/ Black Dog Recording Studio News en-us Copyright 2008 Black Dog Recording Studio News / Wed, 08 Sep 2010 21:28:33 EST Just like the release of a follow-up album, Black Dog Recording unveils the follow-up to their former website, with all the excitement of a musical icon hitting the stage and playing a mind-blowing first note that reminds the audience of why they love music in the first place. The unveiling of Black Dog Recording Studios' new-and-improved website shows off the incredible digs that Black Dog calls home. With breath-taking photos of the modern digital & vintage gear and the inviting residential recording facility that makes Black Dog what is is, might be reason enough for contemporary musicians and music icons to take up recording space in the studio's physical home in Upstate New York. That said, pictures are worth a thousand words; however, the aura of musical nirvana is best experienced through recording in the state-of-the-art facility with engineers who have over 25 years of experience in the industry. http://www.blackdogrecordingstudio.com /news.cfm/articleid/71064 Black Dog Recording Studio Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Did the age of music videos do away with true music? It's Video Disease. Perhaps you have it. If you are in your late twenties or even in your thirties, chances are you've been exposed. You could even be recovering from it and you don't know it. But if you fall into that age category, you don't have much of a choice, but you are of the original MTV generation. The only “protection” now is to call your cable company and say, “I might not want my MTV.” Oh wait, MTV hardly plays videos anymore. Perhaps the disease is fighting itself. Or perhaps it is mutating and finding other ways to infect – by way of internet and other avenues of infection. Defining the Disease The old-school MTV generation (and we'll use the MTV generation reference as the 'buzzword') you may have come across music that was either mediocre or just plain stagnant. Until that late night chance meeting ('late night' because that's when you're apt to see a video on MTV or maybe even early morning) when you catch a glimpse of said artist and said song with its video in tow. Suddenly the song isn't as bad as once thought. As a viewer, words might escape the lips such as, “you know, that's pretty good,” or “wow, now that's hot.” [note: 'now that's hot'? That phrase dates you automatically]. You're infected. At this point you must realize that in order to base the quality of any music you must connect the video to it. Is that what the artist intended? Probably not. Think of the training or at least the hard work and hard times the artist must have struggled through to get their music to a point that it was even listened to, only to be based on pictures. NOW HOLD ON Music videos have a purpose. At least some of them do. They promote the music and the artist. They are a companion to the music. Some of us are visual learners and have altered conscious access to both right side and left side of our brains, seeing things as artists do while hearing the music at the same time, thus allowing a broader experience. This, however, is not the case for all. In some cases, it happens on a subconscious level. This is a good thing. This does not, however, replace the merit of the music on its own. To separate the two is what is at stake here, otherwise the disease manifests in other areas of life. Is this MTV's fault? Probably not. There are artists who make music to make money, money, money and there are those who make music for the sake of pure creation. Culture, particularly pop culture, and record labels that are following the flow of money have somewhat of a stake in this as they collectively direct artists in certain directions not related to the initial inception of a band or musical act. A bit of advice: Listen to the music first, make your decision—on your own. Try not to be influenced by the likes and dislikes of those around you. If you feel the need watch the a music video, make a distinct decision about whether you like the video on its own. You may find you like a song and not the video or vice-versa. /news.cfm/articleid/71066 Black Dog Recording Studio Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST The Essentials Of A Traditional Press Kit Part 1 Clearly define what the GOAL is for the entire Press Kit. ●Is it to get a gig? ●Is it to get some press [ print / internet ] ? ●Is it to get some indie or major label notice? [ Have a firm grasp on a record label's policy in regards to sending unsolicited materials ] Once you have your goal / reason for sending this package in the first place, figure out EXACTLY what the terms of the target individual are in terms of information needed / destination / requirements. How does one figure that out? Research my friend, research. This info is usually listed / posted wherever you got the inspiration to send your Press Kit in the first place. ●Was