How To Get A Gear Endorsement

The dream of every musician right after the one of getting a big record label contract is to get an endorsement deal with an equipment manufacturer. With the way the record business is going these days, the endorsement deal may be far easier to get and lot more meaningful too.

But there's an interesting catch-22 that exists in the endorsement world. For the most part, you only get endorsed when you don't need it. Makes you scratch your head a little bit and wonder why the world works this way, because you only really need the helping hand with free and discounted gear when you're dead broke, not when you have fame and fortune.

OK, here's the reality.

Most musicians forget this, but an endorsement is a two way street. The manufacturer has to get as much as of it as the musician, maybe even more, so the question becomes:

1) Do you have a fanbase? No fans, not endorsement, simple enough. There's no benefit for the manufacturer. Now every once in a while a manufacturer might take a fling with someone who they think has a chance to break big, but that still means that there's some industry buzz to even get them interested in the first place.

2) What's the demographic of your fanbase? Even if you have fans, if they're not the ones that the manufacturer is trying to reach, there's no benefit for them to enter into a deal with you. For instance, if you only have 14 year old girls as your fans, Marshall probably doesn't care too much. 14 year old boys may be a different story though.

3) Do you use the gear? If you don't use the gear already, once again you probably don't have a chance at an endorsement deal. If you have 3 years worth of promo photos in which you're playing Yamaha drums or a Telecaster, that's worth some consideration.

The flip side of this is if you have a player who's known for using one brand or model of instrument, and the manufacturer can turn him, that could make a huge difference to the buying public. Think of Slash suddenly playing a Strat. What a bombshell that would be in the guitar world!

4) Why should we endorse you? Imagine your toughest exam in school where you've had to give a oral dissertation. Imagine trying to sell someone something that you care about deeply (some people are only good at selling things they don't care about). That's the type of scrutiny you'll be under if it ever gets to the point of discussing a deal. You're becoming the face of a brand and they have to be sure that you're worthy. It's a lot more important to the manufacturer than it is for you.

5) Who's endorsing who? If the artist is big enough, he's putting his seal of approval on a brand or a product. He's endorsing the product. If you're not yet a household word in the music business and Fender decides to feature you in their advertising, they're endorsing you. They're raising your stature in the business. This is a bet on their part that at some point in your career you'll be big enough to turn around - think John Meyer.


Surprisingly, endorsements aren't what they're cracked up to be. In many cases you don't get preferential treatment unless you're Jeff Beck. Much of the time you actually have to wait to get a new piece of gear until after the dealer demand dies down, and sometimes you can actually get a better deal from Guitar Center than from your manufacturer (especially a Japanese manufacturer, who are very tight on endorsements).

In the end, endorsements aren't worth the time it takes to dream about them. You're better off spending the time writing the song that will make it unnecessary.
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6 Questions For Pro Audio PR Guy Daniel Keller

Writer, musician and technology uber-geek Daniel Keller founded Get It In Writing in 2002 and has provided his various communication talents to a number of hi-profile companies in the professional audio industry. Daniel's audio and music clients include Ampeg, Avid, Community, Mackie, Tascam, Shure and Meyer, as well as green companies such as Arizona Solar and Greenfuel Solar. Daniel also contributes articles to several magazines and websites and his latest can be found in the Universal Audio Webzine entitled, "Using Multiband EQ To Fix Common Mix Problems." He was kind enough to answer this weeks "6 Questions."


1) How did you break into the business?
I’m not sure I ever officially “broke in,” so much as evolved. I started as a musician in my teens, and pretty much every job I’ve had has been in the music industry. My current job is basically the culmination of all those different experiences, filtered through my own voice and my own perspective.

2) What makes you unique?
I’ve been fortunate to have had a good balance of right brain creative and left brain technical jobs, which I think has given me a good understanding of people’s different points of view. I can relate equally well to artists, engineers and corporate types. And since I don’t come from a traditional PR background, I think I take a more creative approach to it.

3) Who was your biggest influence?
It’s really difficult to point to a single influence. I’ve had the opportunity to work with and learn from so many great people, and I think that eclectic education is what makes me who I am.

4) What's the best thing about your job?
The best thing about my job is that I get paid to be creative. I get up every day and do something I love to do.

5) When and where were you the happiest?
Right here, right now. I can honestly say my life gets better all the time.

6) What's the best piece of advice you ever received?
Never get too complacent.

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"Won't Get Fooled Again" - Lessons From The Isolated Guitar

A few days ago we talked about the organ sound of The Who's classic "Won't Get Fooled Again." Today we'll focus on the guitar track, which is isolated from the rest of the instruments below.

