(1)

Hi Dec

Has anyone on RMMS newsgroup ever recorded a Christmas CD? I would like to do this but I am confused on which songs I can record without legal issues or paying for the rights.

This is really 'from the horse's mouth'

You will probably know my background, with loads of Mega International hits.

We were asked, last year, to get involved with a Christmas album, 7 tracks were required [this year, a 22 track Christmas album of my UK based band 'The Bachelors' will be released, world wide] . Now, I am not known as a writer....only a Hit Maker....but when I am asked to write, I certainly will. So, the seven tracks we delivered were [s'cuse me while I check my masters]

There were 4 titles [much requested...so they had commercial appeal] 2 titles which I wrote, and one which was PD. In other words, I would pick up the writing royalties on the PD song, because I had totally rearranged it AND I would pick up for the songs I had written. So, I am making writing money on the back of a Christmas Album where I get MCPS, PPL, VPL and straight sales percentage...great! This is the way the music business makes you $Millions.

. Your question is quite vague, as the answer lies in whether it will be for commercial or white label or vanity release. I am talking of a straight commercial deal for public release.

But I hope you realise that it is in your best interests to either write the toons or arrange existing PD toons....I would suggest: so long as there is 'Christmas' in the title, then you are on a winner. Our 22 track album has10 tracks which i will pick up writing royalties on, in total. You see, my logic, right through my career is to make money from my music...and that is what I teach Members of my Serious Writers Guild at www.makehits.co.uk to do...right through their career.

PS: make sure there is a Christmas tree, mistletoe and a dishy female in Father Christmas clothes on the CD cover [I can hire out our managing director Vicci Esselle!]

Regards Dec dec@makehits.com

Where do the Pro's go to check the Hit Potential of their material? Answer: The 'MAKEHITS' Demo Consultation Service. Check out www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm .... now you can have the professional service for professionals.

(2)

Hi Dec,

my name's A****, I'm 16 years old and just finished my G.C.S.E's, I've decided to to do a an A-Level course in music technology as i think that it will help me with my music producing. I really love using the music producing software that we have at school, so much so, that i'm going to purchase a version of cubase sx, to work on at home. If u could please answer the following questions I would be really grateful:

1. How did u get about being successful in music producing? Contacts?
2. Did u start off at home? If so, what software did u use?
3. You don't have to give me a precise figure, but do u earn a lot of money producing music? (i'm really just doing it for my love of music, but it would make my father feel a lot better; he wants me to be successful)
4. From doing your exams, which pathways did you follow to get to where you are now?

Thanks a lot! hope to here from you soon, A**** B****

>>>>>1. How did u get about being successful in music producing? Contacts?<<<<<<

Nothing to do with 'contacts' or 'luck' or 'right time right place'...all to do with giving the public what they want...not what music guys think they should need.

I was produced by the best, I assisted in mixes and in the administration...I learned every single thing about music, singing, harmonies [Grade 8 piano and music theory]. I co-produced hundreds of tracks and then produced loads more.

I learned every skill there was in the studio and every peice of equipment - simply by asking.

>>>>>>2. Did u start off at home? If so, what software did u use?<<<<<<<

At home we just had an acoustic paino [the best instrument to learn on]. A classical mandolin, lots of harmonicas [I had probably the best classical harmonica trio in the world...played with huge orchestras from age 12]

When computer music came along I started with drum machines, then Atari and Creator program....I still use it [as do many top producers] I am also familiar with Cool Edit Pro and Reason....I have a large Midi set-up.....my main recording tool is the Roland VS1880 hard disc recorder......13 sound and drum modules and dozens of effects and compressors.

Yamaha NS10 near-field monitors [essential] and Nightfire main monitors [137 SPL] plus KEF Correlli for reference. All powered with 'huge' wattage [essential].

>>>>>>3. You don't have to give me a precise figure, but do u earn a lot of money producing music? (i'm really just doing it for my love of music, but it would make my father feel a lot better; he wants me to be successful)<<<<<<<

It is no secret that with the amount of Hits I have had, the record breaking TV shows, theatre tours and world-wide stuff I have made many £Millions....

If you do this for 'love' you will always be broke and eventually frustrated and unhappy....if you do it for fame AND $Fortune you will be rich, fullfilled and incredibly happy...there is no contest....get out of the 'just having fun' mode....it doesn't work. Never has, never will.

