Music | Living Live Productions | Videos

The age of DIY recording is well and truly upon us. For a new artist to get anywhere, you need recordings to get heard. You will more than likely need a CD even to get gigs in bars. Often recording can be costly and/or crap for what you have paid. Now many new artists are taking things into their own hands.

Recording at a home studio is easier than ever, and has many benefits. You don’t need an awful lot, and most of the stuff you need you should already have. You don’t really need to re arrange your home furniture too much either. Serious home studios will have sound absorbing foam covering every wall, but for initial demos or EP’s you will probably be OK without. Try to avoid rooms with flat uncovered walls and especially solid flooring like wood or tiles. Carpet floor is best, and try to use a rug to soften up solid wall surface. This prevents sound from bouncing around your walls and being picked up by your microphone. A good way to test this is to clap in the room and listen for any echo noises. The less the better.

On a budget? Here is the minimum you will need:

- A Mixer (and cables including one from the main output to your laptop)

- A Mic (best case scenario for Vocals buy a SM58, every serious vocalist should have one, or instruments that need a mic use a SM57)

- A Laptop and recording software (Just buy a mac… seriously! see below)

As recording software goes, a serious studio will use Logic Pro. But the best things in life are free. I have logic pro, but its no longer my number one choice. If you get a new mac, or just get the new leopard operating system, or even just ilife 09, you will get the latest garage band free. Its actually fantastic. It has everything you need to make a good quality recording and its so easy to use. Its great for learning about sound engineering. The difference between it and Logic, and why I choose garage band, is that it has everything you need within one click. The interface is great, its idiot proof and everything is fully configurable. Whereas Logic has everything that is possible. Absolutely everything, but most of it you will just never need, and because it has so much, it takes Milena to find the things you actually need. The interface often needs a scientist to work out, so its just not ideal for this situation. Get a macbook with leopard, and your life will be a lot easier.

I have used my bedroom to record a lot of my home studio tracks. Make sure the only people in the recording room are those actually recording, and remove anything that makes a sound. Ive had hassle of still being able to hear the rest of the band chatting and drinking on my sofa from the recording room, so put your foot down and get the to keep it down. Having furniture in the room is not a bad thing, as beds and sofas can help absorb any unwanted noise.

I started this site because I love live music, and you should too. It’s an unparalleled way of connecting to people you have never met, and may never see again. This video made me smile and I want to share it with you. It really sums up what we are all about, and just goes to show what a difference one man can make. Enjoy (and stick with it!)

2009 is set to be one of the biggest ever years for music festivals. New events are popping up all over the country, and the giants like Glastonbury sold out quicker than ever. The recession may have seen dips in ticket sales for smaller gigs, but has prompted promoters to make events bigger and better than ever to convince us to part with our cash.

Great news for everyone, live music is really continuing to reach new heights. Distribution of live videos over the Internet is rife, but you just cant replicate the atmosphere of the real thing.

So for those of you lucky enough to to have got tickets to one of the big three this year, Reading & Leeds, Glastonbury or the better than ever Download, be sure to be prepared with the right camping equipment. Most people will be looking for cheap tents as they will probably end up destroyed or on fire. For those of you hating setting up your tents, you can now pick up pop up tents for pretty cheap to save you the hassle. If you are heading to Glastonbury, be sure to pick up a waterproof tent, as there is a monsoon is predicted to rain down on you this year. You might also want to bring a couple of sleeping bags in case one gets drenched, or gets set on fire when you’re drunk.

Here is a fine piece of marketing by a car hire company.

Well I know what I am doing For my daughters 18th birthday

I am off to Spain Next week But will keep the site updated. The video is appropriate as I was searching for car hire spain for my travels when I am in Spain and it came up, and I thought I would share it with you. No many people choose to hire a car when abroad, but I am far too lazy to walk around, especially in Spain in the summer.

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Tea Horse – Exhalation

Well its been in the works for a while, but I have finally finished the first track recorded with Exeter based musician Tea Horse. Exhalation is the first of 2 track recorded and produced by living live. I spent a long time mixing and mastering this one and its not been easy, so I pleased with the final outcome. Comments welcome and stay tuned for more from Tea Horse and Living Live.

Charity or campaign songs are often awful. They miss the point of music entirely, with musicians singing about things they are told to sing about, rather than singing from the heart. Take AIM at Climate Change is no different.

Aimed both to highlight the dangers of climate change and move us to act on it, this track has failed to do either. Music is about honestly, expressing feelings that words cant describe. Just one time I’d like to see a song that isn’t scripted, and just expressed from the heart.

Never the less climate change is a huge threat, and will no doubt see more mainstream artists trying to sell a song about it sooner or later. 2009 is a big year for climate change, with Obama taking office and promising to end years of inaction on climate policies, and high hopes for the 2009 climate change conference in Copenhagen. Lets all hope we can agree on the facts about climate change by then, so we can finally start sorting this out.

Well, the visuals may well have been far better than the bands, but it was certainly a great night. Here are some pics of my visuals on the 20ft LED screen. Head to the pictures page for more.

This Friday the 22nd May, Living Live will be providing visuals on a Huge LED Screen, courtesy of Stage Electrics, at the Exmouth Pavilion. The screen has been installed as part of next weeks theatre production of Chess, performed by Exmouth Amateur Operatics Society. Its the first time I got my hand on video kit on this scale, so its sure to be a great night. I will be providing live visuals on the screen for The Exe Factor, a battle of the top bands in east devon. It’s sure to be a great looking show with help from Stage Engage so dont miss it!