McNally Smith College of Music is supporting the rock-stars of tomorrow by sponsoring the second annual High School Rocks Battle of the Bands on Sunday, April 20th, 2008. As part of its involvement with the competition, McNally Smith is sending a crew of its leading instructors along with five of its students to record the entire concert through use of Digidesign ProTools, which will result in a compilation CD that will feature one song performed by each band. A group of McNally Smith College of Music students will also participate in the event and will be among those featured on the compilation CD as they take to the stage and perform under the mixing of Eddie Mapp, FOH engineer for the popular rock group Evanescence. more
St. Paul, MN, February 20, 2008 - Al Schmitt, 19-time Grammy winning recording engineer and record producer recently got up-close-and-personal with more than 400 students at McNally Smith College of Music to inaugurate the school‘s first installment of its new Masters Lecture Series, produced by the Music Business Department and hosted by the Recording Technology Department.
“McNally Smith College of Music prides itself on providing its students with practical experience and knowledge within the music arena,” explains McNally Smith College of Music Dean of Music Industries André Fischer, who is responsible for establishing the new lecture series that will showcase music industry legends including engineer and producer George Massenburg, bassist and record producer Don Was, and music producer/engineer Ed Cherney.
Fisher continues, “By establishing a lecture series that brings some of the music industry‘s top ‘masters‘ into our students‘ worlds, the students receive a real-life perspective from music professionals who they look up to and aspire to emulate. In addition, they receive first-hand insight into all facets of the music pro‘s job responsibilities including recording, technology, business, production, performance and composition.”
Mirroring the format of Bravo‘s “Inside the Actors Studio,” some of McNally Smith College of Music‘s leading instructors interviewed Schmitt, who spoke candidly for 90 minutes, discussing his personal road to establishing fruitful careers in music engineering and producing while also offering helpful tips for achieving success. Upon finishing his interview segment, he participated in a Q&A with students in attendance.
In receiving such a rare opportunity as meeting a legend in the music production and engineering world, college senior Vyacheslav Kuharchuk, who travels to McNally Smith from the Ukraine each year to pursue his career in recording technology, says it was an enlightening and inspiring experience.
“In this industry, it takes a certain degree of pioneering, dedication and strength to succeed at the level at which Al Schmitt stands,” says Kuharchuk. “I am thankful to McNally Smith for giving me the chance to meet Al, who has enhanced my passion and drive for success within the music business.”
College senior Veronica Rodriguez of St. Paul, who is majoring in production, shares Kuharchuk‘s sentiments. “I feel very fortunate to have somebody of Al Schmitt‘s caliber visiting our college and speaking with us in an intimate setting. It was wonderful receiving his inside microphone techniques. Meeting him is something I will always remember and will surely be bragging about.”
In recognition of his time and dedication to the college and its students, Schmitt was given the honor of being the first to receive McNally Smith College of Music‘s newest nationally accredited degree, its Bachelor of Science in Music (Music Producer). He was also presented with an Honorary Professor of Recording Technology certificate.
“McNally Smith College of Music goes above and beyond when it comes to music instruction and higher learning,” says Schmitt. “It was a pleasant surprise to become the first recipient of McNally Smith‘s new Bachelor of Science in Music degree. This is a prime example of the college‘s commitment to providing quality programs and instruction to its students. It was also a privilege being the first guest speaker to kick off the McNally Smith College of Music‘s new Master Lecture Series. It was great to have had the opportunity to sit down with McNally Smith‘s fine students and share my experience and insight into the music industry. I was very impressed with their knowledge, skills and talent and believe that they truly represent the music professionals of tomorrow.”
In addition, Schmitt received a personal tour of the McNally Smith‘s first-class campus and its 12 recording studios, which includes two new SSL Duality consoles. He also led two Master Recording Classes during his visit.
Founded in 1985, McNally Smith College of Music is devoted to excellence in music industry higher education and in developing music industry professionals. An accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Music, McNally Smith College of Music offers music degrees and programs in Recording Technology, Music Business, Music Performance and Composition. With more than 500 students and a 92-member faculty, McNally Smith College of Music students get a personalized music education that combines cutting edge technology with musical artistry and includes wide access to research tools, real world knowledge and great performance facilities. McNally Smith alumni are working all over the world.
