How Our Music Affects the EarthSuperstars flying private jets are in the spotlight thanks to those who closely monitor environmental footprints, but less time is devoted to considering how the music industry as a whole plays a role in impacting the environment.

ARTIST TO ARTIST: THE BIG STUDIO DIFFERENCEBy Kevin Flournoy

Pictured (L-R) in Studio B at United Recording are producer, pianist, songwriter Kevin Flournoy; recording engineer David Rideau; steel drummer and percussionist Leon Alexander, Jr.; and singer/songwriter Amanda Cole. Photo by David Goggin.

Young emerging artists who grew up in the era of GarageBand, Ableton and all manner of home studio rigs probably can’t fathom a time when every commercially released recording was produced in a professional studio with all the attendant bells and whistles. Guess what? The best and most polished tracks in most genres still are! Veteran composer, keyboardist, producer and artist Kevin Flournoy says that no matter one’s budget, every budding indie artist should experience the difference between recording at home and tracking live in a pro studio.  

As a pop, R&B and contemporary jazz producer, I work with a lot of talented indie vocalists who are always looking for an edge to stand out from other artists. I’m reminded of a conversation I had over lunch in Beverly Hills a few years back with a Toronto based female artist I was about to record with and her friend Kevin Teasley, Owner of TONIC who’s a multi-talented producer, , audio mixer and music director for top artists like J Lo. The subject of the best type of recording environments came up and I mentioned something that I always tell the up-and-coming singers and producers I work with. Just because they can go to Guitar Center, buy a relatively inexpensive rig and software and become their own producer doesn’t mean they should. Some tell me that they’re on a budget – but even if they had the money, they wouldn’t opt for or need to work in a big studio.

I consider that limited thinking on their part. I tell them, “You owe it to yourself to learn something about recording in a real studio.” I’ll ask them who their musical heroes are, and they’ll invariably mention superstars like Beyonce whose magic working with many producers happens in one of those facilities. When they respond that they have limited funds compared to  top selling artists, I challenge them: “Okay, then just record part of a single song at a big studio to learn what it actually sounds like.”  

As someone who has recorded in hundreds of different environments on budgets of every size, I can attest to the great difference in quality and sound when we’re recording in a real studio. I’ll admit that some artists in the rap/hip-hop arena can be successful with good sounding tracks done in a home studio, but I can assure you that none of the great country songs coming out of Nashville – whether from legendary artists or newcomers – are doing it in the garage, so to speak. Because the lunch conversation was with a vocalist who had been successful as a club performer but was just starting to record her own music, I told her she should compare how her vocals come out in a home recording environment vs. a bigger studio.

I told her that there were some high-end studios here in Hollywood like East West Studios and Westlake Recording Studio who understand limited finances and will let new artists work a few hours at a discount. If you’re up for the comparison challenge, you should find a way to develop a relationship with the person running the studio you have in mind. Enquire about what day the studio might have open in the future and allow your schedule to be flexible for that session time. See what kind of deal you can arrange based on your willingness to be flexible. Pick the tune you love the best. Make a decision on what tracks you’d like to overdub in the big studio environment. I would recommend recording your vocal tracks or add a live drummer to the mix. If you are successful in getting those few hours, you will notice an immediate upgrade from anything you can achieve at home. Singing in your bedroom or bathroom studio is fine, but you won’t have the power that can come from using a $20K vintage mic – or a veteran engineer whose experience and keen ears can make a huge difference.   

Once you’ve recorded your vocals at the studio, go home and do some toggling. The lingo I use for this process of comparison is “AB,” i.e. comparing version A to version B. So please AB what you tracked earlier using your private setup and the new high-end recordings. You will hear the difference.

While the original conversation I had about this process was with a vocalist, the AB test works just as well with different instruments because of the array of mics generally available at a studio. One of the best examples is capturing live drums. It’s difficult to get a premium sound in an untreated or halfway treated home setting. Many of the commercial studios I work in have a lot of mics to choose from that can collectively capture the perfect sound. What’s the point of investing thousands of dollars on a high-end drum set when you’re just going to record them at home with cheaper microphones? I call this simple education - please educate yourself about the difference in sonic quality. High-end and some mid-grade studios have both vintage and new mics like the Telefunken ELA M 251 and the Neumann U 87 Ai. If you decide to work at a smaller studio that doesn’t have that kind of selection, you can always rent a mic and bring it to your session.

