Pop Wansel interviewed for WhoSampled

For the latest edition of the WhoSampled interview series, we speak with Grammy award winning producer Pop Wansel. 

List of Winners at the Pensado Awards!

It's almost a crime to be a member of the audio community and not know about "Pensado's Place". 

Interview: Pop Wansel On Writing And Producing Usher's 'Good Kisser' Single

Usher released the lead single, "Good Kisser," to his forthcoming 8th studio album and the reception was overwhelming. The risqué single catapulted the seasoned crooner into the spotlight for his music and not any personal drama. As the record worked its way onto VIBE's office stereo, we courted co-producer/songwriter Pop Wansel for the full story on how the song came to life.

Meet the Guy Who Builds Some of the World's Most Amazing Studios.

Jan Morel - The Studio Magician!

Interview by God is a DJ 

Crafting a Hit: How Many Songwriters Do You Need to Make a Hit?

How many people does it take to write a hit song? If you're Pharrell, one. If you're Pitbull or Jason Derulo, probably eight -- or more.

Kill the Noise Gives Us Five Key Production and Performance Tips

Producer/DJ Jake Stanczak has made a habit of changing things up over the years.

Rick Rubin Interview with Zane Lowe

Recently, legendary producer Rick Rubin sat down for a rare hour-long interview with BBC Radio One’s Zane Lowe at his Shangri-La studio in Los Angeles. 

Studio Tour - How To Build A Home Studio

In this video I explain how I turned a normal spare bedroom into a professional grade home recording studio and creative space. I give a detailed run down of all the equipment I use and why I use it. 

Jahlil Beats Introduces CRMC; Talks Working With Rihanna, Roc Nation, Philly Rap & More With HHS1987

Here is HHS1987's exclusive with Chester, PA-bred, Roc Nation-backed producer Jahlil Beats At World Champion Boxer Danny Garcia's DSG Studios. Jahlil Beats recently invited us to DSG Studios where he introduced us to CRMC (Crush Records Movie Crew), the first act on his newly formed Liven Legendz label, and spoke on a number of his current projects.

AIR Releases Gigantic, Multi-Developer ‘Advance Music Production Suite’

AIR Music Technology has introduced the Advance Music Production Suite, a comprehensive collection of virtual instruments, effects, sample packs, and production resources pre-loaded on a 500GB hard drive.

Music Promotion Advice for DJs and Producers: 10 SoundCloud Tips to Optimize Your Profile

In this article, we will be discussing some tips about how to optimize your SoundCloud account and profile to get the most out of the service. As a general rule, for any type of social media, the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out, and SoundCloud is no different. Making a name for yourself on SoundCloud is time consuming and takes work, but it’s also a great way for musicians to get exposure through sharing, collaboration and the community. Also in a recent round of funding, SoundCloud raised $60 million in investments, so don’t expect the service to go away any time soon.

What’s the Best Way to Make Beats? A Look at Digital Drum Sequencers

As the technological landscape of dance-music production continues to evolve, producers are faced with a conundrum: With a plethora of production platforms, hardware/software bundles, plugins, and modular pieces of software, what is the best way to sequence drums?

Behind the Beat: Producer Swiff D Talks About ScHoolboy Q's "Studio"

Creating musical landscapes for artists to trek through. What may sound like a bullet point in a resume is exactly what producer Swiff D brings to the table when working with a variety of talent.

ASIO4ALL Universal ASIO Driver Releases First Update in Four Years!

ASIO4ALL, a Universal ASIO Driver For WDM Audio, has received its first major update in four years.

Behind the Beat: Jake One Breaks Down 50 Cent's "The Funeral"

Watch music producer Jake One break down the beat for 50 Cent's "The Funeral" off the "Animal Ambition" album.

Usher's "Good Kisser" Producer Pop Wansel & His Father, Dexter Wansel

We met up with “Pop” Wansel  and his father,  Dexter Wansel in Philadelphia on a beautiful Spring day. “Pop” worked on tracks before being joined by his father.  This father and son represent two generations of hit makers. Their names and talents are synonymous with hits by Patti Labelle “If Only You Knew” (1983) and Usher “Good Kisser” (2014).

