Dubspot EDU Sessions @ Youthville, Detroit

The legendary Movement Electronic Music Festival is about to erupt in Detroit once again and Dubspot will be on-hand to deliver educational workshops, demonstrations, and performances during our visit to Motor City. There will be five free workshops available on Saturday May 25, 2013 at Youthville in Detroit taught by special guests Mike Huckaby (Tresor / S Y N T H / Deep Transportation), Thomas Faulds (Ableton), Justin James (m_nus), and Dubspot’s own Matt Cellitti.

11-11:45am Ableton Push 101 & Demonstration // Thomas Faulds [Ableton] & Justin James [m-nus]
12:00-12:45pm Sound Design & Synthesis Techniques w/ Komplete 9 // Matt Cellitti
1:00-1:45pm Creative Production Strategies w/ Maschine // Mike Huckaby
2:00-2:45pm Audio To MIDI Conversion w/ Ableton Live 9 // Matt Cellitti
3:00-3:45pm House Music Production w/ Ableton Live 9 // Mike Huckaby

RSVP TO OUR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE HERE.

Dubspot @ Movement, Detroit

While you’re at the Movement Festival at Hart Plaza, come check out our booth at the Movement technology area to see out some of the newest music technology, software, and hardware. Instructors and the admissions team will be available for Q&A sessions and support. Learn a bit about music production in between sets!

Over the past decade DEMF / Movement has become one of the United States’ premier electronic music festivals, with each year’s lineup hand-picked with the hardcore electronic music enthusiast in mind. And while the festival’s roots lie in techno, the music policy at Movement continues to evolve and embrace artists who are pushing the boundaries of dance music in new directions. Each year aims to be better than the last, and Paxahau’s 2013 Movement experience offers a huge lineup of talent including Masters at Work, Moodymann, Andy C, Mala, Richie Hawtin, Silent Servant, The Bug and many more. And while the lineup seems to be getting bigger each year, the real appeal of this event is the midwestern hospitality: everyone in the city seems to be celebrating at festival time, and last year the mayor of Detroit publicly announced the week of the festival as “Detroit Techno Week.” A beautiful location at Hart Plaza and really reasonable prices for a weekend of top-notch entertainment keep bringing us back for Movement. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at Movement’s website.

YouthVille Detroit

Regardless of age, level of education, sophistication, whether from the city, suburb or farm, people are amazed when they first walk into YouthVille Detroit.  In a few short years, it has become a landmark of hope and pride for the city of Detroit, the region and the state. It is a destination point for youth needing a safe and nurturing place to have fun, dream, learn, and participate.

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On Tuesday, May 7th, from 9:15 to 11 p.m., Dubspot instructor and performing artist Dan Freeman will host the Dubspot Ableton User Group at our New York City studios. For this session we are proud to present Los Angeles-based recording artist, violinist, performer, instructor and technology guru Laura Escudé (a.k.a. Alluxe). Laura brings a depth of knowledge that few others Ableton experts can match. Her work with artists such as Kanye West, Jay Z, M83, Silversun Pickups, Garbage and Drake has given her an incredible breadth of experience as well. For this event, Laura will discuss live performance techniques and the production of her upcoming EP. She’ll also be showing a preview of her upcoming music video, recently shot in Prague.

To attend, please RSVP on Facebook and arrive early for sign-in. This FREE event is open to the public and space is very limited.

Dubspot Ableton User Group
Tuesday, May 7th, 9:15-11:00 p.m.

Hosted by instructor Dan Freeman
with special guest instructor Laura Escudé

Laura Escudé is an in-demand music producer, DJ, violinist, Ableton Certified Trainer and music technology specialist. Ms. Escudé (a.k.a. Alluxe) is a versatile musician who composes and programs music, performing tracks using innovative MIDI controllers—which is complimented by her extensive acoustic and electric violin background. Her 2011 and 2012 highlights include playing violin on Kanye and Jay-Z’s “Watch The Throne” album, as well as touring doing vocal effects and music programming for the U.S. and European tours. She recorded and composed violin for the intro of Kanye West’s “Dark Fantasy” tour and traveled all over the world as his vocal effects engineer. She played violin on Hit-Boy’s (Watch the Throne producer) mixtape “HitStory.” She designed the music technology and programmed shows for Cirque du Soleil, Drake, Bon Iver, Silversun Pickups, Garbage, Childish Gambino, M83, Herbie Hancock, Niyaz and many more. She has composed music for several Visa commercials, performed violin on Dancing With the Stars, at The Do Lab’s LA music showcase, and won Runner Up prize for best DJ mix for the Lightning in a Bottle Festival.

