There’s only so many hours in the day for musicians to spend writing original material, collaborating with other artists or scribbling down ideas when they strike, regardless of what music making software they’re using.
But it’s almost 2012. Shouldn’t there be music making software out there to consolidate all of this? Thanks to GRAMMY award winning producer Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz Electronics, now there is. Mobile production studio Beat Thang was designed by these two parties earlier this year, and could be the music making software musicians and producers alike have been waiting for.
Time Management
There is an immense amount of electronic drum kits and music making software products on the market right now, and while they very in quality, one thing most do share is their complicated user interface. When time really is money for busy producers and musicians trying to make it, quickly understandable user interfaces on new products really can help speed up the creation process, and ultimately the profiting process.
Beat Thang’s electronic drum kit’s user interface is highly regarded as one of the easiest to use amongst similar products, and is poised to give you a great first impression of the device.
Furthermore, everything about Beat Thang, from the electronic drums feature to its music making software, is portable. This means that you have the ability to record or sample with it while you’re on the go. Twiddling your thumbs on the subway? Whip your Beat Thang out and write some beats with the electronic drums!
Consolidation
Judging Beat Thang by its price tag would be unfair before taking the time to analyze all that’s under the hood. Yes, it is expensive, but it’s also more than your average music making software or electronic drum set. Think about this: with one Beat Thang, you can draw from any of the 3,000 sounds in the sound pack, record samples anywhere you are to accompany electronic drum beats, and then turn that noise into music through the remaining phases of the recording process – mixing, and mastering.
There’s no way you’d be able to do all that even for one song at a traditional recording studio with standard music making software for the same price. Besides, as popular as electronic drums are in club songs today, you might be better off going this route anyway in the long run.
Performance
This portability also means that playing concerts with music making software or electronic drums now has a whole other dimension – performance in real time.
You don’t have to be chained to pre-recorded electronic drum beats on a backing track when performing with this music making software, you instead have the freedom to write new material or perform old material with a new touch using Beat Thang. But, this also means you’ll need to be sharp when performing, so the portability of Beat Thang goes a long way in giving you an opportunity to practice your skills regardless of where you are.
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is the new, mobile music production studio created by Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more about the capabilities of theBeat Thang’smusic making software and its electronic drums, go to http://beatthang.com.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Three Things to Evaluate Before Purchasing Musical Gear
Buying musical gear in general is overwhelming to say the least. What’s most affordable? What will last the longest? Where are the music loops best? When the piece of gear in question is music editing software or a beat machine, the guidelines below will help you decide which is right for you.
Portability
Just like the music loops they create, the modern musician travels many places before returning home again. To have a beat machine or music editing software that is stationary would be to put yourself at a severe disadvantage.
Portable beat machines and music editing software do exist now, and you should use them to create music loops when creativity strikes. For example, new mobile production studio Beat Thang is battery powered and comes with music editing software capable of recording / producing when you’re on the go.
Also, in addition to music loops from sound pack sounds, the beat machine’s music editing software can even record external sounds for samples (which you can then music loops out of)! One more advantage of this music editing software feature is that you can collaborate with other musicians wherever needed. You won’t have to worry about hauling gear across town or sending huge music loop files digitally if you own a Beat Thang.
Ease of Use
Let’s face it, if the beat machine and / or music editing software you purchase is simple to use AND just as powerful as the more complicated machinery, why not go with it instead of a more complicated beat machine?
Beat Thang’s interface has been highly touted as one of the easiest to use among all beat machines, music editing software, and music looping devices, as it puts intuition and simplicity before anything else. That said, it loses no ground with music production veterans because it features the same functionality they expect.
Power
Do you have the power? It’s always important to take into consideration your skill set when buying a music editing software or a beat machine, or even if your only intention with a device is to make a bunch of fun sounding music loops.
If you’re a beginner just looking to create basic music loops, you won’t be able to understand how to use the more complicated beat machines. And if you’re an expert, the beginner music editing software won’t be able to deliver what you need it to. Except if you’re creating with Beat Thang, that is.
