LSS newsletter #28 – December 2009
Merry Christmas!
in this issue:
Free plugins from IK Multimedia - LSS Students Only!
Free plugins from LSS for everyone
Short Courses and Masterclass in January
LSS Closing Times during the holidays
Our office will be closed between Saturday 19th of December 2009 and Sunday 10th of january 2010. If you send an email during this time, keep in mind that it might not get answered until later in the second week of January, as we go through the backlog which will have inevitably formed.
IK Multimedia FREE software and discounts
Are you familiar with IK Multimedia's amazing plugins? Among many others they produce T-Racks (mixing and mastering) and AmpliTube (virtual guitar amplifiers).
Being that it is Christmas and that many of you have been good boys and good girls, we have convinced IK Multimedia to give you a present. Actually, two.
If during December 2009 you were enrolled on a Music Production course you qualify for two free plugins from IK Multimedia. These are a high quality EQ and Guitar Amplifier which you can use without limitations on your Mac or PC. These plugins are not free with magazines or to download anywhere else, so don't miss this chance. Once you are registered with IK Multimedia you will also be able to upgrade or crossgrade to most other products for a reduced price. It's the gift that keeps on giving!
How to get your plugins: send an email to info@londonschoolofsound.co.uk with the subject "serial number' and your details (full name and which course you attended) to obtain your unique codes and download links. This offer is only valid in December and January, and keep in mind that emails will not be answered while the office is closed for holidays, so hurry up!
And more good news: if you have attended only a short course or have finished studying before December 2009, you can still benefit from exclusive discounts on ANY of their products. Visit IK Multimedia online store, choose your country, and follow the link for Educational > London School of Sound.
If you are wondering about the quality of any of those products, pop in for a visit at our studios in Angel or Clapham, and hear for yourself why we like them so much (The Classic Studio Reverb bundle is a regular feature in our Advanced Mixing course)
More Free LSS Plugins
About two years ago we came up with the idea of a DJ-friendly equaliser plugin for Ableton Live. This was announced in November 2007 and has been available as a free download ever since for anyone frustrated by the lack of anything better in Ableton Live.
While it is still possible to download the original LSS-DJeq VST plugin, the plugin itself requires having the Pluggo Runtime library installed. This is a software which can be downloaded for free but which from this year will not be developed anymore, so it's very unlikely that it will continue working with Windows 7 and Mac osx 10.6.2 (Snow Leopard).
So we have a new one coming out next year, and the beta version we are testing sounds much better than the old one.
This plugin is based on another free software called SonicBirth: just like Reaktor and Max/MSP, SonicBirth allows you to create your own plugins in AU and VST format, and unlike the other two, it is completely free. The bad news is that it's Mac only, but hopefully one day we'll get a PC version too.
In the meantime here is a crazy plugin for you to download: it's called the Dirty Bastard 4, and beware: it is dirty and it is a bastard. The parameters contain strong language of a sexual and violent nature, and LSS disapproves of its use in any context. Also remember that you will need to read the instructions to install it, and that the software is provided 'as is', with no guarantees that it will not melt your computer or damage your ears.
Equipment Upgrade News
In our effort to stay at the cutting edge of, er... everything, we have replaced all the iMacs that were in the North campus (they were two years old, so you know, it was either throw them away or having to empty the trash on the desktop) with brand new 21.5" iMacs.
All our computers now have Ableton Live 8.1 installed, Logic 9.02, and quite a few little other plugins (one of these days we should update the list on the website). We have purchased an AutomaticRoomCorrection system from IK Multimedia which will be demonstrated in our mixing course.
On the hardware side, we have a new Soundcraft Ghost 32 channel analogue mixer, a Roland SH201and Access Virus TI synths to play with,studio monitors from Acoustic Energy, Akai APC40 and Novation LaunchPad controllers, and there is plenty more to come for the studios next year. Stay tuned.
Now if you feel the itch to go and buy yourself a present, remember to check with our friends at Digital Village South for good advice and unbeatable prices.
LSS Students doing cool stuff
Music Production student Bruno Mayor has made a really cool short animation called 'Guerre Naive'. We are currently showing it in the school's reception and Mr. Kanye West has posted it on his personal blog. Go and see it here.
B-Projekt was doing the same course two years ago. His first album is doing very well in India, thanks also to a distribution deal with Universal. Watch his video and buy the album on http://www.bprojekt.com/
Another ex-student of Music Production, Fila (one half of Aly & Fila) has been doing great things for many years, and is number 22 in this year's DJMag top 100 DJs list! That's one step above Paul Oakenfold, just to give you an idea. He didn't get there because of the course, but because he works really hard. We are proud of you, Fila.
Brian Rose has done nothing less than directing his own short martial art movie, The Supremacy, and we have to wonder whether there is any connection between all the mixing and scratching he had done with us and some of the moves in the movie. On second thought, no, there isn't any connection.
This is just a selection of some of the last things we have heard from you guys. Let us know if anyone else is 'doing cool stuff', whether it's small or big. If you are still working on unfinished tracks send them here for some feedback, if you are playing live let us help you advertise it on the web and on the school's notice-board.
JakeOne new techno ep is out
More or less once a month JakeOne teaches the Ableton Live weekend courses, but most of his time is spent producing and performing as one half of Toob and on his own (listen to a DJ set here)
His new ep is called Stingray; at the time of writing it is the best techno seller on Juno and the reviews are so good that it's embarrassing.
Go, listen, and buy it here (and if you want to know how he made it, ask him during the next Live course)
If you have questions or comments email info@londonschoolofsound.co.uk
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