Sometimes I pinch myself when I get up in the morning to make sure all this is happening to me.  Yep, I've had the massive Number Ones, the films the TV shows...but I just love the success the guys are getting through 'The Serious Writers Guild' at 'makehits'.

'One Minute With Dec' just gets bigger and bigger, the success stories come rolling in.  'The Serious Writers Guild' expands world-wide [now with members in 22 countries] and the success stories keep coming in.  The USA has been slow to come on board as there always seems to be that little enmity with British music success....but now the membership in the States is growing and the success stories have started coming in.

Some guys in the States worry that 'How To Start Your Own Music Company for less than £100' will not address the Music Publishing situation in that country...let me tell you that all the template contracts are based on Industry Standard samples, all used in the USA.  And rest assured that I am always at the end of the phone or just an Email away [I always reply in 12 hours or 24 hours if on tour].

Lunch with Jim:

So, when I was having lunch with Jim Marshall [yep! THE Jim Marshall of the mighty Amplifiers] yesterday, I was not surprised when the guys from 'Iron Maiden' called, before going back to the USA on Monday.  Jim passed me over to Nico McBrain and he has agreed to contribute to the new interactive CD '57 Secrets of a Hit Record'.  With their list of successes, that should be some conversation.  Just go to www.bbc.co.uk/musicartistdatabase.htm for latest info on the boys.  I'll call him in LA on Tuesday.

Sandy and I stayed over at Jim's palatial new house in Bletchley, just north of London, after we went to an Italian masked ball on Friday night.  Totally sumptuous...I love Jim...we've known each other for years and he is still a 'drummer'.  His company is owned solely by himself and it is massive.  His is just about the only amp a 'going places' guitar player should use.

Jim and Pauline will be at the N.A.M.M. music exhibition in Nashville from this Tuesday for six days, so, if you are based around the 'Country' capital, pop in and say hello to the great man!  Go to the Marshall stand.  Just say you know Dec and Sandy and he will give you such a welcome.  He always has top guitar players on his stand so you will get to meet some impressive people...what could you learn?  In a two day event he will sign 7,000 posters of himself...a true 'legend' in the music business.

Do I work as hard as Jim?  Do you?

I always think I work pretty d*mn hard at the Music business, but when you consider that we got to bed [best sleep I've had in years!] at 4.30am and Jim was in his office at 6am to open the Company's mail.....does that tell you something about the road to success?  By the way, Jim is celebrating his 79th [yes, seventy ninth] birthday in August...and I'll be there...does that tell you what you have to do to be successful in this business?

I am writing this 'One Minute' just before I shoot off to Newport in South Wales for a concert...I will be home at probably 5am but you will have your 'One Minute' as promised.  Do you work that hard?

The music business, for successful guys, is a 16 hours a day, total commitment, business...it is NOT the 'get to bed late' [with whatever dog you can pull] and 'get up late' business....the best music is made at 10 am in the morning...and anything recorded after 10pm at night is cr*p....you can trust me on that...many have fooled themselves into thinking you can make great music tired, p*ssed and stoned....let me tell you the 'proper' guys drink Perrier water, eat carefully, use excellent nutritional supplements, work out, get to bed early, and are bright as a spark first thing in the morning!

"Where do I get my inspiration from?  A blank sheet of music paper at 10am in the morning!" 

Elton John

Down to business:

I am particularly aware of 'novices' [newbies, new to the music game] who have all the enthusiasm, but very little real knowledge.  Yes - I encourage you to become a Member of 'The Serious Writers Guild' where you get ten action packed months of two books a month which will blow your head off with excitement.  But, for the meantime, I'll give you just a little encouragement.

Most guys are looking for some advice on demo recording.  A typical Email to me will say that the advice required is not for studio demoing, just 4-track home stuff.  One guy uses a tascam 464, which he finds very good, for what he records. His material is Hard Rock (like Metallic, Guns 'n Roses, Aerosmith, Nirvana etc).

"I've only started using the 464 in the last month and I've so far recorded 7 fully layered tracks that meet my standard.  There are just one or two things I'd like to run pass you that I'm a little nervy about, they are as follows:

This is usually the sequence I record in, I sometimes feel I don't pan it out just properly, could you give me any tips on how I should pan it out:

Panning

Rhythm guitar (usually slightly distorted) - I keep this even both sides

2nd guitar(usually well distorted/ non lead) - I usually emphasize the right side but give a little to the left also ( ratio 3R/1L)

Bass - I put my bass mainly on the left with a bit going right also (ratio 2R/1L)

Lead guitar (crying, hard driven sound) - I usually keep this all to the right side

Drums - Normally kept more to the left (ratio3L/2R)

Vocals ( with a bit of reverb put in -) Usually straight down the middle

I was also wondering would a demo made like this be good enough to shop around (send it to a few people in the business), not that I will be doing so for a few months yet anyway (still want to do fine tweaking and things). I think the quality is very good, and it's not like it's some really complicated techno with drum loops and synthesizers I'm recording, it's guitar based Rock music.

So - if you please, get back to me about these issues. I'd be very grateful

Mark"

arthur c. clarke

  Regards

Tip of the week:  From Ian Warrener at www.pa-direct.co.uk

Let's look at e.q. It’s use and effect on signal level.

Firstly, most meters do not run across the entire frequency bandwidth, even some of the better ones that take samples from various frequency points.  The worst take a single sample from one frequency - that can be misleading. And even if a true, wide bandwidth, meter is used, peaks - especially with fast transient attack (bass drum, piano, cymbal etc.) - can slip through without any effect on metering.  If you are, by now, watching your levels at 0db and using higher power amps, running the speakers harder, what were smaller peaks are now being amplified more (bigger amp=bigger peaks)

Obviously, if bigger peaks get through, it can reach the point of doing physical damage to the speakers - so in order to avoid those peaks, adjust e.q. negatively, not positively ----- i.e.. You want more bass, turn down e.q. on mid and top, for sharper mid, turn down bass e.q.

This awareness of E.Q. will lower the overall signal level, so you may need to push up input gain level.  It will even out the peaks in the signal, allowing you to drive the loudspeakers more evenly across the whole bandwidth; allowing you, again, to use their full potential

Check us out at www.pa-direct.co.uk

Home of Nightfire Acoustic Technology

 Gag of the Week:  More ancient, groan producing gags!

Tommy Cooper...Uk's favourite legendary funny man:

1)  A guy walks into the psychiatrist wearing only cling film for shorts. The shrink says, "Well, I can clearly see you're nuts."

2) A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet.

"My dog's cross-eyed, is there anything you can do for him? "
"Well," says the vet, "let's have a look at him"

So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then checks his teeth.  Finally, he says: "I'm going to have to put him down."

"What? Because he's cross-eyed? "
"No, because he's really heavy"

3) And one for English cricket fans:

Guy goes into the doctor's.
"Doc, I've got a cricket ball stuck up my backside."
"How's that?"
"Don't you start"

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