Livid Instruments CNTRL:R – Performance MIDI / DJ Interface

Livid Instrument’s CNTRL:R is a new MIDI controller that was launched just before NAMM this year with the enticing allure of “designed with Richie Hawtin” added to the tagline of this new device. Housed in a lightweight aluminum body, CNTRL:R looks to be a sturdy piece of equipment that offers knobs, faders and buttons for tactile control of performances. The device features high quality faders, push button encoders, rotary knobs, expression pedal inputs, and keypads backed with RGB lights for interactive performance. Livid is also offering scripts for Ableton Live and NI Traktor that allow the CNTRL:R to work easily with your software.
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Richie Hawtin, M_Nus + Livid Instruments

The package looks beautiful, indeed. But what we really want to know is – how was Richie Hawtin and the M_Nus team involved in development? As a label they are leaders in live performance technique and always pulling some new tricks out of the bag. We recently got a moment to chat with Livid’s Jay Smith who explained the development process to us.

Jay Smith: In late 2009 Rich was asking Nova Musik, who are one of our dealers Milwaukee about our products. Eric over at Nova sent Rich my contact info and we began to talk about building a completely new controller for live performance. Over the next few months we kicked some ideas around and came up with a basic layout for a new controller. The first prototype we created was pretty large, with a “step sequencer” layout that ended up on the final design but didn’t have the encoders and had a large 8×8 grid in the center.

Marc Houle, one of the Minus artists spent some time secretly playing out with this controller, and after a sit down with Rich at our offices in Texas we all decided it needed to be smaller and have a few more controls. Gareth Williams over at Liine (one of Richie’s other ventures) was a Code user, and Rich thought it would be great to integrate some of the controls from the code into our device. Rich also thought it was essential that it be small enough to fit into a backpack and be portable enough for a carry-on. We went back to the drawing board and created the device that is now the CNTRL:R

The collaboration we’ve had with Rich and the other guys at Minus goes well beyond a mere celebrity endorsement. We really set out to create something new with one of the most creative and influential forces in electronic music. It’s been a real pleasure to work with Richie, he’s one of the nicest and smartest person we’ve worked with, and his vision is definitely tightly integrated into this product. Expect more from our collaboration in the future.

Who else from the M_nus team has been involved?

Marc Houle and Gaiser have been very influential and hands on in the using and testing of the CNTRL:R. They’ve been secretly testing the various models over the past year and have been essential in final design of the device. We also have plans on releasing Live packs with the Minus artists over the coming months specifically designed for the CNTRL:R.

What were they looking for in a controller that didn’t exist elsewhere?

We’ve been creating grid based controllers since 2004. This was the first controller we designed with a sequencer layout. Surprisingly there hasn’t been any controller designed specifically for this. We both love sequencers and drum based instruments, from the Electribe to Dave Smith’s new Temepest. But until now there really hasn’t been a good MIDI controller layout designed with this in mind. Max for Live really opens the door up for expansion and customization. As far as drum controllers go Maschine is probably one of the most interesting devices so far, but we wanted to create some a bit more open and ever growing. We’ll be releasing new tools, presets, instruments, and packs for the controller monthly.

Is this being used currently for performance by any notable artists?

We literally started shipping CNTRL:R today so not many people have their hands on it. Marc Houle and Gaiser are currently using them in their setup. A bunch of well known artists have also pre-orderd it, so expect this to be a central part of a few DJs setups this year.

CNTRL:R + Traktor

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CNTRL:R Step Sequencer

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CNTRL:R Specs

• 14.5″ x 9.75″ x 1.75″ (WDH)
• weight 5 lbs.
• USB Powered
• 8 faders, 24 rotary knobs, 12 pushbutton encoders
• 48 Multicolor LEDs with Bi-Directional MIDI communication (talkback)
• Class-compliant: no drivers needed for Mac, Windows, or Linux.
• Programmable MIDI mapping allows you to change the MIDI settings on the hardware
• Aluminum body with an ultra durable black finish
• Open Source software tools to create your own LED talkback interaction
• Standard MIDI IN and OUT jacks
• Expansion Jacks for added functionality
• Made in the USA
• Compatible with any software that supports MIDI learn
• ROHS compliant
• Includes USB cable, and registration card

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Related Dubspot Courses Starting Online & in New York City:

DJ Extensive Program

Immerse yourself in the complete art of DJing from beatmatching to stage presence. Whether you’re a beginner in search of the fundamentals or a seasoned pro looking to take your talent to the next level, our curriculum is designed to accommodate all skill levels and styles of music. This comprehensive DJ program covers everything from basic mixing to advanced digital DJing. Learn more about our DJ courses and programs.

What’s Included:

• DJ Level 1: Rookie Sessions | Essentials I
• DJ Level 2: Phrase Mixing | Essentials II
• DJ Level 3: Beyond The Blend | Intermediate Skills
• DJ Level 4: Preparation | DJ Psychology
• DJ Level 5: Classroom to the Club | Advanced Techniques I
• DJ Level 6: Club to the World | Advanced Techniques II

“I love the class, and the content! Shiftee and Endo are very funny, and very clear, so the material is easy and fun to follow! I wish my college   teachers  were more like these two!” – Leandro Martinez, Chicago IL

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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Dubspot @ The NAMM Show 2012 in Anaheim, CA – January 19-22, 2012

The 2012 NAMM Show was a chart topping success. With record numbers in turnout and many notable new products being released this year, NAMM was a sight to behold. The Dubspot team was in attendance to get the scoop on the latest movements in technology and sound from the world of music manufacturers. Upon our arrival we eagerly ran from booth to booth, checking out new products from companies such as Moog Music,  Akai, Arturia, Korg, Keith McMillen, Smithson Martin, Eowave, Teenage Engineering, Rane, Allen & Heath, and Pioneer. This was no easy feat at a convention that tops 100,000 visitors annually at the Anaheim, CA Convention Center.

