Click here to view the embedded video.

In the lower left corner of Live’s interface you can enable the Info View which will display information about whatever your mouse is hovering over at the time.  This is very helpful when you are approaching a new instrument or effect for the first time.  But wait there’s more…

What I didn’t know was that you can actually write your own notes in the Info View. You can right-click on a clip or track and select Edit Info Text from the contextual menu, which allows you to type your own notes that will be displayed in the Info View whenever someone hovers their mouse over that particular clip or track. This can be very useful if you are sharing your Live sets with other people. For example, let’s say you need someone else to mix a song for you; you can write little notes about the tracks or individual clips and all of that info will be saved with your set and displayed in the Info View for your mixing engineer’s reading pleasure (but of course that’s just one application).  Yet another feature that is conveniently hidden… haha! – Thavius Beck

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Los Angeles-based producers and remixers Salva and Shlohmo recently stopped by Dubspot NYC for a music production workshop and interview. The two Friends of Friends recording artists were on the east coast trek of their tour. Salva is heavily influenced by Chicago house, freestyle, hip hop and electro. He has been producing genre-defying electronic music for quite some time and heads Frite Nite, an independent record label and crew based in San Francisco. Salva’s latest release is an EP titled Yellobone and it’s out now on FoF Music. Shlohmo, a member of the WEDIDIT Collective popped up on our radar just over two years ago with the fantastic Shlomoshun Deluxe compilation. His debut album Bad Vibes came out last year and his new Vacation EP is currently receiving excellent reviews.

The two electronic music artists talk about their influences, inspirations, LA underground music community, Low End Theory, music education, and much more. Salva also talked about his production workflow and demonstrated Logic Pro’s ESX24 Sampler and Pitch Correction plug-in, explained how he utilizes the sampler to manipulate vocal samples, slices and converts them into playable sampler instruments.

Shlohmo – wen uuu by FoFMusic

Click here to view the embedded video.

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.

Logic Pro Producer Certificate Program

Classes start in NYC January 18th!
ONLINE Class just started; Sign up today!

See more dates NYC and ONLINE classes!

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.

For more start dates and information about payment plans, please call 212.242.2100 or 1.877.DUBSPOT (1.877.382.7768) or send us a message.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“The video was created together with my friends Benton-C Bainbridge and V Owen Bush using a historic piece of gear from the early 70s,” Nalepa explains. “Daytime’s imagery was hand-crafted with the Rutt/Etra Video Synthesizer, an analog video instrument built in the early 70s. Like a TV from another dimension, the Rutt / Etra gives artists total control of the screen with knobs, oscillators and sound-responsive circuitry. It is a modular analog computer, programmed with patch cords.”

NALEPA and SUBJECTION LIVE @ LOW END THEORY (2/1/2012)

In addition to a new single and video, Nalepa will also be performing at the legendary Low End Theory in Los Angeles this coming Wednesday, February 1, 2012. He will be performing a true audio / visual set with synced sound + video controlled with Ableton Live. Nalepa will be sharing the bill with his talented 12 year old student and bass prodigy, Frankie (aka Subjection), the youngest producer to ever play at Low End Theory!

Nalepa and Frankie presenting at Dubspot’s Production 101 Workshop

Low End Theory Wednesday 2/1: NALEPA, SUBJECTION, and special guest

plus residents Daddy Kev, Nobody, Gaslamp Killer, Nocando and D-Styles

Low End Theory @ Airliner
2419 N Broadway Los Angeles, California
18+ / $10 cover RSVP
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Processing Live Vocals With Ableton Live: This video is really aimed at folks who want to take advantage of Ableton Live’s powerful effects and use them for live vocal performance, whether you’re a singer for a band or a DJ who wants to process some vocals during a set. This is also for producers who what to know how to route vocals into Live and work with the vocoder effect.

