Musical marvels and technologic advances = SWEET LIGHT SHOW / SYNTHESIZER

Imagine stepping onto a podium and looking out into a dark room filled with orbs of all sizes. As you move your arms, you notice that that orbs are changing color and you are producing sound through a state of the art synthesizer. You are actually controlling the room with your very own body. Sounds science fiction? Believe it or not, this advanced synthesizer / light show is very much around today and fully functional.

DJ Lux (or DJ Light) is the name of the project. “DJ Lux (DJ Light) is an immersive public sound and light installation that gives visitors the power to orchestrate a performance of light and sound across a large public space.” Synthtopia, 2010. This incredible installation features a thermal camera, which senses body movement and sends control signals to the software application that is controlling the entire light show and synthesizer. Pretty amazing and unique stuff if you ask me.

Being able to come up with new technologies and ideas for musical instruments is essential towards grabbing and enhancing a musician’s creativity. By doing so you will gain a big following of loyal fans and customers. By bringing out the best in others, you bring out the best in yourself. It is all about letting people take complete control, let them customize what they want to do, and making them feel like a true artist. “It is an empowering experience where the public is invited to be the artist.” Synthtopia, 2010.

Reference:

Synthtopia, Dec 10, 2010. DJ Lux (Gorgeous Interactive Audio + Visual Installation), synthtopia.com.

Retrieved on  Sunday, December 12, 2010, from:

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/12/10/dj-lux-gorgeous-interactive-audio-visual-installation/#more-29629

The future of electronic music instruments

Since the first ancient instruments of the past were made, such as a flute from animal bones, musical instruments have evolved over time, adding stringed instruments, percussive instruments, and electronic instruments. I have set out to bring a very unique electronic to the market with my company, Red Audio. However, it has recently come to my attention that my real competition has just opened up shop.

Music Computing is the name of the challenger. Former head of Open Labs, Victor Wong, founded music Computing. His former company specialized in pretty unique music workstations with built in computers. His most recent conquest sets out to crush his former company and move forward with the advancement of electronic instruments and workstations.

Music Computing currently offers three state of the art new products. The Studio Blade, a hardware keyboard with built in computer for a complete music production station including microphone preamps, inputs, multiple outputs, and a plethora of midi controlling knobs, sliders, and buttons. The iKey dock, a hardware keyboard that docks with any laptop and instantly creates a full blown production station with microphone preamps, inputs, outputs, and the same insane amount of midi controllers. Finally, their most interesting products to me, their touch screen products.  Music Computing now offers a product very similar to the idea I originally had going, but not fully there with my idea just yet. This product, the MotionCOMMAND work center offers users a complete touch screen resolution to music production.  This is fantastic in the sense that people would naturally love to be able to use their hands and not a mouse, this also shows the innovation and direction of which the future of electronic instruments are going.

When I found this out I was very excited about these products, as my ideas for my company are similar and the touch screen workstation assures me that my ideas are on point and going in the right direction. What I offer still stands its ground as the only product that would be like it, however, I believe that Music Computing will either become my main competition, or perhaps I could partner up with them on a new product idea. Like they say, “If you can’t beat em, join em”

PREPARE FOR EXCITEMENT!! (BRING A CHANGE OF UNDERWEAR) ITS NAMM TIME ! ! ! !

Endless rows of booths filled with studio electronics, innovative musical instruments, impressive studio monitors and control room mixers. Flashing lights, automated faders, and incredible audio quality surround you.This can only mean one thing, you my friend are currently in the middle of the annual NAMM - or National Association of Music Merchants trade show! (HOW EXCITING!?!)