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In the video above, we had a fantastic time playing with Moog’s new Minitaur, synth, we geeked out with Teenage Engineering as we explored the new OP-1 operating system, we checked out Akai’s new MPC series and we got a moment with Ezra Buchla to learn a bit more about their highly coveted modular synthesizers. In addition to the excitement on the convention floor, we also took time to attend some industry-related music events happening in and around Los Angeles during the week. With much of the music industry in town for NAMM, there were many great performers in the area making special appearances this weekend. Most notably, Native Instruments, Teenage Engineering, and Interface LA brought some great events for night time entertainment. We had a wonderful time this year at NAMM and we’re already anticipating next year’s event. See you there!

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.

Moog Minitaur

One piece of gear that is stealing everyone’s attention right now is Moog’s new Minitaur bass synthesizer. It’s a monophonic synth based on their classic Tarus bass pedals that boasts USB / MIDI connectivity, one knob per function and very small footprint for $679 ($599 street). In this video Nick from Moog Music explains the history behind the new Minitaur tabletop bass synthesizer and gives a demonstration of what it can sound like.

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Akai MPC Fly

Akai’s big hit this year seems to be the MPC Fly – a combination iPad case with MPC pads and application that re-create the MPC workflow on your iPad. While the unit was not yet in production for us to try out, we did get to look at the software that will support the MPC Fly.

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Buchla

Buchla creates modular analog synthesizers that have been championed by artists such as Trent Reznor and Richard Devine. In this video Ezra Buchla (son of company founder, Don Buchla) explains some of the sequencing capabilities of the highly coveted Buchla modular instrument.

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Waldorf Pulse

Everyone seems to be going analog again and legendary synth creators Waldorf are no exception. Following up on their 1996 Pulse instrument comes a revamp in the form of Pulse 2. The new monophonic synth has three oscillators, a filter, an 8-slot modulation matrix, an arpeggiator, and is backwards compatible with the original Pulse. The Pulse 2 releases this summer.

SONiVOX Wobble

On the software end of things, one product that stood out was SONiVOX’s Wobble dubstep grime generator. Wobble combines SONiVOX’s new spectral morphing synthesis technology with a bevy of intuitive realtime performance features. Wobble is designed to make the most crazy, pulsating, and different sounds ever to grace your speaker’s soon to be aching cones.

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Mackie DL1608 iPad Mixer

First of all, this is one of the strangest advertisements we’ve ever seen as Mackie and the sound guy for Portland band Vanimal get surreal in this very trippy video. Simultaneously the product being advertised looks incredibly cool. Mackie explains: The Mackie DL1608 is a full-featured digital mixer with the mobility of an iPad. With 16 Onyx mic preamps and 24bit Cirrus Logic AD/DA converters, you have unparalleled sound quality. Seamless wired to wireless iPad control means you can mix from anywhere in the venue.

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It all started with Ray (The Kurzweil Music Story)

The Kurzweil PC3 Series of workstations (and Kurzweil keyboards in general) are a standard in music performance. They’re not entry level instruments and they often cost well over two thousand dollars to acquire. But these instruments continue to set the standard for performance keyboard / synthesizers. In this new video, Ray Kurzweil recalls the story of Stevie Wonder’s technical challenge that ultimately motivated the inception of Kurzweil Music Systems.

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Liine Releases Lemur for iPad

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Moog Animoog

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iMaschine

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TouchAble

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Korg iKaossilator

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Sunrizer Synth

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Loopy HD

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PolyChord

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Genome MIDI Sequencer

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Garage Band for iPad 2

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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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In this exclusive Dubspot video interview, Nick Francis talks about his musical evolution, from listening to rock and pop music of the 1960s and ’70s to delving into the world of jazz, experimental and electronic music (musical instruments and music technology); Francis embraced everything from Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Herbie Hancock and Weather Report to DJ Shadow, Moby, and Fatboy Slim. He has a strong appreciation for classic American soul and R&B and music of the 1940s and 1950s, but also pays attention to current music and recognizes the efforts of innovative electronic musicians and performers of the 21st century.

“Electronic music is the folk music of the 21st century.” – Nick Francis

Furthermore, Nick Francis talks about using Ableton Live for radio programming, performing and creating remixes and mash-ups; being inspired by Matt Moldover experiment with MIDI and creating his very own MIDI controller after seeing Livid Instruments controller building kit bundle and attending a workshop with Ean Golden of DJ Tech Tools; he breaks down the process of assigning chopped-up bits and pieces of music ranging from classic American jazz standards like Fats Waller’s “Honeysuckle Rose” or the piano works of Thelenious Monk along with disparate elements like the drums from a Steely Dan song, mapping them to the Choppertone.

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In this exclusive Dubspot video, Nick Francis performs a live mix titled “Canto de Wonderwall” which blends and weaves a series of downtempo and calm sounds from Brazilian guitar extraordinaire Baden Powell’s “Canto De Iemanjá” and Angelo Badalamenti “Twin Peaks Theme” to French duo Air’s “Alone in Kyoto” and Ryan Adams’ cover version of Oasis’ mega-smash “Wonderwall”, seamlessly mixing the pieces to create an intoxicatingly good vibe mix.

Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program

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

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

The flagship of our music training, with every Ableton Live course offered at the school. 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

This program is about learning Ableton Live by going through the entire process of being an artist, by developing your own sound through a series of sketches and experimentation. You will also learn the ins and outs of this powerful software through a series of exercises designed to help you master the steps involved in producing your own music. After a level of getting familiar with the tools that Ableton has to offer, you will then develop your sonic ideas into full length songs – one per level. You will be exposed to a variety of approaches to arrangement and composition, storytelling techniques, ways of creating tension and drama in your music. At the end of the day, it is the sum total of your choices as an artist that define your sound, and levels 2 – 6 will give you the experience of actually completing tracks to add to your portfolio.

NYC

• Ableton Live Core & Advanced: 6 levels
• Dubspot’s complete Ableton course load
• 132 hours of hands-on instruction
• Additional instructor-supervised lab hours

ONLINE

• Ableton Live Core & Advanced: 6 levels
• Dubspot’s complete Ableton course load
• 60-80 hours of high quality videos
• 3 hours of instructor-led chat sessions per week
• Direct video & audio feedback from instructors

Touchable 1.3 for iOS / iPad

TouchAble is an iPad application that works as a real-time wireless control surface for Ableton Live. Since it’s inception in September 2010, TouchAble has continually updated the software to better control parameters in Ableton and most recently launched version 1.3 which brings more updates to the popular iOS app. TouchAble 1.3 contains over 30 new features and changes, such as a loop and beatjump section, enabling anything from CDJ style mixes to creative loop manipulation, a crossfader, and a completely rebuilt mixer. 3 new native templates have also been added: Auto Filter, Ping Pong Delay, and the very first Instrument – Impulse. With six different modules (Clip grid, Mixer, Devices, Keys, Pads, XY Pad) and two command menus (Clip & Transport), you can control almost every parameter in Ableton Live from your iPad. Elsewhere on out blog you can find an instructional video on how to set up TouchAble as well as coverage on an earlier version of this software. If you own Ableton Live and an iPad, this app is worth checking out.

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We created a series of video tutorials to help user explore the creative production and performance possibilities of TouchAble. In the three part video tutorial, Tony Grund explained how TouchAble allows you to control Ableton Live from your iPad and also take you through the basics of the interface, from setup to composition tips and tricks and more. Check out part 1 above, and look for the 2nd and 3rd parts here.

Korg Monotron Duo and Monotron Delay

The Korg Monotron synthesizer appeared on the scene a couple years back and most people assumed the device was a toy. It’s a few inches long with a ribbon-controlled keyboard that runs on batteries. Who would’ve thought it would become one of the most popular pieces of performance hardware in 2011? This little black and white gadget has become a must-have for many DJs and producers including Soul Clap and Martyn who both use it extensively in live performances. The popularity is due to the Monotron being an all-analog synth that boasts the same analog VCF filter from Korg’s classic MS-10 and MS-20 modular synths. Playing the actual keyboard can be a bit difficult but the real appeal for many people is the device’s 1/8th inch input which runs signal though the VCF filter to delightful results. The sound of this tiny device is downright mean. It can create rumbling bottom end and screaming noise when you crank the VCF cutoff. For a $49 device the Korg Monotron is a must-have gadget for analog enthusiasts or anyone looking to add an affordable analog filter to their setup.
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The Monotron must have been a smash success for Korg because they’ve recently announced two new versions of this tiny terror of a synth: the Monotron Duo and the Monotron Delay. The Monotron Duo will offer a second oscillator and  X-MOD capabilities for generating even more extreme sounds. The Monotron Delay features a space delay that can produce intense, analog-like echo effects. Each is equipped with a speaker, a ribbon keyboard, five knobs, and a single switch for performance. On the back end you get a headphone jack and an audio line in (both 1/8th inch) which serve as your input / output connections. Each of the Monotron devices are priced at around $49 and are currently available for pre-order from Korg. There’s no official word on when these devices actually hit the streets but we’re assuming (or hoping, anyway) that the release will happen in time for the holidays. For Monotron / Monotribe users out there – Korg is currently hosting a contest where you can upload sound effects or songs made with your device and win a gold-plated Monotribe or a silver-plated Monotron Delay!
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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.

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Moby at Decibel 2011, Photo by Suzanne Strong

Michael Walsh: So the first question I have for you is.. why Decibel? This festival is an interesting amalgam of music so I’m wondering what the attraction to this festival is for you.

Moby: Well, I’m here for a few reasons. I came because the nice people at Decibel asked me to come DJ. And also.. it’s strange because I guess some people think of me as a very well known mainstream artist. But my  background is in the bowels of the underground. So Decibel is primarily an underground music festival.. which.. whatever mainstream success I’ve had has been accidental and a fluke. I’ve spent much more time DJing in the grimy little bars in the lower east side to 30 people at 7 O Clock in the morning than I’ve spent being well known. So that’s why it makes sense for me to be here.

MW: I’ve heard you are playing a techno set tonight?

Moby: Well.. (ponders) I’m DJing.. and I don’t DJ that often but I do a lot of different types of DJing. For instance I did a hip hop set with Q Tip recently. When I was growing up, in order to have a living as a DJ you had to be able to play everything. So I would play weddings and I would play hip hop clubs and I’d play salsa and I would play house music and I’d play Joy Division and Nitzer Ebb. So you had to be eclectic to be able to pay the rent. But I also love different types of music. So now when I DJ I tend to play either big, over the top bombastic sets or subtle underground sets. I think tonight will be a bit bigger and bombastic.

