Studio Sense: On ‘Essential’ Software

Sure, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without Pro Tools for recording and mixing; Peak to batch convert WAV files into mp3s; Dreamweaver to post them to a custom website I create for the artist; and Mac Mail to let them know the mixes are posted. And iChat quickly connects me to a missing session file, sends out a mix, or circumvents FTP altogether. I use Toast to compile the mastered mixes and create a Red Book CD, and the iTunes to check the burn. The iTunes Store provides unlimited sonic references in 30-second chunks.

But get ready for a cliché: The most important piece of software operates between your ears. Think about this elementary example: We were born with the same ears we have now, yet those ears learn over time to make totally different decisions than they would have years before. I’m not just talking about mix decisions.

During a recent tracking session at Odds On Recording in Las Vegas [for PAR's inaugural "Facility Review" in our upcoming November issue — Ed.] I walked in on what I thought was a familiar “analog vs digital” debate. But Sean O’Dwyer, a house engineer with a deep discography, altered the slant.

To paraphrase Sean, the problem with digital has nothing to do with inherent sound quality, but that it is easier; everybody’s gotten lazy. All the records I like, the ones that stand the test of time, were made decades ago when there were no quick fixes — no grid, no elastic time, no Auto-Tune — all techniques which create musical blandness. A producer/engineer was forced to engage the artist and their music on some personal, intimate level and learn what he or she needed to perform and make it a memorable piece of work that someone somewhere will love . . . [read]

Six Online Shopping Tools To Help Shop Smarter

Who doesn’t love shopping on Amazon and eBay and getting the products shipped to their place? E-commerce has been one of the major drivers of the internet since the world wide web began to spread its wings and online retail stores are a common phenomena today.

While it’s great to shop online and save the commute time, it sometimes becomes overwhelming to find the best deal and choose a site from the plethora of web shopping sites available. This article features certain tools and sites which aim to make online shopping easier for you. You’ll save time by using these tools, and hence become more productive.

InvisibleHand
InvisibleHand is a brilliant Firefox extension which was covered on many sites a few weeks back. The purpose of this add-on is to let you know the availability of the particular product in some other online store which may be offering it at a lower price.

It pops up a small notification bar just below the browser tabs to show you better offers from other retailers. It takes into consideration over 50 major retailers in US and UK.

Alice
Alice provides a great way to organize your household shopping by helping you choose from a number of household products, get bargain deals on them, and set up reminders to let you know that you are running out of the item and you need to buy it.

It offers free shipping and good support options via toll free numbers and live chat assistance.

MyThings
MyThings comes into the picture after you’ve bought the product and got the receipt. [read]

Use Virtual Credit Cards

Millions of Americans are the victims of credit card fraud every year. A fifth of these people blame the internet. In fact, the top reason people shy away from internet shopping is the fear of theft of personal information.

Virtual credit cards, also known as substitute credit card numbers or controlled payment numbers, have already been around almost seven years but have never caught on despite being a free and effective layer of protection.

Here’s how they work. You sign up for the program (MBNA, Citibank, Discover and PayPal all have them.) and download their software. Enter your credit card info, and generate a new number whenever you want to make an online purchase.

Depending on the program, the new number will be one-time use, have a small spending limit with an imminent expiration date, or will be able to be used multiple times but only with one merchant.

Your actual account number will only be visible to you and your bank. The merchant never sees your number and can’t retain your information in his database. This way, hackers will only be able to see your temporary number, which will be useless to them.

So, why haven’t virtual credit cards caught on? Many consumers find them to be a hassle, particularly when you’ll only be liable for at most $50 if your actual credit card is stolen. However, credit card theft can turn into full-blown identity theft when your credit card information is matched up with other information about you that is floating around on the web.

