Podcasts about afrodjmac

In this new series, Dan Giffin highlights some of the best moments from episodes #16 - #24 with podcast guests. Podcast highlights include: #16 - Ableton Live Tips & Tricks - Audio Effects with AfroDJMac #17 - Creative Producing & Insights with Andrew Huang #18 - Live Show Design & Music Industry Myths with Laura Escudé #19 - Inside The Song & Promotion with Sara Simms #20 - Interview with Sonic Bloom Founder - Madeleine Bloom #21 - Interview with Isotonik Studios Founder - Darren E Cowley #22 - Marketing Tips for DIY Artists w/ Kevin Breuner #23 - Ableton Live 10.1 Features & Development Process w/ Simon Haye #24 - Behind The Creative Process with I AM SNOW ANGEL This Episode Is Supported By Melodics.com Melodics is a desktop app that helps you build your skills playing MIDI keyboards, pad controllers, or electronic drums. Check out the free trial and start having more fun while practicing at Melodics.com Get a discount purchasing the latest version of Ableton Live LiveProducersOnline.com/BuyAbleton Join the newsletter and be the first to receive new podcast episodes, as well as Ableton Live downloads, special events, and more: Liveproducersonline.com/newsletter

David Marston and Phil Celeste are musicians, producers, and long-time collaborators who just finished a new track called "Airwaves." Phil (aka Life on Planets) and David have managed to make their partnership work over barriers of time and distance, and have had successful releases both together and separately. Phil, David, and I had a nice conversation about music production and collaboration. We talked about how they both help guide each other in the studio, and how they also know when to work on certain aspects of a project separately. We also talk about releasing albums on labels and independently, as well as a ton of other related topics.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Life on Planets (Phil Celeste) David Marston Life on Planets & David Marston - "Airwaves" "Airwaves" Lyric video David Marston & Life on Planets - "Take Your Time" Life on Planets - "Fork In The Path" (David Marston & Dan Izco Remix) Phil's Guitar, used on "Airwaves" Garden of Earthly Delights Soul Clap Records Chill-Struments Ableton Live Pack Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

William Kage is a video game programmer and music producer, who produces music in the style of the Super Nintendo Entertainment System sound card. William built SixEngine, a web-based 16-bit video game engine. William releases music in the style of the SNES and is working on a new 16-bit RPG called Otosan. William and I had a great conversation about his work and the challenges of writing within restrictions of the Super Nintendo's sound card. We discuss how game composers were able to find creative solutions to the limitations using some clever sampling techniques. William also gives some nice sound examples to help explain how this type of composing works. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Official Site - The hub of William's work, his music, SixEngine, and Otosan. SixEngine - 16-bit web-based game engine. Otosan - 16 bit role playing game William is developing. miniVerb - 8-bit chip tune reverb plug-in. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

It's very exciting when a new update comes out for your computer. There are new features and tools that may make things much easier, smoother, and faster. However, if you rely on your computer to make music, an update can break that system. Instead of enjoying new features and workflows, you will be stuck trying to figure out why nothing works.  And if you are on a working machine, ask yourself why you need to update. Is it really Resistance? Are you avoiding work? Don't get stuck with a machine that doesn't work. Stick with what does and wait for things to iron out! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Create Digital Music explains why you don't want to upgrade yet. Bobby Owsinki offers insight on why you shouldn't update. Ableton's official Mac OS compatibility help page. War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Drew Vespers is a musician, producer, and founder of Warp Academy, an Ableton Certified Trainer Center in Canada. Warp Academy is one of the leading producers of high quality online music production education. His tutorials have helped thousands of musicians (including myself!) grow and develop into successful artists. Drew's music combines elements of rock, jazz, hip hop, and electronic bass music, and been released on a variety of record labels.  I really enjoyed talking with Drew about his work, Warp Academy, and how he manages to stay so productive and focused. This conversation covers a lot. We cover advanced mixing techniques, which has become a passion of Drews. There's also quite a lot along the lines of getting and staying productive. Drew shares practical tips on health and mindfulness, as well as many resources and books that have helped him keep his attention on his work. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Warp Academy - Ableton Certified Trainer center Drew founded. Vespers - Drew's personal work as an artist and teacher. YouTube - Subscribe to Warp Academy for tons of tutorials. Nexus - Facebook Group for producers to share knowledge and ideas. The Mod Method - Drew's video course designed to give the tools and inspiration to create music you can be proud of. Ableton Push 2 Jumpstart - Ableton Push 2 video course I made with Warp Academy. 5 Focus and Productivity Hacks - Drew shares some tips on getting work done. Book Recommendations: Stealing Fire Optimum Nutrition for the Mind Deep Work The Power of Full Engagement App Recommendations: Freedom - Block the internet and apps for focus. Self Control - free alternative to Freedom that I'm experimenting with. Vitamin R - Productivity app. Free Downloads: Mixing Template - Drew's Mix Template for Ableton Live Song Structure and Energy Heat Maps - Derived from the MOD Method video course. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk  

Jörgen Kjellgren is a prolific ambient producer from Sweden. Since May 2018, Jörgen has release 9 EPs. He has developed a working method that uses restrictions to encourage creativity. In this episode, Jörgen shares how discipline and restrictions has allowed him to become a prolific producer. Jörgen shares his thoughts on progressing ideas into finished piece of music and how the Japanese concept of "Wabi-Sabi" has allowed him to silent the internal critic. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Bandcamp: Jörgen's music on Bandcamp. Soundcloud: Jörgen's music on Soundcloud. Spotify: Jörgen's music on Spotify. Apple Music: Jörgen's music on Apple Music. YouTube: Jörgen's work on YouTube. Wabi-Sabi - Japanese concept of impermanence and imperfection.  GUITAR CHORDS Sample Pack: The sounds that made the introduction music for today's episode. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider.  And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Enjoy! Brian

I recently had a hard drive fail and I have lost years of music, photos, and other stuff. It might be gone forever.  This episode is a public service announcement and reminder to back up your files and back up your back ups! Your digital work is irreplaceable. Today, I share a few ideas on how to back up your work, and also think about how to handle this loss on a psychological level. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Guitar Chords - My new Sample Pack that I used to create the intro music. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Remute is a techno artist who is bringing new meaning to "minimalism." Revolting against our maximalist culture, Denis Karimani (aka Remute) programmed and released his latest album on the Sega MegDrive 16-bit video game system of the 1990's (known as "Sega Genesis" in the USA).  On this episode of the Music Production Podcast, Denis Karimani (aka Remute) discusses his work as an artist and how he started his own record label to pursue his artistic vision. Remute talks about how he built his album "Limited" on a 3.5 floppy disc, and how he released his latest album as a Sega MegaDrive cartridge.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Remute - Check out Remute's entire musical catalog. Technoptimistic - Remute's latest album, programmed and released on the Sega MegaDrive. Limited - Remute's album released on a 3.5 floppy disc. Trump - One of the many tracks Remute made with headline news samples. Twitter  Instagram Facebook  genMDM - Device for connecting MIDI to and controlling the Sega Genesis sound card. Plogue - Makers of Chipsounds and Chipsynth MD video game sound chip emulation plug-ins. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Dani DiCiaccio produces experimental electronic music with a hint of pop as KYOSi. She just released a new EP Negative Space. Dani has produced music for film, theatre, and podcasts.  In this episode, Dani shares her thoughts on experimental music and live performance. We talked about how saying yes to a variety of different projects can help expand one's artistic horizon.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: KYOSi - Official Site SoundCloud - Keep up with Dani's new music. Instagram Facebook SoHo Shakes - Dani did music for their adaptation of Macbeth, The Sisters. Tommy Zee - Music Production Podcast about making music for brands. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

David Abravanel has worked with some of the most important companies in music production. He has done marketing work for Ableton, Eventide, and Sensel. He writes for Ableton's blog, Create Digital Music, and many more. He always seems to be right in the middle of the action. On this episode, David shares his experience working for various music production companies. As a confessed plug-in hoarder, he shares some of his favorite plug-ins. David shares his knowledge about live performance with a DAW and/or modular synthesizers.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Official Site - The home of David's work. Bandcamp - Listen to some of David's music. Instagram - Keep track of David's work and musical jams. Presets by Stefan Goldman Eventide's Physion Mosaic by Echo Bit Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Drew Mayhills is a musician, producer, and Ableton Certified Trainer in Australia. He releases music as Mayhills. Drew creates visceral and emotive music, ranging from energetic and angry to soft and soothing. His work moves people on the dance floor and in yoga and meditation studios. Drew has committed himself to a new release every month. Drew and I talked about staying disciplined and focused around making music. Drew shared his wisdom as both a prolific producer and as an educational coach.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Mayhills - Official Page of Drew's work. Mayhills on Apple Music Mayhills on Spotify Mayhills on Soundcloud Mayhills "In Shadows" - Music video for a recent Mayhills track. Instagram - Keep up with Drew on the Gram. Produce Music Like a Chef - Music Production Podcast #104 Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Tommy Zee runs Tommy Zee and Co., a music production company that makes music for some of the world's largest brands, such as Nike, Adidas, Google, Sony, and more. He aims to move people emotionally with his music. Tommy began as a banker by day and DJ by night before quitting his job and starting his company.  In this episode, Tommy Zee talks about creating music and sound for brands. Tommy discusses his path and what it took for him to take a leap of faith and make music his full time career. We had a great discussion about being productive, making connections with people, and working fast in order to be successful as a commercial craftsman.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Tommy Zee and Co. - Tommy's music production company for brands. Making Music For Brands - Learn how to break into the world of commercial music production and download the free PDF "7 Ways to Make Money with Music For Brands." Tony Schwartz - author of The Responsive Chord. Jim Guthrie - Composer of Sword & Sorcery soundtrack and collaborator with Tommy. Game Meets Album - CDM piece on Guthrie's work. CasiOP-1 Ice Caves - Free Ableton Live Pack made with Casio SK-1 and Ice Cave samples. Be PROlific - Music Production Podcast #120 on the importance of quantity. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