MW: Dare I ask you to genre-fy it? Will it be house, techno? a certain BPM?

Moby: It’s interesting because the word Techno has meant so many different things to so many different people over the last 25 years. For me techno was house music that sounded more electronic. I remember when I got my first Inner City record someone said “That’s techno.” And I thought – Big Fun, Good Life – these are house songs. But because Kevin Saunderson produced it it was considered techno. Then in the 90’s house music stayed around 120 beats per minute while techno got faster and faster. But today they are pretty similar. Some house DJs make fast house records and some techno DJs make slow techno records. So anyway I guess I play loud electronic music.

MW: That seems fitting because Decibel is an amalgam of many styles of music that meld together for this event.

Moby: There was a time about 1993, 94 where it became so splintered and fractured that nobody knew what was going on. The difference between genres more often than not is just tempo. For instance I love drum and bass.. but it’s so fast that I can’t play it. If I’m playing a set that’s 130 beats per minute it’s really hard to work in a dubstep track or a drum and bass track.
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Moby at Decibel 2011, Photos by Suzanne Strong

MW: Are you a vinyl DJ?

Moby: I was a vinyl dj until about three years ago. Three years ago I was DJing in Belgium and I was standing in the baggage claim waiting for my records to arrive and they never showed up. Eventually they did – so it was a happy ending. But for about 30 minutes they didn’t. So as I stood there I thought, “What if they don’t show up?” If you play guitar and the guitar doesn’t show up – you just get a new guitar. If you are DJing and your records don’t show up – you can’t play. So at that moment I decided to switch over to CDs because I have multiple copies on USB sticks and my hard drive so theoretically nothing should go wrong. You always have the information somewhere. I love vinyl.. I started DJing with vinyl in 1983 and until 2008 I only DJed vinyl. And now I’m not trying to sell Pioneer products but those Pioneer CDJs and mixers are spectacular. I love vinyl but I don’t miss needles skipping or having to tape quarters to the tonearm or having records melt in the sun.

MW: Do you prefer a DJ set to a Live set these days?

Moby: I’m really grateful for the fact that I get to do a lot of different types of performance. When I go on tour most of the time it’s with a full band, 8 of us on stage. With that I play guitar, percussion, keyboards.. and I really enjoy that. I also play bass in a blues band, guitar in a punk band, guitar in a heavy metal band.. and I also DJ.

MW: Speaking of hardcore bands, I noticed your Bad Brains T Shirt (and Sea Shepard hood.)

Moby: Sea Shepard is an environmental organization..There’s such an overlap between the worlds of hardcore punk and electronic music. I grew up playing in hardcore punk bands. So many of those people have become vegans and environmentalists. I’m not sure how we all ended up that way. There’s a place in LA called Cafe Gratitude and I was there with friends of mine from H20, Agnostic Front and Cro-Mags and thought “How did we all end up in a vegan restaurant run by hippies?”

MW: Are there other artists at Decibel that you’re eager to hear or inspired by?

Moby: Well in my ignorance, and I shouldn’t admit this, I hadn’t heard about a third of the artists here at Decibel. So I did some research and realized that a lot of them haven’t put out records. This is amazing! It’s so underground here.. and so I didn’t feel too ignorant not knowing everyone. I really liked Ladytron, who are on the rock side of things. I also love Roxy Music and I like that they got their name from a Roxy Music song. Some friends of mine are in a band called Au Revior Simone.. and Erica who’s in that band is playing tomorrow night.

Moby – Go (Woodtick Mix) (Instinct)

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Moby – Porcelain (Mute)

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MW: What advice would you give to Dubspot’s students who are getting into music production and trying to find success with their craft?

Moby: The great thing about music production in 2011 is that it doesn’t cost much to make music. When I was growing up getting equipment and learning to make music was hard and expensive. Getting studio time was hard and expensive. Today it’s all software based so it’s much more accessible. But the danger is that it all sort of sounds the same. If everyone is using Ableton and Reason and Logic – all great platforms – but a lot of the productions sound very similar to me. So one of the challenges to an up and coming producer is – how do you sound distinctive?

MW: Do you have advice for this challenge? How do you sound different?

Moby: It’s very easy to stay purely in the digital realm because it does everything. Figure out how to incorporate an analog element. Learn how to use microphones and compressors and pre-amps and samples. Bring elements in that other people aren’t going to have access to.

MW: As a prolific producer you’ve completed many projects. Many people face a resistance in completing artistic projects.. a writers block.. when they want to be more productive. What advice would you give to people who are facing the problem of finishing a project?

Moby: Pretty simply.. the variables involved in any sort of creative production – whether it’s making a painting or writing a book or whatever – the trajectories are pretty simple and pretty similar. So when you’re working on a piece of music there is the musician, the equipment and there’s the audience. The question I think where a lot of resistance comes is: when do you involve the audience? There’s the literal audience and then there’s the figurative audience that exists in our heads. What inhibits a lot of people is involving that figurative audience way too soon. You must give yourself the complete creative freedom to do whatever you want.. and only start thinking about how people might respond to it when you’re ready to play it for them. Aside from that – nobody needs to hear it. So experiment and make mistakes and be imperfect.. don’t judge what you are doing. Sometimes the best ideas come from mistakes. And also.. just keep working. If I spend 100 days in a row making music there’s a chance nothing will come of it. But if I spend 100 days not making music it’s guaranteed that nothing will come of it. So keep working.
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MW: I have one last personal question. I’ve always loved “The Rain Falls and the Sky Shudders” from the Move EP (1993) and would love to know the story behind it.

