Friday, 29 July 2011

Classical Remakes CD - Volume One


White Beetle Ltd proudly presents Classial Remakes CD - Volume One. Containing 21 Classical music themes all reworked with contemporary styled production. Including famous works from Bach, Beethoven, Bizet, Borodin, Brahms, Gluck, Mozart, Offenbach, Pachelbel, Rossini, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Verdi and Vivaldi . All titles are given a modern reworking from talented compoer/arranger Alex Khaskin. A variety of emotions and modern styles, such as pop, drum and bass, ambient, Latin pop and electronic dance music are on offer. The detail of the original versions have been highly respected and it is this merging of Classical instruments and melodies with modern arrangements and beats that makes for such an exciting and innovative royalty free music collection.

So if you have ever wondered what "Four Seasons" sounds like with a modern pop/dance treatment then look no further. The skill of the arranger/producer results in a very accomplished collection of adaptations of famous Classical and Baroque pieces. Each piece has its own web page where additional information is available on the reworking and also interesting trivia and details on the composers lives and works. From a professional perspective this CD compilation should prove an excellent addition to the media producers audio library not least for those working in commercial film, corporate film and commercial advertising.

Thanks for reading,

John

Tuesday, 12 July 2011

Two royalty free music CDs released today!




Today we have released two Royalty Free Music collections, the one shown above, Film Music Collection CD - Volume One (containing an eclectic mix of twelve modern film scores) and the one shown below: Lounge Jazz CD - Volume One (containing no less than fourteen very cool contemporary Lounge Jazz pieces). Both CD's contain great quality contemporary music that is eminently suitable for media producers working in film, televsion, radio, advertising, video games and the corporate world. We are really happy to present these two compilations as they both come from one of our top composers, Peter Schreiber. Media producers familiar with his work will testify to its high quality, accessibility and contemporary feel.

The Film Music Collection CD - Volume One, as you might expect is aimed at the film maker, particularly film makers fo limited means who need very high quality music at affordable price.
The beauty of this actual release is that each piece contains several different movements so if used wisely, with good editing skills, one can adapt one piece of music to several music beds.

The Lounge Jazz CD - Volume One oozes sophistication and charm and should attract the media producer in general, including television and radio advertising as well as corporate and web media producers. As ever, price is an important issue and as always we are working to offer great quality music at great prices with very interesting license options. With this in mind, our returning customers know that we suceed where many others fail. Please feel free to explore these new compilations at www.whitebeetle.com. Thanks for now, John







Wednesday, 1 June 2011

G.711 Music On Hold

Hi there everyone, just a shortish announcement to say we have now added the G.711 standard to all our individual music on hold/MOH products with CD compilations in G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law formats coming soon.

The reason why we have added the G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law format to our individual MOH products is because we often get customers asking us if we can do the conversion from wav or mp3 format to G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law because their telephone systems will only accept G.711 A-law or G.711 u-Law. So, having the G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law formats readily available should save time for our customers.

Why are there two different formats you may ask? Well, while G.711 A-law and G.711 u-Law are very similar they are not the same and telephony systems in Europe have been developed to work with the G.711 u-Law while in the US and Japan telephony systems use G.711 A-law.

To prevent clients from buying the wrong version we have bundled both products together. So when a client downloads the zip file they will find two folders inside, one containing the G.711 A-law format and the other containing G.711 u-Law.

Confusion over u-law, mu-law and µ-law is common place, so what is the difference you ask? Well, first thing is that all three refer to the same algorithim and format. The correct name is µ-law but because "µ" looks like a run of the mill "u" some people call the format "u-law" instead of "µ-law". Okay fair enough you say, so why "mu-law"? Where does that come in? Well the "µ" symbol is from the Greek alphabet and guess what? It is pronounced "mu"! So we have the scientific name µ-law, the visual interpretation u-law and last but not least the aural interpetation mu-law. Clear as mud, I know.

So just to recap, White Beetle Ltd now offers its individual MOH products in the following formats:

WAV 41100 khz (stereo)
MP3 320Kbit (stereo)
G.711 A-law/G.711 u-Law (mono, 8-bit,8khz)


That's it for now, thanks for your time.

