DJ and Electronic Music Production

PPD Yr 2

Simon Adair

PPD 2 Evaluation

In the following document I will assess ever segment of my level 5 PPD and its relation to personal growth and knowledge gained through research, self reflection, practical work and assessment.

Self assessment: SWOT and Sector Skills

One of my main aims this academic year was to build on my strengths and begin to truly eliminate my weaknesses. My emphasis on my strengths had grown since last year and by looking at my SWOT The Positives are beginning to at least compete with the negatives at least in a technical and academic sense.

One of my greatest weaknesses during my entire educational history was a difficulty to grasp a good practical understanding of complex audio hardware. 64 channel mixing desks used to give me sweaty palms. Wiring audio incorrectly used to make me feel embarrassed and frankly, a bit stupid.

Something about working on big gear such as PA systems and recording studios seemed difficult at first, but after a while I became more familiar and less embarrassed about making mistakes.

The past year has in fact been my most progressive due to a lot of 'exposure' to the studios at the WEC centre. The WEC gave me the time and the autonomy to be able to familiarise with big recording systems to the point I am able to problem solve, monitor projects, and set up my own recording sessions with ease.

Of all the things I wanted to learn in Music technology it was having the technical capability to work my way around an audio work station without getting completely lost and confused. Although I do occasionally forget to switch the amps on from time to time...

For me this is the closest approximation to a technical sector skill as I can get and would very much enjoy being an audio technician or even do studio mastering as a profession.

So for me, recording and producing in a technical environment or even setting up and wiring stacks of hardware is something that feels relevant to me as a professional skill. It's were I feel most useful in the music sector.

I want to get to the point were I can even show other people how to work they're way around a recording session.

It has effected my own work on producing music. Working with live audio and analogue hardware has left me with a greater understanding and appreciation of producing high standard audio in the correct context and it is beginning to trickle into my own methodology when sequencing music by using more hardware for recording and sampling.

I was able to build an extensive sample pack at the WEC using the collection of analogue synths.

Skills Audit

Comparing my skills from last year to now has seen improvements overall. The abilities I have been able to work on the most and improve are Live recording and a deeper understanding of analogue synthesis and studio hardware.

My recording has improved due to myself working on acoustic drum break beats played by Stuart Cambell. He was very helpful in not only recording drums but also on how to due quick session recordings and mastering using MIDI hardware sets and Ableton live.

After getting more comfortable with the studios and more of the gear I eventually began working solo on recording and mastering my own projects and samples. The studio session have also been useful for my monitoring and rehearsing on my collaboration with 'Passive fields'.

I am far more attuned to recording live with Ableton than I used to be and have even begun recording at home to create my own samples for industrial music. I also now know how to commercially master in Ableton and Reason.

All these things I find useful for day-to-day audio work and for more professional projects.

My planning and management skills however, do need working on and my current collaboration with 'Passive fields' to create recordings, schedule studio sessions and contact venues and gather information on the 'scene' is slowly getting me out of my disorganised and insular shell.

Development and Action

My short term goals reflect my new-found and growing skill's in audio engineering. But I also want to continue to develop with my collaborative work. An long term ambition of mine is to have some degree of influence on local music culture and be able to enrich it, I have no interest in exporting myself yet as my obligations and collaborative work shall keep me occupied for a few years yet.

For the first time in a long time I have an good idea of the professional direction I want to go in (and hopefully make a living from it) and this is reflected in the revised action plans having very little editing.

Over the course of checking the skills audits there are small improvements. I might be biased as I am auditing myself. But I have tried to be as honest as possible with myself I know what can be improved and what I can do well and I try to avoid putting myself down and saying 'I can't do this its too tricky'. If I did that I would never get anything done at all

Assisting at review Week

DJ and electronic Music production

PPD/WBL

Simon adair

assisting at review week. February 16^th -20^th. 2015

During the review week of February I was asked by one of my tutors Scott Mason if I could assist some of the level 3 students to set up a live set in the main foyer of the the performance academy building. I was student rep for my course and usually attended meeting between course leaders. I also had garnered a reputation for having an strong interest in hardware routing so I would be in my element helping out.