>>>>>>From doing your exams, which pathways did you follow to get to where you are now?<<<<<<

13 GCSE's....9 'A' levels......Read Civil Engineering....got my first position in the Chief Civil Engineer's Office of CIE [the Irish Equivalent of British Rail].....from age 12 I was fanatical about music and PERFORMING [again, essential] all around Ireland, sometimes in UK + writing, arranging and recording for various projects with a major studio.

First classical performance age 13, first USA performance at age 15, 26 radio series [writing the music and performing] age 17. UK tour age 18....first UK nation-wide tour age 19.....first record at age 20 [Number 5, longest stay in the charts of any record that year]. 10 week tour [age 21]....world tours, TV series, etc. from 21....

So, you see, Arran, it is all about education, a fanatical interest in Show Business....performing and music. A killer attitude about learning everything new and everything innovative....but it all starts with formal education.

Finally - I would question your decision to do music technology....I have little respect for those qualifications.....and I would suggest that anyone else in my position would tell you exactly the same....formal education is essential! It is important to meet, educated, like minded people. Most guys who do music courses at Uni or college are simply looking for an easy option...a way to while away the hours.

An educated person can behave in an uneducated way....BUT..... an uneducated person cannot behave in an educated way....think about it.

I can well understand your parents' worries. I would die if any of my kids wanted to do Music Technology. I have never met one who has done such a course who can even hold a conversation with me. I employed one, with a degree, who could not wire up and XLR plug....TRUE!

You would learn more from ten months with The Serious Writers Guild than you would from 4 years at University.

Regards

Dec dec@makehits.com

Where do the Pro's go to check the Hit Potential of their material? Answer: The 'MAKEHITS' Demo Consultation Service. Check out www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm .... now you can have the professional service for professionals.

(4)

Well Dec...

Now, let's talk a bit about 2 elements I don't know very much. First ones, Vocoders.

What they are?? How do you use them?? Are the VST vocoder plugins good??

Second, remember Cher's "Believe"?? What's the name of the FX they put into her voice?? Is this a vocoder?? If not, what makes her voice sound like this (a bit "keyboardish") and how can I acheive this type of sound??

Kind Regards, A*** from Uruguay

>>>>>>>First ones, Vocoders. What thei are?? How do you use them?? Are the VST vocoder plugins good??<<<<<< Vocoders were delevoped as a way of colouring the voice and making it play like a keyboard....or put the opther way around, it made the keyboard take on the qualities of a voice. By playing the melody on a keybopard and singing into a microphone plugged into the vocoder together with the keyboard sound then the melody comes o0ut in a strange way. Nowadays, however, almost every effects unit has it's own particular 'vocoder' program. They vary hugley and you can only reach a good sound [that will sell records] by a lot of experimentation. The plug-ins are in the same category. The Zoom units will simply give a semi distorted sound to the voice. I, personally have never had success in achieving the effect i want and have never been able to find anyone who knows what they are talking about re. vocoders...it's a 'black-art'. >>>>>>>Second, Remember Cher's "Believe"?? What's the name of the FX they put into her voice?? Is this a vocoder?? If not, what makes her voice sound like this (a bit "keyboardish") and how can I acheive this type of sound?<<<<<< This is simply done by turning an Antares vocal tuning unit up full so that it will jump up and down a half tone or full tone instead of glissing or swooping up and down as a normal voice does. It is not always successful and takes a lot of synchronising on the part of the vocalist. That effect has been done to death with vocals....but it could de a great effect for a wind instrument or a guitar....I've not heard that done before!

Regards

Dec dec@makehits.com

Where do the Pro's go to check the Hit Potential of their material? Answer: The 'MAKEHITS' Demo Consultation Service. Check out www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm .... now you can have the professional service for professionals.

(3)

Hello!

I wonder what type of compressors i need in my setup? I really want to compress drums so they sound LOUD and HARD, but also use it for vocals etc. Maybe I need more than one compressor? What do you reccomend Dec! M***** S******

If you only have one compressor available it would be probably best to use it as an 'end of line' compressor....the sort you would put over the whole mix.......BUT!!!!!!

A huge word of warning for you. It is extremely foolhardy to compress a mix. Because - once it is compressed, it is impossible to uncompress it. Too much compression can be as bad as no compression at all. You are best bringing your good sounding masters to a proper mastering studio where they will added the final compression and enhancement touches

A possible way of using one compressor would be to use it to compress or limit each track as it is being recorded [I am guessing you are not using a PC to record?].

Alternatively, use it over all the vocal channels. 'Insert's it over a group which is taking all the vocals. That way the vocals will be harder, more 'in yer face' and also the lead vocal will sit much nicer in the whole vocal arrangement.