Moby: Sure. I remember it very well. It was just a loop I made with a Casio CZ1 electric piano played down a couple octaves. Then I had this half space rack mount piano module that I used to play piano on top of it. It was okay. Just okay. Then it was playing in the background while I was recording an answering machine message. And when I listened back to the message the music in the background sounded so much better through the answering machine. The answering machine had compressed everything and brought in all this road noise. So then I went and found sound effects libraries of road noise, room tones and rain storms.

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

Suzanne Strong is a Photographer living in Seattle who covered Decibel 2011 with the Dubspot team. See more of her work at suzannestrongphotography.com

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DJ Spinna maintained a strong output in the underground independent hip hop scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but no doubt had many reasons for his move towards house and electronic dance music. For one, the over-saturation of the hip hop genre resulted in massive amount of mediocre records being created and released in the mainstream and the underground. Early this Summer, ahead of an appearance at Brooklyn Museum’s First Saturday dance party and performance event, Dubspot caught up with the genre-defying, prolific producer and crowd-rocking, crate-digging DJ for an interview in which he discussed a wide array of topics from his philosophy on DJing (DJing is a performance and crowd engagement is paramount) and production (every record should have a purpose, channel a feeling, an emotion, and communicate something) to having a unique voice, not conforming to industry standards, particularly in terms of formulaic production standards, embracing different genres, and more. Spinna has produced and remixed records for artists such as Mos Def, De La Soul, Stevie Wonder.

photo by JJ1ONE

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DJ Spinna (Vince Williams) is something of an anomaly in music. A humbling example of what it takes to truly succeed within the framework of multiple fields. A steadfast work ethic, an obsessively extensive vinyl library and the willingness to pursue the full extents of his roots (Funk, Soul and Jazz), foundation (Hip-Hop) and future (Electronic/Dance music) with no restraints. A cornerstone of Hip-Hop’s late 90’s indie-uprise, DJ Spinna made much of his first impression on listeners as the musical background of his group The Jigmastas (having released an impressive slew of 12″ singles on his then self-run label Beyond Real during this time) as well as providing the canvas for an array of that era’s lyrical giants. As an emcee in New York City, if you didn’t have a Spinna production under your belt, well, you just hadn’t accomplished all there was to accomplish. Everyone from Mos Def, Talib Kweli to Pharaohe Monch boasted Spinna beats to prove their worth to the scene. At the height of indie-kingpin Rawkus Records heyday, Spinna was in demand, also churning out timeless classics of the era from the likes of J-Live, Mr. Complex and The Polyrhythm Addicts (his all-too-brief collabo-group with Apani B., Shaabam Sadeeq and Complex).

As collaborative production work flooded his studio, from hip-hop legends like Sadat X & Grand Puba (Brand Nubian), Masta Ace and Guru (Gangstar) to even The Jungle Brothers. Yet, while his stock as a the go-to producer rose so did his value as a key, if not crucial, remixer. At the time reworking hits for the major-label likes of De La Soul (“Stakes is High”) Das EFX and MC Eiht.

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Turning heads throughout the industry, Spinna’s sonics soon infiltrated numerous genres. Tapped by everyone from Mary J. Blige to Motown Records (for his brilliant Michael Jackson homage to “We’re Almost There”). It’s here his production presence would flourish greatly, as Spinna would go on to revive and revise Soulful marvels like Donald Byrd, Eddie Kendricks, Betty Carter, Roy Ayers and Al Jarreau. Always relevant to the current, Spinna has taken to new mixes for the J Dilla bred Platinum Pied Pipers and Bay Area songstress Goapele as with the well respected Les Nubian.

Though it goes without saying that one of the more memorable mixes goes to his monumental version of Shawn Escoffery’s “Days Like This”. In turn, catapulting Spinna into his now stately, touted presence in the dance music scene. Which made the transition to BBE Records smooth as ever, for his landmark solo production album “Here To There”. It also spawned another record label, Spinna’s own, Wonderwax. A home for his soulful dance classics, the imprint came to fruition in 2003, and has seen memorable releases from contemporaries such as Rich Medina, Lady Alma, Blaze, The Free Radikalz and Selan.

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With so much studio work, it’s a marvel Spinna travels as much as he does. The constant, globe-trotting performances he’s become equally famed for have brought the DJ as far as Iceland, Australia, and South Africa as well as countless jaunts through England, Europe and the U.S. Not to forget, his hugely successful tours of Japan, where Spinna is held in the highest regard throughout the country for his craft in music. Not always the lone crowd-controller, Spinna’s collaborated on stage alongside contemporary luminaries like Gilles Peterson, Jazzanova, Joe Claussell, Bugz In The Attic, Osunlade, Q-Tip, Jazzy Jeff, Kenny Dope, Keb Darge, DJ Scratch (EPMD), DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist. He’s a true showman – versatile as ever.

