NIMBUS: real world recording school?

I finally found time to drop by Nimbus.They sent out an invite to an open house for the school that they run there. This is a working studio mind you. Bands go there to record. Recently Lillix finished Tigerlily there. Garth Richardson was at the door to greet guests. Bob Ezrin wasn't about or if he was, I didn't get to meet him. Seeing Kevin again was really cool. This is a guy who is just made for inspiring people.

The thing about these guys and all of the staff there that stood out is their lack of ego. There was nothing to prove here. They don't need to prove anything. The proof is in the pudding so to speak. But, more than that. They seemed to show a respect for everyone in that we have a common desire. To produce music. To be involved with music and the creative process in some way. The air is charged with a drive to reach for something better. Something that has yet to be achieved.

Kevin to the time to personally show myself and a few other guys around. We got as far as their Studio A sound room when Kevin's drive took over. Talking openly about why they put this school together. I'm sure there is the financial proponent. That goes without saying. But, there was something else. Something that they were striving for that goes ignored at most schools. Not just media schools but schools in general.

There is something missing in recording schools that has been resulting in a loss in the music industry all together: a desire to produce a high quality product. To capture the moment as it happens. To entice the listener to join in on the groove as it happened there in the studio.

There were many analogies. One that stands out for me is this: Imagine you find a band with a great vocalist. The next Freddy Mercury and a band as tight as Queen had ever been. Imagine them going to record an album and nailing every cut. Now imagine that the engineer beatmaps and autotunes the whole project. That is the state of the music industry. People are so bought into the technology that they wouldn't know a good thing if they heard it. Even if they did hear it, they would "fix" it beyond all recognition.

The drive is toward something else. Something that we have yet to see. The music industry is changing. Power is in the hands of the musicians again but where do you take it? How do you control that power? How do you focus that energy so that it doesn't burn out before it has a chance to start a fire?

No one made claims to have an answer. Their goal was not to provide one. The goal is give tools so that a person could "hit the ground running". Not just a head start but a resume and a plan. There were no claims to have anyone in a job by the time they were finished. Only that they would have the tools to be prepared to work. Credit on a project. An understanding of the laws involved. Experience taught by Award winning producers and industry professionals.

Most of these "schools" are run by former students. Unfortunately it's true. Do they work in the industry? Sure they do. They teach at Full Sale.

The format is also different. A maximum of 6 students. No classrooms. They are always either in the studio or on a music workstation. The goal being to teach real world skills. The purpose being not to teach you how to plan your strategy but to have your business strategy plotted and your promotion material ready, complete with a resume and recording credits.

When I first started learning from Kevin he was fighting for this same ideal. At that time fifteen years ago it was already obvious where the music industry was headed. He talked about it at length but still nobody seemed to see it coming until it hit us. The degradation of these schools into nothing more than cash flow generators was a large part of that. Suddenly people were being processed and given certificates regardless of whether they learned anything or not. The technology has made cheaters of most people. There's no longer a standard to be measured against. If you can't get it right, fix it in the mix. Atotune, beatmap, sample and assemble the best notes into something resembling a song.

They're striving for something better than that. Maybe, they're on to something. Normally, I like to bash recording schools. There might be something different here. Maybe there is hope for music. Maybe there is something better than what we're hearing on the radio yet to come.

3D TV........is a scam.

The first new 2d movie I saw was in IMax. It was an undersea thing. Very cool. So real, you wondered how you could be there without drowning.

I'm all for 3D movies. I think they are great. Some of the latest releases have been awesome. UP!, Despicable Me, Iron Man. These were great in the theater.

When I found out that they were bringing 3D to the home, I have to be honest, I thought it was a bit of a gimmick to sell more TVs. Well, that opinion hasn't changed. The TVs aren't that expensive in comparison to the later LCDs but then there's all the other hardware you need to buy. A 3D capable Blue Ray player and the glasses.

What got me going on this is that when you go to a theater, do they fit a new screen just for the 3D movies? No, it's the same screen and the glasses they give you are cheap plastic.

3D TV on the other hand uses an electronic set of glasses. Yup, those glasses are electronic and receive a signal from the TV. But, wait. If the screens in the theaters don't need to be replaced why do our TVs need to be replaced in order to playback 3D TV? There's a good question.

The movies at the theater use polarized projection. How they do this is beyond me but, really it's beside the point. The screen is no different so, it makes sense that they should be able to replicate it on an LCD TV.

No, they decided to opt for a totally different tech for 3D TV. These operate via a shutter system. The glasses have a refresh rate that syncs with the TV's refresh rate.