Kanye West Talks Apple's Acquisition Of Beats By Dre

Kanye West is scheduled to speak at the Cannes Lions Music Festival later this week but meanwhile he joined a panel discussion with Steve Stoute and Ben Horowitz yesterday. The rapper elaborated on Apple's acquisition Of Beats By Dre, his desire to redesign Instagram, Steve Jobs influencing him, and the perfectionism that went into his wedding photo which became the most 'liked' Instagram photo of all time.

Pharrell Williams To Receive Star On Hollywood Walk of Fame

Pharrell and Pitbull will be amongst the 30 celebrities scheduled to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2015. Also on the bill is Anchorman lead Will Ferrell and Bridesmaids' own Melissa McCarthy. The Walk of Fame Committee recently shared the full list of honorees with the public, breaking each artist down into various categories: music, television, radio, live performance and film.

Introducing 1500 or Nothin'

1500 Or Nothin' is an American music production team of artists, songwriters, musicians, and music videographers formed in Los Angeles, California. With headquarters Located in Inglewood, California, 1500 Or Nothin’ is composed of three internal divisions: 1500 Or Nothin’ Music, 1500 Or Nothin’ Video, and 1500 Or Nothin’ Ancillary. The collective 1500 or Nothin’ has lent their writing, production or instrument skills to records for Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Kanye West, T.I., Bruno Mars and B.o.B. 

Behind The Beat with Producer Chizzy Stephens Producer for JLo's "Same Girl"

Go behind the beat of JLo's "Same Girl" was created off her 10th album A.K.A. Produced by Charles "Chizzy" Stephens III @yaboychizzy, Ryan "Ryghteous" Tedder @ryghteousone, & Antwan "Amadeus" Thompson @produceramadeus Written by @chrisbrown. Video by Louis Mayo @viewbility & Edited by Luis Lagera @Lagera8

Hands Make Sounds - A Free Natural Claps and Finger Snaps Library.

Here's a free sample clap to beef up your sound library...

Hands Make Sounds is a free sound library featuring 158 samples of hand claps and finger snaps. The sounds were recorded in six different indoor locations with the goal of capturing their natural reverb characteristics. 

VIDEO: DJ Khalil breaks down Aloe Blacc's “The Man”.

Hardknock TV goes in-depth with Grammy awarded/multi-Platinum record producer DJ Khalil while challenging him to remake the instrumental from Aloe Blacc's "The Man".

Where Them Girls At?: What Factors Hold Women Back in Electronic Dance Music?

Women are making headway in dance music, both through mainstream and underground roads, but a recent report from THUMP highlights that there’s still much to be done.

THUMP examined 2014 festival lineups, noting the number of actual female performers on the bills for Electric Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, Mysteryland USA, Spring Awakening, Ultra, Movement, and Mutek Montreal. 

How to Fix Music Computer Glitches

If you work with computers, virtual instruments, and DAWs, you've surely encountered those weird, unexplainable issues that bring your project to a screeching halt. Here are some common “gotchas” (with an emphasis on Windows, although many of these tips apply to the Mac as well) and the appropriate fixes so you can sort things out and return to your creative flow. 

Kanye West Weighs In on Beats-Apple Deal, Dismisses Samsung

Kanye West praised Apple’s allegiance with Beats Electronics during a recent appearance at a seminar in Cannes, France after saying he was “not a fan” of Samsung, which Jay Z inked a deal with last year. He explained his disinterest by saying that Samsung was not “Number One.” “There would have been no Beats deal without the Samsung deal,” he said, according to AdWeek. “It showed the Number One company the importance of connecting with culture. The reason I said I didn’t like Samsung particularly is because, throughout my entire life, because of how my parents raised me, I have to work with the Number One.

