East Bay Way - A Sound Strategy, Inc.

Transcript

No. 45 JUNE 2007 www.iLiveToPlay.net Doin’ It the East Bay Way 40 Years of Funk with tower of power Meet Idol Coach “Byrd” The ABCs of Compression Monitoring Your Recordings BUYING Powered P.A. Speakers New in SAM.U 0 MAY/JUNE 80% 1.5 BWR PD 56698 99731 • Tips From a Hit Songwriter • Succeed As a Working Musician • Ask the Soundman 3 06 inside Features Published by Dayspring Communication Group, LLC 14 Tower of Power Still Doin’ It the East Bay Way 17 Paying Up and Getting Paid Two rulings simultaneously caress and smack down the Indie artist 20 Song Byrd Tips and insights from the vocal coach for American/Canadian Idol PUBLISHER Robert A. Lindquist ASSISTANT EDITOR Dan Walsh OFFICE MANAGER Elizabeth Edwards ARTIST Liason Jake Kelly Tech Stuff 12 Live Sound 101 Puttin’ On the Squeeze 23 24/7 Studio Monitoring Magic 27 Buyers’ Guide Self-Powered Speakers 30 New Gear 38 Gear Reviews Future Sonics m5 Earpieces, Peavey 32 FX Mixer EDITOR IN CHIEF Bill Evans Director of Sales & Marketing Eddie Fluellen Art Director, Production Linda Evans, Evans Design EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Priscilla DiLallo • Erin Evans CIRCULATION Barbara Lindquist Columns 9 On the Road The Perfect Press Kit 10 In the Trenches Gig Etiquette 101 42 My Back Page You’re Fired! Singer&Musician University 31 32 33 34 35 37 “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” by Jet On Songwriting Soundcheck Playing in the Real World Ask the Coach Ask Lis Departments 6 8 18 40 41 Set List Contributors Now Playing on iRadio Singer&Musician’s Mall Classifieds Advertiser’s Index onthecover Tower of Power are still doin it the East Bay Way after nearly 40 years. See this issue’s cover story on page 14. HOW TO REACH SINGER&Musician For subscriptions, change of address or back issues, contact us at: Singer&Musician P.O. Box 10 Naples, NY 14512-0010 Web: www.ILivetoPlay.net Letters, comments,& editorial suggestions: [email protected] Proud Member of: • Folk Alliance • NAMM • IAJE Singer&Musician (issn#1555-9831) is published six times per year. Subscription rates - US and possessions: $29.95 for one year, $39.95 for two years or $49.95 for three years. Canada: $29.95 for one year, $39.95 for two years or $49.95 for three years. All other countries: $60 per year. Subscriptions outside US must be paid in US currency. Copyright © 2007. All rights reserved. Reproduction of copy, photography, or artwork prohibited without permission of the publisher. All advertising material subject to publisher’s approval. setl i s t Finding What You Weren’t Looking For The answer often comes when you stop looking By Bill Evans M aybe it’s just me, and the screwy way my mind works, but I can’t count the number of times I have gone looking for something that I REALLY needed and could not find, but found something else totally unrelated and lost track of what I was doing and went in a totally different direction. Sometimes this is a good thing. Other times it drives people around me nuts. Every time I start to rag on my daughter about not focusing  s i nger&musician June 2007 on what she is supposed to be doing, my wife—who is much wiser than I—just gives me “that look” to remind me that the fruit does not fall far from the tree. It’s a tough call. I know she needs to be able to focus but I also know that most of the really good things in my life came when I was not looking for them. The thing that got me thinking about this was the Live Sound 101 piece in this issue. I was looking for a graphic I had seen years ago showing how over-compression had made a Celine Dion song louder than AC/DC. So I typed “Celine Dion vs AC/DC” into Google and came up with a very scary You Tube video that you can find a link to on the iLiveToPlay site. I took over editorial at Singer&Musician as the result of a diatribe I wrote about the nature of magazines in the Internet Age. I got my day gig as the result of a series of unrelated phone calls between people I hardly knew that took place minutes after the Brits who owned GIG canned me. I am currently playing in probably the best version of my band that I have ever had since I put it together in ‘84. The bass player I met through a friend and he was playing in a metal tribute band—not a place I would have naturally looked—but Our “beloved” editor and his posse at play at The he is so good it’s scary. Club at the Cannery Casino, Las Vegas. I mentioned to the same friend that I needed a bone player and he happened to remember that his friend Eddie—who has made his living as a keyboard player for years—was a bone player. And get this—A week before I first called him, Eddie had finished a five-year gig at a major Strip hotel and had made a resolution to play his horn more. My sax player came to me when I asked someone about a trumpet player because I thought I already HAD a new sax player. He gave me a card and said, “This guy is a sax player but he probably knows someone.” Our #2 vocalist is a woman who we met as one of the organizers of a parish festival we have been playing for years. A couple of years ago she asked if she could sing with the band and we said “Sure.” And she has been around ever since. I guess the point I am trying to make is that the answer often comes when you stop looking. Like this one, here at Singer&Musician we have been looking at ways to freshen up the SMU section of the magazine for a while. We added a couple of things and moved some people around but still felt it needed more. But other tasks beckoned and we stopped thinking about it for a while. So what happens? Two new columnists fall into our lap. For the next year, the father and son team of Greg and Ry Kihn will be expounding on the intricacies of songwriting and the ins and outs of being a working musician. So welcome the new guys and stop thinking so much. sm con t r i b ut o r s L ots of new folks this month as Singer&Musician continues to grow and evolve. You will find info about two new high-profile columnists in SMU on their respective pages. Hit songwriter and real-life rock star Greg Khin will be taking Singer&Musician readers through the basics and intricacies of good songwriting while his son Ry, a noted guitar-slinger who learned a lot from Dad’s lead guitarist—some nobody by the name of Joe Satriani—gives readers the 411 on being a working musician. You will also find an expansion of our music biz coverage with a feature on two new rulings out of Washington D.C. that will directly affect many indie musicians. Expect more of this kind of important coverage in future issues. Meanwhile, a column we have been threatening to introduce for a while now finally makes its debut. It has been said that there are two rules for a good gig. #1 Don’t piss off the sound guy. #2 See Rule #1. You can get the lowdown on working with (as opposed to against) this person who can make or break your gig. In Soundcheck. Here’s the lowdown or our resident audio guy. Bob Gibson—soundcheck We’ll let Bob tell his own story. “I started out as a musician in the late 70’s, playing various rock and punk clubs around the San Francisco Bay area. I got into the sound business the usual way; hanging out at the clubs, meeting some sound guys and becoming interested in what they did for a living. Eventually I met a local sound company owner willing to hire me and teach me a few things. In 1984 he hooked me up with my first road gig, a van and trailer tour with a country band. I stayed on the road for the next 10 years, traveling the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with various bands and theatre shows. In 1994 I moved to Las Vegas. Since then I’ve worked for local sound companies and at the casinos; doing lounge, show room, and corporate gigs.” Bob’s current gig is with on of Sin City’s best regional soundcos, H.A.S. productions which does a large percentage of the one-off concert gigs around town including work with acts as diverse as the Beach Boys, Hootie and the Blowfish, Big and Rich, Sheena Easton and Quiet Riot. We met Bob when he was mixing a Loving Spoonful show at a casino in Laughlin. Welcome him aboard and take note of We want to hear from you! Drop us an e-mail at: [email protected] Richard Gilewitz Known as one of the strangest men in acoustic music today, Richard Gilewitz fascinates his audiences with fingerstyle gymnastics while spinning yarns too unbelievable not to be true. His ability to make one guitar sound like an entire orchestra stems from 33 years of well-honed technique and 25 years of on the road touring, creating his own signature sound that has been captured on his six releases. But it is his live shows that bring out the best in this man who follows a distinct cadence that creates a glow that continually grows a little brighter with each tune. His contributions to Singer & Musician include a series on making and releasing a live CD. Jake Kelly Jake has taken on the role of Artist Liason/Head Evangelist for Singer&Musician and iLivetoPlay.net. Jake is uniquely qualified for this job having worked both sides of the music biz fence—working for a major label artist on big tours plus recording and releasing his own material at the same time. You’re sure to see him around at the trade show/music conference circuit. Talk to him—he only bites if you ask him to—and let him know what the iliveToPlay Network can do for you. Lis Lewis Lis Lewis is a vocal coach in Los Angeles whose clients include Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, the All-American Rejects, the Pussycat Dolls, Jack Black, Jimmy Eat World and many others. She is the author of two books both with warm-up CD’s: The Singer’s First Aid Kit and The Pop Singer’s Warm-Up Kit. Her website, http://www.TheSingersWorkshop.com, is packed with information for singers who are serious about their careers. Working with such high profile artists has given Lis a healthy perspective on the daily struggles of singers which she passes on through her teaching and writing. Phil Parlapiano Phil Parlapiano is a multi-instrumentalist composer who has worked with Grammy award winners John Prine, Rod Stewart, Tracy Chapman, Lucinda Williams and many others. The idea of Deconstructing a Hit is not just to show you how to play someone else’s song. The hope is that, by “deconstructing” the work of other writers, you will find ways to advance and vary your own writing. For more info, visit Phil’s website: www.parlapiano.com.  s i nger&musician June 2007 on t heroad Press Kit 101 I By Mike Aiken n looking through your emails, I’ve noticed a theme – questions about the basic tools of promotion. A recurring question was on putting together a good press kit or promotion package. What is the purpose of a press kit? It is your main marketing and sales tool. It will be what introduces you or your band to promoters and the media. It should be oozing with all the good facts about you, who you are as an artist and why you are so special. Elements that every press kit should include: (Each should have a title and be no longer than one page) • Your Biography: Written in the third person, this is your development as a performer. Be sure to include a description of your music style or genre. Give a performance background of your act including such things as key performances, recordings, and quotes. Be sure to include what your niche is. Don’t be overly wordy. Make each paragraph count. Remember this is a bio, not an exaggerated sales pitch. • Accomplishments: Consider this as a timeline of special achievements. Include things like dates of past recordings, special shows, endorsements, label signing, awards etc. Listing these events as bullet points in a timeline will work much better than as a narrative. Update this page as soon as you have new material. Only the facts! • Presenters Page: While I haven’t seen this in many other press kits I have found it a useful addition to mine. I list excerpts from reviews by past promoters of the shows I’ve done. This should show you as professional and responsible to deal with from a promoter’s point of view and will also serve as a recommendation to future promoters. • What The Fans Are Saying: Keep this up to date with quotes from your growing fan base. Try to include a variety to cover your recordings as well as your live performances and if you can, choose a geographically diverse selection. Your press kit will mainly be used pursuing live opportunities so be sure you cover how the crowd likes your performance. Include the quote, the fan’s name and location. If it doesn’t add, don’t include it. • What The Critics Are Saying: Use this • • • • page to highlight what reviewers have said about you. Use quotes from radio, interviews, concert and CD reviews. If you don’t feel you have enough to fill a page, combine this with the fans sheet (above) and make one page out of two! Promotion Photo: This is usually a staged shot with your name and any booking or management information you may have. Use a head shot if you are a solo performer and a band shot if you are a band. This photo is truly worth a thousand words and should portray your style, attitude etc. If you are a thought-provoking, moody singer/songwriter, that should come through. If you are a fun, party cover band, that should come through. It may pay to hire a good photographer and not just hand the camera to someone who isn’t doing anything else at the time. This should be an 8 x 10. I use color but many folks use black and white. Again, what do you want to get across? Reviews, interviews and articles: Keep track of all of your press. Keep copies of newspaper, magazine and internet press. Take the best and most representative of these and include them. Again limit each piece to 1 page and I would suggest not more than 4 pages. Although your press is the most interesting reading ever, most folks are too busy to read every word. If you give entire articles, highlight the best one or two lines of each. That way you give them what’s essential, they see someone felt strongly enough to do an article about you and if they are so inclined they can read it at a later date. Press Release: If you have one it can be helpful to include a good press release about your latest recording, major performance etc. Many times a promoter will pull the promo/press material for the event directly from what you give them. CD: Include your latest CD and one sheet. If you have a recording of a live performance be sure to use it. There are many ways you can choose to lay out your press kit. Give this some thought. Do you have a color theme for your package? Again this is the introduction to your act so consider what is most important for someone to see first. For example, mine is a two pocket folder with a sticker on the front and a business card in the slot provided. It opens with my promo photo to the left and my bio and CD to the right. To the right ( from front to back) I have the CD, bio, accomplishments, presenters, fans, critics. To the left (also front to back) I have my photo, CD one sheet, press release, interviews and reviews (in order of importance for the reader’s waning attention.) Once you have your killer press kit assembled, keep only a handful on hand. You will find that you are updating the information regularly and want to present the most current package. Common pitfalls include giving too much information and not having clear contact information. If you have a tremendous amount to get across that’s great, but do it concisely. If something doesn’t add to your portrait as an artist, leave it out. Probably the mistake I see most often is a lack of contact information. Don’t make a promoter dig for a way to contact you. They won’t. Make this easy to find and easy to read. Good luck and have fun with your kit. Make it the best that you can and it will do a lot of the selling for you. sm w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t  inth et r e n c h e s Booker’s Beefs: Some Gigging No-No’s