Music and Recording Blog

In addition to the main speakers that cover the audience, most sound reinforcement systems also include either monitor speakers or “in-ear” monitoring devices (IEM’s) that allow the onstage performers to “monitor” their instruments and voices. Often wedge-shaped speaker cabinets can be seen on stage facing up from the floor, aimed at the performers. These monitor wedges make it possible for the performers to hear a blend of the instruments, recorded sound tracks, or vocalists. This “monitor mix” is tailored to meet the needs of the performers and is commonly controlled by a sound engineer.

In the simplest of setups, there is only one monitor mix and it is sent to one or more stage monitor speakers. The house sound engineer can control this mix and it remains independent of the “front of house,” or audience’s mix. Vocals and soft instruments like acoustic guitars can be particularly featured in the monitor mix in the amounts desired by the musicians. This separate mix is accomplished by connecting a powered monitor system to one of the mixing console’s “pre-fader auxiliary sends.” These pre-fader auxiliary sends are not affected by the main mix faders and therefore allow the sound engineer to control the stage monitor system independently.

In larger concert situations, there may be several monitor mixes, perhaps a mix for each performer on stage. All of these mixes remain independent of each other as well as independent of the mix heard by the audience. Sometimes supplemental monitoring systems, such as “side fill monitors” are added in order to provide additional sound clarity and coverage on stage. A Side fill monitor configuration involves placing speaker cabinets on each side of the stage facing in toward the center.

Usually, larger events use two sound engineer mixing stations. There is a “house” engineer with a mixing console located in the audience seating area and another engineer with a monitor mixing console sitting just off stage. This setup allows the house engineer to concentrate on providing a good sound to the audience without worrying about the stage monitors. It also allows the monitor engineer to make sure that each performer is hearing exactly what he or she needs to hear on stage. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to building a music room or a home recording studio, sound is the important factor. The biggest mistake that many studio owners make is spending a large sum of money on expensive audio equipment and neglecting the acoustics design of the room, which is basic to getting the best sound.
To get the best audio and create music with a great tone that sounds very great inside and outside the recording room, due consideration should be given to the acoustics requirements of the space. Read the rest of this entry »

The Akai Pro LPK25 Keyboard is a miniature, portable MIDI controller which works in conjunction with music software to quickly create songs. To understand its exact functionality one must first understand what a MIDI controller is. A MIDI controller is any type of musical equipment that will connect directly to a computer via USB. This connection allows the instrument to interact directly with the computer so that the musician can record the notes that are played. This lets the musician return to a recorded track and use software to change the timing, pitch, and sound of any note. In accordance with this type of music production, the Akai Pro LPK has several functions that allow its users to perform these actions. The functions that will be discussed are: 1) the size and weight of the keyboard, 2) the keys, 3) the MIDI port, 4) the octave up and down controls, 5) the tap tempo controls, 6) the sustain, 7) and the arpeggiator.

The Akai Pro LPK25 is an 3.8 x 13.4 x 1.1 inch, rectangular shaped keyboard. This is approximately the same length as a standard laptop. Since most keyboard MIDI controllers are the length of a full size piano, the Akai Pro LPK25 is referred to as a mini-controller. This mini-controller is one pound in weight and easy to transport.

The keys of this keyboard are made to replicate the sensation of playing a piano. They are the exact same shape as piano keys and are weighted to imitate the feeling of pressing down on a piano key. There are 25 keys which cover two octaves of a piano. Also, in order to help the musician correctly record the sound that is wanted, each key is velocity sensitive. This means that the volume of a recorded note depends on how hard the key is pushed on the keyboard.

The MIDI port on the keyboard has a dual functionality. It connects the keyboard to the computer’s USB drive, but it also powers the keyboard itself. It is discretely positioned on the left side of the keyboard.

The octave up and down controls are used to control which two octaves are being recorded into the computer. The left button will drop the keyboard into lower octaves which will produce a deeper and heavier pitch. The right button will move the keyboard into higher octaves which will create a higher and more distinct pitch. These controls are located on the top, left side of the keyboard.

The tap tempo controls are used to control the timing of effects that are produced by various different keys. An effect is anything that distorts the original sound of the keyboard. A good example of this would be an echo, which is referred to as a delay in the music world. The musician can control the timing of each echo by simply tapping the controls to the timing of the song. They are located on the top, left side of the keyboard, below the octave up and down controls.

