BIG FUN ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS & LEISURE GUIDE MAY, 2010

4 BIG FUN ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS & LEISURE GUIDE • MAY, 2010

INSIDE

MAY, 2010

EMAIL: [email protected] - 253-473-1866

PUBLISHER / EDITOR-IN-CHIEF - DAVID JOHNSON

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EMAIL: [email protected] - 253-473-1866

BIG FUN

ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS & LEISURE GUIDE

20

THE MIX

6 Variety Entertainment

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

8 Inside / Out Jazz Awards

FESTIVALS

10 West Coast Gospel Fest

12 7th Annual Tacoma Jazz &

Blues Festival

ART

14 The River Custom Tattoo

& Body Piercing

JAZZ PROFILE

16 What’s New?

Alma Villegas

ABOUT THE BIZ

16 Darrius Willrich

BLUES / ROCK

18 David Keys interviews

young guitarist

Nolan Garrett

CASINOS

20 Star machine

rocks PJ Pockets

22 Happy Days Casino

gives back. David Keys

Interviews Paul Manuel

SOUND ADVICE

26 Audio mastering tips from

Richard Nichols of

Circle of Sound Studio

BIG FUN ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS & LEISURE GUIDE • MAY, 2010 5


THE MIX

Variety Entertainment

DANCE

Latin Dance Night

Featuring

Orchestra Zarabanda with DJ Prajunkid

Becka Hueth of Seattle Latin Dance.

May 11

Teatro ZinZanni - Seattle, WA

COMEDY

JAZZ

Dat Phan

May 27-29

Parlor Live

Bellevue, WA

Steve

Hofstetter

May 17

Hard Rock Café

Seattle, WA

BlueStreet

Jazz Voices

May 2

Jazz Vespers

Seattle First Baptist

Church

Seattle, WA

Butch

Harrison

& Good Company

May 8

Bake’s Place

Issaquah, WA

Sonny Rollins

May 10

The Paramount Theatre

Seattle, WA

JAZZ

Susan Pascal

Quartet

May 29

Tula’s

Seattle, WA

FUNK / R&B / GROOVE

Sonando

May 20

Tula’s

Seattle, WA

STANTON MOORE TRIO

May 15

Tractor

Ballard, WA

BLUES

ROCK / POP

Phantoms

May 8

Hard Rock Café

Seattle, WA

Bonefest 2010

W/ Fred Wesley

May 9

The Triple Door - Seattle, WA

The Michal

Miller Band

May 14

Stonegate

Tacoma, WA

Bob James & Earl Klugh

May 20 - 23

Jazz Alley - Seattle, WA

SMOOTH JAZZ

CONTACT BIG FUN

[email protected]



LUCID Presents

The Inside/Out Jazz Awards

Celebrate Seattle’s Jazz Community

EVENT SPOTLIGHT

ucid Jazz Lounge is proud to

present the first Inside/Out Jazz

Awards at Benaroya Hall on

Monday, May 31, 2010. The concept for

the I/O Awards sprang from the same

idea as Lucid - that the Seattle jazz

community needs to build itself from

the inside out. For more than a year,

this is what Lucid has tried to

accomplish, and now they are ready to

bring the concept to the masses.

The I/O Awards will, of course, include

awards given to various members of

our community. Some will be standard

awards you’d see at other events

(Outstanding Instrumentals,

Outstanding Album, etc.) and some will

be more personalized. The event will

also include numerous performances

from Seattle jazz musicians, including a

reprise of Evan Flory-Barnes’ Earshot

Award winning “Acknowledgment of a

Celebration”, Clarence Acox, Andy

Clausen, Reservoir Cats, Miles Davis

Tribute, The Teaching and more.

100 % of the proceeds from this event

will go to Strength Through Unity, a

Non-Profit organization established by

Lucid’s owner, David Pierre-Louis, to

aid with rebuilding his native Haiti.

STU’s mission is to rebuild the spirit of

Haitians by providing immediate aid

and assistance and by creating

meaningful ways in which to empower

Haitians for sustainable lifestyles.

This event promises to be the biggest

ever to celebrate the Seattle jazz

community. The whole concept of

Inside/Out is to grow the community

and help us all as individuals and as a

group. If you’d like to speak with the

organizers for more information,

contact J&J Music at (206) 250-5457

or [email protected].