I say this because not only is it powerful enough (in the literal sense) to live on a four hours lithium ion rechargeable battery, but it also comes loaded with over 3,000 sounds, and has the ability to sample, edit, mix, and master. All four phases of a recording can be completed by this one handheld object, wherever you may be in the world. Think about that!
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is the new, mobile music production studio created by Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more about the capabilities of theBeat Thangbeat machine, its music editing software, and its huge sound pack (great for music loops), go to http://beatthang.com.
Portability
Just like the music loops they create, the modern musician travels many places before returning home again. To have a beat machine or music editing software that is stationary would be to put yourself at a severe disadvantage.
Portable beat machines and music editing software do exist now, and you should use them to create music loops when creativity strikes. For example, new mobile production studio Beat Thang is battery powered and comes with music editing software capable of recording / producing when you’re on the go.
Also, in addition to music loops from sound pack sounds, the beat machine’s music editing software can even record external sounds for samples (which you can then music loops out of)! One more advantage of this music editing software feature is that you can collaborate with other musicians wherever needed. You won’t have to worry about hauling gear across town or sending huge music loop files digitally if you own a Beat Thang.
Ease of Use
Let’s face it, if the beat machine and / or music editing software you purchase is simple to use AND just as powerful as the more complicated machinery, why not go with it instead of a more complicated beat machine?
Beat Thang’s interface has been highly touted as one of the easiest to use among all beat machines, music editing software, and music looping devices, as it puts intuition and simplicity before anything else. That said, it loses no ground with music production veterans because it features the same functionality they expect.
Power
Do you have the power? It’s always important to take into consideration your skill set when buying a music editing software or a beat machine, or even if your only intention with a device is to make a bunch of fun sounding music loops.
If you’re a beginner just looking to create basic music loops, you won’t be able to understand how to use the more complicated beat machines. And if you’re an expert, the beginner music editing software won’t be able to deliver what you need it to. Except if you’re creating with Beat Thang, that is.
I say this because not only is it powerful enough (in the literal sense) to live on a four hours lithium ion rechargeable battery, but it also comes loaded with over 3,000 sounds, and has the ability to sample, edit, mix, and master. All four phases of a recording can be completed by this one handheld object, wherever you may be in the world. Think about that!
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is the new, mobile music production studio created by Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more about the capabilities of theBeat Thangbeat machine, its music editing software, and its huge sound pack (great for music loops), go to http://beatthang.com.
Music Creators Sharpen Your Live Performance Skills with Beat Thang
Whether you make hip hop beats or even know what a sound pack is, all music creators of the world now face a conundrum: With so much music being downloaded illegally from the Internet, how are music creators supposed to support themselves financially? Through ticket sales to their concerts, of course.
The concert sector of the music industry is more financially relevant to music creators than it has been in a long time, and the time is ripe for those who write hip hop beats or are just music creators in general to capitalize. For instance, if hip hop beats are your forte as a music creator, try to stand out from the pack by performing those hip hop beats live rather than just playing them on a pre-recorded track.
Such a task would have been nearly impossible for music creators decades ago, but with Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz’ new mobile production studio Beat Thang (great for hip hop beats and comes with a loaded, high quality sound pack), playing these hip hop beats in front of fans’ eyes can be a reality.
It’s understandable for DJs to and other music creators who create predominantly hip hop beats to be skeptical of Beat Thang’s ability to re-create the same sound in a live setting. Most hip hop beat making machines do not have the wherewithal or sound pack powerful enough to replicate the same sound. However, thanks to Beat Thang’s sound pack with more than 3000 sounds (all of which are very high quality), it can be done.
The truth is, even if you’re a music creator that makes hip hop beats by mixing and matching sound pack sounds on a computer, fans appreciate hearing and seeing them performed real-time in front of their eyes. It gives them more respect for you as a musician, and gives their ears a chance to hear a new take on a hip hop beat or song they’ve probably heard a hundred times.
