Erik Hawkins is a composer, producer, remixer, and author whose talents and technical expertise have leaders in the music industry calling him a "taste maker." He has worked with and remixed a variety of top artists, including Irene Cara, Digital Underground, Conscious Daughters, Strypper, Brenda Russell, and DJ Sasha. His own progressive dance music tracks have been used by major television networks and film studios, including ABC, CBS, MTV, Nickelodian, and New Line Cinema. His articles and columns have been published in Remix, Mix, Electronic Musician, MC2, Keyboard, and DigiZine. He has also written several books, including the, The Complete Guide to Remixing (Berklee Press).
I’m very excited to announce that my new CD is out, Erik Hawk & The 12-Bit Justice League. If you like electronic dance music fused with orchestral elements, I think you’ll enjoy this CD. Plus, the physical CD contains remix stems (WAV, REX, and MIDI files) for your remixing and DJ-ing pleasure. The physical CD can be purchased through CD Baby, and digital only downloads are widely available, from iTunes to Amazon.
Here’s the official press blurb:
The new album by Erik Hawk, Erik Hawk & The 12-Bit Justice League, plays like the soundtrack to an action movie. Every song could underscore a scene, from the opening action of “Introductions”, to the heroics of “On a Mission”, and the closing images of “Into the Sunset”. So, it comes as no surprise to learn that Hawk’s alter ego is composer/producer/remixer, Erik Hawkins. His music has been featured in countless film and television shows (from The Informers, to Ugly Betty, and CSI:Miami).
Joining Hawk on his musical adventures are several critically acclaimed musicians, including Gilli Moon (vocals), Christine Wu (violin), Lygeia Ferra (vocals), Craig Seganti (trumpet), and the album was mastered by pioneering hip-hop producer/engineer Michael Denten. Hawk wrote/co-wrote, arranged, and produced all of the tracks. He plays guitar, keyboards, and sings throughout the album.
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Please vote for my remix at indabamusic by clicking on the widget below, and ask all of your friends to vote for me too. Voting goes until July 15, 2010. And, if you send me to London I promise to bug Gabriel for all of his best production tricks so that I can bring them back here and share them with all of you.
As a rule, I don’t generally have time to enter the many amazing remix contests offered on indbamusic.com. But, this time, I couldn’t pass up a chance to remix a classic Peter Gabriel song, “Games Without Frontiers”. And, more importantly, a chance to have Gabriel listen to my work and maybe even meet him in London! That’s just to cool of an opportunity to pass up. With everything that Gabriel has done in his life, both musically and as a philanthropist, he’s definitely a hero of mine. So, I went for it.
Remixing is a form of music production. Just like producing a song for an artist, the object shouldn’t be about imposing your musical ideas on another musician’s composition and performance. Instead, it’s about helping the artist and their material to be the best that they can be. To this end, I think it’s important to respect the songwriter’s original message and the vocalist’s performance when remixing, especially when the vocalist is the songwriter. Ideally, the recognizable elements of the song, such as vocal phrases and guitar lines, should be audible in your remix. With this in mind, I felt “Games Without Frontiers” could benefit from a more guitar-driven, pop rock arrangement, with a full kit played over an updated Roland CR-78 drum loop, and a touch of orchestral elements for added texture and movement.
In these videos, I take you on a mini tour of my “Games Without Frontiers” remix session using Pro Tools and Reason. There’s a lot to explain in this session, so I broke the tour into two videos. The first focuses on drums and rhythm section instruments (bass, guitars, piano, etc.). And, the second focuses on orchestral elements, voice parts (lead and backing vocals), and mastering. I’m also attaching the Pro tools session file, without its audio files, to this blog so that you can look through the session and see how it’s all set up.
Peter Gabriel Remix Session Video Tour (Part 1)
Peter Gabriel Remix Session Video Tour (Part 2)
*Remember, you can double click on these videos and watch them directly on YouTube to see them in HD.
