A few weeks ago, SONAR users Keep Me Conscious shot a video with Producer Dave Brickley for their single, ‘Thicker Than Blood.’ Cakewalk’s Artist Relations Manager Jimmy Landry got a chance to get behind the scenes and watch the V-Studio 100 get infused into their video. Keep Me Conscious is a commercial rock band from the Boston area, currently touring nationally.
Watch highlights from the making of the ‘Thicker Than Blood’ music video below:
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be somebody different? To walk the proverbial ‘mile’ in someone else’s shoes? One organization, based in Hong Kong, is giving visitors an experience they could have never imagined!
Four years ago, David Begbie (DJ by preference) and the CrossRoads Foundation began an interactive crusade to educate the well-off on the life challenges of the less fortunate by placing people in simulated ‘Life X-periences.’ With props and sound effects, Begbie recreates the plights of living in a third world country, battling a deadly disease, walking the streets as a prostitute, and more.
One X-perience in particular, guides visitors around darkened rooms where sound and touch are the only senses they can rely on. Aptly named, the ‘Blind X-perience’, the visitors feel for props and listen to sounds of an African village. At the center of these X-periences is Cakewalk’s audio sequencer SONAR, delivering a series of sound cues for the different scenes.
Take a look at Pro Audio-Central’s article on the CrossRoads Foundation’s Life X-periences to learn more about this enlightening exhibit.
As reported by USA Today, SONAR user and award-winning composer for videogames, tv and film, Shawn Clement, will be promoting his new soundtrack at Comic-Con 2009 on Thursday, July 23 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Shawn scored the 3-D, computer generated, fully animated, feature length film, “Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey,” with an 82-piece orchestra and real NASA-discovered space sounds. Shawn will sit on a special Quantum Quest panel at the conference with film directors, Dr. Harry Kloor and Dan St.Pierre. The movie is set to release this fall.
Quantum Quest takes viewers on an atomic solar safari through the universe as Dave, a photon living on the sun, tries to save his friends from the forces of good and evil. The Core (good) is a kind being, who lives inside the suns. His children are protons, photons, and neutrinos, which are created inside each Star, and are sent out into the universe to bring life, light, and knowledge. The Void (bad) is that which existed before the big bang, he hates everything and everyone in the universe for invading his nothingness. Dave must find his way to Cassini Space Craft and save it from the forces of the Void before his friends and the universe are lost forever.
Click here to view exclusive pictures from the Quantum Quest scoring session
For more information, visit IMDb.com and be sure to catch the launch of the movie’s website!
This South Carolina blues band, Elliot and The Untouchables, spice up their vintage blues sound with the release of their latest album, Voodoo Stew (BluePoint Records).
Elliott New (vocals, guitar), Mike ‘Naz’ Nazarenko (harmonica), J.T. Anderson (bass), Sonny “D” Dickey (saxophone) and Jim Heidenreich (drums) showcase their blues fusion sound around the world, performing at various music festivals and opening for music legends such as Van Morrison at the Rhythm & Blues Festival in Ireland.
Their latest album features 12 original songs, recorded and produced in SONAR, and covers a variety of blues styles from jumpin’ swing to the gritty ‘Mississippi swamp’ blues. To incorporate the traditional bluesy sound with the new, Elliot started experimenting and building his own diddley bow, cigar-box guitars which the band uses in 4 tracks on the new CD.
Listed among the Top 5 Best Self-Produced CDs by the International Blues Challenge and Top 100 U.S. Blues Releases by Real Blues Magazine, ‘Voodoo Stew’ is the band’s 5th top-selling release under the BluePoint label. Suggested tracks include: Voodoo Stew (title track), Blues Came Callin’, A Girl Like You, and Toss n’ Turn.
To hear clips from the new album visit Elliot & The Untouchables official website
To honor one of the most influential composers of the 20th century, we thought it fitting to post this amazing rendition of Le Sacre du Printemps or The Rite of Spring, arranged in SONAR by Cakewalk user Jay Bacal.
The two-movement piece is shown as a series of four videos – two of which Jay has yet to post. Performed on a 16GB Quad-core Windows VISTA 64-bit PC, Bacal used Vienna Symphonic Library to emulate the pristine sounds of the orchestra and arranged the piece using SONAR 8’s Piano Roll view.
Known as Stravinsky’s most controversial work, The Right of Spring caused a great riot at it’s debut, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, France in 1913. Performed by the Ballets Russes, the intensely rhythmic score and primitive scenario – the setting evoking pagan Russia – shocked audiences accustomed to the more modest conventions of classical ballet!
Please don’t cause another scandal but feel free to tell Jay what you think of his latest project on the Cakewalk forums!
