Meteo Xavier

I've got some unused cover art resources you could use if you like. Do be aware, though, that there's only so much work that can be done "for funsies" on something like that before it stops being fun, and the proper procedure for something like that is to provide more substantial reward for more substantial work on that end. For free, you take what you can get. If you'd like to try something like that, gimme a holla here and I can send them along.

While I don't venture into the realm of vinyl much myself, that may only be answered by trying a pressing yourself, or by checking out which vinyl releases are up to your standards, track down the publisher on them and see if that information is made available or simply contact them for who or what pressing they use for it. There likely isn't one single entity that provides "the best" of those things anymore. Back in the much earlier days of record pressings and audio production there were companies that were easier to namedrop when you wanted the best because that equipment and its availability was not widespread. Today it's globalized and much more ubiquitous, therefore many pressing places will offer comparable quality for the release you want because the science behind it has now been conquered and standardized. After that, it'll pretty much just boil down to your personal taste; one professional pressing place's audio quality may not differ too much from another and it's pretty much impossible that your listeners will be able to tell that it's from this pressing company or not that pressing company. All they will hear is "WOW, these tracks sound GREAT on vinyl!" So just look around some of the vinyl releases that fit your personal taste, give it a few months to ferment and toss around and go from there.

Hey-lo, here's a new one for ya. So I've been wanting to do what some on here have done and try my hand at making audio design products to sell for some extra $ here and there. I was in talks with a rather prominent company to pitch them this Omnisphere set I've been working on in spare time, I was told to get the product up to a point before properly pitching it to them, and then to contact again when it got up to that point. Then the guy I was talking to immediately locked me out of the chat; providing the most baffling display of bad business I've seen in some time (he said I could contact him again at a point and then removed the only avenue I had to contact him with? WTF?) and the impetus to say, "Well, fuck it, I'll just release it on my own then." And so it is - I wish to make a brand or label for which I can release things on my own accord instead of trying to work with a publisher or company to do it for me. Not a full-on company since I have no plans to hire anyone as an employee and plan to do most everything myself, but still have a name associated with it that isn't my unwieldly real name or the much more unwieldly "12 Followers/Meteo Xavier" name I use for music commissions and albums. I asked this question to a Facebook group some time ago and got some really great answers on it that tell me I need to register as a DBA or LLC and possibly get a business license on top of it. I looked at the LLC but that's going to be more than I need since I'm not trying to build a company here (and it's expensive as hell for liability protection I don't think I run a big risk for in the premade synth instrument industry), so I think the DBA and possibly business license are the way to go there. Now here's the question: DBA is "doing business as" which registers it as ok that I can do business under this name or word, but the name I'm quite attached to for it is actually an abbreviation of my artist name 12 Followers/Meteo Xavier. I collect money for services that are to be credited as "12 Followers/Meteo Xavier" and I subsequently pay taxes with that income under my real name. I've not been told I need a DBA for art or commissioned services for my real name or 12 Followers/Meteo Xavier, so do I still need a DBA if I use an abbreviation of 12 Followers/Meteo Xavier as a label/brand name? I guess it might also be helpful to mention I might like to consider creating and releasing other low-sale media items under that abbreviated name as well - like indie games or something in addition. Just thought it'd be worth asking here before I bother a lawyer acquaintance for it first. Thank you!

I think the old hardware/software sale thread appears to be long gone, so I'll post it here for anyone interested. Adorama is selling the Behringer U-Phoria UMC404 audio interface for $70, which I think is quite a good price: https://slickdeals.net/f/10743631-behringer-u-phoria-umc404hd-usb-audio-interface-70-free-s-h I have the U-Phoria 2x4 model and although I'm not an expert on audio interfaces, I can confirm it works quite well and much to my satisfaction. I can record and run up to 8 lines simultaneously before I start to hear any hiss again, and that's because I'm intentionally listening for it. I think it's after 10 that it actually becomes generally noticeable, but unless you're doing old niche rompler work like I'm trying to do, you probably wouldn't need to run 9-10+ recorded tracks on top of each other unless you were doing work that required a professional studio in the first place. I recommend it!