I had arrived at lunch time and met up with some of the level threes in studio 2 were we were briefed. The set up looked like CDJ Djing and one of the students would do an Ableton set using the Akai APC 40. First we needed to move some fold-out tables to the foyer as a work surface. I made a suggestion to include the Prophet 5 Sequential Circuit analogue synthesiser to the foyer to 'jam with'. I had only used the Prophet 5 once before and really wanted to show the level 3's around the machine as I tend to be very enthusiastic about old hardware synths and really wanted to share that enthusiasm.

Next PA needed to be moved and installed and the studio 2 Mac with accompanying table had to be manured to the CDJ bench in the foyer in such a way as to set up a kind of 'booth' space for the DJ's.

I was wiring the power and the audio ins/outs from the CDJ's and the Mac into the mixer. Myself and Scott then plugged the audio from the prophet 5 and sound checked the old synth. Sadly we got no signal whatsoever. The Prophet was completely dead.

We carefully carried it to the stores and had the plug fuse checked. The plug was fine. So we guessed at the internal fuses in the circuits must have shorted out. This would be the most likely cause for this particular synth to 'die' on us.

I hate admitting it but I was actually pretty upset as I really have a respect for old analogue gear and really wanted to show the other students how versatile and powerful an old machine like the prophet could be.

I was asked if I had brought in any of my own tracks to DJ with but I declined as I didn't have anything prepared or even available on the day. I was however willing to play the prophet 5 and even 'jam' with one of the students on there DJ set.

Another reason I was sad the machine was broken.

The last set was played by one of the students using an Ableton live set. I helped him program the clip launch function on the APC 40 and route some of the parameter controls for the mixer fades and aux effects in Ableton.

During the sets I gave some advice on mixing and sequencing where it was requested and at the end all the hardware needed to be stored back in its original places either at the stores or in studio 2.

developement plan long term

Electronic music Production

simon Adair

06/11/2014

PPD

Professional development plan medium and long term

As my short term goals are being met and will do for the rest of the academic year I will look at the motivation behind them which are my medium and long term goals.

The difference between the two is a matter of years. Short term can be anything between and week and a year. I refrained from creating a short term target very week as this just seemed like to much micro-goals such as; Create a kick drum, get the weekly shop, pet the cat, etc.

Instead I focused on the things that would take a month or so to plan and complete.

Medium term: 1-3 yrs

My plans for the next few years are to finally complete my academic career in music technology. It's been a long haul but I am a completionist at heart. Also I genuinely want to know everything about music production and have turned my fear of studio hardware/software interfaces into a love. This Is my 'bread and butter' and will help me find internships and work with others in unfamiliar but technically familiar environments.

To develop my skills and my networking capabilities further I will be working independently as a side line on my musical alias and may do gigs with my collaborative contacts. I want to get to the point where I am past breaking even and making a minor profit. To tie in with that I will go into label development with my colleagues as this will help with self promotion and to help legitimise my work and digital output to self employed status.

Although I would love to get studio work as a living and become an employee or even do mastering work on a commission basis, I ultimately want to be my own boss, self employed. As a firm believer in equality and with a moral hatred of hierarchy, self employment and a degree of self actualisation is what I am and will be working towards within the foreseeable future.

By being self employed or doing commission work I plan on getting my first mortgage. Time is ticking and I very much need to get on the .property ladder' within the next three years.

This in turn will improve my personal capital and status within our fickle society.

Long term: 3-10 yrs

If all goes to plan with my short and medium term plans I will have generated enough capital and economic freedom to pay off my student loans and begin my plans to emigrate.

I dislike the idea of creating 'brain drain' but I have, for many years now, wanted to emigrate. Its been an innate drive to escape the mundane.

After 3 years of personal development and hopefully some employment, I will be able to look into taking my mastering and production skills and exporting them to more 'fertile soil'.

Also within that 3 years I hope to have developed my own label and network and become a 'go-to' guy for my particular audio engineering skills as well as an anchor for a budding breakcore and noise scene within Newcastle.

I have absolutely no interest in moving to London. Contrary to my long term ambition of emigrating, I am a staunch believer and supporter of Localist economics. My creative roots are and always will be in the the North.