“In the past decade the laptop has revolutionized the way music is performed and produced, and Ableton has been at the forefront of making the laptop a powerful production and performance tool. The NYC Ableton User Group is a place to learn about this remarkable software and see how guest artists and other attendees are putting it to use.” - Dan Freeman

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

Start Dates and Times for Music Production w/ Ableton Live

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“I summarize my experience at Dubspot as an adventure! I learned the equipment and the mentality. Ableton is now my playground, and I owe it all to Dubspot.” – Peter Ardent

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.
If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Dubspot International EDU Sessions: Santiago, Chile

On Tuesday April 23 Dubspot is proud to join with the University of Santiago and Academia Mac to extend our global global community with the Dubspot International EDU Sessions in Santiago Chile. The two hour event which is sponsored by the US Embassy of Santiago Chile is open to the public and will feature Producer, bassist and Dubspot instructor Dan Freeman (New York) who will demonstrate production and live performance techniques with Ableton Live 9, followed by a presentation on performing with Live 9 and Push. Freeman will be followed by Dr. Felipe Cussen from the University of Santiago and Ricardo Luna from Academia Mac, who will lead a discussion on how the technology of digital sampling has changed the creation of music and poetry in modern times.

Dubspot International EDU Sessions- Santiago, Chile
Tuesday April 23, 2013
7:00PM – 9:00PM

Auditorio de IDEA
Ubicando en Roman Diaz n 89, Providencia
University of Santiago, Chile

If you would like to attend the Dubspot International EDU Sessions in Santiago, Chile, please RSVP at our Facebook event page.

“In the past decade the laptop has revolutionized the way music is performed and produced and Ableton has been at the forefront of making the laptop a powerful production and performance tool. The NYC Ableton User Group is a place to learn about this remarkable software and see how guest artists and other attendees are putting it to use.” - Dan Freeman

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International Record Store Day 2013

The internet can be a great tool for discovering new music, but there’s definitely something missing from the experience. Having face to face discussions with a record store clerk, an artist stopping by to drop off flyers, or the other shoppers browsing creates a stronger bond and a more fulfilling connection to your city’s music scene.

Luckily, there are people fighting to keep record shops alive and well, and this weekend they hope to capture the attention of an increasingly distracted public. International Record Store Day – which falls this year on Saturday, April 20th – has been celebrating the musical hub that is the record shop since 2008 with a celebration that extends around the world.

With a series of in-store events and exclusive releases, International Record Store Day aims to bring people out into the real world to meet one another. Special limited-edition releases are the biggest draw for collectors – this year, there are over 350 RSD releases, compared to 10 at the first event in 2008. (Coincidentally, vinyl sales are at their highest point since 1997.)

[The xx - "Sunset (Jamie xx Edit)" RSD Vinyl Exclusive]

Record Store Day special releases are mostly kept secret, creating a need to hit your local shop to see what you might discover. The special releases come from a broad range of artists, from GIl Scott Heron and The Doors to The Cure and Fela Kuti. There’s even a special GZA Liquid Swords Chess Box release.
[Evian Christ "DUGA-3" RSD Vinyl Exclusive]

Last Shop Standing

Last Shop Standing is a new documentary celebrating UK record shops that will be available on DVD this Saturday. It’s also being screened at participating Record Store Day locations internationally.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Below are some highlights from the releases that will be available on April 20 at selected shops around the world. For a full list of releases available and the shops participating, head over to the Record Store Day website for details.

• Olafur Arnalds For Now I Am Winter 12″ Vinyl (DeutscheGrammaphone) 1,100 US copies
• Bonobo The North Borders 10″ Vinyl Box Set (Ninja Tune)
• Brian Eno Brian Eno x Nicolas Jaar x Grizzly Bear 12″ Vinyl (Warp)
• Evian Christ DUGA-3 12″ Vinyl (Tri Angle)
• CSC Funk Band Funkincense 12″ Vinyl (Electric Cowbell Records)
• Cut Copy Bright Like Neon Love 12″ Vinyl (Modular)
• Foals Holy Fire 12″ Vinyl (Warner Bros.)
• King Midas Sound Aroo 12″ Vinyl (Ninja Tune)
• Moby & Mark Lanegan The Lonely Night featuring a Photek remix 7″ Vinyl (Mute)
• Ninja Tune & If Music If 12″ Vinyl (Ninja Tune)
• Sigur Ros Agaetis Byrjun 12″ Vinyl (PIAS)
• Various Artists – Black Gold Vinyl (Tru Thoughts)
• Various Artists – 50 Weapons meets Monkeytown Records 12 12″ Vinyl (Monkeytown)
• The xx Jamie xx Edits 12″ Vinyl (XL Recordings)

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SXSW 2013 is officially over, and the Dubspot team had a wonderful time in Austin putting on a series of events, workshops and presentations at the Austin Convention Center. The events were well received, and it was a tremendous experience to be surrounded by people who genuinely love music and are eager to see what’s around the corner for technology. In this video recap, we caught up some of our favorite electronic music producers and artists including Flying Lotus, Daedelus, Reggie Watts, RL Grime, and many more to talk about music technology, production tools and workflow, visual performance, and more.

Over the course of the past three decades, Austin’s SXSW (South by Southwest) conference has become one of the world’s premier music and technology events. For SXSW 2013 we assembled a team of educators, creators, and thinkers to present two panels on music production, and partnered with Flavorpill, Microsoft, and Friends of Friends to create several unique events.

Dubspot DJ / Producer Education Sessions

Dubspot + Friends of Friends SXSW Showcase @ Emo’s East

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The communikey 2013 full lineup has recently been announced with headliners Cio D’or, Derek Plaslaiko, Mountains and Nicolas Jaar bringing their unique music styles to the event. Check out the Communikey full lineup below. Information on attending Communikey events can be found on the events page of their website.

Dubspot @ Communikey 2013

Dubspot will be hosting an information booth at Communikey HQ (Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art) on Thurs and Fri from 11am to 5pm. We will be posted at Boulder Central Park on Sunday from 2pm to 8pm. If you’re in the area, please stop by to meet some of our staff, check out the latest music production hardware and software, and learn more about our school.

Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (Communikey HQ)

1750 13th Street, Boulder CO 80302

Boulder Central Park
13th & Arapahoe, Boulder CO 80302

Nicolas Jaar

Click here to view the embedded video.

Cio D’Or

Communikey 2011 Video Recap

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On Saturday April 6, 2013, Dubspot heads to Cambridge, MA for DJ/producer workshops at Harvard University, where Dubspot instructors/Harvard alumni Sam Zornow (a.k.a. 2X DMC Champion DJ Shiftee) and bassist/singer Dan Freeman of C0 will present a workshop on DJing and production at their old alma mater. DJ Shiftee will focus on DJ performance while Dan Freeman will highlight some of the new features of Ableton Live 9 and the new Ableton Push controller. The clinics start at 7:3opm and performances kick off at 10pm. This event is open to the public and it will also stream live on our YouTube channel.

Dubspot at Harvard: EDU Sessions
featuring DJ Shiftee and Dan Freeman

Saturday April 6, 2013
Clinics: 7:30-9:30pm EST
Performances: 10:00-11:30pm EST

Holden Chapel, Harvard Yard
Harvard University

We are very proud to have these two talented individuals and Ivy League grads working at Dubspot. In the below recap video from our last Harvard workshop, DJ Shiftee demonstrates some digital DJing and performance techniques with Native Instruments’ Traktor Pro and Maschine, while Dan Freeman offers some production and performance tips in Ableton Live.

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On Tuesday April 9, 2013, Dubspot instructor Dan Freeman (C0m1x) will host a special Ableton NYC User Group with TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe focusing on vocal recording techniques using Ableton Live. The group will meet at 9:15pm EST and will run until 11pm at our Manhattan location. If you’d like to attend, please RSVP at our Facebook event page.

Vocalist Tunde Adebimpe is a NYC native and a member of the band TV on the Radio. He uses a number of vocal techniques including looping and improvisation to achieve his signature sounds. Check out some of his music below and come hear him discuss working with recorded vocals in Ableton Live during our user group.

“In the past decade the laptop has revolutionized the way music is performed and produced and Ableton has been at the forefront of making the laptop a powerful production and performance tool. The NYC Ableton User Group is a place to learn about this remarkable software and see how guest artists and other attendees are putting it to use.” - Dan Freeman

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

Start Dates and Times for Music Production w/ Ableton Live

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“I summarize my experience at Dubspot as an adventure! I learned the equipment and the mentality. Ableton is now my playground, and I owe it all to Dubspot.” – Peter Ardent

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.
If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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This edition of our event series “Inspiring Women in Music Technology” features two women who are empowering musicians through their marketing and promotion companies, Cyber PR and Pressler Collaborative.

Ariel Hyatt, founder of Cyber PR, is a digital PR expert, as well as an author and speaker on the subject. As well as being the founder of a successful PR firm, Hyatt’s bi-weekly newsletter and YouTube series Sound Advice has amassed over 20,000 subscribers and she has penned  two successful books on PR and new media: Music Success in Nine Weeks and Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook & Twitter.  She has been invited to speak at SXSW, CMJ and ASCAP’s Create Music conference, as well as to create a course for Middle Tennessee State University to teach her approach to music PR.

Ciara Pressler is the founder of Pressler Collaborative, and author of Exit Stage Right: The Career Change Handbook for Performers. She consults in PR in other areas outside of the music industry, including real estate, tech, fitness, fashion, film, and beyond.  She previously served as Marketing Director for Gen Arts, an organization dedicated to supporting emerging artists in fashion, film, art, and music, as well as Capes Coaching, an entertainment industry career coaching firm.