A Little Background: I’ve always been a bass player and have spent countless hours obsessing about my sound. In order to get the sound I wanted, I learned to process my bass through effect pedals. As a producer, I spend a lot of time processing vocals and tweaking the sound. The first shows I did with Comandante Zero, were typical of New York City clubs: the sound engineer sticks a Shure SM-58 in front of your face and the sound of your voice is at the mercy of the guy behind the board. I quickly realized that, if I had full control over my bass sound, why not my vocal sound? At first I bought vocal effects pedals. There are some great pedals out there, however, since we were using Ableton Live to run our set anyway and I use it to effect vocals when I produce, I decided about 2 years ago to figure out a way to route the vocals through Ableton Live in order to streamline my equipment, and also replicate on stage the sounds I was getting in the studio.

Pros And Cons Of Processing Vocals With A Laptop:

The Pros: There are really powerful advantages to processing your vocals through a laptop running Ableton Live. Firstly, you have far greater control over the sound than most pedals. Secondly, if you are playing tracks though a laptop as well, it is really simple to synch the effects to your global tempo, especially delays. Thirdly, you can create vocal arrangements using tools like vocoder or looper that would be perfectly synched to your master tempo.

The Cons: Firstly: You really have to understand the signal path and get it right. In figuring this stuff out, I’ve definitely had some unhappy encounters with feedback etc. The signal path below definitely comes from trial and serious error. Secondly, you may run into latency issues, however, if you keep your buffer low (as I’ll explain below) and avoid external plug-ins that my use too much CPU or destabilize Live you should be OK. Thirdly, there is always the slight danger that your laptop may fail. I would say, get to know your signal chain and gear inside and out and come up with a back-up plan. Live is very stable and in the hundreds of shows I’ve done with it, it hasn’t failed me yet (knock on wood!) however, I still have a back-up plan in case it does.

My Signal Path for Processing Live (And Studio) Vocals:

My signal path for running vocals through a laptop running Ableton is as follows: Mic –> Pre-Amp –> Compressor –> Soundcard / Laptop –> DI Box –> PA.

Let me just say a little about each one:

Mic: I tend to use an SM-58 dynamic mic for live performance. It’s sturdy, relatively cheap and doesn’t require phantom power and I’ve found that dynamics have fewer feedback issues than condensers which is important when really processing the vocals. (I love condenser mics in the studio though). Plug the mic into a pre-amp, ideally using an XLR cable

Pre-Amp: You want to get something that adds some gain to your vocal signal before it hits the laptop. I’ve found that it always works better to have plenty of gain on vocals going into a laptop rather than use your laptop to add gain. In the studio I use a Great River ME-1NV. For live I use a TC Helicon Correct Pedal which provides a pre-amp and compressor in one pedal.

Compressor: A Compressor in your signal chain will smooth out some of the dynamic peaks of the vocal and also give you an opportunity to add a bit of gain if necessary. Ideally, for vocals going in you want to use a gentle ratio 2:1 with a faster attack and slower release. In the studio, I love the Empirical Labs EL-8 for vocals. For live I simply use the TC Helicon’s built in compressor.

Sound Card: The soundcard is what converts your audio to digital so that your laptop can process it. For live performance I use the MOTU UltraLite-MK3. If you’re going to be doing live vocal performance with a laptop, there are a couple of important things to keep in mind about your soundcard: 1. Make sure it’s Firewire rather than USB. 2. Make sure it has more than two outs. 3. Unless you have some serious cash to spend, or have some techs taking care of your stuff, get something in the 300 – 600 range. For live, unlike the studio, pristine audio is not as crucial and stuff happens on gigs. Check out this blog post I wrote to see more on this topic and some options.

DI Box: Once the the signal is processed by Ableton, it goes back out through the laptop and gets converted to audio once again by the sound card. (In my case the MOTU Ultralite-MK3). I like a DI at the end of my signal chain because the MOTU only has 1/4 inch outputs. My Radial DI Box allows you to plug in an unbalanced 1/4 cable and convert it to a balanced XLR cable. Thus you will send an XLR out to the house which will cut down on the noise of an unbalanced cable.

Setting Up Ableton Live to Process Vocals:

1. Go to Live’s Preferences and select the ‘Audio’ tab. Select your audio input and audio output device there. Also, make sure to set your Buffer Size to either 128 or 256 Samples. You want to keep it low to prevent latency.

