Story Index for Articles, Interviews, News and Reviews
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — With the opening of the new BETA Studio in the Los Angeles facilities of BETA Records, musicians have a new home for creativity. “It was exciting to launch our new recording studio with a week-long album session starring music industry legends, The Temptations,” states Georg van Handel, BETA’s CEO.
ADELAIDE, Australia — Crysonic today announced the release of nXtasy V2 and availability in Native Mac OSX AU, VST (PPC /Intel Mac) and PC VST formats. nXtasy V2 is an Analog based multi-Octave Harmonic saturation Audio DSP plug-in supporting 64-Bit internal precision. nXtasy can be used through out the entire chain of music production from tracking, live use to mixing and final mastering.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. — Blue Microphones, a leading innovator in microphone technology and design, announces the addition of veteran sales professional Scott Schumer in the position of Vice President of Global Sales. Schumer is chartered with the task of growing the sales and support infrastructure as well as utilizing key channel relationships to maximize opportunities in professional audio.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — John Petrucci premieres the first entry of Korg ProSessions, a series of videos with practice and warm up tips demonstrated by the artists themselves. A member of Dream Theater, John Petrucci is renowned for his serious guitar chops and distinctive style.
ST PETERSBURG, Fla. — TrueFire, an interactive publisher of educational content for musicians, has released two new interactive video courses for guitarists. Total Modal examines the theory, harmony and application of 19 essential modes and scales, while Vamps, Jams, and Improvisation illustrates approaches for developing melodic and rhythmic ideas for soloing and comping over vamps. Both courses are available on CD-ROM or as a streaming video course on TrueFire’s All Access TV.
ATHENS, Greece — Soundsnap is a new online platform for finding and sharing free samples, sound effects and music loops. Designed as a resource and community for musicians, sound designers, producers, film makers and web/video game developers, Soundsnap provides user driven content for use in virtually any kind of media production. Users can freely download and upload content to be legally shared and used in any media project.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Native Instruments announces the availability of the Receptor “KOMPLETE Inside” edition from Muse Research Inc. The versatile Receptor rack-format plugin host system offers musicians and producers an alternative way of running software instruments and effects without using a standard computer. The KOMPLETE 4 bundle includes 12 acclaimed software instruments and effects which have become a mainstay in all areas of modern music production.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — JSM Music owner and executive producer Joel Simon and his studio will have their own cause to celebrate at this week’s BET Awards. Tuesday night’s awards will include the world premiere of a new TV commercial featuring Mary J Blige – part of a campaign for Chevy Tahoe – for which Simon and JSM Music played a key role.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — Dark horse U.S. presidential candidate and controversial modern artist, Victor-Hugo Vaca Jr., sees Live Earth as a living breathing work of Modern Art. How can the world participate in the largest self-destructing Modern Art Project ever created? By passing along a simple message.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — You won’t hear “shhhh” at this event: the Los Angeles Public Library teams up with L.A. Music Network to launch a live music series in all styles and for all ages. In an arresting new live music series, “LAMN Gets Loud in the Library” launches on July 11 with free performances […]
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (MuseWire) — A&R Select, a full service artist development and marketing firm for independent artists and bands announces that IDASAS from Redlands, California, has won the 2007 Battle of the Bands competition at BB King’s, located at Universal’s Citywalk.
SEATTLE, Wash. (MuseWire) — Protectomatic Music and Entertainment (PME) proudly announces the release of Escape Plan, the new extended play album by Stretching Madness. The first single off of Escape Plan, entitled “Lies in My Head,” is also being released. In conjunction with the new single and album, PME and Stretching Madness will be launching a new website for the band.
MuseWire COLUMN: Whether played by marching band, orchestra, or rock group, there are patriotic tunes that everyone in America finds familiar, exciting and uplifting. Scott G reveals some of the eyebrow-raising facts about the top 14 crowd-rousing anthems. Your celebration of Independence Day may include watching fireworks, having a barbeque, or tuning in one of […]
SEATTLE, Wash. (MuseWire) — Protectomatic Music and Entertainment (PME) proudly announces the release of Jeremiah’s new album, “Love Notes,” on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007. The first single off of Jeremiah’s recording, entitled, “Did I tell you,” is also being released. In conjunction with the new single and album, PME and Jeremiah will be launching a new website with the recording.
BERLIN and LOS ANGELES, Calif. (MuseWire) — Native Instruments today released a free library add-on with three artist drum kits for the acclaimed percussion sampler BATTERY 3. The new kits were designed by NI endorsees Gorillaz, Einstuerzende Neubauten, and Turntablerocker, and are based on exclusive custom sounds from these artists’ own productions.
INTERVIEW: Singing, songwriting, recording, and playing lots of gigs may be the traditional way for an independent music artist to get ahead. With the release of “The Kitchen Sink” by Sean Wiggins and her band Lone Goat, the singer shows that the quality of the work may be as important as the quantity. G-Man: Your […]
SEATTLE, Wash. (MuseWire) — On Tuesday, June 19th, 2007 from 4:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m., an unprecedented 25% of Moxie’s sales will be donated to three artists that are making a difference as they go after their dreams while supporting charities they believe in at the same time.
