Music Production Podcast

ince Cimo is the creator of DataLooper, a hardware guitar-pedal-style controller, that makes live looping with Ableton Live quick and easy. We were joined by Vir McCoy, who was jamming with Vince to discover ways he could incorporate DataLooper into his workflow. DataLooper was created to simplify live looping, and Vince is actively seeking suggestions from his user base to make DataLooper the ultimate device for live looping. It was exciting to speak with Vince and Vir. We spoke about the creation of DataLooper, the potential for finding inspiration in Eastern music scales, and so much more. They both shared their background as musicians who are curious to find new sounds and new ways to express their creativity. Vince also created two Ableton Live Projects, featuring an assortment of AfroDJMac Ableton Live instruments, to demonstrate how easy it is to live loop with DataLooper. Download the sessions for free in the show notes below. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: DataLooper - Vince’s creation to make live looping a breeze. YouTube - Vince’s work as a musician and the developer of DataLooper. Mannequins by Day - Vince’s band. House of Hamsa -Vir McCoy’s band. Vir McCoy YouTube - Check out Vir’s performances. Bass Station 2.5 Update - Novation Bass Station’s new firmware features microtuning features. DataLooper in Action - Free Ableton Live Pack #177 - Download Vince’s Ableton Live Sessions using an assortment of AfroDJMac Ableton Live Instruments and DataLooper. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Neil “Nail” Alexander is a multi-genre, multi-instrumentalist from the Hudson Valley in New York. Neil’s work spans just about every genre from jazz and classical to modern EDM and ambient. He is an avid live performer who incorporates both acoustic and electronic elements into his performances, and combines jazz sensibilities to electronic composition. Neil runs the Hudson Valley Ableton Live user group. I spoke with Neil about his wide range of work and how he manages to wear multiple musical hats. Neil had some important wisdom on live performance and improvisation. It was great to finally sit down and talk with Neil after years of online interactions and finally meeting face to face at Ableton Loop. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Neil’s Official Site Neil’s music on SoundCloud Neil’s official releases YouTube - Keep up with Neil’s work and performances. Nail Jung - Soft Invaders - Live Performance on WPRB Wendy Carlos Switched on Bach The X Ensemble - Neil’s Contemporary Chamber Music Ensemble Mr. Gone - Psychedelic Electric Jazz Thunderhead Organ Trio - Hi Octane Jet Fuel Groove Cloudburst Decora - Hip Hop artist Neil works with. Piktor’s Metamorphosis Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

I went to Ableton Loop in Los Angeles and it was an incredibly valuable experience. There were excellent panels, discussions, meet ups, and performances. But aside from the scheduled events, some of the best moments were the moments between events. I had the chance to meet and talk to so many interesting people. I finally got to meet 3-D, real life versions of tons of people I’ve followed and interacted with through the computer screen. The spirit of the event was welcoming and inspiring. Besides loads of inspiration, I took home some important lessons. In this episode, I share some of those with you. They are lessons from the panels and workshops, as well as wisdom I picked up during the many conversations I had with other attendees. I’ve already began to apply some of the concepts to my own work and life, and I hope they can help you too! Show Notes: Ableton Loop - Official website Making Music - Dennis DeSantis’s extremely helpful book. Slynk’s Loop Experience Ethan Hein’s Loop Experience Ethan Hein on the Music Production Podcast Synthtopia’s Loop Experience Sonic Bloom’s Loop Experience Madeleine Bloom on the Music Production Podcast Underbelly on the Music Production Podcast Isaac Cotec on the Music Production Podcast Josh Spoon on the Music Production Podcast Laura Escude on the Music Production Podcast Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Ableton’s Loop is a summit for music makers. It’s an incredible get together for people in the music production community to meet and share ideas. The schedule of events is amazing, and there are opportunities to talk, face to face, with so many brilliant people. I was hanging around the Maker Zone, when Angelica from Ableton asked if I’d like to do a short presentation. Since I have a thing or two to say about making sounds, I gladly accepted. This episode is the audio of that talk. I recorded it on my Roland R-07 field recorder, and did my best to clean it up for this show. It was quite an honor to give this talk in front of so many people I admire, including Francis Preve, Slynk, Elisabeth and James from Synthtopia, Josh Spoon, and many more. My hope is that the talk fills you with a sense of empowerment to go and find your own sounds to create your own sound. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Ableton Loop - A summit for music makers. 100 Year Old Piano Free Ableton Live Pack Instruments from a Snapple Can Free Ableton Live Pack Synthtopia - Thanks for providing the picture :) Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

We carefully budget our money, so why aren’t we as careful with our time? In this episode, we Reflect on and Apply words of wisdom from the very first guest on this podcast, Ben Burnes. Ben advocates budgeting your music production time carefully for maximum productivity. By carefully scheduling your time, you can get more important work done and avoid wasting time on insignificant tasks. You can also download a free Music Production Schedule I made to help us all be more efficient with our time. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Ben Burnes - Ben on the Music Production Podcast… my first guest! Music Production Schedule - Budget your time like money using this Google Spreadsheet. (Go to File-Add to My Drive to save). 100 Year Old Piano - Free Ableton Live and Logic Pro Instrument Pack. Ben Burnes on YouTube - Check out Ben’s prolific output of videos and downloads. Seconds Pro - High Intensity Interval Training, great for budgeting music production tasks. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Jakob Haq is a mobile musician from Sweden. He all of his music using either iOS or other portable devices, no computer! On his YouTube channel, haQ attaQ, Jakob shares his accumulated knowledge from over 25 years of music making. Jakob specializes in what he calls “Docu-torials” on new iOS apps and portable music making gear. After crossing paths for years, I finally got a chance to speak with Jakob on the podcast. Jakob shares some tips on how he stays productive and avoids procrastination. He was very candid about his thoughts on the current state of mobile music making, Apple, and YouTube. Jakob addresses and raises some very important concerns about the direction of music making and the avenues we as creators have for reaching our audiences. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: haQ attaQ - Jakob’s official YouTube page. Patreon - A great way to support the great work Jakob does. Bandcamp - Listen to Jakob’s music. SoundCloud - Listen to more of Jakob’s music. Facebook - Jakob on Facebook, where he is sometimes streaming live. Twitter - Connect with Jakob on Twitter. Instagram - Some nice photos and videos… Moog Minimoog vs. Model D - a great comparison of the app and the hardware. My Best Work Yet? - A beautiful piece of music by Jakob. Apple Loves Your Money - Entertaining criticism of the world’s first trillion dollar company. Discchord - All things iOS music making. Tim Webb on the Music Production Podcast - Discchord’s creator on the podcast. Cocoscope - New alternative video hosting site. LumaFusion - Video Editing iOS app. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

This episode is the beginning of a new type of episode on the Music Production Podcast, “Reflect and Apply.” Each episode will reflect on a lesson we learned from a guest on the show, and discuss ways to apply that lesson to our work. Today’s lesson is about the importance of involving the body in our music production work. DiViNCi spoke about this idea in episode #33, and today we look at ways to incorporate a little more physicality into our music. Show Notes: Episode #33 with DiViNCi - The episode that inspired this discussion. LATE 80’s DIGITAL - Ableton Live and Logic Pro pack, the sounds of yesterday’s tomorrow. One Thing with Daedelus Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Diego Stocco is a sound designer, instrument builder, and explorer of sounds. Diego is a master at finding music in places ordinary people do not hear it. As an imaginative craftsman, Diego has created a collection of instruments made from natural and found objects, and instrument parts. He uses his otherworldly creations to score films and trailers, design sounds for Spectrasonics, and create his own unique music. His work proves that there is still so much sound to explore in our world. I’ve wanted to chat with Diego for a long time now. In the world of sound designers, he is a superhero. What became immediately clear in our conversation was his passion for his work. Diego makes you want to find new sounds in new places. I’m amazed at how such a well-trained musician can see past what he calls “problems of preconceptions” and explore sound as if it was the first time he ever encountered it. Diego generously shared so much wisdom and insight about his work and sound in general. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Official website - Check out Diego’s body of work. BeHance - Explore more of Diego’s musical and sound design work. Albums - Some of Diego’s music, using his handmade instruments and natural sounds. Made of Sound - The latest audio/visual work, featuring music made with 17 custom instruments. Custom Built Orchestra - Diego’s orchestra of unusually unique instruments. Spectrasonics - Diego is one of the principal sound designer, working on Omnisphere and Stylus RMX. Ennio Morricone - The legendary composer. 3-D Ambisonic Microphones - CDM’s piece on the future of microphones. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Johan Sundhage is a developer at Klevgrand. For the last few years, Klevgrand has been making a huge impression on producers with their plug-ins for DAWs and iOS. Klevgrand combines a somewhat outside-the-box approach to their devices, centered around design and usability. Many of their devices manage to take complex audio concepts and present them in beautifully intuitive interfaces. I had the chance to speak to Johan about the creation process at Klevgrand. Johan reveals how he and a small team of developers manage to take each other’s ideas and turn them into reality. It was great to learn about the collaborative process and the philosophical framework that underlies Klevgrand’s work. This episode is an exciting look into the workings of a company producing unique and inspiring tools. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Klevgrand - Makers of exciting plug-ins for DAWs and iOS devices. Klevgrand Products - Check out the extensive collection of interesting audio devices. Brusfri - Noise reduction plug-in that I frequently use on this podcast. Projects - Check out some of the video work Klevgrand does. Web Cassette - Klevgrand’s Cassette plug-in that runs in your web browser. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Jesper Nordin is a leading Swedish composer who has garnered considerable international acclaim in recent years. Jesper Nordin has also had huge success with his iOS app Gestrument that is based on his own composition technique. I sat down with Jesper to talk about his new app Gestrument Pro, which sits somewhere between composition and instrument. It’s a beautiful app that makes excellent use of the touch screen interface. Jesper talked about his work as a composer, pushing boundaries of electro-acoustic music, and how he tricks himself to write music he didn’t know he likes. It was a fascinating conversation that gave me some new perspectives on creating music. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Jesper Nordin - Official web site. Gestrument - Powerful gesture-based instrument for iOS. Gestrument on the App Store - Buy Gestrument! Gestrument in Concert - A look at the groundbreaking performances for Gestrument, orchestra, and clarinet. Euronews - Coverage of clarinetist and conductor, Martin Fröst, using Gestrument. Polar Talks - Jesper’s presentation on Gestrument and how it is integrated with the orchestra. Emerging from Currents and Waves - Behind the scenes about Jesper’s latest work “Emerging from Currents and Waves,” featuring Gestrument, orchestra, and clarinet. Tim Webb Explores Gestrument - Tim from Discchord takes us through a detailed exploration of Gestrument. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian Funk AfroDJMac