Jazz-Sax, all things Jazz and Sax
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Recent ArticlesBy ericdano on Apr 29, 2008 in News | 1 Comment
Seems that the registration emails were not getting sent. Thanks AT&T. They changed their server setting not to allow sending emails on one account with the address of another. So, Gmail to the rescue. Emails for registrations are coming from mailer@jazz-sax.com. Look for that perhaps in your spam blocker or whatever.
By ericdano on Apr 28, 2008 in Articles | 0 Comments
The SOS Forums had this interesting thread about a bloke who can turn his guest room into a studio in about 10 minutes.
My studio set up consists of a control room/office which is unusual in that it has no parallel surfaces, even a sloping roof. This room is loosely triangular being a maximum of 4.8m long and 4.5m deep. There’s a short 1.2m corridor (which I call the portal) that leads into a guest bedroom which is 3m by 2.7m.
Sometime ago I renovated the guest room so that I can convert it into a studio in around 10 minutes and I thought this might be interesting/useful.
The guest bedroom has a permanently installed double bed in it, but I’ve put it on hinges! It’s really easy to hinge the bed onto the wall
Pictures and other info with the original post.
By ericdano on Apr 25, 2008 in Articles | 0 Comments
The Muppets have performed with many, many people over the years. People such as Buddy Rich (one of the best!), Stevie Wonder, Cab Calloway, Johnny Cash, REM (I love this one too) and Squirrel Nut Zippers. But the best has to be this one:
I think you all would agree as well.
By ericdano on Apr 25, 2008 in News | 2 Comments
Yup, like gas and everything else, SmartMusic’s price is going up.
Starting July 24, 2008, the price of SmartMusic student subscriptions will increase from $25/year to $30/year.
It is still REALLY REALLY cheap considering all the songs you get. You still have to deal with it’s backwards and really lame interface though.
By SaxStation on Apr 20, 2008 in Videos | 0 Comments
World Saxophone Quartet playing Money
At a school on the East Side, near Brooklyn, Illinois there is a small town called Lovejoy. Sixty years ago, Hamiet Bluiett went to school in that town and later became a talented and famous saxophonist. He went back with his group the World Saxophone Quartet.
The World Saxophone Quartet is made up of Bluiett and Oliver Lake, James Carter and Greg Osby. Another video from the concert- World Saxophone Quartet - Hattie Wall
By ericdano on Apr 20, 2008 in Articles, Reviews | 0 Comments
I have had the pleasure the last few week to work on mixing a big band that I play in. We recorded 20 something tracks at a concert, and I was able to obtain the Pro Tools session, and set off to salvage the recording session. We recorded twice, and supposedly the second session was better, so, they have been mixing that in the studio. However, the vocalist who performs with us did way better the first session. It was a good way to get your feet wet with Pro Tools, and the whole mixing thing. I’ve always wanted to do a big project like this.
After some cutting, balancing, EQing, etc, etc, I had a fairly good mix happening, but it really lacked something. That something was a good reverb. I was using D-Verb, Pro Tools reverb. Not really all the great. Ozone 3 has a great reverb that I have been using (LOVE Ozone 3) on stuff, but it didn’t seem to do the job. What they were using in the studio was Altiverb, an amazing convolution reverb program.
I’m not going to do an in depth review of it, but what I will say is that this program made everything sound better. The right space, and the right amount made all my mixes finally work and pass the test with various band members. It adds that quality to sound that……it is not easily put into works. It’s the gel, it’s the glue, it’s the stuff. The right reverb just makes it work, and Altiverb is that sort of reverb. True, it was a lot of money, but it makes everything sound better. Even midi mockups sound more realistic now.
Highly recommended. 9.5 out of 10. .5 deducted for the use of iLok, which I’m beginning to hate.
By ericdano on Apr 20, 2008 in Articles | 0 Comments
The first interesting thing is a tutorial by Emusician magazine about Resonance and Radiation. Interesting information about how various woodwind and brass instruments sound radiates out. It is more geared toward recording but it is interesting none the less (and it’s from 1994, go figure!)
The second thing is, well, cool and/or disturbing. A Midi Bag Pipe. Yes, you heard right. You can now, for about $400, practice bag pipes virtually. The best part, you don’t have to blow into it, nor do other people need to hear it. Gotta love technology.
By ericdano on Apr 7, 2008 in Articles | 0 Comments
I’m not quite sure what to think of this. Though it does/can use Band in A Box, the demo video rather disturbs me. Visions of Sanjayas popping up all over the place is something even the late Charlton Heston would have a tough time conquering.
This software, from Microsoft, has great little sliders for Happiness and Jazz. No EMO slider? No rock? What?
Here is another article about this Microsoft “research”.
By ericdano on Apr 6, 2008 in Articles, News | 0 Comments
I read this disappointing bit of news in the duc.digidesign.com forums.
We hope to have the new release within between 1 and 2 months from now; some of that timetable is contingent on Apple.
It’s not the WHOLE thing they posted. Lots of hemming and hawing about why they still have not delivered ProTools on Mac OS X 10.5. Every other major audio program is running on it. Ableton, Reason, Logic and Digital Performer (The last two, well, are Mac only, so).
On my systems, ProTools M-Powered works well on my MacPro if you knock down the number of processors from 8 to 4. And the beta drivers for the Project Mix I/O work ok (a little funky at times in DP5 and Logic, fine in ProTools). On my iMac…..it is very, very unstable. Sometimes ProTools and the Fast Track Ultra work great. Sometimes, not. It is a turkey shoot there. And there are lots of playback glitches. And recording glitches. Not good.
By ericdano on Mar 24, 2008 in Articles | 3 Comments
As frequent readers of Jazz-Sax.Com will know, I won a pretty awesome M-Audio package. I really did not have the “horse power” to use it until my G4 PowerMac decided to die. Followed by my G4 Cube (though that was probably more me messing around with it than it just dying on it’s own accord. IE: It was apart and being messed with). Anyhow, I invested in a new MacPro 2.88 Dual QuadCore computer. Whoa. Fast!
Anyhow, a big band I play in is in the process of recording a demo. We’ve had two concert recordings. The first, according to the engineer, didn’t come out so clean, and would require a lot of work. The second came out way better. I was able to obtain the ProTools session from the first recordings, and have been using ProTools M-Powered to clean it up and what not.
Now, the question is actually two questions. What is the best studio recording of a Big Band, and what is the best live recording of a big band? For the former, I’d have to say Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Albums are amazingly well done. For the latter, I think the one that sticks out in my mind is Frank Sinatra and Count Basie - Sinatra at the Sands.
Opinions?