Black Friday For Musicians

We all love a deal and Black Friday is the day for it, so I decided to put together my own BF list especially for musicians. Here are some cool items that make great gifts for any musician or engineer (and the prices are great as well).

Social Media Promotion For Musicians - If you don't have the online presence or response you think you should, then this book's for you. Covers Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google+, Pinterest, bookmarking sites like Digg and Delicious, your website, blog and mailing list. Take 20% off  on the print version today only by using code 2HJQXWBT (the Kindle version is already discounted).

Blocklite - This goes under the category of "Why didn't I think of that?". Blocklite is a simple LED add-on to any 9 volt battery that turns it into a flashlight that's perfect for checking all those dark spaces during a session or show. Cheap too at only $3.54 each.

Monoprice 8323 Headphones - Tired of spending big money on replacing trashed headphones? At $32 you won't find a cheaper and better sounding replacement.

Mixing Engineer's Handbook 3rd Edition - Are your mixes not sounding the way you think they should? The latest version of the Mixing Engineer's Handbook (written especially for the home or small studio) to the rescue. New interviews and a new "advanced" chapter make it a must have for any musician who records.

Etymonic Research ER20 Earplugs - The best earplugs on the planet, they reduce the volume but don't change the frequency response. I don't know what I'd do without them. You'll use them more than you ever thought. Only $12 a pair.

Shop Amazon - Countdown to Black Friday Deals in Musical Instruments

Lynda.com - Have you ever wanted to learn a piece of software, but hated the "how-to" videos you found on YouTube with bad audio and lighting and people that barely know what they're doing? Try Lynda.com, with more than 1500 courses with super high production values by experts and in small digestible bites. Check out my courses, and get 7 days free of unlimited access to lynda.com.

Tascam Vocal and Instrument Trainer/Recorder - This is a unit that I wish I had when I was starting out. It allows you to slow down an MP3 or a recording so you can figure out exactly what's being played. At 44 bucks it can't be beat. There's a dedicated Guitar Trainer as well.

Recording Engineer's Handbook 3rd Edition - Not sure how to mic a tabla, marimba or fiddle? Here's the book that will show you not only one, but multiple ways how as well as the principles behind getting a great recording every time. Invaluable to the recording musician.

Pyle Pro PCT 40 Cable Checker - The average studio or sound system today has so many different types of cables that troubleshooting can sometimes be difficult. Enter the PCT40 cable checker, about the most comprehensive unit that you'll find, testing all the audio connection flavors as well as USB, Ethernet and Speakon. A steal at $35.

Snark SN-1 Guitar Tuner - We've all gotten used to using software guitar tuners, but when you want to tune as fast as possible, this is the best tuner I've found. It clips right onto the guitar so you don't even have to plug it in. At $7.99 each, it's unbeatable.

Shop Amazon - Black Friday Deals in Electronics

----------------------------------

Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.

A Review Of This Year's Lists

We all love lists and this blog has had a lot of them over the last year. Here's a review of all the lists posted in 2013 in case you missed a few.

10 Must-See Studios Before You Die

5 Mic Placement Techniques For A Bigger Sound

5 Practice Tips To Improve Your Musical Skill

15 Steps To A Better Mix

5 Tricks For Adding Delay To Vocals

Top 10 Most Misquoted Song Lyrics

2 Tips For Bigger Sounding Background Vocals

6 Tips For Tweaking Track Timing

My Top 10 Compressors

4 Vocal Mic Placement Tips

10 Tips For Better Effects Layering

The 10 Most Significant Amps Of All Time

Top 10 DAWs For Songwriting

12 iPhone Apps For Recording And Editing Audio

Happy Thanksgiving!

----------------------------------

Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.

Lifting The Veil From Your Recordings

As many of you know, I'm a big fan of lynda.com, not only because my video courses are hosted there, but because I use it so often myself. Musicians and engineers have to be resourceful, and there are times when you just have to learn a little Photoshop or Final Cut to help with your personal marketing. You get the most comprehensive training on lynda.com because all of their more than 1500 courses are presented by experts in their field, the production values are sky high, and the info is divided into easily graspable chunks. It sure beats those blurry how-to videos on YouTube by a mile (like that DIY mic stand video posted here yesterday).

I first started working with the good folks at lynda a few years ago, which has resulted in courses that mirror my books, like Audio Mixing Bootcamp, Audio Recording Techniques, Audio Mastering Techniques, 10 social media courses (based on my Social Media Promotion For Musicians book), and now the latest - Music Studio Setup and Acoustics.

Music Studio Setup and Acoustics is based on the popular Studio Builder's Handbook (written with engineer Dennis Moody), which tries to take all the mystery out of why some rooms sound good and others don't, and what you can do to greatly improve your room (and therefore your recordings) for as little as $150 (less than a piece of gear). Dave Pensado thinks this is the best book I've ever written, and hopefully you'll find this video course just as useful. There's a quick sample of one of the videos below.

I'm happy to be able to offer 7 days free of unlimited access to lynda.com so you can check this and other courses out. Enjoy!

----------------------------------

Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.

Make A Mic Stand From A Coat Hanger

We've all been in a situation where we needed just one more low mic stand for a guitar amp or kick drum. Here's a video that will show you a quick way to make a desktop stand with only a coat hanger.

The video isn't the greatest, but you'll get the idea of how to quickly make a stand to bail you out the next time you run out of stands.

----------------------------------

Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.

New Music Gear Monday: UVX-10P Polyphone Synth Plugin

We all love the sound of those old vintage synths, but boy do we hate lugging them around and setting them up. Synth plugins today go a long way to recreating them, but not all of our favorites have been emulated. Now the sound of three of Roland's most beloved sythns, the JX-10, MKS-70 and JX-8P has been captured by the UVX-10P by UVI.

The UVX-10P was a 12 voice 24 oscillator synth that needed an external controller in order to be programmed. That controller is emulated by the plugin, which also features a library of 150 patches and wave samples so you can create you own programs. The UVX-10P is $99 and available in VST, AAU, AAX, and RTAS for both PC and Mac.

----------------------------------

Help support this blog. Any purchases made through our Amazon links help support this website with no cost to you.

You should follow me on Twitter and Facebook for daily news and updates on production and the music business.

Don't forget to check out my Music 3.0 blog for tips and tricks on navigating social media and the new music business.