it a website? Fully explore the site for instructions. ●Was it a contact list? [ ex: there are tons of books / periodicals that list genre-specific contacts ] The essentials of a musician's traditional press kit :: ●Cover Letter ●Press Release ●Photo ●Bio ●Previous Press Clippings ●Data / Fact Page ●Track list ●Lyrics Page ●Live Events Fact Page ●Radio Play Fact Sheet ●Music ●Folder for your Materials It is certainly possible to send a Press Kit out if you do not know :: (a) the specific contact name (b) the submission instructions Although not highly recommended, it is most definitely possible to achieve your goal by engaging in this practice. It has happened, it does happen and it will happen. The point is, your odds for reaching your goal are greatly increased if you are armed with the correct information. Go ahead with your bad self. A checklist of sorts (by all means not complete): [ Compare 'who' you are sending materials to in direct relation to 'why' you are sending them - this will help you design your approach] Sample GOALS for CONTACT : We want to play a gig -- Talent-buyer / Promoter We would like some management representation -- Management Company / Individual We are seeking a review -- Journalist Up Next: Part 2 : The Cover Letter Basics /news.cfm/articleid/72162 Black Dog Recording Studio Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Be a Pro Again, be professional. It is true that some artists / acts have gone wacky with their approach, but that's just a chance that you might not want to take. You certainly can, but be aware that it might work against you. We get it, the last time you played your set you wore nutty costumes and played Lionel Richie songs at twice the BPMs and in a completely different key...boy, you're zany. That hip club show must have been off the hook (as the kids say). Why do you need a Press Kit? There's nothing wrong with being unique, but for gosh sakes, it's still a business. The 'general public / we'll give $$ to see and hear you' music world is a business. Leave your stage persona for the, um, stage. Assume the role of CEO when it comes to Press Kits. Get to the Point! There is NOTHING wrong with a short letter. Here's why :: Some of these people are from the MTV generation. You know the kind, short attention spans and switching gears quicker than a wily cat in a mine field. They don't have the TIME to hunker down and read a long letter. If you can be brief and still convey a message, you only show a testament to your seriousness and ability as a business person. Yep, the act of being actively involved in the music world means you have to 'go into business' with some folks. Let's look at one example :: If you want to play a gig at a local club, you are essentially going in to business (temporarily) with that club. They will consider, with out wavering, how much money you can help generate on the night that you or your band will play. Get it? Ready to write? If not, we'll wait. Go do whatever it is you do and then come back and we'll get started. Ready? Let's get to it. [This is a draft! You'll have to rewrite later. We'll mention this again.] ●You have your goal and contact information fleshed out. Good. Nicely done. ●Let's now go over the list for every other element in the cover letter. No need to take notes, there's no quiz. Besides, you can always come back to this list. Your personal contact info :: Name / Name of band / Contact phone # / Contact email / Address Their contact info :: Name / Business name (if it applies) / Contact phone # / Contact email / Address It's a very good (do it dammit) idea to set up a spreadsheet or something to that effect (whatever technology you have) to keep track of this information [ including exact dates that you sent the Press Kit ]. This way, you can track when to follow up and whatnot. THE COVER LETTER BASICS: Stay on task and on target with your Main Point [ don't stray off into tangent territory ] Be specific and not lofty Keep the ego to a minimum [ Yes, we know, you're the hottest thing since sliced bread ] Create a little, controlled spin doctoring utilizing just a dash of 'Hey! Look at us and what we do because we're special!' mentality. Be a pro [ as in PROfessional ] Each cover letter is modified to be specific-person-customized. The rest of your Press Kit is stock info that although you can change it, generally stays at a constant. Sure, you can have a folder on your computer that has 'stock' letter templates, but keep in mind that the letter is going to a person, a specific person. Being armed with the EXACT contact person's name is key. True, is isn't always possible, but this little tidbit can help keep the office you are contacting a little more interested, at least to the point that it'll probably end up on the desk of the person you are naming specifically. A brief example: THE TRICKS OF THE TRADE (boy, how tricky): The appeal to the talent-buyer starts with the fact that you, as a band ready to get