The worst thing about Christmas has to be listening to Top Of The Pops and the Christmas Number 1 - Girls Aloud, Robbie Williams, Westlife and Mr Blobby for goodness sake! Surely anyone can produce a better Christmas Hit than those. After all, a computer does all the work, doesn’t it - all you do is press a few buttons and jiggle a few drum and bass lines around.

So what do you need? You need a PC with a reasonable amount of processing power under the hood - a Pentium III at least, preferably a P4 - in order to run the music software.

Audio files are quite large - forget MP3s, we’re talking the real thing here - and for each track of audio you record you’ll need around 10.6Mb of hard disk space per minute. Every track won’t be filled with audio so you won’t need quite that much in a multi-track recording but for a four-minute 16-track song it would be wise to allocate around 500Mb of hard disk space.
Playing cards

You need a soundcard. All modern PCs have one of these but if you don’t want your song to sound like it was recorded in a back bedroom - even it if was - get a decent card.

At Christmas-stocking prices are a range of SoundBlaster cards such as the Audigy 2 ZS (for under £70/$100) with a good set of built-in sounds. But more than that, they support SoundFonts. These are samples the card uses to produce realistic instrument sounds and better beefy bass lines than yer average sound card.

If you’ve a rich Mummy and Daddy they’ll be pleased to buy you a more expensive card such as E-Mu’s Emulator X (around £220/$380), a desktop sampling system that also supports SoundFonts. If you own a nightclub you’ll be able to afford one of CreamWare’s high-end systems with on-board synthesisers that can do everything but sober up the drummer - not that you need a drummer ’cause the cards have all the drum sounds you need.

Key move

You’ll also need a MIDI keyboard to record your masterpiece. There’s a vast choice here from E-Mu’s XBoard 25, XBoard 49, and Swissonic’s CK490 (all running around £100/$150 give or take) to the Fatar range running from the TMK61 (£130/$225) up to the VMK 188 Plus (£599/$1000) with several models inbeween.

These keyboards don’t have any on-board sounds like synthesisers but they’re much cheaper than synths and there are sounds in the soundcard anyway. If you’ve seen an Elton John concert and can’t face the thought of touching a keyboard, don’t worry - you can use pre-recorded loops and samples and cleverly arrange them in stunning combinations without a keyboard.

Listen ‘ere

A decent pair of speakers is essential. The ten quid jobbies that were bundled with your PC may be fine for playing MP3s but they simply won’t do for mixing music.

The Big Boys use dedicated monitor speakers which can cost as much as a holiday in Barbados but if you leave the other half at home you could easily afford Behringer’s MS16s (£46/$79), or Edirol’s MA7A (£80/$135) or MA150 (£120/$200).

If your PC is near your hi fi you can run the audio through that but switch off any bass boost or EQ settings. The idea is to get a flat, uncoloured response so if it sounds good on those speakers it should sounds good on any speakers. So the theory goes.

Good arrangement

The Big Boys can fiddle with high-end music sequencers but the new and incredibly modestly-priced Cubase SE 3 (less than a ton/$170) lets you record and assemble audio and MIDI parts with almost as much aplomb. It shows both types of recording on the same arrange page making it easy to see how they fit together.

And finally, you need a CD recorder so you can burn your finished hit to CD and send it to lucky record companies. If you’ve a modern PC you’ll have one already. But do use a labeller and create a CD inlay, too, to give the CD a pro finish. In the music biz, looks, fashion and style are far more important than content so spend at least as much time on the outside as on the music. Put your contact details on the CD label as well as the inlay.

Hook and line

Now let’s make a song. You need a hook. This is the bit everyone sings so it has to be catchy. It’s usually the chorus but you can have a catchy bass line, drum line or even a vocal hook such as shout or a catch phrase like “Eh Oh”. Well it worked for the Teletubbies - are you old enough to remember them with embarrassment?

Let’s say you’ve come up with a stonking chorus. Build a verse around it. It doesn’t have to be memorable; few verses are. You can meander around in a relatively tuneless way until it’s time to unleash the chorus on the world.

When building a song, start with the rhythm section. Grab some groovy drum loops, string them together then add the bass line. You can play this on your new MIDI keyboard or drop in bass samples - jolly useful things, samples.

Next you’ll want to add some keyboard parts which can be clever rhythmic figures or you can play pads by holding down some chords using a broad-texture sound such as strings.

Very vocal

Then add the vocals. If you can’t sing - but remember that never stopped anyone making a record - you might like to nip down the pub and ask the winner of this week’s karaoke contest to do the chanting for you. Play your cards right and they may even pay you for the privilege.