LAKEWOOD, NJ - FEBRUARY 19, 2008 - Kontinuous Jams Music, a multimedia AV recording, post and mastering suite located in Boardman, OH continually turns to Neutrik USA, designer and manufacturer of the XX series XLR cable connector, for its connectivity needs.
Kontinuous Jams Music is far more that just a recording studio; it‘s the Mecca of music, offering lessons in just about every instrument, in-house duplication and replication services, and a wholesale retail business for high-end AV products. The company has grown beyond its borders, necessitating a move to a larger facility.
The new studio is outfitted with Neutrik products, including the company‘s RJ45 EtherCon and FireWire data connectors. Additionally, every wall plate throughout the facility is equipped with Neutrik connectors.
The new 10,000 square-foot building, comprised of the main studio building and a warehouse, can now accommodate two full Digidesign, Avid and Nuendo suites, each with accompanying live rooms, ISO booths and lounge areas. There are five music-lesson suites with computers containing music-theory learning software to keep clients on the cutting-edge of music instruction and technology. The company also hosts seminars where noted musicians provide tips and consultations on how to succeed in the music industry. In addition, the company has expanded part of its facilities to accommodate Kontinuous Jams AV Sales, a commercial, educational and government multimedia wholesale retailer of high-end AV products, giving that side of the business its own showroom.
“I have faithfully used numerous products from Neutrik throughout the duration of my business‘ existence,” says Mike Moritz, principal of Kontinuous Jams Music. “Our old facility was completely outfitted with Neutrik. When it came time to relocate, Neutrik was the only choice for us. As we continue to grow, we will continue to turn to Neutrik.”
Kontinuous Jams Music not only promotes Neutrik for their own studio, the company is also involved in large architectural sound installations, such as local government centers, auditoriums and conference rooms, where it recommends and installs Neutrik‘s products. The company just completed a large restoration project with Youngstown Playhouse, America‘s oldest ongoing community theater, where Neutrik is the sole connectivity manufacturer used on the renovation.
Neutrik manufactures a wide array of XLR connectors and receptacles, jacks and plugs, speaker connectors and accessories for the professional audio industry. Neutrik USA is located at 195 Lehigh Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701.
New integrated package offers creative music education with Cubase 4 and Cubase Studio 4
Hamburg, Germany (February 15, 2008) - Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH is pleased to announce that its unique new product for the English-language education market, Classroom Resource Pack, is now shipping. Written by teachers for teachers, the Classroom Resource Pack integrates up-to-the-minute software technology into a comprehensive music teaching package, and provides all necessary elements for educators to deliver a wide range of innovative, modern music lessons. Classroom Resource Pack is available now through Steinberg‘s regional distribution network.
“Computer technology is increasingly being used for teaching music in schools world-wide,” comments Mark Porter, Steinberg‘s International Sales Manager. “But often the task of providing classroom resources is left to the individual teacher, even if their personal experience using modern music technology products has been somewhat limited. So the huge quantity of structured, high-quality resources provided by the Steinberg Classroom Resource Pack will be invaluable to music teachers everywhere, whether they are experienced Cubase users or are completely new to using computers - because it gives them more time for applying their teaching rather than preparing for it,” he continues.
Catering primarily for the age groups 11-18, the CRP supplies all required materials, templates, worksheets and much more - all in an easily navigable and highly usable package. The included 100 hours of fully prepared material has been prepared by teachers for teachers to cover aspects of music composition and performance as well as recording, production and technology. With its contemporary, modern outlook, the Classroom Resource Pack combines the best of traditional music teaching with the latest audio technology. The Classroom Resource Pack contains all needed media files such as audio, MIDI, loops, videos - all integrated directly into the specially designed lesson plans. The custom-made interface guides through each step, and provides fast and easy access to all the included materials, files, worksheets and Cubase projects.