I've been accumulating some field recordings over the last few months, and on today's episode we do something with them.  I used recordings of the checkout line at Costco, my dogs eating ice cubes, and crickets in the rain. After about 30 minutes of experimentation, I wound up with a textured synth pad, a beepy pluck instrument, some interesting transitional noises and risers, and a Drum Rack of my dogs eating ice cubes.  This episode was recorded live as a YouTube streaming video, and the instruments are available as a free download.  Watch the video and download the free Ableton Live Pack. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Quality comes from quantity, so make as much music as you can. The more you do anything the better you get at it. In this episode, I talk about a few things that have inspired me lately, and they all have to do with being prolific.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: JUNO-106 Ableton Live Pack - The instruments used to make the intro music. Drumtraks by ReverbMachine - Drums used in the intro music. Save 50% with code: AFRODJMAC Gumroad Found Sahil Lavingia - Sahil has some powerful thoughts on being prolific, which he shared on the podcast. Chef Elf - Nate Beaudry made a new piece of music every day for 500 days. He talks with me about it on the podcast. Bruce Herwig - a great blog about a ceramic teacher's grading policy. On Writing - Steven King's amazing book on writing. War of Art - Steven Pressfield's inspiration kick in the ass. This book is so inexpensive and yet so valuable. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Abid Hussain is an electronic and alternative rock music producer, Ableton Certified Trainer, and licensed attorney. Abid gave a helpful speech on sampling and copyrights at last year's Loop conference. He produces music under the name Nebulae.  In this episode, Abid gives some unofficial legal advice on sampling and copyrighting your music. We also discuss dealing with and overcoming creative blocks.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Nebulae - The home of Abid's music and educational work. Bandcamp - Listen to Abid's music. Legal Work - Abid's attorney page. Sampling and Copyright - Abid's talk on sampling and copyrights at Loop 2018. Official Copyright Information - straight from the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Beauty of Repetition - Yeuda Ben-Atar aka Sidebrain's brilliant Loop presentation on the power of repetition. Sahil Lavingia - Gumroad CEO, Sahil Lavingia talks about the creative process on the Music Production Podcast. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

They Owe Us is an electronic, rock, alternative (my words, not theirs) duo from Sweden. They have an affinity towards vintage analog gear and homemade drum kits. They've just released their debut album Broken English and Sad Serenades. I got to speak with Rane and Kris about their creative process, the new album, and live performance. They shared their approach to writing and recording, which they described as a little backwards. We also get into the imperfections that make music special. The opening music is the title track of their new album. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Official Site - They Owe Us official page. Instagram - Follow They Owe Us as they tell their story visually. Harvest Time - Video for their track "Harvest Time." Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

We all have the same 24 hour days. No one is more successful than you because they have more time. The most productive people make time. In today's episode of the Music Production Podcast, we discuss 10 things you can do to make the most of your time and get more done.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Ableton Live 10.1 Keyboard Shortcuts - printable PDF of useful editing shortcuts. 2 Minute Ableton Live Tip #46 - Quickly Map Root Notes in Sampler JUNO-106 Ableton Live Pack - 81 Ableton Live Instrument Racks made from samples of the Roland Juno-106. Foundational Drum Beats Sample Pack - 275 basic acoustic drum beats for starting new tracks. Workflowy - Make simple to do lists. This has helped me tremendously!  Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Ben Mendoza is the founder of Beatchain, a powerful new data science and digital marketing platform that helps artists connect with and grow their fanbase. Beatchain allows musicians to target new and existing fans by collecting data and using machine learning. Artists can use this information to learn what posts are most effective, target people in specific geographical locations with specific interests, and learn what campaigns are being engaged with the most. In this episode of the Music Production Podcast, Beatchain founder Ben Mendoza explains how Beatchain could help artists advance their career and intelligently focus their promotional efforts. Ben opened my eyes about how an understanding of important data about an audience can help an artist understand what content is likely to make the most meaningful connections.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Beatchain - Sign up for access to the beta program for free. MusicTech Magazine - A nice in-depth explanation of Beatchain on MusicTech. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

URSA is a new music streaming service that allows artists to share bios, album liner notes, pictures, lyrics, photos, videos, and more with their fans. It promises to make deeper and more meaningful connections between artists, fans, and the music.  In this episode of the Music Production Podcast, I sit down to talk with URSA's founders Christopher Jones and Chad Royce. Chris and Chad are artists themselves and felt they could create a streaming service that allows fans and artists to connect on a deeper level. We talk about their vision for URSA, what the platform is capable of, and the challenges they face building a new platform that could change the way we consume music. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: URSA Music Extreaming - Learn more about URSA and apply to participate in the beta program. About Chris and Chad URSA on Instagram URSA on Twitter -Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet;" -Shakespeare I've decided to drop the name AfroDJMac and move forward using my actual name, Brian Funk. I've wrestled with artist names for a while and decided to just drop it. The result has been surprisingly liberating. In this episode, we talk about artist names, why we have, and if we even need them. I'll go over why I adopted one in the first place and why I've now let it go. I have some ideas about what makes a good artist name (none of which I have actually followed myself) and question the whole concept of even having artist names. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: BrianFunk.com - My newly revised website, that makes finding my work much easier. Mark Cawley - Author of Song Journey on the Music Production Podcast. He talks about the potential confines of being an artist over being a song writer.  Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site BrianFunk.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Matty Harris is a mixing and mastering engineer who has worked with Kelly Clarkson, Sammy Adams, Lil Yachty, A$AP Rocky, Cousin Stizz, Cam Meekins, and many more. He runs the online mixing and mastering site MixandMasterMySong.com. Matty and I had a great conversation about some best practices in mixing and mastering. Matty shared some of his favorite tools and offered some practical advice that can help producers of all levels. I enjoyed how open Matty was with sharing his knowledge and walked away with quite a few tips and techniques I'm excited to try in my next mix. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Mix and Master My Song - Matty's website offering professional mixing and mastering services. YouTube - Matty's YouTube channel is loaded with high quality tutorials. Instagram - Keep up with Matty's work and check out some quick production tips. Kendrick Lamar Vocal Effect - A very helpful video about attaining this signature sound. SonarWorks - Tool for calibrating your studio. The Difference Between Mixing and Mastering - A great, straight-forward tutorial from Matty. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the My Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

Musicians and artists are often thought of as creatives. We build, construct, and create out of thin air. In this episode, I explore the benefits of changing our thinking as that of a creator to that of an observer. By becoming an observer, we are noticing and curating the art and music. It can take the pressure out of the creative process and teach us to be more openminded.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Jason Timothy on the Music Production Podcast - Jason speaks about capturing the exploration phase to find unexpected ideas. Mark Cawley on the Music Production Podcast - Mark talks about being an active observer for new song ideas. 10 Things To Do When You Are Uninspired - Podcast about some techniques to get yourself out of a musical slump. Echo Noise Machine - Free Ableton Live Pack for making fun noise with Ableton's Echo device. Great Sale on Behringer Neutron - I got mine here, and though it said it was used, it appears to be brand new out of the box. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

It’s impossible to live in a constant state of inspiration. Truth is, inspiration is quite rare. And when it comes, it is hard to hold on to. So what can we do when we don’t feel like getting to work or we don’t have any ideas? This is a struggle I am currently feeling, so I made a list of things I can do to regain some inspiration and find new ideas. This episode of the podcast is really a pep talk to myself. I hope it can help you next time you are struggling to find ideas and inspiration. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Music Production Club- Get new Ableton Live downloads in your inbox every month! Fact TV Against The Clock - Watch producers make a track in 10 minutes. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST   Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

David Frangioni is a drummer, music technologist, studio designer, and author of the book Crash, which is an illustrative chronicle of rock and roll's legendary drum kits. He has worked with a who's who of rock legends like Aerosmith, Sting, Ozzy Osbourne, Ringo Starr, and KISS. His company, Audio One, builds and installs the most high-end luxury studios. David just released the book Crash! The World's Greatest Drum Kits. In this episode of the podcast, David Frangioni shares his experience working with some of rock and roll's greatest. He details his unpredictable path in the music industry and emphasizes the importance of hard work, consistency, and commitment.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Official Web Site - The hub of all of David' work.  Crash! - David's beautiful, illustrated new book on the most legendary drum kits in rock history. Audio One - David's industry leading company for luxury A/V installations. Frangioni Foundation - non-profit charitable organization that enriches lives through the power of music, technology, faith and charity. Books and Resources - David's books and music production resources. Instagram - Follow David on Instagram. Steve Jobs - Incredibly inspiring 2005 commencement speech for Stanford University. ----- VHS DRUMS Ableton Live Pack - 600 drum samples recorded to VCR tapes and built into 30 Ableton Live Drum Racks. Micro Cassette Ableton Live Pack - 30 Ableton Live Instrument Racks built from samples of classic synthesizers and instruments recorded with a micro cassette recorder. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST ----- Intro Music provided by Nick Lovell aka Trash Picnic and creator of MyBackroomBeats. ----- Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac  