The session file as a Zip. PG REMIX VIDEO TOUR
Download directions:
Right-click PC and from the pop-up menu choose, “Save Link as…”
Control-click Mac and from the pop-up menu choose, “Save Link as…”
A common question I hear from students is, “Do I need to hire a mastering engineer?” The answer is, it really depends, it depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. If you’re just making some homemade CDs to pass out to friends or sell at your gig, you don’t need to spend the money on a mastering engineer. If you’re submitting your songs to a music library, your songs need to be mastered, but you might be able to do this yourself using some of the awesome mastering software programs available. I’m certainly no mastering engineer but I’ve mastered a lot of my own songs that have gone on to be featured in T.V. shows and movies. However, if you’re planning on pressing up 1,000 or more mass produced CDs for worldwide distribution, and the album is important to you, spending the cash to hire a great mastering engineer is essential.
After writing, producing, and mixing the fourteen songs on my upcoming album I had seriously had it with listening to my own tracks over, and over, and over again. So, when I finally made the decision to spend a couple thousand to hire an experienced mastering engineer, I breathed a big sigh of relief. Even though it would be a significant dent in my pocketbook I knew the right mastering engineer would be worth the price.
My choice of a mastering engineer was Michael Denten at Infinite Studios (and, on Myspace). Uploading my project to him was an exciting moment because I knew he would listen to my project with fresh ears, in a completely different studio, and give me some honest feedback on my mixes. Having worked with Denten for a few years in the 90s, I knew how he liked his mixes, phat and present. I knew that with his extensive experience working with some of the biggest names in hip-hop, from Digital Underground to E-40, that he would naturally bring this big, round, bass heavy sound to my project. And, I was confident that my project would benefit from this sound. It’s critical to choose the right mastering engineer for a project, because as much as the right mastering engineer can blow up your sound, the wrong mastering engineer can totally screw up your sound.
Denten was busy so it took him awhile to get to my project, but when he did take his first listen he opened up my eyes and ears to some mistakes that I had made in my mixes. I figured he would have some suggestions, and I figured there was no way I was going to nail all my mixes right out of the gate, so I was able to listen to his feedback with an open mind. You’ve got to remove your ego from the equation in order to hear blunt feedback on your own material, especially material you’d been working on for months and months. You’ve got to remember that this is about what’s good for the song, not what’s good for your ego. Denten didn’t disappoint, he took me to school and made suggestions that where spot on and really helped me to improve my mixes. Let me paraphrase some of his suggestions so you understand what I’m talking about.
“This song is muddy in the 500 Hz range, you need to clean this up.”
“What happened to the kick drum here, it’s leaning to one side.”
“The lead vocals are way to dry on this song, they’re not sitting in the mix right.”
“The drum loop in this song isn’t punching through the mix enough, you need to split it out to different tracks so that you can treat the high, mid, and low frequencies separately.”
“You need to add some sub bass here for more bottom end. You should use the Waves MaxxBass plug-in.”
“Your mixes aren’t very wide. Don’t be so conservative on your panning, spread things out.”
Some pretty blunt criticisms, and those were just the main ones. There were many other smaller, equally helpful suggestions that he made throughout the process.
After receiving his initial feedback I went back to my studio and made the changes. My mixes sounded so much better, and, as a result, my masters sounded a whole lot better, and my entire album sounded better. Thank you Mr. Denten! This is what a great mastering engineer can do for your mixes before they’ve even touched them, they can be a second set of ears and give you crucial feedback to help you improve your sound. Then, when they actually do their job and master your music, your songs are going to sound a whole better than if you had skipped this step and gone straight to mastering all of the tracks on your own. So, if you’re serious about releasing an album worldwide, and you plan to spend the money on physical CDs, don’t skip this step, hire an experienced mastering engineer to take your project to the next level.
Some of the control room monitors at Infinite Studios.
I’ve been intrigued by the tiny music applications on the iPod. They’re fun to play but you can’t really make serious music on them, right? Well, maybe not, unless you have the super powers of iPod Girl!
