10 Affordable Mics

Audiotuts has a good article on affordable mics and what to use them for:

Making music is perhaps one of the most expensive hobbies in the world—that is, aside from tasting truffles. When you’re looking to set up a decent home studio, it’s hard to find a way to stay within budget without ending up with a terrible sound. Here are ten options to minimize expenditure while still getting a decent sound out of your system at the end of the day, by buying smart when it comes to one of the most important types of studio equipment: microphones.

Mosquito Tones

I've finally gotten around to checking out the so-called "Mosquito Tone" that I've been hearing about for awhile. For those who aren't familiar with it, a mosquito tone is a 17 kHz tone that can be heard by younger people, but not usually by those of us over thirty. Some kids are using it as a ringtone so teachers or parents won't know when they get calls or text messages. Ironically, it started as a system to stop kids from loitering.
Plasticmind//Journal has a series of tones to determine what frequencies you can hear.
As a music fan (and as someone approaching middle age), I don't like the thought of losing my hearing, so I was hoping that it was an urban legend or at least that I'd be able to hear it. Alas, I couldn't hear the 16, 17 or 18 kHz tones. My 5-year old boy could, however (I even tried to trick him, but he always got it right).
I don't think I'm missing much though, considering how my ears felt after listening to the tones. It was designed to annoy people, after all.
Here's a more thorough article with an explanation of Presbycusis - the gradual hearing loss associated with aging.

This is Rock-n-Roll

AC/DC hasn't been an indie band for decades, but this song rocks, and the video's about as indie as you can get. It should be every band's theme song.

To maintain our indie cred, here's Billy Corgan doing an acoustic version, apparently on a street in Italy. I've never been a big fan, especially since he put Paris Hilton on the cover of a record, but he seems pretty cool to do this.

Soundproof your Garage

The folks at HomeRecordingConnection.com have a bunch of tips and resources for musicians. Here's an article on soundproofing your garage on the cheap.

In my room, we initially covered every wall completely and ended up with the guitar and bass not being able to hear each other. We could both hear the drums, but not each other. So, we took down crates until it livened up. It ended up in a checkerboard on the back wall and ceiling. We painted the egg crates black for the back wall giving it a real checkerboard look. We painted the crates for the ceiling four different fluorescent colors and ran the colors diagonally on the ceiling. Behind the band, on the wall covering the garage door, we painted a big rainbow on a sky blue background and hung black sheets draping to the side to look like stage curtains on the rainbow wall. It was very colorful and became a minor legend in the South Houston area.

A nice shag rug on the floor and a drum riser 12" high gave us the best amateur practice/jamming/recording room on the Gulf Coast. KHOU FM radio station even brought their mobile recording/broadcast truck out and did a "Seeds of Rock 'n Roll" show taping from our studio. That was a gas, whatta' party ! !

It would be a better site if they got rid of all the useless advertising links in the article. Also, it would help if they added some pics.

I didn't know this...

Band Wanted

Spin Magazine and Music Nation are looking for unsigned bands to enter their Band Wanted contest:

Videos • MP3s • Photos • Event Listings

Music Nation wants to give you a record deal! But to get it, you need to upload your music videos, MP3s and pictures. Post blogs, leave comments and promote your shows. Impress our judges and mobilize the fans to go to the next level.


Embed Your Video • Email Your Friends

The Music Nation player can be embedded anywhere: MySpace, in blogs and on your homepage. Everywhere you can use code, you can place your video. Our player is higher quality than the competition. If you want fans to see your work at its best, use us.


Vote Online • Vote Via SMS • Vote

Let artists know how you feel by casting your votes and rating their videos. You can vote online, via text or ESP. Okay, so you can't vote using mind tricks yet, but we're working on it. Hit up our forums or talk to your favorite artists one on one with our messaging system.


Win A Record Deal • Win Weekly Prizes

Music Nation will reward the very best Spin Hot Pursuit artist with a record deal, professional gear, cool threads and everything else it takes to become a career musician. Weekly winners can take home sweet prizes, too. The biggest fans and boldest talkers in our forums will also be recognized and rewarded.

Win a development deal with Epic, a slot at Spin's SXSW party in 2008, a song inclusion in an upcoming video game, and some more stuff. Perry Farrell will be one of the judges.

Music Nation has another contest going for bands around New England:

NEW ENGLAND BANDS, time to make your hometown's proud! Create your Music Nation profile and get started on your Rock Star Rising entry now. Upload your videos, MP3s and photos, and start using the promotional tools. The judges will be watching, The Phoenix, WFNX and Music Nation communities will be voting. One hard-working band will be handed a record contract, perform at the WFNX holiday show, and be carried on the shoulders of New England rock fans from here to eternity...

In Case You Were Wondering...

Wearing a stocking cap when it's above 70 is stupid.
If you're thinking it says something like "I'm so cool that I can't keep my head warm!", you're wrong.
And you're stupid.
During the '90s, musicians in Seattle would wear stocking caps because Seattle is in the North and it can get chilly there. That's the same reason they wore flannel shirts. I'm betting that alot of those guys didn't dress like that when it was warm, but they had their picture taken that way and it became the style.
That was over a decade ago. It's over. Stocking caps were the '90s version of the '80s headband. You don't see guys wearing headbands much do you? Headbands actually make more sense because they are made to catch the sweat that pours off you when you're rocking out. Maybe headbands should make a comeback. Maybe I'll start wearing one.
Just some friendly advice.
No one else cares enough to tell you how stupid you look, but I do.
You look stupid.
So stop it.