Local recording studios in Sabah...

Hello, As a musician myself, i can smell more and more recording studios in sabah are being formed every year.And now we can find quite a number of good digital recording studio offering thier services to the public. For the last decade, it was hard to find a reputable recording studio . There was only one located at kampung air, namely SEH HUAT. The company has produced albums for our talented local singers like John Gaisah, Julius Goduk , Justin Lusah and many more......and the song like jambatan tamparuli,tarajang rasuk,miniagal oh sinsing are still heard until today ( Local evergreen songs ).During those days, there were no high tech equipments were available, you can only find those bulky analog recording equipments. No computers.....everything done manually and you have to be very careful with your work...since there was no such thing as undo you mistake. If you do mistakes, you have to redo it again and again until you are satisfied with your work. But now, it is entirely different. Everything is computerised. Anybody can setup their own digital recording studio at home.Infact you don't have to spend so much to do this.For a start, you only need to have few things like a MIDI keyboard, preferably one that has a velocity touch keys, a fast computer with a dedicated recording soundcard like yamaha or m-audio delta series like the one i am using now, a sequencer with midi and audio record capable software like sonar or pro tools which i owned one, a condebser multi polar microphone, a small pair of studio powered monitor such as the rockit 5 which can produce a very sweet and punchy sound, if you prefer, an acoustis or electric guitar and a small low noise passive mixer.And that's it. You are ready to roll. I will share my experience on this field with you in my next article.tq. by marcel website :http://www.freewebs.com/marcelmusic

Local singer to sue recording company for $5 million

Local singer to sue recording company for $5 million Subject: Local singer to sue recording company for $5 million by KaTaMa on 2007/12/4 12:18:37 KENINGAU: Local singer Atama said yesterday he would sue a Kota Kinabalu-based recording company for RM5 million for copyright infringement, defamation and compensation for lost album sales. From 2005 to 2007, the singer said, he lost almost everything after the company produced pirated copies of his song Throw Your Hands In The Air, a song which fuses Kadazandusun elements with hip-hop. The company claimed it had the copyright on the ‘taragang rasuk’ song, which uses the late John Gaisal’s vocals. Two years ago, it accused Atama of infringing Section 36(a) of the Copyrights Act 1987 and sought an injunction to prevent sales of Atama’s debut album My Tribal Roots. On Oct 17 this year, however, the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak dismissed the recording company’s claim as baseless. Atama, whose real name is Andrew Mudi, said his company Atama Music Publishing (AMP) would file the suit as soon as it has identified a suitable lawyer to represent it. He said he had been subjected to physical, mental and emotional depression after being accused of copyright infringement by the recording company, and he is suing to tell the world he had been a victim of injustice. He added AMP, which produced the album, suffered millions of ringgit in lost sales in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the USA. Atama’s music marks a milestone in the local music scene, combining the sounds of ethnic instruments such as gongs, kulintangan and sompoton with hip-hop and R&B. Throw Your Hands In The Air has become something of a hit after being aired on local radio station Sabah VFM, and has even been used as a ring tone throughout the country. Atama said he is determined to make it in the music industry, and wants to be the first Dusun to penetrate the global music market. A telemovie, Can’t Stop The Sumazau directed by Tony Francis Gitom and a biography, Atama The King are expected to be out next year. Copyrite By News Sabah Times...........

Mu Voice Intelligent Vocal Harmonizer

I've been searching for a good harmonizer ( from the internet ) for my own use in the studio for quite awhile and finally I purchased the Mu Voice Vocal Harmonizer from Mu Technologies after having tested the trial version. I considered it as a Good-Buy product because of its sound quality,ease of use, userfriendly and quite an affordable price at the moment ( Early bird release ).The technical support is also very helpful. So, I strongly recommand for you all out there who are still hunting for a good vocal harmonizer plugin, grab this one, you won't regret. I used it mainly for harmonizing vocal for my local album productions. GREAT plugin!! Marcellus Simon Malaysia http://www.freewebs.com/marcelmusic _________________________________________________________________________ Mu Voice December 6, 2007: Update to Mu Voice 1.1.1 US $199 (instead of $259) 'Early Bird' Release Imagine a plug-in that allows you to tune your vocal recordings, apply special effects and add natural sounding harmonies when mixing your track. Look no further, Mu Voice is the plug-in for you. The proprietary spectral analysis and synthesis techniques of Mu Technologies set new standards in vocal processing providing a unique tool for your recording studio. An internal delay of only 5.8 ms makes Mu Voice the ideal vocal processor to perform live on stage. ( PC:VST/RTAS ; MAC VST/AU )NEW! AU on Mac - User Manual.Mu Voice is protected by iLok and has a trial period of 30 days / 50 launches. You do not need an iLok to demo, but iLok drivers need to be installed. Key Features * Intelligent Harmonizing * Scale / Chord Selection * Chord Scheme Editing * Mixer * Tuner * Channel FX * Preset Management * Full Automation * XML based file exchange * SIMD Optimizations * Info: o All audio must be sampled at 44100Hz. o Mu Voice uses two data files, W.dat and Y.dat. When it can't find them is generates them automatically. Therefore, when you launch the plug-in for the first time it will take a while to appear. From there on it will launch smoothly. o Mu Voice works strictly for monophonic audio material. For more info, please visit http://www.mu-technologies.com/

