1st Piano

By Ariel Hyatt Several months ago I wrote an article on my 6 favorite Facebook apps. Since then Facebook has relaunched with a new design and now as a musician you can create a band / musician page. Here is an updated version that explain how to set up a page from scratch and my favorite apps for you! Getting Started & Ariel's Top 6 Facebook Apps For Musicians Facebook is here to stay. I know a lot of artists who are already overwhelmed with MySpace tend to feel daunted by the whole concept of introducing yet another social network into their lives. On September 4, 2008 Facebook launched "new" Facebook and the new interface is easier to use than before. You won't believe how many people who you never saw around MySpace are on Facebook. All of a sudden you will be back in touch with your babysitter from grade school, a ton of old friends, and even the drummer from your first band. And, if you have been resisting because you think Facebook is just

By Alan Williamson In a previous article I talked about a method of creating realistic live Guitar solos using my keyboard. However, if you are like me and cannot play a real guitar, how can you create believable guitar tracks in your home studio when either composing, or producing audio backing tracks for your solo performances?. Well, the answer is VST. Briefly, VST or (Virtual Studio Technology) is a software interface designed by Steinberg, which allows a person to simulate either musical instruments or studio hardware effects realistically, such as Reverb, Compression, Delay, Audio Mastering to name just a few. Many VST 'plug-ins' can operate as stand-alone programs but generally they are used (or 'Plugged in') to your music sequencer - Cubase, Logic or Sonar are prime examples. There are many VST plug-ins available on the market, but for the purpose of this article I am concentrating on the use of VST Guitar plug-ins which, through the use of audio

Every audiophile has their preference of how they listen to their music when they are on the go. You can choose from the many sleek designs of earphones or you can stay with the traditional headphones. Shure has a variety of both that are bound to fit your listening needs as well as keep you comfortable. The Shure line of headphones and earphones are professional quality and are suited for the serious listener. The technological precision that goes in to the making of these headphones and earphones is evident in the unmatched quality of sound that comes through them. There are many models of both Shure headphones and earphones you can choose from and they all have their own style and minutely different characteristics that set them apart from other models. There is something for everyone here, and if you are as serious about your audio as we are about making what you use to hear it, you will have as much fun shopping for them as you will listening to them. We take prid

By Neville Booth Home cinemas can be the perfect accompaniment to the gadget home. It can be difficult to decide where to begin as there is a multitude of options available and with technology advancing all the time an installation can be out of date almost and soon as it is installed. Ideally you want to future proof you system as far in advance as possible to ensure you get the maximum use out of your system. This is especially the case if you plan on spending thousand's of pounds on a system. Here are some helpful tips on deciding what products to choose: - TV's (3D, LCD, PLASMA)- What format do you wish to watch What size TV do you want - DVD- Standard, HD or blueray - 3D player, necessary if you take the 3d route - TV receiver- cable digital or freeview (you will probably have something already)but is this to be linked in - Sound: dedicated home cinema system with surround sound Simple hi fi system - Remote control: all in one or separates Ultimately the s

By Marc Gunn Haste To The Wedding by Anne Roos Anne Roos performs Celtic music on the Celtic harp with accompanying instruments. The tracks flow in the order that music flows at a wedding. Ideal for future brides and lovers of Celtic music alike. This unique CD was recorded live in a church, without overdubbing, to give the feeling of a live ensemble performing at a wedding. Vow: An Irish Wedding Celebration by Aine Minogue This is a beautiful CD of traditional Irish wedding ceremony music. The music is very well-produced with a beautiful modern new age sound that could be likened to Enya playing irish wedding music. The vocals are exquisite. The performance is fantastic .The music is beautiful and enrapturing. All in all, this is just a great CD and well worth the experience. Princess of Flowers by Margaret Davis The instrument Margaret performs on, the Celtic Harp, is based on the traditional British Isles instrument that predates the modern concert harp. Of Scottis

By David F Samuel The studio is not a place to hammer out your ideas so come to the table with a dish that is ready to be dressed seasoned and served. You should understand how to chart out your song before entering the recording studio and have charts to give to all the session players involved and notes to give the engineer for each tune. Example for what kind of notes to give to engineer would be as follows: I want the snare to sound sonically like the one on "billie Jean" from the Thriller Album. I'm looking for that tight in your face sound. Be specific for the engineer/producer to know what you are looking for on the overall sound of the mix. You should also grasp the importance of playing to a click track and have the bpm's (beats per minute) figured out for each track beforehand. In order to be successful in the studio you must be able to perform to a click track. This allows you to utilize the day and age of cutting and pasting in the studio.