into business with the venue, have done some research [Using something along the lines of "After speaking with some patrons of your establishment" ]. This magnifies your professionalism. The letter should allude to the common values and themes between the club and the music [ " the type of music that I create fits perfectly with the atmosphere and crowd that the club attracts" ]. The club/venue wants to book musicians who will (a) bring people in and (b) satisfy the regulars. Another attention igniter : [ "for your consideration of the added value my performance could bring to The Club" ]. What business owner wouldn't want the value of their club to be at the forefront? Do you know how the most powerful advertising works? Ad masters KNOW that they have to appeal to your wants and needs. They do it even if the NEED isn't there, in fact, they create the NEED part of it artificially and it becomes a want. The best ad advice to give is : Create your text so that it reads "I HAVE WHAT YOU NEED!" No, don't write those words. Use your own words in such a way so THAT message is conveyed. THERE ARE OTHER FORMS AND APPROACHES TO THE COVER LETTER :: THIS ONLY COVERS THE 'GETTING A GIG' GOAL Make sure you review the reasons and recipients for sending a press kit in order to craft your letter [each one is tailored differently]. /news.cfm/articleid/72163 Black Dog Recording Studio Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST TIPS TO IGNITE YOUR COVER LETTER :: Keep your letter based around one major point and if need be, a smaller secondary point. We've gone over the need to appear as a professional in your cover letter; however, don't take a business standpoint to the extreme. Obviously, every sector of life has its own lingo, especially business. The trick is to remain in a business atmosphere but come off as sounding like a real person and not like a stock/template/robot business-format-loving linguist. True, keep it on a level that is mostly formal, but if it sounds forced and doesn't reflect who you are, don't do it. We've gone over the appeal to the recipients needs and even going as far as creating a need for you and your sound [see the previous post]. Adding a preset lead sentence that entices the reader to continue is good practice. Take a look at advertising (including print/internet and television). You'll see that most of the time the first thing to appear is the attention-stealer. It steals your attention from whatever you were doing or going to do and draws you in like the Death Star tractor beam. Some ignition for you to steal :: Lead sentence [ Hip-Hop ] :: How does a street poet get respect? By avoiding the potholes of trendiness. Lead sentence [ Activist Rock ] :: The 21st century new radical spreads the massive message through viral music. Lead sentence [ Hairband ] :: All of the emo in the world couldn't sway the way of the hairband. /news.cfm/articleid/72164 Black Dog Recording Studio Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 EST Black Dog Recording Studio is proud to announce the unveiling of their custom designed MySpace profile. As MySpace continues to gather throngs of people for networking, business and fun, the idea to launch a top-notch profile goes hand-in-hand with the the same nature of their top-notch studio and audio production services. The Black Dog Recording Studio MySpace Profile features hot-links to their newly launched website as well as the standard features that MySpace offers. Both website and profile work in tandem with each other to highlight the studio's digital and analog equipment as well as all the perks that come along with a residential recording facility such as Black Dog. Whether contemporary artist or seasoned artist, Black Dog Recording is the place in Upstate New York that offers the complete package, plus. Nestled in the beautiful hills of Saratoga, Black Dog Recording Studio is a recording destination that begs the question, “Why record any where else?” /news.cfm/articleid/72734 Black Dog Recording Studio Wed, 22 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST THE PRESS RELEASE ::BASICS :: The number one goal / reason for a press release is to describe NEWS. If you don't anything 'newsworthy' to discuss, then rethink why you are writing and sending one. Remember, the fact that your drummer just got a scholarship to Billy Bob's School of Double Bass Action may be news to you and your band members, but really, in the general music consuming public, who cares? If you need something to utilize in your press release, make a list of everything that is going on with your music life and extract and/or generate a buzz-worthy story. For example (and this is not music-specific), See, the more you can connect or reconnect to the whole picture and extract a sliver of experience that is meaningful and 'sellable' to a journalist, the better your chances are of grabbing some media space. Examples of what can go into a Press Release: CD Release, Tour, Activism, Charity