetic role of seeing things before they come into being.

This has nothing to do with gear, all the gear does is act as a tool to make the vision a reality.

A couple of weeks ago I spent the day teaching the next generation of would-be engineers and producers. It was late in the day and one of the students on the course announced to the class that he was a producer. I asked him what he's done so far, his answer was nothing. Here's a hint, the job title says it all, if you haven't produced anything then my guess is you're not yet a producer.

A producers skills are acquired over years, to 'know when something is right' takes wisdom and as they say wisdom comes from making good judgements and that normally comes from having made bad ones!

So if your desire is to be a great producer may I suggest you invest in the most essential tools of the trade:
* A good set of ears
* A willingness to learn
* A fantastic team around you
* A huge and eclectic collection of music

We need a new generation of producers, but don't get seduced by the gear, without the above list you're probably wasting your time.

Marios 50 FX Patches for Transfuser

2009-10-29T21:39:00.004Z

If you're a follower of the blog you'll know who Mario is. He's one of the team at AIR and the inventor of Transfuser, he's a lot of fun to be around, especially when Transfuser is on screen. He has lots of great tips and tricks, after all no one knows the Transfuser like Mario!

He promised to send me some goodies on my last visit to AIR and he has been good to his word, so here's his first offering 50 FREE multi-effects settings for use in Transfuser.

Using them couldn't be simpler, just download unzip and then drag any patch on top of the effects module in Transfuser - very cool! Enjoy!

Download here

Digidesign Structure Set 140 - 60's Bass Guitar

2009-10-29T19:11:00.003Z

The last in our set of vintage bass guitars, today a great 1960s vintage bass, perfect for those trying to get anything from a Phil Spector sound or 1960s Britpop, enjoy!

Vintage 60's Bass MP3

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Producing With Pro Tools Join The Party

2009-10-28T21:55:00.004Z

Author, regular blogger, and tutor at Berklee Music (we are not worthy) Dave Franz has become a friend of the blog. Not everyone gets a link on the blog, only those we think add value to the community. Head over to David's blog and check out his cool tips, right now he is doing some cool stuff on optimizing your Pro Tools performance - head over and bookmark this site!

Digidesign Structure Set 139 - Vintage Jazz Bass

2009-10-27T22:45:00.004Z

Part 2 of our vintage bass sounds for Structure, this one is another nice example. A nice 70's Jazz Bass, great for R&B and many other styles.

Vintage Jazz Bass MP3

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AIR Day 4 - The Best 'Til Last!

2009-10-27T18:28:00.002Z

So far I've talked about the team in general, some of their development processes, content and Transfuser. It already seems that so much has been written about AIR, but I wanted to end with my final session with the team. Before you ask the picture above is a typical meal eaten by the AIR team, so there's a lot of meat that goes into an AIR plugin!

It was a unique time where I got to sit with the entire R&D, development and test team and ask whatever I liked. Even better at one point I was left alone with them so I took the opportunity to ask a question or two which I think may have been stopped.

OK - first the news I've known for some time, the speculation surrounding updates particularly Structure is an under-estimation of what has been going on behind the scenes. The team have been working on Structure, dealing with issues, but also bringing lots of new stuff that makes it a real hit. In the latter days of development I was able to feed in my concerns and changes I thought would be necessary to satisfy the needs of the community, in most cases those items were implemented. You all know I'm under NDA, so the specifics cannot be shared, but I was thrilled when I first got to use the new version. I'm currently making videos to demo the new version that will be ready as soon as AVID announce. I've been putting it through it's paces and even doing comparative tests against Kontakt to see how it fairs - it wins!

When I say the speculation has been an under estimation this is because some have suggested updates to 1,2 or possibly 3 products - AIR have updated 5! There's also a shed load of content coming, so trust me no one at AIR has had time for Facebook or YouTube!

So new versions of Structure, Strike, Transfuser, Hybrid and Velvet are all on the way and coming to a computer near you soon! I can't give specifics or dates, not if I want to keep AVID from mounting my bollocks on a plinth in the reception of Daley City.

I know that there's been some serious work done both on updates and additions, a lot of cool thinking about what users need, what they've asked for, dreamed of and also stuff they didn't even think of!

Some of you asked me to ask the team at AIR questions, most of them are answered by the new releases.

So knowing that I spent my time talking about other things; RTAS, MIDI program change and a lot more, oh yes I said I asked them a question when the boss was out the room. That question was 'what do they really think of RTAS?'

Their answer off the record was this, and remember these guys are boffins, not would be experts trolling their way around the DUC, so they are worth listening to.

Simply put they think RTAS is a good architecture for plug-ins, I asked how they felt it compared to VST, surely VST has got to be better? Their answer was 'no', not because it lacks specification, but because it lacks integrity. What they mean by this is that every RTAS plug-in has to pass the RTAS specification and Digi's exacting standards - and trust me, from their own mouths they consider the guys who built Pro Tools to be very serious about getting things dead on. You know the deal, copy one of your tracks in Pro Tools then hit the phase switch and... silence! Not all DAWs have that kind of quality.

The reason they didn't think VST was the way to go was because ANYONE can make a VST plug-in, so no one is checking the quality. This doesn't mean that all VST plug-ins are bad, some are very good, but for Digi RTAS means your guarantee of quality.

We talked about lots of other things during our time together. Using the white board one of them explained to me, with diagrams why some of the plugins turn yellow on certain versions of OS X. That won't be happening again!

What became most apparent was these guys all care, work more hours than they get paid for, want to hear from the user base and are proud to be making AIR instruments and plugins.

So as I conclude my reports on my trip to AIR in Germany, I have to say I'm glad I run the AIR Users Blog. I know my efforts have been worth it, because these guys deserve respect and support, they make some of the best stuff around and I know they're working all the time to make them even better!

Structure FREE Back to Basic Video Part 1

2009-10-26T12:16:00.001Z

Part 1 of a 2 part series showing how to insert Structure FREE into a track, add new patches and record a song.

Having problems viewing this, watch it here

If Only It Were That Simple!

2009-10-24T23:30:00.004+01:00

It's not often I feel the need to respond to feedback I get on the blog, but following this article I got an anonymous response from someone who asserted that to encourage anyone to take up rap music was evil.

They went on to suggest that ALL rap music led kids to profanity, a life of crime and possibly murder. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry, but it did take me to one of my favourite P*SS take songs from Goldie Lookin' Chain - 'Guns Don't Kill People, Rappers Do!' The lyrics are here, the song is here.

I'd like to see the statistic behind such an outrageous statement. A quick read of a book like 'Freakonomics' written by one of the brightest minds around on the truth behind statistics should help put to rest any such nonsense.

What really lit my fuse was that I live in London and right now we have a serious problem with young kids, many of them black, getting killed through stabbings and shootings. The assertion that rap is at the root of gang evil would make solving such a heart breaking problem easy. If it were true, just ban rap music. Unfortunately it's a very complex problem and such a simplistic argument is pointless.

Do lots of gang members listen to rap music? Yes. But that means nothing. A quick poll of any prison will soon show you a mixed musical taste. Are the country and western fans serving life for murder just plain unlucky? Even worse how did the opera fans end up in prison?

Hitler didn't smoke and was a vegetarian. Does that explain his behaviour? Of course not.

I seldom make a point of addressing such complex issues here on the blog, but on this occasion I just had to respond. A little tip, if you have such an opinion, don't bother sending it to me, find someone else who wants to believe that stuff!

I'll steer clear of such sweeping generalizations and enjoy the company of my law abiding rap friends.

Massive Set of Yamaha Drum Samples

2009-10-24T23:26:00.002+01:00

Over 700 very nice Yamaha drum samples you can use in Structure FREE, LE or Full and Transfuser. Enjoy!

Download here

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How To Get Mac Audio Working on 002/003

2009-10-24T15:24:00.002+01:00

Lots of Pro Tools users are driven mad trying to get core audio working with a Digi 002 or 003.

Russ shows a very neat trick which means you can have both a Pro Tools session and your Mac audio working at the same time.

Playback problems, click here

Digidesign Structure Set 138 - Epiphone Bass

2009-10-24T10:53:00.005+01:00

Over the next few days we'll be giving away some very nice vintage bass sounds for Structure.

Starting with that classic the Epiphone Bass, a replica of the Hofner made famous by a little 1960's band called The Beatles. Enjoy!

Epiphone Bass MP3

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Take A Risk

2009-10-24T09:22:00.002+01:00

I wonder if you have ever jumped off a bridge with just a cable wrapped around your ankles, or from a plane with just a piece of fabric to stop you from breaking you neck.

When it comes to these kind of pursuits I'm risk averse. For one I'm not a big fan of heights and two knowing my luck I'm likely to be the one whose rope snaps or parachute fails to open!

I also wonder when was the last time you took a risk in the studio? I don't mean hired a drummer who couldn't keep time, or a tone deaf backing singer, but when did you last step out of your comfort zone or away from convention?

For some of us our studios are our bread and butter, they pay the bills and on many occasions we just have to do what the client wants. However when we get to make our own music and write our own songs then we have the opportunity to try new things.