How To Start Recording Your Voice At Home

If you have spent the major part of your life entertaining your friends with your lovely voice, maybe it is time for your talent to reach out to more people around the world. All you need is a home recording studio that you can set up with the least bit of effort. Here are few tips of live recording that you could follow:-

Live recording is done through what is called "audio" which is an actual music recording of a live sound, just like a tape recording. Let us see what all gadgets are required to fulfill your dream.

i) Digital multitrack recorder

ii) Microphone.

iii) Audio interface/sound card.

iv) Studio headphones

Gadget 1 - Get your digital multitrack recorder or software multitrack sequencer. Decide where you want to record your audio. Here are some of the considerations. If you wish to use your computer's program, that's great and lot of money is saved. With a good quality sound card, you can record at very high fidelity.

But you have to be careful as there are some significant possible downsides. First and foremost, computers are sometimes unreliable, especially if you are using an older version for high end work that needs more memory. You are unlikely to enjoy losing lots of time and hard work when the computer freezes that becomes more likely the more you demand CPU power for multiple tracks and adding things such as reverb and echo. Go for upgrading your computer with a bigger hard disk and RAM as well as an additional Audio/Graphics card to enhance you r work experience. If buying a new computer, go for a high-end processor for the best results.

Using a mouse to run computer programs is just fine, but it may not be so convenient for the job of digital music recording. Simple 4 to 8 track projects may be possible, but you will need proper equipment for higher end work.

On the other hand, using an external digital multitrack recorder has many advantages – as they are more reliable, easier to mix with because they have those old familiar faders, and generally are of higher sound quality. They also come with internal effects such as reverb, delay, chorus, which can crash the computers. The disadvantages are of course the cost, albeit not so bad, and the limited number of tracks (usually 8 to 24).

Another consideration is that with an external device, you must make sure it has a proper connection and synchronization capability with the computer programs. Digital multitracks often utilize V-takes as well, which means you can record a number of versions of track 1 bass, for example, and choose the one to activate for your final mix.

Once you've analyzed your needs, you can go and get the home recording studio recorder or program you wish to work with. An external controller board is required if you are using a software analyzer which will give you real faders for mix down, which can relieve you of the inconvenience of the mouse.

In part two of this article, we shall examine the rest of the essential gadgets required by you for successful music recording. Keep your voice in shape till then, for you will soon be traveling on the highway to a successful career in the world of music.

The author loves mixing music. You can make your own music by setting up a home recording studio and using a good music production software. Learn all the music terms with the help of an online music dictionary.

By Sarika Kabra

Building and Soundproofing a Home Recording Studio

"How do I soundproof my garage, basement, or a bedroom in my single family house or condo so my 4 piece rock band can practice and record and not bother the neighbors?"

If I had a dollar for every time I was asked this question, I would be in the Bahamas right now, instead of writing this article. Many factors need to be considered prior to beginning your studio or practice room-soundproofing project. Some of the questions you should be asking yourself are: What type of amplification will the band be using, are the drums going to be acoustic and miked or are they digital. Are you going to be recording live late at night or are we going to be doing "line in" recording only? These questions and many more need to be considered before the actual construction begins. If live recording and rehearsal are the plan, then maximum soundproofing will be needed. The most effective way to soundproof a garage, basement, or bedroom is to actually construct a room within a room (go to www.auralex.com) and download the free booklet "Acoustics 101", this is a wonderful resource for the home studio builder.

Their ideas are solid and applicable to any studio-soundproofing project. The room within a room concept utilizes the sealed dead air space that is captured between the inner walls and the outer walls to help greatly with the soundproofing endeavor. It is probably easiest to frame the walls on the floor and then tilt them up into place thus making dry walling the outside of the walls much easier. It is also highly recommended that another ceiling be joisted out for the room within a room, however, this is often times not possible due to space constraints.