Work, Label Signing Key :: Base your reason on location of where the press release is being sent (you wouldn't send a press release to a magazine in California if you are playing a gig in Florida). Send larger-scope Press Releases everywhere and local interest Press Releases to area journalists, clubs, etc. See where this is going? Your audience is again, key to how, what, when and where you'll send this type of information. Keep your Press Release focused to ONE topic / piece of news. Remember High School English class? Then you remember including Who, What, When and Why. This is a pretty fine structure to adhere to. Quotes Whenever possible utilize quotes about you (or from you as long as you refer to yourself in the third-person [ So-N-So explains, "The idea of a comprehensive kit that artists can use and refer to is something I could have used early on in my music career" ]. Interview yourself or have a band mate interview you about your topic. Try to answer in an intelligent, creative way that helps add to the mystique of the news story. Include quotes from elsewhere that pertain directly to you / your band / your news story. Don't copy quotes from somewhere or someone else--use common sense. Don't write a book Keep your Press Release to under a page. This goes for the music industry, the publishing industry, the public waste industry. Journalists don't like it when you change the 'system' -- most people don't. Write your Press Release as if you are providing the outline for the story you'd like to see in print: Don't include anything you don't want printed. Do include material that a journalist can 'lift' directly from your release and eventually use in the printed story. Let's Ignite Your Release with Required Info :: Do include a headline, do include the date, do include the city, do include your contact information. Don't ignore these guidelines. /news.cfm/articleid/72778 Black Dog Recording Studio Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST A press photo is invaluable to the artist, but can be expensive to have done professionally. Why do I need one? Journalists and their editors utilize press photos in their publications. Not always, but much of the time. You will need a lower-resolution version (for web optimization) and a high-res version for printing (no less than 300dpi). Although, these days, digital cameras are an awesome investment and can produce some high-quality images that you can submit on a blank CD blank CDs are the least of your cost for preparing a press kit. Visual Pitfalls Bands often try to be quirky. Perhaps to stand out from the crowd. Take a look on Sonicbids (website, uh, Google it) and see what other artists are doing. What works for you? Figure that out and then step out of your own shoes. Ask: "Will someone else look at this an cringe?" It's important to note that every person, yes, EVERY PERSON has a different aesthetic value system. You do, however, have to think globally and creatively. How can I be creative in terms of my audience while still appealing to those who aren't fans of my band or genre? Good question. My best advice is to do some visual representation thinking. Its goes something like this: What image will best describe, promote and excite those who view it? POINTERS :: Hi-Res and Low-Res versions, use your creativity (get a photo editing program. I use GIMP, the poor man's Photoshop--it's a free download--GOOGLE it!), when you render the final version leave some white space at the bottom for your name / band name / contact information. Send a physical version and a low & high-resolution version on a CD-R. Industry standard : 8"x10" /news.cfm/articleid/72779 Black Dog Recording Studio Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST The BIO [ That stands for BIOgraphical information ] Some will tell you that a bio can exceed a page. When I got that stuff at the magazine and it was long, forget it. Try to limit your bio to a page. This is BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ENTIRE ACT. Like the Press Release, you should utilize quotes and write it as if YOU are the journalist [ you have to 'hook' the reader, in the preliminary stage you have to hook the journalist ]. I'd give you the good, the bad & the ugly version, but I prefer the UGLIER version and it looks like this: Band : The Screaming Webfooted Junkies Hometown: Seattle, WA (the home of grunge) Band Members: J-Live, Markie Markie, TrashFool We started jamming when we were 12. 