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929x280_philmoffa

Learn powerful sound design techniques!

In an age when most electronic musicians and DJs rely on computers to do the work for them, Phil Moffa believes that the best sounds are created through the use of physical hardware and analogue signal paths. Based out of his own Butcha Sound Studios, Phil Moffa uses a growing arsenal of hardware equipment to craft the unique electronic sounds for his group Vinyl Life. In addition to his work with Vinyl Life, Phil teaches at The Conservatory of Music at Purchase College and is a regular writer for DJ Times and Club World Magazine. As Indaba's very first Artist In Residence, Phil will be sharing his vast knowledge of sound design, synthesis, and electronic music.

Check in frequently for in-depth tutorials, videos, and contests from Phil and head over to the sessions below to practice the techniques that you have learned. Create your own unique and powerful sound!

The Indaba "Artist in Residence" program is designed for experts in a particular field of music to share their unique knowledge with the Indaba community.

Studio Blog Feed

Thursday November 19, 2009 at 09:09 AM

"Like This" Artwork (first posting anywhere)

Thanks to my man DJ Pauly Rafelle for designing the cover to the next Vinyl Life single "Like This" which will feature remixes from Indaba members AJ Wells and Do1 R . Check it out:     This will be available worldwide December 15th. Very excited about this! New tutorials coming next week - stay tuned...  

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Monday November 16, 2009 at 06:06 AM

Work in Raymond Scott's Studio

I never promote plugins. But this deserves some attention. This is an inexpensive (10.69 Euros) emulation of an old electronic music studio, pre-synthesizers. Like the Raymond Scott days. Download Berna HERE

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Monday November 09, 2009 at 09:09 AM

Where do you stand on digital DJing?

I am a long time vinyl collector and DJ.  It is my preferred medium for spinning.  Maybe it's how I grew up doing this.  Maybe I just simply prefer the way it sounds, feels, and the large artwork.  When CDs came along, it definitely lightened the load and also made it possible for us to play remixes and original productions that were never going to make it to wax.  But we all knew that spinning CDs, while convenient, was never as fun as the real thing.  With the recent introduction of Serato and Traktor, we can now control digital files with a vinyl record.  ...

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Friday October 09, 2009 at 01:03 PM

Like This contest responses

Sorry to repeat myself, but you all did a great job. So great in fact that I needed another day to pick a winner.  I would like to make the following comments: Alex Wells - Dude, you're only 18? This mix is brilliant. My only slight criticism is the vox are too dry during verses. Do1 R - Great job. Its instrumentation reminds me of tracks by Smash Mechanics , Phaze's other project.  The drops are all on point - they make the arrangement interesting.  The vocals did slide a bit toward the end. This track was definitely a finalist for me. Can I get a WAV? I will def spin this when...

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Wednesday September 30, 2009 at 11:05 AM

Like This judging

Yes, this is a difficult decision.  I will take my time and go thru all of them.  I appreciate everyone who particiapated and all of your hard work.  Stay tuned.  Peace from NYC.    

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Wednesday September 16, 2009 at 06:26 AM

Circuit Bending for sounds

Have you ever heard about circuit bending?  This hobby/art/way of making very interesting sounds has been around for a while and has gained lots of popularity in recent years.  The web is full of resources on this topic and now there are even some very informative books out there, most notably Circuit-Bending: Build Your Own Alien Instruments by pioneer Reed Ghazala , the man who coined the term.  In short, circuit bending is the modifying of electronic devices in the interest of making sounds that the manufacturer did not intend.  It can be as simple as a wire that connect...

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Wednesday September 02, 2009 at 08:08 AM

Like This contest is up!

Hey kids.  I'm very excited that we've got the remix contest for "Like This" up and running.  Can't wait to hear what you all do with it.  We will be giving as first prize 50% of the profits made from the purchase of the winning remix.  Yes, that is a good deal.  Your remix will be available on Beatport, iTunes, Juno UK, and many more.  We may do a vinyl release too. I want to hear some original sounds so don't be afraid to not play it too safe.  I was in a class the other day and we were discussing going out of the box (conceptually, not analog vs. digital)....

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Wednesday August 26, 2009 at 07:07 AM

Anything is possible

I'm writing this post today in hopes that it may rub off some inspiration on you to believe that anything is possible with your music .  As a DJ/producer, one of the best ways to get our music heard is to give it to other DJs for their sets.  It's unbelievable how accessible we all are now thanks to the internet and more specifically, the social network sites where almost everyone has a profile. It may seem like shooting fish in a barrel (or finding a needle in a haystack if you prefer that cliche) to get some of the big names to hear our tracks and respond with feedback, let alone p...

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Friday August 21, 2009 at 09:09 AM

TUTORIAL 3 - Sequencing Tips

We've discussed sampling and sound design and now it's time for another "S" of electronic music, sequencing.  The old lyric is true - it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.  The feel of music, the groove, the subtlety of timing - these are the things that seperate something that feels funky from something that feels like a computer was involved and not a human.  There's many ways to approach sequenencing beats depending on the equipment you use, but some things are universal.  Sometimes perfect timing is desired and sometimes we gotta take that quantizing off.&nb...

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Tuesday August 04, 2009 at 08:08 AM

Album out today!

Hey Indaba family.  I'm happy to let you know that yesterday I picked up my copies of the new Vinyl Life LP that I've been working on for a long time. It took 3 years to finish the music and just getting the LP made was quite an adventure.  Thanks to the folks at Brooklyn Phono for being on point every step of the way.  If you need wax, give them a try.  Check out this player to hear the album: If you'd like to get yourself one of the first copies hot off the press, go to the Tape Theory shop .  Thanks for your support!   P.S. Remix contest will be up anyday now a...

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