Good lord. I might live long enough to see Disney own Nintendo at this rate. <:O

I'm really quite sick of this answer every time the question comes up; not because it's false but because everyone who simply punches "network" like a buzzword over-simplifies it down to the point of ineffectiveness and it is an irritating cliche. Yeah, "networking" can be pretty useful for getting music jobs, but "networking" practically requires a social talent in and of itself to succeed; the gift of gab, the gift of sales, the gift of moxie, the gift of charisma and the gift of being able to do kick-ass music on top of all that. I'd argue if you have to be told what all that is, you don't have it in the first place. Rather bluntly, a lot of composers with little experience in getting commissioned work for their art don't have great business skills (it's sort of a natural trade-off in gaining skills in art, IMO) and instead of going on to get training in business communication or such, what I see them do then is friend request all the successful music composers, and every one of their friends, and join every forum, Facebook group, collective and whatever, and then fly out to every convention going on... and then don't do much to spread their name out except hand out the same business cards game developers have already seen 400 times and post that they do game music. These composers are pretty much fated to mediocrity because they've only managed the hollow aspect of "networking" - they got their name out and expect being friends with Zircon and Virt on Facebook will mean one day they'll say "Well, I'm kinda filled up on game music jobs right now, why don't you try HoboKa"? It doesn't work that way. You got your name out there, but so what? Game developers don't need more names, they have hundreds or more applying for them every time a dime is freed up in the audio budget. Game developers who want to hire a freelancer want someone with some artistic significance and cool accomplishments to their name. The crop of newb composers treat their work like they're an essential function of society - like they're plumbers, contractors, auto technicians, farmers and such - and that, I'm pretty confident about, is exactly why they have trouble getting work in the first place. When people hire a plumber or repair person, they don't want an artist, they want an expert to do the work. When people hire a musician for something, they want an artist. They want someone who can deliver something awesome and unique. They want someone who stands out from the crowd. They want someone who has done some cool, kick-ass things in the past and established themselves as an artist. They want someone who cares about the significance of each track and note they do. They want someone who does this kind of stuff not just to get a payment and some fame, but because they also do it for the art itself. That's why so many Ocremix artists have gone on to do pretty successful careers in game music - Ocremix is all about the art. People who pushed the envelope for what game audio can do and mean and made it awesome just because they felt like it. We hone our art and skill and develop unique sounds and personalities here. That's how Ocremix artists manage to make networking succeed for them. You're not going to get the answer to how to find good work in an industry that is 150:1 overstuffed with supply of composers versus demand for game music with a single word answer. It just doesn't work that way. For a "teacher" to answer their students with such an oversimplified thing to a very complex subject is something I would consider infuriating. Being successful at "networking" for game audio is a whole book, "networking" isn't even the full title of the book cover!

How do you get a hard drive to modulate its signal pulse into vibrato? I can't figure out how you would get hardware to do that.

For some reason they aren't playing for me, but I would suggest if you have access to more soundproofing and better quality, record with it anyway. Always use the highest quality you have access to when recording. If not, just do the best you can with the resources you have. That's all any of us can do, really.

You don't know where to find deals on music software? How does that happen, Brad? My eyes are bleeding from all the rolling they're doing! >:P Kidding aside, this is probably like the only link you need for that: https://www.facebook.com/groups/467001836717161/. This is what's worked the best for me on significant deals and such. Includes a lot of 50-90% off or more deals for really good Kontakt instruments as well.

Making some more progress, but I need Rozovian to contact me up as I'm stuck at a place and need his help. Hint, hint, Roz. Check yo email and PMs, chubs.

Ah shit - if only you were selling this 3 months ago when I was obsessively checking around for good deals on a New Nintendo 3DS, it would've been mine. I've since spent that money on a PS Vita and a Roland SRX-07 card. Still, I encourage anyone even remotely thinking about getting one to hop on this. That's actually a hell of a good deal.

Interview is retranslated and in OCR brass hands. More progress to come soon!

I thought I made another update here but it's not there. Maybe I dreamed it. Anyway, I've been back trying to work on this this week. Now I just wait for some others to get me some necessary text. Every step a mile, right? But at least the steps get fewer and fewer.

I didn't get a SNES Classic. I tried to knowing I likely wouldn't be able to, but not for the reason I was expecting. I'm not really mad that I missed out on the launch again, what makes me mad is that every single pre-order thing I signed up on dropped the ball on just giving me an alert that they were ready to purchase-in advance. Play-Asia, Walmart, B&H Photo. None of them sent me anything when I signed up for them... no, I tell a lie, Walmart DID send that infamous false alarm one, but when it came time for the real thing? LOLOLOLOLOLOLno. Meanwhile I'm seeing pictures of some fuckers who have 5-7 SNES Classics and it's like, why do I want this world to continue? There were anti-scalping measures set up and these fuckers STILL hoarded loads of them for scalping. Makes me almost wish I voted Trump. Almost, not quite. >:S