I bring this up not to dwell on songs of the past but as a lesson to aspiring engineers, producers and guitar players since there are several interesting observations that can be made from the isolated guitar track.

1) The first thing to listen to is how each guitar track is played (there are two - left and right). There are sections of the song that are played with much less conviction that others. This would never fly with the production standards of today.

2) The guitars don't have a set part in some points during the song. Again, this wouldn't fly if recorded today.

3) The playing is somewhat sloppy by today's standards. There's a bit of a tuning problem, some of the rhythms are off between the guitars and that conviction thing pops up again and again, especially at the end of phrases.

Now this is one of the most iconic songs of all time in rock, always in the top 50 of all time songs, so why would we even bother to analyze the playing? Because the song simply would be recorded differently and as a result, sound different today, even if the original Who members were recording it. We listen a lot harder to a performance these days that we did back in 1971 when this song was recorded, and the little things mentioned above don't get by anymore.

But is this attention to detail really progress? People still listen to this song nearly 40 years later because the performance is so exciting. We frequently squeeze the life out of performance today by seeking perfection.

Some of the other things to listen to:

A) the drum leakage on the right channel

B) the way the track was cleaned up at :42 (probably by using something called "Spot Erase" on the tape recorder)

C) the guitar tracks were printed with reverb (commonly done during that era)

Have a listen.

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The Best Microphone Information Sites

There are a couple of websites that I really like for information on microphones. One is the Microphone Database at recordinghacks.com from drummer and mic collector Matt McGlynn, and the other is at coutant.com, which is a site by Professor S.O. Coutant of Pasadena City College.

The Microphone Database has 860 microphone profiles and focuses more on newer mics. Each mic has a brief description, the features, as well as the specs, frequency chart, polar plots and review. It's a great place to compare the virtues between several mics before you choose to buy.

Professor Coutant's site looks more at older mics, which makes it a great resource for any microphone history, and specializes in mics used for broadcast. There are some great detailed photos, as well as some seldom seen celebrity user pictures (like the one of a very young Willie Nelson from 1966 on the left).

When I was teaching recording in the early 1990's, one of the biggest problems for my students was one of microphone identification, especially of vintage mics. It was all well and good to discuss using a U-67 or a C-12A, but most students didn't have a clue what they looked like. That's why I dedicated an entire chapter to the microphones that are considered "standards" in The Recording Engineer's Handbook. I tried to give a history of each mic, as well as it's uses. I'd like to think I did a really good job with providing facts that can't be found anywhere else in my book, but sites like Matt's Microphone Database and Professor Coutant's now make it easy for a student to easily identify a vintage microphone. Now if only they were more available to use.

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The Sound Of "Won't Get Fooled Again"

The iconic song of a generation and staple of Classic Rock radio is The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again." What really makes the sound of that record is what everyone thinks is an arpeggiated synthesizer (actually it's an organ controlled by a sample and hold generator) which makes up the principle rhythm of the song. In video clip #1 that follows, Pete Townshend discusses how he got that sound.

Clip #2 is the first of a series of examples that I'll be posting illustrating how perfection isn't required in great music. Sometimes it's the imperfections that make a record special, and you'll hear that in the second clip, which is that same organ track of Won't Get Fooled Again isolated from the rest of the music. It's pretty random, imperfectly played (there are a lot of split notes), and so far away from what anyone would do today (even Townshend) that it makes for a great history lesson.

It's also interesting to listen to the places in the track where the organ is shared with background vocals, hand claps and guitar, which was necessary in 1970 when the song was recorded since it was still the era of limited tape tracks to record on (the song was done on an 8 track).

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6 Questions With Engineer Benny Faccone

10 time Grammy winner Benny Faccone may be the king of the Latin engineers, since he's worked with every major Latin artist from Santana to Ricky Martin to Luis Miguel to Mexican supergroup Mana. We go back a long way together, originally connecting at Berklee College in Boston a lot more years ago than either of us want to admit.

What makes Benny a star in the Latin world is he brings American rock sensibilities to the music, providing a sound as good as any record on the charts anywhere. Benny recently opened his new studio called "The Cavern" named after his love for The Beatles as he ventures more into production. You can find out a lot more at his bennyfaccone.com website. I'm pleased that he consented to this week's "6 Questions."


1) How did you break into the business?
This question is kind of difficult to explain because the business is so dIfferent than when I tried to break in. In a way, it was easier because there was a place to go and learn the trade, meaning at the professional studios like A&M (where I got my start), Capitol, Oceanway, and many more.