It's ironic but many musicians and producers, although working in the liberal arts field tend to be conservative. Then we wonder why no one takes much notice of our efforts.

Let me ask you a question, when did you last hear a song, stop and say 'that sounds just like everything else?' Seldom do we say that, because the things that make us stop and listen, or even look are the things we've never heard or seen before. Many successful bands, solo artists and producers one day said to themselves 'what if...'

Let me give you some examples, imagine the smile on Mark Taylor's face when he cranked the Autotone so hard on Cher's vocal that it took 'Believe' to Grammy status. Or when Gary Numan walked into the studio to make his guitar based punk album and decided to use the Memory Moog sitting in the corner. Or when the guys at the Townhouse decided to cut the reverb time on the room by gating the drums on a Peter Gabriel track - yes it was Gabriel that did it first, not Phil Collins.

I remember a joke doing the rounds when Punk first came around. A boy comes home with spiky green hair and his mother asks him what he's doing. He answers 'I want to be different like everyone else!'

As soon as any of these guys had made these choices, the difference was in place and no one else would achieve the same effect as the first person who took the risk. So being different is not doing the new thing!

On the whole the media industry, both TV and Music have started to play safe, much of what we hear is derivative and lacks imagination. The best antidote to this malaise is imagination, originality and most of all some people who are going to take some risks.

So a challenge. How about you spend some time programming a sound on your synth rather than reaching for the preset? Swapping out the keyboard for a guitar. Loosing the backing vocals, or mashing them up with a filter. Those are just a few ways, but why not go and experiment.

What we have with Pro Tools is a palette to create endless possibilities, yet often we almost use it like a painting-by-numbers set, and believe me there are none of those hanging in the top art galleries of the world.

Back To Basics: Boom Video

2009-10-22T07:41:00.003+01:00

Russ continues the back to basics series showing users new to Pro Tools and MIDI. In this session he looks at the Beat Box Boom, inserting it into an instrument track and then creating patterns both in step and real time.

Playback problems - watch here

Back To Basics: Xpand2 Video

2009-10-20T19:22:00.004+01:00

Lots of visitors to the blog are new to Pro Tools and at times can find even the simplest tasks daunting. So this week we begin a series of back-to-basics videos so that everyone can use the brilliant Creative Collection included in Pro Tools 8.

This first video shows users how to start with a new session, create an instrument track, insert Xpand and then create and route MIDI tracks. All done in easy steps, by the end of it you'll be making your own MIDI based tracks.

Playback problems watch it here

Digidesign Structure Set 137 - Monster Vintage Pad

2009-10-19T23:06:00.003+01:00

Watching last weeks BBC show Synth Britannia got my creative juices running so I thought I'd see what would happen if I hooked up a Polysix, Minimoog and a String Machine and sampled them. Here's the result, a rich vintage classic and complex sounds complete with a load of knobs to mess with and get your own version... enjoy!

Monster Vintage Pad MP3

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Do Something Different

2009-10-19T17:08:00.003+01:00

Last year the rapper Goldie appeared on a BBC show that was looking for a great classical orchestra conductor. Out of all those trying to win (mostly white, upper middle class) he was clearly the most gifted and able. Sadly he didn't win the contest, I think this was more to do with the audience watching (yes you guessed it, white, upper middle class) than it was down to talent.

Anyway, my reason for bringing this up is to highlight how easily we fall into making one kind of music, I think to our detriment.

If you ever looked at my music collection there's everything in there from classic, rock, rap and everything else, I tend to think there are only two types of music - good and bad. All other delineation is pointless, it only serves to show how narrow our thinking is and even worse it can limit the creativity we bring to our own particular style of music.

There are of course exceptions to the rule and we find artists making crossover and finding themselves meshing certain styles. My own thinking is we should all spend time listening to, playing and producing other kinds of music.

If nothing else, it takes a high level of ignorance for a rock band to jettison early 20th century black music, history shows that you can trace rock back through the blues, jazz, gospel and negro spirituals - I suppose you can say that in a musical sense we all come from Adam.

I've had the pleasure to work with a huge array of artists over the last 25 years, from all genres and I have to say I'm glad I did. They have all taught me through their rock, rap, gospel, jazz, classical, reggae, R&B, and every other style, a little something I can use as a musician and a producer.

I'm not suggesting for one minute a new homogeneous musical style, I couldn't think of anything worse, it's our musical differences that make the whole offering so great.

What I do think is that the different approaches to getting drum sounds, guitars, keyboards and vocal are so varied, that only a fool would want to miss out on learning from other people. I'm certainly up for learning how to get a really cool low bass sound from a reggae engineer, or the great clean guitars that come out of Nashville - in fact my list is endless.

So, my suggestion, is stick to making the music you love, but take time to listen and learn from those who make music you wouldn't think of letting anywhere near your iPod.

Go do something different - you may be surprised by the results!

Digidesign Structure Set 136 - Dance Verb

2009-10-18T11:34:00.002+01:00

A very nice sound for use in trance and other dance music, this sound is believe it or not created using a Yamaha DX7! Enjoy!

Dance Verb MP3

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Pioneers Who Made It All Possible

2009-10-17T10:54:00.007+01:00

Last night the BBC aired a show that demonstrates what they are really good at, making shows that have no real commercial value, but are essential programme making. The show was not some expose of political corruption, or a look into 15th century Italian architecture (although these are just as likely to be made by the BBC) but Synth Britannia.

Often these shows have an hour of inane clips of all the bands that ever got their hands on a synth or sampler in the 80's, then they create some kind of chart - simply put, derivative crap!

Not so with Synth Brittania, at last a programe that explained the history of synth based music, the founding fathers, the social conditions and the culture that it grew out of. It featured all the central characters from the period and I have to say was captivating viewing. Contributors include Phil Oakey (Human League), Vince Clarke (Depeche Mode/Yazoo), Martin Gore (Depeche Mode), Bernard Sumner (New Order), Gary Numan and Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys).

It wasn't some kind of synth porn movie, featuring all the gear, although there are lots of shots of all the great synths and samplers of the day, but it highlighted the struggles that artists had in the late '70s and '80s of making the synths work and also getting the music industry to take them seriously.

It reminded me of so much of my youth when I was growing up and making music, it also reminded me again of how bloody hard it was to use this stuff compared to today, now we can just click the mouse and load a patch.

Would I want to go back a do it again? No!

Am I glad I was there when it was happening? A resounding yes!

This programme was a triumph and I can't recommend it highly enough.

If you live in the UK you can see it here on the BBC iPlayer

If you live outside the UK you'll need to go through a UK based proxy server to see it, but well worth the hassle!

Instrument Manager™ Out Now!

2009-10-17T10:25:00.002+01:00

Good clean mangement and organization of ALL your Instruments and Samples is now possible - on Mac AND Windows! The third in Chicken Systems new generation applications, Instrument Manager™ catalogs all your Instruments and Samples, allows dragging into your application, and includes metatag and full-featured search support.

Instrument Manager's lightening fast and easy Reference Manager sample relinker makes broken links a thing of the past. It quickly finds your broken links and fixes them in a blink of an eye. But that's not all! The relinker allows renaming, replacing, and TOTAL MANAGEMENT of those links. This technology has not been made available in any application until now - it will blow you away.

Use Instrument Manager™ as a replacement active real-time browser for Kontakt, Structure, or HALion, as they accept drag-and-drop. Instrument Manager™ completely out-performs their native browsers.

Instrument Manager™ supports EVERY FORMAT KNOWN TO MAN AND WOMAN, not just a couple. Kontakt. Structure. EXS24. Reason. GigaStudio. SFZ. SampleTank. SoundFont. All workstations like the Motif, Fusion, Triton, and Fantom. Hardware samplers like Akai, Roland, Ensoniq, Emu, and Kurzweil. EVERYTHING.

For screenshots, a full presentation, and additional information, see the Instrument Manager Home Page.

Instrument Manager is immediately available and shipping NOW from SamplerZone, at a list price of $79.95. Translator and Constructor owners can take advantage of a $20 discount, for $59.95. You can download a build immediately after ordering. Click here to order.

Demo Available! For a demonstration and limited use, download Instrument Manager Free at no charge.

Groove3 50% Off Sale

2009-10-17T10:19:00.002+01:00

It's a time for a surprise weekend mega sale! Starting right now until Monday, if you buy 2 or more download or boxed disc products or a 1 Year All-Access Web Pass, you'll get 50% off instantly.

That's quite the deal on any of our awesome video products or the amazing 1 Year All-Access Web Pass that gives you instant access to EVERY video on the website and access to any new videos that are added during your 1 year membership.
Here's how to get it
Just shop the website like you normally would, and when you checkout, you'll see your discount automatically applied. No codes or coupons are necessary.

So stock up now, or treat yourself to a years worth of uninterrupted video access. The choice is yours, but hurry up, this mega sale ends Monday 10/19/09.

More here

Mixing Real Drums

2009-10-15T23:09:00.007+01:00

Russ takes a live drum session and shows how to get a great sound using the plug-ins that are part of Pro Tools 8, even better you can download the session for your own use here.