Mark Cawley is a hit songwriter, with credits to his name for artists like Tina Turner, Diana Ross, Joe Cocker, and many more. His new book, Song Journey: A Hit Songwriter’s Guide Through the Process, the Perils, and the Payoff of Writing Songs for a Living, offers practical steps and advice for songwriters. It's currently the #1 new release in the Music Composition category on Amazon. Mark also offers one on one coaching to songwriters at his website IDoCoach.com.  It was great to talk with Mark. His perspective on songwriting goes deep on the craft and the workmanship, but still hangs on to a sense of childlike wonderment. He shares plenty of tools and techniques to build a disciplined craft of songwriting, while emphasizing the importance of having fun, staying openminded, and maintaining enthusiasm. Just as his book is easy to read, Mark was easy to talk to and extremely generous with his knowledge and experiences.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Song Journey - Mark's new book on how to become successful songwriter. IDoCoach - Mark's website where he offers coaching for songwriters.  IDoCoach Blog - Mark's blog with helpful articles about songwriting.   Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac  

If one thing is for sure, you will run into problems while producing music. Maybe it's a technical issue, a creative issue, or a personal issue, either way, you are sure to have them. So what do you do?  In this episode, I offer some ways of rethinking problems from something bad to something good and productive.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: REEL SYNTHS V2: MOOG MG-1 Ableton Live Pack - the intro music was composed using this new Ableton Live Pack Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST   Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

GARDNSOUND is the work of Gardner Beson, a musician, producer, and YouTuber known for his helpful tutorials. Gardner generously shares his production techniques and skills with his audience. He runs Gardnsound Studios, which caters to artists that excel at breaking through the barriers that contain conventional EDM. I had an interesting and wide-ranging conversation with Gardner. The first five minutes center around his pet parrot Lyla, who was present for the conversation. Then we move on to studio production techniques and some synthesizer talk. We even get to topics of ethics and personal online legacy. This is a great example of a conversation that covers all kinds of seemingly unrelated topics, which all come together under the spirit of making music. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Website - Gardner's music on Bandcamp. YouTube - Gardner’s impressive collection of helpful and inspiring videos. Twitter - Gardi B on Twitter (only the most recent posts exist!) BIP - Bounce in Place - Max for Live device that simplifies the resampling process. Casey Neistat - Famous YouTuber who comes up in conversation. Color Jumper - Video game by Ben Burnes. Ben Burnes - on the Music Production Podcast.  Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk

As I've been working on my live performance set, I've found two simple things helping quite a lot: to-do lists and done lists. In this episode, I share how I am using simple lists to help with my productivity and motivation. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: REEL SYNTHS V1: PROPHET 6 - Ableton Live Pack made with sounds of the Prophet 6 analog synthesizer, sampled to reel to reel tapes.  Workflowy - Great tool for making to-do lists. Eshan Khadaroo - Push4Life on the Music Production Podcast. Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at the AfroDJMac Store with the code: PODCAST Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Jason Timothy Ward runs the site MusicSoftwareTraining.com, where he teaches you how to produce music by not just showing you the tools, but also addressing the mental side. What I love about Jason's work is his ability to deal with the philosophical side of his art. Jason has tremendous insight on how our mind often gets in the way of our work, and offers practical solutions we can all use. In our second conversation, Jason and I pick up where we left off, talking workflow, best practices, and the philosophy of making music. I found it extremely valuable and inspiring. I hope you do too! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Jason Timothy Ward - My first conversation with Jason on the podcast episode #14. MusicSoftwareTraining.com - Read Jason's blog. Seriously. You will learn and grow. Music Habits - The Mental Game of Electronic Music Production - Jason's 5-star reviewed book on Music Production Making and Finishing an Album - Words of wisdom on a tough topic Do it Like Your Life Depends on it (Because it Does) - Need some motivation?! How I Wrote 49 Songs in 1 Year - Jason wrote a song almost every week for a year. Here's the story of how. Learn with Splice - a great collection of mini-courses from Jason, myself, and some great musical minds. WASHED Ableton Live Pack- A collection of analog synth sounds bathed in dense effects and built into Ableton Live Instruments. Minor Thoughts by Divorce Court - Track by Divorce Court that uses WASHED Ableton Live Pack Lynden Williams on the Music Production Podcast - Divorce Court appears on the podcast. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs.

The kitchen of a restaurant can be one of the more hectic workplaces. In order to make delicious dinners in all of the chaos, chefs need to be extremely disciplined.  As music producers, we can learn a lot about our craft by observing how chefs manage to complete their art in the "heat" of the moment (couldn't resist the pun :). Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Micro Cassette Ableton Live Pack - all sounds in the intro music were made with this collection of instruments built from sounds recorded to a handheld micro cassette recorder. Organizing Like a Chef Makes for Good Habits - NPR broadcast from August 2014 (not 2005 as I mistakenly said in the show) that inspired this episode. Seconds Pro - Interval Timer app for your phone. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac  

Eshan Khadaroo has performed with Grammy award winning artists such as Cirque Du Soleil, Blue Man Group, Imogen Heap, and many more. In recent years, Eshan has been releasing some of the finest tutorials and video courses for Ableton Push under the name Push4Life. Eshan just released a new video course called Getting to Know (and love) Chromatic Mode on Ableton Push 2. Eshan is offering listeners of this podcast access to the first set of tutorials in the new course for free at: http://push4life.eu/afrodjmac I had a great conversation with Eshan. We discussed his new course, the state of electronic musical instruments, and finding balance as an artist and working musician. Eshan's work is backed by philosophic thinking that guides him from project to project, and he shares those perspectives with us in this episode. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Push4Life - Stay up to date with Eshan's work. Getting to Know (and LOVE) Chromatic mode - An introduction to Ableton Push 2 Chromatic Mode, utilizing Bach's Prelude 01 in C Major. Free Samples of Chromatic Mode - Eshan is graciously offering listeners of this podcast free access to the first few tutorials. YouTube - a wealth of tutorials and videos by Eshan. 5 Things Every Ableton Push 2 Beginner Should Know - Eshan's first Push tutorial, which went viral. Music Sound and Silence - Eshan's podcast. JNTHN Stein on Muisic, Sound, and Silence DiViNCi on Music, Sound, and Silence Push4Life on the Music Production Podcast - my first conversation with Eshan. DiViNCi on the Music Production Podcast Huston Singletary on the Music Production Podcast Claire Marie Lim on the Music Production Podcast Session Drumming - Eshan's work as a session drummer. Melodics Course - Check out Eshan's finger drumming course on Melodics. Fugue Machine - iOS app for writing Fugues. Mad Zach - Multi-talented finger drummer and sound pack designer. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Nate Beaudry makes music as Chef Elf. He is an incredible example of discipline and hard work. Nate has released a new track every day since January 1, 2018; that's over 400 tracks!  Nate and I had a great conversation about making music, staying productive, and finding ways to show up every day and get to work. Nate shares some tips he has discovered over the last year that has helped him keep working. The conversation covers lots of topics and even takes some unexpected turns to a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Chef Elf - Nate's home for his music. Over a Year of Music - Nate's collection of 8-bit cover albums. YouTube - Nate's channel featuring his 1 minute snippets of his music. Instagram - Where Nate mercilessly produces a music video every day for over a year. Star Wars The Last Jedi Review - Nate's extremely thorough review of The Last Jedi. Spose "The Stolen Album" - Spose's rough unfinished release that was almost lost forever. Dr. Chris Warren - sound designer, composer, installation artist, and signal processing researcher. How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way - Classic book about comic book illustration. Super 8-Bit Ableton Live Pack - I don't think any person has made as much use of this Pack as Nate. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac  

Tom Frampton is the creator of Mastering the Mix, a site dedicated to teaching producers how to get the best mixes of their music possible. He recently released a new service called Bounce Boss that simplifies and streamlines the collaboration process. Tom also has a host of plug-ins that can help you create the best mix possible. This is the second time I've had a chance to talk with Tom. We discussed his new project, Bounce Boss, and got into the truth of what is happening when you load plug-ins into your mixes. Tom is an experienced producer and mastering engineer, and he kindly shares his wisdom in this episode. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Bounce Boss - Simplify collaborations with Bounce Boss. Mastering the Mix - Tom's web page, featuring a helpful blog, his book, and some great plugins. Animate - A plugin that can bring a mix to life. Levels - A plugin that is taking track analysis to the next level! Expose - A plugin that will show potential problems within your mix. Reference - A plugin that allows you to compare your track to other tracks, and highlights the differences between them. Never Get Stuck Again - Tom's new book, packed with practical and technical help to finish music. Decoding the Mix of "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars - Tom analyzes the mix on his blog. Special Offer - Get a free trial of all three of Tom's plugins, plus a free chapter of Never Get Stuck Again. Tom on Music Production Podcast #54 - My first conversation with Tom on the podcast. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac  