I started out at Berklee College in Boston, and when I graduated I know I wanted to be where the actIon was in LA. I came to here knocking on doors, but the doors here at the time were very obvious since the studio system was still around. I made the rounds, and with a connection from a Berklee graduate, I got an interview at A&M studio's where I ended up working for 6 years, learning from a lot of incredible engineers about the art of great recording and mixing. At that studio, I was able to build my client list up to where I could go freelance and work in the same studios where I started. Today I get Berklee graduates coming to me for recommendations, and the only place I can send them to are home studios where they are basically personal assistants or pro tools operators to a producer.

2) What makes you unique?
I think what make me different from other mixers is how I like to hear music. Everyone has their own "sound" and you can hear influences from certain mixers, but after a while I developed my own style in how I hear instruments blend together.

I work a lot in Latin music, but I approach it like I would American music. I try and blend vocals and music as a piece. These days Latin music is all about vocals, and basically the music is gone. They don't care about what the music sounds like as long as the snare and vocals are loud. Everything else doesn't seem to matter.

3) Who was your biggest influence?
My biggest influences were and are still are Bruce Swedien, Al Schmidt, and all those great engineers who took pride in making a good sounding record that has emotion. I learned a lot from Don Hahn, who was my mentor. He was incredible at blending orchestras in minutes. Bruce Swedien was also a big influence. I had the privilege to work wIth Bruce right after he did the "Thriller" album with Michael Jackson. His thing was about a track having a groove and punch.

4) What's the best thing about your job?
I guess the best thing about my job today is still having the opportunIty to go to great studio to record and mix. Although I have my own studio to record and mix in, it's still great to remember how good things could sound when you're working with great gear.

5) When and where were you the happiest?
I think that is a day to day thing in this business. When a song or record is finished it's like giving birth to a child. Also on a day when a session goes well it could be a very happy feeling.

6) What's the best piece of advice you ever received?
The best piece of advice I was given was, "Whatever you do, try and make it the best you can and something you can be proud of."

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NAB 2010 - A Yawner Of A Show

Most trade shows, even the ones held during the most dire economic circumstances like we've recently lived through, usually have something interesting or unique to offer, even if it's only the vibe. Not so for this year's NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), which was about as limp a show as I can remember.

Why do I say it was limp? Let me count the ways.

1) Traffic was down. Granted, I was there on a Tuesday (the 2nd day), but the attendance seemed significantly off from previous years.  Sure there were people in the aisles, but they weren't filled like always. But a sure signed was that a lot of the overpriced food vendors weren't even open, and the ones that were closed by 5PM. The economy has finally caught up with the broadcast industry.

2) Exhibitors were down too. This used to be a pretty big audio show, with an entire hall dedicated mostly to it. This show, the pro audio exhibitors were significantly less although the ones that cater specifically to radio or television where there as always. In fact, audio and radio were relegated to a small portion of hall C, instead of the huge North hall as before.

3) The vide wasn't too exciting. It was just dull. No excitement anywhere. Nobody talking about gear, deals, even parties. I heard a lot about where people were going to eat that night, but that's about it.

4) No new product big announcements. There was 3D, more 3D, and even more after that. That and the fact that incandescent lights are pretty much going away in favor of LED's, which just follows the trend from last year. And let's face it, when the biggest announcement is Avid buying Euphonix, you know the show is pretty lame. And why did Avid buy Euphonix anyway? Very curious and a topic for a future post.

So what did I see? Not much but here goes:

A) 3D. If I hear or see one more thing about 3D I'm going to puke. Some of it looked cool, but much of it had so much parallax in it that it could, in fact, make you throw up. Still a parlor trick, and it will continue to be so until you can view it without the stupid glasses. And by the way, if it's supposed to make the picture look more real, it's failing miserably.

On the left we so an unbelievable complex 3D camera setup.

B) What happened to Sony? This is a company that has really lost its way. We've known this for a long time in both the record and consumer electronics businesses, but now it's even true for broadcast television equipment, a market they once owned. Everything just seems a step behind. Panasonic and Canon have hipper cameras at all price ranges, and Sony's 3D stuff really seemed like a me-too product line (lamer than most). I think one thing kind of tells the whole story - every camera manufacturer used LED lighting in their demo scenes. Sony still used old-fashioned, hot, tungsten lighting. Sometimes, it's the little things that tell the story.

C) What exactly is Avid? It's a bathroom cleanser; it's a hair conditioner; it's a chewing gum; no, it's a shoe polish. They make editing gear, they make speakers, they make DJ equipment, they make recording software, they make keyboards, they make recording and sound reinforcement consoles, they make....., they make........., they make...... Since all of the companies that they absorbed are now called Avid instead of their original brand names, Avid just stands for confusion.

