LETTER OF THE MONTH
May 1, 2006 12:00 PM
PRODUCER PRAISE
I'm an up-and-coming world-music and hip-hop producer, and as such, I dislike those who don't fully understand what a real hip-hop producer does. Nowadays, hip-hop producers like Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and Dr. Dre have accepted numerous job titles and descriptions to diversify their resumes, catalog and overall portfolio. Producers have even become in-house engineers in order to save money — not just in hip-hop but within all music genres. Producers have become composers, songwriters, musicians and programmers in order to catch the right vibe and connection with the artists. In many instances, the producers are often the artists themselves.
I typically read music magazines such as URB, Rolling Stone, DJ Times, Q, Billboard, Spin, Guitar, Scratch, Future Music, Down Beat, Alternative Press, Jazziz, Keyboard and Electronic Musician. I was introduced to Remix when it came bundled with Electronic Musician, and now I know that Remix is a more urban offshoot of Electronic Musician. The reason I fell in love with Remix is because it shows common sense, stressing that every producer of good music out there is really more important than the equipment he uses. None of the other magazines would dare teach me how to correctly approach a record label like Astralwerks (“Band Aid,” March 2006) or how to create a beat composition from scratch (no pun intended) like Blockhead taught us (“Cheap Tricks,” February, 2006).
John Digweed once said that all music genres are a part of the general classification of music itself. We world and hip-hop producers are like our inspirational teachers. We've all learned from Herbie Hancock, Babyface, Clive Davis and Paul McCartney. We are more than noisemakers. We create the musical imagery.
Christopher L. Tyler
Limestone, Maine
APOLOGY ACCEPTED
I feel the utmost respect for you right now. Not many would make an apology, even one for readers' sake, about missing an opportunity to cover an artist (“Editor's Note,” April 2006). Thank you. With the number of mags scrambling to find a token article by press time and a promise for more coverage next month, I have yet to see one editor expose themselves and apologize for not pursuing or recognizing Dilla's impact sooner.
K.Be
Chicago, Ill.
ALMOST, BUT NOT QUITE
I am a longtime reader and lover of Remix and found your March 2006 issue even more informative and stimulating than most. You typically do an excellent job of cramming sufficient information into even the single-page columns to enlighten us, but I would like to voice a glaring oversight in the “Phantom Power” article “Just a DAE Away.” While Doug Eisengrein's approach is appropriate and provides a well-rounded position regarding the benefits of a DAE, his short list of Mac-based DAEs does not provide the DAE novice with enough information to understand the best choices.
In addressing the financial fear factor of music software, the $599 Peak, $129 Peak LE and $30 Amadeus II cover the price gamut but paint an incomplete picture. At only $129, I3 Software's DSP-Quattro won best Audio Editing Software in Electronic Musician magazine's 2004 Editors' Choice Awards. In 2006, Apple's $299 Soundtrack Pro recently claimed the same fame. I am actually a Peak user, but DSP-Quattro has long been regarded as Peak's main competitor with superior features and (some say) quality when compared with Peak LE. Now Soundtrack Pro has taken audio editing in another direction with general DAE features, as well as Apple Loop composition functionality. I understand your space limitation and that you can't list everything, but with only another couple of lines you would have completed the list of the best and best-priced Mac DAEs. I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of these options.
Tim Rumbaugh
Irvine, Calif.
Tim — Thanks for pointing out these additional DAE options to our readers. Apple Soundtrack Pro is an admitted oversight, while DSP-Quattro, believe it or not, is new to me. You have thoughtfully filled in some gaps in price and in popularity. — Doug Eisengrein
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED
Much to the chagrin of dance/electronic music fans, recent years have been unkind to the genre — at least in terms of mainstream radio airplay. With terrestrial radio dominated by rap, hip-hop and a smattering of pseudo-punk rock, it's almost impossible for dance fans to hear their favorite tunes on the dial.
I think it would be timely and important to report on the decline of terrestrial radio support for dance music in the states. As a Boston local, I can tell you that my own market is a prime example: Within the past year, Boston lost its last rhythmic-dance station (Star 93.7 FM), leaving no outlet for the genre in one of the nation's largest markets.
Scott Kearnan
Boston, Mass.
THE BIZ VS. THE ART
I disagree with Miguel Peguero's letter “For the Record” (March 2006). He talks about the term producer being thrown around rather loosely, but I feel completely the opposite way. He puffs up the responsibilities of booking the studio space, hiring musicians and engineers and getting stuff done on time and on budget. That role would go to — in most cases — the executive producer. But being executive producer is a business job, one that's not very involved in the artistic process. The only reason they even give themselves the title “producer” is so they can get a piece of the royalty pie — which, as an artist, I don't feel these music businessmen even deserve. The real producers are the artists that start with their idea and run with it until it's a finished piece of music.
It seems like Peguero's views are a tad elitist and grounded in the old business model of music production. In fact, the way the music industry is going, I don't think you'll see as many of these business folks worming their ways into the credits. With the technology we have now, artists don't need them anymore.
Doug Shafer (DJ Damo)
Kent, Ohio
For sending in this month's winning letter, Christopher L. Tyler wins his own DrumCore Deluxe — including DrummerPack expansion packs — ($499) drum-loop software instrument. If you send in the most inspired correspondence next month — or simply the letter we like best — you'll win the Lexicon Omega desktop-recording studio. All you have to do is send an e-mail to remixeditorial@penton.com. Please include your full mailing address.
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