The sustain is used to hold out notes and bleed them together. When a musician plays the piano they use the bottom, right foot pedal as a sustain. Rather than being a foot pedal, the Akai Pro LPK 25 uses a button located on the top, left side, above the octave up and down controls. Without this function, songs sound choppy because the notes being played don’t blend together and harmonize.

The arpeggiator is a simple way to create arpeggios, which is a chord in which each note is played in sequence rather than at the same time. The arpeggiator is the button located at the top, left side of the keyboard. It is above the octave up and down controls and to the right of the sustain.

The Akai Pro LPK 25 Laptop Performance Keyboard is Available at : American Music Supply, Abe’s Of Maine, Musicians Friend, Music123, Zzounds, and other online stores for about $69.

Overall, the Akai Pro LK25 has the full functionality of a standard MIDI controller. Any musician can master its features and effectively produce music on their home computer.

When putting together a sound system to use for live music and voice amplification, there are a number of factors that must be considered when choosing audio components. If the system is to be moved repeatedly, weight, size and ease of setup are the major concerns in determining its portability. If the system is to be permanently installed in a venue, one must consider both the cosmetic and structural effects on the building as well as whether there is a need for easy access to the speaker enclosures and other components.

Perhaps nothing affects a system’s design as much as the choice of speakers. This is because the speaker design will often determine the other components needed in the system. Audio equipment manufacturers have two primary speaker enclosure types: “Active” or “Powered” and “Passive” or “Unpowered.” Active speakers contain one or more power amplifiers and only require a mixer or other audio preamp to be connected to them in order to operate. No external power amplifiers are needed to drive these enclosures’ speaker components. Some active speakers also include an input for the direct connection of a microphone.

Passive speakers do not contain amplifiers and require one or more external power amplifiers in order to operate. Both active and passive speakers are offered in a number of designs, including full-range main speakers, sub-woofers and stage monitors. At first glance, many consumers immediately assume that active speakers are always better for portable sound systems and passive speakers are always preferred for installed sound systems. However, upon close investigation, the choice is not so clear. Read the rest of this entry »

Digital audio recording has progressed to the point that it is extremely affordable for anyone with a decent computer to build a home studio. However, with the number of gadgets, interfaces, and software programs out there, the potential home studio owner can easily become overwhelmed when looking for equipment. For years, the company Digidesign has led the digital audio recording revolution and remains at the top of the pack today. Other manufacturers may be gaining some popularity ground on Digidesign but no system is as commonly used by both professional and amateur recording engineers as Pro Tools. Therefore it remains an excellent choice.

Home studio owners often start with the “m-Box” system. It includes both the basic hardware and some pretty advanced software for getting microphone, instrument, and line-level signals recorded into a computer. The m-Box mini is Digidesign’s cheapest interface box for use with Pro Tools LE and it goes up from there. The DIGI 003 is a very popular and quite powerful interface for home studios looking to record a small band at one time while the m-Box series is wonderful for the studio owner who only needs to record one or two musicians simultaneously. The Pro Tools LE software allows up to 48 tracks of recorded audio.

With all of these Pro Tools LE-based units, much of the studio’s capabilities depends on the host computer. Macs have always been popular and the Intel-based Macs now run these programs much better than their ancestors. Many Windows-based machines also handle Pro Tools extremely well. However, one should check the Digidesign support website in order to make sure that their Windows machine is compatible with Pro Tools.

Another very important factor is the RAM in the studio computer. Even for mild Pro Tools use such as recording only a few tracks, a gig of RAM is necessary. Windows XP users and some Mac users can squeak by with this but for later operating systems, more RAM is required, usually 4 gigs or so to do a decent job with Pro Tools LE. One reason is that Pro Tools LE is dependent on the computer and not the audio hardware to process many of its functions, including the operation of effects plug-ins like reverb and compression.

While the beginning studio owner could record a few audio tracks onto the computer’s one system hard drive, this is not advisable. Digidesign heavily recommends against this and so do other audio recording hardware and software manufacturers. One reason is that the system drive needs to be busy running the program and not have the extra chore of simultaneously processing digital audio files. This can cause excessive heat and/or wear on the system drive. Another problem is that audio files are huge and will rapidly fill up the hard drive. Therefore when building a home studio, a second drive for audio files should absolutely be in one’s plans.