After a discussion of promotion and public relations with our two guests, Dubspot will host a mixer featuring some of our favorite female DJs, with The Girl DJ Sherdina, DJ Reborn and Tyeze setting the tone for the room. The event will take place this time on Wednesday March 27th, from 7pm to midnight at the White Rabbit at 145 East Houston in New York City, between Forsyth and Eldridge.

The mission of this series is to foster a supportive environment for women to explore music technology, learn about music production and DJing at Dubspot, and share their experiences. Join us and be a part of a growing movement of energetic and enthusiastic women technologists. These events are intended to help with networking and provide resources and mentoring.

Click here to RSVP on the Facebook page for this event.

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Over the course of the past three decades, Austin’s SXSW (South by Southwest) conference has become one of the world’s premier music and technology events. Not ones to be left out of a party, Dubspot has been attending annually to present what we are doing and simultaneously get a taste of what’s new in technology, film and sound. For SXSW 2013 we have assembled a team of educators, creators, and thinkers to present two panels on music production and we’ve partnered with Flavorpill, Microsoft, and Friends of Friends for some unique events that happen during the week.

Dubspot DJ / Producer Education Sessions (3/13 – 3/14)

Watch. Listen. Learn. Come experience Dubspot with curriculum director Chris Petti who will present two free seminars on March 13th and 14th at the Austin Convention Center, where he will demonstrate recording with Ableton Live 9 and the Moog Minitaur synth and sound design techniques using Native Instruments’ Komplete software. Both sessions are free and open to the public.

Wednesday, March 13 12:30-1:30pm
Recording Audio w/ Ableton Live 9 & Moog Minitaur
Location: Austin Convention Center, Artist Central in Ballroom E
Instructor: Chris Petti

Thursday, March 14 5:00-6:00pm
Sound Design w/ Native Instruments’ Komplete
Location: Austin Convention Center, Artist Central in Ballroom E
Instructor: Chris Petti

Dubspot @ SXSW Convention Center (3/14 – 3/16)

Make sure to stop by our booth (#312) at the Austin Convention Center between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM on Thursday, March 14 thru Saturday, March 16th where we’ll have the latest music tech, hardware and software for you to check out including Native Instruments’ Maschine and Ableton Push. If you have been wondering about Dubspot, the courses we offer, or our instructors, this is a great opportunity to find out more: we’ll have curriculum director Chris Petti, Ableton instructor Thavius Beck, Austin-based Certified Trainer Jimmy Allison, and admissions officer Hart Thorson on hand to answer your questions.

Dubspot + Friends of Friends SXSW Showcase (3/15) @ Emo’s East

On Friday March 15, Dubspot along with Ableton and iHeartComix are proud to present the Friends of Friends SXSW label showcase at Emo’s East. The event will feature performances by some amazing talent including Salva x Pusha T, Shlohmo, Daedelus vs. Ryan Hemsworth, Mexicans with Guns, Groundislava, Jerome LOL, Lazy Brow vs. Sodapop and more. To attend the party, head to austinpartyweekend.com where you can RSVP for the event.

Sanctuary w/ Flavorpill + Microsoft

Dubspot is proud to partner with Flavorpill and Windows this year to promote culture, technology and wellness at South By Southwest Interactive 2013 by presenting Sanctuary: a music and technology oasis featuring refreshments for body and mind as well as performances and music tech demos by artists including Classixx, The Juan MacLean, Neon Indian, Reggie Watts and Dirty Projectors. Microsoft will have Acer S7 laptops onsite running Windows 8 with the latest DJ software from Serato, Ableton and Traktor, hooked up to a state-of-the-art Funktion One soundsystem.

Sanctuary will be a place to relax, take a refreshing break from the South By Southwest madness and check out the latest music technology, an SXSW Interactive oasis featuring yoga and workout classes, massages and fresh juices daily from March 9th through 12th and held at the Austin Museum of Art: Arthouse.

Dubspot@SXSW 2012

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Sanctuary will be a place to relax, take a refreshing break from the South By Southwest madness and check out the latest music technology, an SXSW Interactive oasis featuring yoga and workout classes, massages and fresh juices daily from March 9th through 12th and held at the Austin Museum of Art: Arthouse.

Start with a healthy breakfast brought to you by Kind and DJed by Natasha Blank before selecting from workout, yoga and spin classes, and then end the afternoon with performances from The Juan MacLean (Sat), Classixx (Sun), Neon Indian w/ Reggie Watts (Mon) and Dirty Projectors (Tue).

Windows will have Acer S7 laptops onsite running Windows 8 with the latest DJ software from Serato, Ableton and Traktor, hooked up to a state-of-the-art Funktion One soundsystem. The Acer S7 is a lightweight, ultrathin rival to the MacBook Air that features a built-in touchscreen, opening up new possibilities for controlling your favorite music apps.

We encourage our community to come out to The Sanctuary to have a chance to get under the hood of tomorrow’s technology today and find out why artists like Four Tet are integrating the S7 into their DJ setups. Grab a juice, stretch a bit, demo the Acer S7 and then enjoy a featured artist.