Deadmau5 on EDM: 'It'll Eventually F--k Itself So Hard'

Deadmau5 is one of the most successful EDM artists (and brands) on the planet, but the beloved producer is losing respect for the scene he dominates. He makes that stance apparent in an expletive-laced new interview with London Evening Standard, likening the genre to a sinking ship.

SuperStar O - Behind The Beats Ep.1

Behind the Beats with SuperStar O.

What to Do If You Spill Beer or Booze on Your Mixer, Laptop, or Controller

We all know the horror of spilling beer or some other liquid on our beloved DJ gear. Chances are that at one time or another, you or a friend has had the unthinkable happen at a gig or a party. Fear not, though—it doesn't always have to be the end of the world. Knowing what to do and acting quickly can save your precious equipment—and possibly some disappointment and money. Here’s how to do DJ-gear damage control when disaster strikes.

LANDR Promises Drag & Drop Mastering

Montreal based music software company, MixGenius, claim to have created a one-stop, drag-and-drop mastering solution. The software is called LANDR, and you can check it out here. This is certainly an intriguing idea, and is a mastering solution that we imagine there will be a ready market for. 

Future Music's Guide to Removing Vocals from a Stereo Track

A great technique when looking to remix full tracks. Here we take a range of ideas to explore and apply within your DAW

There are many processors dedicated to manipulating the stereo image, but to get a handle on how this may help us it's worth diving in with a little practical theory. Polarity reversal (often mislabelled as phase reversal) is a simple process accessible in most DAWs (and many hardware mixers) via the Polarity Reverse button.

5 Mistakes Every Beginner Producer Makes (And How To Avoid Them)

In many ways, the trajectory for a DJ is simple: master technical fundamentals, get great at selecting music, and try and develop a unique style that’s all your own. While the trajectory for production is in some ways very similar, modern DAWs provide such a myriad of options that make it easy to fall into one of many pitfalls, especially when just starting out! Today we’re looking at 5 of the most common mistakes almost every beginner producer makes, and how to avoid them.

Soundcloud’s New Office in Berlin Puts Yours to Shame

On Wednesday, Berlin’s The Factory opened (more on the opening) its 16,000 square-meter startup office. While all the other startups (such as 6Wunderkinder, Mozilla, Zendesk, and others) are still waiting to finally move into Berlin’s new startup space, SoundCloud’s office is the only one that is ready.

Houston Declares June 10th As "Drake Day"

Ever since his early mixtape days, Drake has been representing the city of Houston as if it was him second home. Currently running Houston Appreciation Weekend in the Texas city, earlier today the Canadian was presented with the official proclamation at Minute Maid Park, where Drizzy kicked off HAW at the Astros game. The document states that Mayor Annise D. Parker has made June 10th "Drake Day" in the city of Houston. Congrats!

Kendrick Lamar confirms Dr Dre is working on the follow-up to 'Good Kid, MAAD City'

Kendrick Lamar has confirmed that Dr. Dre will be working on his new album. Dre, who executive produced the US rapper's 2012 album 'Good Kid, MAAD City', is returning for Lamar's third studio LP. "Dr Dre is focused like he always been. He focused on music, man," commented Lamar to KUBE 93 - via Rap Up. 

Grammy Awards Change Rules, Allow Samples In Songwriting Categories

The Recording Association makes a long-overdue rule change.

The 57th Annual Grammy Awards (scheduled for February 8, 2015) will feature a number of new, streamlined categories, along with a major rule change: samples or interpolations of previously written songs are now recognized in all song writing categories. Previously, this was only the case with Best Rap Song, due to “the unique craft of writing rap songs.”

The Vocal Range of the World’s Greatest Singers

Concerthotels.com developed this great chart on the vocal ranges of some of the world’s most well-known vocalists. It’s an interactive chart, so when you hover over a singer, it will tell you the highest and lowest note and attribute it to a song. You can also find who has the highest and lowest range as well by selecting the sort button at the top.

Hit-Boy - THE TRUTH With Elliott Wilson

Before being joined by Audio-Push in the studio, YN hits the streets with Hit-Boy for his latest episode of The Truth. During their discussion, Hit-Boy discusses his HS87 label, recent work with Mariah Carey, the success of “Niggas In Paris”, his pops Big-Hit and more. We The Plug is the truth.

