Omnirax OmniDesk Audio Workstation

When it comes to recording studio furniture, you want it to look good and you want it to last. The Omnirax OmniDesk is not only beautiful to look at, it will make your studio work more efficient. It has room for computer, computer monitor, speaker monitors and racks space. It comes it a wonderful mahogany finish.
It also has a pull out drawer for your keyboard. This is a must for any pro recording studio. It is all you need. There is more than enough space for your rack gear. Built to last and a sleek design.
It sells for around $1350 at Guitar Center. Use the link below for exclusive deals.
Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
Desk surface dimensions: 16" x 63" (varies)
Desk surface height: 29.38"
Desk space in front of bridge: 17.3" (varies)
Nearfield monitor height: 36.5"
Video monitor shelf: 77" x 36.5"
Clearance below bridge: 6.1"Weight: 206lb.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks as well.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Give your fans a glimpse of your music career

An awesome way to give something back to your fans is to give them a sneak peek at how you live your life as a musician. Have someone record you for a day. Record yourself at the studio, doing a live performance, at a photo shoot, at an interview and anything else music related. Fans love seeing their favorite artist doing things. It makes them feel like they are a part of something. You could record monthly or weekly segments showing highlights of your music career. You can even show portions of your personal life if you want to be on a more personal level. Either way, fans will eat this stuff up. They love seeing the life of a musician.
It is like a behind the scenes look at things. You can use movie editing software to edit it to give it a more polished look. You could even use Windows Movie Maker, which comes free on all Windows computers. If you have a Mac, use iMovie. Upload them to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and your own personal website.
Doing stuff like this creates hype. Plus you can advertise upcoming shows and release dates at the end of the video. You will see the difference it makes with your fans.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks as well.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

How to get your music on Pandora

Streaming music is becoming a normal thing. It will most likely take out the MP3. Think about it like this, most people are gravitating to iPads and other tablet style computers that do not have a ton of storage. So they cannot store a whole collection of mp3 files on them. There is some room but with streaming music, you can listen to a catalog of thousands of songs that are not stored on your device. Pandora is a leader in this. To get your music on Pandora, they have the following requirements:

1. A CD of your music. A real retail ready CD with a barcode.
2. MP3 files for 2 of your tracks.
3. You must also be the legal owner of the music.

They also want your CD to be available through Amazon as a physical CD (and not just as MP3s)--and for the name of each track to be listed in the Track Listing section on the page for that CD.

Once you have all that covered, visit http://submit.pandora.com and fill out their music submission form.
From what I hear, it is a tough selection process so expect them not to use your music.

They also want you to have a Pandora account.
 
Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks as well.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Make sound treatment panels for $100

It is important to have some type of sound treatment panels that will diffuse bass and reduce any echo. You basically want the room to be flat. This will give you a true mix of your music. If you mix a song in a room with no treatment, the bass may sound heavier than it should be thus you will mix it with less bass. Then when you play the final mix somewhere else, it sounds like crap. Here is a video that shows how to make some panels for about $100. Which is not too bad considering that stuff is expensive.





Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Adam Audio A7X Powered Studio Monitor

If you are looking for excellent nearfield studio monitors, then look no further. These monitors are amazing, each driver has its own amplifier. It also has a sub-woofer and a mid-woofer. These are magnificent for mixing. They do well with any genre from Hip-Hop to Classical. Every frequency comes through crystal clear. The bass response is solid but not extra heavy. You cannot beat the quality. They are around $700 each at Guitar Center. Use the link below to get an exclusive deal.
Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
Excels at nearfield monitoring
Equipped with the X-ART tweeter and a large (7") midwoofer
50W A/B tweeter amplifier
100W PWM midwoofer amplifier
Upper corners slanted to minimize reflections
Large, double bass reflex tubes ±4dB gain for the high frequencies
Two shelf filters for the high and low frequencies
XLR (balanced) and RCA (unbalanced) connectors

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Clever ways to promote your music

There are a billion ways to promote your music. It is when you think outside of the box that makes it stick in peoples minds. Everyone is a potential fan. Here are some ways to go.

Postcards
Get full color postcards made up. Have your latest album, website and contact info printed on them.
Pass them out at clubs, bars and anywhere that caters to music. You can even place them in mom and pop record stores. These are fairly cheap to print up.
Lighters
Buy cheap lighters. Then buy address labels from a office supply store. Print your artist or band name and website on them. Place the address labels on the lighters. Hand them out at shows, clubs and bars.
Stickers
Stickers are fairly cheap to buy. Many fans will collect them. Put your band or artist name on them along with your website and your latest album name. Pass them out.
Youtube
Make a commercial for your latest album and place it on Youtube. You can even use Windows Movie Maker to create it. Include footage from one of your shows, your website info and where to buy the album at. Include snippets of music from the album in the video. You can even place that video on your own website. Make it no longer than 30 seconds.