John

Wednesday, 28 July 2010

iMovie & Royalty Free Music

Hi there,

just been playing around with iMovie at home, not something I normally would use and I was amazed at the great features and effects included; such as Ken Burns effect, the transitioning tools and also the title effect which also allow you to use your own fonts.

Also, using music, splicing and fading is really easy. I've used some of whitebeetle's royalty free music catalogue for this little video, in particular from the composer Alex Khaskin. The video footage is in the public domain and was shot by C E Price, while the stills are from my own colllection.

Just a bit of fun but you can see good results fast and this makes iMovie & www.whitebeetle.com great choices for getting your media out there fast.

Cheers,

John


Thursday, 8 July 2010

New US Version - Guitar & Piano Music On Hold CD

One of our best sellers for Music On Hold has been the Guitar and Piano Music On Hold CD and as of today this CD/digital download will no longer be available. Why you may ask?

Well it is kind of still available but as a new improved format that is available as a US version and a UK version and we have added more features to boot which I will briefly cover in this post.
  1. We have reduced the playlist to 11 music on hold tracks from 13 but, crucially, embedded vocal messages of assurance into the tracks (US Version uses an American accent and the UK version uses a British accent).
  2. We have added all 11 tracks without embedded vocal messages as well, giving you more flexibility for programing your music on hold hardware.
  3. We have added the vocal messages on their on as well further giving you more flexibility for programing your music on hold hardware.
  4. Often overlooked but a key feature is the price and yes for 2010 you get all these new features for the same price of the old version.
This music on hold cd/digital download is primarily aimed at small businesses and is a complete off the shelf solution, there are no hidden fees or ASCAP/BMI memberships required as all recordings are owned by White Beetle Ltd. This product is only available from White Beetle Ltd.

To preview in full please goto the Guitar & Piano Music - On Hold CD US version product page.

Also here is a short promotional for the release of Guitar & Piano - Music On Hold CD:




Thursday, 7 January 2010

Advice for recording Electric Guitar

Hi there, here is a blog article for guitarists and people who record guitarists on some of the recording techniques for recording electric guitar that I have learnt over the years. Firstly before you start to record yourself or somebody else playing guitar think and discuss the sound you want to record, is it an upfront sound cutting and direct or does it need to be softer or more ambient? Knowing what you want will help you determine where to put the microphone or microphones or whether you use a microphone or not.

Secondly, new strings will always give the best results because you can dull the sound by cutting the mid range but if the strings are old you cannot really brighten them up and the attack will be slow as old strings do not react as quickly as new ones and are impossible to tune properly. Which leads us on to an even more crucial issue.

Tuning, is the guitar out of tune? Tell the guitarist to tune up and make sure they have referenced their tuning with the song they are recording because sometimes a tuner can be defective or the keyboards are tuned up or down a little. Remember out of tune guitars stick out lick sore thumbs! If the guitar is going out of tune while recording then get the player to stretch the strings in by bending each string up and down the neck then tune repeating this process until the guitar stays in tune, this may take ten minutes but will save time and heartache in the long run.

An often neglected aspect of tuning is intonation. Check the intonation on the guitar and if it is not good then get it sorted as it will create weird tuning issues particularly further up the neck. If the guitar is a dud then find one that is not. If you do not know how to do the intonation then you tube it!

While the guitarist is sorting out his tuning and warming up his fingers get some boom stands set up around his amplifier. For starters mic the amp close with a dynamic microphone such as Shure SM57, there are plenty of inexpensive dynamic microphones that will do a good job. Move the microphone around until you find the sweet spot or best sounding speaker, having someone move the microphone while the guitarist plays and you monitor in the control room is the easiest way to detect it, obviously you need to let them know when they have found it so they can get the microphone on a stand in that exact spot. A forty five degree angle pointing in towards the center dome an inch from the grill usually works well but experimenting is important and helps build experience.

Micing the amplifier from a distance (ambient micing) will produce softer rounder tones so at first try six feet away maybe five feet from the floor with a large diaphragm condenser microphone (you do not need a Neumann to get good results) pointing towards the speaker. Move the microphone further or closer to the amp according to the sound you want to capture. Again monitoring in the control room while someone moves the microphone is a good move.

