In addition to being nominated for a Grammy in the 5.1 surround category for colabs … I’ve just been given the honor of being a Yamaha endorsed artist! Quite the Christmas present!
I’ve just been nominated for a Grammy in the 5.1 surround sound category! I’m joined in this honor by those who helped in the “colaborations” part of Colabs (see below). Congrats also go to Henta for her Laserium for the Soul nomination in the New Age category! I guess, we’re off to LA for the big party!
• Colabs
David Miles Huber, surround mix engineer; David Miles Huber, surround mastering engineer; David Miles Huber, surround producer (David Miles Huber, Allen Hart, DJ Muad’Deep, Seren Wen, Musetta, Henta, Marcell Marias & Gail Pettis)
woke up this morning to a beautiful moonset off the back trees… truly awesome! got out the camera and started clicking. Looks like I got an album cover out of it. tons of energy this morning… thoughts on how to frame a new stage-show that I’d like to think about touring in the northwest… preparation for bigger things to come :0)
I’ve heard (and seen a video) about this bowl that was moulded from an LP record, but have never seen one. Today, I went into nube green (a new renewable art store in Seattle) and found one… from www.vinylux.net. It’s interesting that they offer up coasters, seeing that I made my own LP coasters from the EMI pressing plant in London when I was a student.
I thought that it’d be fun to list my top-10 desert island music projects… You can find them by clicking on the “about DMH” tab at www.51bpm.com and scrolling to the bottom. :0)
Been looking forward to getting the UA EMT-250 reverb plug-in … and today was the day! I remember working with one of the first units in New York in the late ’70s. FYI… the 250 was the first digital reverb ever made. Happy guy :0)
Sage $$$ advice from geekculture… Thanks Matt!
ran across this great Universal Audio video of Bruce Swedien (Michael Jackson’s engineer)… It’s a fun one to watch.
Yoga class… I did a handstand today without help… a first! You go, DMH! Last touches to parallax eden’s 5.1 mixes (first pass) and then it goes into the mastering/QC phase – then onto the stereo mixes.
Just thought I’d introduce you to a usefull music tool… www.discogs.com! Discogs can be thought of as the Wikipedia of music project liner notes, lyrics, album-label-disc art, songs, session-label-artist info, etc. Go ahead… throw in your favorite disc or album and take it for a spin!
Just found out about SoundCloud for sending/receiving/sharing and getting the music out to peers and the masses… check it out! Also, you gotta check out Kokoki’s version of Imogen Heap’s - The Song That Never Was… it’s stunning!
So… I planted these tomato plants in what is my first garden. They went nuts and grew over 8ft high and sprouted LOTS of tomatoes. It’s gotten colder (not to mention rainy) in Seattle and I had to harvest them before they froze. So, I made and canned 5 quarts of green tomato relish! Hot dog, baby!
Loaded a bunch of new sounds into the laptop, including some instrument loops that I recorded in the apartment in Vienna, as well as in a cabin up in the mountains outside of town… The hills are indeed alive with the sounds of music samples! Importing them into live sounds cooler than cool!
Finally back to making music. Just started on the surround mixes for parallax eden. The first song has 36 stereo tracks and I’ve really started to work on a new method of mixing that heavily involves the use of sub-grouping to isolate the various instrument groupings. The system’s sounding really good… and I’m back on the runway!
Just got a new controller from Novation called the Launchpad. Check out the video… This should be a blast in performance. With a long USB cable, I can walk out into the crowd and jam! Found out that I can use it in combination with my MIDI guitar. Technology… Yeah, baby!
Those of you who know me well know that I like to reduce my “plastic” footprint by cutting down on plastic bags (everything’s usually in a package already) and by using a “hobo tool” to eliminate the need for plastic utensils when eating out. A Hobo Tool is a knife, fork, spoon + tool that folds up and fits on your belt. I found a great one for less than $4 at Wal Mart… but my fave is the Ka-Bar set.