Most studio owners choose an external Firewire-interfaced hard drive as their designated audio drive. This is because Pro Tools does not write audio files to a USB drive. When choosing a Firewire drive, it is a good idea to check Digidesign’s support site for their list of compatible hard drives. Otherwise, the Firewire drive may not operate reliably with this program. An option for home studio owners with a desktop is a second IDE or SATA-connected internal drive as well. Any drive chosen for audio file use should be fairly large in size and must operate at a speed of 7,200 RPM’s or higher. Read the rest of this entry »

The audio mixer (mixing board, mixing console, or mixing desk) is the heart of any sound reinforcement system because it is typically the control center, allowing the operator to adjust the volume and sound characteristics of every microphone and instrument being amplified. There are so many options available in audio mixers that it can be quite confusing for the first-time buyer.

Of course, the first thing one should do is decide how many microphones, instruments, and playback devices (CD/DVD players, laptops, etc.) will be connected to the mixer. This will determine the amount of channels needed. The existence of other sound equipment that you have available can be another deciding factor. If you have either an existing powered speaker system or passive speakers with a power amplifier, you may just need an unpowered mixer. “Unpowered” means that the mixer does not contain a power amplifier. If you do not already have power amplifiers or powered speakers, you may be able to save money by choosing a powered mixer.

Powered mixers come in handy for many small to medium-sized applications. They consist of a mixer and one or more power amplifiers enclosed in one box. The advantages of a powered mixer is primarily the compact design and the cost. Because you can often purchase a decent powered mixer for about the same price as you can get a power amplifier (with which you would still need an external mixer), it may make sense just to buy the one unit. Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes, you just don’t have enough space to set up a full drum kit. Maybe you’re traveling, or you moved into a college dorm for your freshman year. It could also be that you want a small, inexpensive set of pads so that you can practice in your bedroom, instead of having to go all the way down to the basement to whale on the actual kit.

Then there are times when you can’t make much noise. Maybe you’re sharing a motel room with the rest of the band, and they’re trying to sleep. If you live with your family, or if you have a baby who needs to nap, you can’t practice on your real drum kit whenever you want. Neighbors, especially those in apartment complexes and other close-quarter setups, don’t appreciate your drums as much as you do, either, in some cases.

When you just can’t squeeze in some practice with your regular kit, DW’s Smart Practice is the ideal setup. This affordable, easy-to-assemble set is portable, durable, and easy to use, giving you everything that you need to stay in fine drumming shape no matter where you happen to be.

The Smart Practice setup consists of four practice pads – two are eight inches, and the other two are ten inches – which screw onto metal arms. You can use a standard drum key to tighten or loosen the arms, which are adjustable. You can move them closer or farther apart and adjust the pads’ angles for ideal setup.

Another great feature is the practice pad for your bass pedal. This way, you can practice your footwork with minimal effort – or noise, for that matter. All of the pads produce a minimal amount of noise, so your family, friends, or neighbors would have to be very, very close to your practice setup to have any complaints about the noise level.

DW’s practice pads are also very responsive. Wooden sticks bounce nicely, giving you a fairly-realistic practice session. The thick, rubberized material is durable, too, holding up to hundreds of hours’ worth of practice.

DW Practice Pads are available at InstrumentPro.com

When you want to take this product on the road, you can bring in the practice-pad arms and collapse the stand. The Smart Practice will easily slide under most beds at this point, or store in the average vehicle’s trunk. You can also stand the kit up in a corner to get it out of the way if you need the floor space for other purposes. DW sells a carrying bag, too, to make travel easier. Also: if you want to add extra accessories, DW sells them. You can, for example, add a practice pedal so that you can rehearse or warm up with both of your feet.

One disadvantage is the fact that the pads, as well as the arms, loosen over time. You’ll need to keep a drum key around to tighten things up periodically. However, this isn’t an inherent flaw or defect: “regular” kits need tightening as well, so drummers should not be surprised to find themselves making these small adjustments on DW’s set.

For the price, and for what DW anticipates you doing with this product, the Smart Practice is an excellent investment. New and advanced drummers alike will get plenty of use from this gear, making it a great buy for most people.

By Sarah Borroum

DW Practice Pad

Welcome to the Music and Recording Blog! I made this in order to make it easier to provide information about the recording and music industry. Be sure to visit the main site: Audio Engineer Degree.