10 years later we have been playing at Coco's Roadhouse on every Friday night! We have been saving our money to record our first album and we hope to have a demo out in two months. We really like the girls who come to our show. Their hot. Thats why we got into rockin in the first place. Free beer and hot chix. THE BIO BASICS :: Band name, genre, members and what they play, town / city of origin / inception date / quotes [ band members / fans / industry professionals ] and an interesting, compelling, print-ready story. Put all of this in PROSE form and adhere to standard written English rules. Keep in mind you are sending this to WRITERS and while they'll cut you some slack, chances are if you come off as an idiot they will call you on it. IGNITION TIP :: Write the article you want printed, as best you can. Most often the time-crunched journalist will use your material and instead utilize precious time to listen to your music. No sob stories unless the end-result is on the high-road. If you investigate the business world and its practices you read enough about 'branding' to choke a horse. Use your bio writing time wisely and construct your 'brand'. This will be the jump-off for the general public to get a handle on who and what the hell you and your buddies are all about and how you go about it. AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUES :: Inflate yourself but not on the level of Gods and Monsters. Formulate a good story (based on fact but take some liberty in magnifying it in such a way that it speaks volumes for you) and become the artist, journalist, editor and reader. Make your plan around all of those aspects [ what do I want to say about us, what does the writer want to write about, what does the editor care about in terms of promoting his / her publication through my story, what music-lover-reader gives a dookie and why]. EXAMPLE :: We got a new singer after our former one quit [ that's the fact ]. "After the untimely departure of Johnny RottenTooth during the most creative period in the band's history, FancyFrank stepped into those big shoes and elevated the band to where they are now--quickly approaching the top of the ultra-popular teen metal scene." [ that's the spin...not great but it works ]. /news.cfm/articleid/72780 Black Dog Recording Studio Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST The BIO [ That stands for BIOgraphical information ] Some will tell you that a bio can exceed a page. When I got that stuff at the magazine and it was long, forget it. Try to limit your bio to a page. This is BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE ENTIRE ACT. Like the Press Release, you should utilize quotes and write it as if YOU are the journalist [ you have to 'hook' the reader, in the preliminary stage you have to hook the journalist ]. I'd give you the good, the bad & the ugly version, but I prefer the UGLIER version and it looks like this: Band : The Screaming Webfooted Junkies Hometown: Seattle, WA (the home of grunge) Band Members: J-Live, Markie Markie, TrashFool We started jamming when we were 12. 10 years later we have been playing at Coco's Roadhouse on every Friday night! We have been saving our money to record our first album and we hope to have a demo out in two months. We really like the girls who come to our show. Their hot. Thats why we got into rockin in the first place. Free beer and hot chix. THE BIO BASICS :: Band name, genre, members and what they play, town / city of origin / inception date / quotes [ band members / fans / industry professionals ] and an interesting, compelling, print-ready story. Put all of this in PROSE form and adhere to standard written English rules. Keep in mind you are sending this to WRITERS and while they'll cut you some slack, chances are if you come off as an idiot they will call you on it. IGNITION TIP :: Write the article you want printed, as best you can. Most often the time-crunched journalist will use your material and instead utilize precious time to listen to your music. No sob stories unless the end-result is on the high-road. If you investigate the business world and its practices you read enough about 'branding' to choke a horse. Use your bio writing time wisely and construct your 'brand'. This will be the jump-off for the general public to get a handle on who and what the hell you and your buddies are all about and how you go about it. AVOIDANCE TECHNIQUES :: Inflate yourself but not on the level of Gods and Monsters. Formulate a good story (based on fact but take some liberty in magnifying it in such a way that it speaks volumes for you) and become the artist, journalist, editor and reader. Make your plan around all of those aspects [ what do I want to say about us, what does the writer want to write about, what does the editor care about in terms of promoting his / her publication through my story, what music-lover-reader gives a dookie and why]. EXAMPLE :: We got a new singer after our former one quit [ that's the fact ]. "After the untimely departure of Johnny RottenTooth during the most creative period in the band's history, FancyFrank stepped into those big shoes and elevated the band to where they are now--quickly approaching the top of the ultra-popular teen metal scene." [ that's the spin...not great but it works ]. /news.cfm/articleid/72781 Black Dog Recording Studio Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST Analog Music Recording A tape recorder is typically