Of course - a compressor would really make the drums sound wonderful.....

So you have a lot of choices there....I know what I would do. I would save quietly and after some research I would buy a number of compressors:

1. Behringer Composer [industry standard, affordable compressor much used in live and studio situations]
2. Drawmer [slightly more up-market but available at a good price on Ebay]
3. DBX [again, more up-market and available on Ebay] LA Audio [make excellent 4 in 1 units....good sounding and vicious]
4. TLA Audio FAT 1 [my current favourite...mostly valve and very in yer face]

   Just one caution.....ensure that the compressor has a noise-gate built in as many compressors can be noisy....a gate ensures that they are silent when a signal is not going through.

   Regards

   Dec dec@makehits.com

   Where do the Pro's go to check the Hit Potential of their material? Answer: The 'MAKEHITS' Demo Consultation Service. Check out www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm .... now you can have the professional service for professionals.

   
   

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(4)

Hi Dec!

I am getting really frustrated with trying to polish up my vocals to sound like they do on commercial cd's. I own a Rode NTK Valve Condensator microphone, and it is bullseye in terms of EQ and placement in mix, but it is also VERY VERY HARSH (some would call it "crisp" perhaps) and I always end up draging the EQ down a whole lot to smothen out that harshness.

But of course in doing so I damage other aspects of the vocals, making them duller and not to well fitted in the mix.

How DO pro's polish up their vocals? Maybe it is impossible with my current microphone? I have heard other people's mixes with it and they've sound even worse!! I want them to sound soft and "round" and smoooth - and it's not my room it's padded to the extreme.

p**** s

You are sounding like dozens of other recording guys who 'miss out' on the initial principals of recording.

Of necessity and to respect members of my 'Serious Writers Guild' I can only give you simple advice and not the whole deal [members pay a lot for the dynamite information] I give total detail of great vocal techniques in 'How To Make A $Million From your Music'...but you will have guessed that? All the magic is in front of the microphone....the performance, the electricity, the 'hit'. The microphone has NOTHING to do with it. One mic. is just as good as another. The Rode condenser mic. is excellent.. Strangely, we [the 'pro' side], strive for 'hardness' in everything we record.

We use compressors just to do this...hard and 'in yer face'...check out any Dr Dre mix, Andy McCluskey's work with Atomic Kitten...Justin Timberlake.

I'm afraid your problem is that you have not got a 'gigged' and professionally knowledgeable voice. This can only be got by gigging, by having tons of studio experience and learning the techniques of Justin, Robbie, Christina Aquilera. You must have as many if not more vocal tricks and techniques in order to stand half a chance of getting the full 'pro' results.

I repeat...it is nothing to do with the microphone. When I record, or perform live, the EQ is absolutely flat! But the vocals are CTF [Compressed To F***] sorry about that, but I just love Norman Cook's way of describing outrageous compression.

I use lots of differing microphones for different vocal ideas...I always A/B/C test mics for a new singer I might work with...and it is amazing that possibly the cheapest mic. may sound the best. We do not just use one microphone - just because we were told it was 'good' and it was 'expensive'.

Regards

Dec dec@makehits.com

Where do the Pro's go to check the Hit Potential of their material? Answer: The 'MAKEHITS' Demo Consultation Service. Check out www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm .... now you can have the professional service for professionals.

(5)

Hello Dec!

A&R from Atlantic Records would like to hear my material…I'm going through the back door, he told me send about 3 songs, do you have any other input before I sent it.

M***** S******

Yep, the best input I can give you is to read my releases and know the stuff inside out....make sure you look brilliant, talk brilliant and behave brilliant....stun them! they will want to see you....so the pic. had better be stunning....you only have one chance.....you are up against Britney here.

It's 75% visual, 25% music today!

Make sure the three toons sit comfortably between the Number One and the Number Five this week [don't even think of arguing that point!]

Agree to everything he/she says with the words: "I agree in principal, but I just have to run it past my.........."

Accept any deal on the table....it is much easier to negotiate when you are at Number 3 in the chart.

Regards

Dec dec@makehits.com

Where do the Pro's go to check the Hit Potential of their material? Answer: The 'MAKEHITS' Demo Consultation Service. Check out www.makehits.co.uk/demo.htm .... now you can have the professional service for professionals.

dec@makehits.co.uk

Dec's advice : Get in touch personally. Email dec@makehits.com to discuss what you want to achieve in music.

http://www.makehits.co.uk/qanda17.htm -- Revised: 23 January 2004 Copyright © 2003-2004 The Serious Writers Guild. All rights reserved.
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