Articles & reviews to help the independent music producer discover his unique voice by providing the tips and tools necessary to unlock their full potential.
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The most striking physical difference between the XDJ-RX2 and the RX1 is the inclusion of 8 RGB pads per deck that replace the 4 button pads of the older model. The playability of the RX2 in this regard has a much more modern feel with ease of access and fluid streamlined layout. But this is just the beginning.
Now comes the good stuff... The overall layout of the mixing knobs & buttons are enhanced with a thicker, more rigid feel that lends to the step up in quality. There is a sense of relative durability here that was lacking in the RX1. The Sound Color FX that was formerly in a vertical layout on the RX1 is now arranged in a square grid style that matches the layout of the Pioneer DJ-750MK2, a move that further lends the idea that this is a serious piece of DJ equipment not to be overlooked by the pros.
A major highlight is the advent of the touchscreen display panel that allows for QWERTY search, needle search, shortcut and track filter. One problem with the original RX1 that is improved with this model is the replacement of the middle navigation knob by sliding this component to the right of the screen which aids immensely in playability and in keeping your path clear for rapid adjustments. I personally found this to be one of the better improvements on the RX2.
User-friendly touchscreen and display feature for easy navigation
The RX2 is fully equipped with a free license for Pioneer's hallmark Rekordbox DJ software. One advantage of this, if you are a laptop purist, is that you can connect to the Rekordbox export feature on your computer with USB which facilitates the ability to load and drop music directly onto the decks from your library without having to add the step of exporting onto a USB beforehand.
If you plan on connecting the RX2 to a larger rig, think again: Pioneer has, for reasons unknown to us, decided to remove the Ethernet port. Not the end of the world, however, as the need to do so is totally not necessary, what with the immense power and features that the RX2 comes equipped with. I myself find that the package as a whole is wonderfully powerful and leaves very little need for anything to supplement this rig — you have an all-in-one megaship of a unit with the RX2!
Overall, the Pioneer XDJ-RX2 is an immense force to be reckoned with, should you immerse yourself in the abilities of the Rekordbox DJ software (again, this comes free with the RX2). As far as anyone wondering whether or not to upgrade to the RX2 from the original version, I can say with 100% confidence that this unit will make you very glad you did, especially considering it takes advantage of the most optimal features of the Nexus2 system at a fraction of the price. I am thoroughly impressed with what Pioneer has accomplished with the RX2 and I am proud to call myself a Rekordbox convert.
An absolutely mindblowing deck — it gets no better for the money! (Have a look on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2C2cfn4) This is an all-in-one DJ console, meaning you do NOT need a laptop to get the party started. Just insert your tracks via the two USB ports and the rest is magic. The XDJ-RX is perfect for both the beginner transitioning into an intermediate level of DJ-ing to the master turntablist alike.
What I find most attractive is the fact that this is truly an all-in-one unit. In today's economy, it is hard enough to save up enough money for a decent laptop to carry you through your setlist, never mind the actual DJ gear to make it all possible. The XDJ-RX addresses this need and solves it with the high-quality alacrity that only a name brand like Pioneer can provide. That being said, for the purists out there, the ability to link the RX to your laptop is possible although I have not personally had the chance to give it a go. And I am perfectly okay with that, as the USB storage feature has fared me well thus far.
The mixing features are pretty standard: you have your filters, effects plugs, midi control buttons, and of course very fluid turntables. The LCD display could, in my opinion, benefit from being slightly larger. The track navigation feature pissed me off quite a bit as I found myself scrolling through my songs to reach the one I wanted, finding myself thinking this method seems a bit "dated."
If I were Pioneer, I would certainly take the LCD screen feature to the next level and include more in depth navigational functions to make transitions more fluid and user-friendly, like perhaps including a touchscreen scroll feature. This would have undoubtedly eased my experience in the song navigation department. That said, navigation itself works perfectly fine, so if you don't mind pushing arrow buttons you probably won't get as peeved about this as I did. Overall, not a deal-breaker for me, just a little annoying.
You can connect additional turn tables which I understand is a huge plus for the purist vinyl DJs out there. I couldn't care less about this personally, but I know that many of you will appreciate this option.
Overall reaction: this thing rules. Like, really. I love it to pieces and I am very happy with the ease at which all components and features come together to bring you one SWEET powerhouse for a fraction of what you would pay for the additional gear you would otherwise need if you went the traditional route. The all-in-one Pioneer XDJ-RX controller is absolutely fantastic for the price. I highly recommend it to beginners and pros alike.
