Musics for Men

Contains about musics information

Month: December 2018

Running An Underground Death Metal Music Record Label

My first injection of Extreme Metal Music was back in 1985, i was 13 and a Metallica – “Ride The Lighning” cassette crossed my paths (Yes back then that was considered Extreme). I remember being at home alone with my crappy old “Ghetto Blaster” (that ‘ate tapes’) and fascinated at the cool “Electric Chair” cover art, it was at that moment within the first 30 seconds of “Fight Fire with fire” that my life would no doubt be set down a new path and Extreme Death Metal Music would be my fate. I remember being blown-away and scared shitless at the same time. The shear aggression and speed of the music was unlike anything i had ever heard (remember this was 1984 and i was 13 and Def Leppard was about the heaviest i had ever heard) and it was that very song that forever changed my life (thanx James) and led me to investigate this style of music even more. Bands like Slayer, Venom, Possessed and Death became the metal music that “Got me thru the day”

Well, the year is now 2008 and even though Metallica’s “Ride The Lighning” is still one of my top 20 favorite albums of all time, Extreme Metal Music is like drugs, one is too many and a thousand is not enough. The need for faster, heavier, more brutal and intense music dosages becomes the addiction. In today’s world of Extreme Metal Music – Metallica would probably be considered choir boys.

I guess it’s time to talk about what this article is actually about… running an underground Death Metal Record Label. First off, running an underground death metal label like this usually means running it from your parents basement, or if your a grown man who just can’t seem to grow up, your running it from your own basement and are constantly having to remind your wife, “would you rather me be here at home with you wasting all our money, or at the strip clubs wasting all our money). Truth be told probably 90% of Death Metal Record Labels that exist do it for the pure love of the music and do it on top of working 40 – 50 hours a week doing something that actually makes money, and to those who continue to do it while investing their own money and risking their marriages and relationships i raise my Corona and “Cheers You!”… But that’s just what Extreme Metal does to people, there is a devotion to it, there is just this undeniable force that encapsulates you… it’s likebeing in a gang… a really large gang!

I work for a small record label CDN Records, a basement run 2 person operation managing over 2000 Extreme titles in the genres of Death Metal, Brutal Death Metal, Melodic Death metal, Grindcore, Goregrind, Black Metal, Thrash Metal and more. The other person involved again and actually the one who started the label, a grown man like myself in his late 30’s obsessed with metal music in it’s most extreme form and probably the biggest “Death” (the band) fan you will ever meet. He started the label over 15 years ago, originally called “Civilian Death Network”, but after 9-11 it was apparent that we needed to change the name, hence (CDN Records). The label started out mostly as a “Tape Trading” network trading various Death metal bands demos with other Death Metal music fans around the world, and back then without the internet and low-cost’s of producing cd’s the cost involved could bankrupt most people. Most of us doing this tape trading stuff usually spent every last extra penny we had, we begged borrowed and stole just so we could pay for postage.But with the advent of the internet and the ability to manufacture “CD’s” cheap the label was able to evolve into a full-blown record label, signing and releasingbands.

Currently we have over 15 of our own titles, and what we do is trade our titles with other Extreme Labels around the world which increases our distro catalogue. It’s a great system, and its probably the only form a music in the world (that i know of) that operates like this… again reminding me of the bond and devotion to Extreme Music us “Metalheads” have. It’s like there is no competition between all Underground metal labels, we work together to create an even larger network. Its and even better deal for alot of the bands in the Death Metal, Extreme Music genre. We have taken bands who would never have been able to get their music on a cd let alone shipped out and into the hands of metalheads around the world… and that’s a great feeling and what fuels us to keep going.

Although, we first do this for the love of Death Metal music, we definitely work very hard at trying to get “Death Metal Music” to pay the bills. How much better could it get? promoting the music you love and making a living do it…

Tips for staring your own Death Metal Record label:
1. Find a band that you really like and has already recorded their own full-length cd (This saves you money)
2. Sign the band to a simple distribution deal, you press 1000 copies and give the band a few hundred copies (most death metal bands will jump at the chance for this)
3. Get yourself a simple web site and the ability to sell your product online.
4. Spend countless hours surfing the internet looking for other small Extreme Death Metal labels… create a long list
5. Contact all the labels you found online and ask if they do “Trades”, usually trades are based on a point system you’ll figure that out quick.
6. Most labels will trade 3-5 copies to start, trade with 100 labels you now have 300-500 titles to add to your web sites online catalogue
7. Don not take more than 10 copies of any one title… 3-5 at most
8. Promote online, Promote Online, Promote online… forums, blogs, myspace etc etc.
9. Repeat steps 1 thru 7 once you have no more of the original 1000 cd’s you pressed, of the cd traded well press the same release, if you struggled
to get other labels to take it on trade, search for a new band and try again.
10. You will be very lucky to sell more than a few thousand copies of any 1 Extreme Death metal cd, Grindcore cd or Black Metal CD (unless you happy to get lucky enough to sign the next Cannibal Corpse or Cradle of Filth) release so don’t get frustrated, the key is to
build your online catalogue with 1000’s of titles to chose from and enjoy the fact that you are now promoting and selling 100’s of Extreme Metal bands.