Watch in HD here

Apple Release Performance Update

2009-10-15T21:39:00.004+01:00

If you've been having problems with you Mac, then it may be that you need the latest performance update, this update addresses intermittent hard drive related pauses reported by a small number of customers. Hard drive pauses may crash your PT session, so it's worth checking if you're one of the unlucky few. A full list of offending Macs is here and the solution from Apple

Digidesign Structure Set 135 - Huge Analogue Strings

2009-10-15T21:26:00.004+01:00

The truth is that some of the richest sounds you hear on tracks are not one synth, but a combination of two or three patches. When MIDI first arrived we all become decadent in our sound creation and would often hook 7 or 8 synths together and make monster sounds, here you can see Geoff Downs hooking a shed full of classics together. This patch is a 135mb layer of a Juno, Nord and Casio to give a rich vintage synth sound. Enjoy!

Huge Analogue Strings MP3

Interview With Legendary Producer Mick Glossop

2009-10-15T20:47:00.008+01:00

Some reading the title of this interview might think the word 'legendary' as hyperbole, but take a moment to read this gigantic discography and I think you'll agree that the word is a fair one.

Mick Glossop was there at the birth of the Townhouse using one of the first SSL boards, the birth of the Phil Collins drum sound, and during his journey worked with everyone from Zappa to Van Morrison. So the big question is why have an interview with such a production great on the AIR Users Blog?

The answer is a simple one, Mick works in Pro Tools, uses AIR gear and is a fan of the blog, as far as I'm concerned that's as near as damn it a Royal Appointment. Even better on a wet Tuesday night in September Mick and I met up for a beer and shot the breeze about music, gear, beer and everything else, he also agreed to an interview for the blog... enjoy!

Mick, nice to catch up with you. Like me, you've seen a lot of technology come and go in the last 30 years, I think we've both forgotten some of the gear that at the time was so essential to the recording process, so what technology has most impacted your work in that period and has stayed with you on the journey?

I think the only technology I've discarded is analogue tape - although I've started experimenting recently with tape overload distortion. All my recording these days is digital, and mostly in Pro Tools. I still use analogue compressors, equalisers, filters, all manner of processors, synths, reverbs, etc. Pro Tools is probably the single piece of technology that has had the biggest influence. Thanks, so when was the switch to Pro Tools, and why?

I didn't actually switch to Pro Tools. I started off with a 4-track 442 system, running (I think) Pro Tools 3.2 software. I used it as an editor/processor, running alongside analogue tape. For me, the process was more of a gradual movement away from recording on tape as Pro Tools became more viable as a complete production system, around about software version 5.
Do you mix in the box or are you still a 'real' mixer man?

I do both, depending in the project and budget, and sometimes, as in my own Pro Tools-based studio, I use a hybrid setup. Some tracks pre-mixed in-the-box, using up to 24 Pro Tools outputs running through my analogue processors and my TLA 8-channel tube mixer into my own completely passive, analogue summing unit (which I built myself, for £35).
So let's talk about AIR, what AIR plugins are you using?

Structure is my principal sampler. I also use Boom, Xpand2 & Vacuum

What do you like about the AIR plugins?

They're easy to use and convenient, but to be honest, there's nothing really revolutionary about them.
We've talked about sampling and synths, are you looking for a great copy of a sound or are you trying to find sounds not used before?

Both - it depends on the application. Sometimes I need a great-sounding acoustic piano, or upright bass, and sometimes I need a completely new sound and I'd probably use a sample as a source, and then process it using something else.

One issue a lot up and coming engineers and producers struggle with is combining real instruments with VI's and samplers. Can you give any advice?

I don't find a problem there. Except that sometimes there's an inherent lack of real dynamics in a performance on an electronic instrument compared to an acoustic instrument.

We are constantly bombarded with ads for the next big product, do you fall into that trap?

It's always very tempting to cave in to the promotions, but you have to draw the line somewhere, and one's budget is usually the best guide!

So far we've talked about the recording and production process, one area that often gets overlooked is the mixing and mastering, and for many of our readers this is the area they struggle with most. What advice can you give to them?

There's no quick fix to learning these techniques - it takes time, perseverance and experience...and of course - good ears!

Thanks Mick for you time!

You can find out more about Mick at his homepage here

Vintage Synth String Loops

2009-10-14T23:16:00.004+01:00

A very nice collection of vintage synth string loops from classics such as Juno 60, SH09 and other 80's favourites, perfect for using in Transfuser and Structure.

Vintage Synth Loops

Digidesign Structure Set 134 - Huge DX Tine Piano

2009-10-14T08:05:00.004+01:00

This is one heck of an Electric Piano, based on not 1 DX7 but 2, this layered tine is full, bright and open and for vintage fans will remind them of many tracks from the 80's. A lovely patch.

Huge DX Tine Piano MP3

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Digidesign Structure Set 133 - Multimoog

2009-10-12T10:31:00.004+01:00

A very nice example of a classic vintage synth the Moog Multimoog, it was designed to be a cheap alternative to the Mini Moog, but it still has a very cool sound.

Multimoog MP3

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Transfuser Cool Dance Tricks Video

2009-10-11T09:07:00.002+01:00

More tips and tricks from the guys over at AIR. In this one Russ shows how to use some of the cool effects in Transfuser both on Transfuser and Audio tracks to put some rhythm into a session.

Watch in HD Here

AIR Visit - Day 3

2009-10-09T22:32:00.007+01:00

The next stop on my tour and time with AIR was to sit down with Mario, the man behind Transfuser, so it doesn't take a genius to figure out where the MARIO feature came from in Transfuser! I'm just glad his name isn't Sebastian, not that I have anything against the name, but imagine figuring out the words to tie up that acronym?

Mario's world is filled with 4 screens, several keyboards, at least 2 decks and the biggest pair of speakers anyone could get on their desk - normally found in a club! When you see his world you start to understand how Transfuser came about, a world where the musician and the DJ co-exist, a world where you need endless possibilities to create - both of these describe Transfuser, perhaps the first music making device that makes no distinction?

I asked Mario what he was thinking of when he started to design Transfuser. He told me he wanted to give people an option to create grooves and beats and loop based music without having to leave Pro Tools for Ableton Live or Reason. It's easy to think of Transfuser as a glorified drum machine - but that would be a mistake, it's equally at home with synths, guitars and vocals and for most of us who own a copy it's biggest limitation is our imagination.

Then he started to show me what was coming in Transfuser and for the next release there's a very nice surprise for users, I have to admit I've had it for some time, but again it wasn't until Mario explained it to me that it all fell into place. This is the time when my tongue is bleeding as I bite it, forbidden to step over the line of an NDA, but I think I'm safe in saying if you love to make any kind of beat based music then the next feature in Transfuser is going to blow you socks off!

He then took me through a few other things he thought users may not know about, one was how to use the record section. I said how annoying I found it that I had to guess where to stop the record so that I got a great loop. At this point he threw his hands up and said 'forget the record and play buttons, they're irrelevant' and just dragged out the loop to the desktop as it was recording. As far as Mario is concerned those buttons are unnecessary, I asked what if the loop hadn't made it to the right point. His answer 'it will! I designed it to create a perfect loop based on the length you set, that takes the guess work out.' Now you tell me! I thought.

I couldn't help thinking how cool it would be to have Mario sit in with all of us for a day and show us how to REALLY use Transfuser. Everything he took me to made sense, he flew around it and showed how logical it all was, which I know for a lot of us will come as a surprise because Transfuser can seem like such a mind bender.

He couldn't help but want to show me loads of cool tricks, there's more coming up on the blog in videos.

What I found with Mario is that he doesn't suffer fools gladly, he hates gimmicks, unnecessary conversation, and meetings, worst of all people talking when he's watching Bremen play football! Putting the football aside, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have designing an instrument than Mario. He's as ruthless in his software design and if it doesn't need to be there then it isn't going in and if it is going in, then it had better be the best it can.

After I left Mario I was told that he comes up with some amazing ideas for the plug-ins, some I was told that no one would ever be able to work because of the permutations possible.

For AIR to create an instrument like Transfuser is testimony not only to Mario, but to a team that have worked to take something as powerful and complex and then figure out how to keep that power, but making it usable to more than just Mario.

For years my go-to plug-in for loops and rhythm was Stylus. Every track I created had Stylus in it, but I realised a few days ago that I haven't used it for months. Mario is to blame for ending that love affair.

Leaving my time with Mario made it more clear to me than ever that anyone who is making beat based music should own a copy of Transfuser. I'm not saying that because I love AIR (I do), or I get paid to say it (I don't), but because it is one hell of a piece of kit! Many of you have perhaps overlooked it thinking it's for DJs or Rappers, that's the biggest mistake you can make, I can say the day Transfuser was released it became a classic. My advice is sell you bed and buy it!

You can buy it here at the AIR Blog Store

Editors Keys Extends Autumn Offer

2009-10-09T12:53:00.000+01:00

The guys over at Editors Keys have extended their deal of between 25-30% off their cool products. This includes their keyboard covers, stickers and the very cool and substantially cheaper version of their studio mic shield.

