Do you want to own Reason or do you already own it but aren’t sure exactly how to use it?

Then head on over to Propellerhead Software’s YouTube channel and check out their extensive collection of videos covering Reason. You will also find videos on Record and other Propellerhead products.

Now when you buy an Alesis Master Control you can also receive free studio monitors by following the instructions in this Alesis Studio Monitor Rebate. The monitors you receive are the Alesis M1Active 520s, a $499 value.

Sony is offering a free copy of Acid Music Studio 7 for purchasers of the Sony MDR-7506 headphones. You must purchase your pair of 7506’s by December 31, 2009 to qualify. You must also fill out a rebate form and send it in to receive your copy of the software.

The MDR-7506 headphones have a street price around $100 and offer several excellent features such as great frequency response and the ability to be folded up for portability.

More information is available at www.sony.com/mdr7506-acid.

As always we encourage you to shop zZounds for their low prices, free shipping, and no sales tax!

In case you missed these posts, let me mention them again. I am working on making an indexed page where they can reside. Oddly enough the post on the Maxon tube screamer is the most visited of all our posts.

• Maxon OD808 = Ibanez Tube Screamer 808
  A post on how these pedals are the same, but you will save a chunk of change going with the Maxon.
• How to add a header image to your myspace
  It’s easier than it seems, though you could spend days looking for the myspace code for it.
• Downloadable tab files
• Sell your CD at your local record shop
  How to distribute an album yourself!
• The right way to grow your friends list on Myspace
  A downloadable PDF we put together that details some methods for (legally) adding tons of friends and keeping them up to date on all your shows.

Probably the hardest piece of recording is the drums. If you are trying to get a great drum recording on a budget, you should know that doing so “on a budget” is impossible. The sound of drums on a good recording usually comes from a great-sounding, acoustically-treated room and an experienced engineer using expensive gear.

Luckily, technology has afforded us several other options. In addition to the ability to use programmable drums like BFD or Drumkit-from-Hell, you might think about drum replacement software like Drumagog. This plug-in works in your computer recording program to analyze an existing drum track and replace each hit with a sample you choose. This means that, for instance, if you record and your snare (or whatever drum) doesn’t sound right, you can just use Drumagog to replace the sound with another.

Here are some other ways to use it:

• Use the included drum library to replace the natural sound of your drum! It’s still you playing, but it’s like you’re playing a high-priced kit in a great studio!
• If most of your drum track sounds good but a few hits don’t have the punch, or have clipped, or the stick hit the microphone, simply record an individual hit of your drum that is as punchy (or whatever) as you want it, and use Drumagog to replace the old hits with your new one. It’s still you playing your drums, but you get the best sound of your drum!
• Use Drumagog to replace your drum sounds with electronic or other samples. Suddenly you have the sound of a drum machine, but with natural feel of a live drummer rather than a stiff, quantized beat!
• Or use your imagination.

At less than $300, that’s a very powerful tool within reach of even the modest budget.

Find out more about Drumagog or feel free to comment below with your questions and maybe the community here can answer them!

Super cool. So I was planning on at some point doing a mega-review of the major USB recording interfaces out there (boxes you plug into your computer that let you record from a mic or other source) but this awesome deal came up so let me pass it on now.

FYI this one would have been the winner of my roundup versus the Line 6 and Alesis models in the same price range.

It’s the Tascam US-122. Right now zZounds is offering this interface with a bundle deal for just $130 (and free shipping) that includes the US-122, Cubase recording software, and Tascam headphones and a microphone. This is everything you need for live acoustic demos, or full band demos if you are not multi-tracking everything. You can also use it for rough recordings of practices to help you know if a part is working or not.

I highly recommend it! Here’s why:

• Stable hardware and drivers. Tascam has been doing the USB interface longer than most and you won’t get a lot of the quirks and crashes with the US-122 that you will with other newer interfaces.
• Great price. It still includes everything you need to begin recording with your laptop or computer for just over $100.
• 16 channels of MIDI I/O. This is something, for instance, that the Line 6 POD studio interfaces don’t offer.
• Analog inserts. These are also unique to the US-122. They allow you to easily insert effects like compression into your recording chain which is a necessity for tracking vocals.

Have you tried recording at your practice space or at home and you keep getting a hum for some reason? Doesn’t make those demos so good does it? Or say your PA in your practice space hums no matter what you do? The solution might be in this little box, the Rolls Buzz Off Hum Eliminator. It’s a two-channel box made to sit between your mixer and PA or possibly between rackmount effects you might be using. Just put this in the signal chain and you should hear all that hum disappear.

To educate yourself on ground loops read this epanorama article. If you’re recording or working with live sound for the first time, this is valuable information you should know.

That’s right. zZounds has a warehouse resealed Digidesign Digi003 right now for $1079.95. They also have some of the other bundles available for cheaper than we’ve seen them anywhere! For instance, you can get a brand new Digi 003 with a Audio Technica AT2020 microphone for just $1199.00.

Are you recording soon? The Project Studio Handbook is a web site that has collected hundreds of recording-related articles together in one useful place and categorized them all. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced in the recording process, this site is a helpful point of reference and a great place to learn!

http://www.theprojectstudiohandbook.com

Your ears are the most important instrument you have. Before you go to practice and rawk, be smart about how to preserve your hearing. We encourage you to read the awesome Are You At Risk? article over at H.E.A.R’s website. Better safe than deaf!

One great thing the article notes is that conventional earplugs will cut highs but let too much bass through, making things sound muddy. The best solution is to get custom-molded earplugs. Many struggling musicians can’t afford the cost, though, and if that’s you, check out these great earplugs over at zZounds. Both of these earplugs will provide an even cut of sound over all frequencies, meaning you can practice safely while still hearing everything.

Hearos High Fidelity Ear Plugs

Vater Safe and Sound Ear Plugs

Practice is a series of blogs devoted to helping you get the most out of your practice times, either individually or as a band.