Just a few weeks ago, Cakewalk’s Zac Kenney met up with Boston-based bassist Danny Klein at Guitar Center-Boston to pick up his SONAR V-Studio 700. A Cakewalk pro-user since the Pro Audio days, Danny was looking for a new controller to use in his SONAR-outfitted studio. After many years producing his music with the Roland JP-1000 and then with an Alesis Mixer, Klein started to seek other alternatives. Since it’s a controller dedicated to SONAR and would speed up his workflow without the aid of a mouse, Danny knew he just had to get the SONAR V-Studio 700!
“I use SONAR V-Studio 700 because of the quality of the system (and the quality and reliability of Cakewalk / Roland products), the many features at a reasonable price, the ease of setting up and using the system and the seamless integration with my SONAR 8 Producer, making this system all I need to make professional recordings in my home studio.”
Danny Klein grew up in New Jersey and came to Massachusetts to study at Worcester Polytechnical Institute in the 1960’s. While attending WPI, he befriended J. Geils and Magic Dick, who taught Klein how to play a washtub bass. The trio formed the ‘J Geils Blues Band’. Eventually they hooked up with ex-Hallucinations percussionist Stephen Jo Bladd and his vocalist, Peter Wolf, as well as keyboardist / songwriter Seth Justman… thus setting the stage for 17 successful years touring as the ‘J. Geils Band’ from Boston.
The group recorded 17 albums and toured with the Rolling Stones, releasing such hits as ‘Centerfold’ and ‘Freeze Frame’. In February 2009, J. Geils Band reunited for the grand opening of the House of Blues-Boston and played two sold out shows at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit. Currently, the band is leaving the door open to new opportunities, hoping to play together again, soon.
In 1994, Danny founded the blues band ‘Stone Crazy’ (produced by J. Geils). The group released its first 14-track, self-entitled album in 2005 and performed its ‘bluesy grooves’ at select clubs throughout New England.
Danny’s latest project, ‘Danny Klein’s Full House Band,’ is a group of Boston’s well known and most talented musicians who come together to celebrate the music of the J.Geils band. Danny Klein’s Full House Band performs at many charitable events throughout the Boston area.
We congratulate Danny on all of his accomplishments and hope he enjoys working in studio with the new SONAR V-Studio 700!
In an ongoing effort to support and promote all the amazingly talented artists and producers that use our products, we are excited to announce the Cakewalk Pro User (CPU) Spotlight Series which will be posted here on a regular basis.
Right now, more than ever, aspiring artists are taking control of their music creation to capitalize on what will be known as the independent music age. These independent spirits are taking their money saved for studio time and investing in their own future by purchasing the studio tools themselves. With so many choices on the market, we salute the artists in this series who are capitalizing on SONAR’s unlimited track count, or the crystal clear sounds of Rapture, or the fat pre amps in the V-Studio 100 and the V-Studio 700, or the… well, you get the point.
Whether these CPU Spotlight artists are on a major or independent label, producing for labels, or simply doing their own thing, they all have three things in common: they’re all tremendously talented, they’re all doing their own thing and they all depend on the quality of Cakewalk products to achieve professional results.
CPU Spotlight #1: An interview with Sparks the Rescue at the famous Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey – Take one mic-swinging vocalist who throws himself to the floor, the crowd, the walls and into his band mates; add two guitarists providing vocals and an insane amount of movement; mix in a bassist with an impressive set of lungs providing screams and harmonies; and top it off with a rock-solid drummer holding it all down – this concoction renders Sparks the Rescue, a group of guys in their early 20’s from Portland, Maine.
Logging in over 200 shows throughout New England, Sparks the Rescue has shared the stage with Hawthorne Heights, Just Surrender, As Tall As Lions, Dave Melillo, Roses Are Red, A Change of Pace, Showbread, Chiodos, A Static Lullaby, Saosin, Boys Night Out, Stretch Arm Strong, Emanuel, The Static Age, Glory of This, and many others.
2007 saw the release of ‘The Secrets We Can’t Keep’ digital EP, preceding a full-length album on Fearless Records which is available now in stores and on ITunes.
Check out our first-ever Cakewalk Pro User Spotlight featuring Sparks the Rescue and stay tuned for more in the near future!
Giovanni “Gio” Loria is a Los Angeles-based professional music producer and musician (multi-instrumentalist) who wears many musical hats creating on a wide variety of musical stages. He is no stranger to pop, hip-hop, rock, orchestral and jazz as well as other genres. He has played, recorded and produced with artists such as The Black Eyes Peas, Jack Johnson and jazz phenomenon Brad Mehldau, to name a few. Overall, Giovanni had the rare ability to be at home in any musical situation, finding a way to support and shine as a leader.
Having traveled much of the world making music with SONAR, we thought Giovanni would be a perfect artist to give us some first impressions of the new SONAR V-Studio 100. Take a look at the video we taped, when we caught up with Gio in Los Angeles in between projects.
Day 2 of Mix Nashville started out great but you really can’t go wrong when you are in a town that has top notch music, weather and of course the most important element; BBQ!
