April 2001 RAP
April 2001 Highlights
2000 RAP Awards: Winners Announced!
Feature: Fish Bicycles
By John Pellegrini
A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." This phrase was popular
20 years ago among the more radical feminists. While I’m not about to debate
feminism pro or con, I think this phrase can also be used to illustrate a
common problem in advertising, which I alluded to last year in the June
issue of RAP ("The Nature of Sound"). Inappropriate advertising. Spots that
have absolutely no value whatever in promoting the client’s business or
services. Are your commercials guilty of this problem? Do you find yourself
writing commercials that are as helpful to your client as a bicycle is to a
fish?
Interview: Steve McKenzie, NextMedia, Chicago
By Jerry Vigil
This year’s RAP Awards competition had lots of close races, except in the
category of Large Market Commercials. Steve McKenzie’s spot for Pirro
Brother’s Pizza beat out its closest competition by a 3 to 1 margin. Steve
also managed to capture the 2nd Runner-up award in the same category. As
Corporate Production Director for the Chicago area NextMedia group, Steve
makes home base at WZSR-FM where he handles the commercial production for
the group’s cream of the crop accounts. They’re in good hands.
Test Drive: Tascam US-428 - USB Interface Controller
By Steve Cunningham
In the beginning, there was the reel-to-reel tape recorder and the mixing
console. These had buttons and faders and knobs. We used them every day, and
we all became fast and accurate with them. We could adjust the mid EQ on the
music channel without even looking at the board. We could dead pot the VO
channel at the right moment while watching only the meters. We were the
equivalent of touch-typists, and it was good.
Then came the digital audio workstation with its keyboard, mouse, and
monitor. It had no buttons, no faders, and no knobs. There were some
exceptions, but those workstations that had buttons, faders, and knobs
generally cost our station owners dearly. So many of us had to abandon our
friendly controls, because yea and verily we lacked budget. We had to adapt,
and we did.
Recently several companies have brought forth control surfaces to lead us
out of the fader-less desert and into the promised land. Among these is
Tascam with their US-428 Digital Audio Workstation controller.
Radio Hed: Contrast
By Jeffrey Hedquist
The use of contrast in a radio commercial will draw attention, make it
interesting, create the unexpected and keep listeners from falling asleep.
Too often commercials are all one flavor - sea of audio beige.
Try juxtaposing silence and noise or two widely different music cuts to tell
the story of two aspects of a product or service.
Production Libraries: Noise II & Reaxion from Omega
Productions
By John Pellegrini
Omega Productions has been around for 10 years, primarily focused as an
imaging company for numerous radio and TV clients around the world. They
offer voice-over, production, sweepers, commercial production, and sound
effect and music libraries. Their services can be heard on major market
stations in the USA, Canada, UK, and Greece. In the music and sound effects
category, they offer six CDs (called libraries, here), with a large variety
of sound effects, sweepers, stingers, promo beds and commercial beds.
Because they’re a newer company they have the advantage of not having their
music tracks burned out all over the American airwaves, which is appealing
for those of you who are always looking for something that no one else is
using. For this review, they sent copies of their two newest discs, Noise
II, and Reaxion. Both are perfect for Alternative Rock, Rhythmic CHR, Hot
AC, Hot CHR, Urban, Sports, or any dance format.
Q It Up: The RAP Network Speaks - Monitoring Your Mixes
- Part 2
By Jerry Vigil
Q It Up: How do you monitor your mix? When mixing a
promo, commercial, or any other voice over music/sfx type project, do you
mix with the monitors turned up loud, down low, or somewhere in the middle?
Do you use near-field monitors, or do you use large monitors hanging from
the ceiling? Maybe you use them both. How do you prefer to monitor your
mixes? Also, if you know, tell us what brand and model of monitors you use
and/or which ones you prefer to use. Any other thoughts you have on
monitoring mixes are welcome.
...And Make It Real Creative:
By Trent Rentsch
I’ve been lying to you. If you’ve read this column for any length of
time, you’ve endured several columns on personal change. On and on I’ve
babbled about how wonderful it is, what a growing, learning experience
changing job and place can be, how it frees the Creative mind. What a load
of crap. The fact is, I have always hated change. The uncertainty of it
scared the hell out of me. Like the majority of humanity, I am a creature of
habit, and enjoy all the creature comforts it brings. That does not mean
that habit is a good thing, and in my case it was becoming a miserable
cycle—more on that later. The bottom line is, while I’ve been scared of
change in the past, a fresh start has been long over-due.
Way Off the Mark: If Every Industry Thought Like Radio
Executives Think
By Mark Margulies
I’ve been in this business almost 20 years, and yet, I am still
constantly amazed at the complete disdain for what we write and produce as
professionals. The prevailing thought is, it’s an expensive luxury that can
be done by others just as well, if not better. In fact, many stations PREFER
their salespeople write the copy. The idea is, of course, they have the
day-to-day contact with the client. They’re in the trenches. They’re asking
the questions. They’re listening to the client’s wants, needs, likes and
dislikes. They should be the ones best suited to draft the message the
public hears because they understand it best.
Kind of makes me wonder what other industries would be like if they took
radio’s mentality and applied to their fields.
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