As a keyboardist, I’ve done the AB test between track recordings of the acoustic piano sound I can create on my Yamaha keyboard at home vs. a well miked grand piano at the high-end studio. The difference is quite clear and I’ll always choose the grand piano when I can, but with a caveat. While it’s ideal for pop, R&B and especially jazz, you can’t use a grand piano with nice mics for a genre like reggae, which is defined by its charming raggedy keyboard sound. That aside, I always prefer real keyboards like the Fender Rhodes if they’re available over, an electric keyboard sound from a synthesizer. Using a high-end mic to track a real Rhodes as opposed to creating it on a keyboard will help the sound sit in the mix better.

For a lot of indie artists working on a small budget, my advice here may be a bit overwhelming. So I suggest you take some small steps. Just pick one part of the song, a certain segment or maybe one of the vocal or instrument tracks and book a few hours at a major studio at a reasonable negotiated rate. That’s all you need to do AB and learn the difference. Believe me, you will thank yourself!

About Kevin Flournoy: For over 30 years, the multi-talented keyboardist, composer and producer has been a powerhouse behind the scenes force for some of pop, R&B and contemporary jazz’s most iconic performers. Starting with saxophonist Ronnie Laws, The Emotions and Teena Marie in the 90s, he has written, performed or recorded with Chaka Khan, Babyface, The Pointer Sisters, Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Jeffrey Osborne, Jennifer Hudson, Howard Hewitt, Jamie Foxx, The Jazz Crusaders and contemporary jazz greats Boney James, Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum and Harvey Mason. In the 2000s, Flournoy toured with Donny Osmond for six years. His latest release as an artist, the urban jazz single “Smooth It Over” is a collaboration with Ronnie Laws.

Website: www.KevinFlournoy.com

Instagram www.instagram.com/kevin.flo 

YouTube Channel www.youtube.com/c/KevinFlournoy100 

TikTok www.tiktok.com/@kevin.flournoy 

Facebook www.facebook.com/kevin.flournoy1 

A music production roundtable with SEIDS, Alina Smith, BAER, and Kate Wild
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Bankrupt EV startup Arrival sold its assets to CanooBankrupt commercial EV startup Arrival has sold some of its assets, including advanced manufacturing equipment to Canoo, another struggling startup trying to build and sell electric vehicles. The acquisition, which was touted as a cost-saving measure that will reduce capital expenditures by 20%, comes as Canoo struggles to move beyond prototypes toward commercial production. Canoo […]
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AxxSolder 3.0 Now Takes USB Power DeliveryIf you’re big into the soldering iron scene, you’ve probably heard of the AxxSolder project. Now, it’s been updated with a whole host of nifty new features. It’s AxxSolder 3.0!
If you’re not intimately familiar with AxxSolder, it’s an open-source iron design based around the popular JBC soldering iron tips. Relying on the STM32G431CBT6 to run the show, it comes in two versions—a lightweight portable design, and a desktop version based around the JBC ADS soldering iron stand. So far, so familiar.
The new 3.0 version adds new functionality, however. Where the previous model ran off any old DC power source from 9 to 26 volts, the new version can run off a USB Power Delivery supply. Thus, you can grab any old USB-PD device, like a laptop charger, and run your iron off that.
The new version also uses a larger color TFT screen with some buttons added on as an improved user interface. Thermal performance is improved, and it’s additionally capable of measuring the current draw by the tip, so you can monitor the performance of the iron in great detail.
We’ve featured the AxxSolder project previously, too, along with some other great soldering iron projects. If you reckon you’ve just designed the hottest new soldering tool yourself, let us know about it!

Warner has 13 days to launch a bid for Believe, as French company agrees to let WMG peruse its ‘data room’This is the latest twist in an ongoing corporate saga
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Tencent Music users are ‘willing to pay’ for music produced with the company’s AI tools… and 3 other things we learned on TME’s latest earnings callKey takeaways from Tencent Music Entertainment's latest earnings call
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Submissions open for the MIDI Innovation Awards 2024 Submissions for this year’s MIDI Innovation Awards are now open, with applicants invited to submit their entries into each of the event’s five categories.

