What Did We Know and When Did We Know It? by Bill Pere

 Reprinted with expressed permission from Bill Pere:

The concepts discussed in this article are a part of the comprehensive analysis of songwriting presented in the complete book “Songcrafters’ Coloring Book: The Essential Guide to Effective and Successful Songwriting”, by Bill Pere.  For additional information or to order a copy, visit http://www.songcrafterscoloringbook.com

 

(More on this topic in the complete Songcrafters’ Coloring Book)

” What did he know and when did he know it? “  This key question from the Watergate era brought down a President.  It can also bring down – or elevate – a song. Remember that the presentation of a song by a writer to a listener is a social interaction – a conversation of sorts.   Like any communication, if the songwriter cares about his/her message, the goal of the interaction is to forge a connection between singer and listener, so that both are on the same wavelength with common understanding.

Communication between people is propelled forward through a flow of information – whether you are telling a story, giving instruction, recounting your trip abroad,  or describing your aches and pains,  the listener stays engaged only as long as information is flowing in.   As soon as this inflow ceases, the listener’s attention goes elsewhere.  Would you continue to read a book or watch a movie if it was not providing you with new information that moved the story along and kept your attention?

The same principle applies in a song.   As long as information is flowing, the listener stays focused and engaged, drinking in that information to stimulate images, feelings, ideas, memories – all the things that songwriters’ want their listeners to experience.

In general, when a listener is hearing a song for the first time, you have about 30-45 seconds to ‘hook’ them and make a connection.   Great songs work because they have a tremendous amount of information flowing to the listener in the first few lines.   By the end of the first verse, we usually know a lot about who/what/where/when/why/how.

Consider each syllable in a lyric as a prime real estate lot,  and your job as the developer is to get as much use out of each lot as possible.  For each line and each phrase of your song, ask   “What does the listener now know?”   This is your key to a successful song .
Songwriting great Gretchen Peters said in an interview  that writing a song is  “almost like haiku, you have to really, really tear things down (to the essentials).

If a line does not introduce new information, it is not moving the song forward, so why is it there?   If it is there just to take up space, or just because you needed a rhyme, you are wasting valuable real estate.  Make each line work for you, to keep a sense of forward motion.   Listeners do not have long attention spans.  You need to do all that you can to earn their attention, and then reward them with a constant flow of interesting information.

There are some key pieces of information that are essential in any song.  Whenever a character is introduced in a lyric, whether by name or by “he/she/you/they”,  the listener quickly needs to know who the person is, what their relationship is to the singer and/or other characters, and why they are saying what they are saying (or why something is being said about them) i.e. what is the current and/or past situation that led to these words being said?     In short, why should the listener care about the character?   Without those pieces of information, any character in a song is a distant stranger with whom we don’t see a reason to connect.

Information about when and where it’s all happening may or may not be essential, but those bits of detail usually provide a sensory anchor for the listener.  Most great songs provide a sense of when and where.

When I discuss this in workshops, this is usually the point where some says “You can’t possibly fit all that information into the first few lines of a song…”    Well, you can if you are a great songwriter.   Let’s look at some examples:

Here are the opening lines of “Harry and Joe” from the pen of multi-Emmy Award winner A.J. Gundell:

 

Harry and Joe went South with their wives enjoying the golden years of their lives

But life doesn’t always pay back what it owes  and suddenly, there was just Harry and Joe

In those few words, there is a tremendous amount of information, which is shown, not told to us.   At each phrase, ask yourself “What do I now know?”

Harry and Joe went South with their wives

(There are 4 people, two married couples, who are traveling or relocating)

 enjoying the golden years of their lives

(They are happy and elderly, most likely moving to Florida)

But life doesn’t always pay back what it owes

(Something unexpected and negative happened)

and suddenly, there was just Harry and Joe

(The two wives passed away)

The current situation and backstory of four strangers is conveyed to you in a burst of information that has sensory and emotional impact.  Now it makes perfect sense to get to the chorus which says:

Harry and Joe, they lean to and fro

They lean on each other wherever they go

Two lonely fighters doing all that they know

To get through each day, Harry and Joe.

How about this gem of opening lines from “Skin”, by Joe Henry and Doug Johnson:

SaraBeth is scared to death to hear what the doctor will say

She hasn’t been well since the day that she fell, and the bruise, it just won’t go away…”

What do we know?   A girl names SaraBeth is at a medical facility awaiting a diagnosis.