For all you Death Metal, Brutal Death metal, Melodic Death metal, Grindcore, Goregrind, Black Metal and Thrash Metal needs, stop on by www.cdnrecords.com

Review Of Whole House Fm Transmitter

I leave in a sunny country in Europe and my house has a big backyard where I, my wife and two kids spend a lot of time outside almost any season of the year. We are also music lovers and we have tons of CDs and MP3s stored on my computer. I was looking for a solution to somehow broadcast music to the backyard of my house from my music library. We all know the difficulties to stream audio and music from an electronic source (PC with MP3s for example) to an analog receiver (FM Radio for example). This is not a problem at all if you look at the Whole House FM Transmitter which can receive audio from almost any audio source and transmit it to any FM receiver.

At the beginning I was a little skeptical about getting an FM Transmitter for broadcasting music in my house and backyard. The reason was that most FM Transmitters are relatively weak in terms of coverage and they are mainly for use in your car. After testing the Whole House FM Transmitter 2.0 I was relieved to find out that their claims of 150 feet (50 meters) radius coverage are actually true.

Some Specifications

Before continuing with my review for the Whole House FM Transmitter 2.0, let us see some of the specs of this device below:

Use it anywhere you want (Home, Back Yard, Car, Office, Garage, Boat, exercise room, pool side etc).
Covers the entire FM Band Range from 88.1 to 107.9 MHz in steps of 0.1 MHz. This means that you can easily find any unoccupied frequency to transmit your signal.
Receives as input any audio source (MP3 players, iPod, Home Stereo, TV, DVD, DVR, Satellite Radio, Computers PC or MAC, Microphone etc).
Transmits to any FM Receiver.
Covers 150 feet distance but still satisfies the FCC part 15 regulations.
Compact Size and light weight (a little bit larger than the size of a deck of playing cards).
The new Whole House FM Transmitter version 2.0 is built from the ground up with better features, versatility and reliability.
Four ways to power the device (AC Outlet, 3 AA Batteries, Computer USB Port and 12V Car Adapter).
30-Day Money Back Guarantee.
It includes all necessary cables and adaptors to start using it immediately (AC adapter, 1/8 (3.5mm) stereo audio cable, USB power cable, 12V DC car power adapter, stereo Y cable, RCA Jack Stereo audio cable).
If you purchase, you will get also 4 Free Bonuses such as Lavalier Microphone, Free USPS Shipping within USA, 1 Year Warranty and Lifetime customer support.

In the box you will find the following items:

Whole House FM Transmitter 2.0
110/220V AC Wall Outlet Adapter
12V DC Car Adapter
1/83 (3.5mm) Stereo Audio Cable
RCA Jack Stereo Audio Adapter
Stereo Audio “Y” Cable
Computer USB Power Adapter

Testing done on Coverage

My first test on how long the unit can transmit was pretty simple. I just connected a CD player with the FM transmitter using the 1/8 stereo audio cable and selected an unused FM frequency in my area. Power for the transmitter was from the AC outlet. Now, because I live in Europe, we use the even numbered frequencies so I selected 104.6 MHz on my FM radio receiver. After setting up the same frequency on the FM Transmitter, I was able to receive the audio strong and clear on my radio from the living room of my house to the far side of my backyard (around 120 feet away).

My second testing was a little more demanding, but I will reveal this test on my website.

Conclusion

The reviewed Whole House FM Transmitter really stands up to its name as a “Whole House” coverage system. If you are in the same situation as me, that is you like to listen to streaming music from a CD player or from your laptop without being bound by distance from the music source, then the Whole House FM system is a great device to broadcast your music on any FM receiver within your home vicinity. Its price tag has also dropped considerably, so why don’t you take a look at the official website of the product to see if it fits your needs. And don’t forget the free shipping within USA and the 30-Day money back guarantee.

Equalization Tips for Electronic Music Production

EQ (or Equalization) is a fundamental part of dance music production. This tutorial will analyse the use of EQ to solve some common production problems.

If you solo the individual parts in a dance music piece, it becomes very obvious to the human ear where the particular fundamental frequencies lie on the sonic spectrum. Basslines may have a large concentration of low end frequencies at 60 Hz, whereas other percussive elements commonly have a presence at 1-6 kHz. Percussive sparkle is found in the 8-12 kHz area, which is a range not typically occupied by bass. Making sure that instruments do not overlap their frequencies is key to producing a balanced sonic landscape.

Unmasking the Frequencies

Parts that share certain frequencies can cause serious problems when mixed together. Commonly called ‘frequency masking’, this can result in sounds losing their structure and an introduction of unwanted gain.