L



FESTIVALS

West Coast

Gospel Fest

A

Over 12 Artists Celebrating Gospel at

Tacoma’s Rialto Theater

medley of gospel artists from

around the U.S. will take stage

as the Broadway Center presents

West Coast Gospel Fest on

Saturday, May 29, 2010 at 7:30 p.m. in

the Rialto Theater. The event is presented

in partnership with Mr. Frank Walton,

2007 Inductee Broadcasters Hall of Fame

and 2009 Gospel Announcer of the Year,

Gospel Music Workshop of America.

The West Coast Gospel Fest will feature

a variety of new and upcoming gospel

artists from around the country, in

addition to well-known gospel music

veterans. Participants represent all

corners of the nation and include more

than twelve individuals and groups

lending their talents to create a unique

evening that blends several styles - and

generations - of Gospel music. The

performers include:

Moses Tyson Jr. - the Gospel King of the

Hammond B3 organ

Ami Rushes (Los Angeles) - music from

her forthcoming CD produced by Kurt

Carr

Angela “Missy” Billups (New York) -

east coast New York style gospel

Terri McConnell (Oklahoma) - Ebony

Magazine named McConnell one of the

new and hottest in black music

Shirley Bell (Chicago) - backup for

gospel greats such as Albertina Walker,

Dorothy Norwood, Soul Stirrers, The Five

Blind Boys, Wanda Nero Butler and Rev.

John Morris, just to name a few.

Eric Carrington (Houston, Texas) -

debuting his latest offering for the youth

and young at heart

Jimmy Hill (Jacksonville, Florida) - a

renowned artist who has created classic

songs, virtuoso guitar instrumentals and/

or powerful statements of music and

ministry

Chuck Anderson (Houston, Texas) is an

anointed saxophonist, composer and

band-leader, his recent CD is tit led Walk

With Me.

Gail Fly (New Orleans, Louisiana) -

awarded the 2009 Rhythm of Gospel

Awards “Traditional Female Vocalist of

the Year”

Bishop Sam Williams - producer and

host of the number one Gospel and

Inspirational show in New York City “Joy

in the Morning”, on 107.5 WBLS.

Williams was inducted into the National

Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1999.

Elizabethtown Community Choir -

thirty-three members that demonstrate a

rich diversity in age, denominations,

socio-economic and musical

backgrounds

The evening will be hosted by Frank

Walton and local radio personalities

David Bowman, Eddie Jones, Monica

Lewis, Tyrell Floyd of the Seattle Area

Gospel Announcer Guild. Tickets to

West Coast Gospel Fest are on sale

now for $16 and $26. Call 253.591.5894

to order or purchase online at

www.broadwaycenter.org.

Terri McConnel

Eric Carrington

Gail Fly



The 7th Annual Tacoma Jazz and Blues

Festival is happening on Saturday, May 29,

2010 in downtown Tacoma. Presented in

association with the South Sound Blues

Association and the Greater Tacoma

Community Foundation, this day-long festival

will have bands and combos performing at

Freighthouse Square and the Harmon Pub

and Brewery with an after party to be held at

the Stonegate Tavern.

“Our goal from the very beginning has been to

put on a fantastic artistic event that exposes

people to America’s earliest indigenous

musical forms, jazz and blues,” said festival

founder Rich Wetzel.

The Tacoma Jazz and Blues Festival has

become a fixture on the local entertainment

scene, drawing thousands of visitors each

year to enjoy up and coming local talent as

well as national acts. This year’s lineup is no

exception, with the following bands scheduled

to play:

Big Bands Jazz Stage @ The Rainier Room,

Freighthouse Square 12 noon – 7:30pm

Johnny Lewis Big Band 1:00 - 2:00 PM

Roadside Attraction 2:30 - 3:30 PM

Mukilteo’s Outrageous Jazz Orchestra 4:00 -

5:00 PM

Rich Wetzel’s Groovin Higher Jazz Orchestra

5:30 - 7:30 PM

Blues Stage @ The Harmon Pub & Brewery

12:30 – 6pm

(presented with The South Sound

BluesAssociation)

The Crossroads Band 12:30 - 1:30 PM

Little Bill and the Bluenotes 2:00 - 3:00 PM

Maia Santell and House Blend 3:30 - 4:30

PM

Nick Vigarino 5:00 - 6:00 PM

Jazz Festival After Party @ The Stonegate

Restaurant and Bar 8:30 pm

In addition to exposing the community to the

7TH ANNUAL

TACOMA JAZZ &

BLUES FESTIVAL

FESTIVALS

Hot Jazz and Cool Blues in Downtown Tacoma

plethora of quality performers in our area, the

mission of the Jazz Festival is to raise

awareness for its outreach program aimed at

local school music programs. By providing

funding for school instruments and hosting

music clinics, “We can inspire dreams, and

enrich the lives of not only the kids who go on

to teach and play, but also those that view

music as part of a well rounded educational

and life experience,” said Rich Wetzel.

The Jazz Festival is free to the public, with

free parking at the Tacoma Dome parking

Garage across from Freighthouse Square.

Patrons can hop on the Tacoma Link to catch

bands at either of the two main venues. There

is a $5 cover for the after party, beginning at

8:30 pm at the Stonegate.

For more information, please contact:

Rich Wetzel - Festival Director

Tacoma Jazz and Blues Festival

(253) 227-0335, [email protected]

www.tacomajazzandblues.org


Maia Santell & House Blend Nick Vigarino

Little Bill Crossroads Band

Rich Wetzel’s Groovin Higher Orchestra


ART

By Malissa Bourgault

By Adam Rabb

By Matt Steward

By Rich McGowen

Bones

By Malissa Bourgault

By Adam Rabb

The River

Custom Tattoo &

Body Piercing

ones is co-owner of and head body

piercer at The River Custom Tattoo &

Body Piercing. He began piercing in

1988 and has worked at way too many

places to list here. We will just say that he

has been around doing it in a serious way

for quite a while. He opened The River

Custom Tattoo & Body Piercing a little

more than a year ago and has attracted a

large base of repeat customers who love

the shop. Most of the people that get their

work done at The River go there because of

Bones’ history in the industry, and because

the staff and operation are top notch. All of

the artists are either skilled painters or

graphic artists who can produce any

custom design or provide you with one of

their own unique concepts. Here are a few

pics of work done by staff artists.

Stop by on Sunday, May 23

rd

between noon

and 6pm to meet world famous tattoo artist

The Enigma, and get one of his blue puzzle

signature tattoos. See ad on page 14.

B

Alma Villegas

Vocalist - Seattle, WA

PERFORMANCE CAREER

We have a full schedule of summer

festival performances. We are thrilled

to be back at Jazz in the Valley in

Ellensburg, WA on July 30

th

& 31

st

and

from September 24-26, we will be

participating in Mexico, One Country

Every Nation in celebration of Mexico’s

200

th

anniversary of its independence in

Leon, Guanajuato.

www.allnationsfestival.com

RECORDING CAREER

On June 6, 2010, I will be releasing my

new CD with members of my quintet at

the UW’s Ethnic Cultural Center. We

are very excited to introduce selections

with additional instrumentation including

violin, tres (Cuban guitar) and trumpet.

More information on the event available

on my website www.almavillegas.com

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

Thankfully, all the people in my life are

doing very well. I have a dear friend

who will be graduating from law school

this summer and everyone else is doing

better economically this year.

STATE OF THE BIZ

Luckily, the economy has picked up a

bit and I and my musician colleagues

are seeing more opportunities to

perform this year. My hope would be

that things continue to get better and

revenue will increase for us all. Many

musicians struggle to make a living out

of music alone. My boyfriend and bass

player, Steve Okimoto is a member of

the Dudley Manlove Quartet, a band

that has traditionally done very well

professionally. Even they experienced

hard times in 2009 but things have

definitely picked up this summer.

PERSONAL LIFE

I began a new job this January for an

education advocacy organization called

Stand for Children. We are working

hard mobilizing parents and educators

to hold local and state decision-makers

accountable for funding public

education. It is a difficult task but one

that is very much needed. Our public

education system is not doing well and

too many kids are dropping out or

graduating without being college ready.

It’s time for all of us to make this a

priority. After all, kids are the future of

our country.

FAMILY LIFE

Not much there. But my cat, Boochie is

very spoiled.

QUEST FOR PERSONAL GROWTH

Last year, I became a member of the

Sokka Gakai International Buddhist

organization. Chanting Nam Myoho

Renge Kyo every day has helped me

remain focused on my goals and gives

me the personal strength and resolve to

get through the difficult times.

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Mark your Calendars! Release of Alma

y Azucar our second CD filled with new

music and additional instrumentation

including tres, violin and trumpet.

Sunday, June 6th

Ethnic Cultural Center/Theatre

3931 Brooklyn Ave. NE

(206) 543-4635

3pm-5pm

www.almavillegas.com

You may reach Alma at:

[email protected]

JAZZ PROFILE

By Darrius Willrich

If you plan to make money as a

performing artist in today’s music

industry, the one thing you must do is

create a plan for every facet of your

business and don’t be afraid to enlist the

help of others. It will be necessary to

have consultants, advisors and mentors.

Use them as well as your own

judgement. Be following a plan that you

can track the success and/or non-

success of so you can make adjustment

to your plan and continue on the path to

success. Without a plan you will not

know whether you are on the path or off.

If you should keep doing what you are

doing or if it is time to reassess. Do not

be afraid to take calculated risks. Learn

how to calculate risks.

About The Biz



Nolan Garrett

Guitarist & Vocalist - Tacoma, WA

“I

INTERVIEWED BY DAVID KEYS

How old are you?

I’m 12 years old.

What styles of music do you play?

I play classic rock and dirty blues.

You are a very accomplished musician for

your age. When did you start playing?

I started taking lessons in second grade,

because playing sports just wasn’t my thing.

So my mom said “why don’t you try playing

an instrument? Maybe the guitar would work

for you.” So I started taking lessons at Ted

Brown Music with Daniel Harris, and we just

clicked from the start. I have loved playing

guitar ever since.

You recently won a competition for young

musicians in Tacoma. Tell us about

organization that sponsored the event and

how you became involved.

The organization is called PSMFYA, which

means Puget Sound Music For Youth

Association. I think it’s a really great

organization because it allows kids like me to

show what we can do on an instrument and

lets us play on the stage, which is a real

privilege. I became involved when Paul

Manuel, the president of the association, ran

into a friend of someone that works with my

mom. He was putting up posters at a school

for the competition and my mom’s friend said

“Do you know Nolan Garrett?” and he said

yes! And he asked her “Do you know where I

could find him?” And it went from there.

chose to play the guitar

because my mom said I

needed to try something new.”

What categories did you win?

Our band won the band category, and I won

the solo and audience choice categories.

What were the prizes?

The prizes for the band performance were

$350 in Ted Brown Music Gift Cards and 8

hours recording studio time. The prize for the

solo performance was $150 in Ted Brown

Gift Cards and 8 hours recording studio time.

The prize for the audience choice category

was a $50 gift certificate at Musician’s

Exchange.

What was the first thing that came to your

mind when you heard your name called as

the winner?

I was surprised because my band had only

been practicing together for three weeks, so it

was unexpected. My solo performance win

was surprising because there were a lot of

really great musicians there.

I hear you will also be performing at the

Paramount. How did you get such a

prestigious booking?

The first time I ever played at Happy Days

Casino, Debbie Miles saw me while I was

playing one of her favorite songs, and she

wanted her husband Mike Miles, the

technical director for the Paramount, to come

and watch me. He came, and loved the type of

music I was playing, and asked if my band

and I would play at his birthday party on the

stage of The Paramount. And of course, I said

I would be honored.

How many hours do you practice each

day?

I practice from 2 to 10 hours a day.

Who is your music teacher?

My music teacher is Daniel Harris. He is the

best finger style guitarist I have ever seen,

and he is also very good at teaching rock and

blues. He always wants to help me be the

best I can be!

You are also quite a fine singer. Do you

take singing lessons?

I just started a month ago with my parent’s

friend, Doug Johnson. He has helped me open

up my voice and range.

What are your favorite songs at this time?

I like playing “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”

with my band, and I like playing “Classical

Gas” by Mason Williams on my acoustic. My

favorite song is “Heaven Beside You” by

Alice in Chains.

Tell us about your band.

My band is a trio. Matthew Harding plays

bass, Matt Schwab plays drums and I play

guitar and sing. We are all twelve years old

and friends. Matthew has been taking bass

lessons for about a year, and is doing very

well. Matt has been playing drums for three

years and is also doing well.

Do you plan to have a career as a

professional musician?

I would love to have a career as a

professional musician. I know it takes a lot of

hard work and dedication, but I am will ing to

put in a 150 percent effort all of the time to

achieve my dream!!

You may reach Nolan by contacting his

mother at:

[email protected] or

[email protected]

BLUES / ROCK



Star Machine

Rocks PJ Pockets

So you’ve heard all

the hype, but for

those who have

never witnessed live

band Karaoke, it

is nothing like

what you

might think.

The excitement of

performing on the

biggest stages in the

Northwest in front of

screaming fans has an

amazing effect on

people. There is a kind

of magic that happens

when you get to be the

star of your own live

band. It allows you to

become something you

don’t always get to be.

The stage comes alive

with the rolling lights, live

bass, drums, guitar and

even back-up vocals. The

music is mixed perfectly and

pumped out at concert levels.

