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From One String Guitars to Optical Pickups - The Wonders of Modern Bass Guitars

2009-03-30T08:44:53+01:00

The standard electric bass guitar has four strings, although five and six string ones are fairly easy to locate, and acquiring one with greater than six strings is simply a case of paying extra for a custom boutique guitar. However, there is an alternative scale to move towards, and you may be surprised to learn that three string and even two string instruments are available - and for the ultimate challenge - a single string electric bass model!

A wide variety of techniques have been employed by those who design, manufacture and play electric bass guitars, and many of these techniques have focused on trying to extend the range of notes available, such as being able to provide more than one octave of notes at any single position, or increasing the range of tones available. In addition to reducing the number of strings, different ways of tuning have been explored, including for example a tenor bass or piccolo bass.

Another way that extended range of octaves that has been included has been to increase the number of strings to 12 or even 15. In this way, multiple octaves can be included, with strings being paired against those an octave above or below. This is the same way in which standard 12 stringed items are used.

As well as developing alternative ways of enhancing or affecting the voice, tone and range through the number of strings and the way they are arranged, the pickups play an important role too. Electric bass guitars use two basic types of pickup - although these are always electrical. The basic way in which the standard pickup works is by detecting the small electric charge generated by the vibrating metal string near the magnet. This electrical signal is fed through to an external amplifier and the sound created.

Instead of using these pickups some models have piezoelectric pickups, and these work on a more mechanical method. These pickups detect the physical movement of the strings rather than the electrical current the movement generates. Because this is a non-magnetic pickup, based on a physical movement, the tone and sound is quite different, and is said to compare more closely to the sound produced by an acoustic bass guitar. Again, as no magnetic detection is used, the strings don't have to be steel, or even metal, and both nylon and silicone have been used fairly commonly.

A third alternative, though rare, is the optical pickup. In these cases, LEDs, or Light Emitting Diodes track the movement of the strings optically, and then these tones are reproduced electrically. Because no magnets are used, and the pickup is purely optical, the buzz or hum associated with these kind of instruments is able to be left out, producing a much clearer, brighter note.

Today more and more electrical bass instruments are including in-built electric circuitry which boosts the signal at the point of pickup, and also allows for some alteration of the tone and voice before the signal is sent to the external amplifier - previously only included in the high end, boutique models.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for guitars, drums, keyboards, sheet music, guitar tab, and home theater audio. You can find the best marketplace at these sites for electric bass guitars, humbuckers, pickups, sheet music, guitar.

The Perfect Home Recording Studio

2008-08-30T23:00:00+01:00

Home computer music recording has become extremely popular, both as a hobby and as a legitimate means of live recording and mixing. For the serious musician or recording technician, the computer/software combination offers ease of use and lower cost, and it requires less space than traditional methods of recording.

Recording can be accomplished by using a "mixing board" to pre-mix multiple signals with their corresponding analog effects (if desired) before sending them to the computer, or each "plain" signal can be recorded independently to its own track through a computer audio interface, software effects applied, and the individual tracks then mixed together.

Using a mixer and analog effects, one could conceivably record without the benefit of multiple tracks, resulting in the need for less expensive, more simplistic software. For much greater control and a more polished sound, a quality multitrack software with effects is preferred.

Although more difficult to learn and use, multitrack software provides many more options for the user. The cost for quality multitrack recording software can range from $40 to several hundred dollars. Don't let the low prices fool you though, many a great recording has been made with shareware recording software.

If you aren't experienced in multitrack recording, purchasing at the low end of the spectrum makes sense. It's best to choose a product that will accept plug-ins, though. Plug-ins are small pieces of software that provide various functions (typically effects) that can be installed into the multitrack software, providing greater flexibility to the sound engineer. Several companies produce audio software plug-ins of the vst or directx variety that will work with even low cost software. A number of the plug-ins are actually offered free of charge.

For the more serious enthusiast, the computer (pc) should contain at least a Pentium 4 or Athlon 64 processor, 200gb, 7200 rpm IDE or Serial ATA hard drive, 1 gigabyte of dram, a good video card, and a high quality sound card. Any on-board video should be disabled in the cmos setup and a quality graphics card with at least 64mb ram installed.

A flat panel monitor with a 19" screen is preferred over a crt. With the large viewing area, the video resolution can be set at 1280 x 1024, enabling more of the audio recording software to be viewed on the screen at one time.