On the left, the screen that started the beginning of a confusing Avid demo.

D) The Vocal Booth. This is the coolest thing I saw. I don't know how I've overlooked these guys all these years. This is the perfect add-on to just about any home studio. Want a well-isolated, acoustically treated vocal or overdub room? These guys have it. For about $10k you have have something that really works, complete with air conditioning (which is the hard part). Check them out at vocalbooth.com

E) Hard Drive Boxes. Hudzee had a great idea for this DAW world with plastic boxes designed especially for hard drives. Remember tape boxes? It's the same thing, just for drives. Makes it easy for storage and identifying what you have.

Check them out at hudzee.com.

There you have it. At least there were a couple of things that weren't 3D.

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The Synthesizer Of Yesterday And Today

Technology is a wonderful thing, and the best thing about it is it keeps marching on, getting better and better with each passing year. In 2010 we take either hardware or virtual synthesizers for granted because it's pretty much impossible to use a bad one. Even the most inexpensive virtual instrument has a long list of extremely usable presets that means that your most difficult job is finding the perfect one to choose for a particular song.

But it wasn't always that way. When synths first came along in the late 70's, every sound had to be programmed, requiring a skill set by the average keyboard player that might stagger the players of today. All the parameters that are instantly accessed today by a touch of a button had to be individually programmed, which required both time and skill (this is where the term "programmer" first came into being in terms of keyboards, since major acts needed one to program the synth between songs).

As an example of how far we've come, here's a video from 1980 where Dr. Bob Moog (inventor of the synthesizer and founder of Moog Electronics) gives a demo to the BBC.

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3 Considerations Before Taking A Gig For The Exposure

The longer you're in the music business, the more times you're approached to do a gig for "the exposure." This usually means that either you won't get paid at all or you'll be paid a discounted rate for the privilege of doing a gig.

I've found that whenever "exposure" is brought up by the party offering the gig, that usually means that they're just trying to get something for nothing, so the exposure doesn't amount to much. On the other hand, if the concept of exposure isn't brought up or given a soft-sell, it occasionally can turn into just the thing you need to help your career advance.

So just what is this "exposure" thing and what can it do for you? Exposure is building awareness of either your personal brand or that of your band. This extended awareness will hopefully result in additional gigs or additional sales for your products. So how do you determine whether you'll gain enough exposure to make the gig worthwhile? Here's the formula I've come up with after years of getting burned:

1) Don't believe what anybody tells you. If you're told that agents, managers, record labels or a possible new audience might see you, take it with a grain of salt. Do some research and find out for yourself before you make a commitment. The gig is going to cost you time and probably money, so try to make sure up front that you'll be getting what's actually promised.

2) Try to match any potential exposure to your needs. Assuming that you've verified that you'll actually be playing in front of a crowd, try to find out:

• Is this a crowd that wants to be entertained in the first place? No use playing to a thousand people who just want some background music instead of the real thing. It's like playing a wedding because a manager that you want to meet will be there. It's the bride's day and she'll control what you play and how you'll play. You'll never be at your best no matter what you do so it's a no-win situation. Avoid at all costs.
• Is this a compatible audience? Don't take the gig to try to open up a new market segment. It hardly ever happens. If you're a great ska band but asked to open up for a hard rock band, chances are the crowd won't like you no matter how great a show you put on. It's an incompatible audience so don't waste your time.

3) Never play for a convention or conference crowd. You may have 5,000 people in the audience, but there won't be enough of them to like your type of music to make a difference. I once saw The Cult absolutely bomb playing to a NAMM crowd. Thousands of musos, but they were there for the party, not the band.

Don't let that exposure gig go the wrong way. Think really hard about it and do your homework before you commit.

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Finally, A New Loudspeaker Technology

Audio speaker technology hasn't changed much for almost a hundred years. There's been some novel ideas, like modulated flame and modulated air (like the laser microphone talked about here a while back), but none have ever come to fruition as a commercial product with any widespread appeal.

Now comes a product with a real chance from a company call Emo Labs. Their Edge Motion technology still uses a vibrating membrane like all other speakers, but it's modulated from the side instead of the rear. Their first product uses a clear membrane set over the front of a television or video monitor and provides a stereo playback system with a large area (critical for low end response) without interfering with the viewing.

The videos are pretty interesting and the quality appears to be good, especially the high end. That being said, I've not heard it so it's impossible to gauge anything other than the response of the people in the video.

