Calibration of your tools is a necessity in any field you take part of in order to get your best work and the pro audio field is by far no exception. You have drum heads, guitars, and basses that all need tuned. But, did you ever think that your hardware needs a tuning too?

Below you’ll find a quick video tutorial about studio monitor calibration. Don’t take it lightly. In the music industry your ears are what make you money so the better you hear your work the better the masterpiece. What you will need for this tutorial is a SPL (sound pressure level) meeter and a signal generator plugin/hardware that offers Pink Noise.

One of the most prolific and respected producers is back with a new solo album. RZA, as his super hero alter ego Bobby Digital, drops one of the best hip hop albums this year. Quit unfortunately this album murders the latest Wu-Tang Clan album, 8 Diagrams. While for me there is only one song I can really get down with on 8 Diagrams, Digi Snacks is just a banger through the entire album. Note worthy songs are Long Time Coming, Creep, and Drama.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I know I said my last post would be my last before

my move but when I checked my email this morning I had one from ModernBeats.com saying they are looking for beats to be featured on the new DMX album. This offer ends soon so I figured it couldn’t wait. I have included a copy of the original email below for my information. Good luck and happy beat making!

- Je.Rock

To submit your music to this DMX album opportunity, you must have a Broadjam membership. ModernBeats offers FREE $100 Broadjam memberships when ordering 1 or more of the sets below:

Order A Set Above & Submit Your Music!

When you order any qualifying set above, ModernBeats will issue you a FREE Broadjam membership allowing you to deliver your music directly to this DMX album opportunity.

Over at MPC-Forums.com there is a debate raging on whether or not feeling you inspirations in your own tracks is biting or not. I say there is a huge difference between wanting to be the next J Dilla and using on of his mixing techniques. You can read up on the debate here.

Please reply with your opinion.

When I first heard that Linkin Park did a track with Busta I was in shock. What an unlikely collaboration this was. I mean, I am a big fan of both but after the LP and Jay-Z mashup album I thought LP got it out of their system. Then came Mike’s rapping album with group Fort Minor and I’m sorry but he sounded like a cheap ripoff of Slug from Atmosphere.

This single track is completely different from all that. I loved LP’s Reanimated album and I still rock that to this day. If CDs wore out like vinyl or tape FRGT/10 (with J5) would be inaudible. I’m really happy this track turned out well and see LP writing with rappers again instead of throwing stuff in the MTV Mashup mixer.

I loved The Big Bang also. I believe that album was one of Busta’s best, atleast since E.L.E. I can’t wait for this album’s release. With production from Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz, RZA, J Dilla, and Cool & Dre along with guests like Linkin Park, Common and T.I. it already sounds like a banger.

You’re gonna get your traditional Busta Rhymes and Pharrell collabo. My man Focus from the Aftermath crew; Dr. Dre; the late, great J Dilla got work on the album. It’s gonna be great — look forward to the new bang-out.

Before I published this for some reason I found myself on youtube. Below is the video for the above track, I’ve seen better, but I also came across the video for the other Busta single “Don’t Touch Me” which is classic Busta and as always has Spliff right by his side. Enjoy!

Mark over at HipHopMakers has compiled a great list of 17 websites where you can find free VSTs. Another great thing is that thatnks to FXPansion they can also be free RTAS plugins too.

Read his post here…

Here’s what The Chop Shop can do for you.

We take your files and professionally mix and master them with your directions and specifications, all for a fraction of what traditional studio time would cost. The Chop Shop mixing and mastering is not only cost effective but also convenient, as you don’t even need to leave your home in order to get a professional sound.

If you want your demo to stand out, having a properly mixed and mastered CD goes a long way in distinguishing you as a true professional and showcasing your music.

For technical specs and prices, visit The Chop Shop. Also, visit the About page for more information about Jeremy, the mixing and mastering engineer who will be responsible for your project.

Stay Fly!

The Famous Beats Crew

It isn’t that I’m not about sampling, it is just I’m not too good at it. Currently, I also don’t have the cash flow either to be digging. I do have an abundant record collection though so its not like I haven’t given it a shot. I do believe that sampling is a true fundamental of hip-hop. Today I want to share with you my five favorite sites for hip hop samples. Let’s DIG in!!

ModernBeats.com

I honestly don’t know where I’d be today without this site. Until I came a cross it a few years ago I was making tracks with Propellerhead’s Reason factory samples. Though I was just learning the program, you really have to have the right tools to get the outcome you want. At the time I was using version 2.5, and reason wasn’t known for hip-hop production. It was made more for techno and dance, but it was the MIDI production software they chose to teach us in school.

