 | Steve Heithecker's Blog Steve is an accomplished composer, producer and keyboardist who has worked on more records than he can count and loves adding to that number. Steve has also written and produced music for live theater as well as film and video productions. Before moving his studio to Pyramind he was the co-founder of Digital Art & Music, a recording studio specializing in hip-hop/rap and alternative rock music. Steve is a Pro Tools and Reason expert user and trainer.
As a writer, Steve co-authored the highly respected "Pro Tools 7 Session Secrets: Professional Recipes for High-Octane Results" for Wiley publishing, a book that brought numerous insider techniques to light for anyone using Pro Tools.
Steve is also a master artist and graphic designer. He has designed dozens and dozens of albums and CD's over the years, and in his current position as Art Director for Pyramind, he is responsible for the look of Pyramind and Epiphyte Records, Pyramind's in-house record label. |
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Written by Steve Heithecker
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Monday, August 03, 2009 |
With the propagation of in-the-box production environments, it's sometimes easy to forget our roots in this industry: WE PLAY INSTRUMENTS! So, I love technology as much as the next geek but there's a balance to be had lest we abandon our musical heritage. This is music we're talking about, so, with respect to John Cage whom I greatly admire, we need to remember who we came to the dance with.
A knowledge of music theory mixed with a practice of piano skills will take any musician, regardless of style, to another level. Theory is the language of music and not to speak it is the same as being in Latvia without speaking Latvian. Not pretty when you need that bio break and can't ask where to go or read the signs. Not cool when the local police ask you for ID and you simply nod your head and smile (that's right before they throw you in the pokey, idiot). So speaking this common language breaks down the barriers in communication between musicians.
Try to describe an A minor 7th with interpretive dance and you'll find it's not so good. Write the chord down on paper and presto change-o! Everyone understands. (Except the moron who skipped theory in school).
The practice of piano is invaluable as well and it's cheaper and more convenient than ever with the advent of small MIDI controllers and piano samples. You don't have to drop $100,000 to play a Bosendorfer, just a few hundred on a controller and a little money on some software. Now don't get me wrong, I've played a real Bosendorfer and MIDI controllers are as far from that tactile experience as a GoCart is from a Ferrari, but you can still learn and get a lot out of it.
It seems to be a common misconception that hip-hop and electronic music don't require any special music chops and training because they are mostly produced in a software-based environment, and the tools of the trade make up for real music skills. I call shenanigans to this thought! The best hip-hop producers have real music skills, they play keyboards and they understand notation. The best electronic producers can play and score with the best of them.
So if you feel you music is lacking a little something and you can't quite put your finger on it....then put both hands right in the middle of that keyboard and start playing those scales. Welcome to Music 1.0 |
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Written by Steve Heithecker
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Monday, July 13, 2009 |
Don't be that guy. We all know him, he bangs out great-sounding tracks with huge sounds, does it far too easily and talks the big talk... He's DJ preset! No programming, lots of loops and samples, preset FX and major attitude to go with it.
Really? REALLY? I mean come on, it's 2009. Lets program those keyboards for real and play something, bro!
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Written by Steve Heithecker
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Wednesday, July 08, 2009 |
American Idol is the worst thing ever.
I detest this show and everything about it. The fact that it's on Fox should tell you all you need to know. The music industry has never been a bastion of sainthood or a place you tell your kids to look to for role models. In fact I think Hunter S. Thomson said it best, "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs...
"There's also a negative side."
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Written by Steve Heithecker
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Thursday, July 02, 2009 |
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Is the world ready for another DAW?
With the recent announcement of Propellerheads' RECORD application, I started wondering, "Could there possibly be room for another DAW, even some sexy new variant from the land of Thor and Volvos?"
So first, what is a DAW you ask? Traditionally a DAW consists of three components:
1. A computer (you should check these things out, I think they're going to really catch on!) |
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Written by Steve Heithecker
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Wednesday, June 10, 2009 |
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Ok, so pro tools 8 has been out for a bit now and its time to see if it's all it's cracked up to be. As a long time midiot and keyboardist, my first impression of 8 was wow, after years of complaining they finally listened to us and cranked out a composer and MIDI friendly version of pro tools. YES! My second impression is not far from that first new car smell of 8. I admit to being seduced by the nice graphics of a tone wheel organ and a pseudo 808 in Boom but 8 goes way beyond the sexy skins on the new virtual instruments. But what about the new synths, everyone was waiting for what seemed like years for Pro Tools to go Logic like and include a cache of synths bundled with the app. It's one thing to give away free synths but it's another thing for them to sound great, not kill your processor and be programmable. I give Digi a 9.3 out of 10 on my personal sonic richter scale (It would have given a higher score but the Russian judge gave a 2.7). I mean this is the first release with these synths and they killed it overall. There are definitely things to improve upon and I believe they will. As of this writing we're still in 8.0 cs.2. What might 8.1 or 8.5 bring? hmmmmmm..... So what's in the box? |
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