Don't create music. No need. Generate! (but we will create)

The Cryotron Remembered[Sean Haas] is a “dangerous freelance historian,” and his recent talk at the Vintage Computer Festival in Southern California covers the cryotron — a strange detour on the road to computers circa 1956. The NSA wanted a computer to break codes, but in 1956, there wasn’t much to pick from, especially since they wanted a very fast computer.
As you might expect from the name, a cryotron depends on superconductivity. The original device was a tantalum wire wrapped with a niobium wire coil. When the device is soaked in liquid helium, both wires become superconducting. The tantalum wire can carry way more current in that state unless the niobium coil generates a magnetic field, which kills the wire’s superconductivity. On the plus side, you have a relay-like switch that works with no moving parts. On the negative side, you need liquid helium.

General Electric produced one of the first integrated circuits containing a thin film cryotron, which was flat. While the switching was fast, it wasn’t as fast as it could be, so marrying the cryotron with a Josephson junction improved the device to where it could switch at less than 800 picoseconds. That isn’t all that remarkable today, but that was a technical feat in the 1950s and 1960s.
If you enjoy [Sean’s] talk, you might want to read the original paper from 1955 from [Dudley Buck]. We’ve looked back at the device before (and you can still find the broken link). Turns out you can do a lot with a Josephson junction.

Meet the Vongon Replay, the polyphonic synth “designed to embody vintage character while utilising modernity and versatility of form”Boutique pedal brand Vongon has launched its first synthesiser, the Vongon Replay – a polyphonic synth, sequencer and arpeggiator wrapped up in one sleek unit.
It offers a six-voice virtual analogue sound engine, and is inspired by keyboard synths of the early 1980s such as the Roland Juno and Korg Polysix.

READ MORE: Forever 89’s debut product is here: Visco, a sample-modelling drum machine

Replay is Vongon’s fourth product launch, following on from its Paragraphs resonant lowpass filter and waveform generator, the Ultrasheer stereo pitch vibrato/reverb, plus the Polyphrase stereo echo effect unit which has an infinite feedback loop.
Credit: Vongon
Replay has a super minimalist and modern look, with a Monochrome aluminium enclosure. It has four oscillator waveforms and seven low-frequency oscillator waveforms, and hosts 22 sound controls.
It features a  2½-octave keyboard of consisting of genuine Cherry MX keys. and you can integrate it straight into your setup with full MIDI I/O via 3.5mm jacks and USB connectivity. It’s also compatible with a standard effect pedal power supply, so you can connect it with your pedal board for live performances or studio sessions.
Users can also access the Replay web interface for managing presets, accessing extended parameters and for downloading the latest firmware updates.
Get a closer look in the video below:

In other synth news, Moog Music is moving out of its current home in Asheville, but it’s not straying too far. Last week, it was revealed that it will be moving from Broadway Street in Asheville, where the brand has lived since 2011, over to the Asheville Citizen-Times building along O’Henry Avenue.
Here, it will continue to carry out work on product design, development, and engineering. It’s also expanding its manufacturing facility in Weaverville, a city just north of Asheville.
The Vongon Replay is available now for $899.00.
Find out more over at Vongon.
The post Meet the Vongon Replay, the polyphonic synth “designed to embody vintage character while utilising modernity and versatility of form” appeared first on MusicTech.

Watch: Jon Bon Jovi makes unexpected appearance on stage with Armin Van Buuren at Miami’s Ultra Music FestivalJon Bon Jovi made a surprise appearance during Armin Van Buuren’s set at Ultra Music Festival in Miami last weekend for a remix of Bon Jovi’s 1992 track, Keep The Faith.
Van Buuren’s set took place on the mainstage, and saw the rock artist take to the stage just after 30 minutes into the performance to provide further vocals for the remix.