These are just a few ways to be different. Think and be creative with promoting your music.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Baby Bottle Microphone By Blue

These microphones not only look cool, but they are wonderful on vocals and instruments. When I brought it home, I tried it out on a session  I was working on that night. The vocals came out really clear. It has an almost transparent signal. I then tried it on acoustic guitar. It really made a difference in my recording.. With a fixed cardioid pattern, gold capsule and versatility to work on multiple sources, this microphone should be a great addition to any recording studio. Blue microphones are unique and well built.
You can pick up the Baby Bottle Blue Microphone at Guitar Center for $400.
Use the link below for exclusive deals.
Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
Handcrafted solid-state, class A, discrete condenser mic.
Precision-machined, gold-sputtered capsule enclosed in a lollipop spherical grille.
Fixed cardioid pattern.
20Hz-20kHz. 133dB max SPL.
Requires phantom power.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

The future of the music industry

I hate to say it, but I think the CD has a good 5 to 10 years left before it is fazed out. I cannot remember the last time I bought a CD. I think of it as a stone age type item. Why buy a CD when my iPod can store much more and I can hook my iPod up anywhere including my car. Plus with apps like Pandora, I can listen to anything I want, anywhere I want. The CD is useless in my opinion. Also, many more musicians are becoming successful independently now as well. Costs can be pretty low when releasing a CD anymore. If you go the digital route only, you have no CD manufacturing costs and you can make a killing selling downloads.
I think the future looks like this. Music will be either extremely cheap for a download or even free. Major labels will be used for strictly promotion and financing tours. Artists will make the majority of their money from music licensing, touring and merchandise. The labels will share in that profit. Indie artists with a solid fan following will make a ton of money in the future. With social networks like Twitter, they can instantly promote and share news with fans. They can give music away free and make a killing on music licensing, touring and merchandise.
This may not happen for another 15 to 20 years, but unless they find another medium like the CD that fans are willing to shell out money for, I think this is where things are heading.


Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Yamaha 01V96I 16 Channel Digital Mixer

Yamaha has been a powerhouse in music products for years now. That is why it is no surprise that the new Yamaha 01V96I 16-Channel digital mixer should be a part of your recording set up. It offers moving faders, USB 2.0 connectivity, 24bit/96Khz performance and more. It is great for recording in the studio, or take it on the road to record live situations. There are tons of on-board effects. Plus its mixing capabilities are endless offering up to 40 simultaneous inputs and 20 buses at 96kHz. There are 16 analog channel inputs. Other outputs include the main stereo output, stereo monitor outputs, a stereo 2-track output, four OMNI outputs, 12 channel TRS insert points and a headphones output, matched with coaxial 2-track outputs and 8-channel optical ADAT for digital output. It connects to basically any DAW including ProTools, Steinberg Cubase and Nuendo. The price is right at $2400 at Guitar Center. Use the link below for exclusive Guitar Center deals.
Use the link below to visit Guitar Center for exclusive deals.
Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!
  
Here are the facts:
24-Channel digital mixer with 12 high-performance mic pre’s
24bit/96kHz Performance with improved studio-quality head amps
96kHz Internal effects and top-quality compression, gating and delay
40 simultaneous inputs and 20 buses at 96kHz
16 analog channel inputs
8-channel optical ADAT for digital I/O
Versatile, easy-to-use patching system
100mm Precision motor faders
Easy DAW integration with templates included for ProTools, Cubase, Nuendo, and other software


Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Does age play a role in the music industry?

