At Dubspot, there are many paths to reach your creative goals as an artist. We offer several individual courses that focus on specific areas of study, however our most comprehensive programs are the DJ/Producer Master Certificate Program and the EMP Master Certificate Program. Both of these encompass an extensive curriculum, featuring many Dubspot courses. The DJ/Producer Master Certificate Program comprises two main focuses of study – the fundamentals of DJing as well as music production with Ableton Live, Reason, or Logic Pro. The EMP Master Certificate Program covers everything from the fundamentals of electronic music production and performance with Essential Music Foundations to advanced courses in Sound Design & Synthesis and Mixing & Mastering where you will learn to fine tune your music & sounds.

Overall, we are proud of the custom-tailored programs we have created for today’s musical landscape with a balanced education that teaches you how to create and/or perform your music.

5 Programs Included (9 months – 3 years)

• Essential Music Foundations Program (3-6 months)
• Ableton Live Producer Certificate Program (3-12 months)
• DJ Extensive Program (3-6 months)
• Sound Design & Synthesis Certificate Program (6 months)
• Mixing & Mastering Program (3 months)

Unravel electronic music’s origins, build your chops, learn the language and theory, and make and play music the way you want. Students will develop a deeper understanding of the roots and lineage of a variety of electronic and dance music, strengthen their keyboard skills, and learn valuable music theory skills, deepening their creative practice and facilitating effective collaborations with musical partners.

What’s Included

• Essential Music Foundations Level 1: Electronic Music Appreciation
• Essential Music Foundations Level 2: Keys & Melodic Theory
• Essential Music Foundations Level 3: Pads & Rhythmic Theory

“This course exceeded my expectations. I went through everything I needed to have a solid knowledge of basic music theory.”
- Jonathan Crespo, Miami

“EMF has been an amazing experience! I didn’t realize I was going to learn so much about electronic music history, something my generation missed.”
- Yianno Koumi, United Kingdom

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

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

Become fluent in the language of sound design with this comprehensive program. This six-level Sound Design & Synthesis program uses Native Instruments’ Komplete 7 as a platform for learning synthesis and sampling techniques. Starting with an introduction to the properties of sound, this comprehensive series of courses covers most common synthesis methods available for music production in the DAW of your choice.

Discovering the right sound is like finding a needle in the digital haystack. Learn the fundamentals to make this easier, and gain the depth of knowledge to make a good sound better. Factory content is great, but everyone has it – your mix needs something special.

What’s Included:

• Sound Design Level 1: Introduction to Komplete 7*
• Sound Design Level 2: Synthesis with Massive, FM8 and Absynth
• Sound Design Level 3: Sampling with Kontakt and Battery
• Sound Design Level 4: Advanced Sound Design
• Sound Design Level 5: Reaktor Ensembles and Instruments
• Sound Design Level 6: Reaktor Programming

“Fantastic. A++++. Really professionally designed course. The instructor was excellent and gave very insightful, top quality feedback. I really enjoyed putting it all into practice and getting creative.”
- Nic Milton, London, UK

“Brilliant course! Best tutorial videos I’ve seen in any online course I’ve ever done. I would recommend this course to any one who wants to learn more about sound design. It doesnt get much better than this!”
- Rachel Hynec, Sydney, Australia

Transform rough ideas and basic compositions into dance floor bangers and sonically pleasing commercial quality masters. Learn the well-kept industry secrets of EQ, compression, panning, level balancing, reverb and special effects from platinum mix/mastering engineer, Daniel Wyatt, senior Dubspot Instructor.

What’s Included:

“The videos were helpful and the chats were great. I expected a lot out of this course and I got it!”
- Jon Yu, California

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.

Ableton Live Video Tutorial: Intro to Warping + Slicing Audio with Thavius Beck

Click here to view the embedded video.

DJ Video Tutorial: Pushing & Pulling

Click here to view the embedded video.

Native Instruments Komplete 8: Kontakt 5 + Maschine Video Tutorial – Filters, Effects, Timestretching + More

Click here to view the embedded video.

Mixing & Mastering Video Tutorial: Using Multiband Compression w/ iZotope Ozone 4

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Music: "Associated Euphoria" by Laura Escude - from the album Pororoca]

The ACADIA 2010 conference at The Great Hall at Cooper Union starts later this week on Thursday, October 21st and runs through October 24th. The conference will focus on the changing nature of information and its impact on architectural education, research and practice. With the ever-increasing integration of information technologies in the design laboratory, the discipline of architecture has changed profoundly in recent years. The emerging fields of digital fabrication, generative and evolutionary modeling among others, are now at the core of investigations in a growing community of digital design practitioners and researchers.

Dubspot is the proud sponsor of the live performance and visualization aspect of the ACADIA conference. On October 23rd at The Great Hall at Cooper Union, a three-hour event that will bring together architecture students with musicians and technologists who have pushed the limits of software, stretching the status-quo of digital production to a technical “breaking point.” The event will host 20 students who have competed across the New York Tri-State region to offer a platform for their talent in spontaneous 4-minute interval presentations. Student innovation will be bolstered by DJs, producers, technologists, and visualization artist performances by some of New York’s leading talent in music production industry, including turntablists and members of  legendary New York DJ crew the X-Ecutioners Rob Swift and DJ Precision, Create Digital Music’s Peter Kirn, Dubspot Instructors; Native Instruments product specialist Mike Henderson aka DJ Endo, and music technologist Zemi17. The event is open to the public, a showcase of talent you do not want to miss!

Here are some fantastic visual samples from students. Click to enlarge.

Esther Cheung, Columbia University GSAPP, Keith Kaseman

Adam Laskowitz, SUNY University at Buffalo, Professor: Nick Bruscia

Mark Faulkner + Dustin Tobias, The Cooper Union, Professor: Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa

David Varon + Harry Murzyn, The Cooper Union, Professor: Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa

_

ACADIA Conference Chairs: Pablo Lorenzo-Eiroa, Aaron Sprecher, Shai Yeshayahu
ACADI@NY Event Curator: Meredith Bostwick (Architect/DJ)

ACADI@NY Event
October 23, 2010 @ 9:00pm
Cooper Union @ The Great Hall
The Foundation Building
7 East 7th Street
New York, New York

The Cooper Union, Great Hall, 1865

We’re moving into Phase 2 of our Student Spotlight DJ Competition!  In this phase, the students and alumni who got back to us with submissions now each have their own post below.  We’ve created a small profile for each with their DJ mix, a little bit of information about them and their Dubspot experiences.

Now it’s up to you to choose the winner!  Check out each student’s page below, listen to the mixes and leave some feedback either by pressing the Facebook Like button, the Re-Tweet button or leaving a comment at the bottom of the post.  The top three students who have the most likes, re-tweets and comments on their page will be reviewed by the Dubspot staff and a final winner will be selected to win a free Dubspot class as well as a spot on the Dubspot Podcast and a slot to DJ at a Dubspot event.  The contest will run until October 15th, at which point we’ll review and choose a winner from the top three.

We hope you enjoy the mixes and please like, re-tweet and comment on your favorites using the buttons and comment form on the student’s posts (feel free to vote for more than one!)  The 3 students who gets the most likes, re-tweets and comments will be reviewed by Dubspot and a winner will be chosen to win a free class!

The DJs:

DJ Jinetic: Young Lim is a DJ, graphic designer and an illustrator living in Queens.

http://blog.dubspot.com/dj-jinetic/






DJ Bramble: My collection ranges from Detroit Soul to Brazilian Baile Funk and Avant Garde Jazz and whether I’m mixing on the decks, digging the crates or producing my own, it’s sure to be funky.

http://blog.dubspot.com/dj-bramble/



DJ Alpha: Charlie Bates is a DJ living in Chelsea. He loves to play Dance Pop, dance covers, and vintage 80s.

http://blog.dubspot.com/dj-alpha/







Mousseau: Mousseau’s style leans towards a version of Bleepy bloppy Jittery Funk.

http://blog.dubspot.com/mousseau/






Michaelangelo: Michaelangelo prides himself on bringing the best of many genres, past and present with an extensive selection which spans from the late 90’s to today.

http://blog.dubspot.com/michelangelo/






Gary J: Gary J is a DJ living in Manhattan.  His style ranges from pure house to electro- and tech- house, dubstep, UK funky, garage and disco.

http://blog.dubspot.com/gary-j/







DJ KO5: Electro House, House, Dirty House, Dutch House, Hardstyle, Jumpstyle, Drum and Bass, Reggaeton, Trance, Hip Hop, Dubstep

http://blog.dubspot.com/dj-ko5/






Tommy Tench: Tommy Tench is a DJ and aspiring producer living in Brooklyn.


http://blog.dubspot.com/tt/







DJ Lady P: Lady P is a DJ living in the East Village. Her musical offerings are more concerned with the musical conversation of tracks than a certain genre. It’s about telling you a story.


http://blog.dubspot.com/dj-lady-p/






Basil Neil: Basil Neil is a DJ/Producer living in Boston. His styles ranges from Progressive Trance and House Music to Electro and Breaks and everything in between.


http://blog.dubspot.com/basil-neil/







DJ Gene Drepan: Gene Drepan is a Dj living on Long Island that has had the opportunity to play from NYC to the Hampton’s.  He plays house.


http://blog.dubspot.com/dj-gene-drepan/



Skynight: SkyNight (Lily Banhegyesi) is a DJ from New York. She spins mostly house or techno and sometimes trance.

http://blog.dubspot.com/dj-skynight/






Independent George: DJ SamBamThankYouMa’am was a dj who occupied the body of college student Sam Weinschenk and was also involved in the “baltimore rap” scene. http://blog.dubspot.com/independent-george/

This week’s episode features another Dubspot graduate, the wonderful Jessica Gentile, AKA Jubilee. She dropped by the Dubspot basement on Monday to deliver some exclusive, fresh Summer heat, thick new and unreleased tracks and refixes from Ikonika, Untold, Roska and bunch of classic old bangers. After her set, we talked about her musical evolution from her teen years in Miami, Florida, listening to Dirty rap/Miami Bass acts like 2 Live Crew and DJ Magic Mike to developing an appreciation for Electro, Drum and Bass, House, Dubstep, and recent Tropical Bass music, Mexican Guarachero refixes of UK Dubstep tracks. She talks about her digital label Jason Forrest, AKA DJ Donna Summer,  Nightshifters and the sometimes-monthly Flashing Lights party with Nick Catchdubs and DJ Ayres. Jubilee took an Ableton Live class with DJ Kiva here at Dubspot earlier this year, and explains how her Dubspot experience has affected creative process.

The best way to get Dubspot Podcast is by subscribing via iTunes!

Dubspot Podcast 009: Jubilee – Exclusive Mix + Interview by Dubspot

Kyla – Daydreaming (Lil Silva Remix)
Dj Shaun – D – ALien Spaceship
Mujava – Source of Drums
Bambounou – Nappy Head
Distal – Apple Bottom
Ramadanman – Work Them
Canblaster – Clockwork
DJ Donna SummerxGucci Mane – Fighter (Jimmy 2 Times Aw Man Blend)
R1 Ryders – Hydraulic
DJ Bigga – Boeke Anthem
Untold – Anaconda (Guarachero Refix)
Roska – Squark (Guarachero Refix)
LOL Boys – 123
Tim Dolla – Number Advisory
Blondes – Spanish FLy (Brenmar Remix)
Kingdom – Fogs
Baobinga – Ride It (Untold Remix)
Ikonika – Aqueous Cream

This week’s episode of Dubspot Podcast comes from a former student, now producing and DJing under the moniker Indigo Rex. A London native with roots in classical and electronic genres, Indigo Rex grew up in a sea of music exploration, which was deepened with skills and techniques refined here at Dubspot during his time studying music in NYC. With a number of solid productions under his belt (check the last track on the mix, which he produced using Logic Pro) we only expect great things from him in the near future.

The best way to get Dubspot Podcast is by subscribing via iTunes!

Dubspot Podcast 008: Indigo Rex – Exclusive Mix by Dubspot

Tuesday, August 10th, a bactch of fresh, talented DJs are heading out of our classrooms and into the nightclubs, where they’ll be scorching dancefloors with tunes and skills! Come join the Dubspot crew and our newest alumni for a back to back party at Manhattan’s Bar 13!

DJ Lady P : Spring Love by DJ Lady P

We at Dubspot are pleased to announce our new Dubspot Student Spotlight DJ competition for current and former students. Entrants are asked to submit a 30 to 45 minute DJ mix and follow the steps below in order to get a chance to win a FREE Dubspot class of your choice!  Additional prizes include a spot to perform at a Dubspot event and being featured on the Dubspot Podcast.

Here’s how it will work: Submissions open now and will remain open until September 1st. On September 1st all entries will be posted to their own pages on the Dubspot blog on their individual Student Spotlight posts.  The first phase of the contest will be to get as many people as you can to come to your Student Spotlight post and leave a comment, press the Facebook ‘Like’ button, Retweet the post, listen to your mix or ideally do all of the above! The three contestants with the highest combined total of Likes, Retweets, Comments and Plays will be judged by the Dubspot faculty and a winner will be selected. This is a great opportunity for you to show the world your new DJ skills AND take them to the next level with a FREE course at Dubspot!

How to submit your mix:

1. Record your DJ mix. Technical mixing skill and sound quality are important but so are originality and great selection.  The goal of this is not to create a perfect mix but to show who you are artistically and where you’re at in your progress as a DJ.  We will be accepting submissions in all genres of music and all DJ platforms including Vinyl and CDJs, digital vinyl systems like Serato or Traktor, controller based setups like Ableton or whatever performance rig you use.
2. Upload your mix to Soundcloud. If you don’t have a free Soundcloud account, now is a great time to start one.  Check this video for a quick tutorial on how to do it.
3. Follow us. Become a Facebook Fan, Twitter Follower or YouTube Subscriber of Dubspot. If you’re not already on all three of these platforms, now is a great time to make an account. These are critical tools for promoting yourself as an artist.
4. Email forums AT dubspot dot com with the link to your mix on soundcloud and the following information:

Your DJ name

How long have you been DJing?

A short video, audio or written statement about your experience at Dubspot.  What class or classes did you take? Where were you when you started?  Where are you now?  How was your experience?

A link to your social sites that you are promoting (Facebook, Twitter, Soundcloud, Myspace etc)

A photo of yourself or an image you’re using to represent yourself as a DJ.

A two sentence “About Me” blurb for example: Matt Shadetek is a Producer and DJ living in Brooklyn.  His style ranges from Dubstep and Dancehall Reggae to African and Carribean influenced experimental House.

The user name you became a Dubspot follower, fan or subscriber with and which platforms you did it on.

Once we’ve received the information we’ll create a Student Spotlight page on the Dubspot Blog for you and send you a link when it’s time to start promoting your mix.

Good luck and most importantly: have fun!

Proceeds from the sale of the release through Download will go Donate for Haiti v2.0 will benefit Music For Relief’s Haiti Earthquake Recovery, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to providing aid to victims of natural disasters and disaster prevention.

Listen to the original track “Drive It Like You Stole It” from their Drink The Sea. Contest details & prizes below.

Drive It Like You Stole It by The Glitch Mob

Step 1) Read Official Contest Rules (pdf file)

Step 2) Grab Stems here:

Summer Music Challenge has been extended until September 30th, 2010. Don’t miss out!

For students and young people looking for a way to stay creative and musically active over the Summer, Ableton is launching the Ableton Summer Music Challenge — a contest to encourage young electronic music producers to be more engage and help their music schools in the process. You create a track, send it/share it on Soundcloud and win incredible prizes from Ableton, Novation, Loopmasters and Soundcloud for you and your school.

Taking the Ableton Summer Music Challenge is easy: First, students upload their tracks to Soundcloud to enter the competition. Then, they share their track with the world via their favorite social networks. The tracks with the most plays by August 31, 2010 will be presented to the official Ableton Summer Music Challenge Jury. The Jury will then select the grand prize winners. There will be two competition age groups in the Ableton Summer Music Challenge: under 15 and 15 to 18.

Prizes for schools and students include:

• Ableton Live Intro audio production platform
• Novation Launchpad midi controller
• Novation NIO 2/4 audio interface
• SoundCloud pro account (1 year)
• Loopmasters sample collections

The Ableton Summer Music Challenge runs until August 31, 2010.

Preview entries on Soundcloud thus far:

(Under 15s) Ableton Summer Music Challenge (15 to 18s) Ableton Summer Music Challenge

To take part, or for more information, please visit: Ableton Summer Music Challenge

Lollapalooza announced their annual official remix contest dubbed Lolla Remix Throwdown late last week. Musicians, producers, students submit your best original production in the opening round, between now and June 25th. The contest will narrow down to fifty semi-finalists, who will the opportunity to remix one of four tracks provided by Lollapalooza artists including Tiga. Four finalists will then be selected to compete live the week before Lollapalooza at Green Dolphin Street in Chicago for a coveted prize package, which includes a slot at Lollapalooza on Perry’s stage. The winner will also get prizes from Pioneer, Shure, and Satellite Records – total prize package worth about $5,000. The Lolla Remix Throwdown annually receives an average of over 500 entrants and over 300,000 votes each year. Judges for the 2010 contest include Matt DuFour of UR Chicago Magazine, Emilio Abadia and Matt Roan of Crossfader King, Derek Berry and Rick Carrico of Team Bayside High, Scott Cramer from The Abbey and Berlin Nightclub, and Dani Deahl. The contest is hosted by Lollapalooza media partner Do312.com – enter here.