TK on Rock Band, Tom’s blog, Lazarus Effect
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010Hello!
Tom updated his guitar blog recently:
“Today I have some studio gear for you to look at. With the arrival of computer-based music recording and production, the old rack mount outboard audio gear has become somewhat of a luxury now. You can effect your audio in a thousand ways with software plug-ins. Software sounds good and gives you the potential to make great sounding recordings at a tiny fraction of the cost of a real studio. However real hardware audio still sounds better than software to me, you are adding gain and distortion and overtones that make everything sound punchy just like back in the golden days of real recording studios.
You are looking at four items in the photo:
The two silver ones with black knobs are Pultec equalizers. This is a pair of mono units and I use them to pass my stereo mixes through. The design is from the 1950’s and they are pretty simple to use. Select a frequency, and then boost or cut it. If you are not an audio person, it’s kind of like a fancy set of Bass/Treble controls. These Pultec’s use tubes, audio people love the sound of tubes, but it’s beyond me to describe how they work. They do get hot and if something goes wrong in the unit, you can usually just replace a tube and you’re all fixed up.
Next is the Manley Variable-MU in black with the two big white meters. This is a stereo compressor, and I put my mixes through this in-line behind the Pultec’s. A compressor’s role it hard to describe, but it basically smooths out the rough audio edges. Proper use of compression can make amateur recordings sound much more professional.
The last unit on the right is the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo. This is actually a guitar effect I covered in my last post. This unit has a tube and makes echo effects using a tape loop. The basic design is based on the old Echo-plex units, and this one is improved in many ways, while still giving that sound that we grew up hearing on countless records.
Okay that’s it for today, take care until next time.”
From Tonic.com:
“Gwen Stefani Helps Promote HIV/AIDS Treatment in Africa
BY DARRAGH WORLAND | FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010 4:43 PM ET
All it takes is 40 cents a day to save life.
A whole host of celebrities, including rocker Gwen Stefani, are lending their names and faces in support of a campaign to raise money for HIV/AIDS treatment in Africa and to spread the word about an awareness-raising film by Spike Jonze.
The Lazarus Effect, a documentary film supported by the (RED) campaign, which collects funds from the sale of various products to help pay for HIV treatment in Africa, is set to premiere May 24 on HBO.
Directed by Lance Bangs and produced by Jonze and Susan Smith Ellis, The Lazarus Effect documents the amazing effects that antiretroviral drugs can have on those afflicted with AIDS. The film traces the experience of Constancde Mudenda, who lost all three of her children to AIDS before treatment was available. But when Mudenda learned of a clinic offering free ARVs, she became one of the first people to be enrolled. With her health restored, she now works as a educator at the clinic herself.
In support of the film and to promote the low cost of saving lives, friends of (RED) like actors Penelope Cruz, Orlando Bloom, Hugh Jackman, Don Cheadle, Stefani and U2 frontman Bono, have put together a video showing just what 40 cents can buy. Turns out, 40 cents can buy everything from gum to a costume mustache to a day’s worth of life-saving ARVs. Even those close to death can be revived in as few as 40 days once they start taking the pills. This transformation is called The Lazarus Effect.
Check out the video here, and go to HBO online to learn more about the documentary.”
More No Doubt songs will be available for the Rock Band game on May 4th! From the Rock Band web site:
“Hey gang,
Here’s the DLC coming out next week! Not only a treat for the female vocalists out there, but a real blast on the drums as well.
Also, next week marks a change on the Playstation Store update schedule. Starting May 4th the US PS3 store should update with new RB DLC on Tuesdays, and the EU PS3 store should update on Wednesdays starting on May 5th. We’ll be posting next week’s RBN offerings on the PS3 shortly, so keep posted!
Available on Xbox 360, Wii and PlayStation 3 system (May 4):
No Doubt – “Different People”
No Doubt – “End It on This”
No Doubt – “Happy Now?”
No Doubt – “Hey You”
No Doubt – “Sixteen”
No Doubt – “The Climb”
No Doubt – “Tragic Kingdom”
No Doubt – “World Go ‘Round”
No Doubt – “You Can Do It”
Orianthi – “According to You” +
Picture Me Broken – “Dearest (I’m So Sorry)” *
(All tracks are original master recordings)
(These tracks will be available in Europe on PlayStation 3 May 5)
These tracks will be available for purchase as “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Deep Cuts” and “No Doubt Tragic Kingdom: The Complete Album,” as well as individual tracks on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system, and as individual tracks only on Wii.”