Find out more here

Axiom Wins Prestigious Award

2009-10-09T12:08:00.005+01:00

You know we love the M Audio Gear, but now the Music Industry body the MIA have given their thumbs up to this top piece of music gear with 'Home studio product of the year'

The award, one of only three given to the music tech part of the industry, is sponsored by Future Music magazine, who’s editorial staff chose the Axiom over and above all the other software, keyboards, interfaces, speakers and other music production hardware currently available in the market.

Well done M-Audio.

Money Off with Nine Volt Audio

2009-10-09T09:10:00.004+01:00

As REX loops go, Nine Volt Audio are one of the leaders in the field, taking a unique approach to the art and thus ensuring great loops irrespective of tempo!

Use Coupon Code "poprock" to save $10 on any other Nine Volt Audio title priced $79.99 or more. This coupon can be used IN ADDITION TO the discounts that kick in when purchasing three (or more) products at once.

Tribute to Jean Michel Jarre

2009-10-09T09:03:00.004+01:00

Community member Russell Butterfield has sent in this tribute to one of the founding fathers of synth music, Jean Michel Jarre. Created in Pro Tools 7, it really evokes the sound of the time. Enjoy! Listen here

Digidesign Structure Set 132 - Tibetan Lute

2009-10-09T08:54:00.003+01:00

A wonderful example of a Tibetan Lute, with several versions multi-sampled. Unusual, evocative and perfect for world music.

Tibetan Lute MP3

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Vacuum Secret Video

2009-10-07T21:46:00.001+01:00

A lot of you were pleased to find the 'easter egg' in Boom, so how about this little baby in Vacuum?

Watch in HD

WIN A Copy of Digidesign Eleven LE

2009-10-06T23:41:00.005+01:00

AVID have done it again and this month they're giving away a full copy of Eleven LE the ultimate guitar plug-in for Pro Tools. Developed using an innovative new amp modeling technique, Eleven gives you instant access to an amazing collection of sought-after sounds based on classic Fender®, VOX®, Marshall®, Mesa/Boogie®, and Soldano amplifiers.* Simply call up a preset to immediately re-create a hit-making guitar tone, or design your own signature sound by mixing and matching amps, speaker cabinets, and mic models — all captured at their best in a world-class studio.

Simply answer this question on the entry form, which guitar recording expert was enlisted to ensure top notch miking techniques were used when creating the Eleven Rack?

Sorry this competition is now closed

Digidesign Structure Set 131 - Polyvox Humana Synth

2009-10-06T07:59:00.002+01:00

Another wonderful one from Hollow Sun, THE sound from the PolyMoog Keyboard 280e, arguably THE most distinctive and famous sound from this instrument which shot to fame when it was used as the signature sound in Gary Numan's hit record 'Cars', so good they released it three times and STILL gets regular airplay today and STILL sounds as good as it did back in 1979 when it was first released. These come from a lovingly restored PolyMog Keyboard 280e owned by Leo Gelderland from Holland and we are grateful to him for allowing Joeri access to it to sample it in such detail. They are long samples with room to breathe and have been impeccably and seamlessly looped.

Polyvox Humana MP3

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AIR Day 2 - The Content Creators

2009-10-05T22:28:00.005+01:00

So lunch was over at AIR and my next meeting was with Mark and Edwin. Mark is an Australian now living in Germany (pictured above) and Edwin a Bremen man born-and-bred. These two guys made me feel more at home as both of them are from my era (over 40), although each of them are very different and bring their own unique gifts to the responsibility for content creation.

When I first met Edwin he was sampling a vintage keyboard, and what a beautiful example of the keyboard it was, I'm unable to say exactly what keyboard it was, but one thing was clear - the attention that had been given to choosing this example, and then watching Edwin at work made clear to me how seriously they take their work.

I was to return to Edwin later, but soon I was sitting in Mark's studio and we were listening to samples for the next generation of content and boy are they good! More than that he showed me shots of the studio the recording took place in, one of the best studios in the world. Soon we were drooling over his shots of vintage pre-amps and compressors and a collection of several hundred vintage microphones. Let's be clear for the next generation of updates and content, no expense has been spared - and this was just the work done for one instrument!

My next stop was back in Edwin's studio to have a listen to more upcoming content. A few hours later and via Edwin and I sharing some cool jazz standards, a Paul Simon classic song, and various other tunes, we had worked our way through a tenth of the future sounds. These guys have been travelling the globe and working with some of the hottest musical and production talent to make sure Pro Tools users get the best sounds around - I was hoping they would have to leave the room and I would be able to whip out my portable hard drive to grab this content, but sadly for me that opportunity never came.

It was great spending time with two guys who have been around long enough to know their craft, one concern I often have is that a lot of content is created by those who tend to create content based on what instruments sound like after production, rather than before - not these guys. We had long conversations about the nature of sound, of real recording and what often seems like a huge disparity between a sampled instrument and one in real life. We talked about presence, about the imperfections that often make an instrument sound perfect, about sympathetic frequencies that only occur in a sound when a number of notes sound, but get lost when combining single samples together.

Spending time with both of them left me in no doubt these guys are both musicians and clinicians when it comes to creating content for AIR instruments. One minute we would all be drooling over a string sample, the next moment one of them would be identifying some issue such as a noise or a filter than needed attention.

Making good content is much like making good wine, it takes the right ingredients, a craftsman, attention to detail and time, AIR seemed to have figured that out and after my time with these guys I think AIR and Digi are about to have a vintage year!

Over 100 Meg of Trance Loops

2009-10-04T11:25:00.003+01:00

A very cool Trance construction kit for use in Pro Tools, Structure and Transfuser. The set includes drums, synth and bass all in REX and WAV format, all thanks to the guys at Equinox Sounds.

Trance Loops

Transfuser Drag and Drop Tricks

2009-10-04T10:43:00.001+01:00

Hot back from his trip to AIR HQ in Germany, Russ shows some cool dragging trips gleaned from Mr Transfuser himself. A must see for Transfuser users.

Watch in HD

Russ Out Takes 2

2009-10-04T10:30:00.004+01:00

For those who felt that the last set of out-takes were a little short, here is Russ in one of his not so good moments trying to speak and failing miserably. WARNING VIDEO CONTAINS VERY STRONG LANGUAGE! IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED DO NOT WATCH.

Watch in HD here

The Hidden Features In Boom

2009-10-03T13:51:00.003+01:00

Hot from my trip to AIR HQ in Germany I've been gleaning the secrets from the guys who created these babies. First off a video revealing Boom hidden features! Have fun!

Watch it in HD

PT8.03 Fixes Infuriating Xpand 2 Bug

2009-10-03T11:43:00.003+01:00

Perhaps you've not come across it, but up until now you create a multi-timbral instance of Xpand2 and you soon find that the CC data, such as mod and pitch bend is affecting every part in the patch, irrespective of which channel the part is on.

I quizzed the AIR Team on this as to why it did this? Simple answer, a bug, which has now been fixed in 8.03. I've tested it today and bingo - it's now a usable multi-timbral device!

AIR Trip Part 1

2009-10-03T09:42:00.009+01:00

Winter in Northern Germany comes early and as the plane came into land we dropped through the clouds and on the other side into rain and poor visibility, so any chance of me seeing Bremen from the air was lost. It doesn't take long to clear baggage and passport control in Bremen, they don't keep horses but if they did, there would only be one, so I was soon through and out the door. Greeted by Wolfram, one of the key people at AIR, who was far more suitably dressed for the weather than I, I was whisked across town in Wolfy's typically German black Mercedes coupe and checking into my hotel - German efficiency at its best.

I was at AIR for 2 days, which I thought was longer than I needed, but in hindsight had been wise thinking on their part, over that next two days I was to meet and discuss matters with content developers, software engineers, testers, in fact I was given access to every member of the team - which considering how busy they are, spoke volumes to me.

AIR is not the kind of building you find in Silicon Valley, it's a city based (highly secure) tower in the centre of Bremen. They take security seriously here, to get to the AIR office you need to clear a locked secure code door, a secure coded lift before you even get into the AIR offices, which occupy two of the five floors of the building.

My first experience was to sit (in fact stand in) on their 'scrum', a daily team meeting to discuss where they are and what needs doing. It's held in a meeting room with a huge white board covering the wall. That board looks like a global map, it shows the status of software development, OS updates, bug logs and their status, and before you ask, there are no photos of the white board. To be allowed this kind of access is unprecedented, so their are clearly defined parameters to what can be shown and what can't. In this meeting I was impressed by two things - first the clarity of the discussion and the speed with which they executed decisions. It was impressive to hear a question asked about a serious matter and within moments be hearing clear concise answers. Secondly I understood everything that was being said because everyone spoke English, this was impressive too. Not only software developers but bi-lingual ones. This meeting led me to think about the times when I've read criticism of the AIR Team, so I wanted to see for myself how sharp these guys are - the answer is very sharp.

