Winner of the June Songwriting contest.

Congratulations to Alex Brown! The winning tune for the first leg of this three month long contest is titled “ I know it’s true”, and it caught my attention for several reasons.

Alex writes……

“I am 15 years old and I started playing piano at age 12 and now I play guitar, drums, and bass. I got really into music and recording, and so I started a band, and we practiced almost every day on the weekends. We also started recording a lot. I started working on a lot of solo work the past year and writing songs, and I recorded this one in my room. I used Logic Express 9 to record it and a midi keyboard and an old vocal mic my dad gave me. I turned my room into a little, mini home studio that I recorded it in. I wrote and recorded this song in one night, and I played all of the instruments by myself! Thanks again for taking the time to listen it means a lot! I hope you like it! “

Like it? Nope, I love it!

First of all, the guy is only 15 years old! Secondly, the piano “hook” is simply wonderful. I do not ever wish to consider the quality of a recording for the contest, but the quality here is not bad at all. What a great flow of medley and vocals. I love this tune, and have added it into my own Ipod. Great job Alex Brown and friends!

Here is the list of prizes that Alex has won, and the prizes for the next two month long songwriting contests.

From Bias, a copy of Bias Soundsoap2 pro. From Loopmasters, two”artist series loop and sample DVD packs. From The Sound Guy, a copy of their SFX Machine Pro plug in. From Groove 3, a full access, 30 pass to training videos!

Next up, send in your songs for the month of July! For the complete list of the easy, simple, must follow rules, follow this link!

Toontrack Musics Chuck Ainlay EZ Mix

The other day I received a copy of the brand new Chuck Ainlay EZ Mix preset package from Toontrack. After a few long mix sessions using it, I decided to shoot a quick demo video for it, and the amazing sounds that it produces.

Part 1

Part 2

If you wish to obtain professional mixing results as fast as possible, this is your EZ Mix preset pack! Available at the Toontrack website for 29 U.S. Dollars!

Thanks for stopping by!

Two new tools from IK Multimedia

IK Multimedia announces 2 new mixing legends as add-ons to T-RackS: Black 76 and White 2A
Available as single plug-ins or integrated within the new 64-bit T-RackS® suite of mixing and mastering processors

May 2011, Modena, Italy – IK Multimedia is proud to announce the release of two new T-RackS mixing plug-ins that are modeled on two of of the world’s most renowned analog compressors: the Black 76 Limiting Amplifier and the White 2A Leveling Amplifier. These prestigious effects are available as single plug-ins for the most popular DAWs, or they may be integrated in the new T-RackS suite of mixing and mastering effects, now updated with 64-bit compatibility, both in standalone and plug-in modes.

The Black 76 Limiting Amplifier is modeled after what is probably the most used, most known, most wanted, and most universally recognized compressor / limiter in the audio industry. There are probably no professionally created records without tracks using this unit! It’s a true legend and a piece of history. The engineers that made this FET based compressor reached a level of cleverness and magic that only true visionary geniuses can achieve. While there are many revisions of this hardware, IK Multimedia modeled the LN version, revision E, because it's the one that has the most sonically recognized and wanted character, thanks to its input transformer and class A output stage.

This compressor can be used on literally everything: drums, drum sub-mixes, vocals, bass, guitars, piano, choirs, brass, strings, etc. It adds its sonic footprint to the sound that for many reasons simply makes music sound better. Vocals, for example, will gain presence, consistency, clarity and punch in a way simply not obtainable with other units. Drums will gain power and density with total control over the level of "snap", and guitars will get a magic midrange zone that makes them truly sing. The Black 76 is a must for mixing, but thanks to the perfectly stereo linked version provided with the MS option, it can also be effectively used for mastering if used with care!

