House of Love Records - i Magazine

Follow me, as I journey into music production in the Electronic Music Production Program @ Dubspot. www.dubspot.com

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Last Post: 5/29/09 – Class #14

I heard from Ableton and they said that the bug has been corrected but that the updates to the software would correct the compatibility issues. I was glad to hear that.

Today we covered effects. I had asked Heinrich about transitions and it was a lucky coincidence that noise effects could create the sounds that I was asking about. I was talking to him and telling him that I appreciated the contrast of house to urban/funk and that it gave me more well rounded perception of production. Understanding the different styles of music in terms of construction and composition is helpful. He has a strong background in sound design and I find that area of production to be of particular interest.

We created our own parts, and composing loop melodies is getting easier. I created a new track that I might build upon after today’s class. The lesson was really involved, and it even confused me at one point when switching between controls. I found myself getting the sounds, but missing a setting that was causing it to sound different from the sound effect being demonstrated. Heinrich was very helpful and came to each student after each example to make sure that we were all getting it.

He had created a complete track to show each effect and to hear how the clips interacted as an instrumental. I had fun trying to compose my own as well and my favorite effects were the vocal effects. I will experiment with these as I build my tracks and see how to put them to use.

..............................

4/15/09 – Class #1

Tonight was my first class at Dubspot in their Electronic Music Production course. I was a little nervous about going. I didn’t know what to expect, or if I would pick up the material quickly. I’ve wanted to take this course for a while and looked at several places to take it but Dubspot had stayed in my mind because they offered VJ courses.

The space is nice. They use Mac computers and had the stations set up with full a DJ set-up, MIDI controllers and speakers. I was pleased that the class was small because there was greater opportunity for personal attention during the class. We were given handout materials as the class began. I really enjoyed the instructor, Michael Hatsys. His teaching style was a mix of technical material, relaxed exploration and discussion. He gave a very good lesson. We learned a lot but it never felt like it.

I have had the lite version of Ableton for over a year. It came with the Trigger Finger and it was given to me as a gift when I was building a DJ set-up. I found the interface intimidating and hadn’t played with it before now. It was a combination of being busy with other things and not having the time to devote to demystifying it. Tonight, I found the material very easy to grasp. It took away the intimidation factor involved in the interface design and he left us with plenty of time to experiment with the controls and apply what we were learning. His manner of teaching was very disarming and he was open to entertaining questions and discussions. I was really struck by the ease with which he taught.

He had been working with Ableton professionally for several years and it showed. Even the example material was fun and made me want to learn more. He prepared a full demo project for us and let us work with it to learn. I was expecting to struggle with the examples and be discouraged by the sound of them for not knowing the potential of the software. It was fun to see the work come to life and have a professional sound to it instantly. It’s a minor point, but it makes a big difference to the motivation of the students. He also asked us to bring in music so that he could see what styles of music we like and tailored the classes to teach what we want to learn.

I was surprised when the owner of the school made a comment about homework during an announcement. I thought he was joking, but the curriculum does have homework. I was impressed that the lesson clearly laid out what was taught in class with screen captures of what we learned in class. I’ll do my homework tomorrow and see if I’m a good student.

4/16/09

I read over the materials today and it reinforced what we learned in class. I read through the first two chapters of the handout and it reviewed all of the things I hadn’t taken notes on in class. The material was really well laid out and went into the functions in greater depth than I did in my notes. The screen captures really help.

4/17/09 – Class #2

I went to class tonight, but I was the only one there, so I got a private lesson, which was amazing!

Michael showed me all kinds of tricks on warping and then he showed me how to compose an original clip using midi controllers with Ableton. Knowing that I have an interest in composing and scoring my own music eventually, he took the time to go over some things that were particular to my interest in the course. He showed me how to create layers to make the sound lush, as if multiple instruments are playing and ways to create room effects and add depth to the sound. He showed me a plug-in for Ableton and how to select instrument sounds with it when working with MIDI compositions. By the end of the night, we were warping a song and it gave me a glimpse of how remixes are built. He blew my mind with the potential of the software. I left so excited I couldn’t wait to try what he had shown me.

4/19/09

Still fired up, I decided to practice at home. I updated my lite version of the software, so that I would have something to test things with, and unlocked it online. I downloaded the upgrade from Ableton.com and downloaded the live packs to go with it. The set-up took about 45 minutes to install the software and the live packs on my laptop. I set up the library and played with it a little tonight. It won’t open my class files because they were created on the full version, which is more advanced. The features are limited. I cannot save or export any music with it, but it will give me an idea of what I can do and allow me to get used to the interface. I will play with it until I can buy the full version. I want to learn more before I invest in the software.