Sanctuary takes place March 9 through 12 at the Austin Museum of Art: Arthouse, Jones Center, 700 Congress Ave, Austin, TX. Healthy food and workout events are scheduled for the mornings, with the music performances at 1:30pm most days. For a full schedule of events and links to RSVP for different sessions head to Flavorpill.

AMOA: Arthouse will also be hosting the SXSW Interactive 2013 Twitter #FEED House, billed as an “interactive experience at the intersection of art, technology and social media.” The #FEED House was a hit at SXSW Interactive 2012 and should be worth checking out again this year. Dubspot Visual Performance course designer V Owen Bush of Glowing Pictures will be VJing all 5 nights of #FEED so be sure to stop by. Glowing Pictures also designed the motion branding for #FEED 2013.

Glowing Pictures at #FEEDsxsw

Classixx – “Cold Act iLL”

Reggie Watts – “Emulsification”

Dirty Projectors – “About To Die”

See Full Schedule:  http://thehookup.flavorpill.com/sanctuary/

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Communikey (Boulder, CO) April 25 -28, 2013

Boulder, Colorado’s Communikey Festival kicks off our list with five days of music performances, films, workshops, and art installations happening throughout beautiful Boulder’s downtown area at the end of April. Over the past few years CMKY has become a pillar in the festival circuit by way of its DIY spirit, collaborative community, and a lineup of artists picked for artistic value as opposed to headliner draw. With a vibe similar to Decibel in Seattle, Communikey aims for an intimate, intentional experience that often tangents into full-on dance party. But where most festivals put party at the forefront, Communikey is a different kind of festival that is fueled in part by the local community’s connection to Left Coast ethics and on the other hand driven by Boulder’s flourishing local music and art scenes. While a full lineup for 2013 has not yet been announced, Derek Plaslaiko, Mountains and Nicolas Jaar have been confirmed for the event. Information on attending Communikey events can be found on the events page of their website.

Together (Boston, MA) May 13-19, 2013

Since its inception in 2009, Boston’s Together Festival has been steadily building a following for a DIY community spirit that fuels this week long festival that happens every year in Boston and Cambridge, MA. With performances, workshops, panels, discussions, daytime events, nighttime events, international stars and local talent, Together was created with the intention of pulling together Boston’s sometimes segregated music scene for a week of celebration.

Boston has a strong history of electronic music culture and has exported many talents such as Soul Clap, Dana Kelley, Morgan Page, Steve Porter, Armand Van Helden and DJ Rupture, to name just a few. While this year’s full music lineup has not yet been announced, headliners Crystal Castles, Gold Panda, Mathew Johnson, Soul Clap, and Voices of Black have been confirmed, making for an exciting start to this year’s event. Presale tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks, stay tuned to togetherboston.com for information.

Movement (Detroit MI) May 25-27, 2013

Over the past decade DEMF / Movement has become one of the United States’ premier electronic music festivals, with each year’s lineup hand-picked with the hardcore electronic music enthusiast in mind. And while the festival’s roots lie in techno, the music policy at Movement continues to evolve and embrace artists who are pushing the boundaries of dance music in new directions. Each year aims to be better than the last, and Paxahau’s 2013 Movement experience offers a huge lineup of talent including A Tribe Called Quest, Masters at Work, Moodymann, Andy C, Mala, Richie Hawtin, Silent Servant, The Bug and many more. And while the lineup seems to be getting bigger each year, the real appeal of this event is the midwestern hospitality: everyone in the city seems to be celebrating at festival time, and last year the mayor of Detroit publicly announced the week of the festival as “Detroit Techno Week.” A beautiful location at Hart Plaza and really reasonable prices for a weekend of top-notch entertainment keep bringing us back for Movement. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased at Movement’s website.

Mutek (Montreal, QC) May 29 – June 2, 2013

Now in its 14th year, Montreal’s Mutek festival has firmly established itself as North America’s premier event for refined electronic music tastes. Mutek is “a marathon journey through the world of digital arts and electronic music” held in Canada’s techno capital that focuses on the fringes of sound and draws a crowd of discerning electronic music fans. Over the course of the five-day festival you can find day and evening events, art installations and all-night parties that lean towards techno, house, dub, IDM, and experimental electronic music. While Mutek 14’s full lineup is still under wraps, Matthew Herbert, Robert Hood, John Talabot, Jamie Lidell, Âme, Andy Stott, Martyn, Michael Mayer, Juju & Jordash and Japanese artist Ryoichi Kurokawa have been confirmed for performances this year. Ticket and event prices will be announced in the near future on Mutek’s website.

Lightning in a Bottle (Winchester, CA) July 11 – 15, 2013

Click here to view the embedded video.

