by Flip Michaels
Acoustically Speaking
Okay, you've decided to build a studio at home -- yes, home. (I know...it was a tough decision, but your free-lance is on the up.) You've picked the room, the equipment, even the music library. But what about soundproofing?
Acoustically speaking, wall treatments are one of the last things people think about when attempting to reduce noise. Maybe you've heard the carpet stories. Sure, it helps absorb some sound (primarily footfalls), but you'll need to absorb the sound before it reverberates to prevent it from going through the walls.
There's no single approach to controlling noise, from the walls to the floors to the door cracks. If you're not an acoustical consultant, you could be in over your head. Fortunately, there are quite a few companies that make products to help you soundproof. Here's a list of several that should be more than happy to answer your questions and tell you about their products:
Armstrong World Industries (800) 448-1405
Illbruck (612) 521-3555
Interior Acoustics (800) 221-0580
Kinetics Noise Control (614) 889-0480
Linear Products (908) 272-2211
MPC (216) 835-1405
NetWell Noise Control (800) 638-9355
Intros, Guides & Upgrades
To meet the growing demand of professional-quality media for use with MiniDisc hardware, Sony has introduced the new PRMD-74 Professional Recordable MD, providing 74 minutes of storage on the standard 64mm disc. (Attention, techies) Sony's PRMD-74 offers an undergraded audio performance typically extending to 1 million read-write cycles.
If you're using a Panasonic SV-3700 DAT recorder, then the SV-3700 Quick-Reference Guide from Pedersen Audio can help you save time and frustration. It brings together functions, commands, and user tips dealing with some "tricky" operations at a fraction of the price of a blank tape -- $3.75 postage paid. Call (701) 281-9518.
Digital Audio Labs upgrades their 2-track EdDITOR to a 4-track EdDITOR PLUS. Nicknamed "TED," you can get information on this user-friendly digital editor by calling 812/473-7626.
Michigan Media
I got a great call this past month from John Pellegrini (Production Director, WKLQ/WLAV, Grand Rapids). It turns out 'KLQ is doing a special promotion with a "special" client. The client wants the promotion's theme centered around the music from the movie Jaws.
Time out!!!!!!!!!
Wooh...wait a minute! Copyright infringement! (Hey John, pull some old RAP articles out!) TELL THEM NO!
"Fantastic!" he said. What? Why? Because the client involved just so happens to be Universal Studios...yeah, UNO (great game), the owner of the rights to Jaws. Sure, it was really Stephen Spielberg (AMBLIN Entertainment), but when he did Jaws he was just another director at Universal...so they own the rights.
John started to tell me how it was his first time approving a theme song in a promo, but he then recalled a time when they did a special sneak preview screening of the movie Batman Returns. Warner Brothers requested that they use the Batman theme (from Timothy Burton's movie, not the TV show) for the promo. It turns out they couldn't use the TV show's because it was never done by Warner Brothers (therefore they have no authorization).
Remember, never let your mother brush your hair when she's mad at your father...O. J. stands for Orange Jumpsuit, and if the client owns the music, it's probably okay to use it!
♦