It's episode 100! I felt a lot of pressure to make episode 100 something special. Soon the anticipation grew into anxiety and worry. It's very common for us to build things up so big in our minds that they seem insurmountable. In this episode, I retreat back to the same approach that got this podcast started in the first place and discuss how we can apply that to making music. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play or Spotify; watch on YouTube Show Notes: Music Production Podcast #1: The approach towards this episode has gotten me to number 100. REEL SYNTHS v.1: PROPHET 6: Ableton Live Pack I demonstrate in the opening of the show, made from reel to reel tape samples of the Prophet 6 analog synthesizer. ------------- Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac  

Mark Mosher is a Synthesist, Composer, Performer, Founder of the Rocky Mountain Synthesizer Meetup, and hosts the Sonic Encounters Podcast. He has run his music production blog, Modulate This! (now merged with his MarkMosherMusic.com website) for about 15 years. Mark plays in a number of ensembles and has produced music and visuals for the stage, planetariums, and picture. Mark and I had an excellent conversation about his work as a synthesist, composer, and live performer. We discussed his musical workflows and use of visuals in his performances. Mark also deconstructs and takes us behind the creative process of his newest single "Disconnected." This episode is loaded with both practical and philosophical wisdom from Mark's diverse and extensive experience as an artist. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Artist Site – http://MarkMosherMusic.com Podcast – http://SonicEncounters.com Rocky Mountain Synthesizer Meetup – http://RockyMountainSynth.com Beat Cypher Event – https://www.facebook.com/groups/1980133178941598 Disconnected” Single – https://markmoshermusic.com/2019/01/21/new-single-disconnected-spotify-itunes-amazon-googleplay-bandcamp/ “Swarm of the Nanobots” – Sonic Encounters episode with emulation of a Dewanatron Swarmatron using an Octatrack –https://markmoshermusic.com/2016/02/27/011-swarm-of-the-nanobots/ Interactive visuals gallery with Resolume – https://markmoshermusic.com/interactive-visuals/ Mark Mosher Guest Solo Performance – Boulder Laptop Orchestra Event at CU Atlas Institute – https://youtu.be/ScpItttfGlY Mountain Skies, Asheville, NC - http://spaceformusic.net/mountainskies/ Carbon Dioxide Ensemble with Tom and Victoria Lundy – http://CarbonDioxideEnsemble.com | Video (no)poem duo with Darwin Grosse – https://nopoem.net/ A.I. Winter duo with Michael O’Bannon – http://aiwinter.net Glenn Main - http://ghmain.no/   Norway’s got talent clip

Francis Preve is a sound designer, journalist, and educator. He teaches synthesis and sound design at Austin Community College. His writings on synthesis, sound design and gear can be found in top publications such as Keyboard magazine, Computer Music Magazine, and CDM. Francis has contributed synthesizer presets to just about every major manufacturer of hardware and software synths. It is quite likely you have some of his sounds in your collection.  This is the second time Francis has taken time to be on the podcast; he is our first repeat guest! Francis discusses his teaching and some of the projects he has been involved in over the past year. It was a wide ranging conversation with plenty of interesting tangents, as well as lots of useful and practical information about sound design, synthesis, and even #vanlife. Enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Official Site - The main hub for Francis's work. Instagram - Follow Francis's journeys in sound design and #vanlife. SympleSound - Francis's store for his sound and preset packs. Scapes - Synthesized recreations of natural environments. Francis' Apple News Channel - a great way to keep up with Francis's work. Serum Toolkit 3 - The 3rd installment of Francis's critically-acclaimed Serum presets. Austin Community College - Where Francis teaches. Look for big growth here in the arts and music departments. Free Serum Winter Pack - A collection of Serum sounds made by Francis's Synthesis 2 students. Synthwave for System 8 - Francis teamed up with Carma Studios to produce this collection of retro synth sounds for the Roland System 8. Korg Volca Modular Review - Francis's thoughts on the new Volca from Korg. Music Production Podcast #38 - My first podcast with Francis. And some topics that came up after we stopped recording... Sound Waves Levitate Small Objects  Quantum Harmonic Oscillator  Ray Kurzweil on Ramona TV Tropes Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

