Set Up for Success – 3 Steps for a Simple Mixdown
Set Up for Success – 3 Steps for a Simple Mixdown Music producers (especially those of us just starting out) often see mixing as one of the most frustrating aspects of finishing their next track. The mix of a song can be responsible for making it a hit or leaving it lifeless. There are certain methods which are key to perfecting this craft so here are some factors that you need to keep in mind while working on your music: 1: Knowing What To Listen For If you’re anything like me, when you first started producing you probably had extreme narrow EQ boosts, tons of sub information from multiple instruments bleeding together, and sharp high end on a few of your instruments that “weren’t coming through the mix”. Honestly, that’s great. Why? It means you were making music and that’s goal for getting better at listening. It’s just practice. The more …
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Beat Lab Artist Series Recap: Naomi Wild
Beat Lab Artist Series Recap: Naomi Wild This past weekend we held another Artist Series Workshop, and this time we had a Beat Lab alumni who has been absolutely killing it in the industry – Naomi Wild. If you aren’t familiar with her work you should get on it because Naomi is a true hustler who has been grinding to get where she is at today: she is an amazing singer, skilled songwriter, and talented producer. Naomi told us about her come up over the past couple of years, she worked at a restaurant before fully committing to music and that was part of what gave her the motivation to dive-in head first to the scene. She started out as a songwriter and eventually decided that production was going to be important to her success so that’s how she ended up taking classes here at Beat Lab Academy. Her education at Beat Lab Academy …
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Pioneer DJM-REC iOS app – How to Record DJ Sets Without a Laptop
Pioneer DJM-REC iOS app – How to Record DJ Sets Without a Laptop Pioneer DJ released a new iOS app at NAMM 2018 earlier this year, DJM-REC, and we’re excited to share this one technique along with a few others so that you can record your DJ Sets without a laptop. Obviously, if you are DJ’ing from your laptop your software will have an internal mix recording function so this article is more for those DJs opting for CDJs or standalone devices. 1. DJM-REC – $9.99 If you simply want to record your set, you could opt for an RCA to aux cable and record directly into your iPhone or Android device using any app that records (i.e. iPhone – voice memo, Android – Voice Recorder). The Pioneer DJM-REC app is our #1 recommendation if you have an iPhone or iPad because of its sophisticated recording method which also extracts time …
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After School Special: Indie Electronic Feels – Beat Lab Show Recap
After School Special: Indie Electronic Feels – Beat Lab Show Recap Wednesday, February 21st Beat Lab had its first After School Special of the year, featuring 5 alumni acts who showcased their skills and talents developed during the Beat Lab Certification course. The event was titled “Indie Electronic Feels” to reflect the indie electronic leanings of each act, but the similarities ended there. Each performance was as unique as the next and they all brought their very own style to the stage, this is a recap of the night. 1. The Water Company Alex Penate opened up the night with a solo act that expanded beyond the confines of Lot 1 Cafe’s stage, it was trippy, man. With nothing but his Ableton Push, laptop, and a microphone Alex put on the mask seen in the photo and became The Water Company. His set floated through experimental hip-hop beats (some made …
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Drums and FX – Roland DJ Controllers Updated
Drums and FX – Roland DJ Controllers Updated Roland just recently released firmware updates for its flagship Serato DJ Controllers – the DJ-202, DJ-505, and DJ-808. For anyone not yet familiar with the series, the Roland Serato DJ Controllers are all DJ controllers equipped with onboard sequencing abilities. The introduction of the sequencer into the DJ controllers was meant to give DJs the ability to improvise drum programming during their sets adding another layer to their performances. The controllers have been a major hit so far further narrowing the gap between producer and DJ. The DJ-202 and the DJ-505 gained the most samples from the recent updates with added drum sounds, while the DJ-505 and DJ-808 were given three new Master FX; the DJ-808 was given four new Channel FX, and Nudge and Tap Tempo features were added to the onboard TR-S step sequencer. This was one of the most desired …
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Cooking Up Beats – Beat Lab Academy BBQ Celebrates Graduates
Cooking Up Beats – Beat Lab Academy BBQ Celebrates Graduates At the end of each semester Beat Lab founder Yeuda Ben-Atar hosts a BBQ at his home in Eagle Rock, CA to celebrate the graduates of each class. We celebrated the most recent graduates this past weekend and it was an event filled with fun, food, and activity. Yeuda fired up the grill, cooked up some Middle Eastern food to feed the Fam, students took turns on the decks spinning tunes, and we even formed an impromptu soccer circle to pass the ball around. As it was a bit colder this time of year the BBQ began early in the afternoon and winded down early in the evening but regardless of the weather, the Fam was able to have a great time getting to know each other. We shared stories, experiences and discussed the future – something most people fear, …
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