Quick Tip: Get Your Music Heard by Presenting It Effectively

We spend hours perfecting our music. The fine details count, but there's little point crafting the ideal track, album or EP if we don’t put the same care and attention into how we present and market our music.

Ever wondered why no one at a label has responded to you? Here are some tips that will make all the difference in getting your music listened to and getting it to the top of the pile for those all-important record labels and A&R managers.

HHS1987 Presents Behind The Beats: Just Blaze

Here is HHS1987's exclusive with Just Blaze for Behind The Beats: the series where we go in-depth with the hottest producers in Hip-Hop today.

Free Music Theory Guide For EDM Producers!

Reginald Young (aka Neon The Rex) has published Music Theory: The TL;DR Version, a comprehensive music theory tutorial created for EDM producers and electronic musicians.

2x Your Productivity In The Studio With The Finish Line Principle

What’s that you say? You don’t have a lot of time to devote to recording and mixing your music? Trying to squeeze in a few hours here and there? How would you like to double or triple your productivity starting with your next session? I thought so. Read on my friend.

VIDEO: The Future Of Studio Control

Slate Media Technology has announced RAVEN 2.0 Control System, for the RAVEN series of Multi-touch Production Consoles.

Or as they like to call it, ‘the future of studio control.’

Enhance Your Music with a Subtlety Layer

In conversations with student composers I regularly hear concerns that their music just doesn't seem as polished and alive as the professional music they are listening to. It seems like they have good themes, interesting chord progressions and solid orchestration, but there's still some extra magic missing.

VIDEO: Harvey Mason Jr Talks Plugins, Production Tips and Jimmy Iovine

Harvey Mason, Jr. (born June 3, 1968) is a six-time Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, record producer and movie producer. 

How to back up your music projects in Windows: Save yourself from heartache in three easy steps...

Once upon a time, backing up one's computer involved little more than slipping a floppy into a disk drive. It was quick and easy. However, modern productions on today's machines push far more high-quality audio data to and from your drive.

10 Ways Back From A Creative Black Hole

Simon Power Writes:

Has your creativity taken a dive? You just can't focus any more. Your self-confidence is shattered and you just can't seem to find a way out of this unproductive hell you find yourself in. Well, Sonic State is here to help. With 10 useful tips that'll put you back on track and help you conquer those Creativity Block Blues.

VIDEO: Our Vinyl Weighs a Ton: This Is Stones Throw Records (A Documentary)

Our Vinyl Weighs A Ton is a feature-length documentary about avant-garde Los Angeles-based record label Stones Throw Records. The film weaves together rare concert footage, never-before-see archival material, inner-circle home video and photographs and in-depth interviews with the artists who put Stones Throw Records on the map. 

FL Studio 12 Alpha | Vectorial Mixer Preview

What's this for?

We are looking for feedback about some of the major changes in workflow that have been made so far. Please try it out and let us know what you think of how it works. We're not really looking for bug reports, at this time.

Some of the Most Beautiful Studio Setup Pics by Your Favourite Producers: Martin Garrix, Deadmau5, Steve Angello & More

I apologize for the absence over the weekend, had to travel. Anyways lets get right to it shall we...

A top-notch studio set-up is a must for any big-time player.  Here we bring you studio setup pictures courtesy of Martin Garrix, Hardwell, Steve Angello, Bingo Players, Deadmau5, Showtek, Bassjackers, Deniz Koyu, Maarten Vorwerk, StoneBridge, Fedde Le Grand, and W&W. 

Question: How Much Does Your Favorite Musician/DJ Cost? Answer: A Lot

Degy Entertainment is a major booking agency that works with some of the biggest artists in the industry. From Madonna to Deadmau5, they will represent just about anyone who’s anyone, across all genres. Well just recently an anonymous source released via Priceonomics a rather extensive list of what it would cost to book some of the biggest names in music, pre-expense.