It's time for another NAMM show! This weekend, manufacturers from around the world will gather in Los Angeles to showcase their latest gear. It's one of the most exciting times of the year for music makers. Perhaps there will be the announcement of that magic piece of gear that will finally enable you to release all that music locked up inside you... The truth is, you probably already have everything you need to make that music. And further more, much of what you have likely sits in your studio gathering dust, never having reached its full potential. Unfortunately, us artists are extremely vulnerable to and new advances in technology and the clever marketing that accompanies it. In this episode, I try to offer some ideas and thoughts on how we can fight the inevitable gear lust NAMM brings us. Stay strong and fight off the NAMM gear lust! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: NAMM - National Association of Music Merchants website. Music Radar - Music Radar's wall to wall coverage of NAMM. Moog Sub Phatty PLUCKS - a FREE Ableton Live Pack to quench the thirst for new gear. PLUCKS - my latest premium collection of instruments for Ableton Live and Logic Pro X. (Sorry, I know putting that link here is a bit hypocritical!) EchoMelt - Psychic Modulation's beautiful VST/AU audio effect machine.   Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Zaak Kerstetter is an Ableton Certified Trainer, producer and performer. He makes music as Zenotope, combining elements of glitch, ambient, downtempo, and bass with doses of classical and sci-fi. Zaak has worked at many different music production schools and is currently working and teaching at KMGLife.  I met Zaak at Ableton Loop in November, and we hit it off immediately. We talked about making music, production tips, and education philosophy. So I was excited to pick up our conversation in a more focused setting. With a background in punk rock and experimental music, Zaak has some unique insights about producing electronic music and building a community of music makers.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Zenotope - Keep up with Zaak’s music. KMG Academy - Zaak heads up the Ableton Music Production Program. Boulder Ableton User Group - Zaak organizes the Boulder, Colorado Ableton Live User Group. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Sahil Lavingia is a designer, writer, painter, and creator of Gumroad. Gumroad is a platform designed for artists to sell and share their work; it’s what I use to distribute all of my own products. While still a teenager, Sahil was the first designer for Pinterest. Sahil and I had an awesome conversation about art, music, and the creative process. We discussed simplicity and productivity. I was immediately struck by the depth of his focus and his ability to see connections between so many seemingly different areas of life. This conversation transcends any one form of art and applies to just about any activity one might partake in. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Gumroad - The platform Sahil creator for artists to share their work with the world. Twitter - Follow Sahil on Twitter. Instagram - Keep up with Sahil’s artwork. Across the Border - A charming and engaging short story by Sahil. Great Interview with Sahil AfroDJMac Music Production Club - Get the January 2019 download, PLUCKS for Ableton Live and Logic Pro X. PLUCKS Ableton Live and Logic Pro Pack Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Cuckoo is well-known for his playful personality, fun music, and deep music-gear tutorials with the little circular mirror. Music Radar just voted him the best music tech personality in the world. I first came across Cuckoo in 2011 when he started producing some of the best OP-1 tutorials, which showed me creative ways to use the OP-1. Since then, he has consistently stepped up his game, providing ever more useful tutorials, sound packs, and inspiring jams. After months of discussion, Cuckoo and I finally found a time to talk that fit our 6-hour timezone separation. Cuckoo generously shared some of his tips at staying productive and completing big projects. But he also opened up about the challenges of creation that we all face. It was comforting to know that someone like Cuckoo, with near superhuman output, still struggles to overcome these very human challenges. He offered some of his techniques he uses to persevere. It was a great candid and relaxing conversation that I’ve been excited to have for some time now. Enjoy! Show Notes: Official Site - Connect to all things Cuckoo. Instagram - Check out Cuckoo’s jams and explorations of his musical toys. YouTube - Plenty of long-form tutorials on the latest gear. Patreon - Cuckoo’s work involves a lot of time, energy, and experience, if you like it, help him out! Samples and Packs - Lots of unique and Cuckoo-styled sound packs. BandCamp - Listen to Cuckoo’s music. Music Radar - Music Radar just named Cuckoo the best music tech personality in the world! Tindra’s Light - Cuckoo’s animated short film. Cuckoo Clothing - Get your Cuckoo shirts, hoodies, and tank tops. VDMX - Live visuals software. Do Ink - iPad animation software. Yea Yea Yea - Short cartoon music video I made some years ago. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Margaret Harmer is a trained percussionist and electronic music producer. She runs a professional recording and production studio called Shifting Waves. Margaret just finished work on Voices From Eris, a collaborative album featuring female electronic artists from around the world. Voices From Eris brings together women of all different backgrounds, and is made up of all different styles of electronic music. I first met Margaret through my work with Berklee Online, while facilitating the Ableton Live sampling course. Maraget’s music and her dedication to growth and exploration stood out immediately. In this episode of the podcast, Margaret discusses her work, background, and the tremendous effort which went into Voices From Eris. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Official Site - The main place for Margaret’s work. Voices From Eris - Foundraiser site. Voices From Eris - SoundCloud site. Voices From Eris - BandCamp site. The store of Voices From Eris - Margaret writes about the process of producing the album. YouTube - Margaret’s performances and experiments. Shifting Waves - Margaret’s recording studio and label. The artists featured in the episode: Meri Nikula / Ode To The Women Who Were Silenced Sweden http://www.merinikula.com https://vimeo.com/merinikula Jude Casseday aka dejacusse / Song of Sirens Durham, North Carolina, USA https://dejacusse.blog https://soundcloud.com/dejacusse Rosa Latva / Merenneito Finland www.rosalatva.com rosalatva.bandcamp.com Peggy Nelson / Sagitta Boston, Massachusetts, USA http://velveteenbenjamin.com/ https://soundcloud.com/otolythe Sissel Berntsen / Black stone gong Norway http://sisselberntsen.no https://soundcloud.com/sissle/wldpool2017 Sofy Yuditskaya / Persephone’s song New York, USA http://yuditskaya.com Margaret Harmer / There is a way Geneva, Switzerland http://www.shiftingwaves.com https://www.youtube.com/user/MargaretHarmer Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Huston Singletary is the lead sound designer for preset creation at Ableton. He heads a team of sound designers that create the “sound” of Live. Over the years, Huston has done sound design and preset creation for numerous instruments, including Omnisphere, Novation Peak, Prophet X, and so many more. He documents a lot of his work and experiments on his Instagram page. Today, Ableton has released a free gift created by Huston called Singularities. Singularities is a collection of 40 Instrument Racks Huston built from samples of classic synthesizers. In this episode, Huston discusses his role at Ableton and the team of talented sound designers he has assembled to create the beautiful palette of sounds featured in Ableton Live. He discusses his brand new free pack, Singularities, which is available on Ableton’s site for all versions of Ableton Live 10. Huston generously shares some of his wisdom on designing sounds, programming synths, and working with a well-rounded team of talented sound designers. This one is a real treat for the synth-nerds out there! Enjoy. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Singularities - 40 free Ableton Live Instruments from Ableton, created by Huston. Instagram - Huston has been posting great jams and performances on IG. Bandcamp - Listen to Huston’s music on Bandcamp. Art + Music + Technology - Listen to Huston on Darwin Grosse’s excellent podcast. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Claire Marie Lim is a music technologist, interdisciplinary artist, and live performance designer. A recent graduate of Berklee College of Music, Claire is a multi-instrumentalist who produces music as dolltr!ck. Claire has played an important role in planning and developing Berklee’s new Electronic Digital Instrument program, which welcomes modern technologies such as drum pads, MIDI controllers, and laptops as instruments of study. Claire’s work is paving the way for the future of music education. In this episode, Claire discusses her work at Berklee and in the school’s revolutionary Electronic Digital Instrument program. We examine where traditional musical instruments and performances meet modern technologies and genres. Many interesting questions are raised in how new music technologies and tools can find a home in the structure of traditional educational programs, as well as how these technologies challenge the fundamental structure of the programs. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Official Site - The main hub for Claire’s professional work. dolltrick - Claire’s work as the artist dolltr!ck Own Devices - Pieces for motion and electronics Eventuate - Claire’s EDI friend who performs and makes music with his modular rig, Monome grid + arc, and electric guitar BeatMask - instrument that converts beatboxing to drum samples in real-time Shawn Wasabi clip that is often shared by Berklee faculty Toss of a Dice - choreography by Jiri Kylian Jesper Nordin - Creator of Gestrument on the Music Production Podcast Jacob Haq - iOS YouTuber on the Music Production Podcast Let’s Get Physical - Music Production Podcast about the importance of movement while making music. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.comfor music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Evan Chandler produces music as Slynk. He’s known for his unique blend of funk and EDM, and has an amazing collection of YouTube tutorials that dive deep into music production. Evan’s work has a unique character and originality that has brought him much success as an artist. Evan and I had a pretty wide ranging conversation. I was excited to learn how he makes his music move with so much groove; he shared some great tips. We spoke about his work and touring, as well as how teaching can often be the best way to learn. I found Evan’s overall attitude and approach to work really inspiring. There’s a lot of great info in this episode. Enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Slynk’s Official Site - the hub of all things Slynk. YouTube - Slynk has a ton of useful and deep music production tutorials. SoundCloud - Listen to Slynk’s music. Put it on at a party. Watch everyone have fun. Chop That Wood by Milez Benjamin - Great example of that drunken loose swing. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Dan Giffin is a musician, producer, and engineer, who runs the site Live Producers Online, which is a social membership site for learning Ableton Live. Dan’s podcast, Ableton Live Music Producers Podcast, centers around learning Ableton Live, and features many exciting guests who share their own personal stories and experience. Philia is the name of Dan’s musical project, and he just released a new album, Miracles Happen All The Time Vol. 1. I’ve been a fan of Dan’s podcast for a while now, and after meeting at Ableton Loop, we finally connected and had the chance to talk. Dan talks about how he arrived where he is today, recording, producing, and engineering at The Lodge Recording Studios. He discusses his music and his teaching of Ableton Live. Dan shared lots of interesting stories we can all learn from. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Live Producers Online - a social learning web site for Ableton Live, run by Dan. Ableton Live Music Producer Podcast - Dan’s podcast. Catch me on the Audio Effects Tips and Tricks Episode. Philia - Dan’s musical project. Miracles Happen Vol. 1 - Dan’s new album. DanGiffin.com - Dan’s official web site. The Artisan’s Soul by Erwin Raphael McManus Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

ince Cimo is the creator of DataLooper, a hardware guitar-pedal-style controller, that makes live looping with Ableton Live quick and easy. We were joined by Vir McCoy, who was jamming with Vince to discover ways he could incorporate DataLooper into his workflow. DataLooper was created to simplify live looping, and Vince is actively seeking suggestions from his user base to make DataLooper the ultimate device for live looping. It was exciting to speak with Vince and Vir. We spoke about the creation of DataLooper, the potential for finding inspiration in Eastern music scales, and so much more. They both shared their background as musicians who are curious to find new sounds and new ways to express their creativity. Vince also created two Ableton Live Projects, featuring an assortment of AfroDJMac Ableton Live instruments, to demonstrate how easy it is to live loop with DataLooper. Download the sessions for free in the show notes below. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: DataLooper - Vince’s creation to make live looping a breeze. YouTube - Vince’s work as a musician and the developer of DataLooper. Mannequins by Day - Vince’s band. House of Hamsa -Vir McCoy’s band. Vir McCoy YouTube - Check out Vir’s performances. Bass Station 2.5 Update - Novation Bass Station’s new firmware features microtuning features. DataLooper in Action - Free Ableton Live Pack #177 - Download Vince’s Ableton Live Sessions using an assortment of AfroDJMac Ableton Live Instruments and DataLooper. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Neil “Nail” Alexander is a multi-genre, multi-instrumentalist from the Hudson Valley in New York. Neil’s work spans just about every genre from jazz and classical to modern EDM and ambient. He is an avid live performer who incorporates both acoustic and electronic elements into his performances, and combines jazz sensibilities to electronic composition. Neil runs the Hudson Valley Ableton Live user group. I spoke with Neil about his wide range of work and how he manages to wear multiple musical hats. Neil had some important wisdom on live performance and improvisation. It was great to finally sit down and talk with Neil after years of online interactions and finally meeting face to face at Ableton Loop. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Neil’s Official Site Neil’s music on SoundCloud Neil’s official releases YouTube - Keep up with Neil’s work and performances. Nail Jung - Soft Invaders - Live Performance on WPRB Wendy Carlos Switched on Bach The X Ensemble - Neil’s Contemporary Chamber Music Ensemble Mr. Gone - Psychedelic Electric Jazz Thunderhead Organ Trio - Hi Octane Jet Fuel Groove Cloudburst Decora - Hip Hop artist Neil works with. Piktor’s Metamorphosis Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

In this episode, listen to tips and tricks using Ableton’s Audio Effects with Brian Funk (AfroDJMac) and Dan Giffin. We'll review variety of ways to use Live's Audio effects and other tools for producing music. Our special guest AfroDJMac shares lots of tips using Max for Live and other Audio Effects. Brian has produced hundreds of Ableton Live and music production video tutorials, sample packs, and songs that are available for download on his website below. Follow him on social and check out his Music Production Podcast... afrodjmac.com/blog afrodjmac.com/podcast Join the Live Producers membership and access Ableton Live webinars, feedback on your projects by Dan Giffin, online courses, and more... CLICK HERE TO JOIN