On the off chance you’re feeling extra adventurous as a music creator and want to drop a new beat that comes to mind right in front of fans’ eyes, such is also a possibility, although a gutsy one. But remember, with 3,000 sound pack sounds at your disposal in the Beat Thang sound pack, the possibilities are endless. It’s amazing how much a deep sound pack could potentially do for your career, especially in this context.
The more revered your live show is, the more tickets you will sell, and the more successful your career as a hip hop beat maker / music creator will be.
Moreover, learning how to play your hip hop beats live on the fly isn’t as difficult as you’d imagine, because Beat Thang’s user interface and sound pack sections are both incredibly easy to understand.
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is the new, mobile music production studio created by Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more about the live performance and sound pack capabilities of Beat Thang for music creators who make hip hop beats, go to http://beatthang.com.
The concert sector of the music industry is more financially relevant to music creators than it has been in a long time, and the time is ripe for those who write hip hop beats or are just music creators in general to capitalize. For instance, if hip hop beats are your forte as a music creator, try to stand out from the pack by performing those hip hop beats live rather than just playing them on a pre-recorded track.
Such a task would have been nearly impossible for music creators decades ago, but with Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz’ new mobile production studio Beat Thang (great for hip hop beats and comes with a loaded, high quality sound pack), playing these hip hop beats in front of fans’ eyes can be a reality.
It’s understandable for DJs to and other music creators who create predominantly hip hop beats to be skeptical of Beat Thang’s ability to re-create the same sound in a live setting. Most hip hop beat making machines do not have the wherewithal or sound pack powerful enough to replicate the same sound. However, thanks to Beat Thang’s sound pack with more than 3000 sounds (all of which are very high quality), it can be done.
The truth is, even if you’re a music creator that makes hip hop beats by mixing and matching sound pack sounds on a computer, fans appreciate hearing and seeing them performed real-time in front of their eyes. It gives them more respect for you as a musician, and gives their ears a chance to hear a new take on a hip hop beat or song they’ve probably heard a hundred times.
On the off chance you’re feeling extra adventurous as a music creator and want to drop a new beat that comes to mind right in front of fans’ eyes, such is also a possibility, although a gutsy one. But remember, with 3,000 sound pack sounds at your disposal in the Beat Thang sound pack, the possibilities are endless. It’s amazing how much a deep sound pack could potentially do for your career, especially in this context.
The more revered your live show is, the more tickets you will sell, and the more successful your career as a hip hop beat maker / music creator will be.
Moreover, learning how to play your hip hop beats live on the fly isn’t as difficult as you’d imagine, because Beat Thang’s user interface and sound pack sections are both incredibly easy to understand.
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is the new, mobile music production studio created by Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more about the live performance and sound pack capabilities of Beat Thang for music creators who make hip hop beats, go to http://beatthang.com.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Producing with Beat Kangz’ Beat Thang – Part 3
Don’t wrap the beats before you rap to the beats.
In the previous segment, we talked about Beat Thang’s ability to make professional-quality rap beats, hip-hop beats, or electronica. Now we arrive at the practical part of this series: Beat-making production tips for making bangers on Beat Thang.
Beatin’ the rap
One of the most common mistakes of young producers making rap beats is to drop the finished beat before they rap. With a powerful groovebox like Beat Thang, it’s tempting to fill the beats with as many drum loops, samples, and effects as possible. But this isn’t electronica, it’s “making ‘ur’ own rap beats.”
So don’t forget to rap early on or you won’t have any room left to rap. It’s what mixers call a science project: too many tracks because somewhere along the way the producer lost sight of the project. Start with a basic rap beat; say a drum loop and bass.
Once you’ve got the drum loop bangin’, do a scratch rap track and make it as close to finished as you can. Once you have the drum loop, bass, and rap track, then you can start filling in the empty spaces. Remember, rap beats are all about drum beats and words. You don’t want your beats stepping all over your rap.
