Ashley Witt // Blog
Saturday February 02, 2008 at 05:27 PM |
I have not had a problem with the RIAA before this because I know that what they have been trying to do is what needs to be done in order for laws to be in place. They ask for way more than they want or could get in order to get something. This has been done since the beginning of law. The only problem is that now it could affect my income! Here's a letter I got from ASCAP.
An Urgent Message From Marilyn Bergman
January 28, 2008
To All ASCAP Members,
Over the years, ASCAP has worked tirelessly to convince Congress and the courts that all songwriters, composers and music publishers are entitled to fair compensation for their copyrighted musical works. As you know, ASCAP represents the performing right, a large and growing part of your compensation. But mechanical and synchronization rights are also a critical element of your livelihood.
Today, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) begins a hearing that will determine mechanical rates for every songwriter and music publisher in America. It will be critical because, in addition to setting rates for physical products, rates will be set for the first time ever for digital products such as digital downloads, subscription services and ringtones.
Our friends at The National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA) will be representing the mechanical right interests of songwriters and music publishers in this hearing. They will be fighting vigorously to protect those mechanical right interests to ensure that musical compositions are compensated fairly. On the other side of this fight stands the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Digital Media Association (DiMA). Both the RIAA and DiMA have proposed significant reductions in mechanical royalty rates that would be disastrous for songwriters and music publishers.
David Israelite, NMPA President and CEO tells us, "The current rate for physical phonorecords is 9.1 cents. The RIAA has proposed slashing the rate to approximately 6 cents a song - a cut of more than one-third the current rate! For permanent digital downloads, NMPA is proposing a rate of 15 cents per track because the costs involved are much less than for physical products. The RIAA has proposed the outrageous rate of approximately 5 - 5.5 cents per track, and DiMA is proposing even less. For interactive streaming services, which some analysts believe will be the future of the music industry, NMPA is proposing a rate of the greater of 12.5% of revenue, 27.5% of content costs, or a micro-penny calculation based on usage. The RIAA actually proposed that songwriters and music publishers should get the equivalent of .58% of revenue. And DiMA is taking the position that songwriters' and music publishers' mechanical rights should be zero, because DiMA does not believe we have any such rights!"
Irwin Robinson, ASCAP Board member and Chairman of the NMPA added, "Our opponents in this hearing are proposing a rate structure which would have devastating consequences for songwriters, composers and music publishers trying to make a living, now or in the future." The initial hearing will last four weeks, followed by a rebuttal hearing in May, and a final decision expected on October 2. Among the ASCAP writer members testifying at the hearing are Rick Carnes, Phil Galdston, and Board member Stephen Paulus.
And while all this is going on, ASCAP has been leading the fight for fair performance right compensation in Federal Court against DiMA members AOL, Yahoo! and RealNetworks. Our case has been heard and we expect an outcome this summer.
Clearly these are perilous times for those of us that create the music that generates profit for those that use our music. But remember this, there would be no profit without our musical compositions that they are fighting to use so freely!
Marilyn Bergman
I don't believe that the .58% that the RIAA is trying for could happen but the problem is that if their argument is good then the percent could be significantly cut. This will affect a lot of peoples lives and I actually can't see why anyone would sign a record contract. You would have to go at least triple platinum on two albums in a row to have a chance to see your first dime of profit.
Ash
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del.icio.usWednesday December 12, 2007 at 11:16 PM |
Tuesday December 04, 2007 at 08:29 PM |
Here is an article I did years ago about getting your samples to sound real.
"It won’t sound like that when the orchestra plays it". It’s very important to understand that when your music is playing in front of a producer and you say this, and of course start to explain why it won’t sound like your MIDI and sample rendition. You have to bring out a memory of the teacher on Charlie Brown, this is what the producer hears from you when you’re trying to explain "What it will sound like."
It could also be said that the most important thing is the quality of the samples. The considerations for "quality" of samples are not just the sound of the samples, which can actually be the last consideration when determining quality! Samples have to be both playable and recordable, which may sound strange, but there are samples that sound great but cannot be used! A good example of this are harp glisses; I could only dream of never seeing another library with those. Then there are samples that sound amazing but are not recordable; for instance French horn samples are most difficult to bring out in a mix if the samples have too much reverb on them.