Bottom line is, it's a cash grab. Why can't they just make technology that lasts? Do they have to keep us on the upgrade path? I remember the old RCA that we had from the late 70's. We had that thing well into the 80's. It must have been a good 10 years before it finally died on us. It was a huge 21" screen.

Pro Tools 9 Released from Hardware Dependancy- At long LONG LAST!

If you are a home recording enthusiast or even a professional recording engineer, this news is for you.

HELL HAS FROZEN OVER! YES! LED ZEPPELIN ARE NOW BACK TOGETHER AND ARE ASKING ONE OF YOU TO RECORD THEIR NEXT ALBUM!! That and ProTools is now available for any Core Audio or ASIO compatible interface.

Okay, okay, I lied. Led Zeppelin aren't together and they're not looking for you to record their next album. On the other hand it looks as though ProTools is now compatible with any Core Audio or ASIO interface. YES! Even ProTools HD Native!

Don't believe me? Check this out. Under Hardware Interface Support, sub heading- Third Party.

Looky there. Now there is an obvious mistake as there is no way that ProTools HD would be available to third party hardware and not HD Native. They got these switched.

Errors aside. This is HUGE news. It is very unlikely that I will buy a full boxed version of ProTools 9 but I might be convinced to get a replacement for my current MBox along with a copy of PT9. That would be ok.

And for all of you people who have been waiting so freakin' long.........A D C!

FINALLY!

For AVID this is a breakthrough. Yes it is! For the rest of the audio world, it's ten years late. Still, better late than never.

More Details.

And of course, there is video.



So to get back to the other threads that I posted in the past. Yes the ones complaining that AVID was and is ripping off it's customers by forcing them to buy HD units, knowing full well that they would become obsolete. Well. Thousands of dollars has now been reduced to $629us for FULL ProTools 9. Yeah. Sorry guys. We know you bought our hardware in trust.

I don't want to bash them. I really think this is a GREAT move. Yes, I am very excited about this. But, that thing with the HD "blowout" was a bit low.

BRACE YOURSELVES!....AVID NEWS!

Well, the speculation. The frustration. The trepidation. The sheer anxious anticipation. After 20 years of painful waiting, it's here.

"Well the speculation is over, the new Avid Pro Tools|HD Native Core has been released."

The Bad.

Now does that mean that you can buy Pro Tools for your current interface? HELL NO!

What is this? Some sort of democracy? No no no me droogs. We are still bound to the man. In the form of a ProTools Native Core. Yes! Another PCIe interface which relies now upon the power of your cpu! This is better? I suppose, there is more potential.

The Good.

Prices start at $3500 for a Native Core PCIe card AND an HD interface. Okay this is much better than the potential $7000 or more I would have spent on an HD1 Setup.

Which brings us to...........

The Really Bad.

What does this mean for all of the recent purchasers of HD 1, 2, 3 systems? Will support start to dwindle for the old HD's. Do we even need to ask that question? I'm so glad I never bought into the hype.

Johnny Winter and David Gogo at Centenial Theater.

So I went to see Johnny Winter last night at the Centennial Theatre in North Vancouver. A friend of mine just called me the day before and said "Hey, wanna see Johnny Winter Thursday night?" Uh.......YEAH! It was a great show but I'll get back to that.

What struck me was the opening act.

David Gogo: http://www.davidgogo.org/

I'm not a fan of David Gogo. Actually, I was expecting to ho hum him when I heard he was opening. I think I heard a few of his electric tracks in the late eighties and was never really impressed.

Big surprise. I looked at the stage and there was a chair and an old Fender twin. On the guitar tree (did you know they grow on trees?) there was an old National Dobro and what looked to be a Gibson L-00. He later stated that it was a 1920's L5 but the sound hole kind of made me assume otherwise.

The sound was great for his set. When he started playing I was awestruck. This man can shred the blues. Amazing with a slide. Perfect intonation with that bottleneck. I was pleasantly shocked. I couldn't name any of the songs since I'm not a listener. He did a couple of covers. A Howlin' Wolf tune and others. And, he's a decent story teller. Well worth seeing for this acoustic set.

And, it was just him. No band. Just David and two acoustic guitars. He didn't nearly get the recognition he deserved for his playing. He's earned my respect completely. A good player. Excellent voice and generally a decent entertainer. Thanks for the show David!

Johnny Winter:

I was not expecting this. Johnny is 66. He looks old for 66. I mean I was there with my friends who were 61. 62 and they look 30 years younger than Johnny did last night. This probably could be attributed to a hard life on the road and to his albinism. I really wasn't sure he was going to make it.