I went to Ableton Loop in Los Angeles and it was an incredibly valuable experience. There were excellent panels, discussions, meet ups, and performances. But aside from the scheduled events, some of the best moments were the moments between events. I had the chance to meet and talk to so many interesting people. I finally got to meet 3-D, real life versions of tons of people I’ve followed and interacted with through the computer screen. The spirit of the event was welcoming and inspiring. Besides loads of inspiration, I took home some important lessons. In this episode, I share some of those with you. They are lessons from the panels and workshops, as well as wisdom I picked up during the many conversations I had with other attendees. I’ve already began to apply some of the concepts to my own work and life, and I hope they can help you too! Show Notes: Ableton Loop - Official website Making Music - Dennis DeSantis’s extremely helpful book. Slynk’s Loop Experience Ethan Hein’s Loop Experience Ethan Hein on the Music Production Podcast Synthtopia’s Loop Experience Sonic Bloom’s Loop Experience Madeleine Bloom on the Music Production Podcast Underbelly on the Music Production Podcast Isaac Cotec on the Music Production Podcast Josh Spoon on the Music Production Podcast Laura Escude on the Music Production Podcast Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Ableton’s Loop is a summit for music makers. It’s an incredible get together for people in the music production community to meet and share ideas. The schedule of events is amazing, and there are opportunities to talk, face to face, with so many brilliant people. I was hanging around the Maker Zone, when Angelica from Ableton asked if I’d like to do a short presentation. Since I have a thing or two to say about making sounds, I gladly accepted. This episode is the audio of that talk. I recorded it on my Roland R-07 field recorder, and did my best to clean it up for this show. It was quite an honor to give this talk in front of so many people I admire, including Francis Preve, Slynk, Elisabeth and James from Synthtopia, Josh Spoon, and many more. My hope is that the talk fills you with a sense of empowerment to go and find your own sounds to create your own sound. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Ableton Loop - A summit for music makers. 100 Year Old Piano Free Ableton Live Pack Instruments from a Snapple Can Free Ableton Live Pack Synthtopia - Thanks for providing the picture :) Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

We carefully budget our money, so why aren’t we as careful with our time? In this episode, we Reflect on and Apply words of wisdom from the very first guest on this podcast, Ben Burnes. Ben advocates budgeting your music production time carefully for maximum productivity. By carefully scheduling your time, you can get more important work done and avoid wasting time on insignificant tasks. You can also download a free Music Production Schedule I made to help us all be more efficient with our time. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Ben Burnes - Ben on the Music Production Podcast… my first guest! Music Production Schedule - Budget your time like money using this Google Spreadsheet. (Go to File-Add to My Drive to save). 100 Year Old Piano - Free Ableton Live and Logic Pro Instrument Pack. Ben Burnes on YouTube - Check out Ben’s prolific output of videos and downloads. Seconds Pro - High Intensity Interval Training, great for budgeting music production tasks. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Jakob Haq is a mobile musician from Sweden. He all of his music using either iOS or other portable devices, no computer! On his YouTube channel, haQ attaQ, Jakob shares his accumulated knowledge from over 25 years of music making. Jakob specializes in what he calls “Docu-torials” on new iOS apps and portable music making gear. After crossing paths for years, I finally got a chance to speak with Jakob on the podcast. Jakob shares some tips on how he stays productive and avoids procrastination. He was very candid about his thoughts on the current state of mobile music making, Apple, and YouTube. Jakob addresses and raises some very important concerns about the direction of music making and the avenues we as creators have for reaching our audiences. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: haQ attaQ - Jakob’s official YouTube page. Patreon - A great way to support the great work Jakob does. Bandcamp - Listen to Jakob’s music. SoundCloud - Listen to more of Jakob’s music. Facebook - Jakob on Facebook, where he is sometimes streaming live. Twitter - Connect with Jakob on Twitter. Instagram - Some nice photos and videos… Moog Minimoog vs. Model D - a great comparison of the app and the hardware. My Best Work Yet? - A beautiful piece of music by Jakob. Apple Loves Your Money - Entertaining criticism of the world’s first trillion dollar company. Discchord - All things iOS music making. Tim Webb on the Music Production Podcast - Discchord’s creator on the podcast. Cocoscope - New alternative video hosting site. LumaFusion - Video Editing iOS app. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

This episode is the beginning of a new type of episode on the Music Production Podcast, “Reflect and Apply.” Each episode will reflect on a lesson we learned from a guest on the show, and discuss ways to apply that lesson to our work. Today’s lesson is about the importance of involving the body in our music production work. DiViNCi spoke about this idea in episode #33, and today we look at ways to incorporate a little more physicality into our music. Show Notes: Episode #33 with DiViNCi - The episode that inspired this discussion. LATE 80’s DIGITAL - Ableton Live and Logic Pro pack, the sounds of yesterday’s tomorrow. One Thing with Daedelus Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and sound packs. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Diego Stocco is a sound designer, instrument builder, and explorer of sounds. Diego is a master at finding music in places ordinary people do not hear it. As an imaginative craftsman, Diego has created a collection of instruments made from natural and found objects, and instrument parts. He uses his otherworldly creations to score films and trailers, design sounds for Spectrasonics, and create his own unique music. His work proves that there is still so much sound to explore in our world. I’ve wanted to chat with Diego for a long time now. In the world of sound designers, he is a superhero. What became immediately clear in our conversation was his passion for his work. Diego makes you want to find new sounds in new places. I’m amazed at how such a well-trained musician can see past what he calls “problems of preconceptions” and explore sound as if it was the first time he ever encountered it. Diego generously shared so much wisdom and insight about his work and sound in general. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Official website - Check out Diego’s body of work. BeHance - Explore more of Diego’s musical and sound design work. Albums - Some of Diego’s music, using his handmade instruments and natural sounds. Made of Sound - The latest audio/visual work, featuring music made with 17 custom instruments. Custom Built Orchestra - Diego’s orchestra of unusually unique instruments. Spectrasonics - Diego is one of the principal sound designer, working on Omnisphere and Stylus RMX. Ennio Morricone - The legendary composer. 3-D Ambisonic Microphones - CDM’s piece on the future of microphones. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Johan Sundhage is a developer at Klevgrand. For the last few years, Klevgrand has been making a huge impression on producers with their plug-ins for DAWs and iOS. Klevgrand combines a somewhat outside-the-box approach to their devices, centered around design and usability. Many of their devices manage to take complex audio concepts and present them in beautifully intuitive interfaces. I had the chance to speak to Johan about the creation process at Klevgrand. Johan reveals how he and a small team of developers manage to take each other’s ideas and turn them into reality. It was great to learn about the collaborative process and the philosophical framework that underlies Klevgrand’s work. This episode is an exciting look into the workings of a company producing unique and inspiring tools. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Klevgrand - Makers of exciting plug-ins for DAWs and iOS devices. Klevgrand Products - Check out the extensive collection of interesting audio devices. Brusfri - Noise reduction plug-in that I frequently use on this podcast. Projects - Check out some of the video work Klevgrand does. Web Cassette - Klevgrand’s Cassette plug-in that runs in your web browser. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Jesper Nordin is a leading Swedish composer who has garnered considerable international acclaim in recent years. Jesper Nordin has also had huge success with his iOS app Gestrument that is based on his own composition technique. I sat down with Jesper to talk about his new app Gestrument Pro, which sits somewhere between composition and instrument. It’s a beautiful app that makes excellent use of the touch screen interface. Jesper talked about his work as a composer, pushing boundaries of electro-acoustic music, and how he tricks himself to write music he didn’t know he likes. It was a fascinating conversation that gave me some new perspectives on creating music. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Jesper Nordin - Official web site. Gestrument - Powerful gesture-based instrument for iOS. Gestrument on the App Store - Buy Gestrument! Gestrument in Concert - A look at the groundbreaking performances for Gestrument, orchestra, and clarinet. Euronews - Coverage of clarinetist and conductor, Martin Fröst, using Gestrument. Polar Talks - Jesper’s presentation on Gestrument and how it is integrated with the orchestra. Emerging from Currents and Waves - Behind the scenes about Jesper’s latest work “Emerging from Currents and Waves,” featuring Gestrument, orchestra, and clarinet. Tim Webb Explores Gestrument - Tim from Discchord takes us through a detailed exploration of Gestrument. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian Funk AfroDJMac

Lynden Williams is a producer from Salt Lake City, Utah, who makes music as Divorce Court. Divorce Court is a chill wave, lo-fi project electronic project inspired by Lynden’s memories of youth and old home movies. I appreciate the consistent theme of faded memories and emotions, which the lo-fi nature of the music and his live visuals of old home videos bring to life. Lynden and I spoke quite a lot about producing music, arrangements, and live performance. We spoke about the challenge we all face in believing in a musical project long enough to bring it into existence. We covered a range of topics that left me feeling inspired and better equipped to make music. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play This episode is sponsored by Splice. Splice is the creative hub for modern musicians. Head over to splice.com/afrodjmac-create and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get a free month of Splice Sounds. Show Notes: Divorce Court - Official Site. Spotify - Listen to Divorce Court tracks SoundCloud - Divorce Court on SoundCloud Bandcamp - Divorce Court Bandcamp Instagram - Divorce Court on Instagram Lately.fm - a playlist of Divorce Court-approved artists Lately.fm Instagram Lately.fm Playlist - September 2018 playlist. Writer’s Block - A playlist Lynden created to combat writer’s block. Great idea! Subaqueous - the work of Ableton Certified Trainer, Isaac Cotec. Subaqueous on the Music Production Podcast. ELPHNT - the work of Ableton Certified Trainer, Tom Glendinning ELPHNT on the Music Production Podcast. Samples From Mars - Great place for samples for your projects. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