While it doesn't appear to have professional application yet, the Edge Motion technology is interesting and it's nice to see something new in an area that really needs a leap forward. Hopefully, Emo Labs will have a booth at NAB this week where I can get a demonstration.

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

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4 Steps To A Cleaner Smelling Microphone

There's currently a post on Pro Sound Web that was derived from a Shure article about cleaning your microphone. After reading it, I thought that I could break it down more clearly into just a few steps.

This is more for a mic used in live performance that the studio, although any mic that's used for vocals is naturally somewhat contaminated by the saliva, spittle, and in many clubs, smoke. It's a good idea to clean those mics if for no other reason that simple hygiene. Keep in mind that what we're talking about is a microphone with a removable grill, like our old friend the SM58 or Beta 58.

1) Unscrew the grill from the microphone and remove anything stuck on it with a toothbrush.

2) Now clean both the grill and foam windscreen with some plain water and mild dishwashing detergent. This should be enough to chase any unwanted smells away.

3) Let grill air-dry, but if you're in a hurry, you can use a hair dryer set on low. Don't put the grill back on the mic if it's still wet, since this can cause damage to the capsule if any moisture sifts into it.


4) For mics with grills that aren't removable like an SM57, turn the mic upside down and scrub with a toothbrush soaked in a weak solution of water and detergent. Don't turn it right-side up until it's dry.

Want a quick solution for a stinky mic? Get a very diluted solution of mouthwash and water, turn the mic upside down, and gently scrub. As in #4 above, don't turn it over until it's dry.

Be especially careful with condenser mics, since any moisture at all equals disaster. In fact, don't even think about it unless you can take the windscreen completely off and leave it over-night to dry.

Once again - be careful, be careful, be careful. Moisture and electronics do not mix. That being said, if you're careful your mics will now smell nice and clean and be good for you too.

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6 Questions For Snew Frontman Curtis DonVito

Lead singer and principle lyricist for the hard rock band SNEW, Curtis DonVito is also an extremely talented graphic artist and well-versed in social media. SNEW's excellent new album, "We Do What We Want," was just released last week and has already been a major add on terrestrial and online radio stations around the world. Check out the video for their first single "Feedback And Distortion," and visit their website at snewyou.com.


1) How did you break into the business?
When I was about 18, I knew a guy who was managing his brother's band and they were looking for a new singer. I said "let me try out for 'em." I had never sung a note outside of singing along to the radio before in my life but had always fantasized about it. He said "OK."

Needless to say, I didn't get the gig. BUT unbeknownst to me he put an ad in the Recycler "vocalist available". When I started getting calls I was wondering how the hell they knew about me. I called my friend up and he told he ran the ad. He said "You got a long way to go but I think you should stick with it, you got something." After a few more auditions, I was hired by a cover band, but after about three weeks the guitarist pulled me aside to let me know I was out. Their bass player said it was "Either him or me," because I was an amateur, but he told me to stick with it because "I had something."

I auditioned for a bunch of bands until I landed another one. At that time, I was only thinking about being in a cover band. I thought it would be great to actually be in a band and sing songs by all my favorite bands. So when I auditioned for this band, we did a few covers and then they played me one I had never heard before. It was really cool but I had to ask what song that was. They told me it was one of their own. I was blown away. A band that writes their own music? WOW. Then they played me another with no lyrics and said, "We want you to write the lyrics". WOW! A lightening bolt went off in my head. I can write my own music! I knew immediately I was going to do this for the rest of my life.

2) What makes you unique?
Years of practice.

3) Who was your biggest influence?
My parents. They are both musicians. When my mom was young she was part of a duet that appeared on American Bandstand. My dad played guitar and was in different bands. When they met they formed a group called the D'Lighters. They toured all over the country opening for Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Louis Prima and the like. They quit for many years after starting a family.

They have always been my biggest supporters. They come to my shows and give me great advice and insights. Even though their music and mine are worlds apart, show business is show business and they know exactly what's going on. I've learned the most from them, especially when it comes to live performance. I'm even responsible for inspiring them to get back to playing and recording. They've been back on the live circuit for years now and have released three albums. Now I go to their shows and give advice.

4) What's the best thing about your job?
Making music and performing live are like water and air to me. I can't live without either. I'm truly alive when I'm on stage and writing and recording feed my soul. I wouldn't call it a job. It's LIFE.

5) When and where were you the happiest?
Every time I'm on stage.

6) What's the best piece of advice you ever received?
My uncle Don always used to say "Just do it, even if it's wrong... just DO IT." It's my mantra. In one form or another almost all of the songs I write contain that message.

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

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