Having an understanding of frequency ranges pays off big time no matter what style of music you are producing. In a nutshell, frequency range is what makes your tracks hold their unique position in the mix. When EQed properly, frequency is what helps lead vocals and instruments stand out as they are meant to, keeps the low and high ends of all sounds from contributing unnecessary noise, and ensures an overall balanced mix. In respect to frequencies, the mixing stage could just as appropriately be called the “balancing” stage as the idea behind EQing frequencies to blend amongst themselves is essentially this — a balancing act. Today we will be starting things off with the most iconic frequency range of all when it comes to dubstep — sub bass.
Sub bass is, in short, it is what lends the deep, thundering quality to dubstep sounds — the kinds that make people shudder in awe while their subwoofers are being destroyed. Think mono sine waves pitched down (-1 or -2 octaves) almost reminiscent of those oldschool hearing tests they made you raise your hand for in the school nurse’s office — but much more intense. You can barely hear them but you know they are there. You feel it. In dubstep, sub bass is meant to be felt.
Sub bass frequencies lie between 16-60Hz. When applying sub bass, make sure to cut out all frequencies below 16Hz using a high-pass filter. This will rid your track of unnecessary low-end noise. Sub bass is meant to be deep, obviously, but anything below 16Hz will only make your mix more cluttered. The effect of your sub bass can be felt most powerfully with a clean mix that utilizes the proper frequency ranges. (As a rule of thumb, it is important to cut these extreme low-end frequencies with just about all of your tracks as to free up room for your bass and kick tracks and eliminate noise.)
A sub bass can be added as an individual track that follows all of your bass and lead melody lines, or as a supplemental component within a synth patch itself. If you are using Native Instruments’ Massive for one of your bass patches for example, try setting an unused oscillator to a sine wave with the intensity brought all the way down with the bend mode set to Spectrum. Pitch the oscillator down an octave (-12 steps). You will get a full-bodied sine wave that will mimic whatever the bass is doing with the other oscillator(s).
Depending on the manner of filtering that your patches are routed through, it might be in your best interest to make a duplicate of your bass track and make the sub on this separate track rather than in the main bass patch itself. By duplicating the track, you will have created an identical version of your sound. Now, make that duplicate act as the sub bass. What you want to do is turn off all oscillators, effects and inserts except for oscillator one, which you can then set to the aforementioned sub bass parameters. (Spectrum bend mode, intensity all the way down, wavetable set to sine) If you handled this correctly you should be left with a sub bass that mimics exactly what your main bass line is doing. Tweak and fine-tune if necessary, and make sure to lower the volume of the sub bass so as to ensure that it acts as a “supplement” rather than a mask over top of your main bassline.
Every sound you create must be treated subjectively, and therefore may likely require some different methods of tweaking in order to get a sub bass that will benefit your sound in the best way possible. Use your ears and experiment. For example, if your main patch includes a modulated band reject filter sweep, go to your sub bass duplicate track and try experimenting with the filter setting to see if you can come up with something even more exciting than a sub bass sans filter.
On the contrary, I personally find most of my own projects benefit from the simplicity of a sub bass track that features nearly no modulation whatsoever in regards to waveform or effects/filters. The simple power of a Spectrum sine (with a possible low pass filter if necessary) played in conjunction with the melody of the bassline is exactly what is called for. Anything more would result in a lack of signal power, that is to say, a sub bass that falls short of doing what it is meant to — put the final, giant nail in the coffin of your low-end.
Use sub bass for all of your bass sounds and even try using it on lead or melody instruments to see how it affects their potency. A great example of sub bass used in conjunction with a lead synth can be heard in Skrillex & Damian Marley’s “Make It Bun Dem,” specifically between 0:40-1:08 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR_u9rvFKzE). Notice how the pulsing of the lead can be “felt” through your sub. This is the effect of a carefully-sculpted sub bass. I know firsthand that this particular sound uses a direct sub bass within the patch itself as I had the pleasure to remix this song for my solo project 11:11 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeI4F78D1K0). The pulsation of the sub frequencies really give this lead a jarring, stabbing force and presence that an otherwise untreated lead would not.
Dubstep would not be dubstep without sub bass. It is one of the most simple yet profound aspects of the entire genre, and that of pretty much any subgenre of modern day edm. No matter how interesting and powerful your new Massive patch might be, make sure to take the extra time to consider the aspect of sub bass and how it relates to your sound. If it is lacking, duplicate that baby and make a separate sub! I would personally suggest to make it a habit of creating a separate track that you will dedicate to any and all sub basses in every one of your songs, but that is ultimately up to you. The key is making sure it is present, one way or another.
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, there it is, sub bass, plain-and-simple! The power of the sub is in your hands now. Use it wisely. Or unwisely. Whatever sounds cooler…
With numerous consecutive number 1 spots in the Beatport Dubstep chart, there’s no denying that Dodge and Fuski are one of the biggest names in electronic music, rocking dancefloors worldwide with their devastating beats. In this new online course from Producertech, you’re invited into the studio to see exactly how that signature sound is created. The 2-part set of tutorials guides you through the process of producing a Dubstep anthem, describing each of the elements in a track and how they’re combined and laid out to form a successful arrangement.
The first part of the course walks through brand new single ‘Killer Bees’, just released on Disciple Recordings, enabling you to listen to each part of the track individually and understand the reasons for including them and the treatment required to make them sit well in the mix. There’s also an analysis of the arrangement and a breakdown of each section, explaining the evolution of the track and how it was conceived.
The second set of tutorials applies all of these techniques and more into creating a basic Dubstep arrangement from scratch, including the laying out and processing of beats, creation of the bassline, sound design and application of FX layers and builds - which are woven together into a simple song structure. Although the tracks are made in Cubase, the techniques can be easily applied to any music making platform, so the course is suitable for anyone, regardless of DAW preference.
After signing up, the tutorials are available to watch immediately, along with a 150MB bonus download pack of Dubstep samples. For more information, check out the course trailer and the free sample module below.
Sample Module: Pro Dubstep Arrangement Tips
Module Details
Part 1: ‘Killer Bees’
Module 1: ‘Killer Bees’ Introduction
In this module, Rob Talbott from DNF gives you an introduction to the course.
Module 2: ‘Killer Bees’ Drums
In this lesson, the fundamental drum sounds in the track are shown, how they were selected and the processing applied.
Module 3: ‘Killer Bees’ Main Bass 1
Turning to the bass, Rob shows you the isolated sound, its use in the arrangement and the techniques used to create the characteristic dubstep vibe.
Module 4: ‘Killer Bees’ Main Bass 2
In this module, the additional bass layers are explained and how they are utilised to great effect.
Module 5: ‘Killer Bees’ More Bass
Finishing off the section on bass sounds, Rob gives pro tips and tricks on different processing techniques and their applications.
Module 6: ‘Killer Bees’ Structure and Arrangement
In the penultimate lesson in the first half of the tutorial, the structure and arrangement of the track are analysed - with a focus on how it would be mixed and played out in a set.
Module 7: ‘Killer Bees’ Mix Bus Processing
Wrapping up the section about ‘Killer Bees’, the mix bus processing is explored, with a demonstration of an atypical use of limiters to sit the drums and bass together effectively.
Part 2: Creating a New Track
Module 8: Drums
Going straight in to creating the beats, Rob goes through sample selection, placement and EQing the kick and snare.
Module 9: Bass
In this module, Rob quickly sets up a bass patch in Massive. He then applies processing including reverb and demonstrates a creative use of multiband compression and other effects to sit the bass and drums together.
Module 10: Brass Stab
Adding a melodic part, Rob goes to Kontakt and selects a brass ensemble. He uses a powerful multiband compressor, after the reverb, to create an unusual, synthetic effect.
Module 11: Adding FX
In this section, FX are experimented with, which add interest to the track. Rob also alters some areas of the brass, to fix issues with clashing notes.
Module 12: Creating a Build with an FX Riser
Rob shows you how to create a build by automating various parameters on the drums, including resonance. Next, he creates a riser using Massive - showing some basic techniques for creating an intriguing sound that pulls the audience in to the drop.
Module 13: Sub Bass
In this lesson, the sub bass is split from the main bass part. This makes it possible to apply specific processing to the extreme low-end and mid parts, to add more depth to the track, without cluttering the bass.
Module 14: Finishing the Arrangement
This module gives you an overview of Rob’s approach to arrangement including standard layouts and tips about placement of melodic elements, inclusion of parts and a general discussion of arrangement methodology.
Module 15: Basic Mastering
In the final module, Rob gives you some basic mastering tips then sums up the course.
In your quest for richer, more 'pro-sounding' tracks, it's likely you've stumbled across the concept of layering sounds.
Fundamentally, this is a basic principle: combine (or stack) two or more of the same kind of sound together to achieve a more powerful or interesting outcome than one single source can achieve in isolation, creating the perception of one fuller, denser sound.
The idea is pretty much as old as music itself - imagine choirs combining multiple singers in unison to create more depth and power, providing a more complicated, interesting sound for the listener.
The caveat is that it's easy to make a mess when blending several sound sources together, especially when they have similar characteristics. Frequency clashing and masking can easily muddy up your mix, especially in the mids; transients can fight with each other, causing dynamic inconsistencies; and a lack of precision or forward planning can lead to phase cancellation, flabby results and a weak, amateur mix overall.
These handy tips and tricks should help you avoid these pitfalls, and make sure your layering isn't doing more harm than good.
Stacking sounds isn't just about throwing together layers as quickly as possible. Use each element to contribute to an overall 'bigger picture', and don't get too fond of one particular part. Be prepared to throw away or replace things that aren't working in your quest for a superior sound.
Mono vs. width
When fading in a stereo layer to give a wide presence at the sides of the mix, be sure to sum your overall output to mono on occasion using any standard 'monoising' or width-reduction plugin. If your end result falls apart or disappears, consider revisiting each part and tweaking its width to prevent too much cancellation.
Less is more
Try to minimise the number of layers you're combining together. We're not saying you should never stack five sounds together, but be sure to regularly mute each channel to see how it's contributing. If there's one layer that will do the job of two, replace them with it.
Thinner's a winner
Lots of modern commercial packs contain dense, ready-layered sounds to create that 'wow' factor when you audition them. Whilst sounding impressive in isolation, if you want to use them for layering, you'll probably have to process them a lot to get them to fit in. Keep a folder of thinner sounds and layers (old hip-hop or drum machine hits, for example) for specific layering tasks.
Sampler stacking
Modern software samplers and drum machines house features that make your life easier when combining two or more sounds together. Transpose functions let you pitch sounds around quickly and easily. Onboard high and low-pass filters let you speedily remove unwanted frequencies to get things working in a flash. Most will also feature multiple outputs so you can route your separate layers to individual DAW channels if you need to process them further.
Transient awareness
If you've created a punchy drum hit from two or more layers, be careful your transients aren't peaking too highly as they could eat up valuable headroom. To monitor these, we recommend a real-time oscilloscope-style waveform analyser such as the free s(M)exoscope or WaveShaper CM.
Transient reduction
But what if those transients are peaking in a mix? How should you reduce them without ruining your carefully stacked sound? The obvious solution is gain reduction from a transparent limiter plugin, but you can get more creative too. Subtle application of a tape saturation tool, a touch of distortion or a transient shaper can all help reduce peaks.
Perfect pitch
When layering sounds together (especially drums), make a habit of reaching for the transpose or tune parameter in your sampler. Repitching can often really help two sounds to gel even before you add any other effects!
Boy's noise
Whether it's recorded texture or basic white noise from a synth plugin, trusty noise comes into its own when mixing sound sources together. It can add brightness to a snare, texture to a soundscape, or realistic 'glue' to stick sounds together. Again, keep a library of interesting beds and textures to draw from when designing your samples.
Parallel worlds
Sends and returns can be ideal for creative layering journeys. Load up some crazy effects chains onto a return track, send a portion of your source sound's signal to that return, then experiment with plugin settings and effects. Export the return track separately, then reimport and layer it with your source sound for even more editing and processing.
Library layering
Once your layering skills develop, it's great to have specific folders in your sample library dedicated to this layering task so you can quickly turn to 'Tops', 'Snap', 'Body' or 'Release' elements on the fly. Packs such as Goldbaby's Dirt and Layers have cottoned on to this workflow and offer this approach in a handy pre-prepared format.
Plan your time
Layering can be a chore, so when working quickly, save dedicated layering or sound-design templates for your more focused stacking sessions. You can have your channels, returns, groups and processing chains ready to go. Once you fancy a little layering action, get stuck in, but don't forget to export your creations for later use!
When Scott Hansen finally quit his day job to pursue music full-time, he wasn't some 20-something bartender in LA or New York. Nor was he some young shit-kicker living couch-to-couch, waiting for his "big break."
No, Hansen's life was far more... responsible.
He was a software developer and designer in his early thirties living in the Bay Area, quietly honing his craft for the better part of ten years. And while little about Hansen's ascent to stardom is traditional, and none of it would make for a very interesting rock movie, his career path might be the template for the next generation of aspiring musicians looking to scrape together a living from the wreckage of the new music economy.
Recording under the name Tycho, Hansen crafts intricate, slow-building electronic epics with no lyrics, freeform structures, and downtempo speeds -- not exactly the cornerstones of popular music at any point in the past century. Nor does he have the calculated charisma or ostentatious persona of the world's biggest pop stars. Though tall and still youthfully handsome in his late thirties, the stage presence of Hansen and the rest of his touring band is sometimes so subdued they look like they're fixing dishwashers, not making music.
And yet Hansen regularly plays to sold out crowds around the world and sells or streams enough of his music to make a decent living. This runs counter to the narrative that unless you're one of the hallowed few who write disposable pop hits that play well to Middle American Clear Channel listeners, music is no way to pay the bills. His career arc is not the story of a man who profited by sacrificing his art to the trends of the day. It's the story of how an artist, with enough time, pressure, patience, and business acumen, can build a sustainable career while staying true to a vision. It's still almost impossibly difficult to accomplish and requires a massive amount of serendipity. Then again, you could say the same thing about building a successful startup.
"A risky small business."
“Obviously we’re surviving. Some of us have health insurance, some of us don’t, we basically all live in the same places, no one’s renting private jets. Come to your own conclusions.” - Ed Droste, singer of indie rock band Grizzly Bear
When you think of the lifestyle of famous rock and roll bands, you might picture something out of the movie "Almost Famous" -- Expensive hotel rooms stocked with writhing half-naked women and drugs that cover the entire pharmaceutical spectrum.
Borgore "living" the dream... in a music video
But being in a rock band today, even one as critically adored and beloved by fans as Grizzly Bear, is more like starting a "risky small business," as Nitsuh Abebe put it in his essential New York Magazine story, "Grizzly Bear Members Are Indie-Rock Royalty, But What Does That Buy Them in 2012?"
But unlike the startup world, where a kid who looks like Mark Zuckerberg and talks a good game can raise millions in one meeting, record labels have never been that generous with their cash advances -- and are even less generous today. As for the rare advances bands do receive, the artists are often expected to pay them back in full, in some cases regardless of whether they made enough money to recoup the loan. Techdirt has a frightening tale of how a band that sold 1 million albums could still owe a record label $500,000. By comparison, starting a venture-backed tech company is a cake walk.
Not that this is anything new. While there was less handwringing over low royalty payments in the 90s than in today's streaming culture, which pays artists one fraction of a penny at a time, musicians like ex-Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin say that creators have always come out short. The only difference between now and then is that the music industry of the 90s was artificially boosted by exorbitant CD prices. There was simply more money to go around.
“I just think when money’s swollen like that, there’s this ‘high tide rises all boats’ type of mentality,” Chamberlin says.
What will never change is that artists produce something of value that consumers want. Yes, there's less revenue creation than we've seen in past decades but there's still money coming in, through advertisements, paid subscriptions, and digital downloads. So why is it so hard to get that cash into the hands of the people actually creating the thing of value?
This is where the story of Hansen, workmanlike and unassuming, gets interesting.
The rise of the artist middle class
Born in Sacramento in the mid-1970s, Hansen's journey to music stardom didn't start by picking up a guitar in a music shop or plinking around on his parents' piano -- It began because he liked to fix things.
"[My friend] came across a broken drum machine and a sequencer," Hansen said. "He knew I messed with soldering and stuff like that, and he gave it to me and I couldn't get it to work. So I took it to this music store, traded it in, and got some new stuff."
The "new stuff" turned out include a Roland MC303 sequencer, a machine that allows real-time improvisation of repeating electronic sounds or "loops." Hansen's background was in software development and design, but he found that his approach toward writing code was not so different from his approach toward making music. Both music and programming are "a series of technical hurdles punctuated by moments of creative inspiration," Hansen says. "It's about solving a series of problems. And one of those problems is creating compelling content."
Coding and writing electronic music has a great deal in common, says Tycho
Over the next decade while living in the Bay Area, Hansen worked a variety of technical gigs: Making user interfaces for Adobe, doing time at an Enterprise Risk Management startup, and even helping get some of the first mobile applications off the ground in the early 2000s. But in his free time, he continued to pursue his two great passions: graphic design and music.
"I was always working toward the point that I could merge the two things. It just took a while before I became comfortable and disciplined enough where they were both reaching the same level."
That moment came in 2011, when Hansen signed a deal with the independent electronic label Ghostly International. Up until then, Hansen was satisfied treating music as just another freelance gig.
"Hey what do I need this label for?" he thought. "We're up and running and self-sufficient."
This calls to mind what Pomplamoose singer Jack Conte describes as "the emerging creative class."
"We’re moving out of the dichotomy of ‘rich and famous’ and ‘starving artists,'" says Conte, who is also the founder of Patreon, a marketplace with $17 million in venture funding that allows musicians, comic book artists, and other creators to sell their work directly to fans. "[The dichotomy] still exists, but there’s this whole new middle class — sustainable, successful, small business artists.”
And with the rise of direct distribution channels like Patreon, Bandcamp, and Gumroad, why should this middle class rely on vampiric record labels?
Ghostly Records
"One of the stupidest things I've done in my career."
Despite the rise of alternative distribution and payment platforms, the music industry isn't yet at a point where labels are obsolete. With a surplus of content at their disposal, they have the leverage to strike attractive deals with YouTube or Spotify that most lone artists cannot. (Multi-channel networks like INDMUSIC often offer similar advantages to artists, but it's still early days in that market).
And so in 2011 Hansen leaped into the unknown, striking a deal with Ghostly to release Tycho's third album. Titled "Dive," it's a collection of airy, ambient electronic sounds that drew comparisons to Boards of Canada's landmark masterpiece "Geogaddi." It reached number 22 on Billboard's Dance/Electronic charts and was named the 3rd best electronic album of the year by Popmatters. Not to take anything away from the quality of the album, but aligning with a respected label in the independent electronic community that could offer marketing and distribution assistance undoubtedly helped raise "Dive"'s profile.
But how does an artist know when it's time to seek out a record deal, as opposed to trudging along in that middle class -- completely independent but limited in resources?"It's always hard to figure out," Hansen says. "You get to a point where you feel like you have this momentum, and therefore you have this power where you can dictate things."
In other words, the perfect time to sign with a label is the moment you no longer need one. That strategy has borne out with higher-profile acts like Macklemore and Ryan Lewis who, after building a huge audience organically on YouTube, signed a distribution deal with Warner Music Group. Crucially, the duo retained the rights to their music. As I've written before, it was a triumph of business savvy as much as digital democracy.
By the time the Tycho team joined Ghostly, they may not have had the viral success of Macklemore, but they had something just as important: self-sufficiency. Hansen, as accomplished a graphic designer as he is a musician, handled the video production and artwork associated with live shows himself. He's also a seasoned technician who understands the nuts and bolts of his equipment and is savvy at promoting his work on social media.
"Understanding and mastering your tools is a big part of getting anywhere with any kind of creative thing you want to do," Hansen says. The days of lackadaisical rock stars, sitting around in a haze of smoke and whiskey vapors while a team of roadies tunes and sets up their instruments, is a luxury modern musicians can no longer afford.
The one area where Hansen felt he was lacking, however, was business acumen. And that, he says, led to some of the biggest mistakes of his career.
"I didn't act on the business side of things accordingly," Hansen says. "I thought of it as a side project -- make a few bucks, always have a day job. That came back to bite me."
Because Hansen wasn't making considerable profits on his music yet, he didn't understand that with the wrong record deal he might potentially miss out on financial windfalls.
"When there's no money involved, a deal sounds great," Hansen says. "Who cares what 50 percent of a thousand bucks is?"
Tycho's "Dive" release, Ghost Records 2011
But the biggest thing he regrets, and this has become a recurring theme in talking to musicians on the other side of a record deal, is giving up the rights to the master recordings -- meaning the first recording of a song and all copies made thereafter.
"I gave up the masters because I didn't understand what I was doing," Hansen says. "I didn't even know what publishing was. I didn't know what masters were. I blindly signed on the dotted line. It was the one of the stupidest things I've done in my career.""Nothing against Ghostly," he's quick to add. It's very common in record deals for the label to retain rights to the masters. Hansen also admits that had he known more about mastering he may have still signed the same deal. That said, it still eats at him.
"It feels weird not to own your music."
So to be a successful artist free of regrets in the modern music economy, does it require learning how to take apart instruments? Putting together compelling visual material? And getting an MBA for good measure? Not necessarily. But Hansen advises that if there's a component of your art or business that you don't understand, you need to find someone you trust who does.
"If you're not technically-inclined, you're at the mercy of other people," Hansen says. "Find friends. Come to a label deal with some kind of leverage."
Again, Hansen feels no ill will toward Ghostly -- he's simply learned that this is a business, and the only way to have control over one's financial destiny is to demand it. Early on in the partnership, he noticed that his management team, without whom Hansen would suffocate in an avalanche of confusing contracts, were not being fairly compensated in his mind for their work.
"You have to say, 'Wait a second: Who's doing what now, and who's actually putting the time in here, and who's being compensated justly?"
Fortunately, and to Ghostly's credit, Hansen and his management team were able to "modify some things" to better accommodate everybody's interests. But not every label is as small and flexible as Ghostly. And particularly with major labels offering artists less and less, despite demanding the same onerous guarantees from artists, musicians can't afford to assume they won't be screwed over.
Getting paid
Even in 2014, a label deal can still give an artist a huge boost in exposure through relationships with radio stations, tech platforms like YouTube, and concert venues.
But with so few people paying actual money for music anymore, and revenue from streaming services trickling in by fractions of pennies, can even significantly popular bands make a living wage? Is the exposure offered by a label even worth it?
At $0.006 a play on Spotify, the difference between a thousand plays and a million plays is under $6,000. The artist is only likely to see about half of that, which is then divided by how many bandmates there are. And pity the poor souls who accepted a cash advance from the label to cover recording and touring costs -- otherwise they may not see a dime of royalties until everything borrowed is paid back.
I'm sure Tycho's label deal is not as burdensome as some of the agreements struck by majors in the 1990s, cheating artists like R&B star Toni Braxton out of millions. But as we know from countless blog posts written by musicians griping about royalties, the revenue picture can still be pretty bleak -- particularly for artists like Tycho who are not household names.
Again, this held true even before iTunes and streaming turned the music industry on its head. The Dismemberment Plan's Travis Morrison, who fronted one of the most critically-acclaimed bands of indie rock's first wave,told me that during his most lucrative year with the band he only made $23,000. He was 30 years old.
"I was broke," Morrison says. "I was mad broke when we broke up."
Hansen won't reveal specific revenue numbers, though it's worth noting that he hasn't gone back to a day job since 2011. Instead, he give me a rough breakdown of how he and his band make money.
The largest chunk, unsurprisingly, comes from touring.
"A lot of bands think of [touring] as a promotional tool," he says. "That's an old way to look at it." Why tour to promote an album when nobody buys albums anymore? Instead, he says, bands should focus on making a profit on the road -- forget about the "Almost Famous"-style drug parties in lavish hotels. "That's how everyone gets paid these days," Hansen says, though being on the road with enough frequency to turn a significant profit can be slog. "With wheels on the ground 200 days a year? You can't do that every year."
The second biggest revenue source for Tycho -- and this is unlikely to hold true for most bands -- are the sales of physical objects like vinyl records, T-shirts, and prints.
"We're an anomaly because we have the built-in graphic design and collector audience. So we still have people who want the physical object, something attached to the ideas."
Running closely behind physical sales is digital revenue from downloads or streaming.
"For all the controversy lately [surrounding streaming royalties], we at least have done great," Hansen says. He attributes part of this to the fact that Team Tycho, filled with jacks-of-all-trades, can run a relatively lean operation with fewer mouths to feed.
The final and, for now, least significant revenue stream comes from publishing and synchronization rights. This is a departure from earlier days of indie rock, when a band like Modest Mouse or Postal Service could pull in big sums of cash by allowing their songs in commercials. Hansen says that gold rush is a thing of the past.
"The days are over when it was like a quarter million dollar Hummer ad." Instead, a car company that wants to use a Tycho song is more likely to commission a cheaper artist to capture that "Tycho vibe," Hansen says. (It's also possible the commercial market is worse for a band like Tycho because they lack instantly recognizable lyrical hooks).
In any case, the Tycho sound machine, propped up by the sale of unique physical goods, a live show where careful attention is paid to video and imagery, and -- let's be real -- the fact that many people adore their music, has become a profitable and sustainable endeavor. It may still be a "risky small business," but the risks are finally paying off.
Is the model repeatable?
Tycho isn't the only artist that's found a way to squeeze a few stray dollars from the flatlining modern music industry, and not every band can or should follow Tycho's precise path. Most of us are lucky enough to find one thing we're both good at and passionate about. In music, graphic design, and technology, Hansen has found three.
Still, there are some broad lessons musicians can take away from Tycho's success:
Do as much as you can yourself. Or, delegate tasks to people you trust in your inner circle. Whether it's recording, artwork, promotion, or lighting, self-sufficiency gives artists more control over their destiny while lowering the number of stakeholders expecting to get paid. Most of all, this "one-stop-shop" mentality puts artists in a strong negotiating position when it comes time to sign a label deal.
"You can say, 'I'm already doing this,'" Hansen says. "'I'm already building this brand. And I want to have a lot of control over this thing.' So it's more of a partnership [with the label]."
Give people something of value other than your music. Vinyl collector's items, posters, and T-shirts that are cool enough to show off regardless of their association with your music not only drive sales -- they make fans feel like part of an experience encompassing more than just music. The digital age has brought with it an overabundance of media, stored in the cloud and thus at a distance from our hard drives and CD racks. That's turned music into more and more of a commodity, and so giving people a way to express their fandom beyond hitting "play" on Spotify is crucial.
Make the live show memorable. This has always been true, but the Internet offers so many rich media experiences that can be consumed at home that it's more important than ever to make the live show a unique event. This can be accomplished through multimedia and visual accoutrements that are interesting enough to stand on their own (like at Tycho shows) and by building a sense of community within your fanbase by talking to listeners on social media or in emails.
Understand the business. Or if you don't, find someone you trust who does. Even record labels with the best intentions have a business to run and are not going to give artists anything unless they demand it. Every case is different, but don't be so ready to sign away rights to your art just because a label asks for it.
"A label deal that made sense five years ago probably doesn't make sense now," Hansen says. "The roles have shifted so much that you're not getting the same thing that you were for having traded your intellectual property away."
But don't get too greedy with fans. It's okay and even advisable to behave like a cutthroat capitalist with labels, but not with fans. If someone uploads one of your videos to YouTube without permission, it's usually not in the fan's nor the artist's best interest to have it taken down. Out of all of Hansen's attempts to build momentum on social media, the most effective promotion is carried out by fans' themselves.
"The big thing that works best is out of our control -- YouTube videos, people just posting songs that got a lot of plays."
Finally, be patient. "The arc of how this all came together is 14 years," Hansen says. "I can look back, and look at all these points and say, 'That went well and that was a good move,' but it was just slowly trying things that didn't work and trying things that did."
That may not be the most reassuring advice. But like in so many other industries, from media to technology, there's no longer a clear playbook for success. Making in it music has always been hard, but at least there used to be a career path -- learn your instruments, write great songs, tour constantly, and, if you're a lucky, a label comes knocking with a big advance for recording and the opportunity to get on the radio. Now the work of a musician is closer to that of an entrepreneur. Try something. Fail. Iterate. Get lucky. And of course, be a little nuts.
"You gotta keep this vision in your head of what you want this future to look like, but not to have any logical reason to believe it's going to come true."
My feeling as a music producer is that in Electronic Music today there is WAAAY too much to-the-beat quantization. For the uninitiated, “quantizing” is the process of aligning the hits of a musical phrase to the song tempo and its subdivisions (quarters, eights of a note etc). Sure, there are plenty of people out there who are happy to dance to the strict “uhmp-tz-uhmps” embedded in the majority of dance tracks. But why not try to feed the crowd something that’s even more contagious in setting booties in motion?
The syncopation found in funk, hip hop and Afrobeat drumming makes those genres so much more compelling to dance to, and with today’s technologies, you don’t really need a human drummer to emulate that.
My advice to the up-and-coming EDM producer is to initially work on drum loops separately from the tracks. Make a selection of drum hits and existing loops that you like, and create combinations of them, slowly building your own library and paying particular attention to how slight delays on the various beats and backbeats affect the way the drum pattern “feels.”
It’s always good to keep the first hit (normally a kick) perfectly quantized to the first beat to keep the rhythm consistent, but you can experiment with pretty much any other tempo subdivision – and don’t forget about the triplet option, which can introduce a completely unexpected element.
Most modern sequencers allow you to lay down the samples on a grid, zoom in, cut and move the elements around, while some let you use and create quantizing templates that can automatically apply a more or less noticeable syncopation to your loops. In the EDM genre, nailing a drum loop is already a big step towards a dance-floor hit, and syncopation is an element no electronic producer should overlook.