SEATTLE, Wash. (MuseWire) — Hop Productions proudly announces the release of Fodakis, the new album by Das Vibenbass on Tuesday, June 19th, 2007. The Seattle quartet that is, “crushing the borders of Jazz,” presents Fodakis – a collection of songs that consciously challenge cultural assumptions about the jazz medium.
INTERVIEW: Delvian Records has been called aggressive, brash, quirky, fanatical and a secret weapon for indie artists. Company president Benjamin van der Wel talks with Scott G (Delvian recording artist The G-Man) about music, marketing, mojo, media, and the madness of running a record label. Scott G: Some people say you have to be a […]
REVIEW: Celebrating an endorsement between G-Man Music and the fiery axe-makers known as Minarik Guitars, Scott G (The G-Man) reviews the Minarik Inferno X-treme, a design that is fueling the excitement of a new generation of musicians.
ONTARIO, Canada (MuseWire) — ASK Video Interactive Media, a leading creator of software tutorials on DVD, is now shipping Pro Tools Level 3, completing a three-part comprehensive DVD training course on the most widely utilized Digital Audio Workstation for music production today.
NEW YORK, N.Y. (MuseWire) — My Hound Media, Inc. announced today the launch of the beta version of MyHound.com, a website where users sign up for e-mail notifications of new CD releases, concerts, tour dates, and other events related to their favorite artists – from famous rock stars and bestselling authors to indie bands, unknown actors and niche writers.
INTERVIEW: Born to sing, Astrella Celeste is attempting to fuse pop music to an inner spirituality. In an interview with Scott G, she talks about how songs are a part of life, love, memory and peace. Pop music is a strange business. No one knows that more than Astrella Celeste, a tiny creature whose talent […]
ANAHEIM, Calif. (MuseWire) — A benefit concert in the name of original Iron Butterfly bass player Lee Dorman will be held Sunday June 24th at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, next to the Honda Center. Iron Butterfly shook the music world in 1968 with the release of the monumental LP, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, featuring the 17 minute side-long track that outsold every record in the history of recorded music within the first year of its release.
MINNETONKA, Minn. (MuseWire) — Minnetonka Audio Software ships AudioTools(TM) Batch Pro(TM), an out-of-the-box application that will revolutionize the way audio assets are managed and processed. Batch Pro is the industry’s first fully automated processing tool for audio assets.
ONTARIO, Canada (MuseWire) — ASK Video Interactive Media, known for their high-quality DVD training on music software products, has begun shipping Sibelius Tutorial DVD Level 2, The second installment in a series of ultra-high quality DVD courses designed to train composers, musicians, students, and educators on Sibelius.
RECIFE, Brazil — D’Accord Music Software, the Brazilian leader in music software, announces an innovative software – iChords – that recognizes and presents chords from any MP3, WMA files or CDs. iChords was also recently nominated for the “Best Sound Program” at the 2007 Shareware Industry Awards (SIA) and is competing with three other software programs, including Winamp.
HOUSTON, Texas — Pitch Control TV launches two new DVDs and announces a new and exciting Internet television show that is designed to entertain and entice Hip Hop music lovers, nationwide. Based in Houston, the focus is primarily on southern artists, but Pitch Control TV also showcases independent and major-label artists, coast-to-coast.
INTERVIEW: A performer needs a good name, so when Marcel Oosterom started appearing in clubs to play mixes of what was called raggamuffin’ and hiphop beats, he did so as DJ Insane. Did that help draw a crowd? Undoubtedly. But it was the quality and intensity of his music that kept the crowds coming back. […]
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (MuseWire) — IZOTOPE, INC. today announces that Mixed In Key, maker of the leading DJ tool for harmonic mixing, has licensed iZotope Multiband Compressor and IRC Limiter technology for a newly released product, Platinum Notes, a program that “heals” your music by analyzing MP3 and WAV files and correcting areas that need improvement.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (MuseWire) — mTraks, Inc. announces the official launch of its public beta website, now open. mTraks(TM) is a killer social music community and digital music marketplace. mTraks has raised $550,000 from a consortium of private angel investors and is represented by Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich & Rosati.
SEATTLE, Wash. (MuseWire) — Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced it will launch a digital music store later this year offering millions of songs in the DRM-free MP3 format from more than 12,000 record labels. EMI Music’s digital catalog is the latest addition to the store. Every song and album in the Amazon.com digital music store will be available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software.
DALLAS, Texas — Roemtech, LLC (www.roemtech.com) has announced the availability of their innovative PlenumAmp (PMA-240). It is designed and approved for above-ceiling installations. It allows the end-user to have an audio amplification system that is easily concealed. Commercial environments such as school classrooms and business meeting rooms with data projectors need an amplifier that provides clear, powerful sound without taking up excess room. This product fills that need without sacrificing power or clarity.