If you’ve too much musical nous to be in the same room as a karaoke singer, you can always fall back on your old friend, the sample.

The final step is the mixing. This is where you balance all the parts you recorded, add a dash of reverb and generally tart the thing up.

Then save the entire song as an audio file ready for burning to CD. This means recording the MIDI parts as audio tracks. You need to mix all the tracks into one stereo track so the final file will be 10.6Mb x the length in minutes.

Looks good

Now you have to interest the A&R men in your CD. It’s all about image so if you’re dull and ugly - name three ugly pop stars, apart from Madonna and Mick Hucknall - you may have to get one of your beautiful friends to pose for the publicity photos.

Write a one-page biog - they don’t want to know that you have a GCSE in music, they want to know what gigs you’ve done and any Big Name bands you’ve supported. Drop a few names such as Bruce, Robbie and Tina. You don’t have to mention surnames…
If you do catch the ear of an A&R person, be prepared to throw your ego out the window - you can’t afford one at the moment and when you’re rich and famous you can buy a much better one anyway.

You’ll see the months of blood, sweat and Pils which you poured into your song pouring straight down the drain as the record company drafts in a 14-year-old DJ to remix your song using the latest Dance breakbeats and crap - sorry, rap - vocals.

But don’t worry - you can laugh all the way to the bank when it reaches Number One!

Ian Waugh is one of the UK’s leading hi tech music writers. He has written for most of the major - and not so major - hi tech music magazines in the UK and many general computing titles both offline and online. His output numbers over 2,000 articles, features and reviews and he has written several books and albums.

He is author of the “Quick Guide to…” series which includes the Quick Guide to Dance Music, Digital Audio Recording, MP3 and Digital Music, and Analogue Synthesis. There’s an illustrated Tutorial on How To Write a Hit Song plus Twelve Top Tips on how to create a professional sound at www.making-music.com

Megastar Beyonce has spent the better part of 2009 touring the all over on her hugely successful I Am…World tour. Those who didn’t get a chance to see her when she dropped by their cities will now have the chance to see what the show was all about when Beyonce releases her brand new live CD and DVD, I Am…Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas. The Beyonce music videos are some of the most popular in the UK currently.

Taped August 2nd during a four-show stint in Las Vegas, the CD/DVD will feature Beyonce performing her many hits including her chart toppers Crazy In Love, Irreplaceable and the iconic Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It). She’ll also take a stroll down memory lane with a medley of songs made famous with her former group, Destiny’s Child.

The set will be released on November 23rd, facing competition with big named acts like Rihanna and Adam Lambert, both releasing new full length albums the same day. Beyonce will surely receive a healthy sales boost during release week when she takes part in a Thanksgiving special November 26th. The hour-long special will air 9:00 p.m. EST on ABC.

A fireworks extravaganza is heading to Belvoir Castle on Saturday With a stunning back drop to set things away..
MLE Pyrotechnics is host to this for the 2nd go and is having the event in the grounds of the Duke of Rutland’s family house with the crowds acting as judges.

One of the organisers Vanessa Lawrence, said: “It’s a really good place to be having such a night. The fireworks reflect as if by magic in the liquid as they are set off from behind the lake.”

Visitors will be treated to three companies from across the country vying for that extra wow factor to win over the audience’s voting.

The firms are Celebration Fireworks from Evesham, Pyromania Displays, Knaphill in Surrey and Spyrotechnics from Chesterfield with each putting on a 10 to 15 minute display to music. But the extravaganza doesn’t wrap up on that point.

prior to the contest there will be a presentation to learn about the different types of fireworks and see how the teams use them to make their marvelous exhibits that dance to the music.

and to cap it of a exciting pyro-musical presentation by the organisers will be done while the guests are voting

With origins in 2002 this annual event, has seen brilliant success. Such respected titles as British Champions, British Musical Champions and Fireworks Champions has been won by the three lead professional firework companies

And it’s more than fireworks, a Khoom Fay or Sky Lanterns are seen to fill the sky as they softly float in the distance.

Parking and camping is of avail on site and from 5pm visitors can arrive so get a picnic or enjoy the solid food and beverage available from certified vendors while unwinding in Belvoir Castles exquisite grounds

Small Faces were an English rock group from East London, heavily influenced by American rhythm and blues. The group was founded in 1965 by members Steve Marriott, Ronnie Lane, Kenney Jones, and Jimmy Winston (replaced in 1966 by Ian McLagan).

