{"id":5408,"date":"2011-02-25T10:31:57","date_gmt":"2011-02-25T14:31:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/?p=5408"},"modified":"2011-02-25T10:31:57","modified_gmt":"2011-02-25T14:31:57","slug":"tc-and-paul-oakenfolds-team-on-sonar-x1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/2011\/02\/25\/tc-and-paul-oakenfolds-team-on-sonar-x1\/","title":{"rendered":"TC, and Paul Oakenfold\u2019s Team on SONAR X1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thursday, February 24th <\/sup>– Hollywood, CA<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the privilege of spending some time with an X1 pro user who really exemplifies the modern day musician on all fronts.\u00a0 His name is TC (born Anthony Crawford) and he is also known by some in the producing underground as \u201cSpitfire\u201d.\u00a0 \u201cTC,\u201d as we will refer to him today, is employed by Paul Oakenfold as his main music producer, co-writer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist.\u00a0 Working in that capacity, on a daily basis TC will mesh with artists such as B.O.B., Usher, Madonna, Lloyd and Rico Love just to name a recent few.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As I first rolled up to the studio, I could not help but notice how impressive and peaceful the setting was.\u00a0 It immediately enveloped me into a creative feeling and I knew I was about to be surrounded by some great music.\u00a0 When I entered the studio I could not help but notice all the full-sized feature film\"\"<\/a> posters that were along a wall.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, we like to get full posters of the movies that we work on,\u201d says TC.\u00a0 \u201cIt keeps us inspired and gives us a sense of accomplishment at the same time.\u00a0 It\u2019s amazing how difficult it is these days to land anything in a major movie so we like to take a bit of pride in that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Dues:<\/strong><\/p>\n

TC\u2019s real story is interesting.\u00a0 You will rarely find him at any of the hot-spots where his industry colleagues hang out in LA, and you will never find him on any of the Cakewalk forums or gear forums for that matter.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The reason for this is simple; \u201cI\u2019m constantly working,\u201d TC tells me with his patented grin.\u00a0 \u201cI am so far in the trenches sometimes that I forget to sleep.\u00a0 Thank God for X1, it\u2019s actually helped me to cut some time down in terms of my workflow, so now I AM able to catch a few zzz\u2019s once in a while [he snickers].<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>There is no question that his work ethic and creative talent are top notch, but how did he get to this point in his career?\u00a0 How does one end up in such a creative spot for a career?\u00a0 TC started out like most of us in this industry trying to get to another level, but even at the ripe old age of 13 he was learning how to hustle.\u00a0 In Northridge, CA where he was born and raised, he started bartering guitar lesions for washing his teacher\u2019s car.\u00a0 That sounds absurd right?\u00a0 Well if you think about it in terms of the music industry, it was really a brilliant move and exemplified the \u201csense\u201d that TC has carried through his career.\u00a0 \u201cThe Music Industry is about talent, relationships, timing and the placement of how you set yourself up, TC states.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have any money but I knew I wanted to learn how to play guitar, so I figured out a way to make it happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

By age 15 TC had also figured something out that carried logic beyond his years; that songwriters and producers make more money than the people just playing the instruments.\u00a0 With this notion, he went on a quest to analyze and learn how to construct commercially viable songs while in the meantime, bartering his guitars skills by exchanging lessons one-for-one with a professional vocal coach who wanted to learn guitar.\u00a0 In the following early teenage years, TC lived the Hollywood life that most kids dream about, or at least watch on their favorite reality TV shows.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After a while, playing prestigious LA clubs such as The Roxy, The Whiskey and The Troubadour as a\"\"<\/a> promising young band takes its toll in the City of Angels.\u00a0 \u201cLazy mangers with big words, agents with bogus contracts, and A&R Reps with empty promises all start to wear at your soul on another level,\u201d TC replies.\u00a0 \u201cI started to really get down on the fact that I had done everything right, but nothing was happening to get beyond \u2018The LA Scene\u2019 and its local politics.\u00a0 I decided to do something a bit drastic to change up my thought process.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