You know she is terrified.   You know she had a fall awhile ago and hasn’t been right since.  And you know she probably has cancer (leukemia).

Again, in a few phrases, we know the current situation and the backstory of the character.  We are invited into the song to accompany this person on the journey she is about to take. Getting all this information out in the beginning allows the writer the luxury of using all the rest of the song to develop the tale.

True to the key songwriting principle of show, don’t tell, the song never uses the word ‘cancer’.  In general, a song about something specific like cancer,  or abuse, or divorce, or  pollution, or addiction etc, should never need to actually use the word.   We should know by what we are shown that this is what it’s about.

Just follow the simple rule that any time something new mentioned ( a character, an incident, a memory, an idea) the listener needs to know right away all the relevant information about it .    Don’t delay it, don’t omit it.     Be especially wary of words like “the truth” , or “the past” or “that day” or worst of all, “It”.  Do not “it” unless we clearly know what “it” refers to.

Words like this are often used in a lyric to encompass some major set of circumstances and details that you know about, but be mindful that your listener knows absolutely none of it.   Once you use a word like that you have to explain it right away.  Best to avoid it and just show the listener what you see in your mind’s eye. (show, don’t tell).

Here’s another prime example from Rachel Proctor’s poignant tale of “Me and Emily”

Floor boards filled with baby toys, empty coke bottles and coffee cups 
 Driving through the rain with no radio trying not to wake her up
 Cell phone says low battery god what if I break down 
 Just looking for an exit with a lot of lights and a safe little Interstate town 
 Just a cheep hotel with a single bed and a cable TV is good enough for me and Emily 

Within the first two lines we know the two people are an adult (the singer) and a sleeping baby. They have been driving for some time and it's raining. 
The next lines tell us that it's  night, there is a sense of desperation, they are running from something, they don't have much money, the girl is Emily, and the singer is probably her mom trying to keep her safe from something.    We know all this by what we are shown, not what we are directly told.

Here’s another information-rich opening verse from Neil Diamond’s “Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show”.

Hot August night, and the trees hanging down and the grass on the ground smellin’ sweet

Move up the road to the outside of town and the sound of that good gospel beat”
Sits a ragged tent where there ain;t no trees
And that Gospel group telling you and me…..(to chorus)

It’s Brother Love’s Traveling Salvati0on Show….

In these lines, (which also contain 6 rhymes, plus assonance and alliteration),  we know When (August, night);   Where (edge of the road leading out of the town);  What is going on (gospel music);  and How the air smells (sweet, grassy);  In the scene change: “Move up the road to the outside of town” , as the visual camera moves, the listener is brought along, and we hear a new sound, i.e. singing from a ragged tent in a clearing.   In this lyric,  the information is focused on setting a scenario, providing detailed sights, sounds and smells, so that  “you and me“  are invited into the same vivid world.

This type of lyric writing is both journalistic and cinematic, like describing the world through movie cameras where the lenses can zoom in and out and scenes can pan and cut between locations and characters, providing all the relevant information.  It is the art of using words to reach the visual centers of the listener’s mind.  And considering how many people go to movies, rent videos, and watch TV and live events, it makes for effective lyric writing.

How about this amazing bit of writing from the first verse James Taylor’s “Millworker”:

My grandfather was a sailor, he blew in off the water

My father was a farmer. and I, his only daughter

I took up with a no good  millworking man from Massachusetts

Who dies from too much whiskey and leaves me these three faces to feed.

In this brief opening to the song, we meet seven people across four generations!  We know their occupations and their relationships to each other.  We know who is singing the song (the daughter), that she is widowed, how her husband died, and her current situation. With all that rich information in the opening lines of the song, the writer not only has the listener’s attention, but now has the luxury of the entire rest of the song to use valuable syllable real-estate for imagery and character development.     This is song crafting at its finest.

Contrast these examples with some of the typical lyrics I get from writers asking me if I think their song will positively impact a listener:

Make yourself be quiet, something has touched you

It wants to know you hear the secret they whisper today

You’re pulled apart by a vision that still haunts you

As you continue your journey along that winding path

What do we know after these four lines?  How many people are we introduced to?