They are best remembered as possibly one of the most acclaimed and influential mod groups of the 1960s,with hit songs such as “Itchycoo Park”, “Lazy Sunday”, “All or Nothing”, “Tin Soldier”, and their concept album Ogdens’ Nut Gone Flake. They later evolved into one of the UK’s most successful psychedelic acts before disbanding in 1969. After the Small Faces disbanded, three of the members were joined by Ronnie Wood (guitar) and Rod Stewart (lead vocals), both from The Jeff Beck Group, and the new line-up was renamed the Faces.

They are also widely acknowledged as being one of the biggest original influences on the Britpop movement of the 1990s.

Despite the fact they were together just four years in their original incarnation, the Small Faces’ music output from the mid to late sixties remains among the most acclaimed British mod and psychedelic music of that era. (A revived version of the band also existed from 1975 to 1978.)

In 1996, Small Faces were belatedly awarded the Ivor Novello Outstanding Contribution to British Music “Lifetime Achievement” award.

Pearl Jam will release their 8th studio album sometime in May 06 - the first single to be released will be called “World Wide Suicide”.

The Deftones have just finished recording there new un-named album expect a release
Date around June 06 time.

Metal band Cold have decided to call it a day after 10 years and 4 albums, however
Singer Scooter Ward and Drummer Sam McCandless will start a new project.

Alice in Chains have recently re-formed for shows this summer Guitarist Jerry
Cantrell,
Drummer Sean Kinney, and Bassist Mike Inez will be joined by their chosen singer
as
of yet no news on the new singer.

Korn, Clutch and the Deftones will play at this years Download Festival on the 10th
of
June the same day that Metallica will play. The Download Festival runs from the
9-11
of June.

Pantera’s DVD’s- It’s been reported that Pantera will have there “3 vulgar videos
from
hell” released as a triple disc DVD in April the DVD’s will feature all of the bands
video
clips and live footage.

Rock band Down are considering returning to do a third album the band that
features 2 ex members of Pantera Phil Anselmo and Rex Brown might be in the
studio very soon some European tour dates might be announced as well.

For more rock and metal news please visit:
http://www.rockandmetaldomain.co.uk/news_section.htm

It’s all over the news these days. Download music from the Internet and you could be sued, fined, and/or go to jail. The truth is free music downloads, done correctly, are completely legal.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) aggressively prosecutes copyright violators. And well they should - it’s piracy plain and simple. But there are millions of free mp3 downloads legally available. RIAA doesn’t want you to know this and wants you to believe any music downloads you don’t pay for are illegal.

You’ll quickly attract RIAA’s attention by using file-sharing services like Kazaa and Grokster. The technology is not illegal (yet), but using it to share downloadable music is at best a grey area. And make no mistake, RIAA can and will find you!

How do I get Free Downloadable Music without breaking the law?

First understand the difference between restricted and unrestricted copyrights. Nearly all songs have an artist or record label copyright. Many copyrights restrict gratis downloads. But many musicians want to share their music at no charge through free downloads.

Why, you might ask? Some are unknowns looking for exposure, but many famous musicians know it’s in their interest to offer free downloads. It inevitably leads to more CD, concert and merchandise sales. Plus it boosts their image and popularity.

Most music download services offer a free trial period when you can download songs at no cost. Cancel before the trial ends and the songs cost nothing. Of course they hope you’ll stay and pay the monthly membership fee, which in reality is a cheap way to expand your music collection.

Study the membership terms as some sites only allow use of the downloads while you are a member. In addition, a “free music” search will lead to sites - by or for musicians - that offer mp3 downloads for free.

MP3 players information from A to Z: player types & features, how they work, accessories,comparisons and more - plus free music download tips and info at A-Z MP3 Players.com, Your Complete A-Z Resource for MP3 Players, Accessories and Information.

This article may be re-printed in its entirety, with no changes and this resource box included.
© 2005 http://www.a-z-mp3-players.com All rights reserved

Should I Buy a Digital Piano or an Upright Piano?

Digital pianos sound nothing like a real piano. Upright pianos take up too much room.
There is a lot of conflicting advice floating around.
I will give you the right piano buying advice so you can make your own decision on whether
the digital piano or the upright piano is right for your needs.

A brief history of the digital piano.
Digital pianos were invented about 20 years ago and when they where first introduced they were pretty terrible, the keys were much too light, spongy and nothing like a real piano. The sound was incredibly bright and the sampling was quite dreadful. You couldn’t really say that it sounded much like a piano at all.
These digital pianos also looked nothing like a real acoustic piano, they had ugly, plastic lookin cases that didn’t match any type of furniture in the room. If guests came around it was almost an embarrassment to have this ugly plastic looking machine in the living room. My how things have changed over the last 20 years!