This special event happens once a year and unifies merchants, musicians, engineers, and technology junkies under one roof. “Our association—and our trade shows—serve as a hub for people wanting to seek out the newest innovations in musical products, recording technology, sound and lighting—everything you need to enhance and grow your business, presentation or event!” NAMM (2010). Events like this are essential in my industry. Without an event like the NAMM trade show, thousands, maybe even millions of people would be deprived of checking out new and innovative ideas that directly relate to their field of work. Engineers can stay ahead of the game with new studio technology, musicians can stand out with innovative instruments, and even lighting techs can shine above the rest with creative and unique lighting gear. The trade show effectively creates suspense and really lets all the manufacturers show what they got coming up around the corner. People will anxiously await on that new mixer, that new analog to digital converter, or even that insane new touch screen, customizable, modular synthesizer with a nice glowing, “Red Audio” on it. ;)

Personally when my own company, Red Audio, gets off the ground and has its first prototype, we are going straight to the NAMM trade show and our booth will be one of the most talked about booths there. Think about the amount of people that never even heard of something like my product, and then suddenly laying their eyes on something that is so enticing that it hypnotizes you and draws you straight over to us. After closer inspection, what’s that you say? CUSTOMIZABLE TOO?! Sold. Before we even begin mass production of our product. Pre-orders will be available just like in the video game industry. Being able to do this will effectively help build my brand name in the minds of the consumers. As they see the product being used in a live demonstration before their very own eager eyes and even get a chance to use it themselves, trust will be built in their minds about our company and our innovation.

Long live the NAMM show!

Reference:

NAMM (2010) About NAMM. NAMM.org.

Retrieved on Sunday, November 21st, 2010 from:

http://www.namm.org/about

Don’t worry be happy! - Your brain has factory built in pattern recognition :)

Bobby McFerrin, the extremely optimistic, good old, one hit wonder. I know, I know, all you younger generations out there may be asking yourself, “Bobby who?” He may only be remembered by his ‘80s mega hit song, “Don’t worry be happy,” which is sad because the man is brilliant and understands the human mind very well. However, even if he is only remembered for that one song, that’s still a lot better than what the majority of the rest of the world will be remembered by.

In the video, “Bobby McFerrin hacks your brain with music”, posted on TED.com, Bobby grabs the attention of the audience and shares information through a demonstration of the ability of the human mind to recognize and predict patterns. Bobby begins by jumping in the air and singing a single note, and as he lands, he signals the audience members to follow along and sing the note as he continues to jump. By the second jump, the audience began to recognize the simple pattern and started singing along with Bobby. As Bobby proceeds to jump on stage, he jumps towards the audience’s right and introduces a new higher note to the audience, and the audience picks up on this instantly. Shortly after the audience learns the new note, he proceeds to jump back and forth between the two spots, and the crowd immediately catches on to the notes and sings along with his actions depending on which spot he lands on. This is pattern recognition by the human mind. As Bobby jumps again over towards the crowds right (the higher note), he suddenly switches it up on the crowd and jumps beyond the high note even further towards their right, and without him even singing the note the audience instantly knew which note to hit! A step up from the previous high note! This is pattern prediction, which the human mind is completely capable of and hard-wired to do. He continuously adds new notes even without singing them to the crowd, and everyone in the audience sings in sync with his actions. Incredible.

What does this mean to me? Well, it means quite a few things. Of course it means we are naturally able to recognize and predict patterns, but not just of musical nature. Human beings can use the brains natural ability to recognize patterns in consumer trends, marketing trends, and business trends. If we really put our brains to work, we can even predict patterns in each of these trends. Being able to recognize and predict patterns in consumer behavior can be a remarkable help to your business. If you can recognize a pattern of trends that your target market is following, and then predict what the next trend will be, well my friend, you are ahead of your game and strapped for success. Unless of course your brain is malfunctioning or you make the wrong prediction. But as the saying goes, no risk – no gain. This is Cliff Anderson, signing out. Stay classy my friends.

P.S. Here is the link to the TED speaker :)

Keeping your clients happy

It has recently come to my attention via musicindustrynewswire.com, that the former head of the innovative company, “Open Labs”, has recently gone into competition with his former company. As far as executing the new company opening, Victor Wong, CEO, will have the event streaming live through musiccomputing.com. Music computing is the new company, owned and operated by Victor Wong, former head of Open Labs. On the day of the live streaming, they will show case eight new hardware instruments and two new software products. Personally I am extremely excited to see what new technologies will be implemented into each new product!