to Keep in Mind I By John Sollenberger ’ll never forget the time I subbed for the drummer of a notorious Southern California party band at a bar near San Diego. These guys were famous for doing stuff that would drive a booker nuts and gain the ire of club owners. They were only able to get away with it because they were historically a big draw. As we were setting up, the front man (a local legend for, shall we say, starting the party early) was already approaching three sheets to the wind. He set the suitcase carrying his accessories on the stage next to his mic stand and announced, “If I toss cookies, it’s going to be in there.” He then proceeded to play the entire gig sitting on a bar stool onstage. Those were the days. Fortunately for the health of the singer and the good of the band, they’ve toned down a bit, and they’re still working today. However, some players out there still haven’t quite gotten the message, leading to complaints from clients and venue owners, and causing bookers to drop them from the first-call list. I recently spoke to long-time L.A. area booking agent Denise Cogan, asking her about the kinds of no-no’s that can give bands unexpected weekends off. She emphasizes that, since most of her gigs are high-end casuals, “I really don’t have that many complaints these days since my club booking is now minimal, and the bands I run are pros and they are on time and do their job.” Drunk and/or Sloppy However, in the past she says that, besides the Not starting on time aforementioned drunken sloppiness, the laundry list Showing up with the wrong instrument(s) of complaints included, “not starting on time, showing up No instrument(s) with the wrong instrument, no Different band than what was originally booked instrument, completely different band that was originally Long and/or excessive breaks booked, long and/or excessive breaks, showing up with Showing up with improper attire improper attire, not showing at Not showing at all all, letting audience members l NO-NO Checklist ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ ¸ Letting audience members perform with the band Too loud Crappy PA when not provided by the venue Leap-frogging the booker 10 s i nger&musician June 2007 perform with the band, too loud, crappy PA when not provided by the venue, are some of the problems I have encountered over the years.” The issue of leap-frogging the booker is one that Cogan says she still does see from time to time. Acts sometimes try to make an endrun around the agent and cut their own future deals with clients. Taking work away from the agent can lead them to drop the band from their roster. “If an agent, entertainment director or booking person books you at a venue, private party, etc., you as an artist must respect their job and make sure you do not step on the toes of the booking person,” she says. “If someone comes up to you at a private event you need to refer the interested party back to the agent not hand out your cards or take the gig away from the agent. “The booking person makes 10 percent of the booking normally. That is NOT a lot of money if the artist is making 90 percent of the gig. So why take work away from the agent? If the agent books you several times through a client and you tell the client you will work for less and cut out the agent, this is just wrong.” While she says that this hasn’t happened very often, “I NEVER worked with that artist again or the client involved. Hope they could live with themselves.....and their dishonesty!” Cogan says that there are unscrupulous agents out there, but “I am totally honest with all of my bookings and even give the artists a chance to review my contracts so they know I am taking care of them financially and making sure all of their needs are taken care of for every event.” Bottom line: respect your profession and respect your booker. You’re better off in the long run. And save the fun and games for after the gig! sm Some players still haven’t quite gotten the message, leading to complaints from clients and venue owners, and causing bookers to drop them from the first-call list. lives o u n d1 0 1 Putting on the Using the power of compression for good, not evil By Bill Evans I n the last issue of Singer&Musician, I related the story of a live gig I did where I arrived to find a rack of compressors not even plugged in and how, because the sound guy copped to “not getting” compression, it was a good decision. Like reverb, a little compression can go a very long way and if you don’t understand it, you should not use it. What It Is When you hear a really great performer or band that understands—Gasp!—dynamics, they pull you into the song by going from soft to loud and back to soft again? Well, a compressor does just the opposite. It squeezes or “compresses” the dynamic range of an audio signal. In simple terms, it does so by lowering the louder parts of a performance allowing you to bring up the overall level and make the softer parts more closely match the loud parts. Think of it as a kind of automatic volume knob. Most compressors have five controls— Threshold, Ratio, Attack, Release and Output or Make-Up Gain. • Threshold determines at what level the compression kicks in. Signal below the threshold passes unaffected. • Ratio determines how much squeezing a signal gets. A ratio of 3:1 means that for every 12 s i nger&musician June 2007 • • • 3 dB of signal over the threshold, 1 dB of sound is allowed to pass. The higher the ratio, the more compression is being applied. Attack refers to how fast the compression kicks in and Release how quickly it lets go. When you apply compression, you will usually lower the overall gain as you are bringing the peaks down so Make-Up Gain allows you to get the level back to where you started. In general, the lower the ratio—the more natural the sound.Setting the ratio at less than 3:1 is often used to add “punch” or to “tighten” a performance or recorded track. (These are totally subjective terms and all but impossible to really define. Your best bet is to play with a compressor some and hear it for yourself.) Higher ratios are used to get the dynamics of a performance under control. Settings higher than 10:1 are called “limiting” and are most often used as system protection to keep “loud Larry” from blowing up your speakers. Sounds with hard transients like a snare drum need a slower attack to avoid cutting off the initial “crack” of the drum and making it sound unnatural. Fast attack and release— combined with a ratio over about 4:1—can result in “breathing” or “pumping.” This is when the loud sound is quickly compressed and then released and the subsequent sound passes under the threshold and does not get compressed. You can really hear the compressor working which is something you never want to happen. As a rep from a major high-end compressor maker once told me, “If you can hear a compressor working, it is set wrong or it’s broken.” livesound101 Squeeze When to Use It I am one of those guys who believes, “as little as possible” is always best, but it really depends on the act and the performance and what you are going for sound-wise. Really good players who really listen and adjust their playing to the others onstage with them don’t usually require compression. I recently asked the sound guy for Tower of Power, Ace Baker, what kind of compression he used on the horn section and he just wiggled his fingers. Those guys are so dialed in that they “compress” themselves. Two common uses for a compressor in a live setting are to get a soft singer, or one with a very wide dynamic range, up above a loud band. Another common use—one that sound guys will argue passionately about—is to put a good stereo compressor with a very light setting across the L-R outputs of the system to smooth things out a little bit. But this means you use a good (read expensive) compressor that brings something to the party in terms of tone. Typically we are talking about tube compressors here and they are not cheap. A compressor can be used to bring up a weak kick drum (but be aware that using a compressor to bring up a weak signal means you also bring up the noise floor) or to tame an out of control snare drum. It is almost always used on the bass and many bass amps have a compressor built in. (Be aware that any tube amp will produce a bit of “natural” compression—a big part of the tube sound.) As a guitarist, I have used a compressor to add sustain to a solo and even to send the guitar into feedback if that is the effect I am going for and I can’t crank the amp up enough to do it the natural way. Someone’s At the Gate Compressors are part of a class of devices known as “dynamics processors.” The other most common devices in this class are limiters which we already touched on and noise gates. A noise gate is used to clean up a “dirty” signal and keep the noise at bay during quiet moments or, more commonly, to “turn off” a mic when it is not being used so it does not pick up signal from other sources around it and muddy-up the whole sound. Drums—especially toms—are often gated so the mic is only feeding signal when the drum is actually hit. Again, be careful with the release settings to keep it from sounding unnatural. Also a gate on a lead vocal mic will help keep the drums out of that channel when the singer is not at the mic. There are a bunch of decent entry-level mixers—most notably from Yamaha—that have built-in “one-knob” compressors that allow you to dial in how much you want to squeeze the signal and through the magic of digital signal processing, it makes the other adjustments for you. There are also some very good compressors with presets for different kinds of inputs including the Presonus Blue Max and the TC Electronic C300. Those are good places to start if you are just starting to “get”compression. sm Compression has been evilly overused in recording—especially at the mastering stage resulting in Celine Dion actually being louder than AC/DC. Really. Go to the I Live to Play Network for links to some very interesting articles on this problem. LINKS www.ilivetoplay.net/celine www.ilivetoplay.net/everythinglouder w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 13 cov e r s to ry Tower Of Power— Still Funkin’ After (Almost) 40 Years By Bill Evans Photos by Linda Evans I t has become the mantra of indie music for the past decade-plus—you don’t need radio or a major label to make a living making music. It is one thing for folky and fringe artists to embrace this idea, but they are far from alone. In fact there are some folks who have known that for years and years. Take Oakland funk legends Tower of Power. As this issue of Singer&Musician goes to press they will be finishing up their 39th year as a working band. In that time they have had a couple of big hits—“So Very Hard To Go” and “You’re Still a Young Man”—and they have a hardcore fan base that buys the albums but this is a band that makes their living on the road. With four original members (and one almost original) still hitting the groove, the band still does somewhere in the range of 120 gigs a year. And they are still teaching those of us who are a little (in this case only a little) younger how it is done. When TOP was in Vegas recently, I took my entire band to see the show. If you have never seen them, you need to know that a good Tower show is like witnessing some kind of force of nature—both beautiful and savage in the same breathe. And this was a very good Tower show. At the end of the show, my sax player—who has been a pro for a long time and played with blues legend Ruth Brown for the last years of her life—looked at me very seriously and told me, “Thank you. I was schooled.” I was very fortunate to be able to spend some time with founding members Emilio Castillo (tenor sax, vocals and leader of the pack), David Garibaldi (drums) and Francis “Rocco” Prestia (bass) plus almost founding guitarist Bruce Conte before the show. Take your seats, class. The lesson is about to begin. IN THE BEGINNING So how did you guys first get together? EC: Me and Frank, we were in high school, we were actually in junior high together. And he started playing with our band when he was 15 years old. RP: I was 14, I was a freshman in high school. A friend of mine knew them and suggested to them that he knew a guitar player, which wasn’t the truth. EC: …I knew him and I liked him, and this guy Charlie Faulkner said, “He 14 s i nger&musician June 2007 cover story We basically jones for those times when we can get together and create music. that’s the stuff that really gets you off. —david Garibaldi plays guitar!” and I was like, “Oh, you’re kidding!” And I told the guys, I go, “This guy Frank plays guitar, and he’s pretty cool. He’s got really cool hair.” And that’s what we based our decision on. He’s a cool guy, and he’s got cool hair, and he came in and he played guitar, and he was the worst guitar player in the history of man. I mean, he could barely form a chord. It was like a week-long process for one chord. RP: See, I’d never played with anybody, so my interest in guitar…my mother would say, “It’s more like, ‘Johnny, come practice!’” It was a forced issue. EC: And then my dad hired this guy to come teach us once a week as a band. He was a fabulous guitar player. His name was Terry Saunders, he’s still in the Bay Area. And he would come once a week and teach us kids, as a band, how to play a song. So every week he’d come, he’d say, “What do you want to learn this week?” We go, “We dig this song by the Animals!” He’d go, “Boom. Here you go.” He’d teach us, you know? But the first thing he did when he came to meet us, he looked at him, and he’s got his guitar, he’s trying to make a chord, and he looks at me, and goes, “You need to play the bass.” And we all go, “What’s a bass?” And he goes, “Never mind. You need one.” That’s all he told us: “Never mind. You need one.” And within two weeks, he was eight times better on the bass than he was on guitar. I mean, he was just a natural on the bass. including Greg (Adams, brass), you know, Dave – Dave is probably more schooled than the rest of us. Some guys are schooled, but basically everybody just kinda does what they do, and it works. DOIN’ IT THE EAST BAY WAY RP: It is hard when you’re so spread out ‘cause you have to actually think about it, take the time to be together. It’s not like we’re all just next door and you can just hang, anything like that. But we’re older, we’ve all got families. But you talked about coming up and doing things the old-school way. Does the fact that you’re not all together now, does it make coming together a more precious thing? EC: Sometimes. [laughter] I mean, sometimes, it really is. And other times, it’s just like… RP: It’s a gig. DG: Yeah. You know, we’re flying in, we’re hitting the tour, we’re gonna play…we have a pretty wide range of songs that we can do, but still, it’s a certain amount of songs that we know. To change that takes a lot of work, a lot of time. You have to plan it out logistically. We basically jones for those times when we can get together and change the show, or get together and create music. That’s the stuff that really gets you off. And then, gig to gig, some nights we walk off and it’s just like, “Man, I love doing this. It’s a pleasure.” Everyone just feels like, “Man, we were burning last night.” Other times, Rocco, you’ve influenced an awful lot of bass players! RP: That’s what they tell me. Well, that’s very flattering and all, you know. It was never nothing planned. Like he said, I mean, it fell together that naturally. Nothing was ever really thought about it, you know. I mean, the people we had in our band from him on down, including Mick (Gillette, founding brass player), w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 15 cov e r s to ry Play with people. You can practice all day in the house, but if you play regularly with people, you will learn how to play music. —Emilio Castillo it’s like, “Eh, we did