Does age play a role in becoming a successful recording artist? The answer can go both ways. If you are looking to get signed to a major record deal, then a record label will generally want a younger person. It also depends on the genre. For new recording artists in Hip-Hop, they will generally want a younger artist. The Hip-Hop generation is a younger mans game. The exception is established artists who already have a solid fan base and that had popularity in the past. For Rock, Country and other genres, labels still tend to go for younger artists, although it may be a bit more accepted for an older newbie to get in and become successful.
If you are an independent recording artist then it may not matter a much. Of course it would help if you are a young person. The younger you are, the more years you have to become established with a financially successful music career. Although, if you are an indie artist, you call the shots. You can be 45 years old and release your own album. If you can get the fan base, go for it. It is generally better to have age on your side. Work hard young and relax in your older age.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Casio XW-G1 Groove Synthesizer

The Casio XW-G1 Groove Synthesizer is a decent size, 61 key powerhouse. I know many pro musicians do not think of Casio as a solid brand in music production. Well, this keyboard is pretty awesome. It has classic analog sounds, loops samples with 13 seconds of sample time, 13 track step sequencer and more. It is sleek and really easy on the eyes.Shape sounds to create amazing music because it utilizes Casio's exclusive (HPSS) Hybrid Processing Sound Source, a six oscillator monophonic solo synth that will keep your music production fresh and unique. It is priced at around $599 at Guitar Center.
Use the link below to visit Guitar Center for exclusive deals.
 Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
61 standard-size keys
2 types of touch response
6 oscillator monophonic solo synthesizer
Sample Looper provides up to 19 Seconds of sampling time
Sample Player provides 10 user tones with up to 5 samples each can be stored in Flash Memory
300 fully editable PCM-based sounds like pianos, vintage electric pianos, strings, guitars, drums and more
13-track step sequencer
16-step programmable Arpeggiator
Pitch and modulation wheels

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

This is why so many indie musicians fail

The main reason most independent musicians fail is because they lack time, dedication and money. Time is a huge thing you must sacrifice. Expect to spend a ton of time recording, promoting and doing shows. Not just local shows either. If you want to really build a fan base, you have to tour outside of where you live. Expect to live on the road. You also must be dedicated. You cannot do things half-assed. You should always be punctual with deadlines, interviews and gigs. You also must have a bit of money to invest into your career. Expect to spend money on recording, manufacturing, clothes, photo shoots, gas money and more. It is not easy, but if you are truly dedicated, you can make it work. You can make it as a musician/recording artist.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Audio Technica ATH-M50 Recording Studio Headphones

If you are looking for a good pair of headphones for your studio that will not break your budget, then check out the Audio Technica ATH-M50 Studio Headphones. They feature are really clear and have a better bass response than similar models at this price range. They are padded nicely and are very comfortable to wear. One nice thing is that these headphones are perfect for mixing. They give let you know exactly what is going on in your mix. The way they are designed, they seem to block outside noises out. So you can mix in a noisy environment if needed. I would highly recommend these for any pro recording studio usage.
They are a steal at $150.00 at Guitar Center.
Use the link below to get exclusive deals.
 Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
Type: Closed-back dynamic
Driver diameter: 1.77" (45mm)
Magnet: Neodymium
Voice coil: CCAW (Copper-clad aluminum wire)
Frequency response: 15-28,000Hz
Maximum input power: 1,600mW at 1kHz
Sensitivity: 99db
Impedance: 38 ohms.
Weight: 10oz. (284g) without cable and connector.
Cable: 1.2 - 3.0m (3.9' - 9.8') Coiled, OFC litz wire.
Connector: Gold-plated stereo 1/8" (3.5mm) connector with strain relief and professional screw-on 1/4" (6.3mm) adapter.
Accessory included: Protective pouch.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Take advantage of internet radio and college radio

As you know, it is not always easy getting regular rotation on a commercial radio station. They have a certain playlist and advertising dollars to worry about. So only major artists are gonna make the cut.
This is why you should take advantage of getting radio play on internet radio and college radio.
They are a bit more relaxed with their playlist and most are willing to play local artists and independent recording artists. Both formats have large listener bases as well. They are also more in tuned with what the people want to hear because they are not bogged down by cooperate rules. Start calling the college stations in your area and talk to the program directors. You will see they are much more friendly. Be sure to have a professional bio, press kit and CD ready to go.
As far as internet radio goes, a good place to start is www.hardcorejamz.com radio and www.hardcoremix.com radio. Both have large audiences and are wonderful music networks.

www.hardcorejamz.com plays Hip-Hop and R&B and www.hardcoremix.com plays Rock, Pop, Country, Jazz, Gospel, Electro and everything in between.