“We dissected everything down to the smallest possible particles and then redesigned it all,” states Victor Wong, CEO, “what we have created can only be described as a quantum leap in music instrument technology.” C. Simmons, (2010). Apparently the new company is aimed at giving Open Labs a run for their money. The incredible instruments that Open Labs were pumping out of their factory were in fact amazing at the time simply because no other company had offered something like this before. However, customer satisfaction was clearly not met and Open Labs almost collapsed into the abyss. I am personally hoping that this new company is the new standard of advanced instruments and not just a knock off of the previous companies products. Personally, I knew a friend back at Full Sail University in 2007 that had a Open Labs "MiKO", which was the flagship of the companies keyboard workstations at the time. He brought it by my home studio one day and at first sight I was ecstatic and ready to use this eight thousand dollar piece of musical inspiration. After 4 hours of exploration of this keyboards capabilities, I discovered that for something that is a decent computer, stuffed into the frame of a keyboard with mixing controls (as many other keyboards have), and a decent mic pre, the price of $8000 was outrageous. The keyboard simply wasn't much more than an overpriced home studio stuffed into a keyboard. No amazing new technologies, no innovative ideas, nada. I personally could spend that much money building a very nice home studio that would blow the MiKO away.

“According to their press release, the company’s goal is to “invent new technologies and integrate them with proven standards to create the best possible instruments for today’s musicians.” Most of its products are cross-platform in nature and will work within the Microsoft Windows® or Mac OS operating systems, allowing more flexibility than ever.” C. Simmons, (2010). With that statement in mind, the planning of this company’s goals are very similar to my own. Will Music Computing end up being my arch nemesis after they blow Open Labs out of the water? Either way I believe that this company was created with customer satisfaction in mind. Since Open Labs failed and almost went completely bankrupt, Victor Wong is making a comeback to show his customers that he knows what it is they want.

Reference:

Christopher Laird Simmons, Tue, 05 Oct 2010. Musicindustrynewswire.com, Former Head of OpenLabs announces new company: Music Computing to Launch Ten New Music Products. Retrieved on October 17, 2010 from: http://musicindustrynewswire.com/2010/10/05/min3330_163328.php

Teams: The most essential tool for your project

A well-put together team can make or break your company. That goes for the entertainment industry as well as any other industry. Teams are essential for the necessary completion of whole projects within a company. No one single person can break down each task required to complete the project and successfully accomplish the tasks on his or her own. “Working in a team has an advantage of the workload getting distributed amongst all the team members. With work properly distributed, you can concentrate on a single activity till the time you gain expertise in it and you do not feel stressed out due to work.” D. Ujwal (2009). Special skills may be essential to the project that would require professionals of certain fields. For example, if you are producing an artists’ album then you as the producer rely on the recording engineer, assistant engineer, mixing engineer, mastering engineer, and the artist themselves to each put their own unique skills into the project. With one piece of the team missing, the project can fall behind schedule and may even fail. Every individual within the team has a certain skill or asset of which they bring to the table. With each person’s individual skills and combined work, the project has a much greater chance of being a successful one.

Personally putting together my own team I would search for the best candidates possible. Persons with a great amount of experience, a good attitude, excellent work ethic, and hardcore passion for the specific project at hand would be the most eligible for me. Having a team with that passion for the project is essential. The team should feel like they are not working but doing something they love to do. With an excellent team that consists of hard working, passionate, experienced individuals, your project’s chances of success will be greatly enhanced.

Communication within your team is essential for any hope of getting the project or task completed. Modern technology has enhanced the way we can communicate with individuals in our team. Instead of just face-to-face communications, we instead have the office phone, cell phone, email, instant messaging, etc. Utilizing every method of communication available is key to great communication within a team. If you keep up with the times and technologies, you can keep up to with your bosses standards and desires for the project at hand.

Reference:

Teamwork in the Workplace, Buzzle.com, Ujwal Deshmukh, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/teamwork-in-the-workplace.html