Which leads me to the next thing I found out very quickly. The AIR development team are all musicians, engineers and producers in their spare time, they use the same tools they want us to use and so know when things are wrong. Secondly they are incredibly conscientious and caring, and very hard working. We went out for lunch on day one and I was the only one drinking beer, I thought this strange so asked why and the reply was 'we can't do our job right if we drink', after hours is a different matter, but when these guys are being paid to make the best plug-ins in the world, they take that very seriously. It became clear as I sat with each if them and talked about their roles they are very bright individuals.

One way I tested this was in the scrum, I brought up the question about the yellow interface issue that plagues some Mac users and I simply wanted to know why it happened. Within a second the answer came back, the only trouble was I wasn't wasn't smart enough to understand it. It became a team joke, until finally in a session with developers it was explained to me in a way I understood. It is related the the change over from PPC to Intel and the way subsequent versions of the Mac OS have interpreted the RGB tables.

After our first session it was my turn to speak with the whole team and let them know more about me, the blog, what it had achieved and then to take questions. There support was huge and it soon became evident that the guys regarded me as an unpaid member of their team, acting like a bridge between them and the community of AIR Users.

They want to hear from you guys, for this reason I've set up a feedback site that you can use to feedback ideas. I've used Ideascale so that you can use the login you've created for the Digi one .

This is an introduction and over the next few days I'll be bringing you more news and information from my trip to AIR, plus some very cool tricks!

Digidesign MPTK2 Prize Draw Winner

2009-10-02T07:42:00.006+01:00

We're pleased to announce a winner for the MPTK2 Prize Draw.

It's Stephen Barr from Mercer, PA. Stephen says "As a newcomer to Pro Tools, I've become a big fan of the AIR Users Blog. The tutorials are very helpful and the Structure patches are great. I'm very excited to add the Music Production Toolkit 2 to my setup and start reading about these plug-ins on the blog!"

I'm know a lot of people wished they were as lucky, but have fun making some great music!

Digidesign Structure Set 130 - PWM Shift

2009-10-01T21:07:00.003+01:00

Another Hollow Sun gem, Thick fat, detuned swirling PWM sound. This is big, detuned and dangerous!!! Resonant downwards lowpass sweep variation.

PWM Shift MP3

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More Tight Synth Tricks

2009-09-30T10:00:00.001+01:00

Another cool movie showing some very nice tricks to use with your synths and loops.

Watch it in HD

Digidesign Structure Sounds 129 - FS1R Nebulous

2009-09-28T14:37:00.003+01:00

Another gem from the guys at Hollow Sun, one of my favourites so far from the lovely Yamaha FS1R. This sound is wonderfully complex and rich and not to be missed.

FS1R Nebulous MP3

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Make Loops Your Own Video

2009-09-28T14:36:00.000+01:00

One problem with loops is that they often don't fit the track your working on, or everyone else has already used the loop. Russ shows how you can quickly and easily make loops your own!

Watch in HD

STICKY:HOT NEWS - Motif Sound Library for Structure

2009-09-27T19:35:00.001+01:00

We've been inundated with requests for a Motif sound library for Structure, but we wanted to make sure we had things right before we launched it. This library features over 500 patches from the original MOTIF ES sound library for Structure, these include full stereo patches of Strings, Brass, Synth Pads, Leads, Bass, Textures and lots more. You can see the entire list here.

Key Features:

7gb of Stereo Samples
All full length samples avoiding loops (Structure full users can loop these if they wish)
Patches are broken into 4 banks
Users can combine patches to create multilayered Motif patches
Users can add their own effects
The entire 514 patches for £35 - Download Only!

The set launches on Monday 31st August 2009. O rder now

Go Make Some Music

2009-09-27T09:36:00.006+01:00

Today I played my guitar, it's a beautiful vintage Telecaster with a great action. I'm not a lead player but I love cracking out riffs, trying new ideas and basically doing the kind of thing that makes me smile. I also have a beautiful Taylor acoustic, she keeps me happy.

I also like playing the keyboards, I'm one of those breed of writers, composers that over the years has, out of necessity learned to play a number of instruments, although so far I'm yet to be able to play the drums - if you can then you have my full respect, as far as I'm concerned it's bloody hard.

I wonder how much gear you have? I dread to think what I've shelled out over the years, I'm sure I could be living in a mansion or driving a Ferrari, had I stuck to just playing my acoustic guitar, but, like you, I guess I've been seduced by all the gear porn mags I buy every month. You know how it works? You see something and then spend hours, if not days, trying to figure out how to pay for it...damn that Eleven Rack is sexy!

And the question I sometimes ask myself is, has this recording 'revolution', which started in the early 1980's, really made me and everyone else better song writers and better musicians? The reason I ask is that so often I find that the stuff that is meant to trigger ideas, distracts me from actually writing a song.

Here's a couple of examples, how often have you opened up a synth to write a song, this morning it was Hybrid, and an hour later I had a great sound, but no song for that sound. Or earlier this week I cracked open Eleven and again a hour later I had a fantastic new guitar sound, but no riff to use it with.

The thing about this 'revolution' is that it gave musicians the opportunity to become engineers, producers, programmers and sound designers. My concern is, that whilst we were all busy mastering these new skills, we forgot what and why we got the stuff in the first place, wasn't it to give us the tools to make better music. I think that for some the pay-off has to become an average engineer, producer, songwriter and musician - there is something to be said for keeping the main thing the main thing!

I sometimes wonder if what this 'revolution' created was not better songs, but better sounding music - and they are NOT the same thing! There's nothing worse than hearing a great song ruined by bad production, but if I had to choose between a great song and a great production, I'd choose the song every time, there's no contest.

So am I suggesting that we should all sell our Pro Tools rigs and related equipment? Not at all that would be foolish, after all when we have a great song then how brilliant is it that we can record and mix it to a professional standard?

I suppose what I am saying is that Pro Tools and all our plug-ins and hardware don't make us great songwriters. No more than having Photoshop makes us graphic designers, or Word makes us a world class author. They are just tools and like tools, if I spend all my time concentrating on them, then it's highly likely I'll never get anything of value created.

So, if like me you often sit down in front of your Pro Tools system and think about writing a song, then can I suggest an alternative - write a song and then boot up your computer. After all, the truly great songs sound good on an acoustic or a piano anyway.

So, if like me your often seduced by the technology, how about we all agree that we commit to writing GREAT music and then turn our computers on?

Go make some music.

Synth Tricks In Xpand

2009-09-26T08:33:00.000+01:00

Russ shows you how to use some cool automation to bring your Xpand (and other synth) sounds to life. This is a very cool video for those making dance tracks.

Watch in HD here

9 Volt Audio Release New REX Guitar Collection

2009-09-25T20:51:00.002+01:00

NEW: Pop Rock Guitars is a vast resource of six-string sounds that captures the energy and vibe of today's chart-topping hits. With its radio-ready hooks, head bouncing rhythms and fist-pumping choruses, this collection makes finding the right guitar part a whole lot easier.

And as part of the BPM Flex Series, Pop Rock Guitars allows every REX-based loop to be used at a huge range. Need to use a 89 BPM loop with a 132 BPM loop in a track set to 105 BPM: no problem!

With in-the-pocket playing, tight organization and consistent tones amongst parts, Pop Rock Guitars offers a smooth experience from inspiration to final mix.

Check out the video and MP3 demos HERE.

Digidesign Structure Sounds 128 - Dreamer

2009-09-24T22:12:00.006+01:00

More Hollow Sun goodness, this time from a Matrix 1000, floaty square wave pad with 'natural' LFO filter sweep from the M1000.Thanks again to Steve @ Hollow Sun for these great vintage patches.

Dreamer MP3

Please make a donation and keep us alive!

It's Your Opportunity To Ask...

2009-09-24T19:33:00.004+01:00

Next week I fly out to Germany to spend some time with the AIR team. As you can tell from the picture it won't be fun at all! I'll be posting lots of pics, trying to make a video and interviewing the team. So I'd like to ask them some questions you may have, not withstanding NDAs!

So if you have a question use the feedback form and I'll try and fit it in.

Digi Release Snow Leopard Update for Mac

2009-09-24T19:31:00.001+01:00

Avid/Digidesign is pleased to announce the immediate availability of a prerelease version* of Pro Tools® software that provides expanded Mac OS X 10.6.x Snow Leopard compatibility to Pro Tools 8.0 users. Pro Tools 8.0.3pr software is provided as a convenience for Mac-based Pro Tools 8.0.x users who may wish to begin their transition to Snow Leopard before a fully tested and qualified version of Pro Tools becomes available.

Pro Tools 8.0.3pr software is available as a download only and requires Mac OS X 10.6.x and an existing Pro Tools 8.0.x installation. Get it here

Will all plug-ins work on Snow Leopard, or should I expect a lengthy compatibility transition?
A: At the time of this writing we have found most plug-ins to work without problems except the following AIR instruments which exhibit a yellow user interface:

Hybrid
Strike
Structure
Transfuser
Velvet

If you encounter additional issues please let us know by providing your feedback here:

Snow Leopard Prerelease Forum

Digidesign Eleven Rack Review - The Next Level

2009-09-24T18:00:00.003+01:00

As promised you would hear it here first, here is the new Eleven Rack, a 19" guitar rack, so here's a comprehensive run down for you.