Then, I saw the iPad, and the first thing I thought was, “Wouldn’t it be cool if somebody developed some music applications for that.” I can imagine myself relaxing on the couch writing beats, with everything I need directly on the screen. Or, better yet, playing a couple of these live in a club. For example, one on either side of a DJ mixer. How cool would that be? Sure, neat idea, but we’ll see when this becomes reality, probably not for a long time.
Well, I had the right idea, but, wow, was my projected time line off. Korg just released the iElectribe for iPad. It looks really cool. I’m nearly ready to drop some cash for an iPad just so I can run this app. I think this is the future of laptop synths and music making programs. Rather than having one Korg Kaoss unit sitting on my desk, next to an Access Virus, next to a Dave Smith Tetra, next to an Adrenalinn, next to a . . . well, you get the idea. Instead of all this, I’d have one or two iPads sitting on my desk ready to be turned into any effect device or synth I can imagine. Obviously, this level of power and connectivity in an iPad is still a long ways off, but I can see the future and it looks fabulous!
KORG’s first dedicated iPad musical instrument app!
For over a decade, Korg’s Electribe•R has been go-to gear for creative musicians from around the world and across multiple electronic and dance music genres. Now, you can take the power of the Electribe•R with you thanks to iElectribe, Korg’s first dedicated app; bringing the fun of analog-synth style beat making to your iPad. Best of all, the iElectribe takes full advantage of iPad’s 9.7 inch multi touch display to deliver a new style of musical instrument.
Main Features
Faithful recreation of the Electribe•R’s entire sound engine and sequencer
64 Preset patterns ready for immediate use
8 Supercharged effects
Advanced Motion Sequencing takes the iElectribe to new frontiers
Available now at Apple’s App Store (inside iTunes Store) for a special introductory price of $ 9.99 (US Dollars). Promotional pricing expires June 30, 2010 (regular price is $19.99 USD).
Classic must-have Korg dance gear, now available as a dedicated iPad application
Since its debut in 1999, the aggressive sound, unique functionality, and intuitive beat-building style of the Korg Electribe series has continued to make it a favorite of creative artists around the world. Over the years, the Electribe series has continued to evolve in new directions. The vacuum-tube equipped Electribe•MX and SX went on sale in 2003, followed by the updated MKII versions of the Electribe•A and Electribe•R. The year 2010 marks another chapter for the Electribe family with the iElectribe – one of the world’s first dedicated iPad musical instrument applications.
While fun to use, the iElectribe is no toy; it brings to the iPad the legendary capabilities of the Electribe series. Sound creation is easy and intuitive. Simply touch the step-sequencer’s sixteen individual step keys to quickly start a groove, pick another part and repeat. This simple and understandable interface offers an intuitive “hardware” feel that will captivate the imagination of anyone – those familiar with the Electribe’s power, and those who are experiencing it for the first time!
Faithful recreation of the Electribe•R’s entire sound engine and sequencer
Like its hardware counterpart, the iElectribe offers a four-part percussion synthesizer and a four-part PCM synthesizer. The percussion synthesizer features analog synth-style versatility, including exciting cross modulation! The sample-based PCM parts deliver realistic drum hits, cymbals, and more. Using the Accent function adds emphasis where you need it – vital for creating compelling grooves. All in all, that’s eight programmable parts combined with the easy-to-use 16-step sequencer, so anyone can start creating powerful beats instantly!
64 preset patterns ready for immediate use
The 64 preset patterns include familiar patterns from the Electribe•R as well as new patterns created especially for the iElectribe. The preset patterns cover a wide variety of dance music styles including techno, house, electro, trance, drum ‘n’ bass, dubstep, hip-hop, and R&B. Of course, there is plenty of room to program patterns that are all your own.