A brief history of the upright piano.
The upright piano was invented in 1709 by the Italian Cristofori. It was a four octave instrument compared to the seven and a quarter octave instrument of today, with hammers striking the strings just as they do on a modern upright piano. The instrument was invented to meet the need to control dynamics by touch, which could not be achieved on the harpsichord.
The early upright piano went through many changes before it emerged as the instrument we all know today. The Cristofori piano was wing shaped like grand pianos, it had a curved body and a lid that could be elevated. There were also square pianos in which the strings ran from left to right as on the clavichord. And by 1800, there were upright pianos whose strings ran perpendicular to the keyboard. Other names commonly used are: vertical piano or acoustic piano, they mean essentially the same thing.
A typical old fashioned upright piano, tall upright standing, ivory keys, beautiful wood, moulded carvings, stylish legs and brass candlestick holders. The old pianos always had a beautiful warm tone because they were made with quality materials and real wood. The soundboard was seasoned for ages which in turn created a resonant and sustaining tone. The superior quality meant that your piano would easily last a lifetime.

Moving on to modern times
These days your typical starter piano is mass produced in China, Indonesia or Korea with very cheap materials, soundboards made out of trees that were probably knocked down the day before and thrown together as quickly as possible to get distributed around the world.
Well maybe it is not quite as bad as this, but anyway i am sure you get my point.

You can find a list of upright pianos here:
upright pianos for sale

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF ACOUSTIC AND DIGITAL PIANOS

Advantages of Digital Pianos:
1) You can plug in headphones so nobody can hear you play.

2) You can turn the volume up or down.
3) You can record your music on the instrument itself, or to disc, smart media, floppy etc.
4) You can experiment with lots of different instrument sounds
5) Due to their light weight, digital pianos can easily be moved from room to room
6) Your digital piano will never need tuning or maintenance, which will save you a small fortune.
7) You can download songs from the web and play them on your instrument. (Normally the more expensive digital pianos offer this facility).
Digital pianos are very reasonably priced for what they are. You can pick one up from as little as £400.
9) Digital pianos take up less space than the acoustic piano. They are slightly shorter in length, much lower in height and most importantly about 2/3rds the depth (front to back) of an acoustic piano, thus saving you valuable space

Disadvantages of Digital Pianos:
1) The value of your piano depreciates very quickly.
2) New models are introduced every 2-3 years making your piano even less valuable and harder to sell
3) The sound is electronic and although improvements have been made, it will never sound like the real thing.
4) The touch is slighter lighter than a real piano and the key balance isn’t perfect.
5) The digital piano’s appearance is not as appealing as an acoustic piano and is made from plastic and chipboard. It can easily get damaged if moved around.
6) The outer casing is difficult and expensive to repair if damage has been done
7) Digital pianos are very expensive to repair if anything goes wrong with the mechanics or electronics
9) The warranty is normally quite short, anything form 1 year to 3 years.

Advantages of Upright Pianos
1) Your piano will hold its value over time and if it is looked after it will normally increase over a longer period (normally 20 years plus)
2) The piano has natural acoustic sounds which is produced by the hammer striking the string and then amplified by the soundboard.
3) The piano is made from wood, sometimes MDF and is very strong.
4) If the piano’s outer casing is damaged it can be repaired easily and fairly cheaply by a French polisher.
5) If there is a problem with the piano mechanically, it can normally be fixed by a piano tuner very quickly and cheaply. (With the exception of old pianos that normally need a lot of work).
6) The touch of a real piano is second to none. The deep, rich natural tones enable you to really enjoy playing music.
7) You normally get a long warranty with acoustic pianos, anywhere from 5-10 years.

Disadvantages of Upright Pianos
1) The upright piano is extremely heavy (can weigh 175kg upwards) and is almost impossible to maneuver without the help of professional piano movers
2) The volume of the piano cannot be turned up or down, it is reliant on the player to control this.
3) The piano needs tuning regularly (normally twice a year) and can cost in the region of £40-£60 a time.
4) The piano will need the occasional maintenance (every 5-10 years)
5) A good, well made piano can be quite expensive (Usually £2500 upwards)
6) Upright pianos take up a lot of room, especially the grands and the taller uprights.
7) They can mark your floor if you try to move them even the slightest bit and because of the immense weight, the wheels or feet leave deep indentations in your floor over a period of time

I hope this article has helped you in your piano buying quest.

About The Author

Henry Howard is known as ‘The Guru of Music’ and has written piano and musical instrument articles for many sites on the internet. He is currently writing for http://www.Soundsmusical.com, one of the leading piano sites on the web.

Do as you please with this article but keep my links in tact.