A drastic change it was: the military – TC jumped head first into the Army and then the Air Force for a 6 year stint that would really take him far out of \u201cThe Los Angeles Scene\u201d and into Iraq and Afghanistan where he naturally climbed up another political ladder fast and furiously.\u00a0 As the years went by in the Military, TC never lost his love for music and finally after fulfilling his duty he returned back to the streets of Los Angeles, literally; performing as a street musician down on Venice Beach.\u00a0 \u201cIt was actually a really fun time for me,\u201d says TC.\u00a0 \u201cI had seen [and learned] so much in the military through some pretty heavy times, so being on the beach doing what I loved was great therapy to get my head back to music.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Talent<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>It wasn\u2019t uncommon for TC to be strumming his guitar and singing in front of some prestigious folks on that beach, and one day he found himself in front of the late and great DJ A.M. along with another member of the group Crazytown.\u00a0 Little did he know at the time that this would be yet another chapter of his life-novel where some more doors would be opened up.\u00a0 \u201cThe next thing you know I was flying around and touring with these guys \u2013 it happened pretty much that fast.\u00a0 They needed a guitar player who could sing and I had nothing to lose.\u00a0 It was a pretty cool feeling to know that I was not wasting my time at the beach just doing what I loved to do.\u00a0 It was at that time that Cakewalk came into my life.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through his travels, TC was introduced to Paul Oakenfold who was doing a track called \u201cStarry Eyed\"\"<\/a> Surprise\u201d at the time and he instantly struck up a musical relationship where Paul quickly caught wind of TC\u2019s melodic intellect.\u00a0 \u201cPaul kept on calling me to work because I was able to do everything in SONAR that he was using a studio for, and paying big money on.\u00a0 I was delivering tracks to him out of my home studio that sounded better than the tracks he was paying the big-bucks on.\u201d\u00a0 After proving himself on many occasions and many levels, Paul offered TC a permanent spot on his team.<\/p>\n

Fast-forward to now, and TC is engraving his name and style into many great commercially released tracks using SONAR X1 as his creative workbench:<\/p>\n

The Words:<\/strong><\/p>\n

CW-AR:\u00a0 <\/strong>Who are some of the most recent artists you have been collaborating with using SONAR X1?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>TC:<\/strong>\u00a0 Oh man, we have been really busy recently \u2013 and fortunately.\u00a0 Let me think; Lloyd and Rico Love were in here recently and I was tracking some stuff with them.\u00a0 We just worked with Usher on a remix and we also did a great track with B.O.B. recently.\u00a0 On the film side of things we did music recently for \u201cTron\u201d as well as \u201cHome for the Holidays\u201d which was pretty exciting.<\/p>\n

CW-AR:<\/strong>\u00a0 What are a few of the features in SONAR X1 that you could not live without?<\/p>\n

TC:<\/strong>\u00a0 That is a tough one actually.\u00a0 I think one of the most unique features that gives me an upper edge is the ability to work with clip based effects.\u00a0 Nowadays it\u2019s really all about coming up with something so fresh that no one else has; a sound, a style \u2013 you know what I mean.\u00a0 The fact that I can splice clips up into tiny instances and then place whatever I want on each of them in terms of effects is huge for me.\u00a0 It really opens the door up to be as creative as I want to be.\u00a0 I am not just limited to putting effects on sound via effects bins or busses like I was when I was using other DAW\u2019s [Digital Audio Workstations].<\/p>\n

I think besides that and sonically speaking, the ProChannel is a game-changer for me.\u00a0 I\u2019m someone who comes from both the analogue and digital realms, so to have this built-in power on every channel that delivers like the ProChannel is amazing.\u00a0 On any given day I have to deliver finished-radio and club-ready tracks to various industry professionals, and the ProChannel gives me everything I need to get my tracks sounding huge.<\/p>\n

CW-AR: \u00a0<\/strong>I see you are also using the V-Studio 100, how has that been working out for you?<\/p>\n

TC:<\/strong>\u00a0 I love the VS man.\u00a0 I have faked out so many people with the preamp in that thing [laughs].\u00a0 Sometimes I have tracks sent to me, and I have to match my vocal sound when I sing to vocals that were recorded on $15,000 preamps.\u00a0 I have heard “vocals sound great” every single time from the other producers that I send the tracks back to with my performance.\u00a0 I can’t help but laugh a bit when they ask me what I tracked on.\u00a0 Sometimes they don’t believe me and they think I’m not telling them about some special “chain” I use.\u00a0 Don’t get me wrong, it takes a bit of work to get it right, but between the 100 [VS-100] and SONAR, I can get basically any type of sound recorded that I need.\u00a0 I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable interface that can play ball in the big leagues – not to mention I just pick it up and take it accross town with me or on a plane when I work out of the studio.<\/p>\n

CW-AR:\u00a0 <\/strong>Are there other pieces of gear that have contributed to your creative environment that you are digging?<\/p>\n

TC:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know what, I have to say that this Dell Precision M6500 Mobile Workstation <\/a>that I use is just important creatively as anything else I use.\u00a0 This thing blazes, and it enables me to move on the fly anywhere I need to go.\u00a0 It’s important to have a rock solid base with what I do.<\/p>\n

CW-AR:<\/strong> \u00a0On a typical session where you have to create a beat from scratch, how do you roll?<\/p>\n