On-board audio (if available) should also be disabled and a high quality sound card installed into the computer. Also, invest in a pair of quality, amplified, near-field monitors. These speakers are designed specifically for music recording. Remember, if you're serious about your recordings, you'll want the music to be reproduced as realistically as possible.

A computer audio interface of some sort is a real necessity. It should have 1/4" inputs for instruments such as electric guitars or keyboards, as well as XLR inputs for microphones. 48v phantom power should be avaiable for condensor mics, as well. A mixer could even be plugged into the audio interface if more flexibility is needed.

More and more, musicians are realizing the high quality and low costs associated with producing their own recordings, while those interested in the technical side of recording can see the increased benefits of digital recording, mixing and mastering.

About The Author

Steve Leedy is a local government computer IT and webmaster with a keen interest in home music recording. His website,http://www.pcmusicstuff.com/ contains a variety of software and information for anyone interested in learning digital audio recording.

The Role of Major Record Labels in Music

2008-08-29T23:00:00+01:00

Have you ever thought how important music has become for us? I cannot remember a day when I didn�t hear any music at all. I love the stuff. You might have a collection of CDs, or albums, or you simply turn on the radio while commuting to work. Have you ever considered how the music gets to you and who makes the decision about what music gets played? Maybe you have wondered why only certain artists get played and have their music sold in major retail stores. Have you thought about what trends are going to take over music next? I suppose you will find the answer to all your questions in major record labels.

When you love or hate an artist is it because you like or dislike their record label? The major record labels take on new artists and promote their music, they might also assist other companies in planning tour promotions and other public events.

Generally a recording company takes on an artist for a certain period of time or a certain number of recordings. Take a look at your CD and DVD collection. Do you see that nearly 90 % of them come from one of the five major record labels?

The big five are Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Group, Warner Brothers and BMG entertainment. They make up the five major record labels. They deal with millions of artists, videos and movies. In case you would like to work in the music industries you should turn to any of the big five record labels.

Are you looking at your CD covers to find information about the record labels? In case you see a name different than one of the big five, don�t worry. Your CD is not necessarily duplicated.

It is more likely that you have purchased a CD from one of the major record labels subsidiary companies. They all own subsidiary companies.

For instance, do you remember the once great Motown record label? Now it is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group, while Capital Records is a member of EMI�s subsidiaries. There are hundreds of other companies, too.

What we listen today is mainly determined by the major music labels. But I suppose you don�t really care about the big fine when you are enjoying this new hip hop hit or singing along number one country song. What is undoubtedly true is that with the help of major record labels music plays a large part in our lives.

About The Author

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning music. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.mymusicreport.com/music--more/music/the-role-of-major-record-labels-in-music.html

Make Money With Your Music In Films Just By Talking To People

2008-08-28T23:00:00+01:00

Licensing you music into films is a great extra income stream for you as an independent artist. But, as with any other aspect of the music business, you have to go through the learning curve and networking process. My experience with film licensing, just like everything else, revolves around whom you know.

Your first (or tenth) licensing deal probably won�t be the next Hollywood blockbuster, but that�s ok. There are a zillion independent films that need and want your music. No, you won�t be immediately rich and famous from having a song in an indie film, but you will probably get paid, and you�ll get some good exposure. Remember, a good ling music career is not built on one big hit. It�s built on a series of small projects and successes building to bigger ones, and, of course, multiple streams of income.

With that in mind, independent films are a great place to start. So where do you begin? Well, listing sites like Versus Media, Film Music Network, and Taxi are a good place to start, but it�s hard to rely on a steady income from people you�ve never met. Also, something I�ve learned recently from a couple of music supervisors, is that follow up on your package is not required, nor particularly appreciated. So you really are relying on your package and your music being picked out of the pile. However, the listing services will give you access to projects you may not have known about otherwise. They are, therefore, a good investment.

An even better way to hook into independent films is to go out and meet film people. As musicians we tend to get stuck in our own little world. Hanging out with musicians, going to music workshops and events, etc. You must take your product to the people who need it instead of waiting for them to come to you.

