June 2008 RAP
June 2008 Highlights
Feature: 360 in a 2-Track World
by John Pellegrini
Tonight, just before you go to bed I want you to try something. Go
outside for a few minutes and close your eyes. (If you live in an area where
it’s not exactly safe to be outside after dark with your eyes closed then
try doing this in the early morning daylight before you go to work) What you
should do after you close your eyes is listen to everything around you. Now
while keeping your eyes closed try to identify certain sounds that you hear
– and without turning your head try to pinpoint the direction from which
those sounds are coming. Very likely this is something you’ve either never
done before or haven’t tried since you were a little kid. However, this is
where I’ve been spending a lot of time for the last five years. Welcome to
the world of recording sound in surround.
Interview: Andrew Crothers, Creative Director/English
Programming, MediaCorp, Singapore
by Jerry Vigil
Ever want to just pack up your bags and travel the world, working in
radio in different countries, meeting new people, experiencing different
cultures and drinking up all life has to offer? That’s exactly what Andrew
Crothers decided to do 13 years ago when he left his home in Australia. But
instead of Singapore being Andrew’s most recent stop, it was his first stop,
and has been his only stop so far. This month’s RAP Interview takes us on
our first visit to this island nation, located on the southern tip of the
Malay Peninsula, just north of the equator. Singapore is home for some 4.5
million people, and home for MediaCorp, a state-owned group of commercial
media companies, which includes 14 radio stations as well as television and
print media. Andrew handles the imaging for MediaCorp’s English stations
with a creative flair which was acknowledged with a RAP Awards trophy this
past April. Andrew shares the creative process behind that award winner, and
he takes us on a fascinating tour of radio in Singapore. Be sure to check
out this month’s RAP CD for more top-notch audio from Andrew.
Test Drive: Samplitude Pro 10 from Magix
by Steve Cunningham
We last reviewed Magix’s Samplitude software editor three years ago (see
RAP May 2005). Since then the program has undergone two significant
upgrades, each adding more functions to what was already a strong candidate
in the standalone PC editor market. Unfortunately the program still lags in
the DAW popularity contest here in the States... it’s remained well under
the radar in the press and on the street, which is a pity. Feature-wise,
Samplitude kicks several other Windows-only editors in the tuchas, and
version 10 adds both new features and a significant UI makeover that
deserves more attention than it’s had, so let’s pop the new version DVD in
the drive and see what’s up.
Production 212: Killing Ants With Sledgehammers
by Dave Foxx
It occurred to me the other day that I, and by extension this magazine,
have been doing you a disservice that needs to be addressed, before you get
called into the principal’s office. It’s not a huge thing, but something you
definitely need to think about before you produce your next
“slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am” promo. What brought it to mind is a friend who’s
been getting some mixed signals from his boss lately. Up until a few months
ago, he felt very secure in his position, as well he should. His production
is as good as it gets on many different levels, but his recently new boss
was complaining that his imaging was off. When he tried to pin the boss down
on what he meant by off, he couldn’t really articulate it well enough to
understand what the problem was. You can only imagine the kinds of
frustration my friend was feeling.
Feature: Yin and Yang in Production
by “Phat” Matt Ganssle
You need to give the same that you receive. It’s the ying and the yang.
It’s how you maintain a healthy chi. It’s the positives and negatives of
life interacting to create harmony. This morning, one of our part-timers
called up – he’s helping to produce our new morning show. Bright kid with
good DJ skills and a great future ahead of him – but as far as production is
concerned, there’s just not a track record that I’m aware of. So he tells
me, over the phone at 8am, that the morning show hates a certain sweeper I
produced and had a hand in writing. My first, very human thought was “what
the f*! You’re a part-timer and you’re telling ME that MY production SUCKS!?
What the f* do you know! Don’t you know I’ve been doing this for a heck of a
lot longer than you!”
Radio Hed: Public Radio Copy
by Jeffrey Hedquist
People listen to public radio. Some advertisers want to reach the public
radio audience. There are some pretty strict guidelines about what you can
and cannot say in sponsorship mentions on public, not for profit,
non-commercial stations. Keep in mind, that the aforementioned media outlets
will be the first to tell you that these mentions are NOT advertising! The
purpose of the sponsorship mentions is to build a special relationship with
the public radio audience as a supporter of programming and an underwriter
of operational costs of the station. However, several of my clients,
newsletter subscribers and teleseminar listeners have asked me: Is it
possible to create effective copy within the strict guidelines? Hmmmm…
Q It Up: The RAP Network Speaks! - Are you producing for
your web streams?
Q It Up: How have your stations’ online streams impacted
your Production Department? Are you now producing “stream only” ads and
promos? What about special IDs to run during the stream stop-sets? Has there
been enough production to warrant increasing your staff? Please offer any
other related thoughts on the subject of your stations’ streams. If you’re
an independent producer or voiceover talent, how have radio station streams
affected your business?
Feature: Dot… Dot… Dot…
by Ed Thompson
I am constantly amazed when someone tries to sneak a spot by me that
contains copyrighted music. What amazed me the last time it happened was
that our management didn’t flinch when I brought it their attention and said
the client couldn’t run the spot. Wow! Color me with an attitude of
gratitude. That made it easier for me the break the news to the client. He
was a local man running for a local political office, and after I shook his
hand and introduced myself, I acknowledging how hard he’d worked on it and
explained as matter-of-factly as I could, why we could not air his spot.
...And Make It Real Creative - Audio Magician
by Trent Rentsch
What exactly makes up my “mass of clutter?” Let’s see… there’s the audio
gear, the old and new, the “used daily” and somewhat obsolete. There are
computers, most older, some of mine, some that family members have abandoned
at my door. Guitars, several, even though I’m only a 3 chord wonder (for
reasons of economy, my wife was very happy to see that collection stall at
6). There are guitar straps full of pins from Hard Rock Café and House of
Blues visits. My last job saw me writing for a lot of car dealers, which
re-ignited my passion for Hot Wheels toy cars; I seem to have a couple of
cases of them now. Speaking of cars, my never-ending interest in Batman has
left me with many model versions of the Batmobile. Because I’ve always loved
cartoons (and would really like to be a voice in one), I have my favorites
sitting around… Bugs Bunny, the Animaniacs, Gumby and Pokey, Mickey, on and
on. There are Gargoyle statues, which were joined by totem poles after our
trip to Alaska. Then there are the pewter wizard statues, which have been
joined by ceramic ones the past few years — a representation of my interest
in both the Renaissance and magic. Ahh, yes, magic…
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