Also within ten years time, London will be a seething mass of religious, economic and societal hatred and degeneration. It will cease to function.

After contributing and developing myself and the cultural scene within Newcastle over the next ten years I hope to have enough capital to find Studio work in Canada and settle down there. Most likely in Toronto where there is a growth in the music industry.

action plan revised

Electronic Music production

simon adair

02/10/2014

PPD Action plan short term revised

Introduction

After doing a small brainstorm I have thought of a series of things I must do to get a really good project going that will give me good publicity and networking as well as experience in organising a project of this sort.

The Blog for my work (PPD at least) has been created. My other current online presence for my own production portfolio is currently my Google/Youtube account. This is acting as a stop gap before I either acquire a Web domain, join a label or create my own label.

The project development project has now been briefed and is currently under way. I am working in partnership with a like minded individual to create an Audio-visual event based on the concept of 'digital homogenisation in the 21^st century'.

This will consist of a live event with music, Noise, Glitch, Drum'n'Noise and Breakcore. And the gallery event will be a collaboration of artists that want to sell some art at the event. The Theme I have formulated for the art will be Post-Digital and Glitch art/Data-bending.

Recap:

As a revision of short term targets some have been met within the last few months whilst others are still being implemented. Some new ones that I felt I had left out have been added. Further info on these implementations will be included in section 9.

• Create a blog- complete
• Create a better Online Presence for a production alias using something like LastFm- Feb 2015
• Utilise networks better.- Jan-April 2015. My networking has improved but I still need to branch out into other social media domains such as Twitter and LastFm for digital footprint.
• use facebook, word of mouth, contacts to find more commissions from other creative industry sector projects- January 2015
• Work towards an art instillation scale project- late April 2015- Still working on this But looks like I will be 'Commissioning' artists on a 'voluntary' basis.
• remain creatively 'hermetic' but continue to network and work with other creative industries specialists towards a project.- April 2015
• market myself.- March 2015
• Get signed with a label or create one.
• Get an intern-ship- April 2015-16
• continue studies at lvl6- 2015-16

The only main issue that I must overcome in this project is that my 'hermetic method' or my habit of being a bedroom producing shut-in can and will clash with the need to network. I will overcome this problem one day at a time. What is important is to do what comes naturally to me and enjoy it, but also make a profit whether that is in experience, financial or networking portfolio.

revised reflection of short term targets

Electronic music production

simon adair

02/01/15

PPD Reflection on revised short term targets

My short term targets Have not changed much in stasis since I last revised them. Many have developed further and are on track for the dates I have selected for them.

My online presence or 'digital footprint' is an ongoing project and needs further development, especially for my working alias and market identity. This I will have to branch further from Word of Mouth, Facebook and youtube. I will be using Soundcloud, LastFm and Beatport far more frequently within the coming months.

My Audio-visual installation plans are starting to come together and I am not working alone on this project. I am in partnership and am currently planning the venue and networking to gather artists and musicians for the event. I need all the expertise I can get for the venture.

Managing a big project like this is a very new concept to me. I have participated in big projects in the past but never as the originator. So this will be an interesting and challenging development for me as an artist, but also will develop my planning and marketing skills, which fall behind my other skills if my sector analysis is consulted.

Although I am branching out creatively and finally working in collaboration. I still find much merit in working alone on private projects. As someone who records and Sequences using DAW's most of the time I find that solitary creativity comes with the territory.

Its not always a habit, sometimes it is a necessity.

I will in future be working with other like minded individuals more to develop the 'Extreme' Music scene within Newcastle.

Sadly I have not decided yet whether to create a label, go into collaboration on a label or sign with a label. I prefer to keep my options open and in the case of signing some of my tracks with a label, I need the right one to come along.

In fact its looking more likely now that I will collaborate on making one. The idea of running one solo seems like an unappealing work load and would be a task best shared.

reflection of short term targets

Electronic music production

simon adair

27/12/2014

PPD reflection on short term targets

after two months some of my short term goals have been implemented and others are ongoing as short to medium term projects.