The White 2A Leveling Amplifier is based on a legendary vintage unit that is entirely tube-based. It’s a totally different device in terms of construction where all the compression magic happens inside an optically coupled element formed by a fluorescent panel and some photocells: the famed T4A element. There is no electronic circuitry involved with the compression itself. It's just a tube amp with photo-resistors, lit by a fluorescent panel driven by the output signal. At the time of this invention, there were not many ways of making an audio compressor: only variable-mu and optical. Optical was the simplest one, and if proper elements for both the light emitting panel and the photocells were matched, magic happened.

Originally intended for use in broadcasting, it immediately became a truly signature unit for music recording and mixing. It’s a must-have for both tracking and mixing vocals, but it’s also tremendously effective on electric bass, upright bass, piano, winds and many other tracks where you need a gentle compression with great warmth and consistency. This is one of the few units in the audio industry that nobody will allow to be substituted for anything else.

Two years in the making, these two units have challenged IK Multimedia’s superior modeling capabilities and pushed them to the extremes. These units have been modeled down to the finest detail in each of their stages, matching all the controls and their behavior, including the ultra-accurate VU-Meter response. Perfected with countless measurements and A-B listening sessions, IK has produced two of the most realistic emulations available in software so far. Other companies have attempted this with average results, but with the Black 76 and the White 2A, it doesn’t get better when it comes to classic analog-modeled plug-in compressors.

Both the Black 76 and the White 2A are available as single T-RackS mixing plug-ins for all popular DAW platforms in RTAS, AU and VST formats. They also give the flexibility to be perfectly integrated with the T-RackS suite of effects as they can be opened inside the T-RackS twelve-slot, serial-parallel processor chain, both in standalone and plug-in modes, taking advantage of T-RackS advanced routing, metering and preset capabilities. With the addition of these two new classics, T-RackS users will have a total of 12 superior dynamic and EQ effects to choose from, including a full-fledged professional metering suite for all of their professional mixing and mastering needs.

Furthermore, T-RackS and all its effect processors have been updated to version 3.5 – now supporting all 64-bit DAWs – and the update is available a free download to all existing T-RackS 3 Deluxe, Standard, shell and Singles users.

The T-RackS 3.5 standalone application is fully compatible with the new ARC version 1.3, which also adds native 64-bit compatibility.

Pricing and availability
The Black 76 and White 2A cost only $99.99/€74.99 each (excluding taxes) and are immediately available as a download from the IK Multimedia online store or from selected music retailers carrying the T-RackS 3 singles in Multi-box format.

For more info:

http://www.t-racks.com/black76
http://www.t-racks.com/white2A
http://www.t-racks.com/singles
http://www.t-racks.com

Toontrack Songwriters drum pack 3

Toontrack Songwriters drum pack 3 review/demo.

Once again the creative minds over at Toontrack have put together a midi pack for all of us songwriters! Songwriters Drum Pack 3 is only 29 dollars, and chock full of great drum lines. The video posted is a listening to the midi found within Songwriters Drum Pack 3. I am using Superior Drummer in order to audition the midi files, and I am employing Platinum Samples, Joe Barresi “Evil Drums” for the samples!

This midi pack is just as chock full of great midi as all of the other midi packs found over at the Toontrack website. Sit back, and let me take you through some of the midi drum lines found within…….

Problem solved, by IK Multimedia of course!

One of the newest and coolest things in our world are the iPhone, iPad, and all of the musical apps that go with them. These apps are getting very realistic, with everything from guitars, guitar amp sims, pianos and organs, and vocal altering masterpiece apps. One of the main reasons that I have stayed away from all of these apps is due to the problem of not being able to save and then use our material; after a long session of writing with them. Well, that is not the case any longer. I welcome the iRig Recorder! Thanks to IK Multimedia for understanding our needs and our wants!

Here is a link to the new video for the iRig Recorder.