Overview
Eleven Rack is a powerful guitar signal processor that delivers the tone of a wide variety of amplifiers, speaker cabinets, microphones, and effects units. The combination of all of this gear and their control settings make up a Rig.

Eleven Rack comes loaded with over 100 Rigs that showcase the range of tones our collection of amps and effects can achieve. The built-in Rigs are a good place to start, but the power of Eleven Rack really comes into play when you create your own.

You can audition, manage, edit and create Rigs right from the front panel of Eleven Rack. When using Eleven Rack with Pro Tools LE, the built- in Eleven Rack Control window offers another convenient way to do this work.

First Thoughts
OK there's some very cool things when you get an Eleven Rack:

Standalone mode - no need to take your computer on the road
A new Eleven Rack window built right into Pro Tools, so when you have an Eleven Rack you get all your rigs to edit on screen - very nice and a lovely GUI.
The True Z input - to cut a long story short you can't re-create what happens between your guitar and an actual amp or effect digitally. So Digi developed a unique True-Z direct input that automatically adjusts the input impedance to match that of the particular amp/effects rig signal chain. Thanks to the True-Z input, plugging into Eleven Rack is just like plugging into a real amp or effect.
Convolution cabinets and mics, so you get the sound of the amp, through the cab, through the mic, in the room!
A set of software based but real knobs that map to the settings on your rig.
A shed full of classic stomp boxes and effects that emulate some of the old favourites that have been around for decades like BBD Delays, old comps, even spring reverbs!
More inputs and outputs than you can shake a stick at, giving you everything from a simple jack input right through to integration with your HD rig!

Orange Is The New Black
One of the first thing that strikes you is the daring choice of orange as a colour, love it or hate it, I think it looks great and is sure to show your friends and those who like to spot what artists are using in their rigs that they have an Eleven Rack - this is no boring black box to drop into the background with all the others.

The thought that has gone into this baby is evident, when you see how the team have thought about the interaction between the Eleven Rack and the user, both live and in the recording environment it is brilliant. For example when you track from the Eleven Rack on Pro Tools a little plectrum icon appears on the track to indicate that the rig settings for that part are contained in the track if you choose to embed them. Secondly you can track clean and then 're-amp' the part down with all the rack settings in the track, if you wish you can also add some more external amps and effects before final recording.

The next very nice feature is Digi's decision to use standard MIDI protocol for controlling the rack, so no one can accuse Digi of cashing in on selling their own footboard or controller, you can use the one you like! Great move!

The Amps

‘59 Tweed Lux
’59 Tweed Bass
’64 Black Panel Lux Vibrato and Normal
’66 AC Hi Boost
’67 Black Panel Duo
’69 Plexiglas
’82 Lead 800
’85 M-2 Lead
‘89 SL100 Drive, Crunch, and Clean
’92 Treadplate Modern and Vintage
DC Modern Overdrive and DC Vintage Crunch

The Speaker Cabinets

1x12 Black Lux
1x12 Tweed Lux
2x12 AC Blue
2x12 Black Duo
4x10 Tweed Bass
4x12 Classic 30
4x12 Green 25Watt

The Mics

Shure SM7 Dynamic Microphone
Shure SM57 Unidyne III Dynamic Microphone
Sennheiser MD 409 Dynamic Microphone
Sennheiser MD 421 Dynamic Microphone
Neumann U67 Condenser Microphone
Neumann U87 Condenser Microphone
AKG C 414 EB Condenser Microphone
Royer 121 Ribbon Microphone

The Effects
I would give you the effects list, but it's long and read's like a who's who of the vintage and classic stomp box world - it makes me seriously think that some will be using JUST an Eleven Rig, which I must say feels kinda weird knowing how much guitar players like their gadgets strewn around the stage at gigs.

In Closing
What you need to know and after doing my research on this project that from the amps, the cabs, the mics and the stomp boxes this rack has been a labour of love and obsession. These are not any old amps, mics or cabs, but hand picked for their tone and character. For example the AC30 isn't just any old AC30 but one the team have evaluated like a bottle of vintage red wine, making sure it's spot on.

This, I think is what makes the claims of the Eleven Rack changing the game more than just some marketing hyperbole. When you play a rig in the Eleven Rack it's been created like a work of art, a meal with precise herbs and spices. It is one of those moments when everyone else making their guitar rack first made a big mistake because this rack may well do for Digi in the guitar world what Pro Tools did for them in the recording world - first isn't always best, remember Nokia were making phones for over 10 years before Apple!

Take my advice and don't take anyone's advice about the Eleven Rack, but try it for yourself. Sure there will be those who will have opinions on it, but trust me, get in line at your music store and try this monster for yourself, but be warned it's likely to bite you in the ass and before you know it you'll have the brightest guitar rack around!

You can head over to Digi from the 23rd and check out some very nice audio examples of the rig, and get a brochure

MSRP is $1259 with a street price of $899

Bass Synth Programming

2009-09-22T16:50:00.000+01:00

Want to know how to tweak vacuum so you can get some cool dance bass sounds? Russ gives an overview of how to start making the synth sounds your own!

Watch in HD

Digidesign Structure Sounds 127 - PWM Rid Zep Synth

2009-09-21T12:34:00.003+01:00

Another fantastic patch from the Hollow Sun Collection. Big, fat detuned PWM sound.

Rid Zep PWM MP3

Please think about donating and keep us FREE forever.

What Are We Paying For?

2009-09-20T16:19:00.001+01:00

I got an email a couple of months ago suggesting I was too enthusiastic. I found the accusation a bit odd, not because I thought that the accusation was unfair, but because I thought it was such an odd thing to complain about, a bit like criticizing someone for being too caring, generous, compassionate.

Anyway, I start this post with that because it may come as a surprise to you what I'm about to say. I need to increase my firewire ports on my Mac Book Pro 1st Gen. I've done my research on Digi, the DUC and other places so I know I need an Express card from a Mac certified supplier like Sonnet or Lindy. I searched the web shops to check out prices, but had to walk through the part of London where all the 'specialist' dealers are. However I knew of one specialist who should, firstly give good advice and secondly have the item in stock. So I made a journey to see them, however deep in the recess of my mind I played out what I thought I would walk into, sadly my thoughts came true!

I walked in and first I was greeted with that too familiar 'why are you interrupting my day' kind of look you get from so many shop staff. I told him I had a MacBook Pro and that I wanted to expand my FireWire ports with an express card. Without even taking a breath he said 'you don't need one'. Brilliant analysis considering he hadn't even asked what I was trying to do. So I explained why I needed one. Still he looked nonplussed, considering I just stopped him talking himself out of a sale.

So I continued my attempt at getting some sense and a sale from this guy. I asked if he had any in stock. He looked at me as if I had just asked for rocking horse shit. His reply 'no, but I know there are some companies on the internet who sell them' Brilliant, give it a year and he'll be complaining that he has lost his business to shops on the internet.

I wish this was an isolated case, but I come up against this more and more. Like the guy on the DUC the other day who had been sold a PT System which he was told would run on Snow Leopard.

Now if I hadn't ever done that job then perhaps it would be unfair for me to criticize, those working in stores. But I did, I cut my teeth for several years in a music store, then a Pro Audio dealer and we worked hard to either know the answer to a question, if not we would contact the supplier and find out for the customer.

So my question and I'm sure the question of many of you is 'what are we paying for?'

Here's my advice, if you still know of a good pro-audio store then let us all know here, whatever country you live in, I'm sure some of us would like to know.

If you're a dealer and you have distribution for products like Digidesign, you have a responsibility to invest in education for your staff, so that they can give accurate advice to users. If you think it's not important then you don't deserve the dealerships and you certainly don't deserve the customers. I see Digi get the blame too often because dealers didn't do their job. I also know that were Digi to take the Apple approach and sell direct they'd have their balls broken by every dealer and his mother.

There are too many companies selling the same thing to be complacent, with anything being a phone call or web link away, you can't afford to be anything but the best. If this blog can give free advice on a volunteer basis, then there's no reason the dealers we pay can't. If your complaint is that you don't make enough money doing it, then either register yourself as a charity or find another way of making a living.

I know that there's some very good dealers who do care, and if you're one of them then thank you for caring, for investing in your team, your customers and ultimately your future. An old boss of mine used to say 'reputation is tomorrows profit.' If you are one of them then let us know and we'll push customers your way.

If this article upsets you, then ask yourself why? In the UK we have an expression 'if the cap fits, wear it' meaning if it sounds like you, then it probably is. As I say I'm not speaking from a place of ignorance, I've worked in audio and pro audio sales and I know customers can be a pain, as someone once said 'this job would be easy if it wasn't for the customers!' But we all not without them there would be no business.

So back to where I started, the criticism that I'm too enthusiastic, if only more of our dealers had the same problem! When we call or visit dealers the least we should expect is interest, care and knowledge, the most we should expect is limited only by the dealers imagination. If a dealer can't give us this then what are we paying for?