Over the past few years Lightning in a Bottle has become one of Southern California’s favorite music festivals, with a history of great music, stunning audio/visual experiences and interactive environments. LIB’s creators / producers The Do Lab specialize in building event settings using found objects, natural materials and sustainable resources, which all leads to a unique festival experience. While this all sounds quite Left Coast (and it’s definitely a Burning Man-inspired event), for more than ten years they have put on a highly polished five-day event in a beautiful location every year, with an impressive combination of local and international talent. While this year’s lineup has not yet been announced, last year’s performers included Shpongle, Bassnectar, The Glitch Mob, Alexi Delano, Justin Martin, Lee Burridge, and Apparat, which should give an idea of the caliber of the artists they book. A limited number of early bird discount passes have already been sold out but general tickets for Lightning in a Bottle will go on sale March 18th.

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On Wednesday March 6th (3:00-4:30pm EST), Dubspot will host a live streaming workshop with legendary DJ/producer Sasha, who will share techniques for performing and producing with Ableton Live in support of his latest album Involver 3, scheduled for release March 18th on the Ministry Of Sound imprint.

RSVP on our Facebook event page to attend in person. The event will also be streamed live through this blog post, check this link on the day of the workshop.

Welsh superstar DJ and producer Sasha (Alexander Paul Coe) has been influencing global club scene for over two decades through original productions, remixes and DJ sets that consistently display his deep understanding of modern dance music. His residencies at Twilo, NYC and in Ibiza with partner John Digweed set standards for modern clubbing while his mix CDs for the well-known Global Underground series made Sasha a household name. Sasha’s Involver series of mixes see the DJ curating a list of tracks, dissecting them into loops and layers of sound and reassembling them into unique DJ mixes. Involver 3 will be released on March 18 and features unique remixes of James Zabeila, Little Dragon, The Ananda Project, Blondes, and The XX.

From Wikipedia: Sasha (born Alexander Paul Coe on 4 September 1969 in Bangor, Caernarfonshire, Wales) is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s. He partnered with fellow DJ John Digweed in 1993, touring internationally and producing a series of mixes together. Sasha has produced multiple UK-charting singles and has remixed tracks for artists such as Madonna, The Chemical Brothers and Hot Chip. His remix of Felix da Housecat’s “Watching Cars Go By” earned him a 2004 Grammy nomination. Sasha’s remixing and production often combine electronic music genres, making it difficult for critics to pinpoint his musical style, including on his debut album of original work, Airdrawndagger.

After achieving success as a producer and DJ, Sasha has worked with younger DJs and producers such as BT and James Zabiela, influencing their musical styles and techniques. His use of live audio engineering equipment helped popularize technological innovations among DJs who formerly relied on records and turntables. Despite the changing trends in electronic dance music, Sasha continues to perform in large dance venues.

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Just go to our Google+ page to watch the stream.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

NYC COURSES
Morning Classes: March 11, 2013; Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, 10:15-1pm
Evening Classes: March 19, 2013; Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fri 6:15pm-9pm
Weekend Classes: March 16, 2013; Saturdays, 12:00-6pm

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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New York City’s Cielo nightclub is a true dance music lovers’ venue. This small club—which celebrated its tenth anniversary this year—is one of the last of its kind, a now-historic Lower Manhattan venue designed and run specifically for underground dance music and its devotees. In the past decade Cielo has become a well-known name in dance music for their big-name DJ bookings and residencies from the likes of Lil’ Louie Vega and François K, but what really makes Cielo unique is pristine sound in an intimate space: the 350-person capacity room in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District is also home to the city’s first and only permanently-installed Funktion One sound system.

Nicolas Matar and Cielo

Cielo’s owner Nicolas Matar is an in-demand international DJ himself, having spent seven years of his life spinning records in Ibiza up to five nights a week at venues including house music mecca Pacha. For Nicolas, though, clubbing in New York City hasn’t quite been the same since the 90s. In an interview with online publication Rhythmism, he attributes the sudden shift in vibe to Mayor Giuliani’s crackdown on nightlife in the late 1990s. This initiative introduced rigorous inspections for fire safety and sanitation, created pressure to root out drug use in nightclubs, boosted the cost of various entertainment-related permits and licenses, and most famously revived a cabaret law from 1926 that banned three or more patrons from dancing without a specific permit.

While New York’s proliferation of nightlife dwindled in the past decade, however, Nicolas has kept the torch burning over at Cielo, booking many of the DJs you might have caught at the Paradise Garage in the late 80s or at venues like the Sound Factory in the 90s alongside newcomers from the Berlin and London underground scenes. On weekends you can expect a line down the block, a very picky door policy, and some of the most sought-after house and techno DJs in the world taking a night off from their usual festival and superclub gigs to rock the crowd at Cielo.