In this case, the existing ceiling and ceiling joists may be used as the ultimate ceiling for the studio, provided that it is adequately soundproofed with materials such as the mass loaded vinyl or a combination of closed cell foam mat and MLV. I will elaborate on these materials, as we get further into this article. Once the walls are framed out and the right amount of "Dead air space" is determined, then it is time to install the soundproofing. The first order of business is to consider what needs to be done to the wall cavities prior to installing a barrier and finally the wallboard. I like to line the inside cavities with a closed cell vinyl nitrile foam mat such as American Mat. This mat (generally 1/4" thickness) is adhered to the inside cavity walls as well as the studs and joists using a contact cement to adhere the mat. Keep in mind that the American Mat is used to line the cavities only, not to fill the cavity. If thermal insulation is needed, use products such as rock wool, mineral wool, cut wool fibers, or my favorite, Roxul. Roxul is a great thermal rock wool based batt type insulation that has great soundproofing qualities. If thermal insulation is a requirement for the practice room or studio, then Roxul is the way to go.

Now we come to a crossroads, it is time to determine if decoupling the walls using resilient channels or American Sound clips is a necessity. De coupling is used when impact transmission or low frequency noise is a factor. Impact would come primarily from the drums (acoustic type) or the bass amplifier. However, if the band is using Marshall high powered amps (50 watt amps with 4 X 12 cabinets for example) along with miked acoustic drums and an Ampeg bass system, then decoupling will most likely be necessary. These methods and procedures will be explained in later articles. If decoupling were determined to be unnecessary, then the next step would be to find a good barrier material such as American mass loaded vinyl (which is a high grade mass loaded vinyl barrier). This barrier could be stapled directly to the studwork on a wall assembly or directly to the joists. This is a method that is used if cost or space constraints are factors. If the barrier material is to be stapled directly to the stud or joist framing then it is best that the seams be over lapped, caulked (using OSI acoustical caulking compound) and then taped with either a lead tape or a heavy-duty PVC seam tape.

Once the Mass Loaded vinyl (MLV) is installed and sealed, it is time to install the final layer of drywall. I always recommend using 5/8” drywall as the final layer because of its mass and its sound blocking abilities. . It is always advisable to butter the edges of the last layer of drywall with acoustical caulk. You want to grab every STC (sound transmission class) point you can when trying to make your new studio as soundproof as possible. Finally you will tape mud and paint your final layer of drywall. Now you have a great soundproof home recording studio. We will discuss acoustical treatments for your studio in subsequent articles, but for now you are well on your way to having a professional grade-recording studio in your home.

Dr. Bob O. Soundproofing America, Inc. Senior Technical Director Soundproofing Expert to The New York Times, The San Francisco Herald Examiner, The San Diego Union Tribune, and the Charlotte Observer Ph (877) 530-0139 Toll free Fax (347) 721-9079 E-mail: Dr.bob@soundproofingamerica.com Website: http://www.soundproofingamerica.com

By Dr. Bob Orther

Recording at Home Using a Computer or Hard Disc Recorder

Probably the first thing you want to think about before you start spending any money on getting a home recording facility together is, why do I want to record at home?

You probably already know the reason, but the clearer you are about this the better your results will be.

Do you want to just pick up your guitar on a whim and record the latest idea that's passing by? Do you intend to record an album in its entirety at home and release it? Do you want to make podcasts to broadcast on the web? Do you want to 'flesh out' your musical ideas to get an idea of how the final product might sound. All are valid reasons for having your own home recording setup. Each one also suggests a particular amount of money you will need to spend to get the result you desire, and the amount of effort you need to expend making it happen.

What you will need.

From a basic standpoint you will need some way to record your performance or ideas - this could be into a Personal Computer[PC] or mac or onto a stand alone recorder. You'll also need someway of getting the performance into the recording medium - whether that be via microphone or a piano keyboard. You will also need to find some way to 'deliver' your product - via mp3 mix/cd or podcast. All factors to consider as you set up you home studio.

What is best; Computer recording or stand alone?

I will confess that in my opinion and experience, the simplest and most effective way to record anything at home is with a stand alone recorder. Several years ago I recorded an entire album using Fostex DMT8, 8 tracks to do the lot- including backing vocals guitars and eveything. To those of you unfamiliar with what I mean by stand alone recorder then have a look at units from Fostex, Yamaha, Roland and others. In general they have a built in hard drive or media card which records data that you produce as a result of recording yourself. This can be as simple as engaging a 'record' button and playing or singing. There's no fuss involved with this. Some of them also allow you to burn a CD at the end of the process so you can amaze your friends! There can be disadvantages as I will discuss later, but depending on your final aims as discussed earlier, you will make allowances for any shortcomings.

Recording onto a pc or Mac takes us into a more complex word, so if you're not computer savvy, or prepared to engage in a long and sometimes frustrating journey I'd go with the stand alone unit.