2. Create an Audio Track in Session View (Use to Command-T key command) and then hit Option-Command-I to access the track’s In/Out Section. (You can also do this by hitting the I-O button on the lower right hand side of Live’s Session View)

3. Bring the fader all the way down! In the ‘Audio From’ tab, choose ‘Ext In’ and the channel you are sending stuff into your sound card. Set the ‘Monitor’ section to ‘In’ and you’ll see the track activate button turn orange. Then in the ‘Audio To’ tab select Ext Out and select the channel the audio will go out of on your sound card. (You can also send it to the master and set up the master to go Ext Out) For live performance, I generally don’t route through the master because I like each track (Vocals, Drums processing, Click, Tracks) etc. to exit on their own channels of the sound card, but that’s just me.

4. Now slowly bring your fader up slowly and you should see the audio registering in the meter and hear yourself coming from the speakers, headphones. If you hear feedback, immediately kill it by pulling the fader down, de-activating the track or pulling down the volume on your PA.

Building A Vocoder:

The vocoder is a cool and fascinating effect. It was originally developed as a telephone communication technology in the 1920’s and 30’s and during World War II it was used to transmit encrypted messages for high level military communications. This vocoder, known as SIGSALY weighed 50 tons and took up a whole room. If you want to read more about how it works, read here.

To set up a Vocoder within Ableton, we need two tracks: an audio track and a MIDI track. Let’s use the audio track that you set up to get your vocals into Live and create a new MIDI track (Shift-Command-T). Here are the steps to set it up:

1. Go to Live’s Device Browser and find the Vocoder in the Audio Effects folder. Drop it into the Audio Track. The track with your voice is known as the ‘Modulator‘ part of the vocoder. Speak into it. It’s default is set to ‘Noise’ which is probably not the sound you want, but you should see signal going into it.

2. Now we’ll create the ‘Carrier‘ track that will provide the harmonic information. In the MIDI track, place an Analog from Live’s Device Browser. Click on the section that says ‘Amp 1′ and you’ll see it turn white. Inside the black display section of Analog, you’ll see a number under the heading ‘Sustain’. Raise this up from 0 to 1.00. You should see the shape of the envelope change so that it looks almost like a rectangle.

3. If you want to control your vocoder with a keyboard, either arm the MIDI track to record or set the Monitor to ‘In’ (As we did with our original audio track). Don’t do both through. Now when you connect a MIDI keyboard, you should hear the Analog play longer tones with its default sawtooth wave.

4. Really Important – Now deactivate the track by clicking the yellow (or orange) square with the number below the track’s pan knob.

5. Go back to your audio track and go to the Vocoder effect in the track. On the menu on the upper left of the instrument, select ‘External’ and in the menu tab below it, select the track that has the Analog. (Your carrier track)

6. Now hit a chord on your keyboard and speak into your mic and you should have a vocoder. Remember that with a vocoder you need both a Modulator and a Carrier. If you speak into the track without holding down a note from the Analog, you won’t hear anything. If you hit a note on the Analog without saying anything, you won’t hear anything either.

Some Settings On Ableton Live’s Vocoder:

A couple of useful knobs and parameters to tweak to get different colors from the vocoder:

1. Bands: Fewer bands = More Old School. More bands = More intelligible. Try it.

2. Range: I tend to set the lower range of the vocoder to about 200 Hz since I don’t want the lower frequencies interfering with my mix.

3. Precise/Retro: Different Colors – try it.

4. Gate: For live performance, this is very useful. It sets a gate so that below a threshold the vocoder won’t pick up noise. I tend to set mine to -40db.

