LETTER OF THE MONTH
Dec 1, 2006 12:00 PM
WHERE THE LADIES ARE '06
I feel that I am an anomaly as a reader of your magazine, mainly because I am a female, but also because I am not an engineer, a DJ or even someone who has a home studio. I'm not even good with basic recording on a computer. I am, however, someone who is a total nerd for new equipment or unique ideas that people have when recording sound. I've been slowly getting more experience in recording studios, either on the intern or the receptionist end, and it's the studio that I call my home away from home. But my only problem has always been that I constantly find myself in what sometimes feels like a “boys-only club,” making me feel even more out of the loop.
The point of my writing is that I almost fell off my chair when I noticed that the editor of Remix is a woman. That's not meant in a derogatory sense; I say that with only the highest regard. I think that's damn near the coolest thing. I consider myself a new and loyal reader because of the way the editors make Remix friendly, without watering it down or making it “pink,” if you know what I mean. I enjoyed Kylee's “Editor's Note” (“Bolt From the Blue,” October 2006) because while I may not be skimping on new clothes to buy new equipment, I've taken a pay cut simply to work in an environment that sometimes seems like foreign territory to females (but also one that I couldn't live without). In her “Editor's Note,” Kylee asked, “Seriously ladies, where are you?” Girl, we're here in the studio, right where we belong.
Candace Predham
Neptune City, N.J.
For sending in this month's winning letter, Candace Predham wins her own Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700 SV (MSRP $279) professional monitor headphones and the UDG Producer Bag (MSRP $199). If you send in the most inspired correspondence next month — or simply the letter we like best — you will win the Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700 SV headphones and the UDG Producer Bag. All you have to do is send an e-mail to remixeditorial@remixmag.com. Please include your full mailing address.
RACIST? WHA?
In the November issue, on p. 52 (“Power Summit”), Peanut Butter Wolf's response to the question about copyright laws needs some clarification. He claims that the law is racist because judges allow for the covering of songs, but the sampling of songs is restricted by law.
First things first. When a song is covered, a royalty is paid to the copyright owner, whomever that might be. (Publishing/copyrights can be transferred, bought and sold.) The intellectual property (the song) is being used, thus resulting in a payment. Of course, the payment is calculated on how well the cover of the song sells. But that is determined by the success of the artist doing the covering.
But when a recording of a song is sampled, an actual performance by another artist is being used. Think of it as a duet. So why shouldn't that artist, or copyright holder of that performance, be compensated? (The same rules apply to photography or imagery. One can't start downloading images from a photographer's Website, create a collage and then sell the collage.)
In both instances, the copyright holder is getting paid. Maybe PBW's gripe is paying for the use beforehand? What can I say? Your duet partner has already done his or her work. Pay 'em what they want. Or don't pay them and move on.
These copyright laws are in place to protect the remix artist from not getting paid. As for the law being racist? Save playing that card for when the situation warrants. There are plenty.
The Chancellor
Chicago, Ill.
A GIANT LEAP FOR DIGITAL KIND
I'm a U.S. Army soldier writing to you from Camp Victory, Iraq. Having been a DJ and vinyl purist for some time now, being deployed over here for a year has put a serious hold on music. Although it is possible to have a set of decks and a mixer over here, the dusty conditions are rough on any type of equipment, especially needles and vinyl. I didn't want to risk damaging any equipment, so I began to accept the fact that I would be without a 4/4 beat for quite a while. Depressing, indeed.
Ever since the digital-DJ revolution began a couple of years ago, I had been reluctant and skeptical about it. The magic in mixing is being able to do it yourself, touching the decks and faders. It's an art. The fact that a computer would do all the work initially turned me off. I looked at it like it was cheating, like it was a disgrace to the vinyl jockey. My outlook on this changed because of my situation, so I decided to give this whole digital thing a try. I already had a cheap laptop with me, so I ordered a PCMCIA dual-out audio interface, Ableton Live and an M-Audio O2 MIDI controller. To my surprise, mixing this way feels pretty good. Now, with a small collection of MP3s that I've accumulated after being here for almost a year, I am just as confident with Ableton Live as I was with vinyl. I can travel anywhere with just a laptop and an external hard drive and know that I can rock the house just as hard as the next guy playing vinyl or CDs.
The lesson learned here is that we become so accustomed to doing things a certain way, and because of that, we resist change. I'm happy I made the leap. Honestly, I don't know if I can say goodbye to the Technics SL-1200s forever, but as technology continues to advance, I wait anxiously with open arms to see what will happen next. And to all of you out there who are prejudiced about which format people use (vinyl/CD/MP3/etc.), keep this in mind: In the end, it's all about the music.
DJ Christopher Alan
Camp Victory; Baghdad, Iraq
WHERE IS YOUR BRAIN?
As one sits through reading every music magazine, including Remix, one would get the impression from looking at artists' gear lists that you need to have a lot of gear or that you need to have Pro Tools to make great music. I'll confess that I fell victim to this thought, as I'm sure many others have also done. In my journey of collecting more than $3,000 worth of equipment and software and downsizing and trading off the gear I didn't put to use, I came to a conclusion that I hope many readers, who are breaking into music production, will come to realize. While it is great to have tons of gear and use lots of software, the true essential tools you will ever need is whatever works best for you and for that sound you are looking for to define your production. Right now I record into Steinberg Cubase SX3 as my main DAW and, at times, Propellerhead Reason 3 or Ableton Live 5 along with my hardware gear to come up with my own sound and style.
It amazes me when people tell me that I should use Pro Tools or Digital Performer or that I should have such-and-such equipment to make my music better. I go by the old saying, “It's not what you use; it's how you use it.” It doesn't really matter what gear or software you use to make great music. The true essential tool that I use, that everyone else should use, is the brain.
DJ Lex Luthor
Rochester, N.Y.
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
