The new Akai APC40 is the midi controller that every Ableton Live enthusiast has been waiting for.  I pre-ordered mine back in the beginning of May and as the shipping date of June 1st was getting closer and closer, I called the retailer to find out if I was going to actually receive it on June 1st or if it had been back ordered like most other retailers showed. I was told that I might receive it on July 26th. I quickly checked the other online retailers and saw that AudioMidi showed that it was in stock and placed my order immediately.  The next day I saw that it had shipped and cancelled my other order.  Judging from the excitement generated by this controller, I'm sure I am not the only one with a story like this.

Read more: Tastyfresh Reviews the Akai APC40

If you are producing dance music and have compared your tracks to industry anthems, you may have noticed that on your first try your material doesn’t sound as “big” as your favorite producer’s last hit.  Mastering is an important part of taking your tracks to the next level.  You’ll find top artists like Eric Prydz, Loco Dice, Umek, Valentino Kanzanyani, Deadmau5, Dirtysouth, Robbie Rivera, Richie Hawtin, Henrik B, Adam Beyer, to name a few, have all used mastering engineers on their record labels and productions.  It is safe to assume that having a second set of ears on your project is the best method for finishing pro level tracks.  For years mastering engineers have been behind some of your favorite vinyl records, and now behind many digital labels as well.  Many producers have also been successful in mastering their own music.  The list of tools is growing for the accomplished studio musician as well as for the home producer.

Read more: Mastering Dance Music

Earlier this month, Native Instruments released their newest iteration of their DJ product, Traktor Pro.  They have traded the name “DJ Studio” from the product for “Pro” and their reasoning behind the change is that this is a new product and Pro quality.  To differentiate between their fully software based solution and their DVS (Digital Vinyl Solution), they still append the name Scratch to the DVS version of Traktor Pro.  So now we have two new products from Native Instruments, Traktor Pro and Traktor Scratch Pro.  The only difference between the two is one is controllable with Digital Vinyl.  Both are midi controllable, and both allow you to mix either “inside the box” or “outside the box” to a separate mixer.  Both also allow you to record your mixes, use internal effects, filters, and EQs, and send or receive midi clock data.

 

Read more: Traktor 3 vs Traktor Pro: First Impressions

Workflow is a very individualized, depending how your brain works and what you use more. However, there are many things that you can work on to improve your workflow. Having a streamlined workflow gives you ability to concentrate on the things that are important, reading the crowd, building a cohesive set, and adding the things that make your sets unique. Workflow is all about taking everything that you use and rely on and bring them to the forefront for easy use and reference. It is a balance of the two major parts of Traktor, hardware and software/interface setup.

Read more: Optimizing Your Digital DJ Setup

You may be a beginning producer or a seasoned veteran, but there are days when mixing a project can be a challenge.  Overtime you have probably learned why some engineers are getting paid thousands of dollars to mix records and various program materials.  There is a lot of talk of ITB (In the box) or OTB (Out of the box) mixing these days.  OTB is using a console or possibly a summing mixer, while ITB is using a computer and your favorite software package.  You can achieve good results with either approach, but most studios still choose consoles, because of the character and depth you can achieve.  Creating the right environment and being aware of your room’s character will help you increase the quality of your mixes.

Read more: Aural Talk

Multisampling is when more than one digital recording (AKA "sample") is used to create a virtual instrument.  Typically, these samples are assigned to different MIDI notes and or note velocities (how loud or soft the note is).  If it is that simple, why did I call multisampling the Blernsball of electronic production when I mentioned it in part 1 of this series?  After all, Blernsball (the fictional game in Futurama) is deliberately incomprehensible.  While everything involved in creating a multisampled instrument does, in fact, make sense the process and software involved can appear impenetrably complex.

Read more: Sampling Part III: Multi-Sample Instruments

Starting this month, we will be working through several articles on Traktor. We will be going through some advanced techniques, but we wanted to set down some groundwork first. This month I will be doing a walkthrough on creating and saving Beatgrids, Cue Points, and Loop Markers in Traktor. For more information on these topics, purchase the Traktor Tutorial DVD from Native Instruments.

Read more: Traktor: The Basics of Grids, Cues, and Loops

Drums are the common element in all forms of electronic music.  Getting your drums to beat down dance floors takes some knowledge and a little work.  The kick drum and its relationship to the bass can be crucial for getting a great sounding recording.  Here are a few tips and guidelines to follow to get your rhythm section sounding big and translating on a lot of different systems.

Read more: Rhythm Preparation

I just wanted to share a few things with you as far as things going on with Tastyfresh.com’s official generator stage. Many of you know and have seen pictures that show the great success the generator stage had in promotion of our main venue at the Cornerstone Music Festival.  We pretty much had music, fellowship, lounging, and overall a thick hanging-out vibe occurring from noon to 7 pm each day of the festival.  Jeremy Kadinger was the ring leader of the generator stage last year and did a phenomenal job.  He set the timeslots, set up and tore down every day and brought a van down as a DJ Booth.

Read more: Tastyfresh.com Sound System

In the last issue we discussed the 1st part of professionalism as an artist.  We dove into the artist’s general professional behavior and his attitudes toward professionalism.  I think that we laid a pretty good solid foundation to build upon.  I thought it was important to do that to understand the general behavior of a successful artist.  We now will move onto more meat on how to secure gigs that will help your career locally, regionally and so on as you expand your influence.  We will also discuss ways to hold onto the connections you desperately need to maintain your money making ability.  Hopefully we as a community are using some of the thoughts from the first part of this two part series.

Read more: The Drop: Professionalism as an Artist (Part 2)