A great place to start is Indie Club. This is a worldwide organization of independent filmmakers, actors, crew, and everyone else. Find your local chapter through the IndieClub.com website. It�s free to join. Where I am, San Francisco, we have the country�s largest chapter. Join their discussion list and introduce yourself as a music artist. Go to their meetings and get-togethers. When I went to my first Indie Club meeting, I was one of two music artists in the room. The cries of �We need you!� were not just the voices in my head (this time). That room full of independent filmmakers was looking for good music that they could license and still stay within their budget.

I scored my first licensing deal within an hour. Two songs in the same film, one I�d already written, the other to be written specifically for the movie. My tactic was simple. Ask them about their latest project. They�ll be happy to tell you about it, I assure you. They�ll ask what you do. Tell them, but don�t exaggerate. I explained that I had not yet written for films, but just came to see where I fit in. This particular filmmaker then explained to me that he couldn�t find a particular song for this one scene he was working on. I told him I�d be happy to custom write it for him. And there it was. I was being paid up front to write a song. How much? I received $100 for the new song, $50 for the previously written and recorded one. Like I said, you won�t get rich off of these. But hey, $50 to let him use a song that I�d paid for long ago is free money to me.

For the new song, the director arranged for recording time at the local recording arts school where his sound editor was studying. This was fortuitous, and not necessarily normal. Most other project I have to record myself. Because I kept the copyright for the song (which you should always try to do), I was able to release the new song on one of my future CDs, which put more money in my pocket. There�s that multiple streams of income again. And, as a topper, I was able to perform at the premier and sell more CDs there as well. I got all that just for showing up to a meeting and talking to people. I made a few other deals at that meeting too.

So the moral of the story is to just go where filmmakers are and talk to them. Besides Indie Club, I�m sure there are other film clubs and organizations in your area. Find them and make yourself a part of them. Get to know everyone, and you have your tunes in the movies in no time!

Next time: How to get your music in movies by getting yourself in movies!

About The Author

Phil Johnson and his band Roadside Attraction know that life just isn't that serious, and there's always someone more screwed up than you. And they've got the songs to prove it. Hear all about them at http://www.RoadsideAttraction.com.

The $11 Billion Industry

2008-07-16T10:58:59+01:00

Do you remember the ubiquitous Crazy Frog and its ilking?

A new report from Informa Telecoms and Media predicts that by 2010, mobile music will be worth $11.3bn, with nearly $6.8bn worth of real tones - mobile phone ringtones that sound like a real song rather than digitized music - sold by the end of the decade. Ringtones of all varieties are expected to be worth $4.9bn this year, with almost all ringtones set to become real music by 2010

The voice ringtones market, which adds a voice channel to the polyphonic sound such that the actual song is sung when the ringtones plays are the next wave in the ringtones market. The interesting thing about ringtones is that they are truly an entertainment service and only marginally related to communication and messaging. Ringtones are the most popular type of content downloads to mobile phones. They are the second most popular nonvoice mobile data services after standard text messaging. The bulk of the sales should take place in Asia, with the region likely to account for more than half of global demand for mobile music services including ringtones

Ringtones remain the clear consumer favorite when it comes to mobile music offerings from online websites. The mobile entertainment market faces challenges which will hinder its long term prospects because of the ongoing tussle for a large slice of the revenues from mobile operators and record companies.

For the telecommunications sector, mobile entertainment -- music, games, gambling and video -- is seen as a key income stream as profit margins from voice and messaging services get squeezed from intense competition. Additionally, ringtones are categorized as a premium content service which commands a premium end user price. Consumers are paying between $0.50 and $5.00 per ringtones, with a typical price being $2.00. This is a substantial price premium compared to other mobile data services. Revenues from ringtones can therefore be significant

There's a direct link between the popularity of real music ringtones and the number of iPods. Soon there will be more mobile phones capable of playing music out there than iPods. so watch out ipod .The recording industry sees mobile content as a better bet than web music salest, the industry is starting to see mobile music as a whole revenue stream. And the ringtones market is expected to blossom further as consumers download entire songs on their phones through 3G technologies, and customized ring back tones enable callers to hear songs instead of conventional network ringing tones. The phenomenon is also opening up new distribution avenues for songwriters.

Whether you're sitting on the bus or walking down the street, you can now enjoy your music more conveniently. Your favorite tunes are only one touch away.

Furthermore, with web connectivity you can enjoy high quality music on the go; this is further pushing the boundaries of mobile music.

About The Author

Joey Nana-Asare is the webmaster for: http://www.ringtonesring.net and http://www.ringringtonesafrica.com.