5. Formant: To the left you get more of a ‘Male’ character. To the right more of a ‘Female’ character. Try it.

6. Dry/Wet: How much vocoder versus how much of your natural voice you want.

Using Live’s Vocoder For Live Performance:

The challenge with a vocoder for live performance, as opposed to using it in the studio, is that to get it to work, you need to play chords on a keyboard as you sing. If you’re not a keyboard player, or don’t want to be burdened with the extra gear, it can be a pain. (This is one reason I don’t use my MicroKorg vocoder, which I really like, for live shows since I’m a bass player and don’t have 3 arms). This is one nice thing about using Ableton to process your vocals, because not only can you create a hands-free vocoder, but you have a lot of power to create cool vocal arrangements with it. This is the technique that I use:

1. I take the song that I want to use the vocoder on and place it in Live’s Session View and Warp it.

2. I copy and and paste the clip (using the Command-C and Command-V key commands) into Live’s Session View, so it’s laid out left to right and I can see the entire track and which bars I’m going to be singing on.

3. In arrangement view I create a MIDI clip (Shift-Command-M) the exact length of the song and program the chords that I want to use at the exact points in the song they will come in. For example, if my chorus starts at bar 16, at bar 16 in the MIDI clip, I’ll pencil in or play a B – Flat chord that lasts, say, two bars.

4. Once you’ve finished programming this MIDI clip, copy it and drop it into the same scene as your backing track. Make sure you place it in the ‘Carrier‘ track with the Analog . When you launch the the scene, the MIDI notes in the carrier with be send to the modulator track as you sing into it. Then you will have a hands-free vocoder.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Ableton Live is one of the most flexible, capable, and robust pieces of software I’ve ever been lucky enough to use on a day to day basis. But even as an Ableton Certified trainer and daily user, there are still a few easter eggs that I stumble upon and think, “Wow, had I known that last year I would have already gone platinum by now!” Haha! Not quite, but I think you get the idea.

Inspired by the tip that you all are about to learn in the following video, my fellow Dubspot colleague Steve Nalepa suggested that a video tutorial series be done about all of the hidden things in Live that can be revealed by a simple Right-click of the mouse. After giving that a bit of thought, I tweaked the initial idea and decided to focus on a handful of things that all users, no matter how novice or advanced, may have never known was possible in our beloved piece of software. Thus the brand new video tutorial series entitled, “Did You Know?” was born! I hope you enjoy and continue to be creative!” – Thavius Beck

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (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.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Professor Nalepa: Vocal Effect Techniques (Radiohead, Nosaj Thing)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Pat Cupo: Drum Rack + Impulse = DrumPulse

Click here to view the embedded video.

John Selway: Operator Techno Fundamentals – More Than A Bassline

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mike Hatsis (!banginclude): Warping Full Tracks (the right way)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (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.

Give the gift of music with a Dubspot Gift Certificate this holiday season! Dubspot is offering a variety of savings on music production and DJ courses  for any aspiring producer or DJ on your gift list.  To order gift certificates, browse our course offering and then call 212.242.2100 or email info@dubspot.com.

Check out a list of classes along with certificates below.

Friday Night Spin Session Gift Certificate

Hands-on and interactive, this 2hr 45min DJ class will introduce you to the equipment and basic techniques of DJing. Create your first 2 song mix and see what really happens behind the booth! The perfect gift for the curious soul. You may deduct the cost of this course if you decide to continue on. ($125)

Call 1.877.DUBSPOT (1.877.382.7768) to order.

Electronic Music Production Workshop Gift Certificate

Choose from one of our 6 hour weekend workshops Intro to Electronic Music Production, Intro to Ableton Live, Intro to Logic Pro, Intro to Reason & Record, or Intro to Pro Tools. Get hands-on experience with tools of the professionals and learn the building blocks of making your own track. ($195)

Call 1.877.DUBSPOT (1.877.382.7768) to order.

DJ Extensive Program Gift Certificate

This 6-month course was designed for those who really want to experience the techniques of professional DJ’s. This certificate includes the DJ Extensive Program as well as the Intro to Ableton Live weekend workshop. ($1,895)

Call 1.877.DUBSPOT (1.877.382.7768) to order.

Dubspot Custom Experience Gift Certificate

Any Dubspot program, course, or weekend workshop can be scheduled and wrapped into a gift for your music lover. We can even arrange private one-on-one sessions with our instructors at an affordable price. (Call for details)

Call 1.877.DUBSPOT (1.877.382.7768) to order.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Dubspot celebrated Make Music New York Festival 2011 with a series of exclusive live performances and DJ sets from NYC’s best kept secret in the field of electronic music production and performance. The video above recaps the even which took place in front Dubspot’s HQ in Manhattan’s West Village.