good last night. It was a good gig.” DG: The cool thing is, everybody has the same mentality coming and playing as good as they can every night. So it’s not like half the guys are phoning it in, half the guys are here. It’s a real unified effort in terms of bringing the music to people, so that part is really cool. EC: And also, we all want to be in the band. It’s not like an artist who has people that they hire. They might be thinking, “I can’t wait until I get to that gig next month when I’m back with so-and-so. I really dig THAT gig.” I mean, everybody really digs THIS gig. They really dig this music; that’s how they got in here. DG: There’s Tower 101 when the new people come in. There really is. They have to learn our way. Just because you grew up hearing the songs, it’s different than actually sitting down and playing with us. EC: Richard Elliot did a long stay here with Tower of Power. We had Mark Russo on alto, and he had left us to go to the Yellow Jackets, and we needed a strong player, and when they brought Richard’s first record –it was smooth jazz before smooth jazz was smooth jazz. So I listened to it, and I was going, “You know, I don’t know,” because Mark Russo was ferocious and he had gotten even more ferocious during his time with us. So Gene Vanno was our manager, and I said, “Tell the guy to come down” – we’re playing the Palomino; these were the hard times, you know? – so we’re down there, and I said, “Just tell him to come down, and I’ll take care of him. So he shows up, he’s all, “Hi, I’m Richard Elliot.” “Hey man, nice to meet ya. You got your horn?” He goes, “Uhh, yeah. Am I going to sit in?” “No, we’re going on now.” And he goes, “What?” And I go, “We’re going on now! Get your horn out.” And he goes, “I don’t know any of the charts!” And I go, “You’re never going to 16 s i nger&musician June 2007 learn them if we don’t go now.” I get him up there and he doesn’t know any parts at all, and I say, “And this tune, you gotta do this step.” I start showing him dance steps. The guy had never danced or done any kind of showmanship at all. So we had all these dance steps, and I’m teaching him these dance steps and he doesn’t even know the charts yet, and he went from being that person to just being this incredible showman. He’s really into stage theatrics and all this stuff, and he got that here. I remember at the time, the horn section was also doing Huey Lewis & the News, and the manager of Huey Lewis & the News told us even though Mark Russo is leaving the horn section, we want him to do this gig. And we said, “We don’t think you understand. This is OUR horn section. This is not YOUR horn section. And whoever I say is going to be in the first tenor or alto chair, that’s who’s gonna be in it.” And so the guy took a real hardline stance. He says, “If Mark Russo’s not in the gig, then we don’t want the horns.” And to his surprise, we said, “Fine!’ And about three days later, he come and his look – “OK! We’ll see what this Richard guy is like, but if he’s not as good…” Well, inside of two weeks, they were like, “Man, this guy Richard is AWESOME!” So, people just grow here. They come into their own, and they don’t get in unless they really dig the music. TIPS FROM THE MASTERS Any words of advice? Besides “Don’t do it”? RP: Just off the top of my head, it’s like being in the sandbox; learn to play well with others. You know, get your attitude right, just don’t give up, keep going. EC: I’ll tell you what Doc would say if he were here, what he says at every clinic. He says, “It’s better to be sharp than to be flat. It’s better to rush than to drag.” And what I say at every clinic is, “Play with people. You can practice all day in the house, but if you play regularly with people, you will learn how to play music. As a band, how to express yourself.” And also, “Play before people,” because there is nothing like—I mean, with these guys, we’ll learn something, say, “You guys want to do it tonight?” “Ahh, let’s give it another day.” We’ll “another day” it for a week. And then I say, “You know what? We’re going to rehearse this thing at sound check today and we’re hanging it out there tonight, fellas.” As soon as it gets out there in front of the crowd, it all falls together. RP: I’ve talked to a lot of guys coming up— either guitar, bass, drums, or whatever—and they’ll talk about, “Man, my drummer this,” or “Man, my bass player…” And I said, “First off, you’ve got the wrong attitude. Stop right there. That’s not the way to communicate.” Communication is a give and take, and you gotta learn that young or you’re not going to be able to grow if you don’t. DG: I don’t think we’ve ever had discussions as a band where we were telling each other, “I don’t dig the way you play.” RP: Yeah, but I know guys that do. DG: People go there. I mean, I think that’s part of the reason why we can play together because we don’t go there. RP: Yeah, we respect each other. DG: We play the way we play. We play together… EC: Though we have said, many times, “I don’t dig the way I play.” [laughter] “I played lousy tonight..” That’s gone on a lot! DG: But we don’t have that thing where we’re saying, “Here is where the group is; you have to be...” We don’t do that. HV: That “f*#% you” attitude. DG: Just never do that. sm feat ure story Paying Up and Getting Paid T he kiss was nice, but the slap that came right after was, well, less nice. We are speaking metaphorically of course and referring to a pair of rulings that came out of Washington recently. One directly affects indie musicians positively and the other has the potential to have a very large negative impact on those who rely on non-mainstream broadcasters (read: Internet radio) to get their stuff heard. Remember Alan Freed? When one talks of payola, visions of the iconic Alan Freed pop into mind. Freed, disc jockey, concert promoter and the man that gave “rock ‘n’ roll” it’s appropriate moniker, was accused of taking money for airplay. He most certainly was not the only one and the attempts to stamp out the practice of “pay for play” only made the participants cover their tracks a little better. The practice has continued even with periodic attempts to rein it in. In the ‘70s, it was not uncommon for a new record to be given to a DJ with a little bag of Bolivian Marching Powder inside. In the ‘80s it was independent “consultants” who became the gateway to the airwaves. You want to get on the radio? Better By Jake Kelly hire one of these guys to make sure it happens. And the issue is being addressed again but the massive consolidation of radio station ownership that has taken place in the past two decades have made the stakes higher than ever. Unlike the days of Mr. Freed, the lock that a record company has on a slot on the radio is not just one station in one small town (or just one big city, for that matter). Record companies and consultants don’t deal with radio stations, they deal with their corporate parents—and radio stations have been bought up by conglomerates at a staggering rate. The following counts of stations owned by the four biggest media conglomerates is approximate but still fairly chilling: CBS Radio Inc., 180 stations, Entercom Communications Corp., 108; Citidel Broadcasting Corp., 225 and Clear Channel Communications owns more than 1,100 stations. An approximation of the total of all stations is 1630, but the exact number would be hard to pin down due the high number of stations be bought and sold by these chains on seemingly a daily basis. Independent artists and small record labels had all but given up trying to break the stranglehold major labels had on the major radio stations. While payola used to mean a LP jacket filled with a few bills to grease the turntable, now labels could use their vast resources to supply those who oversee the airwaves. After all, not many independent labels could afford to fly music programmers on junkets across the country or provided Christmas gifts of mp3 players made by the record label’s parent company to them during the holidays. It should be noted that the FCC does not have any jurisdiction over record labels, but radio on the other hand... But officer… The light at the end of the tunnel was announced to the world on March 5 with the word of a settlement of the government investigation into payola allegations. Without admitting wrongdoing (not unlike our willingness to pay speeding fines even though “we weren’t doing anything wrong”), the big four radio chains agreed to pay a collective sum of $12.5 million in fines. But, more importantly to the independent artist, the big four also agreed to open up their airwaves to “8,400 half-hour segments” over the next three years, according to March 6th, 2007 L.A. Times. This is due in part to the efforts of an organization called the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) and one of its board members, Peter Gordon, who also heads an independent label called Thirsty Ear Recordings. Thirsty Ear released a Grammy continued on page 22 Will This Kill SAM’s iRadio? By the time you read this, it may be old news, but at press time it was still unclear as to what affect the new royalty rates for Webcasters would have on Singer&Musician’s popular iRadio station (www.iRadio.ws) and similar stations who support Independent Art. Although iRadio is a FREE service offered by Singer&Musician and the iLiveToPlay Network to help expose the music being created by our readers and site users, it is already quite expensive to operate. While we support anything that benefits Indie Artists, the fact is, we’ve been paying to BMI, ASCAP and SESAC since day one and we know of not one artist who has received their cut. We anticipate the same will be true under the new ruling as many Indie Artists aren’t even aware of the procedure they need to follow to receive their due dollars. In addition, by making the new rates retroactive, the CRB is throwing a huge, unexpected business expense that is sure to cause many smaller stations to pull the plug. To support stations of all size and further promote the web radio concept, Singer&Musician has joined with other Webcasters through www.SaveNetRadio.org to establish royalty rates that reward the artist without bankrupting the very stations that play the music. How can you help? Start by writing your elected officials in Washington, and look for further updates on the Indie News Blog at www.iLiveToPlay.net—ral w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 17 now p l ayi ng o nir a d i o iRadio – The Best of the Independent Artists 24/7 By R.A. Lindquist W e’ve been getting slammed with new and recent releases and have added many new tracks. Here are just a few of the artists now in rotation: The Burns Sisters—This CD is a spectrum of styles that runs from traditional folk to country, with lots of sparkling colors in between. Our lead off pick for the iRadio playlist is “Nowhere To Fall,” a mellow folk-rock piece that emphasizes the three sisters’ excellent voices and harmonies. Rachael Sage—Rachael is a well-established iRadio regular with several tracks in rotation. She consistently releases CDs that are fresh and full of surprises. The Blistering Sun, is no exception—it’s a collection of well-written, well-performed songs with tons of punch, topnotch production and snappy horn parts. Tune in and hear “Lonely Street,” a fine example of Rachael’s artistry. Patrice Pike—You saw Patrice last summer on Rock Star SuperNova and then on the cover of the Singer&Musician December ‘06 Issue. Now you can hear her CD Unraveled, on iRadio. The CD features a strong dose of raw, vocal driven rock mixed with an excellent electric ballads and R&B. iRadio adds “Rufus” and the title cut “Unraveled” to the rotation. Malea McGuiness—Malea has a gracious sound that fits a variety of musical styles. Most of the songs on this CD are backed with minimal instrumentation, allowing Malea’s vocals to really shine. We picked the song “I Never Cry” for its hooky vocals and an intro that is reminiscent of “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” and the track “Dreamer,” just because we really liked it. Jake Kelly—Yes, it is the same Jake Kelly whose byline appears in Singer&Musician. And no, he didn’t get a free pass. His new album is traditional country/rockabilly with a straight forward, genuine approach, but with lyrics that are slightly askew. Our pick, “It Must Be Love,” is a ballad with a twist of Jimmy Buffett and a splash of ‘50s flair. KC Clifford—We almost took a pass on KC’s “Teeth-Marks On My Tongue”—not because it isn’t good, but because it sounded like so many other acoustic female singer/songwriters. That is, until we hit track seven, “Yellow Haired 18 s i nger&musician June 2007 Girl.” It was at that point that we realized that KC has one of the most sweet yet powerful rock voices awaiting discovery. She sounds good no matter what she sings, but when she cuts loose, she sounds great. Rated X for X-plosive! Shawn Hlookoff (say Ha-Loo-Koff)—This 22-year-old Canadian has come out of the gate with a mix of well-crafted, acoustic and electric pop tunes, and ballads that are,to say the least, addictive. His lyrics are often thoughtprovoking, and delivered with a voice that is dynamic and very genuine. Very well done. The Red Button—Recording a CD of new material with an authentic ‘60’s sound has the potential to be a disaster. Had these guys missed the mark by even a nanopickle, this project would have been nothing more than a laughable embarrassment. But (whew!), they didn’t. In fact, if you shuffle this CD into the player with Herman Hermits, Peter & Gordon, The Beatles, or Chad & Jeremy discs, I doubt anyone born after 1970 would notice. Hum-able choruses, reverse tape loops, Rhodes piano runs, a little “sha-la-la”… it’s got it all. There’s even go-go boots on the cover. We went with the title cut “She’s About To Cross My Mind.” Mad Agnes—Mark, Margo and Adrienne (collectively, Mad Agnes) always give you more than you expect and their new CD, Revenants, stays true to that tradition. Fourteen tracks in all with an excellent balance between instrumentation and lyric lines where both get plenty of room to shine. It’s new millennium folk at its very best: songs written and sung from the heart with great harmonies and tight playing. In addition, the included color booklet has all the lyrics, a short description of each tune and some fun pix. It’s always nice to give back, but in a marketing sense, this is a far better way for your audience to get to know you better one-on-one. Oh, Track #1, “Chocolate,” was our pick for iRadio. Samplers and Compilations New Arrivals—This sampler from mpress records not only overflows with very mpressive music, but 100% of the proceeds go to the Artists Against Hunger & Poverty charity. Most everything on this CD is strong, so to introduce it to the iRadio audience we selected the five tracks. “Stronger” by Miela Paula stands out with a passionate in-your-face vocal backed by a killer band. “Sail The Sea,” by Gregory Douglas, is a poppy, piano driven ditty that’s hard to get out of your head. On “Dark Stranger,” Kristy Krueger’s intensely interesting and not-so-innocent voice draws you in and traps you like a web. Listening to The Divine MAGgees, “Little Black Crow,” is like a long walk on glorious spring day—it’s something that you feel as much as hear. And, Todd Car’s, “Photograph” is a magical rhythmic mix of solo guitar with an excellent vocal track. For more information on this sampler, visit www. mpressrecords.com Falcon Ridge Production We picked up a copy of this Artist Sampler at Folk Alliance in Memphis and were instantly taken by the exceptional talent and diversity under the Falcon Ridge banner. Here are two examples: “Modern Man”—If you’re serious about Folk music, you’re talkin’ to the wrong man. This is the stuff that keeps that mighty wind blowin’ and reminds us that some of the genre’s most time-proven hits were on the sillier side. “Like A River” is