Because the OCR board still ain't getting enough love these days, I'll ask here as well (previously posted on Facebook): I'm seeking ideas and solutions for the corner of the living room that I very graciously call a "studio" and "office". I don't live in a house where the type of modifying space for a studio like you all have probably done would work and I can't justify buying a whole new desk and redoing my entire computer and corner setup just to get a couple Us of rack mount space. I have to get VERY creative to make space work here. I only have one rackmount unit (Roland XV-5050) and probably won't get another in the future, and right now it's on top of my piano perpendicular to the desk with a 61-key white keyboard almost resting on top of it if not for two thick, square former TABLE LEGS holding the white keyboard up. This setup almost works, but the truth is when using it in MIDI practice, it's too far away from the computer and not at eye level to be convenient. It's irritating and adds more complexity to an already complex operation. I seek something that will allow me to have my Roland XV at eye level somewhere near the computer monitor so I don't have to turn my ass around and bend down all the hundreds of times I have to do so to when using this unit. Doesn't have to be something I have screwed in permanently as I don't use it all the time, I just figure there's some reasonably convenient and cheap way to get a single unit more convenient around the computer monitor. And yes, I'm Googling around other options as well, just can't find anything I like yet. Thank you!

Right now I'm the one holding up the works and I apologize for that. Hurricanes battering the East Coast doesn't stop my work week, it just makes it more difficult on top of my usual double-full time work schedule. When I'm not utterly exhausted and better caught up with my own work shit here in the next I hope week or two, I'll get back into this. Sorry again!

Just a small update that things behind the scenes are still running smoothly. Someone had an idea for the album that helps give it some conceptual "shine" of sorts and it was actually relayed to me through DJP. Won't say what it is yet and needs Rozovian's approval, but with some work it could be a nice little thing to help make this album project feel special. So that's just a mini-update while I'm thinking on it. We be moving forward little by little.

Well I saw the eclipse with my naked fucking eyes THREE TIMES and I didn't have any problems. We'll see about tomorrow though.

Hey, you can send me what you need to send me, Zolt. I know it's not guitar work, but I'd been meaning to tell you to go ahead on it anyway.

I don't know if we'll be able to guarantee putting them up for artists to listen to and approve - for reasons which should be obvious (if not obvious: the difficulty of trying to get so many artists to sign off on them, a number of which don't come here anymore and we don't have contact with, when we've already arrived past the final, honest-to-God finished phase of the music). At this point I think they'd be more interested to see it release already than tie it up in something like that.

BIG NEWS! The mastered tracks are finished and have been delivered to Ocremix staff! Now the staff, who as we've seen with this week's release of the 62nd OCR project album are extremely efficient about releases and have it down to a science by now, have all the finished and mastered audio! At this moment I'm unsure if we still lack enough artwork, but I don't think that should be a huge hurdle to complete. Any other hurdles from here should be minor. I know I've said that before, but now that the top brass has the full mastered content, it's extraordinarily unlikely anything should mess it up now. Thank you for your patience and hanging on with us (or at least restraining yourselves from REALLY dramatic acting out on it). We hit a MAJOR finish line FINALLY and things should go quite good from here to release. Look forward to it! It may come up sooner than you think (a first for this project!)

Welp, not a Switch owner anymore. I traded it back in at Walmart for a refund. Nothing was wrong with it, I just did it.

I put it to luck because I can't fully justify saying it's hard work that ultimately defines success when we still live in an age where the amount of talent an artist has makes no bearing at all on how well they do (still loads of grossly untalented people see more of a career than genuinely talented people do) and neither really does perseverance. The idea behind perseverance is to keep going because sooner or later, something will pop, and while this is absolutely true, it's still probability that fuels that - meaning it's still a process of luck. Your criticism of my post kinda sounds more like bragging as a point of reference for why luck doesn't cut it as an answer, btw. I myself have also reached a point I would personally consider "successful" in some outlets, especially since my skillset is largely self-taught and woefully limited compared to many professionals, but absolutely none of that is relevant here since no one else's journey into success as an artist is going to be the same as mine. It won't work.

You've got us there, bro.

A more serious post now: This is not yet a current need I have, but sooner or later I'll have to replace my current awesome desktop with yet another new one down the road and I'd like to get one that has a pretty good recording sound card in it now that I'm expanding into hardware recording (from a Roland XV-5050 and Sound Canvas 88 Pro) and will need something that further cleans up processed audio and handles latency better. Is that the sort of custom work you do, Brad?