Never the less, he slowly made it to his chair and picked up a headless Erlwine Lazer guitar.

The first few songs I have to say, were a little rough. I can't help but think this was due to the sound being so horrible. I couldn't hear what Johnny was playing. I'm sure he couldn't hear it either. His mic was feeding back and it was just a muddy mess. Needless to say, there were some missed cues and the band was playing catch up.

The band I must say was very impressive.

Vitto Luizzi on drums. This guy is fantastic. A seriously good drummer. Not flashy but you could tell, this was a guy who practiced rudiments until they were second nature. Very, very tight.

Scott Spray on Bass. Another very talented musician. When you see a bass player like him you understand that bass really is a different instrument than guitar. It's not just a guitar with lower strings. You play it differently the approach is just totally different than guitar. Scott is just so at ease with that instrument but when you listen to what he's playing it makes you wonder how. Sure simple walking bass lines but really, not simple at all.

Paul Nelson on guitar.

This man SHREDS. He's just a wicked player. When they came on stage, initially without Johnny, Paul just ripped it up. Not in any random way. He's a tasteful player.

These guys as "back up" are a force to contend with. They just assault you with some seriously good musicianship. Mind you, should we really expect anything less from Johnny Winter? I suppose not.

After Johnny gave the sound guy some pointers(Seriously he just said turn my mic down. It was picking up the whole stage and turning everything into mud) all of a sudden things started to gel.

The songs were tighter. Johnny's playing was tighter. Granted Johnny's older now. His playing isn't what it was 30 years ago but man, he could still wipe the stage with probably the majority of the audience(who, of course, were predominantly guitar players.).

They did some great tunes "Good Morning Little School Girl" was definitely a highlight. They also did some great covers including Jimi Hendrix's Red House.

Watching these guys reminded me of what it means to be a band. Playing off of each other. Covering for each other's mistakes. Doing your part so that everyone sounds their best.

It was quite apparent the amount of respect these guys had for Johnny. They weren't doting over him but they supported him by playing their best.

I have to say that Johnny had some little hiccups. That's likely due to the poor sound, the inability to hear himself through the mud and just age. Maybe a bit of arthritis setting in. Fingers just not as nimble as they once were.

That being said, when Johnny put that slide on his finger he played flawlessly. He left the stage and came back for two encores. Brought with him an old Gibson Explorer for the slide. He didn't have to. I'm sure most of us there would have been happy that he gave what he did. But, out of true showmanship he came back to play just a couple more songs.

"This'll be our last song" He says. " I'm not 62 anymore".

Close your eyes and you'd never know he was a day over 30. His voice is strong and his chops are still good.

It was nice also to see some Dads bringing their kids along to see a REAL band play. If you're young or if you've got kids, go see this show or any show for that matter that involves MUSICIANS. Parents need to educate their kids about dedication to an art form. Not picking up a record player and a "mixer", using some pirated software to make some "beats".

Music is a communal thing. There are participants that, when they are good, can create something never to be heard again. And, it can be different time and time again. Not some hack standing in front of a computer clicking play and "Scratching" records.

I'm so glad I was able to see him play. I'll probably never have that chance again.

Thanks for a great show Johnny. You gave more than you needed to. May you live long. See you in the real life.

AVID Releases MBOX 3

What the? What is with AVID? I just caught wind that AVID are releasing a new MBOX3 that supports USB 2.0. USB 2.0! That's a big deal? What's new about that? USB 2.0 has been out for years now and many other companies have already adopted it. Some even using it for up to 8 channels of simultaneous input(albeit sketchy). So what's the deal? More inputs? Nope. Better preamps? Not likely. New lower price for the weak interface that it is? Unheard of!

What a joke! It's not even catch up anymore. It's back pedaling. Trying to clean up the mess that they passed over the last time they released an interface.

There's rumour going around now that an "exciting" new release is due out in November! Oh boy! Should I get excited? Will they finally release ProTools LE from it's shackles? Will they finally give LE users the ADC they have been grovelling for these past 15 years? Somehow I can't help but feel this is going to be another large disappointment.

They continue to hold out the carrot but when we get close enough they replace it with a turd. Thanks AVID! We knew you would come through for your loyal user base.......NOT! To boot I found this on youtube.
That's right AVID DS 10.5 is software only! So what does this mean for us ProTools/LE users? Something I hope.