TC:<\/strong>\u00a0 \u201cTypical\u201d is a funny word for me because it depends on the variables of the project.\u00a0 Sometimes I actually sample my own sounds and start putting things together from there, but other times I actually draw from sounds and loops I already have.\u00a0 The first thing I do is open up a new project and then take a look at all my \u201ctrack templates\u201d which is a new feature in SONAR.\u00a0 This is a big timesaver for me because I actually have different templates set up for different types of artists and projects.\u00a0 I then drag and drop what I think I need for track templates into that section from the browser.\u00a0 So for example, if I am working with a really strong dance track I will just drag and drop layered kicks, some varied basses and synths into the project to begin.\u00a0 After I get the base of what I want, I start to spice up the beat with filters, fades, different EQ\u2019s and compressors \u2013 and then I start to work on unique sounds by cutting things up and dropping in clip based effects where appropriate.\u00a0 After the this step is done, I will get the vocals in and then go through one more round of spices before I start mixing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

CW-AR:<\/strong> \u00a0How do you go about getting unique sounds?<\/p>\n

TC:<\/strong>\u00a0 That is the beauty of SONAR and why I continue to use it.\u00a0 There are so many ways to tailor your sound.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One thing that I have been doing recently in X1 is using the Tube Saturator that is on the ProChannel [a feature on every channel].\u00a0 Between that and extreme ProChannel EQ settings along with the compressor on \u201cnuke mode\u201d [TC using his own saved preset here], I am able to take standard synth sounds and totally whack them out where\u00a0I want.\u00a0 I can get things to really cut through and come up with crazy unique sounds with the ProChannel.\u00a0 I also automate EQ quite a bit \u2013 this is a great way to get moving filtered sounds.\u00a0 All you have to do is click the \u201cW\u201d on the track and all the EQ parameters are ready to be automated.\u00a0 I find myself sweeping the HPF with a steep slope quite often these days.<\/p>\n

CW-AR:<\/strong>\u00a0 You refer to \u201csaving time\u201d.\u00a0 Specifically what is it in X1 that has enabled you to speed up your workflow from SONAR 8.5?<\/p>\n

TC:<\/strong>\u00a0 Screensets are a big time saver for me.\u00a0 I can customize basically anything I want on any monitors and get there with one keystroke.\u00a0 I like how it remembers how I left it too.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost like it\u2019s a helper working with me, and if I want to keep a Screenset as is, I just lock it \u2013 genius.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The new drag and drop feature combined with the browser has been huge for me too.\u00a0 This has literally cut my work flow in half in some cases.\u00a0 It\u2019s all about organization these days and I have everything I need at my fingertips.\u00a0 I can sample all my loops in one place, and then just drag from the browser onto the workspace, and it even creates a new track for me if I don\u2019t drop it into a pre-existing track.<\/p>\n

Effects chains \u2013 another one that is a massive time saver.\u00a0 I have all my favorite effect chains in one place and I am able to drag and drop any one of them at any given time into an effect bin on a track, or onto a clip itself.\u00a0 I can\u2019t imagine working without this now.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t go without mentioning the Smart Tool either.\u00a0 I love how I can get to all my editing tools by tapping the center wheel of the mouse \u2013 and the tools are global, working perfectly over my midi and audio tracks without having to change up anything.\u00a0 Editing is actually a creative process now for me and way more efficient.<\/p>\n

CW-AR: <\/strong>\u00a0TC, thanks so much for spending some time with us and we are really psyched to see X1 in such a great work environment.\u00a0 What are you working on in the next few days?<\/p>\n

TC: <\/strong>\u00a0Thank you guys for stepping up this $#!^!.\u00a0\u00a0 This week we are doing a remix directly for Britney Spears with her new single \u201cHold It Against Me\u201d and we are also doing a remix directly for Nicki Minaj on her newest song.\u00a0 These songs will be out in the clubs and on the radio by the time people are reading this I think.<\/p>\n

\u00a0For more information on SONAR X1 please visit: SONAR X1<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0For more information on the V-Studio 100 please visit: V-Studio 100<\/a><\/p>\n

For more information on TC and Paul Oakenfold please visit: www.PaulOakenfold.c
\nom<\/a><\/p>\n

To see how TC uses SONAR X1: TC on SONAR X1<\/a><\/p>\n

To see the interview with TC:\u00a0 TC INTERVIEW<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thursday, February 24th – Hollywood, CA On a recent trip to Los Angeles, I had the privilege of spending some time with an X1 pro user who really exemplifies the modern day musician on all fronts.\u00a0 His name is TC (born Anthony Crawford) and he is also known by some in the producing underground as … <\/p>\n

Continue reading “TC, and Paul Oakenfold\u2019s Team on SONAR X1”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44,808,1458,288,66,49,78,522],"tags":[12,617,1459,1342,94,1424,1440,1344,1308],"class_list":["post-5408","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artist-news","category-cakewalk-pro-user-spotlight","category-news-2","category-namm","category-products","category-sonar","category-tips","category-v-studio-100","tag-cakewalk","tag-jimmy-landry","tag-la-music-scene","tag-paul-oakenfold","tag-recording","tag-shifty","tag-sonar-x1","tag-tc","tag-v-studio-100"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5408\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/noelborthwick.com\/cakewalk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}