François K. and Deep Space

The Cielo experience isn’t always as exclusive as it is on Fridays and Saturday, though. On Monday nights the club drops its tough door policy, drops the cover charge by half, and allows the disciples of underground groove to convene for services at DJ François K.’s church of vibes. A dance music legend in his own right who has been performing for nearly four decades, François’ Monday night party Deep Space has been running nearly every week for the past nine years, playing host to a who’s-who of internationally-renowned DJs and live performers who jump at the opportunity to juice the subs at what audiophiles have called “the best-sounding club in the country.”

Throughout its nine-year history, Deep Space has maintained a reputation for “future dub, spacey vibes, and abstract grooves,” all while keeping current with constantly shifting global music trends. The list of DJs and live musicians that have played the night includes countless major innovators of electronic dance music such as original dubstep shaman Mala of Digital Mystikz, Hyperdub label manager Kode9, Detroit techno pioneer Juan Atkins and British radio legend Gilles Peterson, to name just a few.

Funktion One: Award-Winning Sound

And while the award-winning, British-designed Funktion One hardware is a talking point for electronic music nerds, it’s the combination of interior architecture and design, top-tier sound technicians, and a proper hardware setup that makes Cielo’s womb-like sonic warmth possible.

“For a 300-capacity room the sound system in [Cielo] is huge,” says resident audio engineer Daniel Neumann, adding that “high-quality audio is only achieved as the sum of every detail.” It’s Neumann’s job to make sure that all the components function properly and sound their best night after night. There are a dozen points at which the signal chain in an audio setup can break down, including unnecessary routing, faulty cables, a DJ mixer or an amplifier that’s being pushed beyond its limit, or a substandard audio interface that can reduce the quality of the signal. Neumann follows the signal from start to finish to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

“At Cielo a big part of the sound is definitely the room treatment. The padded walls (and even part of the ceiling) absorb most of the sound,” rather than allowing it to bounce around the room. “That’s exactly what you want for club music, since the tracks work with spatialization and placement physicality built into the tracks, not necessarily added later on, as in classical music.” Only with the combination of proper engineering, interior design, and thorough sound checks can the Funktion One do what it’s made to do. In a club setting, “the usual formula for sound systems is 10 watts per person, which for Cielo would mean a 3,000-watt system. But the subwoofers alone can take around 10,000 watts, plus the low-mids another 4,000 watts.”

Beyond the raw power of Cielo’s amps and loudspeakers, the design of the amplifier system and frequency crossovers accounts for much of the quality; “It’s a four-way system, so you have a very clear distinction between frequency bands—highs, high-mids, low-mids, lows—which makes a much clearer sound, because each box is built to only serve a certain range.” “Cielo is sent prototypes of new gear and serves as a testing club for new technologies developed by Funktion One,” says owner Nicolas Matar. “We spared no expense in acoustically treating the room to make it sound like you’re in a studio environment.”

So if you’re looking to relive the 90s and get housed by Frankie Knuckles and Louie Vega, if you need a couple doses of dark, sexy minimalism from Berlin, or if you want to get your skank on with dubstep dons like Goth-Trad and J:Kenzo, get your tickets in advance and hop on the L train to Cielo. And to all you aspiring DJs: don’t waste your time trying to trainspot from behind the DJ booth—the Funktion One’s sweet spot is smack dab in the middle of the dancefloor. - Max Pearl

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Course designer and instructor Matt Shadetek will discuss our six-level program in Logic, which covers the complete composition and production process in Apple’s music production software. This workshop will run from 7-9pm EST on February 13, 2013. You can RSVP to the event on our Facebook page if you’d like to attend the event at our NYC location; to watch online just come back to this page on February 13th and you will find a link to the live stream.

Matt Shadetek is a DJ/producer and teacher based in Brooklyn, New York. He runs the Dutty Artz label with DJ /Rupture and will be releasing his second solo album The Empire Never Ended on March 26th, 2013. Hear his music at mattshadetek.com

Master Logic with our complete program of courses culminating in a four-track EP ready for release. In addition to achieving a complete overview of the composition process in Logic you’ll also earn the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Logic Pro. After completing this program, you will leave with a new EP, a remix entered in an active remix contest, and a scored commercial to widen your scope.

What’s Included

• Logic Pro Level 1: Shake Hands with Logic
• Logic Pro Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Logic Pro Level 3: Mixing Essentials
• Logic Pro Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Logic Pro Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Logic Pro Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

Music Production with Logic Pro classes just started, sign up today!

January 30th in NYC – Wednesdays & Fridays, 6:15-9:00pm
The week of April 21st DUBSPOT ONLINE

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Britt goes on to stress the importance of selflessness and letting go of the musical ego while developing royalty-free sounds that will inspire other artists. Displaying the intelligence and thought behind his concept for the Fragments series, he demonstrates how these packs can be used for performance or recording and yield unexpected combinations and beats.