AVID could own the mid level market but they continue to put up roadblocks for themselves. Yeah. They avoid most of the hackers for now but the web is full of cracked versions of ProTools anyway. Yes I've searched but my software is all legit. I have the license agreements to prove it. So will it be any different if they release ProTools LE as software only? I doubt it. There will still be hackers and there will be people who legitimately want to use ProTools LE with their other gear.  Why not? Why not expand their user base? I'm sure the shareholder would appreciate it as much as the end users.

Firsts

I remember the very first guitar I ever owned. It was a Harmony  H15 Bobcat. Built in 1963. This was no high end guitar. No sir. It was a cheap old thing that was sold out of a Sears catalogue. Yup. Sears guitars. Is there anything they don't sell? This beauty came with a Silvertone amplifier. All five watts of it.

The thing that truly sucked about this guitar is that someone removed the old Bigsby style tremolo and replaced it with a stop tail. Terrible

How did I get it? My dad rescued it from a garbage heap. Yup. Beauty. The pick guard was all cracked. The machine heads were worn. It wouldn't even work when you plugged it in. I managed to get it working though for a very small investment in some very cheap parts and a soldering iron from Radio Shack.

It didn't sound great. It didn't play very well either but it was my first and I'd do just about anything to get it back or one just like it. They say you never forget your first. Let me tell you, there are some firsts I'd love to forget and until recently have blocked from my mind fairly well. This one I'd like to hang on to.

Having searched I realize that they are reissuing these guitars! Yup! Harmony Guitars is back!

I wonder if I can convince Arceli that this is an investment in the future?

Just a rant about Disney Movies. Particularly The Bee Movie.

I'm a big fan of animated movies. I love Pixar and some of Disney's movies.

This may sound a little cuckoo I'm sure but I personally think that many of these movies are social commentaries in disguise.

Take for example Toy Story. Here's a movie about taking advantage of the time you have with your children. From a toy's point of view but I think it's pretty obvious that this movie is for the parents. Yes the kids love you. Admire you. Think the world of you for a while. Then they grow up and eventually they leave you altogether. You may rarely ever see them again after that. But, that's not what matters. What matters is that the time you spend with them will probably affect them for the rest of their lives.

Finding Nemo? Letting your kids grow up.

Then there's movies like Monsters Inc. This movie was like a revelation to me. Yup. Nutso. Seriously though, this movie came out at the time when USA began it's "War on Terror". These "monsters" really aren't bad guys. They just want to harvest "scream" (oil) because they rely on it for power. In the end it takes a child from the human world to help them to realize that people are people, children are children no matter where they come from. And, frightening or threatening people from this other "country" is not making the harvesting of fuel any easier. They learn that there is a "happier" or earth friendly solution that is beneficial for both parties. In the case of the movie, laughter. Maybe that's just me going crazy.

Okay, to the nitty und zei gritty.

I was in the hospital today because my youngest son tried to break his leg off on an elliptical trainer. They have a movie playing for the kids to watch. The Bee Movie.

Here's a movie that I never enjoyed. And, I payed to watch this one in the theater. I hated it the first time. This time was worse.

What really rubs me the message this movie gives off. If you haven't seen the movie and would like to, you might as well stop reading now because I'm going to blow the plot. Basically this bee develops a relationship with a human woman and soon discovers that the bees are being exploited for their honey! The bee begins a campaign to sue the humans and eventually succeeds. To his chagrin, this sets of a chain reaction of events that eventually results in the bees coming to the realization that bees have a need to fulfill their work for the better of all involved. Including humanity.

I see it this way. The bees are well....workers. You could think of this as the average laborer or if you like, the laborers in a sweat shop. Sweat shop works with the movie's ideal. They realize they are getting a bum deal. And, the humans you could think of at the elite class or more realistically, they are the average consumer. We rely upon their hard work to benefit us. What do they get in return? Not much. A pittance for wages and lungs full of toxic waste.

If those sweat shop worker were to revolt, North America, Britain most of the developed world would be at a loss for affordable electronics. Our economy would come to a standstill. Similarly, if these sweat shops would become regulated and unionized, it would not be worthwhile for North American companies to invest in outsourcing labor. Products would no longer be cheap and people would be more reluctant to buy. Again leaving our economy at a standstill.

The moral of the story? Keep the worker bees busy. They might not have it very good but they don't know any better. For that matter, they would be left with less if they were to protest their current predicament. And, the consumers would suffer.

Yeah. It's a rant. Maybe I'm just losing it. I just need to get it out. Sorry if this wasted your time. It was entertaining for me.