In order to effectively counter the unwanted side-effects of frequency masking is to apply EQ to strip away the problem frequencies from one or more of the instruments. This will help to carve a space in the sound spectrum frequencies that may then be occupied by other parts.

A common example of frequency masking is when a bass instrument and kick drum overlap on a beat. It is not uncommon for two parts such as these to share bass frequencies which can cause problems when they are played simultaneously. If this issue cannot be resolved by changing the programming of the notes, a degree of Equalization can be applied. Reducing the volume of the bassline at approximately 60 Hz by using an Equalization cut could prevent the frequencies of the kick drum from being masked by the bass at around 60 Hz in the mix.

Using EQ in this manner can help to achieve greater sonic balance in music productions, as every instrument is given its own space to exist within the frequency spectrum.

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Music Makes Kids Happy and Smarter

Dont you guys just love music? Do you know why for some reason it is so easy to change your mood by listening to the music you like? Music has, in fact, been scientifically proven to make us happy, smarter and more vibrant.

If we look at our brains closely we will be able to see neural pathways. These pathways are where information travels to and fro. When we listen to music, these pathways come alive. And heres another thing, when we level up to music making or playing musical instruments new neural pathways are created. Advanced technology such as PET scans and MRI imaging has made it possible to monitor the brain. This is why when engaged in such activity our spirits become more alive and our thinking processes become more enhanced. Problem solving and creativity are developed when music is incorporated to any activity that requires a lot of thinking.

In addition, music is said to be part of our biological heritage and is hard wired into our genes as a survival strategy. Music was used in earlier generations for intra-group communication that increased group safety and identification improving notification of pending threat or environmental changes. Music was also used to increase harmony and social bonding among those playing it or listening to it. In this manner, it is said that music may have contributed to changes in the brain such as verbal memory, counting, and self-discipline, which have enhanced survival.

With these findings, it is safe to assume that incorporating music to our childrens daily activities will reap benefits later on. Not for us, but for their survival in this competitive world. Helping them learn the musical arts, music making, or playing musical instruments will teach them self-discipline, patience, and organizational values which will give them better chances of leading a better and more productive life.

To get started on this venture, there are many research literatures available about Music and the Brain. Also, Sharon Burch, a music teacher hailing from Iowa and author of the Freddie the Frog book series has lined up useful books to help your kids become more interested in music. With the mission of breaking down big abstract music concepts into developmentally appropriate pieces for kids, the book series tells a fictitious story appropriate for kids that depicts unforgettable characters and stories about the musical staff, musical notes, and all other musical concepts.

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Rock and Roll with DISH Network Music Channels

Are you a music lover? Music, in true sense, has the power to heal up wounds, unite the two sad souls. Whenever you are feeling depressed if you just take a spell of music therapy you yourself will feel the change within you. The moment you enters the world of music, the moment you get into a jolly mood. Isnt it so? In real sense music is a stress buster that provides you a big relief from tension and all your woes and worries will disappear in moments time. In other words music has become a part and parcel of our lives and it is also the best friend for our bad times. Thus if you want to feed on music then you must surely enjoy a rocking time with DISH Network. It will offer a total musical experience of life time.

To bring in celestial bliss DISH Network, the leading satellite TV providers in the United States, offers wide ranging programs on music. In fact it also offers few dedicated channels that air various musical programs that you simply cherish and enjoy. All these channels offer every type of music so that people of all creed and caste stay attuned to glory of the music world. Suppose you love jazz or want loud music of rock shows do not feel dejected. Tune in to DISH Networks music channels and you will find them all. If you love classical music and want to get the real taste of any such good show your choice then also will be DISH Network. With DISH Network you rightly can hear numerous musical performances by all the renowned artists of the present day time. Also reality shows on music also are available. In this way you will take a glimpse on all the budding artists who are ruling in the musical industry. Starting from chartbusters to all the classics, hard music you will be served right here at DISH Network.

So far as DISH TVs music channels are concerned you can rightly classify them in several categories. There are few audio channels while some of the channels bring in good musical videos with singles, pop music and many more.

So go gaga with DISH Network audio channels that offer music and only music. Audio channels that come under DISH Network packages include DISH MUSIC – 50’s & 60’s Hits, DISH Music – 70’s Hits, DISH Music – 80’s Hits, DISH Music – Expressions, DISH Music – City Lights, DISH Music – Country Music One, DISH Music – Gumbo, DISH Music Hitline, DISH Music Love Song, DISH Music Hot FM and what more.

Now let us throw some more light on video music channels that are offered by DISH Network. Thus through these video musical channels you can get to hear some of the coolest videos and also get to hear some of the good music. Are you in mood to get some splash of country music? If you switch in to DISH Networks musical channels like MTV, Country Music Channel or CMTT and much more, you will have wondrous musical moments.