Music studios are notoriously unhealthy environments. Low lighting, stale air, computer screens and overexposure to loud volumes eventually take their toll on mental and physical well being. In this article, we’ll highlight some of the tried and tested methods designed to avoid bad health, anxiety, depression and the eventual demise of our beloved music makers, […]
Tag: composing music
Music of the Minor Modes
The prior post concerned the three major modes which are designated by their major 5ths. The minor modes are similarly designated by their minor 5ths. Each has a unique history and flavor, but they share the familiar minor darkness of emotion in common. From the bittersweetness of the Dorian, the tense power of the Phrygian, […]
The Secret Power of Music: The Modern – Part II
Welcome to Part II of this blog discussion on David Tame’s The Secret Power of Music. Part I explained Tame’s main point of the initial part of his book. Namely, that music among the ancients, that philosophies that can be traced up to the present time, was considered an essential part of the source of […]
From the Mind to the Page: A Composer’s Tips for Optimizing your Creative Process: Part 2
By Lukas StanleyIf you haven’t already read Part One of this article, I would recommend reading that first. It can be found here: http://blog.shockwave-sound.com/2015/07/from-mind-to-page-composers-tips-for.html In Part One, I discussed how to make the most of your creativity by effectively setting a writing schedule that coincides with your creative peaks during the day, having a plan […]
Mechanical Rights administration and stock music / production music
As I’m writing this article, my target audience is composers / musicians who would like to get into the business of writing music for stock music / production music, and who does not yet fully understand the way in which the administration of your Mechanical Rights through an organization such as GEMA, MCPS, STEMRA etc. […]
Orchestral MIDI Arrangements
The absolute beginner’s guide to the Orchestral MIDI Mockup By Thomas James Slater Like many composers in the more analog field of pencil and paper, I was entirely unaware of the other side of music production. For years I thought that the bleep and bloop of midi, compliments of my music notation software, were all […]
Depth and space in the mix, Part 2
by Piotr Pacyna< Go to part 1 of this article So, how to start? With a plan. First off, I imagine in my head or on a sheet of paper the placing of individual instruments/musicians on the virtual stage and then think how to “re-create” this space in my mix. Typically I’d have three areas: […]
Depth and space in the mix, Part 1
by Piotr Pacyna “When some things are harder to hear and others very clearly, it gives you an idea of depth.” – Mouse On Mars There are a few things that immediately allows one to distinguish between amateur and professional mix. One of them is depth. Depth relates to the perceived distance from the listener […]
Drum tips for music producers
by Piotr Pacyna Here are a few tips for anyone thinking about spicing up his drum parts. Some of them are for more advanced producers, while some of the others will be suitable for less advanced readers. However, this article is not for beginners. You have to know at least the basics of MIDI programming, […]
Thoughts and insights on our latest collection: “Dark Cues Vol. 7: bZombie”
We have just released a new album of horror / mystery underscore music to our catalogue: “Dark Cues Vol. 7: bZombie“. This is a collection of 12 eerie and creepy film score / underscore tracks for use with death and horror. Each track is available to license separately, as well as together as a collection […]