Motu BPM Beat Production Machine Virtual Instrument

Motu has done it again with the BPM Beat Production Machine Vitual Instrument. The virtual software lets you create amazing drum sequences. Do it all on a computer, or plug in a MIDI controller keyboard or pad controller and you can go to town with your own rhythms. What I love about this is that you are not just using pre-done drum "loops", you are creating everything from scratch. It is more original this way. Be creative. This kept me busy for hours making original drum patterns. I love it and recommend it.
You can also put effects on your creations such as delay, reverb, EQ and more.
It sells for around $279.00 at Guitar Center. Get an exclusive deal with the link below.
Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
Works on Mac or PC.
A minimum of 1GB of RAM is required. However, 2GB is recommended.
A free USB port for the iLok USB key.
Combines state-of-the-art rhythm programming technology with playable virtual instrument operation inspired by the classic drum machines of the 80s and 90s.
Combines drum machine programming, sampling, loops, synthesized drum sounds, multi-sample instrument sounds, mixing, effects processing, song arranging, and asset browsing in one streamlined window.
15+ GB library of all-new, never before released loops, samples, and beats.
Over 10,000 individual samples.
Over 1,000 new drum and percussion loops.
24-bit/96kHz audio quality.

Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Do not be afraid to use a little reverb when recording vocals

If you want to bring some life to your vocals, then add a touch of reverb. Many recording artists, especially in Hip-Hop, do not like any processing on their vocals. They just want them dry. Do not be afraid to experiment. You would be surprised at how much life your vocals will have by adding just a touch of reverb. It does not have to be much. Just enough to give them a bit of vibe. Try it out. Another thing to use a bit of reverb on is instruments. Put a tiny bit on a snare. Add some to your piano riffs. You will find it brings your whole mix to life and it will sound bigger than life. I must caution, do not overdo it. Too much reverb can make you sound like an 80's Rock band. So experiment with just a bit that will blend in perfectly with the rest of your mix.


Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Neumann TLM 102 Condenser Microphone

Neumann microphones are some of the best built and sounding microphones in the world. So it is so amazing that they have produced an affordable condenser microphone. The Neumann TLM 102 has a compact design. It is perfect for recording any kind of vocals and even better for instruments.  I bought it, brought it home and immediately recorded. It sounds so clear and the highs and lows are well defined. You cannot go wrong with this microphone. It sells for only $699 which is an surprisingly low price for a Neumann.
Use the link below to get an exclusive deal at Guitar Center.
Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
Directional pattern: Cardioid
Frequency range: 20Hz-20kHz
Sensitivity at 1kHz into 1kOhm: 11 mV/Pa
Rated impedance: 50 Ohms
Rated load impedance: 1 kOhms
Equivalent noise level, CCIR1): 21dB
Equivalent noise level, (A-weighted): 12dB-A
Signal-to-noise ratio, CCIR1 (rel. 94 dB SPL): 73dB
Signal-to-noise ratio, A-weighted (rel. 94 dB SPL): 82dB
Maximum SPL for THD 0.5%: 144dB
Maximum output voltage: 13dBu
Supply voltage (P48, IEC 61938): 48V ± 4V
Current consumption (P48, IEC 61938) 3.5 mA
Matching connector: XLR3F
Weight approx.: 260g
Diameter: 52mm
Length: 116mm


Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Get your music licensed for use in movies

Every musician would like to get their music licensed. This is where the real money is. Getting your music placed in a film or on the soundtrack can bring in some real money. Here is a great E-Book that gives you the names and contact info for film production companies that currently have movies in Pre-Production.
You can then take these contacts and do some serious research and make some calls and find out who to talk to that takes care of the films music. It is a really useful book.
The book can be read on your computer, iPad, iPod Touch and Kindle devices.
It is an instant download. Well worth checking out.

Get more info at http://www.musiclicensecontacts.com 



Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.

Moog Little Phatty Stage 2 Keyboard Synth

For those of you who like to create sounds and want an old school synth vibe, then this is for you. The Moog Little Phatty 2 Synthesizer is fully MIDI compatible. It has a 100% analog signal with the ability of digital control. This powerful keyboard has everything from booming and punchy basses to evolving swells and leads and everything in between. It also has some really sweet blue LEDS that is the icing on the cake.
I bought this synth and I am extremely pleased with it. If you want a different sound to your music instead of the typical digitally sampled sounds, then try this out. You can get it at Guitar Center for $1300.00.
Use the link below for exclusive deals.
Online Only Price Drops at GuitarCenter.com!

Here are the facts:
Dimensions: 26.75"W x 6.75"H x 14.75"
37-keys transmit polyphonic
MIDI note On/Off
Full MIDI Controller


Artists and bands be sure to submit your music at these radio networks.
www.hardcorejamz.com (Playing Hip-Hop and R&B)
www.hardcoremix.com (Rock,Pop,Country,Jazz,Electro,Gospel and more)
Submit music on either site.