There is the singer, the “you”, and  a “they”.  Three people.   What do we know about any of them?  NOTHING.

What other pieces of information do we have?  There is a ‘secret’, a ‘vision’ and a ‘winding path’.   Do we know anything about these?  NO.   Do we know where we are, when we are, or why any of this is being said ?  NO.

This puts us in a situation where after a complete verse (usually 30-45 seconds) we have zero information and lots of unanswered questions.   Now, this is not yet hopeless – if we immediately get into a chorus that answers all of those questions, we can move on.    But if we do not provide satisfactory information here and now, the listener realizes that the writer has all the relevant details locked in his/her head, and is not sharing them The impact on the listener is one of confusion and being kept on the outside. No connection.

Another example of words with no connection:

I sit in our place thinking of then

Now is now and I know the truth

I should have seen what they tried to say

But it was what it was that day

What do we know?   Nothing.  Lots of references – three people, a place, a time, a situation,  but these references only raise questions without providing answers.  Wasted real estate,  with the blight of “it” in line 4.

There are many great songs which delay the big impact , i.e., the ‘payoff’,   until the end or unfold the tale a bit at a time.  That is a great way to craft a classic song.  However, just because the payoff comes at the end, you still have to get the listener hooked from the beginning and get them to stay with you through the whole song. .   The specifics of the situation that lead to the payoff have to be presented right up front, and each line has to move the song forward, constantly releasing new bits of information.  This how the

eight-to-eleven minute masterpieces of writers like Harry Chapin and Dan Fogelberg keep the listener rapt for that whole time.  Great examples of the payoff-at-the-end technique are Gretchen Peters’ “Independence Day”,    “Concrete Angel”  by Rob Crosby and Stephanie Bentley, or the above-mentioned songs  “Skin” and “Me and Emily”.

At this point in a live workshop, I usually hear someone ask:  “So what about all the popular songs out there that really don’t have a high information content?”

Remember that popularity and good songwriting are two separate parameters (discussed in detail in Songcrafters’ Coloring Book).   There are many reasons other than good songwriting as to why a song can become popular:  (a) popularity of the artist;  (b) major promotion by a record company; (c)  tapping into a current fad, trend, or event;  (d) visual enhancement (a music video,  live performance, or movie placement);  (e) smart internet marketing; (f) music business connections/relationships;  (g) a great production/arrangement.

Average or even mediocre songs become big hits through all of these factors.  Popularity does not make them well-written songs.   Just think, that if a not-so-well-written song is popular and making money, how much more would it make, how much longer life would it have, and how much more respect would it get if it were actually well-written too?

As an independent artist, you are competing with a huge number of other artists who are trying to do exactly what you are doing.   You don’t have an unlimited corporate budget or inside connections to turn average songs into hits, so you have just one means of beating the competition – be a great songwriter.  There are many great musicians, many great performers, many great producers – but a great songwriter is much more rare, and rarity means value.

View your songs as a conversation with someone whose interest you want to hold.

Bring your listeners into your world by putting yourself in their shoes and experiencing your songs from their perspective.  As you look at what you have written, go line by line and ask “What do we know, and when do we know it?”

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Bill Pere was named one of the “Top 50 Innovators, Groundbreakers and Guiding Lights of the Music Industry”  by Music Connection Magazine.  With more than 30 years in the music business, as a recording artist, award winning songwriter, performer, and educator Bill is well known  for his superbly crafted  lyrics, with lasting impact.   Bill has released 16 CD’s , and is President of the Connecticut Songwriters Association.  Bill is an Official Connecticut State Troubadour, and is the Founder and Executive Director of the LUNCH Ensemble. Twice named Connecticut Songwriter of the Year, Bill is a qualified MBTI practitioner, trained by the Association for Psychological Type. He is  a member of CMEA and MENC,  and as Director of the Connecticut Songwriting Academy,  he helps develop young talent in songwriting,  performing, and learning about the music business.  Bill’s song analyses and critiques are among the best in the industry.  Bill has a graduate degree in Molecular Biology, an ARC Science teaching certification, and he has received two awards for Outstanding contribution to Music Education.  The New York Times calls Bill “the link between science and music”.