Compression, New York style
Parallel, or New York compression* can make electronic drums, drum loops, and virtual drums sound big and punchy without loss of dynamics. In your DAW, MIDI sequencer, or Beat Thang, record a drum track or drum loop and copy it. On the drum loop copy, apply heavy compression (8:1 – 20:1 ratio) with a fast attack and release. Also, apply EQ, boosting at 80Hz and 10kHz.
Resample the compressed drum loop back into Beat Thang and mix it in with the original drum loop. You just want to sneak it up in there until you hear the drum loop fill out the stereo field and get punchier. To save tracks, you can resample both drum loops onto one track.
Buying the best beats
Before we part company, let’s talk price and availability. Beat Thang isn’t cheap—no professional-level studio gear is. But when you consider that one day in a world-class studio will run you $1,500, or a decent home project studio will cost $10,000 for low, Beat Thang is a bargain at twice the price.
Beat Thang is available at Best Buy. Another surprise, I know. But I do know something about the negotiating practices of the huge music retailers. They’re not happy unless the other guy is crying. That makes it hard for a startup company to get off the ground. So kudos to Best Buy for giving the little guy a chance to get on his feet.
And for you, future Beat Thang owner, it means that The Beat Kangz will be around to support their products.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Darius Van Rhuehl is the owner of Backhouse Productions and also a producer of pop, rap beats, hip-hop beats, and R&B beats for TV. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and has studied music production from multi-platinum producer Michael Wagener.To learn more about Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
In the previous segment, we talked about Beat Thang’s ability to make professional-quality rap beats, hip-hop beats, or electronica. Now we arrive at the practical part of this series: Beat-making production tips for making bangers on Beat Thang.
Beatin’ the rap
One of the most common mistakes of young producers making rap beats is to drop the finished beat before they rap. With a powerful groovebox like Beat Thang, it’s tempting to fill the beats with as many drum loops, samples, and effects as possible. But this isn’t electronica, it’s “making ‘ur’ own rap beats.”
So don’t forget to rap early on or you won’t have any room left to rap. It’s what mixers call a science project: too many tracks because somewhere along the way the producer lost sight of the project. Start with a basic rap beat; say a drum loop and bass.
Once you’ve got the drum loop bangin’, do a scratch rap track and make it as close to finished as you can. Once you have the drum loop, bass, and rap track, then you can start filling in the empty spaces. Remember, rap beats are all about drum beats and words. You don’t want your beats stepping all over your rap.
Compression, New York style
Parallel, or New York compression* can make electronic drums, drum loops, and virtual drums sound big and punchy without loss of dynamics. In your DAW, MIDI sequencer, or Beat Thang, record a drum track or drum loop and copy it. On the drum loop copy, apply heavy compression (8:1 – 20:1 ratio) with a fast attack and release. Also, apply EQ, boosting at 80Hz and 10kHz.
Resample the compressed drum loop back into Beat Thang and mix it in with the original drum loop. You just want to sneak it up in there until you hear the drum loop fill out the stereo field and get punchier. To save tracks, you can resample both drum loops onto one track.
Buying the best beats
Before we part company, let’s talk price and availability. Beat Thang isn’t cheap—no professional-level studio gear is. But when you consider that one day in a world-class studio will run you $1,500, or a decent home project studio will cost $10,000 for low, Beat Thang is a bargain at twice the price.
Beat Thang is available at Best Buy. Another surprise, I know. But I do know something about the negotiating practices of the huge music retailers. They’re not happy unless the other guy is crying. That makes it hard for a startup company to get off the ground. So kudos to Best Buy for giving the little guy a chance to get on his feet.
And for you, future Beat Thang owner, it means that The Beat Kangz will be around to support their products.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Darius Van Rhuehl is the owner of Backhouse Productions and also a producer of pop, rap beats, hip-hop beats, and R&B beats for TV. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and has studied music production from multi-platinum producer Michael Wagener.To learn more about Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
Producing with Beat Kangz’ Beat Thang – Part 2
Beat Thang hands you the creative keys to music production.