A lifelong musician, Britt kicked off his career with his first DJ residency in 1990, helping to popularize dance music in the Philadelphia area. Early success with electronic music productions like “Tribal Confusion” led to Britt joining Digable Planets on tour for two years, and then founding Ovum Recordings together with Josh Wink in 1994. Since then, Britt has continued to keep it fresh by taking what he likes from new sounds without losing his own musical identity, moving through hip hop and house to neo soul, techno and beyond, while remixing artists as diverse as Tori Amos and Miles Davis.

Music Production w/ Ableton Live

NYC COURSES
Morning Classes: March 11, 2013; Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, 10:15-1pm
Evening Classes: March 19, 2013; Tuesdays and Thursdays, Fri 6:15pm-9pm
Weekend Classes: March 16, 2013; Saturdays, 12:00-6pm

ONLINE COURSES in session with seats still available. Register today!

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“So far the experience through Dubspot is incredible, and I can’t wait to go through the next levels. It’s just getting better each week, and I can not wait to start putting an EP together, not just being able to put a successful track together!” - Dan Carter, United Kingdom

Start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.

Or if you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Attention New York Ableton users! On Tuesday February 19th from 9:15 – 11pm, our Dubspot Ableton User Group continues with instructor / host Dan Freeman. The event will also feature special guest Fernando Arruda a.k.a. FJAZZ…

Arruda will demonstrate a live performance technique he has developed to allow for seamless mixes in Live between tracks with varying tempos. He will also demo his FJAZZ live setup and explain how to create a “hybrid performance” combining DJ tracks and live instruments. If you’d like to attend, please RSVP at our Facebook Event Page.

Check out this promo video for Arruda’s 2012 release as FJAZZ, Sound Bending, showcasing some of his unique electronic + jazz improv sounds:

“In the past decade the laptop has revolutionized the way music is performed and produced and Ableton has been at the forefront of making the laptop a powerful production and performance tool. The NYC Ableton User Group is a place to learn about this remarkable software and see how guest artists and other attendees are putting it to use.” - Dan Freeman

From the studio to the stage, learn to use Ableton Live to create, record, produce, and perform your music. Learn about linear and improvisational styles of producing electronic music as we help you master the software’s innovative interface.

After completing this program, you will leave with four completed tracks (an EP), a remix entered in an active contest, a scored commercial to widen your scope, and the Dubspot Producer’s Certificate in Ableton Live.

Start Dates and Times for Music Production w/ Ableton Live

What’s Included:

• Ableton Live Level 1: Shake Hands with Live
• Ableton Live Level 2: Completing Your First Track
• Ableton Live Level 3: Production Essentials
• Ableton Live Level 4: Sound Design & Instrumentation
• Ableton Live Level 5: Advanced Composition & Production
• Ableton Live Level 6: Taking Your EP Global

“I summarize my experience at Dubspot as an adventure! I learned the equipment and the mentality. Ableton is now my playground, and I owe it all to Dubspot.” – Peter Ardent

More start dates and information about payment plans can be found here.
If you have questions, please call 877.DUBSPOT or send us a message.

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Apogee Pro Audio Interfaces Add iOS Connectivity

One of the more prominent themes at NAMM this year is iOS connectivity and Apogee is one of the companies leading the charge. They have recently announced new versions of their popular Duet and One audio interfaces, which will now be supporting iOS devices as well as Apple computers. In addition, they have announced a new audio interface for the prosumer market, the Quartet. This wedge-shaped box offers eight outputs, four inputs and Apogee’s renowned digital-to-analog converters for around $1295 US.

Algoriddim Vjay + Vestax Typhoon

One of the more surprising moments at NAMM this week was stumbling upon the Vestax booth where the company was displaying a new version of their Typhoon DJ MIDI controller being used with Algoriddim’s Vjay application on iPad. We found this tactile interface for video performance very appealing and left thinking that we needed to start building our own iOS VJ setup…

Moldover’s Guitar Mod–the Robocaster from Visionary Instruments

Another innovative instrument we made sure to check out is Moldover’s fusion of guitar tech and controllerism for Visionary Instruments, the Robocaster. Featuring assignable faders, touch strips and arcade buttons, this guitar outputs audio as well as MIDI simultaneously, allowing you to control any MIDI software or hardware while playing guitar at the same time. We saw a demo featuring the Robocaster connected to Native Instruments Guitar Rig 5, controlling octave transposition with the arcade buttons and volume with a fader and countless other cool, glitchy effects assigned to the other controls.

Novation Launchkey + iOS Apps

It’s been a while since we’ve seen new hardware from Novation. The company has been enjoying the success of their Launchpad controller for Ableton Live and now they have announced that they are expanding the line of Launchpad control products with a new line of keyboard controllers collectively called Launchkey that integrate clip launch buttons, faders, knobs, and transport control into the design. They seem to incorporate some version of Novation’s Automap technology as well, promising “instant access to major DAW control parameters–with no assignment necessary.” The company has also released a Launchkey synth application for the iPad which will integrate with the new keyboards.

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