The iRig Recorder organizes your recordings by date and time and also tags them with a geographic location for easy and reliable file management of your recordings. Export your files via email, Wi-Fi, FTP and iTunes File Sharing in a variety of sizes and formats (including CD-Quality uncompressed audio- 16-bit 44.1 kHz). This is cool for all of you field recording junkies, or you “on the go” interviewers!

iRig Recorder features:

Convenient, easy-to-use mobile recording and editing app: just launch the app and press record. The perfect companion to iRig iMic for your podcasts, interviews, concert and field recordings. One-touch recording with real-time monitoring. Intuitive, non-destructive editing tools to cut, crop and loop your recordings. Pitch and time–based effects include changing the speed of your recordings (without affecting pitch) to adapt your content to other media such as audio and video. Organize your recordings by creation date and tags with geographic location. Eight intelligent effects processors automatically optimize your recordings – no audio knowledge required.

iRig Recorder App is available for $4.99 / €3.99 from the App Store on iPad, iPhone or iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore

Soldano and Orange amps from the IK Multimedia Custom shop!

Not only can you now download Amplitube 3 for free, but you can add amps, stomps, cabs, and rack effects like an “ala carte’” system, as you want them.

Leave it to IK Multimedia to make shopping for gear more fun and easy! Introducing the new IK Multimedia Custom Shop! Well, I took a little trip to the shop, and I was pleasantly rewarded. Brand new in the Custom Shop are some amps, mics, rack effects, and new stomps. What is cool is that you can (of course) purchase or try out any of the amps, mics, rack effects, and stomps currently available in any of the IK Multimedia products such as Metal, Ampeg SVX, and Jimi Hendrix. Plus, there are some new faces.

The new “tube amps” in the IK Multimedia Custom Shop! are a few Orange amps (Tiny Terror, Rocker Verb 50, the AD-30TC) and a Soldano SLO-100 amp. These are a warm welcome, with no pun intended. As you will see and hear in the video that I have posted, these amp tones are right on and they work as their real cousins might.



I love the little things that are well represented here, like the quality reverb found in the Orange 50 rocker amp. Simply put, it is just a very well done reverb, and that means a lot to me.

Let me have your attention for another second here, and let’s check out the attention to detail found on the face of the Soldano SLO-100 amp! Just like the original, there is a clean/crunch switch included. More to the point, it sounds familiar and awesome in clean mode, and even better while in crunch mode. The sustain that this amp seems to incorporate is very realistic, as are the harmonics and the slight “hot feel” that it gives to my guitars’ pickups. I just love the tones that I am able to conjure up from this warm rocker. The clean tone is very “tube like”, and can be used with your guitars’ volume to dial in that sweet spot. The crunch is a sonic treat for the 80’s rocker in us all too. Let us not forget the overdrive/normal switch, which again, is just like the real deal, and it works and sounds like the original too. Lastly, as for the switches that is, is the Bright/Normal switch. Yes, it works and sounds like the real deal. Hey, go ahead and check it out, for yourself, for free!

Next, I would love to thank a couple of fellow bloggers for putting one of my songs on their podcast. The Homemade Hit show played a loop based song that I put together for my (at the time) girlfriend. Thanks so much Tony and Dave! You guys rock, and we all listen to the The Homemade Hit show as often as we can!

Recent music news to share.

IK Multimedia is proud to offer a FREE upgrade to the new AmpliTube 3.5, a fully functional version of AmpliTube 3 with all features, a selection of 24 free gear models and the new Custom Shop, a brand new way to try and buy single gear models of legendary brands à la carte to build a truly custom tone.

The Custom Shop includes officially certified models from legendary brands such as Fender^TM, Orange®, Ampeg®, Soldano^TM and many more. Here is a link to see some of the new stomps, new amps, new rack effects, and other new gear.

Here is a link to see the new video about the Custom shop.

Here is a link to where you can learn more about Custom Shop from IK Multimedia.

Toontrack has released a brand new midi pack, named “Blues midi pack”. You can hear audio samples by clicking this link, and you can see the video for Blues midi pack by following this link. The midi files are played by Hans Lindback, and it appears to be the real deal, and covers many blues styles. What else could be as cool? Well, how about a price tag of only 29 bucks?