Yet nothing compares to his celebrated Stevie Wonder inspired WONDER-Full– DJ-performances (aside friend and contributor Bobbito Garcia). Garnering overwhelming fanfare each occasion done – whether NYC, LA, San Francisco, Japan or beyond – if a WONDER-Full– event is booked at a club you can put money on a line around the block and thousands of Stevie Wonder admirers rocking the house. And while he’s gained so much attention and accolade for his tributes to Stevie, Spinna is not incapable of doing the same for any other pivotal forefather. Visit New York City any given month and find a number of Spinna themed throw-downs in the city’s esteemed venues – each as memorable as the last.

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Its true that there are other likeminded DJ/Producers in the world comparable to DJ Spinna, but for the most part, they choose a genre and master it. Ask them to flip another variety with the same intense knowledge and sleek-savvy and you’ll be hard pressed to find someone that’ll do it to Spinna’s extent.

With a brand new album “Sonic Smash” at its completion (set for release High Water Music), Spinna’s venturing back into the Hip Hop stage that saw his inception in the industry, tapping into his perfected take on cosmic boom-bap that is unique and only manipulated by him. Remaining a musician for the ages, Spinna’s true successes happily await in the future. Won’t you come along for the ride?

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One of the main issues plaguing DJs in the world today is the overwhelming amount of music out there. In the digital world, it’s way too easy to “acquire” too much music and with tracks only costing $1-2 a track, you might find yourself buying a lot more music than when you had to spend $12 a record in the vinyl era. While it’s great to have so much amazing music, it is very easy to get buried in your own music collection and get overwhelmed.

I was a prime example of someone who got lost in my own music, and it got to the point where I didn’t know where any of my good tracks were anymore, and I would show up at gigs feeling unorganized, ears worn out from organizing my playlists for days, and DJing felt like such a chore because I had multiple music “collections”, and thousands of playlists that I was always having to update and I could never keep up on. I found myself spending most of my time organizing and hardly anytime playing, let alone living my life!

I found a solution that saved my DJ Life… SMART PLAYLISTS!

Smart Playlists are playlists that will automatically organize and filter your music for you based on “tags” you write into your tracks such as Artist, Genre, Year, Album, Play Count, Import Date, and Comment. Rather than having to spend hours making playlists, and remembering what you’ve “playlisted,” Smart Playlists do all the work for you. In this example I’ll be using iTunes.

Let me first show you how to make a smart playlist and give you some tips on some smart playlist ideas.

To create a smart playlist in I tunes click on “File” then select “New Smart Playlist…”

Now lets create an artist smart playlist. In the first drop down menu, select “ARTIST.” In the second dropdown menu select “IS”, then type your favorite artist’s name, then click “OK”.  You’ll Notice I Tunes has just moved all of the Artists tracks into a playlist for you automatically.

For a lot of dance music some artists do originals and remixes. You might notice in the Smart Playlist we just created, the artist’s originals are in the smart playlist but their remixes are not. Here is how you can edit a smart playlist and add attributes to it.

To edit a smart playlist, right click or ctrl click on the playlist you want to edit and choose “Edit”. Now lets add another attribute to this playlist. To do this, click the “+” button. Now you’ll have a second attribute you can add. Now select “TITLE” in the first field, “CONTAINS” in the second, then type in your favorite artists name in the third field. The next thing you need to decide if you want the smart playlist to match ALL the attributes or ANY of the attributes. Since you want original tracks by the artist (the artist field is your favorite artist) AND Remixes (their name shows in the title field), you will choose ANY. Also make sure Live Updating is turned on so it will be an Automated playlist. When you click “OK” now you will notice all of your favorite artist tracks are in the playlist as well as “track title (your favorite artist remix) “ are in the playlist as well.

In iTunes, here is what a Smart Playlist and a Regular Playlist look like:

You will find that once you get the hang of doing smart playlists, you will love them so much that you will want to do TONS of them. Before you go overboard with smart playlists, here is how I personally organize my playlists. I use “playlist folders”. The playlist folders are full of Smart Playlists. Here are some examples of my playlist folders:

“Year Playlists” – I have a year playlist folder for 2010 and 2011. These folders contain smart playlists such as  2011 House, 2011 Techno, 2011 Tech House, 2011 Breaks etc. For these playlists I use Attributes like “YEAR IS 2011” AND “GENRE IS TECH HOUSE”.

“Artist Playlists” – Contains Smart Playlists for artists that I frequently play out such as Carlo Lio, Gary Beck,  Kaiserdisco, Marco Effe, Mendo, MiniCoolBoyz, Nic Fanciulli and Stimming. I used Attributes like my example before (“ARTIST IS KAISERDISCO” AND TITLE CONTAINS KAISERDISCO”)

“Genre Playlists” – Contains Smart playlists for each Genre that I play such as Tech House, Techno, Breaks, House, Deep House etc. For these playlists I use attributes like “GENRE IS TECH HOUSE”, or “GENRE CONTAINS HOUSE” (this will get all tech house, deep house, classic house, house, and electro house).

“Color Playlists” – Pioneers Rekord Box inspired me to start making color playlists. Rekord Box is a free download on the Pioneer website that allows you to make playlists that can be read on CDJ 2000’s or CDJ 900’s.

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Rekord Box has a very handy column called “COLOR” where you can assign a color to each track. I use this to describe the mood of the track. Here is my coloring system:

RED – My “Love” tracks
BLUE – Club Bombs – for Dark Rooms and Big sound systems
YELLOW – Sunshine tracks
PINK – Models and Bottles – For the ladies
PURPLE – Obscure Banging Techno. Not for the faint of heart
ORANGE – Groovy Stuff, mainly Tech House
GREEN – Trippy Records
AQUA – Pool / Beach / Chill tracks

After coloring all my tracks in Rekord Box, I then select all tracks of one color and write the color into the “Album Artist” field in Rekord Box by selecting all the tracks of a color, clicking the “Info” button, and changing the Album Artist field to that Color. I do this because I tunes doesn’t have a color field. Then I go into I tunes and all I have to do is press play hold my right arrow key down so it goes through all my tracks and updates the tags. Its kind of a process but well worth it in the end!