Part of the secret to successful emulations is "knowing" the samples. Being intimate with your samples is very difficult because this requires a lot of time spent auditioning samples not just for playback sound quality but also for simple playability in a variety of contexts. Ideally every composer would create their own library from scratch, this creates an intimacy of knowledge of the sounds that is difficult to rival. Most people don’t have this luxury, so another way to become intimate is by creating your own patches from scratch with the samples you already have. This way you understand the limit of each sample as you play them, set volumes, ranges, envelopes, etc. You may never use the patches, but it is a great way to get to know them. This does however take time and even though this procedure can be highly recommended, for most it is impractical. Another way to quickly get to know some new samples that you have come across is by remaking a song you already know. It’s best to do a song in which you know every instrument by heart so there is nothing to think about except whatever is new to the equation, in this case, the samples and how to perform with them and have them sound as realistic as possible. You will be surprised how well this works.
Crossfading samples
Sample crossfading can be the most noticeable change in a composition that uses samples extensively. Using a crossfading patch with mediocre samples can sound much better then a non-crosfading excellent sample. The best example for this is on the brass instruments, since changing from pp to ff for brass is so drastic (of course, some percussion instruments exhibit drastic changes as well). When you have good samples to crossfade with, then what controller do you use to crossfade? Well, in orchestral we usually use the mod wheel, because on most controllers the mod wheel is very loose and it provides an easy and smooth way to crossfade. On some controllers the mod control is part of the pitch joystick or pitch wheel, thus crossfading with mod isn’t practical. Also with this type of controller the pitch controller springs back to zero making it impossible to leave the control set at a specific point in the crossfade. I believe that it is worth it to have a mod wheel on a controller that is separate from the pitch control, however in the case of a combined mod/pitch wheel controller, a midi slider becomes the obvious and most practical choice for crossfading. Overall, the only thing that matters when you are performing the sample is getting used to the crossfade points and the feel of the controller. The sampler actually plays the biggest role in the crossfading. This is somewhat difficult to explain, since each sampler reacts differently to crossfading and controllers. As comfortable as you might be with your sampler and the way it crossfades, there might be some samplers that do it better than others. I could start a riot by elaborating on this, so I’ll just leave it at that.
In most cases, as much as I would like to put 2 and 3 crossfades on a patch, it is not advisable. One crossfade from pp or p to f or ff is really the only practical way to go because of midi resolution and ram size.
Most of us that play orchestral samples from a keyboard have some kind of synth background. Because of this we will typically pull the pitch wheel down, hit a note then move the pitch wheel up for a portamento effect. For string instruments however, it is frequently done in another manner. A note is struck and the portamento is affected to the next note. Frequently there is also a role of the finger onto the second note. So how do we accomplish this? The following MP3's and pictures illustrate one way of accomplishing this effect. The first MP3 is a solo cello played on the keyboard using a volume slider for expression. There is also a violin that comes in near the end of the cello line but there is no corresponding picture. The second MP3 is a solo violin played with a wind controller for expression. The wind controller also works better than a keyboard in the sense that it only has the ability to play one note at a time. This is helpful because to do the illustrated effect, the notes you are working with need to be butted up against each other. When playing a polyphonic keyboard it is somewhat difficult to have the same outcome. It may be helpful to set your keyboard to monophonic note control if it has the ability, otherwise you can edit the notes so that they are butted together. The following pitcures are from the Matrix Editor in Logic Audio.
The pitch bend is drawn in near the end of the note. With the pitch bend setting on my controller set at +6 (one whole step) I have topped out at about +/-48 before it started to sound funny. Obviously the smaller the leap from one note to the next, the smaller the amount of pitch bend but I also haven't gone much below +/- 30 because it becomes unnoticeable. The peak of the pitch bend should be on the last tick of the first note then the pitch should be banged to 0 on the first tick of the second note.
MP3 #1 - Solo cello played on keyboard using a volume slider for expression
MP3 #2 - Solo Violin played with a wind controller for expression
 Here is the pitch bend information that has been drawn in for the cello in the first MP3. (Click for a full size image). Shot taken in Logic Audio 4.1, courtesy Emagic. |
 Here is the pitch bend information that has been drawn in for the violin in the second MP3. (Click for a full size image). Shot taken in Logic Audio 4.1, courtesy Emagic. |
 For the violin in the second MP3, a breath controller is used. (Click for a full size image). Shot taken in Logic Audio 4.1, courtesy Emagic. |
The Controller
I could go on and on about weighted action keyboard controllers but I will try to minimize. First of all and most obvious is the reason for weighted action. For most piano players this is what they are used to and feel that it is the only thing they can compose on. As most of these people would be very argumentative on anything that follows that statement, I must press on. As much as I love the abilities of some of the weighted action controllers, the main reason I would have one is to practice on and to play piano parts into compositions. There are problems with this though, and the most important problem being that I have yet to play or hear any piano samples that I could actually recommend. Every time I have been consulted on piano samples I recommend that a composer use any samples they are comfortable with but ALWAYS use the real thing for the final recording. Most of these people are good piano players and will cover the piano part in one or two passes in the studio, which will obviously not add a significant amount to studio cost. Please don’t send me email about great piano samples, I’ve most likely heard them and I have so many reasons for my impartiality at this point after hearing so many that I may have become immune to piano samples.
Back to weighted action. I have been at studios and watched composers play various orchestral instruments with weighted action controllers. The best way that I can explain what I see and hear, besides a piano player playing an instrument he/she has obviously never touched, is that (with my vivid imagination), I begin to visualize someone ripping the key right out of the controller and hitting it upside the head of a musician innocently blowing into their horn in an orchestra. In some cases you might as well just pick up the controller (with a little help of course) and chuck it over the string players, this is how brutally flat and fake the performance sounds. This is mostly with the wind instruments, I don’t really see this problem a lot with string ensembles. I am not saying that playing a wind instrument with a weighted action controller is impossible, all I’m saying is that it is difficult compared to synth action, wind control, or even a string controller, no matter how good you are as a piano player.
If you know your sample library intimately, if your controller is worn in, if you know the intricacies of the instrument you are trying to emulate with you samples, (hopefully you have played the instrument before), and if you have an open mind and don’t think that just because you are a virtuoso piano player you can play every other instrument just by using your piano abilities, then realistic sounding sampled emulations of orchestral instrument can be realized. Some of you may think I'm over-reacting, but most likely if any of this bothers you, then you are one of the people beating the piccolo player upside the head with the D2 key.
What, the piccolo doesn’t play a D2? I’ll make sure it’s on the test at the end. I really don’t like recommending a synth action keyboard to piano players because I know how difficult it can be to get accustomed to this feel, but, I also recommend a wind controller to people that have never played a wind instrument, or a percussive controller to a composer that has never played percussion. Whatever makes the composition sound more real is the whole point to this article of course. Don’t forget that the ability of a controller to control all aspects of midi is not all that important when it comes to orchestral music, for you don’t use most midi functions. It is most important that the controller can reveal the best quality of the sample. Of course if you buy a controller to increase your ability to make more realistic sounding compositions, I must reiterate re-creating a song that you know totally well, so that you are only concentrating on how to use your new equipment rather then creating something new. You don’t want to have to worry about getting used to a new equipment or new samples every time you sit down to write new music as you may end up damaging yourself by falling into a groove that can be created by a new composition, where your focus is taken away from the composition process, dictated by what you can and cannot do with your samples.