READ MORE: Armin van Buuren says Avicii’s death made him prioritise mental health: “When I started DJing, this was never a topic”

Ultra took place across the weekend (22-24 March), and hosted sets from huge names in electronic music such as Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Chase And Status, David Guetta, Peggy Gou and many more.
Introducing Bon Jovi to the crowd, Van Buuren called, “Ultra are you ready for something special? I remember being a little kid and buying this guy’s album. Please welcome to the stage, the legend, Mr Jon Bon Jovi.”
Watch the moment below from the 38 minute mark:

In a statement on the surprise guest appearance, Van Buuren said (via Billboard), “It’s an incredible honour to remix this track and to share the stage with Jon Bon Jovi, as I’ve been a massive fan for years.
“This track is different from anything I’ve ever released before, and no better place to first share it with you all than on the Ultra mainstage.” Bon Jovi himself has no further live dates planned as he is recovering from a previous vocal cord surgery.
Last year, Van Buuren broke two world records during one DJ set. In August, he played a set at the top of the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai – known as the world’s tallest building – and set the record for the highest performance atop the tallest building on the planet, and for the largest LED screen employed for a show. The 40-minute DJ set took place on a balcony near the top of the 328-metre-tall building.
View all of Armin Van Buuren’s upcoming live dates.
The post Watch: Jon Bon Jovi makes unexpected appearance on stage with Armin Van Buuren at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival appeared first on MusicTech.

Sonus faber and IsoAcoustics collaborate on new $750,000 Suprema sound systemItalian speaker manufacturer Sonus faber has partnered with IsoAcoustics on a new ultra-high-end speaker system, Suprema – and it comes with a truly eye-watering price tag: $750,000.
Suprema promises to deliver a supreme, ‘unsurpassed’ sonic experience. The full-range system consists of two ten-driver columns in the signature Sonus faber lute shape, originally introduced with Guarneri in 1993. Two subwoofers complete the design.

READ MORE: PreSonus Eris Pro 8 packs a big, articulate sound for main monitoring and immersive masterpieces

Sonus faber have also elevated their system by working with IsoAcoustics. To avoid any interferences impacting the quality of its 16-40 kHz range, IsoAcoustics worked on an innovative, integrated suspension system for Suprema.
The multi-level suspension system between the cabinet and baseplate in the towers and subwoofers means no resonance from supporting structures. IsoAcoustics patented GAIA-Capsule isolators are designed to decouple devices, meaning they do not make contact and keep the pure sonic vibrations contained and untainted.
The system also features IsoAcoustics’ GAIA-Capsule technology. The acoustic isolation means the sound is not negatively impacted by foreign frequencies, ultimately removing the threat of smeared or blurred sound.

“We used to have a decoupling system outside of the main body, but that solution with exposed springs or elastomers was always a compromise for us,” IsoAcoustic’s Chief Design Officer Livio Cucuzza explains. “With Suprema we wanted to keep the design cleaner and more integrated. We had the opportunity to develop a system with IsoAcoustics that is part of the main structure.”
“IsoAcoustics achieve this great performance in the mid-high frequencies where everything becomes clearer without losing dynamics on bass,” Livio explains. “IsoAcoustics is more precise, more refined, and everything in the soundstage is more clearly localized. We are really happy with the results.”
The release of the Suprema system also marks Sonus faber’s 40th anniversary. It comes in a customisable range of wood and leather finishes.
For more info, head to Sonus faber.
The post Sonus faber and IsoAcoustics collaborate on new $750,000 Suprema sound system appeared first on MusicTech.

Challenges for musicians are abundant, but so are the opportunities [MIDiA’s Hanna Kahlert]Anyone can release music thanks to technology, but getting anyone to hear it seems increasingly difficult. Hanna Kahlert of MIDiA Research explores the challenges and the opportunities for change.....
The post Challenges for musicians are abundant, but so are the opportunities [MIDiA’s Hanna Kahlert] appeared first on Hypebot.

Tracy Chan exits SoundCloud, joins AI music platform Splash as CEOVeteran music tech executive Tracy Chan has exited his role as COO of SoundCloud after less than two years to become the CEO of red-hot AI music creation platform Splash.....
The post Tracy Chan exits SoundCloud, joins AI music platform Splash as CEO appeared first on Hypebot.