Now that all my colors are in the Album Artist field in I tunes, I have smart playlists for color. The attributes are “ALBUM ARTIST IS BLUE”. I can even break it down to “ALBUM ARTIST IS BLUE AND GENRE IS TECHNO”.

“Comment Playlists” – It is the comments field that turns my music collection into a Google style smart playlist machine! For every track I listen all the way through and write every word that I can think of that describes the track. Here are some examples of terms I use in the comments Field:

Groover, Chiller, Banger, Peak, Classic, Closer, Opener, Deep, Jazzy, Progressive, Sexy,  Techy, Tribal, Vocal, Models and Bottles

Once I have all the comments written into my tracks, I can then make smart playlists based on comments. I can also take it to the next level and make creative smart playlists that mix my comments with genres. For example: “COMMENT CONTAINS GROOVER AND GENRE IS HOUSE” = Groovy House or “COMMENT CONTAINS BANGER AND GENRE IS TECHNO” = Banging Techno.

“KEY PLAYLISTS” – These are smart playlists based on the Mixed In Key software and the Camelot Sound Easy Mix System.

Mixed in Key is a program that costs only $50 and will go through your entire music collection and write the keys of every track into whatever ID3 tags you choose in the mixed in key preferences. I choose to write the keys before the “Comments” field as well as into the “Initial Key Tag (viewable in Traktor).

You can choose for Mixed In Key to write the actual key of the track (ex. Am, B, C) or the Camelot code (Ex. 8A, 9A, 10A).  These numbers refer to a certain key (4A= F Minor, 5A = C Minor), and if you know the Camelot code, you can follow the Camelot Easy Mix Chart, which will tell you what keys are compatible with each other. If you want to learn more about this, check out my Harmonic Mixing Tutorials.

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Once I have the keys written in before the comments in I tunes, I then make smart playlists based on key.

Here are some attributes I use to make smart “key playlists”:

COMMENTS START WITH 8A – Makes a playlist of all tracks in A Minor

COMMENTS START WITH 8A AND GENRE IS HOUSE – All House Tracks in A Minor.

Once you have all of your Smart Playlists made, the next step is sorting your playlists. One of the best features in I tunes is that you can sort each playlist separately. You can sort your playlist by clicking on whatever field you’d like to sort by. I personally like to either sort my playlists by “Date Added” so the newest tracks show up at the top, or by “Comment” so the playlist is sorted by key.

Hopefully this article gave you some ideas about what you can do with Smart Playlists. These are all just examples of some Smart Playlists I use. I would play around with the different Attributes and experiment with making different playlists that suite your needs and your workflow. Once you have your smart playlists done, you will feel much more organized, and will be able to find those tracks you love much faster, and will spend more time DJing and less time organizing. Here’s to a more efficient DJ Life in 2011!

Soul Clap / Wolf + Lamb

Take note, house music fans – Soul Clap are coming to Dubspot and we will be streaming the event live next Monday! The production/DJ duo who have topped the house charts and recently released a DJ Kicks mix with Wolf + Lamb  will be coming to Dubspot NYC on Monday, May 9th from 7:30 – 9PM for a free workshop to demonstrate their collaborative workflow with Ableton Live and multiple performers / computers all synced together for a performance. The workshop is currently full for live attendance but we will be broadcasting a live stream of the event here on our blog. The workshop will feature a discussion on Soul Clap’s history and philosophies on production and DJing and then lead into an interactive performance featuring five computers and five performers (two of whom will be Charlie and Eli.) Soul Clap will assign parts such as drums, bass and lead and together they will  ”jam out” to create a track, which is how Soul Clap work together to produce their own music. Check back right here on Monday May 9th from 7:30 to 9pm Eastern Standard time to catch this collective experience as we broadcast live from the workshop. In the meantime we’ve got an interview with the boys below and a nice treat for you from K7: a free download of Soul Clap’s “Lonely C” that was featured on the DJ Kicks mix.

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Soul Clap have jumped into the spotlight of the house music community in recent years – a name eponymous with a slower tempo sexy vibe that has crept into the clubs, the charts and top house labels labels with stunning execution of sound. They made their way into playlists worldwide with remixes of Fleetwood Mac and Jamie Foxx but then slipped their own blends into the mix more recently with original (and unique) tracks like “Lonely C.”  Eli (Elyte) Goldstein Charles (Cnyce) Levine certainly understand the music – they have been honing their craft at clubs and parties for over a decade while living in Boston, MA. But they also seem to have their finger on the pulse of the market and have quickly become one of the biggest sensations to hit the world circuit of DJ/Producers in the past year, with releases on Wolf + Lamb, Airdrop and Crosstown Rebels. Those releases helped Eli and Charlie find their way into the biggest sound systems around the globe – playing Fabric, The Marcy Hotel and Watergate in 2010. Next came two dj mixes that were released last month: first a DJ Kicks mix with Wolf + Lamb that is getting high marks from the journalists. Then came “Social Experiments 002,” a party-centric mix for Toronto tastemaker Johnny White’s No.19 label.

