Mixing, mixing & mixing.
It's getting busy here in the A and I have finally broken through on the mixing side of things.
I recently mixed Bobby V's new single feat. Plies, a song for the Stomp the Yard soundtrack for Guitar Boy Pat, Vawn's club single "Get a Room" feat Bobby V, songs for the Outsyders, & several for CBD one for DJ Trauma and others.
Vawn recently resigned with Def Jam and his fantastic project has the green light from LA. I've worked close with Vawn from the start of his project and it's been fantastic. I love watching artists come into their own, I was blessed to watch Tech N9ne do it and seeing it again reminds me of how lucky we are in this biz at times.
My long time production partner and friend Tony Gaines is finally moving to Atlanta, we have big production plans and I'm very excited to have my old partner at my side once again slammin the keys and balancing my crazy energy. Look out world..... here we come!!
MY NAME IS WILL "THE WEIRDO" WILSON I'm a top freelance music Engineer/Producer working in the Atlanta metro area.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Friday, March 5, 2010
Windows 7
I've been busy the past month mixing and recording all over Atlanta. I had been getting many calls about Windows 7 and after the Vista crap OS I just kept my XP machine buzzing along (my PC actually out preforms most of the Macs in Atlanta) but....... because of my tech work I finally jumped into Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit with both feet and have spent weeks working out the wrinkles for audio. I am now Win 7 geeked out and ready to spew my opinions all over the net, lol.
IMHO, with minimal tweaking Win 7 is great for audio, drivers were easy, lol, actually the hardest transition was Pro Tools and Digidesign not having a clue. Reaper has a 64 bit version and runs flawless, most of the programs work fine, but check them first before installing because I did have a few bumps installing then uninstalling several non working programs. Plugins were easy but a few of my old favorites are not supported, the Sonic Timeworks Mastering Limiter is my favorite 2bus comp and It is not working under Win 7. Most websites have the info around or just hit up the great forums online.
Power settings and core parking tweaks were a big help and I'm putting together my tweak list to email to anyone that wants it, anything to save me a trip out to somebody's headache, lol.
The biggest bonus with Win 7 I see is you can now have more than 3.5 gig of RAM and with Kontakt instruments getting bigger and bigger a Win 7 production PC can rock, for mixing the benefit is small but staying up on technology is key to future success in this biz.
Digidesign 8.03cs1 workes great on Win 7, but I must say it is sad that PT will no longer work on Power Macs and Original Mboxes. This type of company decision is what helped me to go Win 7, at what point will Digidesign drop XP support? So I am now future proof (until the next OS) and my audio PC is loving me.
As always be blessed or bendicones.
IMHO, with minimal tweaking Win 7 is great for audio, drivers were easy, lol, actually the hardest transition was Pro Tools and Digidesign not having a clue. Reaper has a 64 bit version and runs flawless, most of the programs work fine, but check them first before installing because I did have a few bumps installing then uninstalling several non working programs. Plugins were easy but a few of my old favorites are not supported, the Sonic Timeworks Mastering Limiter is my favorite 2bus comp and It is not working under Win 7. Most websites have the info around or just hit up the great forums online.
Power settings and core parking tweaks were a big help and I'm putting together my tweak list to email to anyone that wants it, anything to save me a trip out to somebody's headache, lol.
The biggest bonus with Win 7 I see is you can now have more than 3.5 gig of RAM and with Kontakt instruments getting bigger and bigger a Win 7 production PC can rock, for mixing the benefit is small but staying up on technology is key to future success in this biz.
Digidesign 8.03cs1 workes great on Win 7, but I must say it is sad that PT will no longer work on Power Macs and Original Mboxes. This type of company decision is what helped me to go Win 7, at what point will Digidesign drop XP support? So I am now future proof (until the next OS) and my audio PC is loving me.
As always be blessed or bendicones.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
That Sinking Feeling.....
So...... I finally pick up copies of Gucci Mane and Angie Stone's new CD's. Anything I put my time and energy into always finds it's way into my collection. I also wanted to check the credits to see if they spelled my name correct............ gulp, uh.... wow. I'm not credited in either CD, so in their mind I was never there?