 

 © Copyright 2012 Bill Pere.  All Rights Reserved.  This article may not be reproduced in any way with out permission of the author.  For workshops, consultation, performances,  or other songwriter services,  contact Bill via his web sites, at http://www.billpere.com, http://www.ctsongwriting.com, and http://www.lunchensemble.com

How and Why to Hire a Producer

Major record labels always hire producers when organizing a recording project for one of their artists. This suggests that there is are very good reasons to have one. Record labels, above all, never waste money! Today, more and more artists find themselves recording on a small label or entirely independently. Can someone like you take a tip from the large labels to help ensure the success of your project? Hiring a producer may just provide the edge you need.

But, what is a producer? You know who the other players in the recording process are. There’s you, the artist, any session players, and the recording engineer. You know what you and the musicians do, and you know that the engineer sets up the mics and does all the knob twiddling to get the sound recorded. So what is left for a producer to do?

Fundamentally, the producer’s job is to help you achieve the recording that you (and your label) set out to make. This may sound like the engineer’s role, but many elements other than purely sonic clarity go into the crafting of your final product. On the music side of things, these may include songwriting and arrangement adjustments, as well as coaching musicians and coaxing peak musical performances. In the control room, there are decisions to be made about sonic treatment and creative mixes, while style and popular idiom must be addressed in anticipation of marketing the disc. In short, the producer must keep an eye on the Big Picture. The engineer is already quite busy with the technical side of things, and isn’t necessarily listening with a view to the ultimate creative goals of the project. Further, recognize that it is extremely hard for any artist to maintain this view while in the thick of recording. This view requires an objectivity which is unfair to expect of yourself while pouring your heart into your performances. In essence, the producer is there to help keep you on track. The producer is the go-between: translating the artists’ needs, the engineers technical point of view, and sometimes the label’s interests.

The Great Producer

The producer’s role is not limited to the recording studio. Ideally, a producer brings insight to the project’s songs long before recording starts. Many producers are talented arrangers and songwriters who can bolster your songs with their fresh ears. Similarly, producers have often been around the block a few times and have many helpful hints, or even connections, to help you promote your recording. For the indie recording artist, a producer is a good resource for guidance about publishing, mechanical royalties, performance rights, and referrals to the entertainment lawyers you will need.

Of course, there are many styles of producing. However, they can be broken down into three general descriptions which are helpful to think about as you begin looking for a producer. First is many an indie artist’s nightmare, producer as supreme dictator and superstar. Certainly such producers do exist, although they are much less common today as compared with the early days of rock and roll. Nowadays, superstar producers, such as Don Was, take a more collaborative approach. The second type of producer is the invisible or documentary style recordist. This producer aims to record just what has happened during a performance with as little influence or intrusion on the events as possible. This is a rare bird in rock music as well, but is quite a common approach to classical, jazz, and even blues recording where the style of music or the written music helps define the style of listening experience expected by the consumer. The third style which is most common and best suited to rock and roll is producer as creative partner with the artist. This often brings together the talents and experience of an outsider with the creativity and vision of the artist. Let us assume that if you were to hire a producer you would choose “producer as creative partner”. After all, it is unlikely that you want to give up all control of your project, but similarly if you’re going to hire someone you want someone who can add creativity and depth to the recording.

How do I choose a producer who will work well with me? This is a very personal judgment, but certain general principles apply. Think of this process just as you would think about hiring a new musician. Recognize ahead of time what you expect the producer to do for you and think about how someone might best help you with your project. Begin your search with some professional history of each candidate producer. Get a list of credits, listen to past projects, talk to past clients. Remember, however, that these are just starting points and the best basis for your choice will be mutual “fit”.

If you were hiring a new bass player you might consider many factors: can he sing, does she know the style you play, does he have the look, do you all get along, can she both learn the material and contribute to it? Similarly, ask yourself after meeting with a producer: does he like my music, does she get my music? You want someone who is enthusiastic about your material and knows your genre. Does he offer criticism and is it constructive? You don’t want a wimp who won’t tell you honestly what is good and what isn’t. At the same time you need someone who is sensitive to your pride as a group and as a songwriter. Does his perspective seem helpful? After all, his suggestions must seem to you to be an improvement over the way things were.