Think about where the amplifier is situated in the room, what surfaces is the sound reflecting off? Impromptu baffles such as sofas and mattresses can tame nasty reflections. You can even create a tunnel for the speaker using blankets chairs etc, this keeps down noise and reduces reflections and you can usually close and ambient mic it too giving you good options in the mix with a cleanly recorded sound. Also try putting the amplifier on a crate or a platform as this will change the character of the sound as the sound hits and reflects off the floor at a different rate. If the amp has an open back stick a microphone there, it may sound good.

If you have the tracks spare then DI the guitar so if you are not convinced of the guitar sound you can rerecord it by sending out what you have recorded into a different amplifier this allows you to play with the settings when you have reflected on things a bit more. This is also great for trying amp simulators as a clean signal works best for such plugins. And remember recording direct into the desk with the trim well up can give you amazing distortion but not all mixing desk pre amps were born equal so do not expect the guitar sound from The Beatles’ Revolution from a 60 buck Behringer 4 channel mixer.

If you mic the amp close and far equalize and blend the two tracks in the mix to taste, usually on top of each other so they become one sound, one will probably need to be more prominent. And do not forget that if you are using multiple microphones always check for any phase issues.

Some engineers will close mic the actual guitar to get the sound of the plectrum hitting the strings and place it under the main guitar in the mix, this can change the perceived dynamics and attack. It is worth remembering that you don’t usually need to record electric guitars with compression and that recording electric guitars with no equalization (aka Flat) is not usually a problem. Remember the guitarist will probably know his sound better than you do so do not try to do his job for him. Also do not squash the sound: try to leave plenty of headroom when recording so that any dynamics and fast transients are not lost: peaking at -6 decibels is not the end of the world in this digital age.

Analyze the guitar sound as you go along and determine if the guitar sound is effects laden? If the sound is great then print it, if you are recording a direct signal too your options will still be open. If the guitar sound is a mess try to persuade the guitarist that applying effects after recording may be the way forward. Also determine if the guitarist knows his parts? If he does not you are probably wasting your time as well as his.

Route one stuff but try double tracking a part for fuller bigger thicker sounds. Or try double tracking a part with a different guitar for fuller bigger sounds. A lesser known technique is to double up any riffs on an acoustic guitar, if you want more weight, and place it under the main guitar in the mix, this too can change the perceived dynamics and attack; acoustic guitars have enormous dynamic range with fast transients.

With the advent of digital recording creating another track has never been easier but this does lead many towards complacency so always label parts and tracks properly: Take 005_17 may not mean a lot to you in six months time but if it is the killer solo you deleted by mistake you will soon start labeling things properly.

If you record a great performance but it is a bit out of time then digital editing can easily fix monophonic timing issues. Remember if you have several tracks for one Take edit them in blocks (all together) and always cross fade your edits! This will eliminate annoying pops and clicks.

Always try to make the guitarist feel comfortable, do not criticize his playing especially if he is paying you. As ever drink and drugs do not usually yield the best result and neither does redoing the same part fifty times. If it is not working then move on or try something different. Try to keep the mood light and positive and keep the work rate up: it is easy to get over analytical when recording guitars – as Joe Meek famously said: If it sounds right it is right.

If the guitars sound like mush try less distortion as this often gives a heavier more powerful sound – check out ACDC’s music and know your pears from your apples: sometimes a single coil guitar with gain sounds better than a humbucker guitar with gain for certain parts; the solo for Stairway To Heaven was played on a Fender Telecaster! And lastly, whether recording guitar or playing guitar for royalty free music, music on hold or Radiohead always do your best and after you get it down know when to quit: less IS more.


Monday, 14 December 2009

Free Xmas Music Gift for White Beetle Customers

Christmas is fast approaching and we putting the final touches to our Christmas gifts for all our customers. Our Xmas gifts will be delivered online on Wednesday 16th December. What are they? Well, that is a secret but what I can tell you is that, naturally, it is music and it can be used as Royalty Free Music or Music On Hold by our customers as much as they like.

Now if you are not yet a White Beetle customer you can receive our Xmas present without even making a purchase. Yes, that's right! All you have to do is register your basic details with us and subscribe to our newsletter before 18.00pm GMT Wednesday 16th December.

All subscribers will be kept up to date with all our activities and be eligible for all our exclusive offers and free gifts.

Subscribe here to White Beetle Ltd.

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Thanks,

John Milner

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