Akai Professional Introduces APC20 Compact Ableton Performance Controller
Akai Professional, the name synonymous with music production, announces the APC20 Ableton Performance Controller. Akai Pro introduced the APC20 at the 2010 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, booth 6400, January 14???17.

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Learn to Play Drums with Playalongs American artists/tutor Michael Gould. This drum DVD the first in a serie of three tutorial DVDs for Beginners. www.playalongmusic.com

• 10 full kits, extra snares, cymbals, and more
• Incredible detail: Multiple mic positions, expressive articulations, up to 96 velocity layers
• User stereo multi-velocity layer sample import
• EQ and FX suite containing everything from flanger, bitcrusher and delay effects to circuit-modelled dynamics, filtering and distortion
• 5000+ Grooves ready to use in your projects

Product Description
BFD2′s easy to use interface is redesigned from the ground up to give you more power and control for shaping your drums than ever before. It?s fast and easy to set up and integrate into your digital audio workstation of choice. Create expressive, complex drum parts using 55GB of rare, vintage, boutique and classic drumkits. Recorded at AIR Studios in London, BFD2′s sound library combines extreme realism with stunning sound quality. Mix your drums with flexible routi… More >>

Fxpansion BFD2 Acoustic Drums Module

Virtual DJ Drum & Bass

Jotan playing on the drums! working on grooves fills rudiments. Technique, speed, power, styles, funk, fusion, Jazz, latin, rock. Jotan using Vic Firth 5A sticks and Sabian cymbals, Pearl drums, Kick Port, Evans heads. Oct 29, 2009

Use the interface of an Akai MPC 2000XL drum machine to make hip-hop beats and sounds; learn how with tips from our professional disc jockey in this free DJ music video lesson. Expert: Amir Tauheed Contact: www.myspace.com/precisionaudio Bio: Amir Tauheed has been working in music production for over 7 years and is co-owner of Precision Audio Productions. Filmmaker: Antar Hanif

www.vmusicbook.com sells an e-book, which provides solutions for most issues that unsigned musicians experience.

VmusicBook was created for those who wish to set up and successfully run an independent music business, especially for the URBAN markets such as Hip-Hop, R&B, Drum & Bass and all other Dance genres including UK Grime.

VmusicBook is one of the first music resources of its kind. It is said to be the most comprehensive and detailed directories sold online giving you direct access to 100s of important contacts.

VmusicBook is an invaluable business tool for unsigned talent looking to turn their talents or skills into a legal business. No matter what you do if it is creative and entertaining then this is without doubt for you.

The VmusicBook was made for unsigned artists and musicians, label owners, music producers, songwriters, engineers and mangers. Get your music or songs into television, films and commercials.

Hip-hop music has become one of the most popular styles of music in United States of America. It consists of two components such as rapping and record scratching. These two components when combined with break dancing and graffiti develop the important elements of hip-hop music. If you wish to enter in the field of hip-hop beat production, you need to understand more about hip-hop music.

Hip-Hop beat production

Modern hip-hop beat production utilizes sequencers, samplers, turntables, synthesizers, drum machines and live instrumentation. Hip-hop production may involve a drum beat, a bassline, sampled music or originally sequenced loops. Beat and vocals are two basic parts of typical hip-hop song. Sampling and beats are the basic elements for producing the hip-hop music.

Sampling

Sampling is an integral part of hip-hop bit production. Samples are taken from the records and imported into the sequencers or samplers. Producers generally opt for creating totally original recordings using the computer-generated beats. Re-record or overdub the sampled part with the live musician is another solution.

Beats

The drum beat is another important element of hip-hop beat production. It is very essential to understand the beats to know the hip-hop construction. Beats include the following-

• MIDI Drum patterns or audio drum loops which include the complete drum tracks

• A Bassline (MIDI sequence)

• Dubs and snips (samples that accent and give character)

• Supporting orchestration (could be synch pads, horns, string sections)

The beat can be short or long and it is 8 bars in its shortest form. If long, it may consist of different parts for the chorus and verse and may add introduction, break and ending.

The vocal tracks in the hip-hop song consist of

• Main vocal-main vocalist performs the rap

• Second vocal- a guest vocal or second vocal that takes a verse

• Background vocals-created to offer a sense of participation by a whole group

• Overdubbed vocals-the main vocal may be doubled, tripled or quadrupled during the chorus and other parts

Recording

For hip-hop beat production, a multi-track recorder is typically used for recording. Nowadays, digital ADAT tape recorders have become popular. Use of a PC as a multi-track recorder with or without outboard can be good alternative. Professional producers generally prefer the condenser microphone for studio recording because of their high quality and wide-range response. The dynamic microphone is a primary alternative to expensive condenser microphone.

Samplers

Hardware samplers have been involved in hip-hop beat production. Samplers outfitted with pads such as MV8000 and MPC can be conveniently used. Software samplers such as Kontakt 2, Halion, Gigastudio, Battery are quite good and can provide more flexibility if your computer is capable to run inside a sequencer. A control pad surface like the Akai MPD16 can be used to provide some hardware control over your software.

Synthesizers

Synthesizers are frequently used for hip-hop beat production. They are used for basslines, melody, for sound synthesis and as percussive stabs. In addition to the analog synthesizer, old FM synths such as cheap Casios, the DX7 and its offspring and other digital synths can be useful for hip-hop elements.

Coutesy of www.vmusicbook.com ©VmusicBook, Inc. 2008

Learn to make hip hop beats with Sonic Producer, what of the better beat making programs online.

Use the 16 levels feature of the Akai MPC drum machine; learn how with tips from our professional disc jockey and music producer in this free DJ video music lesson. Expert: DJ Brasby Bio: DJ Brasby has been DJing and Producing for eight years. Filmmaker: ben gonyo

The Mpc drum machine also has a virtual drum machine counterpart that is not made by Akai but is very good at making rap beats like the mpc drum machine.  It’s called the Beat Thang Drum machine

• Over 40 drum kits
• 13 kits that are authentic models
• Modeled Kits based on sounds heard in some of rocks best drummers
• SSD Virtual Instrument
• Two unique sounding sets of room mics

Product Description
The Signature Drumkits Platinum from Steven Slate Drums is a drum suite that offers a comprehensive digital drum suite on the market, conquering all your digital drum needs with an RTAS VST AU and standalone MIDI plug-in, instant presets for all Roland V-Drum Modules, hundreds of easy to use MIDI grooves in Steven Slate’s unique SONG form, as well as Drumagog GOG files and raw WAV files for drum replacement.The Samples At the heart of any drum library are the actual… More >>

Steven Slate Drums Signature Drumkits Platinum Edition Drum Suite

Sonic Producer is one of the hottest beat making programs online today. Learn to make hip hop beats and learn to make rap beats using just your computer. Whether you have a Mac or a Pc, you can start making rap beats and hip hop beats with your computer using Sonic Producer.

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Sonic Reality Announces “Drum Masters 2 Multitracks & Drum Grooves”

As a follow up to the cutting-edge Drum Masters 1 series, Sonic Reality sound development company is pleased to announce the new “Drum Masters 2 Series” featuring the flagship Infinite Player virtual instrument “Drum Masters 2 Multi-track” powered by KONTAKT.

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