NEW YORK, N.Y. — On Saturday, May 26th at 7:00 p.m., Steve Urban, native New Yorker and ground-breaking musician, will celebrate the 66th birthday of musical legend, Bob Dylan, at Kenny’s Castaways, a well-known Dylan hangout on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village. Urban will honor classic Dylan tracks combined with original instrumentation.
TORRANCE, Calif. — Send2Press(R), a leading targeted newswire service, announced today it has joined the sponsors of the 12-week Battle of the Bands, hosted by A&R Select, the music industry’s benchmark in independent promotion and marketing. Over 80 local and regional bands will perform for an industry panel of well-known record labels, music supervisors, managers, music directors, and publishers. Other sponsors for the event include Music Saves Lives and Sam Ash.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif. – Academia has long been synonymous with the search for truth. This not only applies to the likes of history, law, and physics, but also to the craft of recording, producing, and performing music. ADAM Professional Audio is quickly becoming the speaker of choice for teaching students about the importance of “truth” in audio education.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — IZOTOPE, INC. today announced that it has licensed mastering technology to Sony Creative Software for the latest version of the Sound Forge 9 professional digital audio production suite. Sound Forge 9 is now available.
MINNETONKA, Minn. — Minnetonka Audio Software President, John Schur will be giving a presentation on Audio Workflow Architecture at the Vienna AES Convention. With more than twenty years of successful audio software application development and contract software engineering, Minnetonka Audio is defining a new standard for high quality, high productivity audio processing.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Georg van Handel (CEO) and Chris Honetschlaeger (President) with BETA Records, LLC, announced today that they will partner with Digonex Technologies, Inc. to provide dynamically priced music downloads for their listeners. Digonex’s proprietary pricing service, the Digital Online Exchange (DOE), will determine the price of each individual track based on consumer demand and other economic factors within BETA’s upcoming social music community.
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Native Instruments is excited to announce that TRAKTOR SCRATCH is now available in stores worldwide. Additionally, Native Instruments is just about to kick off the TRAKTOR SCRATCH US Tour, a special workshop tour that presents its just-released digital DJ system. Beginnning on May 4th, the month-long tour includes 18 dates, with clinics being held in local music stores in nearly all major US cities.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Georg van Handel (CEO) and Chris Honetschlaeger (President) with BETA Records, LLC, announced today that they will partner with Javien Digital Payment Solutions, Inc. to provide a complete solution for the sale of music, merchandise, and other content from their artists within BETA’s upcoming social music community.
TOLUCA LAKE, Calif. — The National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP) announced this week a variety of upcoming music industry events, including top producer songwriter Derek Bramble at NARIP’s Producing Hit Songs series in L.A. on May 18th, and Modern A&R with Joe Poindexter in Phoenix on May 19th.
SANTA MONICA, Calif. & EMERYVILLE, Calif. — Yahoo! Music (NASDAQ: YHOO) and Gracenote(R) today announced a new licensing deal allowing Yahoo! Music to offer the largest catalog of legal, licensed song lyrics from Gracenote to Yahoo! Music’s consumers. Beginning today, song lyrics for hundreds of thousands of songs from all five major publishers will be incorporated into Yahoo! Music through Gracenote’s growing database.
TOKYO and OAKDALE, Minn. — Imation Corp. (NYSE: IMN) and TDK (NYSE: TDK) announced this week that they have reached a definitive agreement under which Imation will acquire TDK brand world wide recording media business and use of the TDK brand name for recording media products.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — TrueFire.com, a leading provider of online guitar lessons and interactive courses, is now shipping Marc Schonbrun’s Geek Guitar, an interactive video course designed to bring the latest technology to guitarists for recording and performing.
REVIEW: Scott G goes back to old habits by writing a batch of CD reviews. As in his prior reviews, the musical styles he covers are all over the place, from the hip hop of Enjae to the glorious organized noise of Nine Inch Nails, from East/West chanteuse Noa Dori to two very diverse soundtracks […]
SEATTLE, Wash. — iLike, inc, the six-month-old social music discovery service, announced today that it has surpassed one million registered users and is now processing over 200 million monthly track plays based on enabling users to log their listening habits on their iPods and PCs. The company also announced new concert-discovery features with event listings provided by Ticketmaster.
SEATTLE, Wash. — As a co-producer and music supervisor of the buzz-heavy indie flick “A Lawyer Walks into a Bar,” Evan Fitzmaurice had to match top-quality film content with a similarly powerful soundtrack. He began by looking online for original music aggregators, and was impressed by GarageBand’s “excellent interface and search function.”
COLUMN: CHAPTER TWO: Outline of Producing a Show — Choosing to create your own Podcast can be approached in several ways, which will vary depending on your goals. For the kinds of Podcasts we’re going to cover, it’s generally assumed you have a personal computer with an Internet connection, which would be the primary necessity for the typical form of Podcasting.
REVIEW: You can never be too rich or have enough disk space, or be too paranoid about data back-up. In recently deciding it was time to do some back-ups of audio and imaging projects, and other valuable docs, and put them in a fire-proof safe, after somebody’s house burnt down nearby, I chose to look at external hard drives.