Why is it more difficult to record into a PC?

Recoding into a PC has a minimum of 3 steps:

Input device-microphone/keyboard/turntable Sound card-converts your 'real world' sound into computer language. Recording software-does the job of 'capturing' your performance.

Once you have got your recording chain set up then it 'can' be as easy as using a stand alone unit, but to get to that point you have to deal with a number of factors-the #1 bugbear of most home computer recording nuts is a friendly tike called 'latency' .

Latency: ' something that is revealed later'.

For those not in the know, latency can be compared to hearing your voice echoing back from a canyon, heloooo-hellllllloooo. There is a gap between when you yell and when you hear your voice returned. If you plug in a microphone and set up your recording software and say the ubiquitous 'hello' you will get a similar effect!

Unless you invest in a super high end recording system such as 'Pro Tools HD', then this is something you need to work with as a home computer recording aficionado.

The reason we encounter latency is that the computer needs time to convert the analogue [physical sounds via electricity] into digital data; ones and naughts. With a good sound card this can take between 7 and 15 milliseconds [ yep that's 15 thousandths of a second] and then about the same number of milliseconds to convert it from a digital signal back into an electrical analogue system that we can usefully use to hear the sound coming out of the computer. Bare in mind that our ear 'notices' a sound as an echo at around the 50 millisecond mark [ more on this later] - so if we have a sound card with 25millisecond [ms] input delay and 25 ms output delay then our ear will perceive it as an echo- not much good to play along with as we will be out of time.

That's pretty useless you might shriek, so how do people manage to do all this computer recording stuff at home? A-ha. Those clever people who make sound cards m-audio, Presonus, Yamaha etc have done something very clever, they instigated a process called 'direct monitoring'.

Direct monitoring allows us to hear the incoming sound at its source- straight after you have plugged it in- instead of through the computer where you will pick up a substantive delay. You can still listen 'though the computer' if you choose, but in my experience it's pretty distracting especially with large latency times. The other thing that your clever software program/soundcard combo will do is to record your new track in time with the others by making allowances for the current latency times.

In summary; For ease of use and less technology hassles get a stand alone hard disk recorder. For more complex productions consider getting a computer/soundcard/software combo, but be prepared for a sharp learning curve.

For more information on home recording visit www.myhomerecordingstudio.com Download 100 free money making eBooks at mymillionairebuddy.com By Paul Warren

How To Set Up Your Home Music Studio

Many music enthusiasts like to set up their own music recording studio. They might want to do that for their own convenience, as a hobby or to monitor their own practices. Whatever the reason may be, setting up a recording studio at home does need enough patience and determination to overcome the glitches that are bound to make the whole process somewhat complicated. The following information could be handy in starting with your own set up at home.

First of all you have to think about the purchase of equipments for your home studio. This step is generally the least daunting of the entire process. Thanks to the intense competition in this market, you will easily get most of the equipments on discounts. You should always try to check out how well the equipments are working in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises at home. You could also try the trial period offer and return the goods if they are not to your liking.

You could try to buy these goods second hand as used equipments are perfect for the first home recording studio setting - the equipments will be very cheap and you will be able to learn and improvise before trying for the brand new costlier ones. Naturally, you will have to be careful when dealing with such transactions, but if you are savvy enough, you will get some good equipment from auction sites like e bay. Try not to buy equipments that are too old as electronic goods tend to have a limited life span. You should also check all the switches and other parts for wear and tear. Too loose parts can signal the poor condition of the recording equipments.

You could look at the manual to get an idea of how worn out the studio equipments are. Ideally, the whole set of equipments must be cleaned and set to appropriate levels for optimum recordings. Again, if you are purchasing them from overseas, you may have to be careful about the voltage levels as different countries follow different standards. So always check with your seller and also check every instruction in the manual before plugging in .You would not want your costly purchase to be destroyed due to a minor oversight.

Once the purchase is successfully made, you can look into the manual for the exact settings needed to ensure the optimum working conditions for the studio. You have to set the correct level of the signal in order to prevent any unnecessary loud noises during home recordings. Noise is a common problem in home recording studios and you must try to minimize it as much as possible. Every device can be a culprit in noise creation, leading to distortions. Since it is impossible to turn off all the noise, the best you can do is set the desired signal at the correct level.

Hence, with a little money and a lot of determination, you can start your own recordings in the comfort of your home. Just remember to consult the technical books as well as the experts before starting any such venture.

The author has set up music recording equipment in her room. With the help of audio editing software, she manages to add audio effects and play around with her recordings. You can do a lot with a home recording studio without spending much.

By Sarika Kabra