Dubspot celebrated Make Music New York Festival 2011 with a series of exclusive live performances and DJ sets from NYC’s best kept secret in the field of electronic music production and performance. On the first day of Summer, June 21st, MMNY 2011 kicked off with over 1,000 free outdoor concerts around our NYC, and here at Dubspot’s HQ in Manhattan’s West Village we gather rising electronic music artists and performers, including some Dubspot instructors to deliver excellent dance music free for the public all afternoon. This video recaps some of the highlights at MMNY 2011 @ Dubspot.

oddlogic
M-Audio Trigger Finger / Traktor Pro 2

!banginclude
Akai APC-40 / Ableton Live

ATOM
RANE TTL 57SL Mixer / Serato Scratch Live
Kenton Killamix Mini

HeavyW8bit ChampionChip
NES / FamiTracker software
GameBoy / Music Tech 1.0 software
Commodore 64 / Cynthcart software

Exaltron
Steinberger MIDI Guitar / Vocoder Mic
Evolution MIDI Keyboard / Ableton Live
Line 6 FBV Express Pedal
Trumpet / Max for Live Effects

Muvlikamor
Akai APC-40 / Ableton Live

In The Loop
Brian Moore i2 MIDI Equipped Guitar
Behringer FCB 1010 Pedal
Akai APC-40 / Ableton Live

DJ Endo
Native Instruments Maschine / Traktor Pro 2
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S4

Archie Pelago
Saxophone / Korg NanoKontrol / Ableton Live
Cello / Korg NanoKontrol / Ableton Live
Behringer DJX750 Mixer / Serato Scratch Live

DJ Reborn
Serato Scratch Live
Technics SL-1000 Turntables

DJ Shakey & Christopher Malechki
Acoustic Guitar
Novation Remote 25 Controller / Ableton Live

MAKE MUSIC WINTER, DECEMBER 21, 2011

Make Music New York is is launching a new music festival this month. Make Music Winter happens Wednesday, December 21st shortest night of the year and if you’re a singer, musician, DJ, producer you’re invited to take part!

Make Music Winter is inspired by composer Phil Kline’s annual Unsilent Night, Los Pleneros de la 21 in which a meditative, joyous electronic piece is played through dozens of boomboxes carried by volunteers through the East Village on an evening in late December. Unsilent Night has taken place since 1992, drawing crowds of over 1,000.  Launching next month on Wednesday, December 21st, Make Music Winter expands this cult holiday tradition into a festival of one dozen musical parades, each with its own distinct type of music, in neighborhoods across New York City.

Sixty Works’ Dave Cross was not satisfied with the selection of hardware MIDI controllers on the market, so he built his own. In fact, he’s built a bunch of them. 60 Works currently specializes in custom hardware creation of MIDI controllers that Cross builds by hand and he’s just launched a new site, Zayik, where you can design your own dream controller that he’ll put together for you. He’s collaborated with Matt Moldover on a MIDI controller for Bassnectar and he recently visited Richie Hawtin to talk shop about interface design for performance. What began as a sideline D.I.Y. project has now become a full time gig in developing creative hardware solutions for performers and producers.
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The Briefcase

“I built the Briefcase (above) in 2006 while I was working at a DJ magazine,” Cross explains. “It predates most DJ-oriented MIDI controllers on the market. I wanted to fully encapsulate a 3-track DJ Mixing paradigm in a single controller. It was an attempt to motivate myself to play out more with Ableton Live.” The Briefcase was put together with an OEM parts kit from Doepfer that was arranged inside the chassis of a 70′s-era portable Sony microphone mixer. The project caught great response online and  from performers / producers (some of whom he’s not allowed to mention because of non disclosure contracts) who pushed him to follow this path of creating boutique devices. During that time Cross had also worked for Ableton’s press department, stockpiling more knowledge of what users want out of performance controllers while simultaneously building his own knowledge of music production and performance.
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The Third Deck

