Record Studio,Music Recordings,Christmass GiftsEntertainment,Movies

Archive for May, 2009

So you’ve just got engaged! It’s now time for the excitement to begin. You’ve got a wedding to plan! At this point you’ve probably got a lot of questions running through your mind. Where do you begin? What questions should I ask vendors? Where am I going to get the money? Wait, how much money are we talking about? On the contrary to what most couples believe, wedding planning can actually be fun. With proper planning and allocated time to complete it you can create your truly unique and exciting Chicago Wedding reception.

When it comes to the entertainment portion of your reception this should be treated with care as with all your other very important wedding details. The entertainment seems to be one of, if not the most important components to a reception. Sure, the food, decorations, and socialization are very important but without entertainment, these events would take on an entirely different personality.

For affairs that are focuses around the entertainment, or at least ones where it is responsible for a major role in the success or failure of the event, some serious considerations must be taken when hiring the right entertainment.

Will you find the right entertainment by hiring the one that answers the phone first or the one that has the lowest price or would you select one just because they live in your hometown? These are actually several things you should consider before selecting your entertainer:



Is the entertainer experienced in providing services for your event type? This question can’t just be answered in a yes or no question either. You’ll want someone who knows the ropes. How much experience do you want your entertainer to have? Consider getting a list of references from previous clients.

Who will actually be the entertainer at your event? Often times with larger multi-operational companies you won’t actually know who your entertainer is until that night. Is this something you’re willing to accept? Always ask this question when shopping for entertainment and make sure it’s laid out clear and concise in your contract.

What type of equipment do you deserve to have at your event? Imagine not being able to understand announcements or even worse hearing a hiss or buzz during your event. Imagine having part of your beautifully decorated event contain an eyesore of wires and beat up equipment. Another important face is just because an entertainer charges top dollar doesn’t always mean they’ll bring top dollar equipment to your event. Getting a picture of their setup is a must!

What additional services are included other than just playing music? Will you need a master of ceremonies (emcee) at your event, a coordinator, or even someone to interact and participate with your crowd? Is your entertainer willing to step up to the plate and deliver those services? These can be important things to ask before your event. You’d hate to hire an entertainer who can’t entertain.

Is your entertainer and elegant public speaker? Do they speak in complete sentences without stuttering and using um and uh? Public speaking is said to be one of the number one fears in the United States. If someone isn’t good at speaking in person odds are they won’t be able to speak in front of your crowd. This is a very important aspect of the entertainer can be over looked.

Is backup equipment provided and immediately available? As you know all electronics are man-made and with all man-made products they can fail. So it’s important that your entertainer have not only backup equipment but also a backup plan. Ask your entertainer for their backup plan.

What happens if the entertainer is ill or otherwise cannot attend your event? These details should be laid out in a written contract form with EVERY service provider. Always lay these things out prior to your event to prevent any situations later on.

Is your entertainer insured? Every legitimate business has insurance. This may not seem important upfront, but heaven forbid something were to happen at your event. Are you willing to hire an entertainer without it? Ask your entertainer for his proof of property AND liability insurance.

Are there any hidden additional charges or expected necessities from your entertainer? For example, are you required to pay a service charge for stairs at the reception hall? Or are you required to pay for their dinner? Will they need to take smoke breaks? If you’re entertainer doesn’t cover these issues in their sales pitch perhaps you should ask them.

How much input will you be able to give on your music selection? This can also be a very important question when you’re shopping for entertainment. Everyone has their own tastes and preferences when it comes to music. Will your entertainer be able to cater to those tastes or will they stick to their own routine. Also does your entertainer offer online music planning?



With so much riding on the success of your event your entertainment should never be over looked. There should be several factors that come into play rather than just price when shopping for your wedding entertainment. Don’t ever be afraid to ask questions as the entertainment will have a direct impact on the entire success of your reception.

Thanks to computers and modern recording studio software, it is now possible for anyone to make professional quality digital music recordings from the privacy of their own home. In fact a lot of the songs that we hear on the radio and access on the internet were recorded in nothing but the musician or producers home studio.

In the past, multiple pieces of hardware were needed for different functions, like multi-track recorders, mix down machines and outboard processors. It was basically a room full of expensive equipment all tied together with miles of cable.

Today, if you own a computer, you can make quality recordings. It all depends on how much you want to spend on recording studio software. With a computer and studio software, there’s really not a whole lot more money that has to be spent. Of course to make a good recording you’ll need a studio quality microphone, a pre-amp and a set of studio monitors. Other than that, your good to go.

If you don’t already have a computer, a PC or a MAC will work equally well. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so what ever you feel comfortable with will work. The most important thing you’ll want to look at is the specs of the computer. For recording studio work, get one with a minimum 120 GB hard drive. You’ll also need to get as much RAM as possible. Try to get one with a minimum of 512 MB of RAM.

When you build a home recording studio, you have the freedom to be as creative and as experimental as you want. Who knows, the next number one hit might be recorded in your bedroom.

Unlike Grey’s Anatomy actors like Patrick Dempsey and Katherine Heigl who would be spending their summer hiatus by filming movies, costar Sarah Ramirez has decided to get preoccupied in the recording studio.

Ramirez, a 31-year old native of Mazatlán, Sinaloa, is currently playing Dr.

Callie Torres on Grey’s Anatomy. Prior to her inclusion on Grey’s Anatomy, she spent a year as The Lady of the Lake in Monty Python’s Spamalot, for which she won a Tony Award for “Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical” and The Outer Critics Circle Award for “Outstanding featured Actress in a Musical.” Her acting credentials spanned the field of theater, television and film, which included A Class Act, The Game, As the World Turns, Spin City, Third Watch and Spiderman among others.

Given her extensive musical background, having experience in numerous theater productions, musicals and concerts, it would be very interesting to see how her career as a recording artist would turn out.

While this seems to be positive news for the award-winning actress, another question surfaces with her venture in the music industry. Could this signal her departure from the popular medical drama? She would have to engage in so many album promotions and tours, which would all be eating up her time. Come to think of it, it’s quite unusual for an actor to record albums in the middle of seasons of a television series.

But if you look at the bright side, this might be her strategy in terms of establishing her career after her Grey’s Anatomy stint. The rationale behind Ramirez’s new venture is alone very intriguing. Add to that the nature of her album, which will be co-written by Eric Idle, one of the creative members of Monty Python who was partly responsible for the production of Spamalot.

For more resources about Grey’s Anatomy and especially about Grey’s Anatomy: Sarah Ramirez to spend summer in the recording studio please review http://www.buddytv.com

There are a lot of different websites and blogs out there that have different opinions on how to best soundproof a home or commercial recording studio. The type and quality of the recordings will determine how much soundproofing you will need to have to achieve the best quality recordings in the studio. There are a lot of factors to consider when constructing a professional grade-recording studio.

 

  In a commercial area where there are city and traffic noises that can penetrate normal walls, you might set a goal of at least 56 STC for the walls and ceilings of the studio. Generally you will be able to find studio doors and windows that will meet the 56 STC rating. A recording studio that has a 56 STC rating would be what most producers would consider a professional grade studio where any professional musician or band could record.

  Most of the big recording studios have an STC rating of up to 80 STC, but these studios cost Millions of dollars to build and most of us don’t have that kind of money to put into a studio.

 When constructing a commercial or even a home studio the first this to consider is the walls and the ceiling areas. What can be done to soundproof these areas to provide the best soundproofing environment for recording? If you are working with open Joists and studs, that I would recommend placing rock wool batt insulations into the wall and ceiling cavities. In a ceiling application, the rock wool would be adhered to the sub floor or the roof area between the ceiling joists. Rock wool both blocks and absorbs noise and actually helps to dampen the structural members in a wall or ceiling assembly. In a ceiling application, once you have the rock wool installed in the cavities, it would be a good idea to fill the rest of the cavity with a standard fiberglass R-19 or R-30 batt insulation.

  The next step would be to adhere a layer of 1 Lb mass loaded vinyl to the bottom face of the joists and the studs on the walls. The MLV would be stapled or nailed to the wood studs or screwed to steel studs with self-tapping sheet metal screws. It is recommended that you over lap the seams by at least 1/2 of an inch and the caulk the over lap as well as the perimeter with an acoustical caulk. Once the MLV membrane is sealed, you come to a crossroads. You have the choice of layering over the MLV with a layer of 5/8″ drywall of a layer of 5/8″ Hardi Board (concrete board) and then taping mudding and painting the drywall or you could add a second layer of drywall with the Green Glue visco elastic damping compound applied to it. The Green Glue would damp both layer of drywall and would prevent the drywall from being able to transmit sound. This would provide you with a very secure and soundproof wall and ceiling assembly.

 Lastly, if you wanted the best soundproofing possible, you might consider floating the walls and ceiling on sound clips and furring channels. This is a very effective method of soundproofing which isolates the walls and the ceiling from the frame structure as well as from each other. It would take too long to explain this application in one article, but please feel free to e-mail me and I will be able to give you that particulars on using sound clips and furring channels.

 

Other things to consider when building a recording studio are the windows and doors that you will need for your control room to live room and for the actual entrance into the studio itself. I will talk about studio doors and windows in subsequent articles. I will also discuss floated studio floors at a later time. Thanks for reading and learning with me. Soundproof Bob!