I guess I didn't spend the 2 days at M Studio ATL with Angie, Sharon, Greedy, my wife Draya (who later worked with Sharon after meeting her there), Jazze and Joey recording vocals for "Free", I must have been dreaming. The credits have it recorded by Jazze Pha (at least he was in the building) , not me so I will correct it here. Recorded by Kori and Will "The Weirdo" Wilson. Oh yeah, Kori cut the music and he got the no credit shaft also.
Gucci Mane was another snafu in it's own, I worked 81/2 hours on Gucci. I recorded the track while Chris cut the vocals, we were in the B room at Stankonia. The credits have it recorded by Chris and Moka, lol. I never saw Moka, he was not there, to this day I have never met Moka. There were only 7 of us there that night. Gucci, Coach K, Chris, Warren, Jazze, Greedy and me. Well not me, according to the credits I was someplace else, doing something else, with someone else. I think I should tell Gucci that the hour we hung out in the back didn't exist, and my dry jokes didn't make him laugh. At least Warren got his credit, he's great and It's good to see assistants get their credit. So.... Recorded by Chris Carmouche and Will "The Weirdo" Wilson should be in ink.
I do get all warm and fuzzy inside to think somebody else will be getting a Gold record for me, credit for my time and energy and ideas. The lost income and future work I will not get because I was not there will suck also. So what to do about it?
This is not an uncommon issue in the biz. My current assistant Six8 worked for Polo for 2 years, he cut many of Polos hits but he has no credits. Tony is the head engineer at Zac's and we all joke about the lack of or miscredited that goes on. It's like a lesson in Major Label apathy, who cares who did what, next......
The solution for me...... my youtube channel, with every session recorded and posted. My camera with pictures posted here and I plan on mixing because they always get the mix engineer's credits correct. Do I have to be in a takeover mentality just so I can get my time accounted for correctly?
Ok, gotcha... lesson learned.
So thank you music biz for another beautiful lesson, another reason why I WILL NEVER AGAIN have.... That sinking feeling!!
I guess I didn't spend the 2 days at M Studio ATL with Angie, Sharon, Greedy, my wife Draya (who later worked with Sharon after meeting her there), Jazze and Joey recording vocals for "Free", I must have been dreaming. The credits have it recorded by Jazze Pha (at least he was in the building) , not me so I will correct it here. Recorded by Kori and Will "The Weirdo" Wilson. Oh yeah, Kori cut the music and he got the no credit shaft also.
Gucci Mane was another snafu in it's own, I worked 81/2 hours on Gucci. I recorded the track while Chris cut the vocals, we were in the B room at Stankonia. The credits have it recorded by Chris and Moka, lol. I never saw Moka, he was not there, to this day I have never met Moka. There were only 7 of us there that night. Gucci, Coach K, Chris, Warren, Jazze, Greedy and me. Well not me, according to the credits I was someplace else, doing something else, with someone else. I think I should tell Gucci that the hour we hung out in the back didn't exist, and my dry jokes didn't make him laugh. At least Warren got his credit, he's great and It's good to see assistants get their credit. So.... Recorded by Chris Carmouche and Will "The Weirdo" Wilson should be in ink.
I do get all warm and fuzzy inside to think somebody else will be getting a Gold record for me, credit for my time and energy and ideas. The lost income and future work I will not get because I was not there will suck also. So what to do about it?
This is not an uncommon issue in the biz. My current assistant Six8 worked for Polo for 2 years, he cut many of Polos hits but he has no credits. Tony is the head engineer at Zac's and we all joke about the lack of or miscredited that goes on. It's like a lesson in Major Label apathy, who cares who did what, next......
The solution for me...... my youtube channel, with every session recorded and posted. My camera with pictures posted here and I plan on mixing because they always get the mix engineer's credits correct. Do I have to be in a takeover mentality just so I can get my time accounted for correctly?
Ok, gotcha... lesson learned.
So thank you music biz for another beautiful lesson, another reason why I WILL NEVER AGAIN have.... That sinking feeling!!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
I feel a tremor in the force..........
Ok, this year is my 20th year recording/creating music. Over that time I have seen many changes, some easier on me and some harder. I have learned my lessons over time and I have come to understand a fundamental universal truth:
The Universe is change, you either change with it or you perish.