I believe that a wind controller will make the biggest difference in the production quality of a composition than any other tool. When I say wind controller, I don’t mean a breath controller, something you blow into while you play the keys. You might as well have a VC pedal to control volume if you’re using a standard breath controller. There is an advantage to the breath controller, but a wind controller that will give you complete control over breath, fingering, even bite and pitch. There are intricacies of wind instruments that can be mimicked pretty well on a keyboard controller, but just can’t be done to their fullest. They can be programmed, but this would take 50x the time that playing a wind controller would take, even if you have never played one. If you think about it, you will remember that "transpose" parameter on every track of every sequencer, even Performer has it now. On a saxophone fingering style wind controller, the C scale is almost as simple as having your eight fingers down and letting one go at a time starting with your left pinky. So, you’re playing in the key of Eb? Just transpose the track, play the part in C, when you get it right, transpose the object back to Eb for the score. It would be wise to remember to transpose it to the correct key for printing, forgetting could be embarrassing, providing you have to hand the printed score to a real player afterwards. There are also trumpet and violin style controllers, however, the trumpet style isn’t as simple to operate, the violin being even less simple and also has very limited control at this time. In my opinion, and as a violin player, these controllers are very disappointing. I will go out on a limb and make a recommendation for wind control, the Yamaha WX11 is the easiest, but if you want an excellent controller with a little more ability, the Yamaha WX5 is the way to go.
With a wind controller some might say that mod samples like on a Yamaha VL series are the best way to go, but what if you don’t like the sound of the pp oboe and want to change it? With a sampler obviously you can choose that sound rather easily. Always remember that the way a sampler reacts to control is important, especially wind control.
Arranging
So playing a C1 on the Bass Clarinet is out of the instrument’s range? Well it’s great if you know the exact range of every instrument, but don’t forget that a virtuoso on any wind instrument can have a wider range than most other players. Playing out of the range can be considered in bad taste, and an arranger or a transcriber can criticize you for it. However, it can add a new and interesting element to a composition. Just be ready for the arranger, orchestrator, or transcriber to point out your mistake. Now, when I say "interesting" it is being used as a good word in this sentence, as opposed to:
Composer: "How do you like my new song?"
Composers friend: "Oh... it’s... ummm... interesting"
You will be surprised what kind of melodies you can come up with using a wind controller and will find yourself commonly creating the first line of a piece this way. It is best to go in knowing that you will be re-recording the wind-controlled part when other instruments are recorded. Remember that you are adding many new parameters to your sound when using a wind controller, you now have your diaphragm, lungs, lips, arms, and fingers all affecting the sound. This feeling you created before any other instruments will most likely sound better if re-recorded after the other instruments are added, because now you’ve added ambience to the other elements.
The most important paragraph
So you know the range of every instrument, you know what rosin is, you know that an oboe is a double reed instrument, you know that a trombone can have valves and that there is a wooden coronet, that a Faggot is a common word in the orchestra before our century. Even though you may know all of this, I cannot stress enough that all of this knowledge is only a small percent of the equation. You can be the most incredible piano player in the world, you can have a degree in music, but if you’ve never picked up an oboe or french horn and exploded some blood vessels in your head then you only have a minor understanding of the instruments.
So what if you don't own any of these instruments or have easy access to them? Fortunately, most music stores rent just about every orchestral instrument for very reasonable prices - you'll be surprised at how cheap rental rates can be, considering how much you can learn by simply renting an instrument for a couple of weeks.
Maybe thinking of it like this, imagine the Bassoon player that has never played the piano making a polyphonic song for the piano in one pass. He may know how the piano works and the theory surrounding it, but none of this matters, because he’s never played it. The Bassoon can hardly cover the intricacies of the piano, especially the polyphonic one. What about the great composers and conductors that do their composing on paper? You will find that most of these people have at least picked up a good percentage of the instruments that they compose for and have a physical understanding of every one of the instruments they write for. Please don’t even consider that I am saying that you HAVE to be able to play the instruments that you are composing for. I’m saying that having a physical understanding of a good percentage of the instruments will most likely improve your production and resulting quality of your composition. Even if you just pick up a trumpet mouthpiece and get a decent buzz sound from it, this can be very useful in understanding the amount of time it takes from the time you start blowing until the sound comes out, how long a player can play a note, how quiet the trumpet can be played before the lips stop vibrating, and if blown through long enough, how the sound changes as the lips warm up. All of this and even more can be learned from such a simple and quick blow into the mouthpiece. How could this be bad advice except if you’re in a car and someone slams on the breaks and you swallow the mouthpiece? Even then I could probably come up with something that could be learned by swallowing a trumpet mouthpiece, assuming one lives through the experience.
Thursday September 20, 2007 at 12:36 PM |
Friday July 20, 2007 at 05:34 PM |