Classroom Resource Pack on the road:
The Classroom Resource Pack will be featured at events worldwide this year including:
Feb 13-16 2008
Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, USA
Feb 19-23 2008
DIDACTA in Stuttgart, Germany
March 12-15 2008
Frankfurt Musikmesse, Germany
Price and Availability:
Classroom Resource Pack is now available for $399.
About Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH
Steinberg is known the world over for its professional media solutions. The company has been developing, manufacturing and selling software products for musicians and producers in the music, film, post production, and multimedia industries since 1984. Steinberg products are used by Grammy® and Oscar® award winning composers, engineers, and producers. For more information, please visit www.steinberg.net.
LAKEWOOD, NJ - FEBRUARY 12, 2008 - A student-run, project-oriented organization at Michigan State University (MSU), the Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers (AEE), have jumped full-force into their ongoing project, Revolution Audio. Through generous donations from Neutrik USA, designer and manufacturer of the XX series XLR cable connector, along with several other manufacturers, the students are able to begin construction on a high-quality turntable, low-noise RIAA phono stage, a hand built tube microphone, rebuild several power amps, as well as redesign the universal power supply and the preamp.
Revolution Audio is an ongoing project that began with the creation of a one-of-a-kind stereo system that allows options of source selection, volume control and audio panning from an LCD touch screen on the preamp. An audiophile type turntable and the phono stage are this semester‘s addition to the Revolution Audio project. AEE will also build an enclosure for a 24-inch subwoofer that will complement Revolution Audio for frequencies as low as 10Hz. Other sponsors include Advanced Circuits, Microsoft, Electric Interconnect, and Linear Systems.
Neutrik donated several products for various aspects of the project, such as chassis connectors for the recording studio‘s tube microphone. Neutrik donated its 7-pin black male chassis XLR connector (NC7FD-L-B-1), 7-pin black male cable XLR connector (NC7MXX-B), 7-pin black female cable XLR connector (NC7FXX-B), 3-pin black male chassis XLR connector (NC3MD-LX-B), 3-pin black male cable XLR connector (NC3MXX-EMC) and its 3-pin black female cable XLR connector (NC3FXX-EMC). All the connectors featured gold contacts.
Neutrik also contributed parts for the 8-channel snake, which will be used for live sound, as many AEE members perform around campus. Neutrik provided several female and male XLR panel mount inputs and connectors (NC3FDX-EMC, NC3MXX-EMC, NC3FXX-EMC-B, and NC3MAH).
AEE‘s phono stage consists of one “pearl” pass-labs phono stage that is being built to remind students at MSU that in today’s digital world, vinyl still holds a unique value. Neutrik supplied its male and female PowerCon connectors (NAC3FCA, NAC3MPA) and several phono chassis mounts and RCA plugs (NF2D-B-0, NF2D-B-2, and NF2C - B/2).
Aside from the group projects, a handful of AEE members are building phono stages for their use and are constructing speakers and a DJ mixer. Each semester, the AEE showcases its projects at “Design Day” to a growing number of attendees.
“Neutrik was involved in the initial stages of Revolution Audio which began during the Fall 2006 semester,” said Jakub Mazur, resource manager, MSU‘s Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers. “When we needed some additional connectivity products to finalize the project, Neutrik was our only choice. It is important to AEE that our relationship with Neutrik continues for future semesters, as manufacturer support is crucial to the success of our organization.”
AEE is a student-run organization, kicking off its inaugural semester during fall 2006. Consisting of students with a broad range of interests and majors, AEE aims to design, optimize, package, advertise, and present projects that best reflect the professional attitude and passion the students have for audio engineering. The group was founded by Stas Todromovich and David Lenz, and MSU‘s faculty advisor, Dr. Gregory Wierzba , due to the lack of academic curriculum that focuses on audio design at the College of Engineering.
Neutrik manufactures a wide array of XLR connectors and receptacles, jacks and plugs, speaker connectors and accessories for the professional audio industry. Neutrik USA is located at 195 Lehigh Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701.