60 Works’ Third Deck is a beautifully constructed unit that was created to do just one thing – add one digital deck to your setup. It’s an experiment in form and function because it’s something that the controller industry would most likely never make but something that DJs would use. “The Third Deck was me imagining how a vinyl die-hard could be eased into using a laptop in the booth. It was built for a certain type of DJ. This person understands the computer DJ experience, but wants to retain a traditional workflow, only dipping a toe into the computer world. They only want one laptop deck.”
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Custom MIDI Solutions

“A lot of what I’m doing is a reaction to mass produced goods,” Cross says. “This isn’t some xenophobic reaction to Chinese manufacturing. Nor is it a indictment of plastic goods. I simply feel the market can bear a wider variety of manufacturers than is currently available. Especially in the controller realm.”

60 Works’ devices are built by hand in a variety of forms using Hale Micro OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) components built to the needs of individual artists. “If a client comes to me with an idea for a product, then it’s clearly their call. I may respond with suggestions based on ergonomics and parts availability, but I wouldn’t try to force them towards a particular performance philosophy. If they ask, I’ll share my opinion, but they’re the artist.”
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On Meeting with Richie Hawtin

“Hawtin wrote me out of the blue about a year ago. This was right after I got some great press on the launch of 60 Works. He seemed to enjoy an article I had written. Lots of back-and-forth, email chats dying off, then picking up again. The focus of the conversation was mostly on DJ and Live PA tech. In early 2011, he had a short stint in the US without gigs, so we decided to meet while it was relatively affordable for me. I went to Windsor to meet with him, and it was a great experience. It was a geek-out weekend, talking about the state of custom MIDI Brains, about DJing iOS apps, gourmet hamburgers in Windsor, and the early days (this was just as he was wrapping up his Arkives box set). I got to meet his family, received advice on a variety of topics, and I shared some tips on what I’ve learned. He’s a genuinely nice guy. Canadians…”

Zayik Custom Controller Design Website

Most recently Dave Cross has launched a new brand and website that allows users to design a custom MIDI device through a software interface on the Zayik website. You can then have it built to your spec and shipped to your door. The interface allows you to drag and drop knobs, faders and buttons to be arranged on the control surface as you see fit. You can also start with a few templates for different purposes and customize them to your liking. “Zayik is a middle ground, a way for someone to start a conversation about MIDI controllers without having to dream up every single possibility. It purposefully sets boundaries to establish a frame of reference for controller-building.”

Into The Future

“I have some plans to expand my portfolio with additional controller designs.  One is a production unit based around parametric EQs. People keep saying EQ & compression are the true keys to production, so I thought I’d build a some controllers around that paradigm. The second is a dual-unit DJ design. One unit is for mixing and triggering. A separate unit is for track selection. This one is personal — I feel strongly about separating the act of track selection from the art of mixing. It’s a statement I hope to make, in controller form.”

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Michael Walsh is the Editor of Dubspot’s Blog, a producer of audio/visual art and a journalist living in Southern California. Read more of his work at soundsdefygravity.com

In this exclusive video tutorial Ableton Certified trainer Martin Delaney presents “The Ableton Live Gangsta Sync Setup,” a simple way to sync two computers running Live. His method doesn’t use MIDI clock or time code. “It’s just a way to get them playing at the same time,” Martin explains. His solution lies in the use of Midi Remote settings in Ableton. By setting each computer’s  MIDI prefrences you can create a perfect start sync that avoids MIDI altogether and stays tight as you jam.
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Martin Delaney is a London-based Ableton Certified Trainer, electronic music producer, and writer focusing on music technology. Delaney has written for Future Music magazine, Computer Music magazine, and Resident Advisor and produced Live training materials for MacProVideo and PC Publishing.

Our music production program is custom-tailored to fit your musical style. You can choose from several Digital Audio Workstations including Ableton Live, Logic Pro, or Propellerhead’s Reason.

After completing this program, you will leave with 4 completed tracks (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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