In between the panels at the conference, I found myself having some great conversations with local Nashville songwriters, producers and musicians about “all things music”. I have come to the conclusion that there are more home studios in this town than there are BBQ joints.
Mike Lawson from Lawson Media stopped in to say hello and check out the new SONAR V-Studio 100 and he brought a friend of his by the name of Bob Welch. You may or may not have heard the name ‘Bob Welch’ but I can guarantee that you have heard his music, if you have listened to the radio and especially if you are a Fleetwood Mac fan. Bob was the original guitarist for Fleetwood Mac and was also a solo artist chalking up three massive hits from 1977 – 1979 with the songs “Sentimental Lady”, “Ebony Eyes” and “Hot Love, Cold World”. I had an amazing conversation with him about the digital music age compared to his experiences as a successful musician and artist in the 70’s. I have always been fascinated with that era of music so I really enjoyed and appreciated talking to him. I was also psyched to find out that he is a PC user and will be recording some of his upcoming projects in SONAR 8 Producer.
Later in the afternoon while my co-workers and Product Specialists Rich Curtis and Mike Trujillo were exemplifying all the features of the V-Studio 700, I caught up with Producer / Mixer / Songwriter / Musician Chris Trevett who is a friend of mine that I haven’t connected with in a while. Chris is an amazingly talented music guy who has two Grammys under his belt (yep 2!) and has worked with many iconic artists such as Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys and R. Kelly (to name a few). He was stopping in to check out the new V-Studio 100 as well and I was psyched to catch up with him.
Chris relocated to Nashville from New York about a year and a half ago so he was able to fill me in on what the local music scene in Nashville is really like. He is also working with some great international artists and I was able to get an interview with him, which will be featured on my Cakewalk Artist Spotlight series in the near future. In the meantime, check out Chris Trevett’s website for more information on his work.
Later on in the afternoon things started winding down a bit as most of the people were attending the panels and performances. I did get a chance to meet with new SONAR user Tiffany Shea and also the very talented Nashville Producer / Musician / Songwriter (and Artist) Nathan Meckel who has been busy working with LA-based Singer / Songwriter Sara Hayes as well as his own project “Upside of Envy”.
Nathan was checking out MIX/Nashville with his father Mark Meckel who owns Street Singer Music Publishing. Besides producing and writing for other artists, Nathan has got a great work-horse story and has played shows from Nashville to Israel and I think we will be hearing and seeing more from him in some bigger pictures soon.
To wrap up the conference, I was invited to check out a band called Pico vs. Island Trees and was pleasantly surprised at what I heard and saw. I highly recommend you check them out. The band has a very unique sound coupled with great songwriting and an authentic image that works well. It was an exclamation point on a great trip and also a confirmation that this town is filled with ridiculously talented people.
Thanks to everyone who stopped in to check out the new V-Studio 100 and thanks to MIX Magazine for holding such a great event.
Thanks for reading,
Jimmy Landry
Cakewalk Artist Relations Manager
Hello, Hello from Memphis and Nashville!
I used to be in Nashville and Memphis from time to time in my past life of a touring musician, but I really forgot how amazing this region of the country is; especially in terms of music. The trip started out early yesterday (3am) when I left my apartment for Newark Airport and then magically found myself in Memphis 5 hours later. I’m not too much of a plane-sleeper but I knew I needed some ZZZ’s for what was going to be a very busy day in “The South”. I met up with Cakewalk’s PR head Steve Thomas at his hotel and we both found it funny that we have more face-to-face business meetings in random cities than we do in the Cakewalk Headquarters. The afternoon rolled in and we headed over to Sun Studio in Memphis.
If you are not familiar with Sun Studio, it’s one of the most famous studios in the United States and has turned out some of the biggest hits in our time some including tracks from Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, BB King, Roy Orbison and U2 to name a few. You might be wondering at this point why we would be visiting Sun Studio on a business trip and I can proudly tell you it’s because Sun Studio is powered by SONAR and as of yesterday, the new V-Studio 700 is at the helm. I had never been to the studio before and Steve has always mentioned how great of a vibe it has… and he wasn’t kidding.
First of all, head engineer James Lott is such a great guy and it was a pleasure to meet him finally. When he brought me into the studio, the combination of the room itself along with the gear and the memorabilia on the walls gave me an overwhelming sense of music history. I can totally understand why people still love to record in this room as it’s one of those places that triggers creative inspiration. Between the way the natural light hits the room, the décor (including authentic and rare photos of Elvis and other iconic artists) and the materials from which the studio was built, there is something very unique and inviting about this studio that I have never seen or felt before. The VS-700 looks great in the room and I’m looking forward to hearing all the tracks in the future that will be recorded on this system.
Continue reading “Live From Mix Nashville 2009: First Stop, The Legendary Sun Studio”