Source: Sound Money Tips

Taking the Leap

The best businesses and the best projects are a quantum leap above the competition. This gulf represents competitive insulation, because others can’t figure out how to get up there with you. Amazon, for example, has a leap between it and other online retailers. Sure, you might be able to mimic part of what they’ve got, but the gulf is so huge, it’s hard to imagine displacing them any time soon. Nike has spent billions on advertising, sponsorship, manufacturing, technology and distribution. It’s a quantum leap between them and some start-up that wants to compete. I think going for the leap is essential for creating a business for the ages, and I want to speculate that there are three ways to make it:

1. BUY IT–you can raise a lot of money or spend a lot of the company’s R&D or marketing money and just buy yourself a huge head start and this provides insulation. (This is my least favorite, because spending like a drunken sailor often leads to other drunken behaviors, including remorse the next day).

2. SNEAK UP THE CURVE–you can quietly develop your business fairly cheaply and then, by the time the competition notices you, it’s too late. Build a Bear Workshop is a great example of this. [read]

15 Excellent Web Apps For Managing Your Personal Finances

dumblittleman.com — Since personal finance is a lucrative business, the internet has spawned upon a huge number of web apps that try to help you manage your money. I decided to check out a bunch of them and pick 15 such tools which seem good at implementing what they promise. [read]

DIGG

HowAudio.com Releases New DVD on Compression and Equalization

HowAudio.com Releases
New DVD on Compression and Equalization

Compression is a process that manipulates the dynamic range of an
audio signal to achieve more uniform and consistent sound. It basically alters
perceived volume. Compressors are used during recordings, live performances
and broadcasting. This title addresses the advantages and disadvantages of
both hardware and software compressors. Since the type and amount of compression
appropriate is dependent on the type of audio signal being processed, Jeff
Dykhouse outlines how the various compressor controls affect the audio signal.
You will see and hear the how different compressors affect various instruments.

In the second part, Jeff talks about equalization or EQ, the process of changing
the frequency envelope of a sound. Jeff, will help simplify the world of EQ
by demonstrating the different types of equalizers and how to use them during
recording, at mixdown and in mastering. Using a signal generator and spectrum
analyzer, Jeff shows you visually, as well as audibly, how EQ’s work on both
generated sound and music.  In the final segment, Jeff follows a recorded
song through production to illustrate how and when to best use EQ’s to modify
the sound of your music.

Included Topics:

Compressors:

•   Theory of Operation

•   Level Control, Peak Limiting, Increase Average Levels, Special
Effects

•   Controlling Excessive Dynamics, Compensating for Lackluster Sounds,
Increasing Loudness Without Clipping, Creating Special Effects

Intro to EQ

•   Choosing the Right EQ

•   Different Kinds of EQ

•   How To Use Them

•   When To Use Them

Purchase DVD

Online Viewing – Compressors

Online Viewing – Equalization

DIGG

50 Side Businesses you can start on your own

Each of these ideas is very simple to start, and most can be done as a sole proprietorship at first (meaning you don’t have to file any legal documents to get started, though you will want to do that if it starts to take off). Most of these can be done at home in your spare time in your spare space, too.

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30 Entrepreneurs Went Bankrupt, Now Worth Millions

I was once told that you arn’t a true entrepreneur if you haven’t gone bankrupt at least once. Check out this list in which every single person is renowned and famous now but they have seen those bad days.

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Bernanke says crisis no comparison to Great Depression

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke said Monday the current economic situation bears no comparison to the much deeper crisis of the 1930s Great Depression.

Bernanke cited “an order-of-magnitude difference” in the current situation compared to the 1930s.

“During the 1930s, there was a worldwide depression that lasted for about 12 years and was only ended by a world war,” he said.

“During that time, the unemployment rate went to 25 percent, at least, based on the data that we have. The real GDP (gross domestic product) fell by one-third. About a third of all of the banks failed. The stock market fell 90 percent.”

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Black Friday sales chalk up 3% gain from last year

We all know (or should know) that the news medias product is FEAR. No doubt the economy is horrible but every time I’m out and about, I see store full of people so either the news media is lying or there is somewhat of a silver lining in all of this mess.

read more | digg story