Setting Up Your Audio In/Out (IO) in Cubase 5 and Cubase 6

The Cubase 5 guy above is slow and thorough.  There really isn't much of a difference between versions in setting up your IO.  The Cubase 6 "silent movie" version below confirms everything....Have fun!

Reason 5: Setting Drum Patterns With Redrum

Reason 5: Hello, Kong!

Haven't seen anything this complete, ever. Ever.

The Proper Level For Your Home Monitors

Great article by the esteemed recording engineer Bob Katz on setting levels (or calibrating) your home or project studio speakers and audio equipment when mixing and mastering tracks.

Decent mastering takes quite a bit of study and years to get good at it, but first things first, you'll want to play Pink Noise through your system in order to set the proper fader (or volume knob) levels for your equipment.    Pink Noise should be set at 83 dB.  A power saw from three feet away is about 110 dB.

Here is a decibel chart to compare how loud other instruments and sounds might be to your set-up.  While Sound Pressure Level (SPL), Loudness, and Volume are all related, each term has its own unique interpretation and application.

Set Your Tuning Machine Heads Correctly

Burning A CD in Wavelab 7

I love using Wavelab and recently got the Wavelab 7 update.  In the studio, we've used CD creation as a way to not only burn a CD, but to assist us in tracking a student's progress.

How To Sidechain In Cubase

I always like to learn stuff I should know...

Midnight Movie: Thor; God of Really Loud SFX

12:11 a.m.: Very excited to be at the midnight showing of THOR!  THOR!  THORRRRRR!  It's the Arclight where standards are very high according to them. Usher starts her speech about the movie and turning off cell phones, etc.
12:15 a.m.: That was a nice speech, my cell phone is off, thanks, and can you please get on with it because I'm starting to get a little drowsy.
12:16 a.m.: GREEN LANTERN trailer is up.  Wow, this looks really good.  The crowd is cheering.  We have no idea what the plot is, but it appears the bad guy has a huge head that will keep getting bigger throughout the movie.  Hooray for HUGE HEADS!
12:21 a.m.: SUPER 8 trailer is up.  J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg combine to make a film where normal kids are running away from something, possibly from outer space, and only they hold the key to peace, freedom and normalcy.  It's much like my childhood growing up in La Habra.
12:26 a.m.: (blink, blink) Are my new contact lenses starting to dry out?
12:26:03 a.m.: Wait, whoa, what's this?  Another action film with Zoe Saldana as a hot-chick-weapons-expert-in-a-tank-top who kicks everybody's butt?  Hooray for TANK TOPS!  Hooray for HOT CHICKS!  Gawd, this movie looks TERRIBLE!
12:31 a.m.: Getting sleepier.  Perhaps if I just close my eyes for a moment...GAH!  The movie's starting!
12:32 a.m.: Big Loud Booming sounds.  These should keep me awake.
12:34 a.m.: What's with Kenneth Branagh's camera angles?  I appreciate Orson Welles' influence, but let's not turn this into CITIZEN THOR.
12:35 a.m.: Ahhh, and there's the wide angle shot of the sprawling city of Azeroth, uh, Aslan, oh wait, it's Asgard.  Note to self, never invite Odin over to do your interior design.  He likes gold and brushed brass.  Lots of it.  His major design influences appear to be the men's restroom at the Four Seasons in Dubai and the rocket ride at Disneyland.
12:50 a.m.: Weird camera angles have finally gone away.  Branagh must have figured out he'd have to finish this movie eventually.  Early fights are all blurry medium shots.  Can't decide if I like this movie.
1:02 a.m.: Thor is funny, not wearing a shirt and has no body fat whatsoever.  Not even one percent.  This is the first movie superhero body we've seen that looks better than the comic book drawings.  If the God of Thunder thing doesn't work out, he can always be the God of Men's Underwear.    
2:33 a.m.: I'm in my car.  Only dozed off a couple of times, but I'm pretty sure I didn't snore, so that's a good thing.  The 95 percent of the movie I saw, I really enjoyed.  Thor is a weird character.  He's never been an A-lister in the Marvel Universe, mostly because he's too powerful and not terribly bright.  He has father issues and weird brother issues, but he isn't as conflicted as Wolverine or Tony Stark or even Spiderman.  However, at least he's charming and funny and the movie is worth a look.  A big bucket of popcorn should enhance the viewing experience.      
  

Midnight Tonight...

Will director Kenneth Brannagh be the new Christopher Nolan?  Not likely, but Brannagh's Shakespearian background certainly can't hurt him in the storytelling/mythmaking of Thor...THOR...THORRRRRRRRRR, GOD OF THUNDERRRRRRRRR!

Tell you about it tomorrowwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Cubase 6 Educational Version Now Available

If you're currently enrolled in a school and can prove it, there is no better buy than an educational version of your favorite DAW (Digital Audio Workstation).  If you're a student and want to save 200 bucks on Cubase 6, here's where I would go.

Or here.

Now you have enough money left over for a decent A/D interface!

Congrats! You Found Me!

Well done!

Welcome to our meeting place.

If you have any ideas for things you'd like to discuss, lemme know!