I just finished reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell and The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner. Both books contain wisdom and insight that can help us with music production. In this episode, I discuss some of the important lessons I learned from the books, such as hard work surpasses talent and genius, we need to reframe the way we look at goals, and no one makes it alone. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell The Practicing Mind by Thomas Sterner Revisionist’s History - Malcolm Gladwell’s podcast Thomas Sterner’s website Synth Brass Ableton Live Pack - 32 Ableton Live Instruments made from synthesized brass sounds programmed and sampled from the Prophet 6 analog synthesizer. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Anthony Clint Jr., or just Clint, is seasoned producer and musician, creating hip hop, jazz, pop, and neo-soul. He's found quite a bit of success in music licensing. His work has been placed in film and on TV networks like MTV, VH-1, NBC, Fox Sports and more. Clint has been generously sharing his knowledge and experience with fellow producers on his site Clint Productions. Clint and I had a nice conversation spanning many different topics relevant to making music. He has some great thoughts on maintaining positive work relationships with other artists, staying creative and productive in the studio, and of course on music licensing. Clint has learned how to stay focused and productive, and he has graciously shared many of those ideas with us. Enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play This episode is sponsored by Splice. Splice is the creative hub for modern musicians. Head over to splice.com/afrodjmac and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get a free month of Splice Sounds. Show Notes: Clint Productions - Check out Clint's website, with tutorials, blogs, webinars, and free guides. How to Get TV and Film Placements - Clint's free webinar that will help you get started with music licensing. How to Produce Music Faster - Great video on getting things done in the studio. Make Mistakes in the Studio - Nice piece on getting in the right mindset for doing work, featuring some serious guitar shredding. Clint's Instagram Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Mikas is the creator of We Make Dance Music, a site where producers can release and purchase DAW templates, sounds, and stems. He is an audio engineer and producer who founded the label Progressive Groove Records. Mikas has over 20 years of DJing and producing experience under his belt. I enjoyed speaking with Mikas very much. He exudes a motivation and drive for making music and the community around We Make Dance Music. In the episode, we discuss how he started his business, why he rarely uses 3rd party plugins, and how he has manages to finish nearly all of the music he starts. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play This episode is sponsored by Splice. Splice is the creative hub for modern musicians. Head over to splice.com/afrodjmac-create and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get a free month of Splice Sounds. Show Notes: We Make Dance Music - Mikas's site for producers to upload and purchase templates, sounds, and stems. Mikas is generously offering listeners of the podcast 20% off their purchase if they use the code: WMDMM20 Progressive Groove Records - The label Mikas founded. Mikas's Bio We Make Dance Music Blog - Helpful articles about making music. Progressive Groove Records SoundCloud - Listen to the label's work. —- Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.comfor music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Sometimes we learn our biggest lessons when things don't go right. Failure can be our best teacher, and we grow when we take risks. Last week, I performed at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo. It's a huge event where people gather to celebrate and play their favorite retro video games. I performed on Saturday night. This episode of the podcast is all about the lessons I learned, some of them the hard way. I decided to write all new music and design a new performance setup for the show. Unfortunately, I waited way too long to get started and, as a result, was very underprepared for the performance. Luckily, it went a lot better than I thought it did and I learned some important lessons that I share with you. At the end of the episode, you can hear my entire, unedited performance, and judge it for yourself. Enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play This episode is sponsored by Splice. Splice is the creative hub for modern musicians. Head over to splice.com/afrodjmac-music and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get a free month of Splice Sounds. Show Notes: Long Island Retro Gaming Expo - A old school video game fan's dream come true. Consoul - Incredible big band video game music. Super Thrash Bros. - Heavy metal video game music. VGM Collective - A jazzy take on video game music. Destryur - Synthwave, horror movie music. LSDJ - Little Sound DJ for Gameboy Super 8-Bit Ableton Live Pack - 150 Ableton Live Instruments made from samples of NES and Gameboy. COIN-OP - 8-Bit Chip Sounds Ableton Live Template. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Ari Herstand is a musician, blogger, and author. In December 2016, he released How to Make It in the New Music Business. The book is currently high on the Amazon charts for music business books and is used in university classrooms. Ari takes his experiences, successes, and failures and turned them into one of the most informative books you can get on creating a career in today's music business. I had a great conversation with Ari, who was full of energy and enthusiasm. Ari dispels some common myths about the music industry and delivers an often much-needed wake-up call to artists of any genre. I love Ari's tone and delivery. His book and blog, as well as this conversation, are a straight-forward, occasionally harsh, but always-inspiring kick in the pants. He makes points that we all need to hear, and he does it with the purest of intentions. Enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play This episode is sponsored by Splice. Splice is the creative hub for modern musicians. Head over to splice.com/afrodjmac and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get a free month of Splice Sounds. Show Notes: Official Site - Ari's official web site and main hub to all of his work. Ari's Take - A wide variety of advice for musicians, producers, and performers straight from Ari's own experience. How to Make It in the New Music Business - Indispensable and essential book for anyone looking to make a career with music. I recommend the audio book version, read by Ari himself. Brassroots District - Ari's new musical project, a throwback soul-funk band. Definitely take a look to see the clear and intentional "artistic message" of the project. Digital Distribution - Ari's extensive breakdown of the various ways to digitally release your music. How to Get Hired or Fired - Important read if you want the job. How to Negotiate - This is an important skill to learn for your career. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Madeleine Bloom runs the site Sonic Bloom for "all things Ableton Live, Push, and Max for Live," and the site is truly a treasure trove for tutorials, downloads, and more. The site grew out of her experience as Ableton tech support, and makes for an interesting story of the unpredictable path life often gives us. Madeleine's music is a beautiful combination of the organic and the electronic. It's interesting in both emotional and technical perspectives. I had a great and very wide ranging conversation with Madeleine. The show actually starts off with an extensive discussion about health and fitness, often one of the first things we let go of as workloads grow. From there, we get into making music, workflow, and more. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play This episode is sponsored by Splice. Splice is the creative hub for modern musicians. Head over to splice.com/afrodjmac-music and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get a free month of Splice Sounds. Show Notes: Sonic Bloom - Madeleine's web site for "All Things Ableton Live, Push & Max for Live." Official Site - Learn about Madeleine's music and read her blog. Bandcamp - Check out Madeleine's releases. Patchwork - Madeleine's 2012 album EP. Max for Cats - Powerful and unique Max for Live devices. Ableton Live Skins - Madeleine will give your Ableton Live a complete makeover. Dr. Rhonda Patrick - Joe Rogan interviews Dr. Rhonda Patrick, expert on nutritional health. Nutrition Facts - Madeleine asked me to post this link as an alternative perspective in response to the Dr. Rhonda Patrick link above, who Madeleine disagrees with.  Matthew Walker - Joe Rogan interviews Matthew Walker, sleep expert. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Peter Nyboer works for Sensel, a company that produces the Morph, a multi-touch, pressure sensitive USB and Bluetooth controller. The Morph is used for music producers, artists, gamers, and developers. It features easily swappable overlays for those many different applications. Peter also worked for Livid Instruments, makers of custom MIDI controllers and instruments. Peter and I discussed the Morph and his experience with Sensel, Livid, and various music-focused tech companies. Peter lays out the challenges of developing hardware in a rapidly technological world. It was great talking with him, enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Sensel - Makers of Morph, multi-touch, pressure sensitive, USB and Bluetooth controller. Morph - Details about the Morph controller. Ableton Live Control Surface Script - Use this to make Ableton Live immediate recognize and understand Morph. Livid Instruments - seriously awesome music products for live performance, electronic production, and DJs. Mod Devices - Makers of MOD Duo audio effects, instruments, and more device. Sensel Morph Kit - Free Ableton Live Pack I made for the Sensel Morph (works with or without any controller though). Factory Instruments and Percussion - Two Free Ableton Live Packs I made with samples from the Livid Instruments factory. SoundCloud - Check out Peter's music, under the name Slambassador. Redactive Audio - Big thanks to Scott of Redactive Audio, who has helped me clean up some audio files for the podcast. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Cristofer Odqvist is an audio engineer, sound designer, and the author of Making Sound: Creative Music Production Tips and Philosophies. Making Sound is a valuable resource for producers because it gives actual techniques you can put to work in your projects. Behind each technique are philosophical ideas and guidelines which will further guide your work in the future. In this episode of the Music Production Podcast, Cristofer talks about his beginnings as an engineer and how he learned to improve his craft. We talk about his book and some of the techniques and philosophies it uncovers. It was a great conversation with many valuable lessons that will certainly help in the music making process. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Making Sound - Cristofer's book of Creative Music Production Tips and Philosophies. Twitter - Cristofer's Twitter feed is loaded with quick tips and inspiring ideas for producers. The Pro Audio Files - A collection of tutorials Cristofer has written. Thank you for listening. Please consider giving the Music Production Podcast a review on your favorite podcast provider. And don’t forget to visit my site AfroDJMac.com for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Alessio Santini is the founder and lead developer of K-Devices. K-Devices specializes in music creation devices for Max for Live and iOS. Their slogan is "colorize your sound" and they focus on devices that have smart user interfaces, are easy to use, and have light CPU usage. Recently K-Device released their second batch of OOG, or Out of Grid, Max for Live devices. This series specializes in adding some variety and fluidity to your music and exploring rhythms that deviate from the musical time grid that so much music is bound to. On this episode of the Music Production Podcast, Alessio talked to me about the philosophy behind his programming, how the design and limitations of our instruments influence the music we make, and his background as a doom-metal guitarist. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: K-Devices - Max for Live and iOS devices created by Alessio and his team. Shaper - K-Devices first iOS app for audio effects. OOG Series - OOG stands for Out Of Grid. A collection of sequencers and tools for interesting timings. Blog - Keep up with news on K-Devices Kenter - Alessio's new EP. Love the guitar and drum work here! Elli - Alessio's record label. Thank you for listening. Please visit my site AfroDJMac for music production tutorials, videos, and Ableton Live devices. Brian