and principally the recording mechanism utilized during within a classic music studio environment. Quality of recording is usually dependent on the width of the tape and thus the end-result shows limitations on those specs. The technical ability of the engineer, however, can spruce up the quality based on experience and expertise. /news.cfm/articleid/72782 Black Dog Recording Studio Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST Digital Music Recording While the actual 'sound' or 'sounds' music creates, it boils down to the changes in air pressure that deliver the end-result sound. During digital recording, those changes in air pressure are converted to the digital language of 1s and 0s. The process utilizing digital recorders, software, pro audio and the like makes for a crisp, clean sound that is easily edited and modified. Magnetic tape, hard disc or even an optical disc receives the sound after the analog sound is converted into its digital form. The ease of modification and techniques to modify the sound continue to grow, along with techniques used by expert engineers. /news.cfm/articleid/72786 Black Dog Recording Studio Thu, 23 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST PREVIOUS PRESS CLIPPINGS [if you have some ] No doubt journalists look for angles, information, ideas and how you've performed in past interviews. Other industry pros look for press interest, past performance, professionalism, amount of exposure you've had and potential press interest. NOT ALL BANDS HAVE PRESS CLIPPINGS! That's okay. Generate some. The internet is full of people who want to get their feet wet in the media. Many have a website, blog or whatever that have a funky title that can be used in the Press Clippings section [ as soon as you get one to write some words about you ]. These folks don't always require a Press Kit. There are tons of indie music eZines...find one...contact one..use one. Always a great alternative is to have a page dedicated to multiple quotes (fans [ your mom IS a fan isn't she? ], talent-buyers, record store owners, other pros in the biz). If you don't have Press Clippings : Skip this step until you get some. IF YOU HAVE SOME, DO THIS :: Make neat reproductions and arrange them neatly on paper that will then be copied by a printer. If you have to retype them due to the fact that they are torn to shreds and / or sat on your dashboard for months and have lost their luster due to sun bleaching, DO IT. Think about it. Your other materials are going to be neat (they are, aren't they?), don't dirty it up with sloppiness. /news.cfm/articleid/72877 Black Dog Recording Studio Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST FACT SHEETS [ Each is a page on its OWN ] ●Data / Facts [ a short version of some of the info in your bio -- band name, genre, members, instruments, home town / city, pertinent facts that industry professionals would be interested in ] NOT :: Your birthday, what brand instruments you play (unless under sponsorship), zodiac sign. ●Track List :: Tracks on the CD you are SENDING (not your demo from 1998). Include run times and special notes [ including guest appearances but limit the 'specialness' as to not flood the brain of the reader ]. ●Lyric Page :: Okay, so you're in a scream-fest band or your listener is not paying attention, either way include a page of lyrics to your release. If there is any disposable item in your Press Kit, this is it. Leave it out if you are pressed for time. ●Past Events [ shows] list :: Venues / Dates ●Radio play and appearances :: Stations / Locations / Dates / Tracks Played If you are listing an appearance on a show, list the name of the show as well. /news.cfm/articleid/72878 Black Dog Recording Studio Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 EST Shortly after our launch as a professional recording and mixing studio in 2008, Black Dog Recording Studio was put on hold by an accidental electrical fire. The facility has since been totally renovated under new management and is open for booking starting in September 2009. We have assembled a fine collection of vintage analog and state-of-the-art digital gear, including a vintage Sphere recording console, Barefoot monitors, vintage microphones by Neumann and AKG, and our Pro Tools 8 HD3 system. Herman Miller Aeron chairs and a comfortable lounge are just a few of the amenities of the studio, which is located just 30 minutes north of Albany in Stillwater, NY. Look for more updates soon, with pictures of the renovation and new gear. Our goal was to create the best-sounding recording studio in upstate New York; we invite you to come see for yourself by scheduling a tour or session today. Thanks for checking us out! -Dan Vidali & Jon Kerley Black Dog Recording Studio info@blackdogrecordingstudio.com http://www.blackdogrecordingstudio.com http://www.myspace.com/blackdogrecording /news.cfm/articleid/81959 Black Dog Recording Studio Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST