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Artist Denny White Discusses Career and Studio One!

We were recently introduced to Denny White via his artist bro and Studio One fan Josh Cumbee. Denny combines pop and electronic beats, soulful blues vocals, and a singer/songwriter style that takes listeners on a trip! Living in Los Angeles has awarded him opportunities to play alongside acts such as Young the Giant, Dawes, and Tove Styrke. He JUST released some vocal sample packs with our friends at Splice, and he’s currently working on a collection of singles leading up to his debut full-length album coming out soon! We recently had the opportunity to chat with him about his career and his gear.

 

Give us some background on yourself. How long have you been making music?

I grew up in a sleepy California suburb called Hemet and music was always at the centerpiece of everything we did. I fell slowly into making music as a career, and still find it crazy that I call this my  “job.” My freshman year of college, I met my good buddy Brent Kutlze, who produced my first solo EP and mentored me early on. I saw first hand how he wrote & produced for other artists, while also being a full-time one himself in his band OneRepublic. Releasing that first EP led to me meeting a manager, doing hundreds of co-writes, moving to LA, and eventually signing a publishing deal with Warner Chappell.

 

How has the music industry changed since your early days?

It’s such a catch-22… everything’s changed while nothing has at the same time. I was technically streaming music in high school with Limewire and MySpace, but couldn’t have dreamed it would morph into streaming as we know it today. On the recording side, I’m still producing on a laptop like I was in college, but everything is light years better and faster than anything I could have imagined then. One of the biggest changes is the vast amounts of knowledge and resources available to everyone now. The industry once sounded like some mysterious faraway place that only a few had access to, but now that glass ceiling has been shattered. I’ve written with kids who know about publishing, licensing, producing, and even their own frequency preferences on a vocal, thanks to amazing resources like Pensado’s Place, or podcasts like Ross Golan’s And the Writer is

 

Describe the first time you wrote a song.

My first song was written for a school talent show, and I hope to find a dusty VHS tape someday with a little me on it, most likely singing a mid-tempo Ben Folds-esque piano tune.

 

Who has been an influence in your life?

Hands down my wife’s been the biggest influence in my life. Musically, I’ve been the benefactor of so many talented friends and collaborators who’ve had an influence on me as well over the years, Brent Kutlze, Michael Brun, David Hodges, Alex Delicata, Steve Wilmot, and Jeff Sojka to name a few!

 

Have you ever wanted to give up on music? What keeps you going?

I’ve never wanted to give up on music per se, but have definitely contemplated other career paths, as this one has the propensity to drive you mad; you really have to love it despite the wild ebb and flow of the industry and embrace the process daily. My faith and family keep me going on days I don’t want to. 

 

How did you first hear of PreSonus?

I’ve always known about PreSonus but knew little about the products until really hearing about Studio One from my freakishly talented friend Josh Cumbee last year. 

What do you like about PreSonus? What caught your eye?

I remember being in Josh’s studio and was immediately intrigued when I saw the Start Page of Studio One. It felt so unique and custom to Josh. The first feature that caught my eye was the window in the middle where you can upload your own art, that prints on every mixdown. Also, the organization of seeing all recent files on the left, without having to scroll through a list or search your hard drive immediately spoke to my OCD-ness.

 

What PreSonus products do you use?

I use Studio One, Monitor Station v2, and just snagged the newest FaderPort for even more control! 

 

What features are you most impressed with in Studio One?

I really dig Console Shaper, and the immediate vibe it can give to any blank start. The hybrid dual buffer engine is insane and makes it possible to work in large projects that historically would have been a cluster cuss, and allows me to use instances of soft synths that are taxing on CPU like Kontact or Vengeance Avenger up until the finish line. Tracklist organization, Fat Channel, and “Candleblower” bass in Mai Tai are a few of the other million things I love in it.

 

Any user tips or tricks or interesting stories based on your experience with Studio One?

Recently I released a Vocal pack on Splice, and Sample One XT made all my vocal chops feel so much more creative and important-sounding than anything I could have accomplished in my sad old DAW’s sampler. First I’d record pass of adlibs, tune with the integrated Melodyne (insanely fast,) then map individual samples across 3-5 keys and quickly explore new melody ideas. Another huge lifehack is I have “W” set to “Locate Mouse Cursor.” It’s insane how much time these things have saved me, and now I’m able to be creative almost immediately. 

 

How easy/difficult was Studio One to learn?

The transition was so easy. I was very reluctant at first, thinking It’d take way too much time, but after doing a few sessions in it I was back at full speed with a whole new perspective on producing.

Where do you go for support?

From the Knowledgebase to millions of videos on YouTube, or texting one of my friends about Studio One, there’s never a shortage of support.

Recent projects? What’s next for you?

Last week I released my first Vocal Sample Pack on Splice that I’m really proud of. Currently, I’m in the middle of writing for my album, while also producing a record for Gabriel Conte!

Keep up with Denny on Instagram! 

Check out his work on Spotify!

 

 

Buy his Vocal Sample Pack from Splice Here! 

Glenn Rosenstein on the FaderPort 16 and and the StudioLive Ecosystem

This just in from Glenn Rosenstein, a three-time Grammy-winning mix engineer whose credits include U2, Madonna, Talking Heads, The Ramones, James Brown, Miles Davis and many others. His work in film and television has landed him both an Oscar and a Golden Globe while working on projects including The Sopranos, Celebrity Circus, The Last Emperor, Blown Away, Married To The Mob, Charmed, Beverly Hills 90210, All My Children and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. We recently got in touch with him to get his perspective on all things PreSonus.

Hey Glenn. Tell us about yourself!

I’ve had a fun career that’s led me to many musical adventures. I started early on at Power Station in NYC, then as a staff engineer at Sigma Sound Studio. I became an independent mixer, then producer, eventually winning some Grammys and selling a bunch of records, back when that was a possibility. I’m still producing both for my Sony labels, as well as independently. I partner in a number of project studios in Nashville, Muscle Shoals, and New York, as well as having a room at historic Fame Studios. 

What PreSonus products have you used and which do you currently use?

I’ve always been a PreSonus user. As time goes on, PreSonus continues to release products that almost anticipate my needs. I started out with the ADL 600, a very tasty stereo mic pre from a few years back. I’ve put together a pretty cool room in my Muscle Shoals facility that’s centered around the StudioLive 64S, along with some great AVB powered PreSonus peripherals: The StudioLive 32R, the EarMix 16M, and the SW5E among them. Also to be found are the PreSonus R80 monitors and, of course, Studio One. And I always travel with my Faderport 16. Always.

For what applications are you using the products?

My PreSonus facility is very much a writing/production room that is easily convertible to a full-blown production studio. I like the creative ease and intuitive design that is integrated into all of the PreSonus cosmos of products. It’s simple to start off small—just creating some beats or a few phrases on guitar or a vocal idea—and easily push that to a bigger, more robust production without having to shift rigs.

What led you to choose these particular PreSonus products?

I had a pretty solid awareness of the PreSonus offerings for many years and was fortunate enough to meet and spend some time with Jim Odom. His backstory is steeped in music production and performance, and, ultimately, creating solutions that he wanted for himself. I liked that a lot. I still do. I totally get the narrative of PreSonus products, their evolution over the past few years, and their remarkable value. Jim and his team are always pushing the boundaries—they’re taking insane amounts of features and options and putting them in boxes that should cost five times what they’re asking. I have no idea how they get it done, but they do. And all that filters down into very usable tools that sound great and are fun to work with.

Having used the gear, what do you like most about the specific PreSonus products you use?

Let’s talk about the Faderport 16: A 16-channel control surface that fits under your arm—brilliant design and execution. Regardless of my preferred DAW, I always feel right at home. I’m in a hotel, it’s there. I’m in a rehearsal room, it’s there. Perfect combination of small footprint and functionality.

 

Glenn’s website

 

The FaderPort 8 is here!

 

http://www.presonus.com/products/FaderPort-8

With 8 touch-sensitive, motorized, 100 mm faders and 57 buttons covering 78 different functions, you can quickly zoom in on audio files for editing, adjust your click-track tempo with a simple tap, modify plug-in parameters, manage aux mixes—and, of course, control track levels with the touch of a finger. With the FaderPort 8, you’ll enjoy the fastest, most efficient workflow you’ve ever experienced.

Free Faderport with Purchase of Studio 192

free_faderport_300x300_3-16-16_nee01

The new Studio 192 has been enjoying rave reviews of late, but we’ve found a way to make it even better—by adding free stuff! If you’re looking to upgrade your recording interface to a Studio 192, you’ll be upgrading your workflow as well, as we’re offering a free FaderPort with purchases of the Studio 192 for a limited time.

The FaderPort is a mainstay of the PreSonus line, and has remained one of our best-selling items since we introduced it. You get intuitive, motorized fader control of Studio One of your DAW of choice in a tiny desktop footprint that doesn’t eat up your valuable, ever-decreasing desktop space. Once you’ve tried a FaderPort, there’s NO going back to mix-by-mouse. A FaderPort will usually set you back around $129 USD, but with this deal you get the following for FREE:

  • Motorized fader for controlling track levels and writing automation tracks
  • Transport control and Mark functionality
  • Mute, Solo, and Record control
  • Channel selection and navigation
  • Customizable key mappings

Interested? Find a dealer in your area and take home a Studio 192 and FaderPort. This combo can’t disappoint.

Click here to get the required rebate form.

Note that the Studio 192 Mobile is not eligible for this offer.



Great Scott; The FaderPort!

Seattle’s Brandon Scott has been saying nice things about us for a couple years now. Beneath his infinitely approachable demeanor, the guy is completely PreSonuCore. His home studio is almost completely draped in familiar silver and blue; a rack-mount roll-call finds the AudioBox 1818VSL, FireStudio Mobile, Studio One, and now the FaderPort all present and accounted for. The FaderPort is Scott’s latest acquisition, and he’s already singing the praises of portable power placed in the ‘Port’s petite profile—check out the cool video he made on the matter, below.

Hey Brandon – now that you’ve had some time to learn to love the FaderPort, try taking it away for a week and see what it does to your workflow. I DARE YOU!

Brandon’s been staying busy in true Scott form:

“Of late, I’m still writing some newer songs, recording some cover songs, doing a lot of video, and of course being a new daddy to a 7-month old has been challenging, but also amazing all at the same time. That’s probably my best job ever over anything else.”

“I’ve been doing a lot of mixing projects for people, of course using the amazingly beautiful Studio One. I’ve also gotten into video lately, I use Studio One to render any needed audio effects, and then bounce it back out to Final Cut or Adobe Premiere—and it lines up perfectly!”

“I want to thank you all for what you do for someone small like me. I appreciate you all at PreSonus and love you and Rick. Next time you all are out in Seattle let me know so we can hook up!”

Follow Brandon Scott on Twitter.

Enter to Win a FREE Recording Package in the Flying Colors Gear Giveaway!

Click here to enter!

We’re celebrating the release of Flying Colors’ Live in Europe by giving away a killer prize package including a FireStudio Mobile, FaderPort, HD7 headphones, and a deluxe edition of Live in Europe that includes a Blu-Ray disc, double-CD album, and a triple-LP for you old-school vinyl lovers out there!

To enter, just click on over to the following link, or click on “Flying Colors Gear Giveaway” under our cover graphic on Facebook!

You’ll receive a great package of high-res photos of Flying Colors JUST FOR ENTERING!

Flying Colors is:
Steve Morse: Lead and Rhythm Guitar
Casey McPherson: Vocals, Keyboards, Rhythm Guitar
Neal Morse: Keyboard, Vocals
Dave LaRue: Bass Guitar
Mike Portnoy: Drums, Percussion, Vocals

The band was launched in 2012 with a simple idea from executive producer Bill Evans: virtuoso musicians and a pop singer joining together to make new-fashioned music the old-fashioned way: by hand. Live In Europe captures the supergroup in Tilburg, NL. Formats are region-free Blu-ray and DVD, 2-CD, 3-LP Vinyl, iTunes HD (Mastered for iTunes) and Amazon MP3.


Click here to check out Flying Colors on Facebook!

Click here to enter!

DJ Craig Wood Finds Faderport, Creative Utopia Follows

Ain’t no party like a Craig Wood party

[This just in from DJ Craig Wood, thorough wordsmith and PreSonus advocate. He recently got a FaderPort, and apparently it has changed his life. I recommend going to the kitchen for a minute and making a sandwhich, as in the Twitter-era, this is War and Peace. Not to mean it’s long. I mean it’s a literary classic!]
Hey PreSonus! Below you’ll find my review of the omnipotent controller that is the PreSonus FaderPort. Feel free to publish, post, tattoo, etc!
Having spent several years working “in the box” with Apple Logic 9, my production partner began to view it as a bit of stagnant piece of software in terms of both its functionality as well as its ability to get our creative juices flowing. We decided to jump ship to PreSonus Studio One after having been told by many of our colleagues that we’d be in for a treat. To sweeten the deal, the timing of our new purchase coincided with a PreSonus promotion offering a FREE FaderPort. After spending many hours over the course of a week with this baby, I’m wondering how I could ever live without it.
After many years of hands-on time playing guitar and DJing, there’s nothing I appreciate more than being able to incorporate a bit of tactile response within my little basement studio setup. There’s something refreshing about being able to press the keys of my MIDI keyboard, hit the pads on my Maschine MK2 or turn the knobs of my beloved Virus B module. PreSonus’ FaderPort has certainly found a spot in my “Hall of Things to Touch in a Non-Creepy Way.”
Installation
What installation? Seriously. I simply connected the USB and AC power and I was running! I couldn’t get any easier than this. In the interest of full disclosure, I didn’t try FaderPort with my other DAWs, Ableton Live 9 and Logic 9/10… and why would I? Studio One is the sh*t! But I digress.
On the Surface
The controller itself is easy enough to figure out, and comes with the essentials which I will conveniently breakdown in bullet-point fashion to prevent a wall of text from forming:

  • A touch-sensitive, silky-smooth motor-controlled (YES, motor-controlled!) fader that makes about as much noise as rubbing your hands together (you’re doing that right now, aren’t you?).
  • The standard array of transport/channel buttons (Play, Mute, Solo, etc.) in addition to a bonus “User” button to define your own actions and a “Shift” button to obtain secondary functionality with the transport buttons.
  • A row of buttons dedicated to quickly access different window views (goodbye “F” keys!).
  • A row of buttons dedicated to navigating the tracks of your mixer…that consequently results in your motorized fader adjusting to match the volume of the respective track. In other words, less screen starting and more fader moving!
  • An “endless” pot control for the respective track channel’s balance.
In Practice
Let me make this perfectly clear: if you own Studio One, you need to own FaderPort. Personally, I like to work fast when inspiration strikes. Being able to keep one hand on my trackpad with the other hand on FaderPort has me working at speeds that would make the Flash bow his head in shame. The ability to quickly access interface windows and physically adjust the volume on any given track is an incredible time-saver. The buttons have a satisfying”click” to them.
Parting Words
While reading this review you may feel as though my tone is a bit shill. I assure you I’m no salesman, just an excited music maker who has taken a strong liking to a simplistically brilliant piece of hardware that works straight out of the box. By eliminating the need to constantly hunt for keyboard shortcuts, I can apply that time saved to the one thing every producer–no matter how famous–strives for: more opportunity to be creative.
About the Guy Who Wrote This
Craig Wood is a nerd who has surrounded himself with technology and music throughout his 32 years on this Earth. He’s one half of the EDM production group that goes by Stepchild. (Shill: Debut EP available on Heavy Artillery Recordings!) He enjoys heavy basslines, drop-kicking mannequins, and writing review bios in the third person. He will not rest until he unleashes his revenge against the six-fingered man.

#TeamPreSonus Spotlight: Spud Too Tight of The Producer’s Corner!

[We decided it best to give some recognition to our more vocal advocates—and what better way than via a blog series?]

Who are you, where are you, and what do you do?

My name is Spud Too Tight based out of Minneapolis, MN, I’m a producer/keyboardist and host of The Producer’s Corner with Spud Too Tight—A celebrity-driven music production & tech talk show since 2009. It’s the new hot spot where Billboard chart-topping, award-winning, Grammy-award winning & platinum-selling icons sit down and discuss their craft. I’ve interviewed some of the biggest names in the business such as George Duke, Jeff Lorber, Larry Graham, Brian Culbertson, Gerald Albright, Fourplay, Marion Meadows, Gloria Loring, Mindi Abair, Joyce Cooling, DJ BattleCat, The Justice League, Cool & Dre, and a long list of others.

I am also the Inventor of V.S.C. (Virtual Studio Configuration) A new studio wiring configuration that allows musicians to stream audio directly from any DAW (PC or MAC) or analog setup over the Web in stereo without any feedback or audio looping issues. I use WebRTC chat services that provide real-time communication. As musicians, we can run into obstacles preventing us from making rehearsal or recording sessions that may require us to fly out of town. The traditional days of playing music over the Internet would consist of either using your internal microphone on your laptop or desktop, or using a USB microphone. It’s an instant turn-off to collaborate online effectively without good audio clarity. As musicians, we need to be able to hear what’s going on in the song. If we are going to collaborate online, we need to be able to hear the low end of the bass, some nice punch from the midrange and brightness from the high end of the mix. When your studio is configured with V.S.C., you will be able to stream and monitor music online directly through your studio. I also use various screen sharing and remote desktop control programs to give me more of an interactive experience working as a virtual musician.

 

How were you introduced to PreSonus?

I had the pleasure of chopping it up 1×1 with legendary music producer Teddy Riley. He introduced me to PreSonus and Studio One. Teddy Riley is my biggest influence as a keyboardist, producer and tech expert, so I was all ears when he started sharing with me what PreSonus had to offer! Our conversation got really HEAVY on production and engineering—and at that time, I was using another DAW for all of my work but I wasn’t truly happy or inspired to create. After my conversations with Teddy, I was eager to make a big change including switching from Mac to PC as well, which was a hard sell. So I purchased Studio One Pro and Teddy advised me for starters to first create some generic test tracks, tracking with my hardware and software MIDI instruments. He recommended to quantize them and listen to the timing of tracks on playback and compare it with my other DAW. The difference was night and day and worlds apart. I was immediately sold!

What PreSonus software/hardware do you use and for what purpose?

I use Studio One Professional for all of my tracking, recording, editing, and sound design projects. It is my main platform for all of my musical ideas. Studio One has changed the way I create as a composer. I feel more inspired as a musician than ever before. I have over 100+ plug-ins so the drag-and-drop functionality and the search bar in the browser for my VST’s and samples really helps me narrow the search down. The automatic time stretching feature and Melodyne integrated right in the DAW: priceless! I also use the PreSonus FaderPort to assist with my editing and recording tasks. I love having the layout and the feel of the FaderPort, excellent build quality, quick access to my Mix, Edit, and Browser windows, and adding a motorized fader was the icing on the cake! I also converted A.Rapheal, (film and music producer as well as my beta tester for V.S.C.)  from another DAW over to Studio One and he hasn’t looked back since.

What’s so great about PreSonus, anyhow?

I see nothing but passion behind the extraordinary PreSonus products. From interfaces, mic preamps and headphone distribution amplifiers, and now the new Eris & Sceptre studio monitors, finally we have the perfect tools for musicians and recording engineers created and built by some of the most prolific tech experts, musicians, and recording engineers. It’s always exciting to see new product releases and it’s so easy to recommend PreSonus to other musicians… a true one-stop shop. I look forward to their new lines in the future!

Where can our readers learn more about you online?

http://www.spudtootight.com   

https://twitter.com/spudtootight   

http://www.linkedin.com/in/spudtootight

Damon Humphrey, Up All Night on Studio One Professional 2.5

[This just in from Damon Humphrey, who was kind enough to offer insightful As to our run-of-the-mill Qs regarding his company, After Midnight Productions—that’s AMP, to you.]
Hey PreSonus! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experiences! If you need anything, please let me know. Thanks again.
  • How and when did you get involved in music? How long has AMP been running?
 I got involved in music by accident actually, my friend—and now business partner—Sean Fields was always involved with music. He asked me how I would feel about starting up a music production company. Without any hesitation, I said yes! We came up with a plan, put together a demo, and earned enough money to go official in 2003.  I first started out doing the marketing and promotion, which led us to our first client. That’s when I got into producing!
  • What PreSonus stuff do you use?
Right now I use Studio One Professional 2.5, and I am using the PreSonus FaderPort.
  • What were you using before PreSonus, and why did you switch?
I was using FL Studio, which I still do now, ReWired, or I may track out and mix in Studio One, which I do a lot of. I’ve used Reason, Sonar and Logic as well. But feel that it is much easier to do what I want to do in Studio One without struggling to do it. To get where I want to go, there are simply fewer steps. Studio One speeds up the process.
  • What are some of your favorite features?
My favorite features? Hmm, there are too many to mention, LOL! But, I really like the drag-and-drop feature, without multiple shortcut keys. I also like being able to move around in the DAW without thinking too hard, by not having to go through several menus and sub-menus. For example, I never bothered with bussing in FL Studio, because it was too complicated. I would end up loading up plug-ins on each channel. In Studio One, setting up the bus is simple. It’s just a right click, and select Add Bus for Selected Tracks.  I can then add a single instance of the Compressor to the whole bus.  That is a definite time saver, and also works with sends. Thanks to Studio One, I now have a better understanding of the way effects chains work.
  • Any tips’n’tricks or production secrets you can share?
Well, this can be implemented in all DAWS, but, for those who have had issues with their drums not sounding punchy, and full: stacking is the key. Also, knowing how to compress and EQ with minimal settings. In other words, less is more when it comes to those type of things. Taking your time to learn the DAW without rushing is the key to getting great sound out of the software. Know that when your drums start clipping, back off a little, that will make a huge difference. ALSO—and this is a big tip I am starting to do it myself—listen to a reference mix of your favorite artist and try and get your beat or song to sound just as clear and loud as that, with out over-doing it… Keeping in mind what I mentioned before: less is more.

 

 

Siegfried Meier on PreSonus and Beach Road Studios

[This just in from Siegfried Meier at the stunning Beach Road Studios!]

Pretty!

Hey PreSonus team!

At Beach Road, we use a few pieces of PreSonus gear that are in regular use each and every day. At the forefront of our monitoring rig, we use a Central Station that has a custom built PSU by none other than rad PreSonus audio dude Chad Kelly. The unit was awesome before, but has been made more awesome by this simple upgrade. We also make heavy use of a FaderPort during all of our tracking and mixing to have some hands-on control when setting up the sessions.
Furthermore, we’ve also got a mobile recording rig that is comprised in part by a pair of PreSonus Digimax LT units, which are used to capture anything from drums to guitars to vocals on our remote sessions. The mic pres in the LT’s are fantastic, (as are all of the PreSonus pres,) and pack quite a punch in such a small 1U space. A PreSonus HP4 handles all of the headphone duties, since the amps are so blisteringly loud, and the unit is über small and fits in well when trying to keep the load light on the road.
Studio One Professional 2  gets a lot of use as well. It’s used on our main rig for simple editing and mastering, as well as on our mobile rig for the same. We also keep it installed  on both our playback and recording rigs in our high-end mastering room for various tasks.