When you boil it down, a producer is most helpful in assuring that your project arrives where you want it because of her unique position. The producer is a creative partner who will work hard with you to bring out the best you and your material can be. At the same time, he is a relative outsider, not so involved as to be blinded by love of the material. This crucial combination of creativity and objectivity is what hiring a producer is all about. Since time began, runners have needed coaches, orchestras have needed conductors, and likely your next project would benefit from the perspective of a producer.

Rules to Take the Stage By

This is a list of rules you should memorize and live by when performing at clubs or other public places. I have compiled this list after years of watching acts do stupid things that really hurt them, and ultimately lead to their downfall. Don’t make these mistakes.

Know your material. Don’t start and stop. Be prepared to fall down, be heckled, have equipment fall over. Be sure you can sing on key without the monitors. Know what to do if the monitor mix is bad or cuts out entirely. Know how long you have to play. Don’t run over. That’s amateurish. Don’t tell the audience “we have 3 more for you” only to be told “only 2 more” by the soundman. Play too little and the fans will be thrilled when you announce an extra song, kind of like an encore. Make sure the room knows who you are. Introduce the band name before you start, or immediately after the first song. You have to mention the name 7 times before you’re off. Similarly, use the CD name with the band name. Mention song titles as you go. Point out which are on the CD for sale. Mention the web site. Mention the mailing list. Mention the mailing list again. Each time use the band name. Getting names on your mailing is the key mission of the evening. Playing a great show and selling CDs or T-shirt are just part of the process. In the end, gaining the new fan and their contact info is the bottom line. Know the names of the acts you are playing with that night. Mention them by name, and the order or times they’ll play. Remind your fans to stay. (This should be reinforced in your email newsletter too – stay and build a scene…). Don’t just say “stick around” or flub the other band’s name. Thank the other band for sharing the bill. Promote them from the stage and they’ll want to share the bill with you again, and they’ll remind their fans how wonderful you just were. Don’t bitch about the sound or soundman. Most are brain-dead. Accept it and work with them. Above all, leave your egos at home. Be professional. Tip the bar folk well and, while onstage, remind your fans to do so too.

Set up – you should never let more than 5 minutes elapse between the end of the act before you and starting yourself. If that means you have to help them load out, so be it. Don’t lose the energy in the room while you set up. Load out – Divide and Conquer. Just after you play is a crucial time. Your fans and potential new fans need you. Don’t get mired in moving equipment or talking to the other bands. Send your frontman and chief sideman (lead guitar, for example) into the crowd to meet fans, shake hands, point out the mailing list, mention CDs or T-shirts. Have the backline guys do the rapid load out. Once the gear is out of the way, it can be gotten later. Have a visible presence. You must have 2 banners with your name and logo on it. One should be visible behind the band as you play. Be sure it is not obscured by your heads. Don’t use a kick head for this reason. The other should be over your merchandise table to attract buyers/fans. Know your fans. Get to know their personal details. Go beyond names to significant others, children, jobs, personal problems. The more you know, the more they will feel bonded to your band. If you’re lucky enough to have an industry insiders come to one of your shows. Don’t rush up to them before you play. If they introduce themselves, thank them for coming, tell them you hope they enjoy the show, offer them a drink (say, “can I get you something to drink?” NOT “wanna beer”. You never know who is a recovering alcoholic). After the show, send a band member to them immediately. Don’t wait for them to approach you, they’ll feel neglected. Thank them for coming, tell them you hope they enjoyed the show, offer them a drink. Guest list. Never let an industry person pay the cover. That’s what the guest list is for (OK, you can use it for your parents too, on occasion). If there is no list, prepay the venue the cover charge for that guest.

There are other rules you need to learn too, like not staring at your feet or the walls or the ceiling (I’ve see these, don’t laugh) and tricks you can use like how to engage the audience (or force yourself or your bandmates to do so). For more on this, call Digital Bear Entertainment’s Artist Relations Dept. 617 522 4550 x0. However, these above are the basics. You gotta know them and live by them. You’ll definitely be judged by them. Be professional.

Office Bitch or MVP? How Gen-Yers Can Use Entry Level Jobs to Their Advantage

This is a great article.  I would only clarify that “office bitch” doesn’t mean bitchy person at the office, but rather “gopher” or “slave”.  That took me a few paragraphs

Office Bitch or MVP? How Gen-Yers Can Use Entry Level Jobs to Their Advantage.

JT’s Picks: Good Night, States – Country/Static

What would you get if Bruce Springsteen used a bunch of mangled digital synths embedded in all his ballads?  If you add deeply understated vocals coupled with female backing and the occasional duet part, you get Good Night, States.  GN,S is a band from the Mid-Atlantic region with members from Pittsburgh, Philly, and NJ, so the Bruce connection is real.  Their new album, Country/Static is aptly named.  A collection of deep ballads delivered with quiet intimate vocals, traditional rock arrangements, and odd twisted synth sounds.

Play: Good Night, States – Inside

Stand out tracks include Inside for its sheer beauty; Fog In The Valley for its basic normality; and Head In My Direction for being as upbeat and rockin’ as Good Night, States gets.  Some of the synth parts seem quite at odds with the basic tracks.  I’m not sure whether this entirely works, but it is very intriguing.  Check out Everybody Is Sound for a particular example.  Tired of Making Sense channels U2 for a mild change of pace.

If I had to levy any criticism, and you know I do, it’s just that GN,S is a bit mopey.  It’s not that I don’t appreciate a good song that makes me want to contemplate suicide, but a whole album of that just seems overwhelming.   I think each song is very successful individually, so you be the judge of the compendium.   Good Night, States’ Country/Static is available April 5, 2012.  Go get it!

http://goodnightstates.com/

 http://goodnightstates.bandcamp.com/

DBE Seeking Assistant/Intern

Assistant/Intern

Digital Bear Entertainment and mixer/producer/manager Jordan Tishler are looking for a recent or soon-to-be graduate who wants a unique position in a high profile mix studio in Cambridge.

Interns and Staff in DBE Studio

You must be talented, deeply committed, ultra reliable and trustworthy, supremely organized, and have great communication skills (including understanding when NOT to speak).  The job requires at least a one-year commitment (better if longer).  Client recruitment is a key part of job.

This position is full-time and unpaid. Work hours are mostly daytime with occasional nights and weekends. Schedule flexibility is crucial and the expectation that you will earn money to support yourself during the weekday evenings.

You will receive daily, hands-on instruction from Jordan Tishler who is deeply committed to teaching and mentoring.  You will participate in all aspects of ongoing projects and studio life, and have lots of responsibility, visibility, networking, and creative input.  You will work in, and have access to, the DBE facility which is an Augsburger designed room with Quested monitors, SSL console, and rack upon rack of outboard gear.  Have a look at digitalbear.com

Sound like you?  Email your resume to Jordan at info@digitalbear.com

Review: API 7600 Channel Strip – Counterpoint

You can hear sound clips of this and other reviewed pieces of gear here: http://jordantishler.wordpress.com/gear-review-clips/

API 7600 Channel Strip

As you well know, dear blog reader, we’ve been publishing reviews of the lovely gear we have experienced here in the Digital Bear studio.  I’ve been having our wonderful studio interns do the reviews so they get more time on the gear.  Earlier this week Josh Nachbar published (with my supervisior) a review of the API 7600 channel strip.  What interested me about his review was that he had a close look at this piece of gear, and came to exactly the opposite feeling about it than I.  Rather than interfere with his review (too much), I decided simply to write a response.  You can ultimately be the judge.

Factually, of course, Josh was right on.  The API 7600 is a now discontinued channel strip comprised of the 212 microphone pre-amp, the 550A 3 band semi-parametric EQ with filters, and the 225 compressor.  For those of you who don’t immediately recognize the 200 series, they are the API parts from their esteemed Legacy console.  This is the sound of every American record from the 1970s and early 80s.  The 500 series was designed later to fit the “lunchbox” format; providing simple, transportable, interchangeable modules.

The 7600 was designed to provide access to these three amazing modules in astonishing ways.  Of course, it can be used as a channel strip, going from the mic pre into either the compressor or the EQ and then the other.  However, it was really designed to be part of the DSM series, which was a fully modular Legacy console in a rack.  You could buy the full console in various configurations, or you could buy the 7600 with the 8200 and 7800 and build a custom board!  As a consequence, every section of the 7600 has inputs and outputs.  Not only can you use the 7600 as a channel strip but you can use each piece of it individually; costing less and taking less space than the sum of its parts.  Want a Neve pre amp followed by a 225 compressor?  No problem (assuming you have a Neve pre).  Want to patch an SSL compressor between the 550A and the 225?  No problem!

API Legacy Console

On the left hand side of the 7600 are a series of Aux sends, pan, mute, solo controls, as you would expect on the channel strip of a real console.  These are intended to be used in the DSM configurations I mentioned above.  They aren’t much use without the center section pieces.  At first glance, it does seem to be a waste to have these functions.  However, when you consider that a 7600 is significantly less expensive than The Channel Strip (with which API replaced the 7600), the 7600 has more extensive I/O, and the 7600 is built around the sonically more coveted 212 and 225, the 7600 is really a bargain.

Now one of the things that has bothered me about both Josh’s review and mine so far, is that we’ve talked mostly about the functionality of the box.  So I want to rectify that, and talk about the sound.  You know that I NEVER buy a box based on what it does, but rather on how it SOUNDS.  There are many great boxes out there, but there is only ONE API.  The API sound is muscular and forward. It has a pronounced mid-forward character than brings out the balls in male singers and distorted electric guitars.  It is killer on snare and rock kick.  It rounds high frequencies subtly, so it’s great on overheads. It makes a J-bass through an Ampeg SVT really growl.  If you’re looking for warm, thick, friendly, low end-y: get a Neve.  If you want transparent and chime-y: use an SSL.  API does what it does, and nobody can touch it.  That’s why I buy gear.

Show Your Loyalty

Here’s another article worthy of reposting:

In an ongoing theme from last month when we talked about bringing humanity into the music business, this month let’s talk a bit about loyalty. Loyalty is a pretty basic concept and is really the heart of all good, long-term human relationships. It is also the key to both personal and business success. It’s a sadly lacking quality these days. If we are to fix the music industry, we’re going to need more.

In a study published last week, a California ethics institute surveyed approximately 30,000 high schoolers from across the United States and found that 65% admitted to having cheated on a test in the last year; 45% had plagiarized from the Internet; 35% had stolen physical items from a store! The conclusion of the ethics institute was that Americans are being raised with too permissive an attitude toward ethics; they are less and less able to tell what is right or wrong; or they simply see no reason to care. This mentality has a huge effect on what you’re up against as an Artist or music industry professional.

Consider your role as an Artist or professional: You too have to generate the goodwill and the connection to instill loyalty in your peeps.

How do you treat your fans? Giving them your work for free isn’t going to get you anywhere. You’ll end up with fans that don’t regard your work as valuable. Nothing free is worth much. Do you respect them? Do you give them something valuable? Do you make sure that they pay for what they get, and really, really get what they pay for? If free has no value, then Value is being so satisfied with something you paid for that you feel happy to have paid for it. And you’d do it again. That’s what you want your fans to feel. They will be loyal to the end and they will spend more money to buy your music down the road.

Just as important is how the world sees you behaving toward others. How do you show or “model” your loyalties? Consider your street teamers, publicists, managers, and booking agents. Sure, you pay them (you do, don’t you?) but you also know how hard they work for you. Do you let your fans know who they are, what they do for you, how much you appreciate their efforts? Does your web site, promo literature, EPK, album artwork feature them prominently and make it easy for fans and potential new clients to reach these professionals? Showing your loyalty to these people will only endear you to them, make them work harder for you, and as you show your fans your loyalties ­ that you are a real, caring person ­ your fans’ attachment to you will grow too.

I woke up to a local radio station PSA yesterday that said, “good music costs money”. That was it ­ simple, probably inexpensive, and yet loyal to artists and to the business. Here is a station taking action. Frankly, a radio station doesn’t make any money from record sales. Their motivation is simply promoting loyalty toward music in their audience. Of course they know that a healthy music industry is good for them too, but they profit nothing directly from this announcement. It’s just good business.

Consumers complain about “the big labels ruining music” to justify their own larcenous behavior which really robs artists of their livelihood. Artists complain about the “shark pit” of the music industry and how hard it is to get by. Certainly there is validity to both. However, the real question is what are you doing about it? As an Artist or a music professional, you can influence the future by bringing loyalty into our business and into our relationships with fans. Think about what you can do this month to improve your loyalty and generate fan loyalty as well.

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More Pictures from the Digital Bear Entertainment SSL party

 

Courtesy of Marc DeGeorge of SSL:

 

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