Record a single at a famous New York studio and get entered to win a label deal with Decca Label Group, home to Marc Cohn, Boyz II Men & Paula Cole, among others.
Instruments available at the studio include: Steinway Concert Grand piano, percussion (including drums), bass (electric and upright), guitar and vox. Musicians are responsible for any other instruments necessary for their recording. Please prepare an acoustic arrangement of your song.
NATIONAL BATTLE ENSUES AMONG UP-AND-COMING HIP HOP PRODUCERS-Red Bull Big Tune Regional Qualifiers End and Top 12 producers Advance to Finals
in Seattle on November 1-
Brooklyn, NY - (September 14, 2007) - Brooklyn-based nightclub Southpaw is known for showcasing premier musical talent such as the outspoken KRS-One, Prefuse 73, and TV on the Radio but last night a crowd of 500 packed the club to see the Northeast‘s freshest up-and-coming Hip Hop producers engage in a heated battle known as Red Bull Big Tune.
“Big Tune was one of the dopest shows I’ve been a part of in a long time,” said DJ Maseo Plug 3 of De La Soul who performed a head-bobbing closing set at last night‘s event. The excitement and energy in the room was electric. It was a truly inspiring event.”
Also supporting the Brooklyn Red Bull Big Tune battle was featured producer Hi-Tek and special guest performer Sean Price.
WHERE‘S THE BEAT?
Started in Seattle in 2005 as a partnership between event producers Vitamin D and Jonathan Moore, Big Tune was created as a way to showcase the musical talents of emerging and established producers in a fresh and forward thinking way. The spirit of the Jamaican Reggae/Dancehall culture, where battles such as this occurred nightly and were commonly referred to as “clashes” is the inspiration behind Big Tune.
This year was the first time the battle went national with competitions hosted in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Seattle and New York. At each stop, hundred‘s of producers applied for 12 coveted battle spots. The head-to-head competition format is simple. Each producer is given one minute to throw down their illest beat. They go blow for blow for 2 rounds. What makes Red Bull Big Tune truly unique is the integral role the crowd plays in determining who advances and who goes home. Only the producers that elicit the largest response from the audience will make it to the next round. The last person standing will be the one with the big tune.
Last night was the final qualifying event to determine who would represent New York in the Red Bull Big Tune National Finals taking place on November 1 at Neumos in Seattle. The night began with twelve producers who brought heat with their beats, despite having various levels of experience. For some, this was their first battle. For others, it was a means to showcase years of grinding out raucous beats. After several rounds of contentious clashes, seasoned beat maker Marco Polo and up-and-coming producer Algorythm were the last producers standing. That was until Algorythm threw down a “boom bap” that reverberated through the crowd and got everybody shouting, throwing up fists and ultimately naming him the crowd favorite and champion of Red Bull Big Tune -New York. At this stage of the competition, there is room for two at the top. Both Algorythm and Marco Polo will advance to the National Finals to go up against the first and second place producers from the other 5 qualifying events.
ON AN AMERICAN TOUR WITH A BEAT IN MY HAND
Since April, 2006, Red Bull Big Tune has toured San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Seattle and New York in search of talented music producers and the next Big Tune. On November 1, Algorythm and Marco Polo will represent New York against Babu (World Famous Beat Junkies) and Swiff D from Los Angeles; Cambo and Beat Rock from San Francisco; The Are and Joe Traxx from Houston; Tall Black Guy and Rio from Chicago; and Sabzi and Brainstorm from Seattle.
To learn more about the battles and to listen to tracks from Red Bull Big Tune producers, visit http://www.redbullbigtune.com. For press inquiries, contact nyla.hassell@us.redbull.com or sarah.chambliss@us.redbull.com.
Austin, Texas–Beginning September 8, Austin’s MediaTech Institute, housed at the historic Arlyn Recording Studios, will offer 16 hour classes designed to teach and polish turntablism. Similar to the other vocational recording arts classes at the MediaTech Institute on mixing, mastering, songwriting, producing, audio engineering or live performance, it too is taught with the latest turntable, mixing boards, pod jacks, P.A.s and speaker rap instrument technology available. more