prime example. Dust Poets—“I Married A Magician,” features a whimsical storyline poetically told over a background that sounds like a melted down variation of Bluegrass. The vocals are sweet as cotton candy and the story is fun. These irreverent musicians from Canada have that “period piece” thing down pat. That’s it for now. Remember, the iRadio playlist constantly evolves, if you keep listening, we’ll keep doing our part to help Indie Artists get the exposure they deserve. sm “Are You Still There?” As you’ve probably read in this issue, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) has issued the significantly higher new royalty rates for Internet radio for the 2006-2010 period (see the article by Jake Kelly in this issue, and to see how these new rulings will effect stations like iRadio and visit www.live365. com/choice/musicians.html). As the new rates are based on the number of listeners per song, our streaming service (Live 365) will send periodic “Are You Still There” prompts. If you’re not, and the prompt is ignored, your broadcast will stop and you’ll need to relaunch when you return. It’s not unlike your dad turning off the lights when you’re not in your room, except sometimes you’re still in the room and have to say “hey, I’m here!”  w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 19 Son g B yr d “Welcome to Star School, Dawg!” By R.A. Lindquist R egardless of how you perceive American Idol, it has become one of those television phenoms that gets far more attention than any TV show deserves. It has spawned countless Web sites (good, bad and ugly) and been poked at by numerous comedians and talk show hosts (If you don’t like it—turn the channel!). While most fans of the show are quite content to restrict their attention to watching the show, and then chatting about it at the water cooler the next morning, others just can’t seem to get enough of it. While there’s a certain point where you have to draw the line and say “Hey, get a life”, the fact remains that the show’s formula works and works very well. Reality Show or Singing Contest? How you perceive American Idol is a matter of which side of the camera you are on. To Simon, Randy and Paula, it is a singing contest, and they do a great job of selling it as such. To others, and I include myself in this group, it’s a reality show. Some argue that the selection process is flawed and that many of the best singers never even make it to the audition. In the real world, people—even high paid producers—don’t always get it right. Reality sometimes, well, sucks. Others accuse the show’s producers of exploiting the contestants by sealing them into airtight contracts and stealing their first years’ earnings. Again, a shot of reality—I doubt there’s a single struggling artist who reads this publication who wouldn’t gladly give up a good chunk of their early earnings to get the kind of long-term career boost that exposure on American Idol offers. (How do you feel about this? Would you give up half your earnings for up to five years to to perform on stage in front of millions of people in over 100 countries – simultaneously? – Vote now – go to Bill’s Blog at www.iLiveToPlay.net!) But this is not as much an article about American Idol as it is about what one of the key, behind the scenes, people has to do with it’s success. Meet Byrd If it has anything to do with singing or performing, Debra Byrd (known as “Byrd”) has done it (her full bio is at www.debrabyrd.com) With a natural gift for vocal artistry, Byrd brings American Idol and Canadian Idol hopefuls a vast knowledge of musical expression and performing experience. Just as American Idol was entering its “Final 12” phase in the sixth season, I had a chance to chat with Byrd and get a better sense of the transformation process as these everyday, average “kids” become “American Idols.” RAL: Your credentials and accomplishments speak for themselves but in this business, there’s a lot of “right place-right time” opportunities and sometimes it’s just a matter of luck. How did you get the gig with American Idol? 20 s i nger&musician June 2007 S on g Byrd Byrd: The first season’s music director, Kevin Bassinson, phoned me while I was coming back from doing a demo for Diane Schurr’s CD with Barry Manilow and said “I’m working on a new TV show and they need a vocal coach.” He kept saying, “You won’t be performing, but coaching people on TV.” At the time I was working on a book called Vocal Help Now!, which came about after the last Broadway show I did (Bring Da Noise, Bring In Da Funk), which had been so vocally taxing that I said ‘I need to write all this stuff down.’ So I thought, well, this gig will be good and I’ll get some new things to add to the book.’ So I said to him, “I don’t know what American Idol is, but count me in.” RAL: At the beginning of each season, the focus is on the selection process—the judges RAL: Obviously, the contestants receive substantial training on television etiquette, such as keeping the mic away from their faces and playing to the camera. But what will happen when they get out on to a live concert stage and have to deal with sound techs screaming for them to the exact opposite? Byrd: I say to them, “Know where you are when you perform.” Television has one sensibility—one of the things that threw me as a performer of concerts was that the microphone was so far away and it really bothered me—it made me physically want to hunch my shoulders to lean over. When you’re singing live, you can get closer to it and there’s not that visual restriction. It’s all about being aware of where you are when you perform. It’s where your next blessing will come from. The world is watching. RAL: What are the most common vocal problems you encounter when working the contestants on Idol or your established clients? BYRD: Overuse – dehydration – lack of technique – they’ve learned how to sing incorrectly and I have to steer them toward “right singing.” We all have basically the same vocal problems—none of us want to do any vocal damage so we seek out and people who can help preserve our livelihoods. RAL: Do you deal with these problems on the Vocal Help Now DVD? Byrd: Yes, and I also deal with nerves and stress. I met this young lady who had been here in L.A. auditioning for about one month. I asked What people don’t understand is that little kids find their favorites and little kids vote forever and ever, but adults won’t do it. set up shop in major cities and audition the contestants for the competition, but there are thousands of contestants and very few ever even get into audition—what does it take to get to first base? Byrd: I look at it like Broadway show auditions—when you show up for a Broadway show, they sort of know what they are looking for. I’ve never been to an audition, but it’s my understanding that those hoards you see on television go through a screening process where they sing in small groups for the producers, and then are put through to Ken Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producers, who have the final say on who gets to go before Paula, Randy and Simon. RAL: What are some of the initial things you work on with the contestants? Byrd: When you see them in groups of three is when we (Byrd and Michael Orland) start working with them so they can continue the auditioning process, and we stay involved all the way through the finale. The contestants select what they want to sing from a “cleared” list. We then have to figure out what key they are going to sing it in and we have to cut it down to their length of a minute thirty. We cannot choose the song for them– they have to choose their own songs. People used to stop me on the street and say, “This show is fixed, so-and-so should not be moving forward,” and they’d be very passionate about it and I would say to the passionate person who stopped me, “Did you vote?” and they always would say “No.” How can you say it’s fixed, if you don’t vote? What people don’t understand is that little kids find their favorites and little kids vote forever and ever, but adults won’t do it. a lot to learn—I tell them ‘Welcome to ‘Star School’ and part of Star School is learning how to perform in different venues. RAL: How do you teach them to deal with Stage Fright? Byrd: These people don’t have stage fright—there is a courage that comes with being critiqued in front of millions of people that is absolutely amazing. For someone to tell you that you’re not good in front of millions of people—that’s hard, it’s just hard. RAL: When a contestant realizes that they’ve made it about as far as they are going to, how do you keep them up—keep them doing their best? Byrd: The phrase I use is “There is life after American Idol.” I want them to be mindful of how they present themselves to the planet— American Idol is shown all over the world —in 100 countries, or so I’m told—offers come from all around the planet. You just never know her to be on the DVD and present herself as if she was auditioning. She showed up to do this on camera and auditioned a song she knows backwards and forwards. So she gets on front of the camera and can’t, for the life of her, remember the words—she kept saying “I’m so nervous, I’m so nervous.” I said, ‘Okay, let’s deal with your nerves and stress.’ It freaked her out because she knew the song, and we see this on American Idol all the time—You see it on camera. I said to her, “Did you even prepare in the car? Did you sing before you got here? She said “No, because I know this song.” I deal with how you prepare to present yourself to people. How you prepare for the audition. I talk about what you do before the audition, what you do at the audition and what you do after your audition. People don’t even think in terms of that. You don’t just show up, there are things you have to do before you get there. sm Byrd with American Idol Executive Producers, Nigel Lythgoe and Ken Warwick. w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 21 feat u r e s t o ry Paying Up and Getting Paid continued from page 17 nominated album by the band Sex Mob, but was unable to get a sizable amount of airtime on commercial radio. The airtime that radio will now give independent labels and artists, pending approval by FCC panel of commissioners, will be between the more listened to hours of 6 a.m. and midnight rather than the late night and Sunday evening hours the stations had set aside for independent music in the past.  But the very next day a dark cloud moved over the briefly sunny landscape of the independent artist.  The Copyright Royality Board made a ruling, as petitioned by SoundExchange, to retroactively increase the rates paid to artist and labels for streaming music on line back to 2006. It also ends the discounted fee for small Internet broadcasters. SoundExchange is a branch of the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), whose members are the major record labels. They, among other things, lobby Washington to protect their member’s interest, their investor’s investments, and supposedly the interest of the artists signed to their label. 22 s i nger&musician June 2007 At first glance, artists being paid for play (a reversal!) might seem like a boon to the independent artists. Unfortunately, the additional fees are likely to shut down some smaller outlets which are already running on a shoestring. According to the Radio And Internet Newsletter (RAIN), the ruling also affects the larger, more profitable broadcasters that stream content over the Internet as well. According to Jake Ward, a spokesperson for the SaveNetRadio campaign (www. SaveNetRadio.org), “The CRB’s ill informed decision to increase royalty fees to this unjustifiable level will quite simply bankrupt most webcasters and destroy Internet radio,— Radio on the Internet is not a passing fad or for a niche audience. It is an enormously popular medium that offers unprecedented diversity for its more than 70 million listeners and for artists. Particularly for independent artists, Internet radio has the ability to reach millions of fans across the country who would otherwise never hear their music. Net radio has changed the way people listen to, buy, promote and market music and we cannot afford to let it die.” But the difference lies in how much money the stations bring in. Giants like Clear Channel, which will also pay the higher fees, which are based on the average number of listeners. Smaller Internet stations bring in a tiny percentage of ad profits of what a streaming and conventional radio station might bring in. It should be noted that Internet radio (when done legally, like the iLivetoPlay Network’s iRadio) pays fees to the songwriters and publishers and to the labels and artists. Commercial radio does not pay royalties to labels or artists. Commercial radio has been exempt from paying these performance fees claiming that airplay is free promotion for the record. This ruling addresses only Internet radio, and not commercial broadcast radio. “The CRB’s ill informed decision to increase royalty fees to this unjustifiable level will quite simply bankrupt most Webcasters and destroy Internet radio” What’s It All About? Could it be that the labels, facing decreasing profits as CD sales continue to plummet and down loading—both legal and not— is on the rise (Apple just announced they had sold 100 million iPods and are closing in on two billion songs downloaded from its iTunes Music Store and the New York Times recently reported that music-buying habits have changed to the point that individual song purchases outnumber album sales by 19-to-1), are looking at increasing the fee on Internet radio as a way to open the door and start imposing these fees on broadcast radio? The Copyright board rejected ideas of a “metric” or a revenue-based flat rate (one of 5% was suggested at the hearing by Kurt Hanson of AccuRadio, LLC on behalf of small commercial Web-casters), but went with the RIAA recommendation of pays per spin (per listener). The comparison being electricity costs the same for all business regardless of how small or big they are. Quoting Jake Ward, “The CRB’s failure to reconsider its ill-informed and flawed March 2nd royalty rate increase for webcasters will devastate Internet radio. The panel’s ruling was certainly disappointing, though unfortunately not surprising. By casually dismissing the importance of better understanding the impact of their ruling, the CRB reaffirmed the need for immediate Congressional action. The SaveNetRadio campaign will now take the fight for the future of Internet radio and music diversity on the Internet to Capitol Hill and with the support of millions of listeners, hundreds of thousands of artists and tens of thousands of Webcasters, we believe our message will be heard and Net radio saved.” All this comes at a time when the idea of global wi-fi is a few short years away, and cellular coverage is already here. When Internet radio can be picked up in your car as you’re driving across the country with no signal loss, the line between conventional broadcast radio and Internet streaming becomes thin or disappears altogether. sm 24/7studio The Magic of Monitoring A very important part of your home studio is the monitor system—speakers, power amp and room acoustics. This system tells you what your end listener will hear. Ideally, it lets you accurately hear what you’re doing to the recorded sound. The power amp strengthens your mixer signal to drive the monitor speakers, and the speakers convert the power amp’s electrical signal into sound. Your room acoustics affect the sound from the speakers. A quality monitor system is a must if you want your mixes to sound good. According to what you hear, you adjust the mix and judge your mic techniques. Clearly, the monitor by Bruce Bartlett system affects the settings of many controls on your mixer, as well as your mic selection and placement. And all those settings affect the sound you’re recording. So, using inadequate monitors can result in poor-sounding mixes coming out of your studio. For example, if your monitors are weak in the bass, you will tend to boost the bass in the mix until it sounds right over those monitors. But when that mix is played over speakers that have adequate bass, the mix will sound too bassy because you boosted the bass on your mixer. So, using monitors with weak bass results in bassy recordings; using monitors with exaggerated treble results in dull recordings, and so on. In general, colorations in the monitors will be inverted in your recorded mixes. That’s why it’s so important to use an accurate monitor system -- one with a wide, smooth frequency response. Such a system lets you hear exactly what you recorded. Look for a frequency response of at least 70 Hz to 15 kHz +/- 3 dB. A response lower than 70 Hz and higher than 15 kHz is even better, and a response deviation less than +/- 3 dB is also better. Low distortion is necessary because it lets you listen to the speaker for a long time without your ears hurting. A good spec might be: Total harmonic distortion under 3% from 70 Hz to 20 kHz at 90 dB SPL. NEARFIELD MONITORS A nearfield monitor (Figure 1) is a small, wide-range speaker typically using an 8” or 6” woofer and a dome tweeter. You place a pair of them about 3 or 4 feet apart, on stands just behind the mixer, about 3 or 4 feet from you. Because the speakers are close to your ears, you hear more of the speakers’ sound and less of the room acoustics. Plus, nearfield monitors sound very clear and provide sharp stereo imaging. Most nearfield monitors have enough bass to sound full when placed far from walls. Although most nearfields lack deep bass, they can be supplemented with a subwoofer. Or you can check the mix occasionally with headphones that have deep bass, such as the Sony MDR-7506. Some nearfields are in a satellite-subwoofer format. The two satellite speakers are small units, typically including a 4-inch woofer and 3/4-inch dome tweeter. The satellites are too small to produce deep bass, but that is handled by Figure 1: A nearfield monitor speaker. the subwoofer. It is a single cabinet with one or two large woofer cones. Typically, the subwoofer (sub) produces frequencies from 100 Hz down to 40 Hz or below. Since we do not localize sounds below about 100 Hz, all the sound seems to come from the satellite speakers. The sub-satellite system is more complicated to set up than two larger speakers, but offers deeper bass. POWERED (ACTIVE) MONITORS Many nearfield monitors have a power amplifier built in. You feed them a linelevel signal (labeled Monitor Out) from your mixer. Most powered monitors are biamplified: they have one amplifier for the woofer and another for the tweeter. Compared to passive monitors with a separate power amp, active monitors tend to sound louder and clearer, and have a flatter frequency response. THE POWER AMPLIFIER If your monitor speakers are not powered, you need a w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 23 24/ 7s t u d i o Figure 2: A power amplifier. power amplifier (Figure 2). It boosts your mixer’s line-level signal to a higher power in order to drive the speakers. A power amp of 50 watts per channel continuous is about the minimum for nearfield monitors; 150 watts is better. Too much power is better than too little because an underpowered system is likely to clip or distort. This creates high frequencies that can damage tweeters. A good monitor power amp has distortion under 0.05% at full rated power. It should have a high damping factor -- at least 100 -- to keep the bass tight. The amp should be reliable. Look for separate level controls for left and right channels. The amplifier should have a clip or peak light that flashes when the amp is distorting. SPEAKER CABLES AND POLARITY When you connect the power amp to the speakers, use short, thick speaker cable or lamp cord—at least 16 gauge. The low resistance of these cables helps the power amplifier to control the speaker motion and tighten the bass. If you wire the two speakers in opposite polarity, one speaker’s cone moves out while the other speaker’s cone moves in. This causes vague stereo imaging, weak bass, and a strange sense of pressure on your ears. Be sure to wire the speakers in the same polarity as follows: In both channels, connect the amplifier positive (+ or red) terminal to the speaker positive (+ or red) terminal. ROOM ACOUSTICS The acoustics of the control room affect the sound of the speakers. If your room has bare, hard walls, sound waves from the speakers reflect off those surfaces. That can muddy the sound and smear the stereo imaging. Get a 4 ft. x 4 ft. piece of convoluted (bumpy) acoustic foam, and attach it to the wall behind the speakers to absorb sound. Spread some more 4x8 pieces around the walls, starting with a pair on the side walls, halfway between the speakers and your listening position. The foam absorbs mid-to-high frequencies. You also need some “bass traps” to absorb the low frequencies. For a cheap bass trap, get some rolls of fiberglass insulation (factory-covered in plastic) and stack them from floor to ceiling in each corner of the room. Some suppliers of studio acoustic absorbers are tubetrap.com, realtraps.com, 24 s i nger&musician June 2007 acousticalsolutions.com, primacoustic.com, auralex.com, acousticsfirst.com, wallmate. net, illbruck-sonex.com, rpginc.com, and fstechnologies.com. Also check out www. ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html. In most home or project studios, the control room is the same room as the studio. You can monitor with headphones while recording, and monitor with speakers during playback and mixdown. a good tonal balance sounds like. Listen to the amount of bass, midrange, and treble, and try to match those in your mixes. Use CDs with the same musical genre and instrumentation as your mix. You’ll mix the tracks to sound good on your accurate monitors. But also check the mix on small inexpensive speakers to see whether anything is missing or whether the mix changes drastically. Make sure that bass instruments are recorded with enough edge or midrange to be audible on the smaller speakers. It’s a good idea to make a cassette or CD copy of the mix for listening in a car, boom box, or compact stereo. SPEAKER PLACEMENT Mount your speakers on stands at ear height so the mixer doesn’t block their sound. For best stereo imaging, align the speaker drivers vertically and mount the speakers symmetrically with respect to the side walls. Place the two speakers as far apart as you’re sitting from them; aim them toward you, and sit exactly between them (Figure 3). To get the smoothest lowfrequency response, put the speakers along the shorter wall, at least 2 feet from the wall, and sit forward of the halfway point in the room. The closer to the wall the monitors are, the more Figure 3: bass you hear. In small rooms Recommended you might have to place the monitor placement monitors against the wall, which for best stereo will exaggerate the bass. Some imaging. monitors have switches that vary the amount of lows (bass) and highs (treble). That’s a good feature because CONCLUSION it partly compensates for speaker placement and Ultimately, what you hear from the monitors room acoustics. influences your recording techniques and affects the quality of your recordings. So work on your USING THE MONITORS control-room acoustics, choose and place the When you do a mixdown, try to listen at speakers carefully, monitor at proper levels and a moderate level around 85 dB SPL. You can listen on several systems. You’ll be rewarded with measure SPL (Sound Pressure Level) with a Radio a monitor system you can trust. sm Shack SPL meter. If you mix a program while monitoring loudly, say, 100 dB SPL, the same program will sound weak in the bass and treble Bruce Bartlett is an audio journalist and when heard at a lower listening level -- which is recording engineer. His latest books are likely in the home. Another reason to avoid loud Recording Music On Location and Practical monitoring is to protect your hearing. Recording Techniques 4th Edition published by Before doing a mix, play some commercial Focal Press. CDs over your monitors to remind yourself what 24/7studio w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 25 26 s i nger&musician June 2007 bu y er’sguide Powered Speakers P owered speakers have been around since at least the early ‘70s but really started to come into vogue about a decade ago. What do we mean by powered speakers? We mean speaker cabinets that have the amp or amps built into the same enclosure as the drivers. You do not hook them up to the output of an amp, they connect directly to the output of a mixer. But, Why? Anytime you introduce or change a variable in the signal chain, you create a potential for changing the sound quality. The sound of a speaker can change subtly depending on the kind of cable you use to hook it up as can the length of said cable (the longer the cable the more energy is lost before it reaches the driver). Changing amps can make a very audible difference. In a multi-way system, where you set the crossover is crucial. By putting all of that into one box and purpose-building it to work together you eliminate variables. When you put everything together you get a powered or “active” enclosure. Speaker makers who are fanatical about sound quality and—especially consistency of sound from one cabinet to another—have been doing powered enclosures for a long time. Highest on this list is probably Meyer Sound followed directly by Spain’s D.A.S. In the past decade pretty much everyone has come out with some kind of powered speaker but they have been at it all along. Having said that, the company that made powered speakers the norm among many working musicians and small soundcos was Mackie with the SRM 450. You have seen these ubiquitous gray boxes everywhere and I don’t know of a sound guy anywhere who has not owned at least one pair at some point in time. And once their popularity was set, JBL made the EON which grew into MPro and most recently the VP series. E-V made powered Eliminator models. FBT moved in from Italy and ISP came out of Michigan with some new amp technology that made boatloads of difference in sound quality. Indeed, it is tough today to think of a company that makes speakers for the MI market that does not do powered at least as an option. So, Why Not? Some sound guys will point to a loss of flexibility. These pros know how one speaker sounds with a certain amp and mix and match to get the sound they are looking for. Having crossover and delay (not delay as in echo, this is about getting the sound from different drivers in a multi-way system to reach the listener at the same time) set inside the cabinet takes away the ability to tweak what the manufacturer recommends and I know people who make a good living traveling around to soundcos and venues and measuring various aspects of their sound then tweaking the crossover and delay setting to optimize the audio quality. The setting used after the critical measurement are often quite different from those suggested by the manufacturer. Next con is weight. A cabinet with speakers and an amp inside is going to weigh significantly more than a passive speaker cabinet, there is really no way around it. Lugging powered speakers can be a chore. The other thing some opponents to the active approach point to is the ability to access a problem amp in a flown system. When you are using an active cabinet By Bill Evans and everything is up in the air and one amp in one cabinet fails, you are looking at a nightmare of lowering everything, troubleshooting it and then getting it back in the air as opposed to just switching out an amp on the ground. But the truth here is that if you are flying speakers then you are probably reading the magazine I edit as my day gig, not Singer&Musician. Putting hundreds of pounds of electronics above the heads of an audience is an activity best left to real pros. What To Look For First there is a move afoot to add digital processing and networking to powered speakers. This charge is currently being led by Renkus-Heinz who has announced that all future models of their enclosures will include their DSP/networking package dubbed RHAON. Remember, the audio world is getting increasingly digital—even at the musician level. So this is something to consider if you are hoping your new powered speakers will maintain their value over a reasonable period of time. The next big thing to look for is accuracy of the sound. Just like a Shure SM58 mic has that well-known “presence bump” in the midrange, many active speakers are “tuned” (or use some form of processing or EQ) so that they sound good in the music store. Always audition any speakers using your own input—be that a CD or an iPod or whatever. Listen to something you are very familiar with and see if it sounds like you expect it to. If it doesn’t then your show won’t sound like you think it should either. At least not until you take the processing magic into account. Turn the page to see a rundown of some of the units available on the market today. w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 27 bu ye r ’ sg u i d e COMPANY WEB MODEL DRIVERS B-52 Professional www.B-52Pro.com Matrix-1000V2 2 x 10 mids,1 Titanium HF driver on Elliptical Wave Guide 1 x 15” subwoofer B-52 Professional www.B-52Pro.com Matrix-2000 18” Sub, 12”Satellite mids, Titanium HF Driver BEHRINGER www.behringer.com EUROLIVE B415DSP 15” woofer and a 1.75” titanium driver DS-115A Neodymium magnet 15” low frequency speaker with a 3” voice coil. Neodymium 1” exit compression driver with 1.75” titanium diaphragm, coupled to a constant directivity horn that is integral to the enclosure baffle D.A.S. Audio s.a. www.dasaudio.com D.A.S. Audio s.a. www.dasaudio.com COMPACT-2 All the transducers in the system feature Neodymium magnets for low weight. LF: 15” low frequency speaker with 4” voice coil. MF: 10” horn-loaded cone loudspeaker, HF: 1.5” exit compression driver with 4” titanium diaphragm, coupled to a constant directivity horn which is mounted coaxially to the woofer. D.A.S. Audio s.a. www.dasaudio.com SM-12A 12” LF with a 3” voice coil. Neodymium compression driver with1.5” exit and 3” titanium diaphragm coupled to a narrow dispersion horn. D.A.S. Audio s.a. www.dasaudio.com SML-15A LF: 15” speaker with a 3” voice coil and neodymium magnet structure. HF:Neodymium compression driver with 1.5” exit and 3” titanium diaphragm coupled to a 60º x 40º rotateable horn. Danley Sound Labs www.danleysoundlabs.com SH-100 Full Range Loudspeaker Drivers: Single 8” coaxial Dynacord www.dynacord.com AM 12 12” LF 1” HF Electro-Voice www.electrovoice.com SxA 250 15-inch two-way powered system. FBT www.fbt.it FBT Maxx 6a 15” B&C Neodymium Magnet woofer, w/ 3” VC. 2.5” B&C HF driver coupled to a 90 x 60 Horn w/ 2” exit ISP Technologies LLC www.isptechnologies.com HDM 210 3 Way cabinet: Lows-two 10” neo woofers Mids-two 2” compression drivers Highs-one 1.75” neo compression driver ISP Technologies LLC www.isptechnologies.com HDM 112 3-Way Cabinet Lows-1 12” Neo woofer Mids-2 2” Compression drivers Highs-1 1.75” Neo Compression driver JBL Profesional www.jblpro.com EON15 G2 15” LF driver with neodymium magent. 1.75” Titanium diaphragm highfrequency compression driver JBL Professional www.jblpro.com PRX512M 12-inch 2-way Mackie www.mackie.com SRM450 12” 2-way Mackie www.mackie.com SRM350 10” 2-way QSC Audio www.qscaudio.com HPR122i 1.4” diaphragm neodymium compression driver; HF 12” neodymium woofer with 3” voice coil; LF Renkus-Heinz http://www.renkus-heinz.com CFM121 1 x 12-inch woofer, 1 x 2-inch titanium compression driver Samson Technologies www.samsontech.com dB300a 12 inch woofer and 1.75 inch titanium compression driver. Tapco www.tapcoworld.com TH-15s (THUMP) 1” compression driver (HF) 15” high-precision LF driver Yamaha www.yamaha.com MSR100 8” woofer and 1” titanum compression driver Yamaha www.yamaha.com MSR400 12” woofer 1.75” titanium compression driver 28 s i nger&musician June 2007 bu y er’sguide POWER I/O CABINET CONSTRUCTION WEIGHT PRICE (MSRP) 700W subwoofer 400W Satellite N/R 13-ply Baltic birch 180 lbs - total $1,699.98 1000W subwoofer; 500W Satellite N/R 3-ply Baltic birch 244 lbs - total $2,999.98 600W XLR and 1/4 TRS High impact resin TBA $739.99 LF 300W - HF 100W XLR Mineral-loaded polypropylene cabinet of a very high density with minimum vibration. 