With that being the case, I'm here to let you know an insider secret...... the music biz is currently under a very huge shift right now. I see it, I know it, I feel it.......
As a long time audio quality guy I am currently mixing for songs that their final format is smashed MP3's.
I have learned to mix for the lowest quality format. If you are not doing this in 2010 you will be loosing your clients soon.
The major labels are almost at 50% sales from MP3's and CD sales are still dropping 15% per year. Many Malls don't have music stores in them any longer, Wal Mart, Best Buy and other bulk stores are dropping their music space daily. Major Labels are laying off quality people left and right........the End is here for the old system and I for one am happy to see it go.
Don't be sad, embrace the change, look to the future, be blessed and keep making great music.
The Universe is change, you either change with it or you perish.
With that being the case, I'm here to let you know an insider secret...... the music biz is currently under a very huge shift right now. I see it, I know it, I feel it.......
As a long time audio quality guy I am currently mixing for songs that their final format is smashed MP3's.
I have learned to mix for the lowest quality format. If you are not doing this in 2010 you will be loosing your clients soon.
The major labels are almost at 50% sales from MP3's and CD sales are still dropping 15% per year. Many Malls don't have music stores in them any longer, Wal Mart, Best Buy and other bulk stores are dropping their music space daily. Major Labels are laying off quality people left and right........the End is here for the old system and I for one am happy to see it go.
Don't be sad, embrace the change, look to the future, be blessed and keep making great music.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
2009 Discography
With my 40th just passed I reflected on the work I did last year.............
Artist:
K Michelle (Jive), K Brisco, Young Dose, Alja Jackson (Interscope), Bobby Valentino (EMI), Vawn (Def Jam), MJ (Juvy Hall), Raheem DeVaughn (Jive), Charnel, Yung Joc (Block Entertainment/Atlantic), Lil Gavin (Jazze Pha Presents/Juvy Hall Records), Stunna Kid (MTV Made), Roc City (Konvict), Angie Stone (Stax), Phillipine, TQ (Cash Money), Big Fub, Gucci Mane (Atlantic/Warner Bros), OJ Da Juice Man (Atlantic/Warner Bros), David Banner (Universal), Saint London, Lil Speedie (LSE), Reign (Jazze Pha Presents), Lil Twist, J West, Trick Trick (Koch), Kam Parker, Weirdos, Gaz (Jazze Pha Presents), Bun B (Rap-A-Lot)
Writers:
Harold Lilly, G White, Nez, Cheff Tone
Producers & Musicians:
Jazze Pha, Outsiders, Track Killerz, Nummy, D Nix, Don Vito, Parva, Free (Keys), Waneiac, Markeith (Guitar), Zane, Natural Disaster, Drumma Boy, Pat The Guitar Boy, Infinity, Johnny Bravo (Keys)
Studios:
DARP, 11th Street Studios, Stankonia, Zacs, M Studios ATL
Artist:
K Michelle (Jive), K Brisco, Young Dose, Alja Jackson (Interscope), Bobby Valentino (EMI), Vawn (Def Jam), MJ (Juvy Hall), Raheem DeVaughn (Jive), Charnel, Yung Joc (Block Entertainment/Atlantic), Lil Gavin (Jazze Pha Presents/Juvy Hall Records), Stunna Kid (MTV Made), Roc City (Konvict), Angie Stone (Stax), Phillipine, TQ (Cash Money), Big Fub, Gucci Mane (Atlantic/Warner Bros), OJ Da Juice Man (Atlantic/Warner Bros), David Banner (Universal), Saint London, Lil Speedie (LSE), Reign (Jazze Pha Presents), Lil Twist, J West, Trick Trick (Koch), Kam Parker, Weirdos, Gaz (Jazze Pha Presents), Bun B (Rap-A-Lot)
Writers:
Harold Lilly, G White, Nez, Cheff Tone
Producers & Musicians:
Jazze Pha, Outsiders, Track Killerz, Nummy, D Nix, Don Vito, Parva, Free (Keys), Waneiac, Markeith (Guitar), Zane, Natural Disaster, Drumma Boy, Pat The Guitar Boy, Infinity, Johnny Bravo (Keys)
Studios:
DARP, 11th Street Studios, Stankonia, Zacs, M Studios ATL
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