While they’ve become very successful at their craft they also bring a down-to-earth (we’re in it for the music and you are too) vibe. And you immediately get the impression that they take this thing seriously – it’s a job (albeit one of the coolest jobs you can have.) I was interested in hearing about how they got this movement going and what sorts of work it takes to get to the world circuit of dance music.

Latest tracks by Soul Clap

Michael Walsh – Something I’m curious about - I know we’ve had some conversations here and there over the years about the importance of putting a schedule to your work. Do you guys keep a tight work schedule for gigging, music making – the creative things?

Charles Levine - I think we do for the administrative side of the business – Getting things tight for promotion and keeping the business together. I think we are lucky because Eli is really organized with this kind of administrative and managerial duties. But the actual music making itself..  when we were starting out and trying to become established as legitimate producers we made that a priority and put aside everything else in our lives. But now the music making now is something that just comes.  When you’re in a song writing mode this thing just seeks you out – whether it’s a melody in your head or a song you hear a sample from.

MW - I imagine it took some time to learn this workflow and get into this rhythm of working. I know from personal experience that when you don’t do it every day you never seem to catch the workflow the way that professional producers do. How did you get to that point?

Eli Goldstein – For sure.. That’s a big part of it. (pauses) The real message is that you have to quit your day job if you really want to fucking make it and be successful as a DJ or musician or any creative industry, really. You have to quit your day job.  And also the stress and worry of not being able to pay your bills is a huge motivator.

Charlie – I think that diving in head-first is really the only way to really find out if you’ve got what it takes.. or if you can get to where you are truly successful and make it a full time thing.

MW - What would you say to people who claim there is no career in music these days?

Charlie - I’d say we are living proof that there IS a career in music today. But you can’t make a hit record and live off of royalties into your 60’s anymore, though. We are living through an evolution of the music industry.

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Soul Clap: Charles Levine and Eli Goldstein

MW - As DJs you’ve become known for playing vinyl / CD sets as opposed to using traktor, ableton. What are your feelings on this and what is the importance of vinyl right now?

Eli - I think that people like Nicolas Jaar are pushing the boundaries, experimenting with instruments and vocals.. But I also think that some people are just lazy. You can use traktor and auto-sync to play your dj set and sit and drink a beer the whole time. A lot of people are doing the same thing with Ableton – creating a playlist in advance and hit play.  It’s  a blessing and a curse..  technology can do all these great things but it also means that people can fake it.

Charlie - Also I think one of the reasons we switched to vinyl and CD is to get rid of a computer screen in a performance setting because it cuts your connection to the crowd. It creates a distraction. The other reason we are so big on vinyl is that it’s a community.. Mike – you remember in the Satellite days that was a whole community, you know. We’d go in there and talk about the music, the weekend, what was coming up and what projects were going on.. that social environment of is gone.

MW - What are you guys using in the studio these days any favorite pieces of gear?

Charlie - Ableton. Ableton. Ableton. Ableton. It changed our lives.. it’s the revolution. We were using Logic before we switched over and I don’t see going back. We’re constantly innovating ways to use two or more computers together so we can perform in a live way. In terms of where the sound and audio comes from – we do a lot of sampling! We’re using a lot of software synths that emulate classic analog pieces. One piece that we used on a lot of tracks is the MiniMoog by Arturia. But then we have a some analog gear – an SH-101, an MS-2000, and this signature piece called the Clap Trap – which just makes claps (laughs).

Eli - We’ve used a lot of hardware .. but something that we’ve learned from Ghadi about hardware is that you’ll use a synth for 6 months, get everything you can out of it and sell it. Right now we don’t have a home base so we don’t have a studio at the moment.. so it’s a very here and there kind of thing.

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Taking the camp to Miami this year to work with Wolf + Lamb

MW - I understand that you have moved to Miami to work with Wolf + Lamb currently. Are you staying in Miami for a while.. or plans to find a new home base?

Charlie - We’re gonna spend a chunk of the summer here and we’re gonna spend a good part of the year overseas.  But we were sitting on the beach today talking about how we can’t wait to come back. We’re moving to Berlin in April for the DJ Kicks tour but after the summer we’ll probably come back to Miami. It’s a special place.

MW – You dropped two new DJ mixes this year, one for No.19 Music and one on DJ Kicks. Can you tell me about the difference between them?

Eli – Yeah – The No19 sound is a clubby, dancey, darker tech house sound. It’s a showcase of the new sound coming out of North America. It’s all a close family thing with tracks by Johnny White, Kenny Glasgow, Ghadi, Tanner Ross.. a bunch of toronto artists. The DJ Kicks mix captures what is happening right now with Wolf + Lamb and that family of artists. . it’s is more experimental, more changes in tempo, more of an after hours mix. The No.19 is to get you fired up.

MW - Do you keep a timetable for how long it should take to finish a track?

Charlie - There’s definitely what the label wants, the deadline. Or what we want. But Soul Clap songs have their own lifespan.

Eli - I think the best tracks that we write are the ones that we get done in one one take. Like one of us will get on and get it started.. and then the other one of us will do the edits and finish it. The most important thing is capturing the feeling of the song and going from beginning to end of the initial creation in one sitting.  Because once you sleep on it – your head is in a different place. So you want to get your idea mapped out before you move on.

MW - Last question for you guys. What’s your best solution for a case of writer’s block?

Charlie - Get your heart broken. I think you can get a lot of music out of the emotional moments in your life.