wire to the ear

Gearslutz is a probably the most populated pro-audio forum on the net. There is a serious amount of traffic going on there. You find find threads discussing the minor details of a five thousand dollar micpre that go thirty pages long.

Yesterday I started reading a thread started by someone who just found on a vintage Roland RE-201 Space Echo to purchase. The RE-201 is a fantastic vintage tape echo machine. Soon after Mike Manthe’s first post claiming he finally found one another person “tstu102″ answers him also mentioning he just located one and how happy he was. Do you see where this is going? Yep. It didn’t take too long for them to realize they both were talking about the same unit. Seems like the seller said yes to both because the second guy was willing to pay more money.

At first Mike thought thought tstu102 had read the thread and went after the unit. But then tstu102 did a good dead and told the seller he wasn’t going to buy the unit and he should honor his first deal. I thought it was a pretty interesting read about the Space Echo and human nature. Read the thread yourself: click here

I’ve used a real Space Echo and they are very meaty. If you can’t get a real one there a nice emulation for the UAD-1 or the new Boss Space Echo RE-20 hardware pedal. Although not quiet the same beast I find myself turning to Fabfilter’s Timeless for a effects in that ballpark.

photo credit: Lorenzo Desiati

So apparently some guy in Texas tried to cash a fake check for $360,000,000,000. When confronted he said it was a loan from his girlfriend’s mother to start a record label! Doesn’t he know he can use Tunecore and get a bunch of albums on iTunes for less than $100? He doesn’t need print advertising and billboards right? He can just post news of his releases on forums and MySpace right? Well the truth lies somewhere in between $100 and $390 Billion.

A man has been accused of attempting to pass a $360 billion check, which he claims was given to him by his girlfriend’s mother to start a record business, Fort Worth police said. Charles Ray Fuller, 21, of Crowley, was arrested on April 22 on an accusation of forgery, police said. Mr. Fuller was also accused of unlawful carrying of a weapon and possession of marijuana, Lt. Henderson said. Lt. Henderson said he did not know if Mr. Fuller and his girlfriend were still together. - www.dallasnews.com

This story is funny on so many levels. Then again, this guy just pulled an awesome publicity stunt. Too bad they don’t have his MySpace URL in the news article because I would have checked it out! Maybe the real point of this post is 15 minutes of fame is not enough if you want to make it in the entertainment world.

Would you do anything illegal for fame?

I was just checking out this post on the Brooklyn Vegan blog about a gig Matthew Dear had last week. Apparently he was playing at Galapagos, a club/art space in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) and someone pulled the cable out connecting his external hard disc and ran with the drive. Of course his set crashed and the gig was over.

Matthew, who was celebrating his birthday yesterday, had been playing a killer set for 2 hours or so. Suddenly he got a message on his computer saying that his hard disk drive was unplugged… The music stopped, he checked and found out that the drive was actually missing… basically someone STOLE his hard drive in the middle of his set and ruined the all show!!! - brooklynvegan.com

There is also a long thread over at the Ableton Live forum about it. You can find lots of colorful comments including the expected “he was spinning MP3’s he deserved it”. A more useful comment I found from Ableton forum from member “hambone1″ was that he should have had a Kensington Lock. Agreed! Check out the thread: here

I have all my music equipment insured even when it’s on the road. I also state in my booking contract that the organization is responsible for security and any losses I incur. I usually ask whomever I put on the guestlist to keep a watch out for me (yes I am paranoid). My old music studio was just a few minutes from Galapagos. Williamsburg is an increasing great place but as the rents rise people of lesser means are pushed out. I always though this caused a clash especially when you throw drinking, drug dealing and nightlife into the mix.

photo credit: 100five

Being as I am a “techno producer” and travel around to different countries to perform the Grooverider story grabbed my attention. Grooverider who’s real name is Raymond Bingham is from London and is known for Drum & Bass. Here’s what happened:

On 24 November 2007 Grooverider was arrested at Dubai International Airport for possession of 2.16 grs of cannabis, hours before a sold-out show at superclub The Lodge. He claimed he had forgotten it was in a pair of his trousers. On the 19 February 2008 he was sentenced to four years imprisonment followed by immediate deportation. - Wikipedia.org

There are two obvious reactions to this story. First, you have to think, “What an idiot to travel to a Muslim country with drugs on him.”. Second you think, “4 years in jail for a small amount of weed. Dubai is a nasty place!”.

