Music Technology

Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio – The Future Of Audio Is Here

Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio Are You Listening? Unless you’ve been underground for the past few weeks, you couldn’t have missed one of the biggest developments in the world of sound – Apple recently announced that Apple Music customers will now have access to industry-leading sound quality thanks to the addition of Spatial Audio, which includes Dolby Atmos support. Artists can use Spatial Audio to create immersive audio experiences for their listeners, complete with full multidimensional sound and clarity. Starting next month, Apple Music users will get access to these new services at no additional cost. Now, before we get into what it means for you as producers and listeners, let’s take a look at what Dolby Atmos really is.    su_divider top=”no” size=”1″   What Is Dolby Atmos?   Source: Tom’s Guide, 2019   Dolby Atmos is touted as one of the most advanced audio technologies available on new …

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Is Push the ultimate Ableton controller? An all-in-one workflow

Is Push The Ultimate Ableton controller?   With the range and variety in today’s market for MIDI Controllers in music production – does the Ableton Push 2 still hold its name of being the forefront of MIDI controllability? This article dives into this, by comparing the Push 2 with other MIDI Controllers that boast an all-in-one workflow.   su_divider top=”no” size=”1″   What Are MIDI Controllers?   MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) controllers are devices that can’t create sounds by themselves, but rather – control the interface of the DAW. This allows users to have functionality beyond the limitations of the computer keyboard and trackpad. A controller usually has various buttons, knobs, or sliders that are mapped to the DAW by default, or can be custom mapped. This can be extremely helpful while performing your music live or even in the studio as it helps with maintaining a certain kind …

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What Games Can Teach You About Music

What Games Can Teach You About Music Games and music have always been intricately intertwined.  Red Brick highlights how music completes the video game experience through sound symbolism as well as movement. It would be difficult to separate the ominous setting of Dark Souls from its soundtrack. Or to experience the speed of Super Mario Odyssey without the melody that follows in the background.    The 8-bit era of games is a rabbit hole worthy of exploring.  These original game sounds were some of the first to be synthesized using computer chips as opposed to samples of audio recordings imported into the game.  These sounds have become iconic and have weaved their way through pop culture for decades.  With nostalgia for 8-Bit era aesthetics and sounds at an all-time high, we are seeing musicians draw inspiration from these vintage games and sounds in new and innovative ways.   The genres …

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EQ Eight Explained – More Than Just Cuts & Boosts

EQ Eight Explained What Is An Equalizer? Have you ever noticed the “Bass” and “Treble” options on an amplifier? Or the “Low, Mid, High” filters on a DJ Mixer? Chances are you’ve used an equalizer (or EQ)  in some way or another. An equalizer is a device that can increase or decrease a specific range of frequencies in a track. In music production, EQ’s help producers reduce problematic frequencies, enhance musical ones, and help shape the overall sound to achieve depth & clarity. In this article, you’ll get an overview of a popular, modern equalizer – and a breakdown of the types of filters found in it.  su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ All About EQ Eight So what does a modern EQ look like? Watch the video below to see our head of education, Yeuda Ben-Atar, take you through the ins and outs of Ableton’s “EQ Eight” – the stock EQ that …

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MIDI 2.0 & MPE – A Gamechanger For Electronic Music

MIDI 2.0 & MPE The world of music production is quickly evolving – and it’s recently experienced two game-changing introductions: MIDI 2.0 & MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE). This article covers what these changes imply, an overview of the technicalities involved, and how they will change the face of music forever. su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ What Is MIDI? MIDI (or Musical Instrument Digital Interface) is a communication protocol that was created in the early ‘80s that enables digital music equipment to communicate with one another. Its invention allowed a MIDI instrument to generate a digital MIDI message that could then trigger a note on another instrument (such as a synthesizer). Dave Smith (the founder of Sequential) & Ikutaro Kakehashi (the founder of Roland) are attributed as the founders of MIDI. Hear Smith tell the tale of how MIDI was born in this 6-minute clip below.   su_youtube url=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq6_vy4Pcwk” width=”200″ height=”200″   Fast …

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Meet Sienna – Emulate Studio Rooms On Your Headphones

Meet Sienna Sienna is a plugin that combines technology by Acustica Audio with artificial intelligence to emulate studio rooms, anechoic chambers, and different environments – right on your headphones. Gone are the days when you have to burn a hole in your wallet to hear how you track really sounds in a studio. The best part? Our new partnership with Acustica allows Beat Lab students and followers (yes – that means you) to get this plugin for less than half price in the month of May. Read on to find out more! su_divider top=”no” size=”1″ What Is Mixing & Mastering?   (Source: Produce Like A Pro, 2016) Mixing & Mastering are the two “M’s” that intimidate a lot of producers as they prepare their tracks to be release-ready. Here at Beat Lab, we believe that Mixing & Mastering are sonic skills that are absolutely learnable – just like recording or synthesis. …

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