Supercharged Master Effect with 8 effect types
The Master Effect has been enhanced from the original Electribe•R, and has been optimized for use in today’s music scene. The eight effect types can spice up your beats in a variety of ways that can become indispensable. Included are a chorus/flanger that fits any type of sound; a tempo-matching BPM delay; plus effects such as a grain shifter and decimator which can dramatically transform the sound.
Advanced Motion Sequencing makes patterns come alive
Simply stated, Motion Sequencing records all of your sound enhancing knob-twisting and tweaking so it can be memorized and replayed as part of a pattern. The knob motion of all parameters, for each and every part, can be recorded – so you can go wild and create diverse and complex patterns like never before.
I always sequence my drum beats in real-time, using a MIDI controller, such as my keyboard or drum pads. But, I understand that not everybody feels confident enough to knock out their beats in this manner. And, if you don’t feel confident about playing a drum beat it makes perfect sense to gravitate towards a drum pattern sequencer (such as the one found on Redrum). Feeling out drum beats using step keys, as the pattern loops over and over, is a great way to get your feet wet. Plus, there’s definitely something positive to be said about the pattern sequencer “feel” and what it can add to dance, hop-hop, and other styles of electronic influenced music.
That said, I’m here to tell you that there’s a better way to pattern sequence. Using your DAW program’s snap to grid mode, Pencil Tool, and MIDI editing tools you can knock out superior sounding pattern sequences and arrange your patterns into a song in a fraction of the time that it would take you to automate all of your patterns using a traditional pattern sequencer. Students often ask me how to program beats in their DAW, and this is the secret. So, drop your virtual drum instrument’s built-in pattern sequencer and start using your DAW program’s Pencil Tool and snap to grid function instead. If you’re going to program beats, and you’re already using a pro DAW (such as Pro Tools, Digital Performer, Record, and Logic), this is a great way to drop your beats. Have fun!
Oops, I hit the maximum allotted time for a video on YouTube. Here’s the second half.
PS — Remember, if you double click on these videos you can watch them in HD on the YouTube site.
Most of my compression tutorials focus on recognizing what compression can sound like in your mix. Because, if you can’t imagine what properly applied compression will sound like before you reach for the compressor’s controls, you’re working in the dark and your results will be, at best, hit and miss. That said, you do of course need to understand the common controls found on most compressors: Threshold, Ratio, Attack, and Release.
Nick from PrimeLoops does a great job of explaining these four basic controls and their relationships to one another. I discovered Nick’s tutorials as a video response to my How to Use EQ Like a Pro video tutorial. His video tutorials are promotion for Primeloops, a company that sells royalty free loops and samples. They’ve got some good sounds on their Web site. And, some of Nick’s other tutorials look quite good as well. Definitely worth checking out.
Just one thing to mention about Nick’s Compression tutorial, it looks like he’s using an old version of Reason because his demonstration is done using the Comp-01 device. The information is still relevant, because the controls are universal on most compressors, but, if you use Reason, use the MClass Compressor device rather than the Comp-01. The MClass Compressor is a much better compressor in terms of sound and controls.
Here’s just a quick report on this past weekend’s NAMM show in Anaheim, California. Watch this, it’s the next best thing to going to the show. Well, actually, probably better than going to the show because you don’t have to deal with the crowds. Hopefully, you’ll find this video both informative and entertaining. Some of the highlights include the Korg Kaossilator, Akai MPC20, Max for Live, and Teenage Engineering’s OP-1.
Also, here’s a more extensive look at what I think is one of the coolest new products, the Ableton and Serato Bridge. The ability to mix your Live multitrack sessions straight into your Scratch DJ set is impressive. The ability to save your DJ set as an Abelton Live multitrack session is downright amazing! I’ve been dreaming of a product like this for years, ever since trying to multitrack DJ sets in order to tweak and overdub new parts after the fact. This really takes DJ “mix tape” productions to a whole other level. I can literally see a cottage industry of entrepreneurial music producers offering DJ “mix tape” production as part of their services. And, I’m pretty sure it could be a very lucrative side business.
If you haven’t already heard, Propellerhead has released a brand new recording application called, Record. Though Propellerhead doesn’t advertise it as a DAW software program, this is indeed what it is. There’s been a lot of buzz about Record, so chances are you already know something about it. But, even though Propellerhead’s promotional video is informative, and very entertaining, there’s nothing like actually using the program to hear how it sounds and feel how it handles. Over the past couple of months this is exactly what I’ve been doing, putting Record through it’s paces. Now, after spending some quality time with this new DAW, I feel comfortable commenting on Record and answering the questions I keep hearing from students, “Should I buy Record? Is it a good DAW and can it take the place of other DAW programs like Pro Tools and Logic?”
If you’re a registered user of Reason (any version, from 1.0 to 4.0), it’s hard to pass up the deal that Propellerhead is offering. For only $149 USD you can pick up a copy of Record. Plus, if you haven’t yet upgraded your last version of Reason, you’ll get the upgrade to Reason 4.0 in the package. So, if you’re a registered user of Reason, picking up a copy of Record is a no brainer.
Considering that this is only version 1.0 of Record, it’s a fantasy to think that it could replace a time tested DAW program like Pro Tools or Logic. But, Record does indeed sound impressive, and if you’re already comfortable using Reason, transitioning to working in Record is a piece of cake. Indeed, as I was composing and mixing in Record I couldn’t help but feel like I was using Reason on steroids, with a side of audio tracks. It’s really much more than this, but the user interface and general operations very closely mirror Reason’s interface and operations. For example, there’s a rack of virtual hardware devices, complete with a backside view and a jumble of cables, just like in Reason. And, the sequencer window in Record looks pretty much identical to the sequencer window in Reason. It’s the improvements that make me feel like Reason has been pumping up on steroids, such as the ability to have racks side by side, the virtual SSL mixer, and the Line 6 guitar and bass POD effect devices.
There’s a ton of great features in Record, far more than I can cover in a single blog. For example, its real-time audio time stretching algorithm that allows the audio tracks in your song to follow tempo changes. And, this is after you’ve recorded your audio to track. This feature is similar to Warp in Live and Elastic Audio in Pro Tools, and sounds just as good. It’s also easy to find fault with Record. For example, it doesn’t support third party plug-ins and there isn’t a bussing function on the mixer. But, these shortcomings are more than made up for in the fact that Record supports rewire. That’s right, it will operate as a rewire slave. This means that you could compose entirely in Record and then rewire your tracks into a Pro Tools HD system for a killer TDM mix down! Don’t try this with another DAW program. I’ve always said that the rewire slave mode is one of the coolest features about Reason, and I’m happy to see it lives on in Record.
To summarize, Record is an awesome program. And, it didn’t crash once on me while using it these past couple of months. If you use Reason and want to get into recording audio, Record is an excellent choice for your first DAW program. But, don’t expect it to replace a tried and true DAW program like Logic or Pro Tools. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if someday it has features that rival today’s most popular DAW programs.
Wondering how much compression you should use in the mix? Maybe you’re skeptical that compression really makes a difference? It’s a difficult effect to get a handle on and to really use effectively. It starts by being able to hear the difference between a mix that has compression and one that does not. To this end, I’ve cooked up a phat drum beat and given it a mix with lots of compression. In this video, I switch all of the compressors on and off while the beat is playing, so you can seriously hear the difference. And, at the same time I flip through the compressors on each channel so you can peep my settings. Enjoy!
PS — This video can be seen in full screen HD if you go to YouTube. Double click on the video above to jump directly to the full screen version.
Gerritt Tisdale of The Producer’s Alliance recently interviewed me. If you’re interested in learning a bit more about my background, I think it’s an interesting read. There’s also a little breaking news in the interview about my upcoming book and album. And, of course, a few tasty production tips too. Of course, I can’t do an interview without throwing some music production speak into the mix too! Check it out.