Save Time and Save A Packet

2009-09-19T19:57:00.007+01:00

The guys over at Editors Keys have between 25-30% off their cool products for a limited time. This includes their keyboard covers, stickers and the very cool and substantially cheaper version of their studio mic shield.

Find out more here

Tight Dance Programming

2009-09-19T16:45:00.001+01:00

Are you trying to get that rock solid timing in your programming? Or perhaps you don't feel confident playing your drum parts in real time. Russ shows how easy it is to get rock solid, tight programming in your sessions.

Watch it in HD here

Download over 200Mb of Free Loops!

2009-09-18T21:30:00.003+01:00

As a big 'Thank You' to all of their fans and subscribers Prime Loops are giving away an exclusive pack of free audio loops, downloadable for a limited period of time only. Inside you will find a genre-busting selection of over 100 high-quality loops from some of our most recent and best-selling sampling packs!

As a special bonus for you we have also included an exclusive sneak preview of our highly anticipated Synth Addict release!

Here is a list of featured Products:
Synth Addict (Preview)
House Guitar Loops 2
Kings Of Swing present Downtown House
Mix Injections
Planet Of The Orchestra
Lee Coombs Tech Funk 2
Dubhop Beats
Future House Drum Loops
Reggaeton Producer
Tech House Synth Loops
Underground Beats
...Plus a whole lot more!

Get them here

There are also over 7GB of Free Loops and samples across the site...
these can be downloaded on any product page.

Digidesign Structure Set 127 - Korg Atmos Vox

2009-09-17T21:36:00.004+01:00

Another very nice patch from the Hollow Sun collection. Don't be in a rush to audition this patch, it's a wonderfully evolving voice pad with complex envelopes sampled from one of our old favourites the Korg M1- simply brilliant! Thanks again to the gang at Hollow Sun!

Korg Atmos Vox MP3

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Mash Up Your Synth Sounds

2009-09-16T22:34:00.002+01:00

In this video Russ shows just how much you can take a standard sound and mash it up to create an incredible new sound. As usual he takes all the standard plug-ins from Pro Tools and shows users just what gems they have.

Watch it in HD here

Interview with Kenny Gioia

2009-09-15T15:10:00.014+01:00

A lot of us have been huge fans of Kenny Gioia and his training tutorials on Groove 3, for some of us his tutorial on Elastic Audio was a god-send. We got an exclusive interview with Kenny for the Air Users Blog and found out what makes the Pro Tools guru tick.

Hi Kenny it's great to have you along to the AIR Users Blog, I know many of our users have really found your tutorials on Groove 3 helpful as they get to grips with Pro Tools - so first a huge Thank-You. So let's start at the beginning, How long have you been making music and how did it start?

Pretty much all my life. I started by building my own drum set out of garbage pails, a baseball bat (holding cymbals in a hi-hat fashion) and a cardboard box (for a kick drum). I then invented (in my own deluded mind) overdubbing, by patching two cassette players into a radio shack mixer and bouncing back and forth until completion. What a mess. It wasn't til years later that I realized that someone really invented a better way. LOL.

When did you first get your hands on Pro Tools and what do you love about it?

I have used Pro Tools pretty much since the beginning. Starting with Sound Tools on a Mac IIci. I believe it ran at 25mHz. Ouch. Nowadays we take for granted how many tracks we can run but back in the day, you had to pay extra for each group of tracks you needed on the Pro Tools III system. It was pretty brutal.

The thing I love most about Pro Tools HD in it's current form is it's ability to do just about anything you want. If you think it, you can probably do it. No limitations. In my early days of recording I was constantly up against restrictions. You couldn't keep every take. Try every possible idea without making slave reels and 2 hour coffee breaks just to realize it was a bad idea. I also love the idea of real total recall. I hated the idea that the magic might be gone the next day because we changed a few settings. Now everything is saved.

OK, what frustrates you about it?

Not much. We always want more but I can't think of much more that I need. We're limited by our creativity now. Which frustrates some because we see young kids doing things that we never could have at their age. But I love it. Makes me work that much harder.

I would prefer a bit more customization in the color and contrast area of the windows since 8.0. It's a great redesigned GUI but could be more powerful if everyone could choose their very own coloring scheme.

The million dollar question which one are you when it comes to learning the stuff, manual or fiddle?

LOL. A little of both. I can't just read the manual and start learning. I need to fiddle until I get frustrated and then I read chapter by chapter to figure out better ways of doing things. One of the things that is soo amazing about Pro Tools is that you can really do just about anything 3 to 4 different ways and still get it done. So I prefer to know all of them.

Moving onto AIR, how significant do you think the recent collaboration with AIR has been to Pro Tools?

I think it's changed the way many of us use Pro Tools. It's put Pro Tools in the mix with other DAWs as a tool for creating music from scratch. Not just capturing it. I can make music (minus vocals) with nothing but AIR VIs and plugins.

What is your favourite AIR VI?

I'm kind of a sucker for electric pianos so I'm loving Velvet but that Transfuser is becoming something I use on every production. Every loop I try, runs through it at some point. XPand has finally made the need for a separate workstation unnecessary.

And the AIR effects which one of those are you using?

I really use all of them. Not a bad one in the bunch. The Wah and dynamic filter are probably my favorite mostly because I can automate them rather than having to play a pedal.

Finally, many of our users are keen to improve their tracks, what one tip can you give those who want to use Pro Tools better?

Hmmm. One tip? Well my videos are a great place to start. LOL. I'd probably recommend keeping a piece of paper handy and every time you get frustrated because you don't know how to do something, write it down. Then later go to the manual or ask about it on great forums like the Digidesign Users Conference. It's incredible how many users really want to help other users out there.

About Groove 3
At the heart of Groove 3 you'll find Asa Doyle and Antony Livoti, who in January 2004, founded Groove 3 Inc. In their lives, music technology is their passion and it shows, as together they have over 35 years experience as musicians and audio professionals. It's their mission and pleasure to provide us, the music and audio community, with the best resource available anywhere for effective, high-quality and easy to understand training on your favorite DAW's and pro audio topics.

Digi Up The Game For Guitarists

2009-09-14T23:44:00.002+01:00

On September 23rd, Avid is set to unveil a revolutionary new solution designed specifically for guitar players. Years of research and development is about to culminate in one killer product.

Sign up to learn more — you’ll be entered for the possibility to win one!

UPDATE: Since posting this I've been given a sneak preview of this product and I have to say this is gonna be one hot baby, if AVID only announce on the 23rd and then sell later then we might see 'iPhone' launch day queues down the street. I think those posting a 1 on this story may have been premature.

Digidesign Structure Set 126 - Polymoog Strings

2009-09-14T20:54:00.005+01:00

Great news! We've teamed up with vintage sampling specialists Hollow Sun, who have been sampling since the whole thing started nearly 25 years ago. They have sampled and continue to sample for Akai, Alesis, Korg and Roland to name a few. They've agreed to let us release just a tiny selection of their brilliant vintage library, so we'll be spending the next week or so releasing some tasty patches here. Even better watch this space because their collections could be coming to an AIR sampler near you sometime soon. So thanks to Steve, take a moment to head over to the site and see the vintage delights that could soon be yours!

Remember to donate and keep us free forever!

Get Big Acoustic Guitars Video

2009-09-12T10:11:00.002+01:00

In this video Russ shows you some tricks for creating big acoustic guitars in your sessions. As usual lots of tricks for using AIR effects!

Watch in HD

Lists...

2009-09-11T07:58:00.006+01:00

Lists. Our industry is full of them;

Equipment lists
Set lists
Song lists
Client lists
Plug-in lists
Feature lists
Patch lists
and of course wish lists...

Did you see what I did there? A list of lists.

Some of our lists are sanity, they make sure we're staying on track, on budget, on idea. Other lists are more about vanity, 'look who I've worked with' or 'look what I've got'. The trouble is we all have to play the game because our clients use those lists to measure our success and our competence.

Now check out this list:

4 track analogue tape recorder
4 channel EMI desk featuring 4 faders
2 microphones

Not very impressive eh? I suppose compared to all of our lists not at all impressive. No plug-ins, no Eq, no aux sends, no outboard, no automatic delay compensation!

But let's look at the song list:

Side one
#	Title	Lead Vocals	Length
1.	"I Saw Her Standing There"	Paul McCartney	2:55
2.	"Misery"	John Lennon and Paul McCartney	1:50
3.	"Anna (Go to Him)" (Arthur Alexander)	Lennon	2:57
4.	"Chains" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King)	George Harrison	2:26
5.	"Boys" (Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell)	Ringo Starr	2:27
6.	"Ask Me Why"	Lennon	2:27
7.	"Please Please Me"	Lennon	2:03

Side two
#	Title	Lead Vocals	Length
8.	"Love Me Do"	McCartney and Lennon	2:22
9.	"P.S. I Love You"	McCartney	2:05
10.	"Baby It's You" (Mack David, Barney Williams, Burt Bacharach)	Lennon	2:38
11.	"Do You Want to Know a Secret"	Harrison	1:59
12.	"A Taste of Honey" (Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow)	McCartney	2:05
13.	"There's a Place"	Lennon and McCartney	1:52
14.	"Twist and Shout" (Phil Medley, Bert Russell)	Lennon	2:33

And of course the band... The Beatles.