I’ve been throughly searched countless times. I remember in 2001, back in “messy” times. I performed in Amsterdam with a friend of mine who will remain nameless. I’ll admit we were both pretty wasted after the show to the point we changed our flights back to New York to leave two days later. The last night I finally wanted some sleep but he went out again. He borrowed my jacket for some reason. A week later back in New York I went out and discovered a full bag of cocaine in my jacket pocket. I wore that exact jacket from Amsterdam to New York! Imagine I was flying to Dubai? Whenever I tell an old drug story I like to point out that I’ve been sober more than a few years now (applause please).

There is an online petition to get Grooverider out of jail: click here
More info on Beatportal: click here

So what do you think? Did he deserve it? Would you ever touch ground in Dubai?

photo credit: Daniel Heaf and pbo31

I’m sure this is not the first time the RIAA has done this, but now that the company is under constant scrutiny by the net press we see a clear view of who these people really represent. Apparently the going rate for today’s artist is 13% and the RIAA is arguing in negotiations currently happening it should be lowered to 9%.

What the hell is going on here? 9%? For the person who created the music and lyrics? When we are talking about music sales aren’t we talking about the selling the music and lyrics?

Yes, the RIAA doesn’t think the record companies are making enough and that musicians are clearly making too much. I mean, they get 13% now. Like they deserve 13% for writing and creating the music that people are paying for. Hogwash! Someone had to, you know, encode it. That’s worth at least 40%. And hey, these shoes don’t shine themselves! So they’re pushing to get that rate cut down to a shameful 9%, giving artists even less of a slice of the pie than before. - gizmodo.com

If your a musician you need to stay independent. There really is little reason to get into bed with any major label. If your music is great and you promote yourself online aggressively, fans will find you and over the long tail you will make your money. You don’t even have to give Apple or Amazon a cut if you don’t want. Install your own online store like the Easybe.com or WP e-Commerce store.

photo credit: sandrino

So we are a year away from the end of the George W. Bush era. I’m sure there are a few people on this planet that will be sad to see him leave office. I am not one of them. Feel free to fight me in the comments of this post if you like!

As musicians are we more in tune with the world? It sure feels like it to me and it feels bad lately. I recently read watched this video which details how birds are disappearing from North America. What the? Birds are disappearing! We need some new leaders fast, especially in the United States.

So what to do? Well if your a sign maker then go make some signs. If your a web designer go make some websites. If your a chef bake a cake with your candidates face on it. If your reading this blog chances are your a musician so MAKE A SONG! I choose to believe in life that everything and anyone can make a difference.

I recorded two political songs in my life. The first song called Blood in the Sand was recorded after the first Iraq War. In it I go on about terrorists hitting US cities with a gas attack but as we all know it was airplanes in 2001. It is a free download and then later also was released on Sonic Groove Records, SGS0001 and the proceeds went to NYC Firefighters. I wrote another song after 9/11 called Wir Sind Angekommen (We Have Arrived) which was released on Acardipane Records, ACA 2017.002/12. It was later released on the bonus disc of my first album Manic Panic.

So what songs come to my mind when I think protest? What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye, Youth Against Fascism by Sonic Youth, Where Have All The Flowers Gone by Pete Seeger, Get Up Stand Up by Bob Marley.

photo credit: dexter_mixwith

Today is Thanksgiving in the USA. So here is my official thank you for reading this blog and more importantly thank you for listening to my music. Without peers and fans with ears for us there would be little point. We would all just be making music alone in the dark. I don’t let on that I actually care what anyone thinks about my music but I do.

What else can I give thanks for? Fast computers that don’t crash (ok Apple!), Ableton Live’s Session View, The Moog Voyager, Sound on Sound magazine, Matrixsynth, Berlin, Mario Kart, Animals and the promise of a perfect future.

photo credit: Elevated

Today around the internet you will see many blog posts about the environment because today is Blog Action Day! It’s a simple movement where bloggers pledge to write a post related to their field yet about the environment. Here is my top 10 ways a musician can help the environment:

1. Make a song about saving the environment! We need action people. If the artists of the world won’t stand up and scream a message then who will? Sing for a tree or a bird or the sun.

2. Turn off your studio equipment at night.

3. Don’t buy anymore Compact Discs. They all end up in a landfill.

4. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. What? Are you crazy? We need mood lighting man! Yeah? You don’t need forests?

5. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently. Cordless microphones, guitar pedals, midi controllers.

6. Take your record collection out of the recycling boxes delivered to your house by the government and start using them for recycling again. Read “10 ways a musician can help the environment.”