This month I plan to show you how I use my small travel system to record and mix small tracks. I use my new favorite MPC, the MPC500, a Mac PowerBook G4 with ProTools and an M-Box2. I get a lot of email about what I use and I think it time to get started with some cool lessons. I will also show some cool technique I use to filter out sounds from sample loops, how to use an EQ , a Compressor, and a Gate the three most misunderstood effects. You'll learn more about mixing vocals something I love to do with a great vocalist and how to setup the harmonies in groups, then create subgroups and send them thru a compressor, EQ out the lows a little float them on a reverb, and ad some delay. No matter what music your doing you need to make the hook sound PHAT and the vocals are the key.

This month I'm in Tokyo on a field trip looking at gear in music stores and we stop by at AKAI in Tokyo to visit an old friend Mr Nakumura to show us how that new AKAI MPK49 works which I'm dying to see if we like it or hate it. I also found one of Jay Z's producers here B-money and we'll try to talk to him, over dinner or lunch, about the music biz and what he likes for his music production flava. We'll also look at a Phat studio where My boy DJ Hazime dose his radio show from here in Tokyo it's got a phat view over looking over the city.

This month we are going to add more of our DVD's in the school for all our students to get a look at some old and new gear that they want to learn about.
We have been listening to you and have decided to make the school a 1 year membership that cost just $100 dollars. Well have been asked a lot about sampling and so I will show more of the skills I use to hide twist and out right s boot stomp a sample the way I want to use it. Well it late here and it's time for me to get ready for tomorrow to start my day here in Tokyo I plan to go to a phat music store and find some speakers for my home studio to start this months lessons see you in class.

Doc April 20 2008