Your very own music video is

projected on the two enormous

screens on either side of the stage

while the crowd cheers you on and

floods the dance floor. You feel

enveloped in the warmth of red and blue

lights and embraced by luminous plumes

of fog. The intensity swells, your excitement

rising with the music. Any lingering jitters

disappear as you take in the thrill of a

lifetime. You lose yourself in the music and

sing like never before, drawing forth a

performance beyond anything you thought

you were capable of. Your voice bounding

through the club echoes with inspiration.

This is Star Machine. This is a moment

you won’t soon forget.

The band’s members were “cherry picked”

from top performing bands in the Northwest

and has already taken the lead over

previous bands, raising the bar with well

CASINOS

over 300 songs and counting. In fact, they

add new songs every week from the

“Singer’s Request List”. This means they

learn YOUR favorite songs instead of

expecting you to learn theirs.

Hit Connections Entertainment, with

Virginia Ashby, developed Star Machine in

2009 and has perfected the conditions

that accommodate and encourage

performers with both comfort and

excellence. This environment is

designed to inspire the

performer who in turn, delivers

an inspiring performance. Set

up with the best musicians,

sound crews and

equipment, in the hottest

clubs, and the

convenience of lyrics

scrolling on a nearby

monitor.

Experience Star

Machine for yourself.

Get lost in the music,

carried away by the

crowds and delighted

with the discovery of the

Star within you.

Star Machine appears

Wednesdays at

Muckleshoot Casino -

8:30pm, Thursdays at PJ

Pockets -9:30pm, and at events

throughout the Northwest.

Star Machine specializes in private

parties and events.

www.hitconnetionsentertainment.com/

starmachine.cfm

www.myspace.com/StarMachineKaraoke

Hit Connections Entertainment

(206)372-6424

[email protected]


CASINOS

“Young people are the

future of the Arts, and

particularly in music.

Music gives our young

people something to

focus on, and it

provides an avenue for

them to exercise their

creativity.”

Tell us a bit about your program for

young musicians. How did it start?

I am a blues and rock flute player

and my stage name is Mariano

Silver. I met a musician named

Randy Oxford in 2006 at a

mutual friend’s party and we

played together. He said I

needed to come down to

Jazzbones and be a part

of his jam session and it

was there that I got my

first experience

performing with young

musicians. Dominique

Stone, Randy’s bassist, had

already been working with

young musicians and he’s the

one who encourage me to work with kids. So

in 2008 I started putting together ideas for

how we work with young musicians, and with

Randy support we entered in the Daffodil

Parade. In 2009 we took first place in our

division. We had 5 young musicians and 14

swing dancers, 12 of them were under 22

years of age. After the parade we decided to

form a non-profit organization with the State

of Washington and we created the Puget

Sound Music for Youth Association. We had

about twenty kids that comprised 3 groups

and went on to do 13 shows at the Puyallup

Fair in September, 2009 with two of the

groups. The PSMFYA is an avenue for young

musician to meet each other and further their

knowledge of music through practice and

competition and by working together as a

team.

You recently held a competition for young

performers. What was involved?

We had a Kids Got Talent show and

competition in April of this year that was held

at Happy Days Casino in Lakewood. I

approached the owners of Happy Days after

the Puyallup Fair and we started Kids Jam in

November, 2009. The jam grew to 20 to 30

kids coming in and playing music, and we

would go for four to five hours at a time.

Having the competition is part of what the

PSMFYA is all about. The owners of Happy

Days Casino are great. They

really stepped up to the

plate and made the whole competition a big

success.

Who participated in the competition?

We had five bands compete. The Nolan

Garrett Trio played classic rock and blues,

Society’s Voice played grunge metal, Traveler

played classic rock, Edge of Explosion played

classic rock and R&B and What Happened

played jazz fusion. We had six Solo acts;

Nolan Garrett played guitar with sang, Zach

Rowell, played guitar, Johnny Epps played

guitar, Little Lisa sang Olivia sang and Alex

Richmond played guitar.

Who were the winners and what did they

receive?

The Nolan Garrett Trio took first place and

Society Voice took second place in the band

category. Nolan Garrett took

a first place and Alex

Richmond took a second

Continued on page 22

Happy Days Casino

Gives Back

Paul Manuel

Interviewed By David Keys

May’s Special: Prime Rib



place in the solo category. The Nolan

Garrett Trio won eight hours of recording

studio time with Good Records Music studio

and a $350.00 gift certificate from Ted

Brown Music. Nolan also won eight hours

of recording studio time with Good Records

Music studio and a $150.00 in certificate

from Ted Brown Music as his solo prize.

Alex Richmond second place prize was four

hours of recording studio time. We also had

the audience pick who they thought was

the best and that was Nolan Garrett. He

won a $50.00 gift certificate from Musician’s

Exchange. We also had a drawing for four

$25.00 gift cards from Musician’s

Exchange.

Do you host any other events on a

regular basis?

We host a Kids Jam on the second

Saturday of the month, but might add more

Saturdays. We will be at the Taste of

Tacoma as well as the Puyallup Fair this

fall. One of our Sponsors is Morphs BBQ

and he is building us a stage that will seat

over a 100 people at the Fair. And we hope

to play the Community in School stage

again at the Fair.

What are your long range goals for the

organization?

We hope to continue to grow. We will; hold

our next competition in August, and we

would like to get more musicians to

participate. It would be great to have three

to four bands in each genre category. The

categories are: blues, rock, metal, jazz,

reggae and country.

Tell us a bit more about Happy Days

Casino.

A good thing about Happy Days Casino is

they also have real good food and live

music three nights a week. They have live

blues and rock, and a real popular Asian

night with a good DJ, and dancing. They

also have a large stage with a professional

sound system and a big dance floor. Plus,

they don’t skimp on their drinks. It’s a good

safe place to go when you want to have

some fun.

Happy Days Casino is also doing a good

job reaching out to the community in a

variety of ways. They held a benefit for Carol

Parsons on April 10. And they recently

hosted a giant motorcycle club showcase/

convention that drew hundreds of riders and

vendors of all kinds to their parking lot and

side street. It was a real positive and fun

afternoon with live music, food and tons of

people. Happy Days has many more events

planned, so people should check in with

them often to see what’s on the horizon.

How can parents get in touch with you

to get their children involved in your

organization?

My website is www.marianosilver.com.

Click on Puget Sound Music for Youth

Association and you’ll get contact and other

information. My email is

[email protected]

Happy Days Casino: 11521 Bridgeport

Way SW, Lakewood, WA. 253-722-2022.

www.happydayscasino.net.

Happy Days Casino


Moderation In All Things

Audio Mastering By Richard Nichols

SOUND ADVICE

astering requires careful listening of

the music to gain an understanding

of the main focal point. It may be a

horn line, the vocals, or a driving rhythm

guitar part, but regardless it needs to be

identified and that becomes the basis or

starting point. We must remember that

everything we change has a direct effect

on everything else. For example, by

reducing 90 to 100 Hz to fix a problem with

the bass, we may inadvertently create a

problem with the lower register in the piano.

It’s a trade off that sometimes isn’t worth

it. We must remember that not all problems

can be fixed in the mastering process and

just because something’s available doesn’t

mandate its use.

With the advent of entry level, lower priced

home recording equipment, it’s easier for

more people to be involved in the music

making process. A lot of the new DSP

products are quite good but still require an

understanding of how they work and the

effect they have on the finished sound. Most

of the included presets are intended as a

starting point and were not designed to be

used as shipped. Compression when used

properly helps to add punch and volume to

lower and mid level passages. Improper

settings though (e.g., lower threshold, too

high a ratio) brings things up to a constant

level and can accentuate sounds better left

back in the mix. If all you require is a higher

sound level, consider limiting instead. Used

properly, limiting can give you several more

dB without effecting the balance and tonal

quality of the music.

A person also has to remember that the

wider frequency response of loudspeakers

coupled with the subsonic frequencies of

properly adjusted sub woofers are more

accurate and translate much better than

M

Circle Of Sound Studio - Olympia, WA

near-field monitors. Most near-fields don’t

have the required bandwidth and low

frequency response to properly judge low

and subsonic problems. Over

compensating by turning up the bass is not

the remedy. This just causes boominess in

the low end and muddies the mids. It also

translates poorly in most l istening

environments outside of your own room.

When it comes to mastering remember, it

is not a one size fits all, and …moderation

in all things.

Consider allowing someone with the

equipment, understanding, and experience

to master for you. It can be a great benefit

to you and your masterpiece.

Richard is the owner of Circle of Sound in

Olympia, WA where he provides Mastering,

Digital Recording, and CD Duplication

services. Contact: www.circleofsound.net




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Documents

BIG FUN ENTERTAINMENT, ARTS & LEISURE GUIDE MAY, 2010