Posts Tagged ‘computers’

Getting Snappy Hip Hop Drum Samples

In this modern musical era, there is a lot of emphasis placed on the way snare and kick drum samples sound; specifically, whether they can cut through a mix of several different, heavy instrument tracks like strings and electric pianos. They way your samples sound in a tough mix is referred to as snap in a lot of circles. If you can get your main drum track to snap, your mix will be a lot easier to handle later, but you need to take care in your journey, as too much sound manipulation and be degrading.

If you have any fears about altering drum samples yourself, don’t worry. It’s not too hard to achieve the snap effect; in fact, it can be child’s play with a bit of guidance and a bit of critical and proactive thinking on your part. If you already have tools like compressors and EQs, you are two steps ahead of a lot of people. Software or hardware, these tools will make life easy for you and getting them to modify a sound the way you want it will be easy after learning their menu systems and hearing the effect that different functions have on your initial sound file. There is nothing like experimentation in this case!

Both software and hardware effects usually have factory patches that display the capabilities of the effects unit. This is very useful for the budding audio engineer and drum samples editor; feed the device some standard samples – but first analyze the samples and really listen to them – then start applying some of the default effects, not the parameter levels and starting doing A/B tests on the sound; that is, before and after the effect. If you can start to internalize the changes and link the sound alteration to the settings, you will be well off!

Compression is probably the most useful quick fix to turn drab into ‘fab’ when it comes to snappy samples. Raising the volume everything below a low threshold with a fast release will bring interesting results to start with, but this is certainly no hard and fast rule, and in fact will sound downright ridiculous with certain samples. It’s such an adapted art form, you’ve really got to have your go at it, and write down some of the settings.

So, by now you probably understand that really writing stuff down can give you a huge advantage. When describing the effects that a compressor has on drum samples, you want to make several observations, including the sound sample that you were working on (describe its sound), the supposed effect of a particular parameter (as the manual suggests) and also the actual, perceived sound (how you hear it). Describe it in plain English for maximum comprehension later on when comparing different experiments.

Now as a final tip, I’d like to mention how important it is to have good drum samples. Not just good ones, but a solid selection to pick from. The less samples you have, the more time you’re going to be twisting knobs and adjusting sliders, and therefore the less time you will have making an actual beat! So if you want to be able to easily convert the music in your head and lay it down into your program or workstation, expand your selection of sounds.

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Hi-Hat Drum Samples – 2 Mistakes

The hi-hat drum samples of today are as varied as they are underappreciated. Think about your favorite songs for a moment. You can probably hear the kick and snare working away in memory, but it can be very hard to keep track of the hi-hat. The truth is, most hi-hats (hats for short) are just supporting acts to the snare and kick combinations that dominate our attention, but they are nevertheless an essential part of most music production projects, so underestimate them at your peril!

The two mistakes made by producers are not just the domain of amateur producers who may not know better, but also of professional music producers and beat makers.

The first mistake concerns volume. The role of the hi-hat drum samples is often overstated and overemphasized by many expertly arranged songs. The human ear, it is claimed, has gained a perception of the frequencies that hi-hats occupy throughout evolutionary stages. Apparently some aerial predators made noises that had the same frequencies, and we can therefore hear it above its actual volume.

You will never really ‘mix out’ hi-hat samples, just lower them a few decibels during the beat making process. So first mix them to where you think they should be and then drop them a few notches further down. This incongruity has let down a lot of budding mixers who must understand that what they hear is not what their audience will hear at all times.

The second mistake that we’re going to look at is a pretty big one. Most of us are in the music production game to really make something that sounds good, but if you’re trying to achieve authenticity with your drum samples, there are certain things you really need to avoid and be wary of. With hi-hats, certain physical limitations prevent rhythmic operations that are perceived in a lot of rap songs. For instance, having a consistent hi-hat pattern playing one hit every 16th is all good, as that can be achieved. But coupling it with a cymbal hit or open hi-hat once a bar and not stopping the hi-hat? Physically impossible for most drum-sets, especially if the snare and toms also hit at the same point. How many arms does your drummer have? If you want to have a believable drum track, you must really pay attention here. If you produce dance music or other music where it is understood that the sample track is not supposed to be realistic, you can do whatever sounds good.

If you can manage to get your hands on professional programs likle BFD (‘Big F’n Drums’) or Toontrack’s EZ Drummer, you can learn a great deal when it comes to organizing and sequencing drums properly for use in live settings, like those for rock and metal songs, for example. Then make note of what appeals to you and what you could implement.

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Here’s How You Can Burn Wii Games!

If you’re lucky enough to own a Wii, you might have questioned if it’s possible to make copies of Nintendo Wii games using your computer. We are going to explain exactly how you can burn Nintendo Wii games.

Obviously, you aren’t able to utilize a regular burning program to copy Wii games. This is due to the fact that there are guards on the game discs that prevent your computer from successfully being able to read the disc. You need specialized software to make copies of Wii games.

There are now specific game copying programs that have been designed to allow your computer to understand Nintendo Wii games. These softwares allow your computer to make copies of your Wii games.

We should mention that these softwares are meant for individuals to create legal backup copies of Wii games. If you own a Nintendo Wii game and you wish to make a copy for backup purposes only, you can legally use this program. We aren’t promoting any illegal production of Wii discs..

It’s a snap to use these softwares. When you want to copy a Wii game you just put in the Wii game, open the software and it will start to copy the game.

Your PC will make an image of the game information after you put it in your disc tray. After this, when you throw in a blank CD, your computer will burn the game to the disk.

It’s a good idea to look for a guarantee if you do purchase a game burning program. On the rare chance you aren’t fully happy with it or it doesn’t work on your system, then you have a method to get your money back.

It’s possible to find a great software for around $30-$45. There are programs that are a lot more, but you don’t need to pay above this price. You can locate a program that lets you burn Wii discs for well under fifty bucks quite easily.

Now that you know how to burn wii games you just need to install a game copying program on your PC. Click Here to visit a website that lets you start a free trial of the most popular video game copying software.

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The Easy Way To Find XBOX 360 Game Downloads You Can Use Today!

Here are some different things you can do so that you know how to download games for your Xbox 360 immediately.

Since it’s common that we get asked about downloading xbox games, we hope this article helps out some xbox 360 owners. Let’s have a look!

First option: Xbox 360 downloads

This is one way and it’s probably the most used way that people download games for the Xbox 360. Unfortunately, it’s not the best way though. Many websites offer free Xbox downloads, but then they also ask you to install their software so that you can start downloading movies and games. Although this sounds like a good deal, you need to be aware of a few things before you use these websites.

The first thing you need to know is that these websites often spread viruses and spyware. These files are not monitored by anyone and oftentimes, you’ll get a lot more than you bargained for — not just a download, but a lot of problems with your computer as well. It’s just not worth it, but you put your computer at great risk for the price of a “free” game. In short, don’t do it.

The second biggest problem we hear about is that the download speeds are painstakingly slow on these sites. There’s no one investing money in the website and are so many users that the downloads can literally take days to finish.

Worse yet, these files are also often corrupt, which means they don’t work after all. Do you really want to sit and take so long (sometimes literally days) to download a game that not only might give you a virus and/or spyware, but might also not work after all? Simply put, we recommend that you stay away from these sites.

Therefore, we recommend that you simply stay away from these sites, since they are more trouble than they’re worth and you could have your computer completely wiped out, or worse, could even be hacked into or become a victim of identity theft.

Option two: Xbox 360 game downloads

Choosing this option will get you much improved results versus the first one. You can download just about any game you want to without having to worry about viruses or spyware, slow download speeds, or corrupt files.

There has been a demand for xbox 360 downloads for a long time, and a couple of smart business people decided to capitalize on this trend and start specialized xbox 360 download websites. There websites will let you download games, music, movies and more right from your computer when you register as a member. They will cost you about $50 for a lifetime membership (you are billed only once for unlimited downloads) and you can then login to the website to download a new game whenever you want.

Since the membership costs less than the price of most games and lets you download as many xbox 360 games as you want it’s a great option for people who like to try out new games.

In addition, these websites have an impressive selection of games and movies. Their library contains just about any game or movie you might want, and you can usually get new releases along with older games you might not find any longer in your typical brick-and-mortar store.

In addition, the companies that manage these Xbox 360 download sites want to make a profit, so they want to keep you happy as a customer. Their investment is worth it to them to keep you happy, meaning that you are going to have up-to-date games, fast downloads, and guaranteed uncorrupted files, meaning that every game you download is going to work.

At the bottom of this article you will find a link you can use to learn how to get a free trial at a couple of the most popular xbox 360 download websites. It takes about 5-10 to setup and all the software you need to use the games on your xbox is included.

Now, doesn’t this sound much easier and less expensive in the long run when it comes to downloading your Xbox 360 games? What’s surprising is that more people are members just yet, but it’s probably because they don’t know about this. Rest assured that they will.

When you start to collect Xbox 360 downloads, you’ll will likely have your own large library of movies and games to choose from. It’s much easier and cheaper in the long run to get your Xbox 360 games this way instead of any other way. Be forewarned that one “drawback” to this is that you might just become addicted, but perhaps that’s not such a bad thing. So enjoy and happy downloading!

Use This Link to find out how you can start a free trial to download xbox 360 games at the top-rated xbox download websites. When you start to use XBOX 360 game downloads it’s easy to build up a huge selection of games and make sure you always have something new to try!!

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Beginning Your Own Photo Blog is Fun

Digital photos are everywhere you go these days! Using electronic photographs instead of the traditional film photos is cheap, there is no used paper to end up in the garbage and they take up almost no physical space at all! It seems like just about everyone has a cell phone camera these days that can snap photos of just about anything in a matter of seconds.

Whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur shutterbug you’ll still enjoy the convenience of digital photography. And what is better than just taking lots of digital photos is the easy way you can share them with others. There are lots of different ways to let others enjoy your photos, from electronic picture frames to printing them out to keeping them on your mobile phone.

One of the newest ways to display your photos to others is by publishing a photo blog. A “web log” or blog is a website that allows an photographer to post instant updates onto World Wide Web about just about any topic imaginable. A photography “web log” can feature the digital photos you took on any specific day or trip. You can add comments about your photos and you can tell people about why you snapped the photos and where you were when you took them.

To begin a photography blog you only need to find some no cost blogging software and pick a blog name. Most blogging sites are fairly simple to get started with. When you are satisfied with a post you “publish” it and anyone on the internet can instantly view it! You simply write your thoughts out in a post, insert your digital photos from your computer and the blogging site pretty much does the rest.

Getting feedback from views to your blog is part of the fun of posting your photos online. With a photography web log you can not only allow others to see your photos but you can also allow visitors to write comments on your posts. If you allow comments on your posts then you can also discover what other people like and don’t like about your images.

Remember not to worry about always writing a post that’s perfect. It is your photography blog and you can post pictures of whatever you like. You can post images of a trip to Florida one day and then put up photos of some flowers in your front yard the next day. Just try to have a good time with the ability to spread your digital images so quickly with your own blog!

Need to learn more about digital photography and see some great photos? Check out my photoblog blog and let me know what you think!

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