Quick Hits

Dec 1, 2006 12:00 PM

FIGHTIN' THE FLAB

Overweight electronic-music fans unite: James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem, commissioned by Nike, have developed the coolest way to shed extra pounds, 45:33: Nike + Original Run, a 45-minute, 33-second track created exclusively for Nike and available from iTunes for $9.99. 45:33 is designed to be the soundtrack for your run, but it isn't almost 46 minutes of pulsating, nonstop beats; rather, it's an intelligently designed track with trance/ambient breaks in between high-energy electronic beats and synth stabs. Screw Richard Simmons; James Murphy is the new fitness guru in town.

TOOLS TOME

Many music-software books are little more than well-rewritten manuals with extra screenshots. Pro Tools 7 Session Secrets by Scott Hirsch and Steve Heithecker ($39; www.sybex.com) is a truly intermediate book that wastes minimal time explaining general usage but instead dives into tip after practical tip regarding recording, using MIDI, editing, effects routing, mixing, postproduction and more. You don't even have to be a Pro Tools user to pick up some useful production knowledge here, but if you are, this book will help you step up your game.

BREAKING THE CODE

Since Celemony Melodyne was unleashed, pretty much anyone can sing on key and in time with its help. But figuring out how to use the software can be as frustrating as reading Goethe in German. With the Celemony Melodyne Tutorial DVD (Ask Video, askvideo.com), you'll not only finally figure out the differences among Essentials, Uno, Cre8 and Studio, but you'll get a much-needed three and a half hours of Melodyne instruction. Finally, you can wrap your head around the software so you can do more than obvious Cher effects.

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