-1 2 3 4 5 6-

	Follow me, as I journey into music production in the Electronic Music Production Program @ Dubspot. www.dubspot.com -1 2 3 4 5 6- Last Post: 5/29/09 – Class #14 I heard from Ableton and they said that the bug has been corrected but that the updates to the software would correct the compatibility issues. I was glad to hear that. Today we covered effects. I had asked Heinrich about transitions and it was a lucky coincidence that noise effects could create the sounds that I was asking about. I was talking to him and telling him that I appreciated the contrast of house to urban/funk and that it gave me more well rounded perception of production. Understanding the different styles of music in terms of construction and composition is helpful. He has a strong background in sound design and I find that area of production to be of particular interest. We created our own parts, and composing loop melodies is getting easier. I created a new track that I might build upon after today’s class. The lesson was really involved, and it even confused me at one point when switching between controls. I found myself getting the sounds, but missing a setting that was causing it to sound different from the sound effect being demonstrated. Heinrich was very helpful and came to each student after each example to make sure that we were all getting it. He had created a complete track to show each effect and to hear how the clips interacted as an instrumental. I had fun trying to compose my own as well and my favorite effects were the vocal effects. I will experiment with these as I build my tracks and see how to put them to use. .............................. 4/15/09 – Class #1 Tonight was my first class at Dubspot in their Electronic Music Production course. I was a little nervous about going. I didn’t know what to expect, or if I would pick up the material quickly. I’ve wanted to take this course for a while and looked at several places to take it but Dubspot had stayed in my mind because they offered VJ courses. The space is nice. They use Mac computers and had the stations set up with full a DJ set-up, MIDI controllers and speakers. I was pleased that the class was small because there was greater opportunity for personal attention during the class. We were given handout materials as the class began. I really enjoyed the instructor, Michael Hatsys. His teaching style was a mix of technical material, relaxed exploration and discussion. He gave a very good lesson. We learned a lot but it never felt like it. I have had the lite version of Ableton for over a year. It came with the Trigger Finger and it was given to me as a gift when I was building a DJ set-up. I found the interface intimidating and hadn’t played with it before now. It was a combination of being busy with other things and not having the time to devote to demystifying it. Tonight, I found the material very easy to grasp. It took away the intimidation factor involved in the interface design and he left us with plenty of time to experiment with the controls and apply what we were learning. His manner of teaching was very disarming and he was open to entertaining questions and discussions. I was really struck by the ease with which he taught. He had been working with Ableton professionally for several years and it showed. Even the example material was fun and made me want to learn more. He prepared a full demo project for us and let us work with it to learn. I was expecting to struggle with the examples and be discouraged by the sound of them for not knowing the potential of the software. It was fun to see the work come to life and have a professional sound to it instantly. It’s a minor point, but it makes a big difference to the motivation of the students. He also asked us to bring in music so that he could see what styles of music we like and tailored the classes to teach what we want to learn. I was surprised when the owner of the school made a comment about homework during an announcement. I thought he was joking, but the curriculum does have homework. I was impressed that the lesson clearly laid out what was taught in class with screen captures of what we learned in class. I’ll do my homework tomorrow and see if I’m a good student. 4/16/09 I read over the materials today and it reinforced what we learned in class. I read through the first two chapters of the handout and it reviewed all of the things I hadn’t taken notes on in class. The material was really well laid out and went into the functions in greater depth than I did in my notes. The screen captures really help. 4/17/09 – Class #2 I went to class tonight, but I was the only one there, so I got a private lesson, which was amazing! Michael showed me all kinds of tricks on warping and then he showed me how to compose an original clip using midi controllers with Ableton. Knowing that I have an interest in composing and scoring my own music eventually, he took the time to go over some things that were particular to my interest in the course. He showed me how to create layers to make the sound lush, as if multiple instruments are playing and ways to create room effects and add depth to the sound. He showed me a plug-in for Ableton and how to select instrument sounds with it when working with MIDI compositions. By the end of the night, we were warping a song and it gave me a glimpse of how remixes are built. He blew my mind with the potential of the software. I left so excited I couldn’t wait to try what he had shown me. 4/19/09 Still fired up, I decided to practice at home. I updated my lite version of the software, so that I would have something to test things with, and unlocked it online. I downloaded the upgrade from Ableton.com and downloaded the live packs to go with it. The set-up took about 45 minutes to install the software and the live packs on my laptop. I set up the library and played with it a little tonight. It won’t open my class files because they were created on the full version, which is more advanced. The features are limited. I cannot save or export any music with it, but it will give me an idea of what I can do and allow me to get used to the interface. I will play with it until I can buy the full version. I want to learn more before I invest in the software. -1 2 3 4 5 6-		Available online and in stores now www.kyranbooks.com
Articles March 2009 - Issue 1, vol. 1 The Business of News The Other Woman State vs. Private College Where Have All The Newsmen Gone? OMG…I’m the Grasshopper Hype and the Improper Brand Who's Pulling The Strings? Voyeurism and the Modern World The Thinker The State of Broadway Available online and in stores now www.designsbykyran.com
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	Follow my journey into music production in the Electronic Music Production Program @ Dubspot. www.dubspot.com	Do you need some real world advice? Write with your questions to webmaster@houseofloverecords.com