Tim Webb has gone to great lengths to bring us the latest and greatest in iOS music making news. His site Discchord.com covers all the latest releases, updates, and relevant YouTube walkthroughs, jams, and reviews of music making software for iPhone and iPad. In a refreshing blast of honesty, Tim is not afraid to tell you what apps suck and are not worth your time. He has been a faithful supporter of developers and app users worldwide for the better part of the last decade. Tim was kind enough to sit down with me for a in-depth discussion about his work, developing apps, and creating and maintaining a one person business. He offers important lessons on discipline and sincerity that are applicable to all kinds of pursuits. Tim has been extremely supportive of my own work and the work of many creatives who put themselves and their art on the web. It was a pleasure to finally speak with him and learn some important lessons and viewpoints on running a successful music-based business. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Discchord - Tim's website, dedicated to covering all things iOS music making. Buy your apps through his affiliate links to help support Tim's work, at no cost to you. YouTube - Check out Tim's videos on iOS apps and music production tutorials. Twitter - Follow Tim's work on Twitter. Patreon - Support Tim on Patreon. Everyone Can Play Music - A great video series, and the one that helped me learn my Korg MS-20. Thanks Tim! Let's Play with Apps - Tim explores a variety of iOS music apps. API Hack - Tim's own app for doing things I don't understand! Cassini - One of Tim's favorite synth apps. Foodman - We spoke about this article on Ableton.com about Foodman's unique approach to music making. Expanding Sound - Music production tutorials, sound packs, and music from my good friend, Mike Longo. Thanks for listening! Be sure to head over to AfroDJMac.com to follow my work. If you’ve enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a review where you get your podcasts! Thanks, Brian

Christopher Postill runs the web site Sounds Like an Earful, where he offers music for podcasters, video makers, and anyone that needs professional quality music for their creative projects. Christopher runs a podcast editing business and works as a graphic and web designer. Christopher's work interests me because he is taking his passion for music making and sound editing and turned it into a successful business. In this episode, Christopher discusses his work and balancing it with a day job. He talks about staying focused and disciplined, while avoiding burn out. I especially enjoyed his perspective on setting clear and attainable goals, which he can use as personal landmarks for his success. Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Sounds Like An Earful - Christopher's site where he licenses his music for creative projects. The Community Roadmap - Christopher is very open and clear about his goals for his work, and he shares those parameters here. Twitter - Connect with Christopher on Twitter. Sleep With Me Podcast - Bedtime stories to help adults fall asleep. Thanks for listening! Please visit AfroDJMac.com for more podcasts, music production tutorials, sound packs etc…

Ethan Hein teaches music technology NYU and Montclair State University. His blog covers all kinds of related topics on music theory and technology. Ethan's work is a must for anyone looking to go deep into studying music and the culture surrounding it. Ethan and I had a great conversation about creating music, overcoming obstacles, and finding meaning in one's work. I really enjoy how Ethan is able to tie together concepts and illuminate new ways of understanding what music means and how it impacts us and reflects the state of our world.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Show Notes: Ethan Hein Blog- Tons of great writings on all things making music. NYC Ableton Live User Group- Full video of an advanced user group meeting, featuring Ethan Hein, Ben Casey, Thomas Piper, and AfroDJMac. Disquiet- The work of Mark Weindenbaum, where you can find the weekly Junto Project Ethan spoke about. 33 1/3- A series of books about albums. Music Technology Syllabus- Ethan's syllabus for his Music Tech course at New York University.

Josh Spoon is a musician, producer, and Ableton Certified Trainer living in Los Angeles. His music pulls inspiration from hip hop and alternative rock. Think Dr. Dre meets the Flaming Lips. Josh runs the site Producerskitchen.com, where he shares his deep knowledge of music production and live performance. In this episode, Josh and I talk about staying creative, losing yourself in the moment, and how to stay in that creative moment.  Show Notes: Josh Spoon.com - Josh's site for his music and teaching The Producer's Kitchen - Tutorials on music production Bandcamp - Listen to and get Josh's music SAMPLEnHOLD - Performance collective of "electronic weirdos" Reverb.com - How to Make Your Drums Sound Like Ringo Starr Music Production Podcast web page. AfroDJMac.com

Kristoffer Lislegaard is an electronic musician, producer, and sound artist from Norway. He is one half of the duo, Sgrow. Sgrow combines influences from pop, ambient, and club music. They've just released their new album, Circumstance.  I wanted to speak with Kristoffer after hearing the new album because I was intrigued by the interesting palette of sounds made from a combination of real world instruments, field recordings, and synthesizers. Kristoffer has some really inspiring takes on sound design and manipulating samples. Our conversation covers various topics from unusual sound design techniques, some of his favorite gear, and learning how to leave the ego behind to have successful collaborations. Show Notes: Sgrow - Kristoffer's electronic duo with Vilde Nupen Sgrow on Facebook Sgrow YouTube Channel Kristoffer's YouTube Channel Critter & Guitari Organelle LOM Elektrosluch Lo-Fi Loop Junky Monome   Check out my website AfroDJMac.com for more music production materials.

What is the most important lesson? If my students remember just one thing, what would it be?  Check out AfroDJMac.com/podcast for the full show notes, featuring some very useful videos and links.  Support this podcast on Patreon and by shopping the AfroDJMac Store!

Tomislav Zlatic is the creator and editor in chief of Bedroom Producers Blog, a website dedicated to sharing music making tips, software, and gear for music making enthusiasts and professionals alike. Over the years, BPB has been extremely supportive of my work, and we have even collaborated on a few projects.  I had a chance to chat with Tomislav about writing, staying consistent, and our mutual love of old school video game chip music. Bonus Free Ableton Live Pack: Yamaha DD-8 Drums and Synths - These Free Ableton Live Instruments were made from some of the free samples over at Bedroom Producers Blog. Enjoy! Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Support the Podcast on Patreon Show Notes: Bedroom Producers Blog Mssiah MIDI SID Cartridge TherapSid - Hardware synth that uses the SID chip Fact TV Against the Clock - Producers make beats in 10 Minutes Gameboy Drums Ableton Live Pack -  a collaboration with BPB and AfroDJMac Commodore 64 Drums Ableton Live Pack - a collaboration with BPB and AfroDJMac Gameboy Glitches and Synths Ableton Live Pack - a collaboration with BPB and AfroDJMac

Nuno Santos is the creative force behind Imaginando, a company that makes applications for creating and controlling music. The latest project is DRC, a virtual analog synthesizer for mobile and desktop platforms. It allows you to create and edit sounds on any platform and access them from all other platforms.  Imaginando also released a powerful Ableton Live controller called LK.  In this episode, Nuno and I have a great conversation about building an app, how to create something featured packed yet intuitive to use, and all kinds of topics related to making music.  SPECIAL OFFER: Nuno is offering 50% off the desktop version of DRC. Head over to Imaginando and use the code: AFRODJMAC to get this fantastic virtual analog synthesizer for half price . The sale is good April 24- May 1, 2017.  Listen on iTunes or Stitcher or Google Play Support the Podcast on Patreon Show Notes: Imaginando - Nuno's company that creates iOS apps. DRC - Polyphonic Synthesizer for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android TKFX - Traktor Effects Controller LK - Ableton Live and MIDI Controller OP-1 Control Surface - Control Ableton Live with an OP-1 Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield DRC is powerful virtual analog polyphonic synthesizer that recreates the characteristic sound of an analog synthesizer. DRC aims to reproduce the special characteristic of the most cherished analog synthesizers by proving a minimal but powerful set of parameters, for limited but incredible sonic capabilities.

My friend Mark Mosher doesn't get adamant too often, but when he does, I have to listen. He was adamant about getting into his friend AfroDJMac, and the work that he's been doing on Ableton Live packs. I jumped into my research (i.e., I took things for a quick drive then started digging deeper), and was really impressed with the work. Reached out to see if he'd be up for a quickie chat, and he jumped on the opportunity. So you get this - my Thanksgiving gift to you. Great talk with a really insightful programmer, sound designer, songwriter and Ableton Certified Trainer. I always like when someone opens a door for me to explore. Brian's ideas about vocal music (especially mixed with electronic music concepts) are really unique, and the way that he mixes music and teaching is also very interesting. Listen to his work here, and enjoy the discussion!