To make this blurb a little shorter I’ll hop to the point. YOU CAN’T MAKE HIP-HOP TRACKS WITH TECHNO SAMPLES. At least I can’t. That’s where ModernBeats.com saved my production life. Once I actually had some great hip-hop samples to work with I was able to make tracks I deemed listenable (still not hip-hop though) and grow as a producer. Since then I pretty much bought up any sample set and instrument set they have. The quality of their products are the best of the best and I swear by them but you know, you can never have too many samples and you can’t always use the same ones so that’s why I have used other sites too.

P5Audio.com

P5Audio.com is another great resource. Though I haven’t used them as much, I probably have just as many of their sample sets as Modern Beats. There was a time when I first found the site that they were all I used, so I swear by them too.

MPC-Samples.com

MPC-Samples.com is another great place for samples. Again, I have quite a few of their sets but the other cool thing is that they also have a collection of e-books. I also have a few of them but I have yet to read them. Once I have some time I’ll get to it and I’ll review them.

MPCSounds.com

I have to admit right now that I have never used this site, however it is owned by the same people who own ModernBeats.com. I am putting this on my top 4 because once I am fortunate enough to receive my MPC 5000 that is on back order for god knows how long, I will be purchasing samples for that instead. I also hope then to dive more into crates and sampling records.

Tom Kenny, editor of Mix Magazine, stops by McNally Smith College of Music to talk digital recording, distribution, production, and share his general thoughts on the music industry of today and tomorrow.

If you’re involved in audio production, it’s hard to avoid Pro Tools. Even if your DAW of choice is one of the many other professional software sequencers out there, you’ll probably have to use Pro Tools at some point. Although it is a quality platform for audio processing, Pro Tools does have one notable drawback - it doesn’t run VST plugins (well, you could view it as an advantage, if you happen to have unlimited cash reserves for buying RTAS goodies).

Continue Reading @ podcomplex.com…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Nicole Balistreri

Minneapolis, MN — Famousbeats.net is pleased to announce the launch of Famous Beats Radio, the place to get your daily fix of fresh beats. Developed to showcase artists

and producers, and turn listeners on to the latest production styles, Famous Beats Radio will get your head bobbing.

Famousbeats.net community artists are welcome to submit their work to be included in the daily podcasts. Just stop by the blog and contact Jeremy, webmaster and beat maker extraordinaire.

Stay funky.

- The Famous Beats Crew -

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Nicole Balistreri

Minneapolis, MN — Famousbeats.net is pleased to announce the launch of the Famous Beats Podcast Collective, the place to get your fix of fresh original material developed for Famous Beats. The collective consists of three free podcasts: Famous Beats Videocast, Famous Beats Odiogo, and Famous Beats Radio.

The Famous Beats Videocast consists of fly how-to videos, tips and techniques, and other general funkiness developed to keep you up-to-date on the latest production styles. Stop by and view them, and check out the Odiogo posts and FB Radio.

Famousbeats.net community artists are welcome to submit their work to be included in the daily Famous Beats Radio podcasts. Just stop by the blog and contact Jeremy, webmaster and beat maker extraordinaire.

Stay funky.

- The Famous Beats Crew -

All I can say is that this is the best Roots album to date. As soon as the album started it got my head bobbing and it didn’t stop. Great guest appearances by Mos Def, Styles P, Common, Saigon, Talib Kweli, and many others. Listening to it literally left me speechless.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’m all for artist growth and experimentation but the first thing that comes to my mind when listening to this album is.. WHERE IS ANT? This album is more like the Sean Daley Band. On this album, there are very few songs that catch my ear for their production value. It is some of Slug’s best lyrics to date but Atmosphere is a duo. I know this album came out last week, but I’m a big Atmosphere fan and just wanted to have the album marinate a little before writing a bad review. I shouldn’t call it bad, the album is far from bad. It just isn’t what you expect from an Atmosphere album. A couple tracks that catch my ear are “Your Glass House” & “Can’t Break”. They are well written, great lyrics, but the beat is more like Grayskul than Atmosphere. Not bad, I like them, just shocking. On the other hand there are three tracks I just can’t get over, the production just hurts my ears; “The Skinny”, “Shoulda Known”, & “You”. Now on a better note there are three classic Atmosphere tracks; “Puppets”, “The Waitress”, & “In Her Music Box”. But two of them are at the very end and the third doesn’t get kicking until its almost two thirds over.

For my final note I would say that this isn’t an over all bad album but for Atmosphere it is. I expected a lot more.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars