2015 Year End Sale | Shine On Studio Cyber Holiday Sale

2015 has been a great year for music at Shine On Studio.

Shine On Studio was voted the #1 recording studio in the Bay Area by Thumbtack.com and is currently the featured spotlight business on their website.

With the studio success, there have been some upgrades to the equipment and studio furnishings. We've added (5) 16 channel headphone mixers to the recording room. This allows each musician to create a custom headphone mix for tracking. This is a great way to dial in the perfect sound during recording. Plus we've added some new mics & mic preamps to offer a wider selection of recording options.

Now it is time to wrap things up for 2015 and I'm offering some huge discounts on studio time. Check out the Cyber Holiday sale for big savings on studio rates. Plus, all Cyber Holiday deals come with 2 bonus offers that will save you even more cash all the way through 2016. All the details are on the webpage. Please contact me if you have any questions about the Cyber Deals.

I'm looking forward to working with everyone on their new music projects in 2016!

Happy Holidays!

Pro Tools 101 | Adding Automation Edit Points to Volume, Panning, and Mute lines

Automation in music is the real distinction between a professional sound and an amateur sound. Knowing how to properly adjust your automation lines takes time and practice. I've created a tutorial video to help you get started. This is a basic Pro Tools 101 video for audio production beginners. However, I usually learn something new from every video that I watch, so this may be a good place to start for everyone that wants to know more about using automation in Pro Tools.

You can also check out my YouTube channel and find many other helpful videos on how to record, mix, master, and produce in Pro Tools. 

Building a Home Recording Studio | Part 2

PC or Mac, this is the ultimate question. If you're unsure of which one to get, you can always get a Mac and install parallels to run both platforms. A PC will ultimately be a little more affordable and have multiple options for a decent DAW.

I have personally had both computers and over the years have settled on a Mac. I started with a G4, then moved to a G5, and now I currently use a Mac Pro. If you're going to run a ProTools HD system, you'll need a computer that can handle PCIe cards. You can buy a chassis to house the PCIe cards, but then that is one more cable and device on your desk.

Be sure to get a computer with a fast processor and at least 8 GB of RAM. The i5 & i7 processors are excellent options for audio production. If you're not quite sure what to choose, call a specialist. I work directly with Joseph Secu at Sweetwater.com (800) 222-4700 x1232.

Also be sure to get a good monitor. With all the mainstream TVs having the ability to connect via HDMI or VGA ports you can have a large selection of monitors to choose from. Being able to see what you're working on is very important. You're going to be starring at this computer sc

reen for hours on end, so it would be a good idea to invest in a screen that doesn't strain your eyes.

Tomorrow we'll cover microphones.

Building a Home Recording Studio | Part 1

Starting a home studio can be confusing at times. There's so much information on the web that you don't know where to start. Here are a few helpful tips on how to get your studio going.

Start with a budget. Stick to the budget. You're not going to build a world-class studio overnight. It takes time to develop a feel for how a studio operates. Buy affordable gear at first to determine if you have the talent and stamina to run a studio. Running a studio is a full-time job and will consume all of your free time. So it's best not to invest all your money into the studio up front. 

Get a decent interface. One that has a few mic preamps and some routing options. As you grow, you can upgrade your interface. There are so many options, but you can find used Digidesign 192 HD interfaces on eBay for about $500. Start with one of these if you can afford the system setup. If you're on a tighter budget, I recommend an interface that has been modified by Black Lion Audio. They offer superior A/D conversion and at a price that won't break the bank. 

This will be the core of your studio, so spend a little bit of time researching what will work best for you. A good computer is also vital and there are many PC & Mac options. We'll get into that tomorrow.