49 lbs $999.00 LF 500W - MF/HF 500W XLR Birch plywood finished with catalyzed polyurethane paint. 153 lbs $4,612.00 LF 500W - HF 100W XLR Birch plywood finished witha durable black paint. 64 lbs $2147.00 LF 500W - HF 100W XLR Birch plywood finished with a durable black paint. 63 lbs $2,503.00 DSP- 1000 AMP 2- NL4MP Baltic Birch 45 lbs $2,270.00 300W LF, 60W HF Seperate Mic, Line, Stereo Aux, and speaker output for connection to M 12 passive mate 1.18” Mediapan wood composite 46 lbs $1,500.00 350W LF, 80W HF. LF and HF shelving equalization. Two mic/line inputs with mix capability.Line output for cascading signal to additional speakers. Enclosure is built of 18 mm plywood and finished in Futura, a sprayed-on polyurethane finish 48.94 lbs $935.00 700W woofer, 200W HF driver Neutrik Balanced XLR/ combo jacks Gas Injection molded Polypropylene cabinet 64 lbs $1,729.00 900W N/R Void free baltic birch with a rubberized polyurethane covering; custom paint available 73 lbs $2,270.00 500W N/R Void free Baltic birch with a rubberized polyurethane covering 68 lbs $1,650.00 300 watts LF/100 watts HF 3 inputs (1 x female XLR, 2 x 1/4” phone (balanced). 1 x XLR male output Rugged light weight co-polymer rear enclosure, single cast-aluminium baffle integrating woofer frame. 46 lbs $899.00 500W Continuous/ 1000W Peak XLR line and 1/4” Plywood coated in DuraFlex finish. 40 lbs $899.00 LF 450W. HF 100 W XLR Input, XLR “thru” Polypropylene 51 lbs $899.99 LF 165W, HF 35 W Mic/Line input (Combo), XLR “thru” output Polypropylene 32 lbs $699.99 100W Class AB+B HF; 400W Class H LF XLR Balanced Line Level in with Loop Through Multi-ply Birch cabinet with indutrial black paint finish 60 lbs $1,199.00 200W RMS, 300W peak Looping XLR 13-ply hardwood 50.6 lbs $1,150.00 300W Balanced mic and line inputs. Polypropylene 54 lbs $599.99 LF) 180 w / (HF) 60 w XLR Mic/Line input and pass thru Polypropylene 36 Ibs $349.99 100W 3 inputs(1XLR, 2 1/4”), 1 output Polypropylene 23 lbs $479.00 LF- 300W, HF- 100W XLR and 1/4” input; XLR output Propylene 48 lbs $699.00 w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 29 tool s — theg o o d i es& t h eg a d g e t s Simplified Harmonies DigiTech introduces the world’s first processors that automatically generate live multi-part vocal harmony by analyzing guitar chord progressions. The Vocalist Live 2 and Vocalist Live 4 use musIQ™ technology to directly analyze the output of any electric or pre-amplified acoustic guitar (no special MIDI guitars or hex-outputs needed). They then generate the correct vocal harmony. For example, if you’re singing an A over the chords that are generally found in the key of G, Vocalist will harmonize with a C. But, if you then play an A major, Vocalist will shift to the C#...because like any good harmony singer, it listens to the guitar! With musIQ, you can forget about the technology – just sing and play! See the demo at www.digitech.com The Beat Is Right On, Man Beatnik Rhythmic Analyzers from OnBoard research will help you improve your rhythmic accuracy by providing the immediate timing feedback needed to learn complex figures. After you set the desired rhythm on the built-in metronome, simply start the playback and hammer out a groove on the touch sensitive parcatice pad. The unit’s display shows a visual representation of each stroke in real time, showing with accuracy to the nearest 512th note where your strokes occured in relation to the actual beat. MSRP: $189.95. www.tuners.com getting better all the time Soloists, duets and small bands can avoid audio overkill with the new small format analog MG Mixers from Yamaha. The four redesigned models are engineered and built to fill the most demanding requirements for production and sound reinforcement applications. New features include single-knob compression on two inputs, switch-able monitor mix routing, upgraded components and enhanced cosmetics. “The MG line of analog mixers has been successful beyond our most optimistic expectations,” said Wayne Hrabak, marketing manager, Live Sound, Yamaha Pro Audio & Combo Division. “This new generation of models is designed to build on this already strong level of acceptance.” The line includes the MG124CX (MSRP: $379), MG124C (MSRP: $299), MG82CX (MSRP: $219) and MG102C (MSRP: $149) www.yamaha.com/ proaudio. Cool Stool The “Cool Stool” from SHS International which combines a players stool and a guitar stand into one unit. The stool’s guitar cradle folds down completely out of sight under the seat when not in use. www.shsaudio.com/coolstool.htm 30 s i nger&musician June 2007 Little But Loaded Mackie’s new SRM150 Compact Active PA System is a versatile and expandable solution for a variety of sound reinforcement needs. With 150 watts and the 5.25” EAW-designed, full-range neodymium driver, the SRM150 delivers higher sound pressure levels (SPL) than any competitive product. The built-in 3-channel mixer features two combo XLR/Line inputs (with 48V phantom power and a hi-Z instrument input), a stereo channel for CD/MP3 players, and Mackie’s musical 3-band active EQ. The SRM150 can even be mounted on a mic stand, making it the ideal personal monitor. MSRP $389.99 www.Mackie.com Virtual Vocalists With TC-Helicon’s Harmony4 plug-in for Pro Tools|HD, producers, engineers and songwriters are free to explore all creative possibilities. Harmony4 can be used to generate new 1to 4-part harmonies, fatten existing harmony tracks and even create memorable vocal special effects after the singer has left the studio. Up to four virtual singers with individual gender, vibrato, levels and various humanization controls can be created from a single vocal track. The interface of the Harmony4 plug-in offers several schemes to simplify the choice of harmony—from automatic scale-based harmony that intelligently follows melismatic singing, to MIDI note control allowing any possible melody to compliment the lead vocal. MSRP:$995 www.tc-helicon.com Built For the Road Community’s new SONUS line of portable loudspeaker systems is designed specifically with you in mind. The line includes four full-range models and two subwoofers with low distortion, high-impact sonic capability, ease of transport, and durable construction to withstand the rigors of the road. SONUS full-range models start with the SONUS-1296, a two-way system comprising a 12” cone driver and a 1” horn-loaded high frequency driver, housed in a multi-angle enclosure for use as a FOH system or a floor monitor. The trapezoidal SONUS-1596 is a 15”/1” two-way system with a well defined 90º x 60º polar pattern. The larger SONUS-3294 makes the leap to a full three-way system employing a 12” LF cone driver, a 6.5” horn-loaded MF cone driver, and a 1” horn loaded HF compression driver. The SONUS-3594, comprises a 15” cone driver with the same Mid/Hi section as the SONUS-3294. All models can be switched between active bi-amped and passive single-amped operation, to readily accommodate the needs of the user. A music/voice Presence Switch is provided as a quick means of altering the upper mid-range to suit the acoustical conditions of the venue. www. Loudspeakers.net singer& musician university P roviding t h e k n o wled ge y o u need t o rea c h y o u r g oal o f v o cal & m u s i c al s u c c ess … T he Australian garage rock band Jet, hailing from Melbourne with dreams of making it big, did just that in a very short time. After a deal with Elektra in 2003 and an opening slot for the Rolling Stones, “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” became a radio favorite worldwide, pushing sales for their debut release near the four million mark. This single harkens back to the heyday of classic rock, the 1970s. “Are you gonna be my girl” starts with a very simple but powerful tambourine 8th note pattern, joined by a bass riff in A, very reminiscent of Iggy Pop’s, ‘Lust for Life’. The drums enter with a very ‘Lust for Life’ groove. The band breaks as the guitar enters with a pentatonic fill. The lead vocalist shrieks and the song explodes into full swing. The guitars do the same fill again before the band breaks for the vocalist, utilizing his greatest rock and roll classic lead singer vibe explaining how he wants to make the girl he sees come with him because she looks so fine. The breaking for the vocal line sounds a little like The Who’s ‘My Generation’, but is indeed a common move in the blues idiom. I really love the hum of the guitar amps under the vocalist adding to the natural, live, but explosive effectiveness of this track. The band continues to break for all the lyrics in the verse. The before mentioned guitar riff comes back setting up the B section. Starting on the D chord, the band plays the punches with the vocal line as his describes his love interest. This occurs four times. At the chorus, the rhythm section plays the same feel as the harmonies climb for the A chord going up the minor 3rd to the C, then the D and back to the A. Hand claps on 2 and 4 are added. The vocalist SONG: Are You Going To Be My Girl ARTIST: JET jumps up into the stratosphere as his sees the ubür-chick of his dreams leave with some other dolt. This repeats twice, then up to the E and G, where the band pauses in a pregnant fashion as our hero asks the all-important question: “Are you going to be my girl?” The band continues with the original groove, playing the guitar riff on the 7th and 8th bars. Then it is back into the 2nd verse which with the guitar solo/riffing continuing. The chorus extends for a few more bars, then ending on the D chord, with a ‘yea’ from the singer and the band clapping for itself. How fun. The lyrics outline a classic rock and roll love story: boy sees hot girl, boy wants hot girl, boy sees girl leave with other guy, boy, in a last ditch effort, asks girl to go home with him while she is walking out the door, the boy is Why It Works • Simple blues/rock form harkens back to the classic rock days: the seventies. • Vocal lines explode with energy. • Simple boy sees girl, boy almost loses, but gets girl lyric line. is-surprise-same as the first. Yes, this song only has one verse of lyrics. After the second chorus, the band breaks, while the guitar continues with claps on 2 and 4. This continues for 4 bars, the whole band comes in, drums riding on the toms. A guitar solo ensues, over the chorus chords. The vocalist sings ‘oh yea’ in a very Mick Jagger fashion. The next chorus begins triumphant, we assume. With it’s incredibly simple and catchy framework, classic rock singing and performance, this song may become a hard rock standard. w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 31 sing e r&m u s i c i a nu n i v e r s it y Greg Kihn on Song Writing Do Your Songs Have Soul? ...are they “real”? things to you. Watch out for slick operators and jive artists who just want your money. If you are pure of heart, and you treat people with respect, you won’t make any enemies. Remember, the people that you meet on the way up, are also there waiting for you on the way down. Any bad mojo that you cause will come back to haunt you. I know this for a fact. Sure, there are jerks in the music business... but not at the beginner stage. Who is Greg Kihn? While his credits are too numerous to mention, here are few highlights: Greg was a rock star in the ‘80s who had a #1 worldwide hit with “Jeopardy” and a slew of other hits including “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘em Like That Anymore)”, “Lucky,” “Reunited,” and “Remember;” He made 15 albums; appeared on Saturday Night Live and opened for the Stones; He was a staple on early MTV and VH1; plus he’s written and published five novels and many short stories. For the past 11 years he’s been doing the morning show on 98.5 KFOX radio in San Jose, Ca. But, what’s all this got to do with you? After all, this is all about you and your song writing, right? A fter a lifetime of rock and roll, I’ve discovered some basic truisms that might be valuable to the erstwhile singer-songwriter. I should point out that most of the lessons I have learned were gleaned from mistakes. In other words, I screwed it up once and fixed it before it happened again. If you don’t learn from your mistakes, you’ll be doomed to repeat them again and again. I might as well start by painting, with some very wide brush strokes, some extremely basic rules that to even a begin a career in music, you must master. Forgive me for being so blunt. 1. Don’t be a jerk. This is a people business. You’ll have to network, you’ll need friends, sometimes you’ll have to count on other people’s help, and you’ll have to learn as you go. Sure, there are jerks in the music business, but not at the beginner stage. If you want people to take your calls, you’re going to have to learn to be pleasant, even if it kills you. 2. Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. You’d think this one would be an automatic, but people still try pull the wool over somebody’s eyes everyday. The converse is also true: don’t let them do those 32 s i nger&musician June 2007 3. Guard your intellectual property. It’s maddening to let slip some great riff or lyric idea and see it pop up in somebody else’s song. It happens all the time. I never listen to other people’s demos because I might subconsciously rip it off later. You’ve got to be intellectually honest. 