Perhaps sometimes we forget how and where it all started. We let our lists run away with us and forget what a bunch of great songs can achieve, even without having all the gadgets.

This week M-Audio released their new starter packs, reduced capacity versions of Pro Tools with limited track count. Already the gear snobs have voiced their 'concern' at this move, but you know it wouldn't surprise me if some kid goes and makes a world class album on this stuff and shows us how useful our lists really are.

Impossible? Well if Rhianna can make the killer hit 'Umbrella' with a Garageband loop then anything is possible.

So next time you thinking about making a list, use the time in a more worthwhile way and write a song!

Digital Sound Factory Launches E-mu Sounds for Structure!

2009-09-10T20:47:00.002+01:00

We promised to let you know first when Digital Sound Factory launched their E-MU sound libraries for Structure, well the wait is over, just check this out!

This represents the modern Proteus Digidesign Structure series. Loaded with over 3,500 instruments from the original Proteus hardware. Included is the Proteus 2000, Mo' Phatt, Virtuoso Strings. Virtuoso Wind, Brass, & Percussion, Xtreme Lead-1, Planet Earth, and Vintage Pro.  

And as a Thank You from DSF they're offering you a load of FREE sounds, all you have to do is register, BUT there's more 20% off your first order.

Enter the coupon code STRUCTURE at check out.  

This now means combined with the AIR FREE patches, Motif and Triton libraries, Structure now has over 5,000 patches!  

Click here and listen to the demos, get your FREE sounds and order

Digidesign Structure Sounds 125 - Pro Acoustic Bass

2009-09-10T20:12:00.004+01:00

A fantastic Jazz acoustic upright bass from Elliot Carter, featuring 4 levels of multisamples across the keyboard, this really is one very nice upright bass patches. We've been having requests for this for a long time, I think this one hits the nail on the head.

Pro Acoustic Upright Bass MP3 Demo

Please think about donating and keep us FREE forever!

Timberlake Goes Around Riff Video

2009-09-10T09:44:00.001+01:00

A very quick video where Russ shows Pro Tools 8 users how to get the riff from the Justin Timberlake hit 'What Goes Around', as usual lots of hot tricks!

Watch the HD version here

Digidesign Structure Sounds 124 - Hammond C3 Organ

2009-09-08T20:52:00.004+01:00

Following the recent announcement from NI that B4 is no more, we thought we'd cheer up the tribe with a couple of very nice Hammond C3 organ patches for Structure. Why not insert the cabinet from DB33 and add some extra juice! These audio demos include DB33 cabinet.

Please think about donating and keep us FREE forever

Killer Boom Tracks Video

2009-09-07T08:21:00.000+01:00

Russ shows how to create killer rhythm tracks using Boom. He shows how to take a basic rhythm and with some imagination create a banging groove.

Watch in HD here

Why I'm In!

2009-09-06T09:51:00.005+01:00

A thread was recently started on the DUC entitled 'Why I'm Out!' detailing one users reasons for why they were no longer going to be using Pro Tools and moving to another platform. The thread lasted a few weeks and gave those with an axe to grind about Digi another few weeks worth of thread to peddle their tales of woe, their world class business development wisdom and their Nostradamus prophecies of how AVID and Daly City were going to have fire fall down on them from above because of their sinful behaviour towards their user base. OK, I'm joking about the last one, but it normally doesn't take long for religious extremism to be thrown into the pot on any polarized issue.

Since upgrading to 8.01 I've been having a few problems, my Eleven LE and my MP3 export decided not to play with iLok and so as far as that was concerned I'd lost 2 of my essential tools in my production toolkit.

I tried using the AVID fault system, and the DUC and as of Friday no reply. You may have seen my recent post in the DUC on that thread where I jokingly said I was waiting for a full moon until I got a reply.

Then out of the blue yesterday morning I got an email from one of the DTS team who wanted me to answer a question he had. I responded straight away and in it dropped a P.S. about my iLok problems. He came right back at me with a number of helpful suggestions, none of them worked and so then I asked if he would mind dropping the iLoks again for me in case they were buggered (UK term for broken). He said he couldn't but got another one of his team to work on his weekend to sort out new iLoks for me. This was promptly done and now I'm back on full power Mr Kirk.

So what does this say, well it say's to me that AVID is full of really cool and caring people who are doing there best to try and help the community. I think it also shows that at times they are battling with systems, that although necessary in a company of AVID's size, may sometime extend the process. Now some of you may be thinking that if that's the case then the system's broke. I would suggest not broke, just not perfect, but I wouldn't want to be the person designing an international support structure that means every client gets dealt with NOW! Only in fairy tails unfortunately. It may be useful though to outline a TOS to clients, giving their target response times, then we'd all know when it was time to get back to them if no reply had been made.

Some of you may also be thinking that it happened because of my work on the blog so I'm the 'lucky' one. Luck? It takes 40 hours a week and nearly a year to create that kind of 'luck', so if you fancy being lucky, then you know what YOU need to do. But, yes I think it does help me being the man who runs the blog, it can open doors, many of those doors you never seen being opened, because I spend a lot of that influence behind the scenes talking to AVID/Digi to try and make things better for the whole community, and you know, I know that these guys are listening.

So in answer to the title of this post 'Why I'm In'...

Pro Tools is still the best platform to do what I do, it isn't perfect, but then again none of the others are either, so on that score, for me, Pro Tools is the least imperfect.
The people care despite sometimes difficult internal structures, which seem to make it harder for them to do their job, rather than easier.
I've seen some of the future and it looks good.
I've made some great friends with the team at AVID and EVERY one of them is working their guts out to make Pro Tools the best it can be.

So in closing, if you've had moments of doubt about your investment in Pro Tools, then I want you to know, I too face the same frustrations, but I would with any platform. Just go spend some time reading the Logic, NI, MOTU, or any forum for that matter and you'll see the same complaints with just with different words making up the sentences. There's no such thing as a perfect product and if you've lived long enough you'll know a prefect (he he he) world for that matter! Just a pile of imperfect people trying to do their best with imperfect tools. The sooner we realize that, the sooner we get on with it and do the best we can... that's why I'm in!

Should that mean we just settle? I think the existence of this blog answers that question. So if you want a better world remember 'it only takes a mouth to criticize, it takes a heart and a brain to make a difference!' For example when people sign up for my Enews there's a question 'Would you like to help?' Over 150 have answered 'YES' to that question, 10 came through on their promise, the rest not. I'm not bitter or annoyed about that because I understand a little about the human condition. Some may have got busy on stuff, or sick, or just forgotten, I don't know, but they didn't say yes for the fun of it. Who knows I might get an email soon with someone offering to help the blog out... that would be good.

So this blog is my way of saying to AVID 'I'm in!'

What about you?

Digidesign Structure Sounds 123 - Pro Fretless Bass

2009-09-05T10:09:00.005+01:00

Fans of greats like Jaco P are going to love these high quality, multi-sampled fretless bass complete with compressor and chorus. It's 146 megs of very nice multi-velocity work and will be a welcome addition to anyone wanting a brilliant fretless bass in their sessions.

Pro Fretless Bass MP3 Sample

PLEASE THINK ABOUT DONATING

Music Production Toolkit Prize Draw

2009-09-03T22:56:00.006+01:00

Thanks to our friends at AVID this month sees our biggest and best prize draw to date, a complete copy of Digidesign's Music Production Tool Kit 2. Create massive music mixes and get an amazing collection of instruments and plug-ins at an unbelievable steal! Digidesign® Music Production Toolkit 2 expands the creative power of your Pro Tools LE® or Pro Tools M-Powered™ system, providing a full range of groundbreaking virtual instruments and tools to inspire music creation and improve sounds, and allowing you to create huge mixes with up to 64 mono or stereo audio tracks using your Digidesign* or M-Audio®** interface.

Features:

Create and mix up to 64 mono or stereo audio tracks
Comes with over $1,600 worth of professional plug-ins, including:
- Digidesign Eleven™ LE hyper-realistic, vintage guitar amp emulator
- Digidesign Hybrid™ 1.5 high-definition synthesizer
- Digidesign Smack!™ LE foolproof compressor and limiter
- Digidesign Structure® LE advanced sample player
- Digidesign TL Space™ — Native Edition convolution reverb
Multitrack Beat Detective™ rhythm analysis, extraction, and correction tool
Pro Tools MP3 Option for exporting MP3 files

To enter click here and answer a simple question - what's the 4 digit reference code found on the Paypal donations page, by the way a donation is your way of saying 'THANK YOU'?

Mbox Micro & Pro Tools 8 Prize Draw - The Winner

2009-09-03T20:47:00.007+01:00

This was the hottest prize draw to date with a record amount of entries, but of course there could only be one winner. The winner is Craig Friday from North Hollywood, CA, USA.

Craig writes '"Wow people really do win these things"

Yes they do and thanks to the fantastic team at AVID, there's a prize every month for community members, keep coming back and just like Craig you too could be next!