A blog has been created to help objectivise this module but so far has not branched out into other projects. This is due to myself being completely incompetent with free domain blog pages, so it is slow going. This is an issue I am working on. I also find my Youtube account completely illogical too but that may be a shared sentiment.

I've scrapped my plan to create a personnel domain web page for now as I simply don;t want to pay for a domain. For now I Will use my google/Youtube accounts more.

My networking is finally improving by utilising Facebook and Skype to plan and have meetings for my work based project. For my live event stuff I will be using social networking extensively within the next few months to plan my future live events and project tie-ins. However I do prefer meeting and planning with 'face' in person so to speak. I believe this helps communicate my ideas and plans better.

My live event planned for April will Have an art instillation tie-in event. So far I have made the decision to get more artists involved as funding and creating all of the artistic output myself would cost too much and leave me very little time to work on my audio.

For the rest of this year at least I plan on continuing my studies but also to develop my independent work. I am also on the look out for any intern work for studio mastering.

action plan

Electronic Music production

simon adair

02/10/2014

PPD Action plan short term yr2

Introduction

So after doing a small brainstorm I have thought of a series of things I must do to get a really good project going that will give me good publicity and networking as well as experience in organising a project of this sort.

First of all I must create a blog. Any kind of easy access information about my self and my incredible audio skills will help greatly. I can use networks as I am already on such as facebook, LinkedIn, youtube and google. Although ultimately I still have my heart set on an independent website with its own domain.

What I will also look into or the next stage of this project is to ask the media community or anybody with a visual project would like me to do audio design or soundtrack. This could be anything from making simple tones for an art project to a art house movie project or even an exhibition in a studio etc. Rather than think what I Can't do I need to think about what I can and where my unique musical style can be marketed in the best way possible.

Most important of all, I owe it to my own music and sound to make it heard by as many people as possible as to do otherwise would be to devalue my own creative ability and output.

Recap:

So if this is thought of as a to do list for this year it can be accurately seen as a development on last years planning. Last year I had practically no digital footprint so my main aim was to create one using soundcloud and youtube and networking with friends and associates in other creative sectors on joint projects. The following will be further developments on that;

• Create a blog- December 2014
• publish and independent website (for blog) December 2014
• Utilise networks better. December 2014
• use facebook, word of mouth, contacts to find more commissions from other creative industry sector projects- January 2015
• Work towards an art instillation scale project- late April 2015
• remain creatively 'hermetic' but continue to network and work with other creative industries specialists towards a project.- April 2015
• market myself.- March 2015
• Get an intern-ship- April 2015-16
• continue studies at lvl6- 2015-16

The only main issue that I must overcome in this project is that my 'hermetic method' or my habit of being a bedroom producing shut-in can and will clash with the need to network. I will overcome this problem one day at a time. What is important is to do what comes naturally to me and enjoy it, but also make a profit whether that is in experience, financial or networking portfolio.

skills audit revised

Electronic Music Production

simon A

02/02/14

Skills audit

Part 1: current skills applicable

Below is a list of current relevant skills that I have and can in future apply to my relevant sector, Music production and audio mastering.

• Technical familiarity with studio hardware; mixing desks, audio interfaces microphone pre-amps etc.
• Some technical experience and understanding of microphone application and microphone mixing and acoustics.
• Lots of experience and moderate expertise in using Reason, Ableton, Logic and to a lesser extent Protools DAWs.
• Cable coiling. Lots and lots of experience with that.
• Audio engineering patch bays.
• Moderate to advanced understanding of music theory and acoustics.
• Some minor experience in planning and management.

Part 2 whats useful for future career application?

• Technical familiarity with studio hardware; mixing desks, audio interfaces microphone pre-amps etc.
• Some technical experience and understanding of microphone application and microphone mixing and acoustics.
• Lots of experience and moderate expertise in using Reason, Ableton, DAWs.
• Cable coiling. Lots and lots of experience with that.
• Audio engineering patch bays.
• Moderate to advanced understanding of music theory and acoustics.
• Some minor experience in planning and management.

Part 3 ability rating by skill level and relevance:

Skill: picked from Applicable skills.	Rating: out of 10. 10 being most skilled.	Relevance: out of 10. 10 being most important, 0 least.
Studio hardware	8	10
Recording and Acoustics	8	9
DAW's/ sequencing/ post production	10	10
Cable coiling	10	10
Patching hardware	8	9
Theory	7	8
Planning and management	6	10

Above, if you compare this to the previous skills audit some skills have improved but so have the relevance of those skills. So I am still chasing them and playing 'catch-up'.

The main skills that have changed are due to very recent decisions and changes to my learning curve.

This may be attributed to my change in personal method in production and more exposure to working in a studio environment where I have had to problem solve with many hardware/software interfacing.

My planning and management skills need to improve the most as I will be doing more independent organising within the music industry, ie; Planning a label, part time gigging and marketing myself.

skills audit

Electronic Music Production

simon A

27/11/14

Skills audit

Part 1: current skills applicable

Below is a list of current relevant skills that I have and can in future apply to my relevant sector, Music production and audio mastering.

• Technical familiarity with studio hardware; mixing desks, audio interfaces microphone pre-amps etc.
• Some technical experience and understanding of microphone application and microphone mixing and acoustics.
• Lots of experience and moderate expertise in using Reason, Ableton, Logic and to a lesser extent Protools DAWs.
• Cable coiling. Lots and lots of experience with that.
• Audio engineering patch bays.
• Moderate to advanced understanding of music theory and acoustics.
• Some minor experience in planning and management.

Part 2 whats useful for future career application?

• Technical familiarity with studio hardware; mixing desks, audio interfaces microphone pre-amps etc.
• Some technical experience and understanding of microphone application and microphone mixing and acoustics.
• Lots of experience and moderate expertise in using Reason, Ableton, DAWs.
• Cable coiling. Lots and lots of experience with that.
• Audio engineering patch bays.
• Moderate to advanced understanding of music theory and acoustics.
• Some minor experience in planning and management.

Part 3 ability rating by skill level and relevance:

Skill: picked from Applicable skills.	Rating: out of 10. 10 being most skilled.	Relevance: out of 10. 10 being most important, 0 least.
Studio hardware	7	10
Recording and Acoustics	7	8
DAW's/ sequencing/ post production	10	10
Cable coiling	10	10
Patching hardware	7	9
Theory	7	8
Planning and management	5	8

Project management/PPD

Simon Adair

09/10/2014

lvl5 yr2

Project proposal and early outlines of idea.

Core idea

The main central idea of my project will be based on Data-bending and the transference of audio to visual and visual to audio. I chose this idea because it's very technical, very current and will allow me to explore and create a relationship between two mediums and two art forms.

Aesthetically, Breakcore Noisecore and Glitch are forms of music I mostly synesthetically associate with Glitch art. Glitch art is either images or video that have been 'Data-bent' to create deliberate mistakes for a post-digital aestheticism.

Its an extremely modern approach to art and will allow me to directly transfer my artwork into audio to create truly unique waveforms.

For an 'gallery style' art gig this will bond the whole audio visual experience together.

My main aim with this is to create a hybrid experience without being 'whimsical' as most art is these days. I want to interpret the raw power of post-digital Extreme music in the most avant-garde way possible. without having to resort artistic cliches.

The project will be built around a core exhibit based on a video medium with the music synced in to give a strong and slightly uncomfortable audio experience. As audio I will create a hybrid of Breakcore/ glitch, ambient and diegetic sound and music.

My reason for using data-bending for visualising is to create a 'reality crossover' in the relation to the sound and vision of the exhibit.

I really wanted to try this idea out and blend it with noise repetition and 'atmosphere' sound between the higher tempo tracks to create a 'Lynchian atmosphere' and a strong discordance that will will be a visualisation of a running theme. More of a movie based on sound than an album or live DJ set.

Another reason to do an event like this is because I want to do an gig without being to conventional. Also all data is the same and my theme is a technological one that takes into account technical homogenisation of digital information.

The riders will include food.

For my co-worker on the project I will be working with an associate who I have experience working with in the past on unconventional music. The live side of the event will be used as a vehicle for a digital album/art launch.

An album release of my soundtrack will tie in with the exhibit and will feature my own 'concept artwork'. The exhibit itself will really act as a promotional tool for a commercial release.

This early on I can't really say if there will be revenue made and am more concerned with running costs, equipment, and health and safety.

Health and safety must be taken into consideration and for legal reasons I must know how much of health and safety is my personal responsibility. This depends on the nature of the venue. If its a gallery space then they will be briefing me on H+S. If its a club, pub small room then I will have more autonomy and responsibility for the Safety of the event.

For riders I have formulated a theoretical list of my requirements for an event:

• Business cards
• some craft beers
• Food. Maybe, depends on if the place already does food or not.
• 2000 event pamphlets
• About 10 canvases printed with glitch art.

Reason for choice

There are many reasons for my project idea. The most immediate is that I must utilise the resources I already have access to i.e.; Networking, facebook groups etc. Personal contacts. Software/hardware, lots of computing power. My own personal organising and creative capabilities.

Possible problems and set backs within the project

Finding a venue could be an issue as I'm really thinking of it being a gallery rather than a DJ venue.

Running costs and venue. I will have to try and fund mostly myself. I will combat this issue through careful research and by building a committed network of contacts for advice and resource organising on my behalf. The video has to be globalled to the music. The best way to do this is by making the music first and work the video into it. However this will sacrifice the 'human' quality in a live production that I would rather keep.

List of resources available

• software, Ableton and Reason for clip launching and audio production
• hardware, access to studios, computer and USB input devices.
• Social networking

List of needed resources

• a venue (although there is time to sort that out)
• ideal contacts, good rapport with a venue owner, video media expert etc.
• a budget and budget plan
• A core theme.
• Video software

Electronic Music Production

Simon Adair

PPD

SWOT analysis

YR2

Strengths	Weaknesses
· Good understanding of mastering · Good quantitative and quality creative output. (production and finishing of Audio projects) · Genuine interest in music and the wider creative industries · The ability to create massive fat kicks · Awareness of the wider market and musical trends · Creative work ethic. · Generation of ideas	· Short attention span · Like working alone most of the time · Highly opinionated · Finances (although hunger can be a great motivator). · I hate routine, although I’m an extremely habitual person, that may be due to my short attention span. · Lack of collaborative experience

Opportunities

Threats

· possible future industry growth · improvements in technology · improvements to my portfolio · niche genre(s) · forward thinking. I have no interest in dead mediums

· risk of genre diversification devaluing rather than enriching the music industry · What ‘industry’ people like in music is very different from what the ‘public’ like in music. · Copyright laws · Global economic and social meltdown · Money · Stress · Collapsing and ever devaluing music industry · Fear of fear itself · Depression · Poverty · Unemployment · The government becoming increasingly ugly and oppressive. Fascism is bad for culture.

sector skills analysis

Electronic music production

22/10/14 yr2

Simon Adair

PPD

Sector skills analysis

In this document I will give a rough outline if my collective skills within the audio engineering sector and collate there relevance to how I want to apply them in my chosen career path.

Within the music industry sector I plan on specialising in Audio/visual engineering and studio mixing. This would not be my first choice for doing something 'fun' within the industry however after observing trends within the employment sector and the music industry, a 'studio type job' or more specifically a more technical role in post production would give me far better employment opportunities than say, being a DJ/freelance artist.

Here's how my own relevant skill-set is looking so far;

My current skill-set:

Relevance to sector:

Proficiency in the use of Reason, Logic and Ableton. Lots of experience in recording and mixing (at least on an academic level). A reasonably proficient level of music theory lots of experience and knowledge of music writing and composition. Live DJ'ing

Very useful if I'm going to use a studio or compose music on my laptop very useful for post production, mixing and working with artists/live musicians etc again this can be applied to all aspects of production and engineering one way or the other composing music using a DAW or 'sequencing is the groundwork for using and understanding and any audio workstation. DJ'ing either with CDJ's, or Ableton controllers has given me some proficiency and experience in understanding live sound and hardware/software interfacing better. And feel more comfortable with devising interfaces for live music and audio mixing.

If I compare this to last years audit it is far more streamline for my future career path and also after reviewing myself I am growing in confidence in Audio engineering and the understanding of the studio environment, its hardware, software and its overall capabilities.