4. Stay true to yourself. All the great songwriters put a little piece of themselves in every composition. In fiction and in song writing, they tell you to write what you know. In the coming issues I will talk about the nuts and bolts of song writing, but the underlying issue will always be soul. Do your songs have soul? Are they honest? Are they real? 5. Keep writing, no matter what, even if it sucks. Through periods of writer’s block, it’s important that you continue to write. You’ve got to keep the pilot light lit. Otherwise you won’t be ready when the next “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” comes floating through the ether. In my career it’s been the songs that wrote themselves that became my biggest hits. “Jeopardy” was written in fifteen minutes. “The Breakup Song” was written in ten minutes. Dylan once said that when he’s writing a song, he feels like he’s literarily snatching it out of the air. That’s the way it should feel. In the coming issues I’ll tell you how to go about the actual writing of the songs, step by step. I’ll tell you everything I’ve learned over the last 30 years about the creative process. It’s gonna be a lot of fun, so plan on checking in with me periodically, OK? I guarantee that your song writing will improve dramatically. See ya next time! For more info about Greg Kihn, check out his site at www.gregkihn.com singer&musicianuniversi ty Sound Check Q By Bob Gibson My band is pretty new, and we think we’re ready to start playing around town. We have a little bit of sound equipment that we use to practice with, but nothing like real concert stuff. What can we do to help make us ready to play in bars and clubs? We’ve heard some real horror stories about some of the soundmen around here. A Good question. Most young bands are more excited about the chance to get out and play, and never seem to have the foresight to ask this type of question. I guess the first place I would start is, once you land a gig, try to check out the venue before the actual night you are to play. Watch how things seem to work on that particular stage. The house may have a sound system and a house engineer, or they may not. You’ll need to find that out in advance (some of the smaller bars and clubs expect the band to bring their own sound gear and to run it themselves). Assuming that the venue does have a house system and engineer, it never hurts to go and introduce yourselves (providing they are not busy), and just sort of get the lay of the land. The majority of young acts have very basic and simple sound needs (drums, bass, keys, a couple guitars, tracks, vocals, etc.), and most venues can cover these needs. On show night, have your act together BEFORE you show up at the venue. Every house has their own way of doing things, and it will pay huge dividends if you show up with a very fluid frame of mind. For instance: never get married to the idea of a sound check. Many times, it will only be the “Headliner” who gets the luxury of a sound check. Should you find yourselves in the situation where you are sandwiched between acts, you’ll be expected to get your equipment on the stage very quickly, play your set, then strike your gear just a quickly. If you should get a sound check, be ready for it. Have all your tones and patches worked out in rehearsal. Listen to the soundman; he’ll have his own style and order on how to run the sound check. Know what you want to play before you start. Select songs that will include every instrument you’ll be using, as well as all the different vocalists and harmonies your set will include that night. Learn to be flexible; every venue is different. Monitor systems will vary between dedicated mixes for each player to no monitors at all. Get If you should get a sound check, be ready for it. Have all your tones and patches worked out in rehearsal. Listen to the soundman; he’ll have his own style and order on how to run the sound check. Know what you want to play before you start. Select songs that will include every instrument you’ll be using, as well as all the different vocalists and harmonies your set will include that night. used to fact that no stage is going to sound like your rehearsal space. Watch your stage volume. If the soundman asks you to bring it down, do it. Excessive stage volume can ruin a mix in the house and wash out the stage, so let the monitor and PA systems do their jobs Finally, show up on time! I once had a band show up 15 minutes before their scheduled 10 o’clock set. They were a local band and had no real excuse for showing up so close to showtime. They were also the first of three acts that night, and I had a 1 A.M. cut off time which was strictly enforced by the club management. When I told the band to hurry and set up (the club also strictly enforced the 10 o’clock start time), their response was that it would take them at least a half hour just to set up their drums. I told them that regardless of how long they took to set up, their set would still be over at 10:45. Of course, they went ballistic, and after some back and forth discussion between myself, the entire band, and angry club management, the band walked. I’m sure they thought that I was being the jerk: one of those “horror story” soundmen. But it was their bad attitude and lack of professionalism that fueled the situation. The result? They didn’t play, didn’t get paid, and were never booked by the club again. So, good luck with the band. If you show up to every gig with an open, positive, and professional attitude, you’ll have fewer “horror stories”, and more time to devote to your music. w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 33 sing e r&m u s i c i a nu n i v e r s i ty Playing in the Real World Dealing with Band Members and Mercenaries W By Ry Kihn hile stardom and fame can be considered a fantastical pursuit, which I won’t ever try to dissuade you from pursuing, earning a good living as a career musician is not a bad fallback position should your aspirations for superstardom not pan out. A career in music is not an unobtainable goal. With hard work, perseverance, education, and – most of all – common sense, you stand a far better chance in a lifetime music career, instead of entirely throwing in the towel – as most musicians do - if your dreams of superstardom don’t come to fruition. The goal of my advice is to make you a better working musician so you remain successfully and consistently employed and employable. For many years, I have earned a living doing what I love the most—playing guitar. Growing up with a driven and inspiring Rock and Roll father as a role model, combined with taking lessons from Dad’s lead guitarist, Joe Satriani, ingrained a passion for music in my soul very early on. Always wanting to learn more, I went to the Berklee College of Music and then the California Institute of the Arts, from where I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Jazz Guitar. Currently, I sing lead, play lead guitar, and write all the music for my alloriginal Ry Kihn Band. My cover band, Big Fun, performs at everything from corporate gigs to casinos. I also play lead guitar for Luna Angel, a young, up and coming female singer and I play in a jazz instrumental trio… that keeps me sane. I also play lead guitar in the Greg Kihn Band, performing eight to ten arena and festival gigs annually. I love doing session work, and I recently recorded some demos with ORGY lead vocalist, Jay Gordon. Oh, yeah, and I teach 50 guitar students per week. When working with such a diverse range of musicians, from all different musical genres, you really have to be a chameleon in the personality department. You have to get in tune with everyone’s personalities quickly in order to be sure every working situation will run smoothly. Play Everything. During and for five years after college, I was an LA session player, playing 34 s i nger&musician June 2007 everything from Heavy Metal to Bebop to Blues and Jazz. Learn the lingo of each musical genre in order to best communicate in every situation. Other musicians and, especially musical directors, will take you seriously, even considering you professional, if you’re literate in the language of music. Learn Everything about the music business —It’s called ‘Music Business’ for a reason, so learn about marketing, promotion, digital downloading, copyrights, licensing and, well, everything. There are more books about the music business available today then at any point in history, from Berklee Press to Backbeat Books. People like those who are like themselves —In a new musical situation, try to quickly learn as much about the musical backgrounds of your fellow musicians as quickly as possible. In case you haven’t noticed, many musicians love to talk about themselves. If you want to know something, just ask. The flip side to the aforementioned piece of advice is don’t always feel the need to get hung up on musical terminology if you’re working with musicians that may be at your skill level, but are not as versed as you in verbalizing music theory. Some of the best musicians in the world—incredible self-taught players—are functionally illiterate when it comes reading and writing music and music theory. They might not always admit such a fact, therefore; it’s up to you to find out in order to communicate effectively in a language they’re used to. Be clear, yet diplomatic—Just don’t blurt out “THAT SUCKS/DO THIS” instructions that could be misconstrued as dictatorial demands from a music degree-holding snob. First, compliment the musician for what you like, build on that, and then offer your suggestion in a collaborative tone, such as ‘let’s leave that part for now and try something else.’ Another great way to institute the development of a musical passage is, after setting your ego aside, to make enough hints that as the change comes into being, the musician you’re working with considers the change his idea. Nothing builds moral better than a bandleader that allows others to take credit for something. I also like using subtle terms like, ‘that’s not setting me on fire’ or ‘I’m not feeling any goose bumps,’ as opposed to ‘blunt force’ comments, like, ‘I don’t like what you’re playing.’ Never be condescending to a reliable mercenary musician. If he’s punctual and plays what you want, be respectful. Mercenaries usually know and play with a lot other musicians. If you’re a tyrant, your bad reputation travels faster and farther on the wings of a mercenary then by any other method. Always remember: a reputation is a terrible thing to waste. askthecoach By Breck Allan How to Warm Up and Care for Your OverUsed Voice Q I sing in a local band in Kansas City. I really push my range vocally, and am afraid sometimes that I might really be doing damage singing too hard and too high for too long. I have been doing some vocal exercises to warm up before shows and am wondering how high and how low I should take the exercises? —Mike, Kansas City, Kansas A It seems like such a simple concept “the vocal warm-up,” but that’s not always the case. The first principle in warming up is “warm up to the level at which you wish to sing.” So in your case, you need to make sure you let your warm up really get you warm enough to handle the difficult singing you do. Start softly and gently and try to get your body and voice as relaxed as possible while you’re gently singing. It makes a lot of difference that you work on relaxation during singing and not just for a few seconds before you begin. You asked “how high and how low in your range to do your exercises? Ultimately try to touch the very top and the very bottom of your singing range during the warm up session. But be careful to keep nudging your voice a little higher bit by bit. When you start feeling your voice have difficulty or getting strained, turn the exercises back downward and warm up a bit more in the middle of your range. Then when you start heading back up into your upper range you should notice it gets easier with each pass. As far as singing hard and loud, you should gently build your warm-ups until they take you to the vocal territory that you cover in your performance material. This will help you avoid any big trauma and shock to your voice during a performance. Another thing that can be of great service to singers who sing exceptionally hard material is to warm down your voice after high-energy performances and rehearsals. This will help cool down the throat and disperse blood in that area so that it doesn’t cause any muscle stiffness that will affect you the next day in singing. To warm down your voice go back to the early very gentle warm-ups that you normally use at the beginning of your warm-up and do those for a few minutes. Using your hands to massage your face and throat area is very helpful here just as it is during the warm-up. Pace your shows. Stagger your material in terms of difficulty level. Don’t put one voice exhausting song after the next. This approach is also good from a listener’s perspective. Pound them over the head, draw them in, pound them over the head some more, draw them in some more etc. Push/pull, tension/release, that whole thing. Other than that, follow the basic principles that, as a singer, your body is your instrument and try to take care of it. Get lots of sleep, drink lots of water, eat decent food, etc. All these things will of course affect your consistency and vocal health. Pace your shows. Stagger your material in terms of difficulty level. Don’t put one voiceSinging with exhausting a Pierced song after Tongue the next. I was wondering if you could tell me This approach how singing with is also good my tongue pierced affects my range, tone, and general from a listener’s singing abilities? I know you have not heard me sing but I perspective. want to pursue this seriously Q and I want to know if I should ditch the tongue bar? —Holly H., Sunnyvale, CA - A If it affects anything, it will mostly be in the area of articulation. That might in turn create some tension that could transfer into your throat and tighten things up a bit. Usually like with all tension if you can identify it, you can learn to release it. So I’m sure it’s probably a workable piece of hardware if you have the patience to find the right touch for it. If after awhile it still seems to be in your way then yes, ditch the tongue bar. w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 35 36 s i nger&musician June 2007 singer&musicianuniversi ty Pitch Correction Dear Lis, I’m having a problem with pitch. People tell me I’m off but I don’t hear it. How can I fix it if I don’t know I’m doing it? —Carl Dear Carl, Right, that’s impossible. You need to get some input so you start to hear the difference between right and wrong. The easiest way is to ask a band mate or a musician friend to work with you. They can play a note on the piano and then you sing it; they can then tell you to move up or down to come into tune with it. Another option if you have a Mac computer is an inexpensive software program called Vocal Lab, www.rustykat.com. It plays a pitch that you can see on a chart; then you sing into the mic on your computer and try to match it. I haven’t found a good, inexpensive program like this for the PC unfortunately. Finally you can buy a guitar tuner with a built-in mic. Play a note on the guitar or keyboard and then sing the note into the tuner. This is difficult to accomplish because the tuner’s needle jumps around a lot. It expects to hear a note played by an instrument that can produce a steady pitch. The human voice tends to move more than a guitar string. Still it can help. Crowd Control Rock Solid Dear Lis, I’ve been trained in musical theater and now I want to sing rock music. Is there a difference in the technique? —Sarah Dear Sarah, Imagine an opera singer singing a rock song and you’ll get an idea of why there is a difference in technique. The basic principles for singing all styles of music are the same: you should have accurate pitch, breath control, excellent timing, and good tone with lots of variety and as little tension as possible. But the sound you make for every style is different even within pop styles. An R&B singer sounds nothing like a rock singer. Partly it’s the tone of the voice and partly it’s conventions of the style like how much vibrato you use or when would you slide or do runs. There are sounds you would make singing a rock song that you would never make in musical theater. Too often a singer who is trained in musical theater will throw their technique out altogether in order to sound like a rock singer. Find a good teacher who understands rock technique and will help you understand the conventions of the style. Dear Lis, What do you do when there’s hardly anyone in the audience? I feed off the audience and can’t get any energy unless there’s a crowd. ­­—Roger Dear Roger, It isn’t the audience’s job to feed your energy. It’s your job to give them a great show. That makes them want to give you energy back in return. It doesn’t matter how many people are there. They came out to hear you and deserve all you’ve got even if there’s only one person in the room. Once you step on stage you’re saying ‘I’m worthy of your attention’. So you’d better be. Strength Training Dear Lis, How much am I supposed to practice? Is there such a thing as too much? —Edward Dear Edward, There’s definitely such a thing as too much. The only way to gauge it is to notice how your voice feels while you’re singing. If you start to feel tight or like you have a ‘knot’ in your throat, stop and rest. Your voice, like any set of muscles, needs to be strengthened gradually. Start with 15 or 20 minutes of exercises followed by the same amount of singing songs. Gradually build up to 45 minutes to an hour of exercises and several hours of singing. That, of course, would happen over many months or even years. If you are going to have to sing in the studio for four or five hours, you want to have built your endurance gradually. Split Personality Dear Lis, Everyone loves my singing but they don’t like my talking between songs. They say I’m too ‘Valley Girl”. What can I do? —Kimberlie Dear Kimberlie, I’ve seen your show and I know what they mean. When you sing you are complex and intense. Your lyrics are dark and moody. But when you talk you are giggly and girlish. Of course that’s part of your personality but it doesn’t make sense in the context of the show. The audience should see a consistent persona. Look at your lyrics and think about what type of person is singing those songs. The same person should be speaking as well. Lis Lewis is a vocal coach in Los Angeles. Her website http://www.TheSingersWorkshop.com has all the information a pop singer needs to further their career. Her clients include the Pussycat Dolls, Britney Spears, Gwen Stefani, Jack Black, Jimmy Eat World, the All-American Rejects and all of the rockers on “Rock Star: Supernova”. w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 37 gea rr e v i ew Future Sonics Atrio Series model m5 Professional Earphones By Bill Evans M y first experience with personal monitors came about six years ago as a performer when me and my pack were the house band at the Industry Jam at Pro Production in San Diego. And, unlike some, I had no problem adjusting to them. In fact, I loved the fact that—perhaps for the first time since I started playing out in ’76—I could actually hear the entire band.  Since that time I have gotten most of my band to migrate to PMs but it has not been a totally smooth process. The complaints I get are always the same two things. First is the sense of isolation inherent in most PMs (Although there are some ambient products out there and more on the way—anyway that problem can be pretty-well solved with a couple of well-placed audience mics). The second is that some users say that PMs sound thin and lack bass which is harder to combat because A) some models do lack bass and B) when it comes to PMs, fit is everything and some folks just can’t get the hang of the foam sleeves. And a bad fit/seal will guarantee a perceived lack of low-end. It’s hard to tell a struggling musician that the PMs will sound a lot better if he spends $600+ on a pair of real, pro, custom-fit PMs when he is unimpressed with the universal fit unit he is trying to work with. It was about 2 1/2 years ago that I first heard a prototype of a new driver developed by 38 s i nger&musician June 2007 Future Sonics and I was totally blown away. I have both FS and Westone custom fit pieces and these Atrio Series universals sounded as good as either of those much more expensive models. Future Sonics ended up first doing a consumer version with the new driver and aiming it at the iPod market. I use mine all the time when running or working out. I have used them on-stage as well but there are a couple of things that I don’t like about them for pro use including the lightweight and too-short cable. One thing the FS-1 did get right was a newly designed silicon sleeve that really fit and really sealed. I used them when I ran the 1/2 marathon in Vegas and they stayed in my ears, sealed and sounding great for the entire 13 miles.  What It Is The Atrio Series are pro version universal fit products that use an updated version of the Future Sonics proprietary dynamic driver in the FS1. There are two versions available the m5 and the m8 the only difference being the color (5 is black with a cobalt blue ring and 8 is all cobalt blue with a black ring). They incorporate some features that make them much more suitable for pro use including a longer and much beefier cable that terminates in a gold-plated mini-plug. Most pro PMs incorporate a plastic sleeve of some kind where the cord joins the actual earpiece that you can bend into shape when you run the cable over your ears but the sleeve on the Atrio has a piece of bendable metal inside so once you get them in the right position, they will stay there. A little thing but very nice.  As far as specs go, Future Sonics claims a full 20 Hz to 20 kHz response which we didn’t test but it sounds about right. Impedance is 32 ohms and they ship in a cool little leather case with a cleaning tool, four sets of ComfortFit foam sleeves and three sets of the silicon EarFill sleeves.  How It Works I took them to a rehearsal with my band and planned on passing them around. Something like an earpiece is incredibly subjective when it comes to sound quality so I always have several people try them and tell me what they think before I write them up. In this case they were used by a singing drummer and a bass player (two of the hardest folks to get into PMs) as well as two female singers. Only the bass player had any issues and his was only isolation (as this was a rehearsal, we did not use any room mics). He ended up playing with only one side in but still said he liked how they sounded. Note that this was his very first experience with PMs and I know I will not have to talk him into using them again and that eventually he will use both sides.  The two girls fought over who got to use them and the drummer who is a “golden ear” studio guy raved about the accuracy of the sound. That is one of the big differences between these new MG5 dynamic drivers and pretty much every other unit I have tried. They sound—for lack of a better term—“real.” (In fact on the consumer version in the manual it says to use them with any EQ on your player switched off. And they sound best when run flat.) The m5 model required almost no EQ and still had enough lowend to keep a bass player and drummer happy and were clear and present enough in the midrange for a couple of singers who suffer from major “more me” syndrome.  The best news is that the Atrios Series products are very affordable. Less than two bills and you can get custom sleeves for another $135 which means that custom-fit ears just dropped in price by a good third. If you prefer a real custom job, Future Sonics Atrio Series models, with or without SofterWear custom sleeves are now available. And at $199, real, pro PMs have just dropped in price by two-thirds. That’s wicked cool. www.futuresonics.com sm gear revie w Peavey 32FX G Roddy Pahl reetings! I’m Roddy Pahl, sound engineer of 20 years. I have done everything from duos to orchestras, rock to country, punk to jazz, fullon production shows to my daughter’s 2nd grade school production and 10 years of touring. I am currently the lead audio engineer for the Fremont Street Experience and 3rd Street Stage, and I am an audio tech for the New York New York Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Since this is the first time I have written for Singer&Musician, I thought I oughta clue you in and let you know who I am. What It Is Peavey’s FX mixer series is available in 16-, 24- and 32channel formats. The 32FX features a three-band EQ section with one mid sweep on each of the mono inputs, along with a 75Hz HPF. The two independent DSP engines built into the console have a lot of different effects, along with some signal processing such as comps, gates and limiters. There are a ton of parameters on each effect that you can choose for fine-tuning to your specific needs. The large LCD display also has some parameters you can adjust for easy viewing. There are a total of six aux sends. Auxes one through four could be set up for monitor mixes and are set at pre-fader and post-EQ (an internal jumper switch allows you to change them to pre-EQ) while five and six can be either FX sends or more mix sends. There is a four-bus assignment section, along with straight-to-L&R assignment, for easy grouping of inputs in the master section. Signal can be monitored at the input stage, the group stage or at the main output with a bright LED in the master section activated by the PFL/AFL buttons along the signal path. The console also features dual USB ports for connecting with a laptop or other USB device for direct recording or playback. And, yes “other USB device can mean a $10 USB stick from Walmart. Phantom power on all mono inputs, as well as mutes for channels, groups and returns, along with the two BNC lamp jacks, top off this console. The rear of the console has 1⁄4-inch and XLR balanced L&R outputs, of which all four can be used at the same time for the PA and a possible house mix for stage, or an additional recording or press feed. Mic and line mono inputs also have inserts along with groups one through four. The groups and aux sends all have balanced 1⁄4-inch outputs. There is more that there is just not enough space to get into but suffice to say that it includes digital output processing, dual 1/3rd octave graphic EQs or 5 band parametrics with Feedback Ferret. There’s also a delay line so you can align your backline amps to your FOH speakers, an output limiter so you don’t clip your amps and an electronic crossover for subwoofer output. How It Works Fremont Street is an outside venue where we provide live entertainment five nights a week during the season, along with many different special events. I was able to use the Peavey 32FX for the 2006 Las Vegas Marathon. I had a four-piece jazz band during the event, coupled with emcees and press. The 32FX worked very well for everyone. I used auxes one through three for band mixes, aux four into a multi box for a press feed and auxes five and six for FX sends. Being an engineer who loves to play with FX, this console had it all built in with no additional outboard FX needed for the gig. I did patch in some outboard comps and gates for vocals and drums, though. I found a nice and warm ‘verb and a delay that, with a little tweaking, sounded really good. The parameters available on each program were great and stored into the user section easily, where you can actually put a password on your program to keep all your tweaking safe from being altered by others. The metering on inputs, groups and returns are good and bite for easy viewing. I liked the USB feature in the rear of the console with the RCA inputs. (If you’re in a pinch for adaptors, to go 1⁄4-inch in from a CD player, etc. You can also plug your iPod directly into the USB B port for digital playback for break/background music). The EQ section is nice; you can actually hear a 2-3 dB cut at a given frequency where in other similar consoles it may take a 3-5 dB cut to hear. One more mid sweep in the EQ section would have been great, though. The pre-amps are warm and quiet, until around the 1:00 position where they start getting a little noisy, but in a live show situation, you would never notice it. I have to say that at $1499 for a 32 channel board with these features, I think Peavey did a great job on this console and will give all their competitors a run for your buck. Web site: www.peavey.com sm w w w. i L i v e To P l a y. n e t 39 Singer&M us i c i a n ’ s M all Cl assif i e d s Singer & Musician Mall READ BY 65,000 Singers & Musicians who actively perform and record! 40 s i nger&musician June 2007 Advertise in the Singer&Musician Mall for as little as $35 per column inch (width-2.25”) Contact Jake Kelly - [email protected] Singer&MuSi c iA n ’S MA ll cl ASSi f i e dS advertiser’s index “Where Serious The ArtMusicians of Body Singing—— bodysinging.com— —————— 40 Surf” Advertiser:— —————— www.———————————— Pg Acoustics First—————— acousticsfirst.com——————— 40 ASCAP EXPO— ————— ascap.com/expo— —————— 41 Audio Technica— ———— audio-technica.com— ————— 7 Crazy Daisy Productions—— crazymastering.com—————— 40 Disc Makers——————— discmakers.com/singer————— 25 Dove Enterprises— ——— dovetapes.com———————— 29 Emery & Webb— ———— emerywebb.com— —————— 15 Founder’s Festival— ——— foundersfestival.org— ————— 39 Game Show Mania———— gameshowmania.com— ———— 40 GillaCamp— —————— richardgilewitz.com— ————— 25 Independent Musician— — iLiveToPlay.net/websites— ——— 11 Jake Kelly— —————— jakekelly.net— ———————— 31 Jon Zucker— —————— jonzucker.com— ——————— 31 Indie-Music.com Mike Aiken— —————— mikeaikenmusic.com— ———— 31 has been MMS— ———————— musicmanufacturing.com— ——— 15 spotlighting the best in independent music Oasis— ———————— oasiscd.com/singer— ————— 44 since 1996, featuring streaming audio, OnBoard———————— tuners.com— ————————— 27 podcast, articles, interviews, reviews, andOfmore in all musical styles. 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They tell you how good you look. They tell you how good you sound. They tell you they are so glad they met you. So you rehearse a few times. Perhaps they ask you if you’d like to go out for a drink. Finally one utters the words that you have been longing to hear for so long. “Will you go on the road with us!” “Yes! Yes! Yes!” And it is great. For the first little bit anyway. Then you realize you might have made the biggest mistake of your life. What could you have been thinking? They chew with their mouths open. Noodle between songs. They don’t pick up their clothes. They leave their hair in the shower along with some funk and you don’t even want to know what that is. You thought you were on the same page, but you don’t even share the same influences. They never even heard of Freedy Johnson! Fear not. I can help you get out of this band without having to work up the courage to say “I quit.” Play loud. Play so loud that you can’t even hear them when they ask you to turn down. If the band turns up to match your volume recognize 42 s i nger&musician June 2007 that for the challenge that it is. What’s the worst thing that could happen? Show up late. This works well, too. Always include the word “man” in your apology, it makes it sound more mockingly sincere. Then you can add, “Dude, since we’re (make sure you say “we’re) running so late, could you carry in my amp?” Date an ex-girlfriend (or boyfriend) of another band member. Remember, you only need to do this for as long as you have the gig. Shouldn’t be long. Drink/do drugs. I know, I know...it’s rock ‘n’ roll, and there’s an image that must be kept up. But heavy drinking and drug use also has a time-honored tradition of getting people fired even in the heaviest of rock bands. Of course, heavy drinking and drug use can also kill you; but hey...you wanted out of the band. Don’t prepare; not for a rehearsal, not for a gig. You know that your raw talent will get you through the ordeal better than they could with all the rehearsal in the world. But then, the objective is to get fired, so you are going to have to “act” like you’re not prepared. Saying thing such as “I forgot my charts,” “I didn’t know we were going to do that song” and “Can we listen to the disc” will help. Talk. Talk much, talk often. Don’t feel like you need to hold back. Say the things your band mates told you in confidence. Tell the club owner the bass player is a substitute. Tell the substitute what the other band members are getting paid for the gig . The more graphic you are, the better. General not caring. It’s general, it’s vague, so you’re going to have to do it a lot. Don’t dress for the gig. Don’t help with the gear (try “Do I look like a roadie?”), don’t pay your tab (personal fav.), Don’t participate in anything. This malaise needs to build up over time before it’ll take effect, but when it does, you’ll be out of the band as quick a cork on a bottle of Andres’ on New Year’s Eve. I’m sure that there is more that I missed, but if any one of these things don’t work, you can always try to mix and match. Good luck, and I hope I’m never in a band with you. sm STAGEPAS 500… Yamaha’s newest ultra-compact PA system follows closely in the footsteps of its smaller, marketleading counterpart, STAGEPAS 300. The differences, you ask? Higher power, more channels, additional features, and even greater sonic performance, for those more demanding applications. Get the biggest possible sound out of the smallest possible system. Take STAGEPAS 500 along for the ride and lets go places together. – 10-input stereo powered mixer – Dual 250W amplifiers – 10” two-way loudspeakers – Titanium high-frequency drivers – Two input compressor/limiters – Phantom power – System weight under 57lbs ©2007 Yamaha Corporation of America. All rights reserved. www.yamaha.com