Earlier today, as a part of working on another blog post, I swung over to the old Youtube, checking out various tutorials on various music production tools.. What I was sorta astonished by was.. well, how bad all the tutorials that I happened to bump into.. were. This, of course, would be what we call in the biz “an opportunity.” I could attempt to make tutorials that were actually good.. I mean, just imagine, right?

What sorta tutorials would I make?

One tutorial I checked out was on the Masterworks EQ in Digital Performer.. accept it didn’t really show off very much more then “press this button, turn this knob, it does this,” and there were a number of features to the Masterworks EQ that it didn’t bother to even touch on. So, that got me to thinking what I’d do if I were doing an EQ in Digital Performer type tutorial.. Here’s a basic list.

1. What roll does EQ play in mixing: Coloration, and Frequency Shaping
2. A talk on EQs in general: Why would you use the Masterworks EQ versus other other EQs in DP, what other EQs might you think of adding to you’re studio, and why? Because any tutorials I’d make would be based around what’s going on in my studio.. I’d of course talk about Liquid MIX. But we’d also just basically talk about different types of EQs.
3. Typical EQ Applications and Guide lines: Various instruments.. including the human voice, take place along very particular frequency ranges.. and EQing those instruments in different ways have different effects.. for instance there are certain frequencies, relative to the human voice, which are the frequencies that are important to figuring out what the hell someone is saying.. 

That pretty much covers you’re EQ 101.. and really, that’s a conversation that applies no matter what production environment we are looking at. Indeed I could see.. showing EQs in other apps like Reason, or filters in synths.. 

But one assumes the subject of EQ would probably have to take place over multiple videos.. or once you start talking about filters in synths it does….

I could imagine doing so many videos on so many subjects that I eventually take you up to the level I’m at.. which, I’m starting to realize is.. actually not that bad of a level at all. Normally I feel like my music production skills aren’t really that great.. or I’m always thinking about how much more I have to learn.. how far away I am from the real masters of the Art.. but.. I’m starting to get the picture that.. if you take a look at all the people whom are involved in working in music production.. and learning it.. I’m probably in the upper half… which is a little astonishing to me as.. it doesn’t feel like I’ve really been at it long enough to make such a claim.

This has always been a part of my strategy.. even if I’ve never gotten around to it.. and I suppose its some of the strategy of this blog. See.. growing up I read a lot of guitar magazines.. and in them you’d have little tutorials or whatever.. created by all these guitar heros.. and it was clearly a part something that worked to help the guitarists careers, as the people coming up as guitarists.. well we looked up to those guys, you know? And we evangelized those guys. 

I guess the idea is really.. well my ideal teacher would be someone who shows you the stuff, and gives you some context for it.. and in the process.. you realize that you’re teacher is “A Real Artist” as a pose to someone who fits under the category of “those who can’t teach.” Frankly.. I’ve had very few true artist teachers in my life.. or true in a sense that corresponds to my ideals anyway. So.. I guess we’ll see how well it works..  

This entry was posted on Monday, January 19th, 2009 at 7:12 am and is filed under Digital Performer, Music Production, film making, social media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.