I’ve been working in the woodshop for the last few daze, making the finishing changes to the room acoustics. Been building really beautiful front wall bass traps, and decided to change the color from my initial eggshell coloring that blended into the wall (boring) to a sky blue that should look great (I’ll install the fabric this weekend). Been finishing up the wall diffusers that are knock-down-drag-out gorgeous! Each panel has 261 pieces and I have to make two more of them, but WOW! I’ve also adjusted my surround levels to the P&E 5.1 standard and have been listening to a ton of DTS DVDs… basically, it’s called “welcome to a whole new, astounding world!”
So what the hell does this mean? It means that I can now get back to work on my music with a monitoring system that is spot-on accurate! I can make my art, finally knowing that WIHIWIG “What I hear is what I get”. Still, I have my 5.1 mastering buddies to help make sure I’m on-track… Exciting times!
I found out about the book Modern Carpentry. It’s a must for anyone interested in building a studio or learning construction tips of any kind. Don’t even think of doing construction on your studio or room without getting this book!
Added bass-traps to the front of the studio to control front-back reflections (mine look a lot better than the videos, thanks to Dan’s amazing workshop). The stereo image in the room has really improved, but the verdict on the surround imaging is still out, as I came down with a mild flu and my ears/head are stuffed up… I have a code!
I was sitting on the loo, reading an article about Imogen Heap (who seems to be the closest thing that I have to an idol, these daze)… turned off the light and was standing in the dark for a sec… and then it hit me! I was wearing my glo-in-the-dark skeleton tee shirt (one of the many of its type that I wear during this season). I’ve been so busy that I forgot – it’s one of my fave times of the year! Happy Holloween, dudes & dudettes! Break out your favorite festive-wear, make an Mexican alter to honor those who have moved on… and party! As the glo shirt sez – “Rattle them Bones!”
if there’s one thing that I’m learning in ‘09, it’s that all art is amazingly subjective. Art, audio, audio system design… you name it, depends upon our viewpoint, our preferences, our system and our experiences. As I walk the extra mile to ensure that my studio is as properly tuned as possible, I find that listening to flac files of my favorite music confirms that there is no production norm, only subjective art… which in the end, is a good thing. After all, we’re only human!
press announcement: it was decided that the stereo mixes of “pe” will be released in ‘09. This will be comprised of two versions – the “full on” uptempo dance mix and the “relaxed” chill mix. Stay tuned for further info on the release date and behind the scenes info. In the meanwhile, please visit the paralax eden page and download the live mp3 podcasts that were recently performed in Vienna and seattle.
had a great time at Avast Studios in Seattle… got a super, amazing compliment about how the colabs stereo CD sounds! got introduced to a very funny cartoon about “booking an audio session” – check it out!
The MOTO w233 Renew is a compact and straightforward cellphone model. Made from recycled materials, the pea-green-and-black casing weighs only a couple ounces and gives a very impressive nine hours straight of talk time. It’s also impossibly cheap, retailing $59.99 at press time. T-Mobile has a rebate deal, dropping the phone down to $9.99.
Beyond communications, the D-Tech USB Solar Charging 4-Port Hub uses solar power as well as car cigarette lighters and traditional wall plugs. The USB ports can actually be used for mobiles, too, with the included adapters, it runs $20.
The Devotec Industries Solar Sound Bluetooth Speakers also use solar power. Solar Sound comes with two inner speakers, a headphone jack and a built- in microphone. It’s regularly $99.99.
Congratulations to my awesome music lawyer, who just got married and is moving to Berlin… European representation, yeah baby!
had a great time at music tech in seattle at the EMP. The guest keynote speaker Mark Montgomery was awesome! … of course, the main thing is all about catching up with friends!
BTW… It’s nice to be home, I’m getting the studio back on track and tons of exciting things are happening – so stay tuned!
Those who know me, know that I’ve been going through a rough and interesting time lately… Here’s my official response to the universe:
- It’s easy to be shaken when something either technically or artistically challenges your working foundation. That something can either be simple or an indication of a greater problem. BUT… the task ahead is to find the solution and then “LEARN” from one’s mistakes.
- The cool thing that helps me feel good and confident about the steps ahead, is that I believe the music (the ultimate foundation of my art) is really good. So, my job in life is to simply learn “the big lesson” and then move ahead.
- I haven’t had a Desiderata (read poem) moment in quite a while and was due for one… for that, I’m grateful!
Had an AWESOME time at SAE in Vienna recently… My buddies Edvard and BB from AVITech did a full setup of PMC surround speakers and a packed room listened to amazing surround music for several hours. The staff at SAE were also great… the head of the school Barbara is super-nice, super-capable and super-fun – I feel like I gained a good buddy!
I also had a chance to hear a cut from the “Sign o’ times” Simple Minds surround mix by Ronald Prent. That was freakin’ awesome! I look forward to getting the disc.
As our trip to Vienna begins to wind down, our social calendar is filling up. Last night we went out to friends, who made a traditional Vienese dinner that lasted well into the night. Candle-lit rooms, beutiful garden, great food and great company. It’s funny, having conversations fly around the room in both English and Deutche seems perfectly normal now (and I can understand more and more each day). I’ll be putting on a surround-sound seminar at the SAE-Vienna on Monday, my buddy with A/VTech will be supplying a full PMC speaker set.
I’ve also come to a simple realization. When it comes to getting a performance gig or telling people about the type of music that I play or like to listen to… always try to have an example on-hand. When trying to get a gig, I now will always try to have the laptop with me to simply wip it out and start playing part of a set. At the dinner last night, someone asked what type of music that I liked… as usual, I drew a blank… but then I got out the phone and started playing music and they really loved it. You get the idea… listening to the sounds is always worth a thousand words.
Recently, I rode on a REALLY TALL chain-linked carousel in Vienna. It was scary, but lots of fun. I made a youtube video to prove it! I also did a performance in the Schönbrunn district of the city… you can listen to it by clicking the live sets tab on the homepage.
Made it to my favorite cafe in Vienna… Great to be back. Doing a performance here in town on Friday. Definetely still have a major bout of jetlag, but really glad to be back in one of my favorite spots and to see all of my friends and family.
The performance was tons of fun… did a set from “etherium” for the first time. ws accompanied by my buddy Peter (perc/bass guitar) and Matheus (guitar). It was REALLY fun to play off of the other musicians and to impov into a new space. I think I’m gonna try to work towards a band idea in the near future. Auf Wedersehen!
had an awesome time at a special event in LA, hangin out with buddies and learning about specialized mixing techniques. stayed in town at a ritzy joint… the first night was a pretty damned tinsel town. we suspect that the vice president was staying there from all the bomb-sniffing dogs and secret sevice. all of this was made more interesting due to the fact that an italian Christmas film was being filmed in the lobby.
I’m having to dig deeper into the tuning of my room… It’s gotta be done in order to swim with the big boys. It’s time to properly calibrate my room acoustically and to check the projects against other top-knotch mastering facilities to make sure that the final project sounds exactly the way that it was intended to sound. It’s raise-the-bar time, as a point of professional and personal pride!
heading back to vienna… thought I’d do a youtube video of some of my preparations.
so… i’ve had quite the day! I learned tons about RSS feeds. Using wordpress and RSS, I can blog from my bed and the info will show up on my site (and eventually other social networks). It all started with Imogen Heap’s US tour and then seeing how she handles her site. Truly amazing!
Went to see Henta last night… it was a really good show that was performed in surround (quad) with visuals. As usual, Marcell pulled off some amazing tech feats to help accent Henta’s music.
just finished the 5.1 mixes of parallax eden… sounds awesome! it’s an interesting time of finishing things off in the best way that I possibly can, beginning with the 5.1 mixes and then doing the stereo mix. in this time of uncertainty for the music business, my goal is to get the work done and get it done right… and then get it in front of the right people. I’m not worrying about fame or $$$, it’s about the journey.
I’ve decided to widen my horizons and start communicating with the music and recording world at large. I’ll be talking about my music, tech toys and other things that are of interest to me. Hope you like it! It’s my first dive into this RSS stuff :0) DMH
Speaking with a friend, I’ve come to realize that I’m feeling a bit isolated in the studio and need to get out and work with others. Jawa (an upcoming project) will involve musicians in the northwest, LA, Indonesia and Malaysia… it’s also my hopes to do stage performances… so, this just might do the trick in getting me more out into the world. Lateley, I’ve been super-grateful to the folks at www.dts.com for making such an amazing surround codec. I’ve decided to release all of my newer projects as a DVD video disc (containing dts 5.1 surround, pcm stereo and video content). For the meanwhile, you can go to my myspace page to listen to the latest performances for parallax eden (or listen to the first few “live sets” on this site. I’ll keep you posted :0)
51bpm.com will be doing a unique presentation at B/IAS. On August 15th and 16th in burien, washington… colab’s serenitatis will be reproduced over 8 decrete speaker towers in a special urban-arts scupture park as part of the “pieces of 8” event. Check out the site and come check out this unique outdoor space.
finished tracking for parallax eden… I’ll hopefully get to the mixing phase in the early fall. Submitted the colabs 5.1 dts-cd into the grammy process. Got a tool that helps me allign my speakers and installed a dts streamplayer that lets me listen to 5.1 dts files directly. BTW… it’s over a 100 degrees in Seattle, way too hot for us NW puppies!
finished the colabs dts-cd disc… it’s going on sale at CDBaby and things are in the works for it to be available as a download… after all the work for TI2, I’m finally able to get back to mixing for parallax eden.
again, EMC pulled off another live surround sound event by presenting total immersion 2 (TI2) at the Younsgtown Theater in West Seattle. Presented by DMH, Henta, Marcell Marias, Ludington GT with special guest Stringstation – the event sounded totally awesome. “Rare” is the operative word here… Live music that’s performed in surround is something that’s uncommon, even in major centers around the world. It’s often regarded as too difficult to pull off. EMC, however, has mastered the art and went further to combine melodic downtempo compositions with lush and immersive large-screen visuals.
having a blast in the studio mixing parallax eden in surround. it sounds freakin’ awesome! Just updated to Stylus RMX verion 1.8 and am looking forward to mix-n-matching strange and wonderful beats, also just got kitcore from submersible music… very cool! just posted my latest “live in vienna” recording on the live sets tab.
Vienna, Austria – Munich was great, but Vienna stole my heart! spent time with family and explored the city from one end to the other. my friends at pmc helped introduce me to several international acts in Vienna that I look forward to keeping in touch with and hopefully working with on a future project. My musical home base will now hopefully be Seattle/Vienna.
Munich, Germany – Having a great time in Munchen. My buddy at PMC has been introducing me to top European engineers in surround and more will hopefully come of this in Vienna next week. Made really good contacts with my buddies at Minnetonka Audio and am hoping to install new 5.1 mastering software soon… as well as help to get them into the field of surround FLAC encoding. Definetely check out Munich, it’s a great city and the subway’s a blast!
EMC members played at release on April 24th (Friday) at neumos, one of Seattle’s premier hot-spot venues… as the bill says, it was totally a “kick ass party!” You can hear my performance by clicking on the “live sets” link at the right (top set in the list).
just came across this great article by my friend Nathaniel Kunkel about surround sound acceptance & distribution… interesting thoughts!
the colabs surround mix is being used to help demo PMC speakers in europe. as my buddy says, there’s “a lot of interest for your music here!”
DMH voices his opinions on the Universal Audio family of UAD products in UA’s March Webzine Edition.
Just recieved a prototype Telefunken M216 stereo mic for evaluation. So far, it’s really amazing… and can you say “classic sexy”!
In the studio working on my latest project “Paralax Eden”, which is being produced from the ground up in surround. You can hear rough excerps by clicking on the “Live Sets” tab and choosing the first set.
Finished all of the surround colabs mixes (44/16 and 24/96)