In the first article of this series we mentioned that the Beat Thang music-production workstation has been long anticipated, possibly arriving too late. Nonsense. A solid, well-thought-out instrument is always useful to producers and musicians. Not useful in the long term are budget drum machines, groove boxes, and beat-makers rushed to the marketplace. The fact that Beat Kangz took their time to get Beat Thang right the first time speaks volumes to me.
So let’s look at Beat Thang in terms of how its features address music production, live performance, and most important, creativity.
Getting your mind right
Let’s talk about creativity first, since it’s the underlying component of all music production, whether it’s orchestral, rap beats, hip-hop-beats, or rock. With music production, particularly computer recording, creativity is at a disadvantage due to the sheer number of features buried in menus, sub-menus, and controls that need to be accessed via mouse or controller.
All of these functions engage the left side of the brain. The left-brain is your mind’s accountant. It likes numbers and lists. The right brain is the creative side.
Music production requires that you stay in the creative side of the brain without interruption as long as possible. Shifting back and forth makes you drop ideas, not beats. Top producers avoid time-sucking, creativity-killing tools and procedures to keep the right brain engaged.
Looking at the top panel of Beat Thang, the music production experience of its designers is obvious. All functions are accessible at one button press. The simplicity of Beat Thang is a double bonus, insofar as it makes it easy for beginners to get started in music production, and gives professionals the focus where they want it: on creativity.
It’s all about the bling
One button in particular caught my attention: Blang. No, it doesn’t relate to music production. It controls the backlighting of the top panel and front grille. To some, Beat Thang may look a little too “Tron.” If you don’t like the lights, Blang lets you turn them off (just the active button lights) to save batteries, or dim them to see what you’re doing onstage.
In keeping with the performance aspect of Beat Thang, its 13 velocity-sensing trigger pads mimic the layout of a piano.
The pads are labeled with note names and accidentals, making it easy to play melodic lines. Plus, you can shift through all eight octaves. Or, you can connect to a MIDI keyboard via its five-pin MIDI port and have access to all eight octaves.
Beat-making while you wait
In the previous segment, we said we were going to challenge Beat Thang’s “15-minute music production guarantee.” It’s a challenge you can’t lose. And yes, within 15 minutes, I was dropping beats like an ugly baby, and creating some very complex, layered, film-score style electronica.
Can you make professional-sounding beats with just Beat Thang and a set of headphones? Quite simply, yes. Now beatmakers, stay tuned for music production tips used in hit-making beats—courtesy of The Beat Kangz.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Darius Van Rhuehl is the owner of Backhouse Productions and also a producer of pop, rap beats, hip-hop beats, and R&B beats for TV. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and has studied music production from multi-platinum producer Michael Wagener.To learn more about Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
In the first article of this series we mentioned that the Beat Thang music-production workstation has been long anticipated, possibly arriving too late. Nonsense. A solid, well-thought-out instrument is always useful to producers and musicians. Not useful in the long term are budget drum machines, groove boxes, and beat-makers rushed to the marketplace. The fact that Beat Kangz took their time to get Beat Thang right the first time speaks volumes to me.
So let’s look at Beat Thang in terms of how its features address music production, live performance, and most important, creativity.
Getting your mind right
Let’s talk about creativity first, since it’s the underlying component of all music production, whether it’s orchestral, rap beats, hip-hop-beats, or rock. With music production, particularly computer recording, creativity is at a disadvantage due to the sheer number of features buried in menus, sub-menus, and controls that need to be accessed via mouse or controller.
All of these functions engage the left side of the brain. The left-brain is your mind’s accountant. It likes numbers and lists. The right brain is the creative side.
Music production requires that you stay in the creative side of the brain without interruption as long as possible. Shifting back and forth makes you drop ideas, not beats. Top producers avoid time-sucking, creativity-killing tools and procedures to keep the right brain engaged.
Looking at the top panel of Beat Thang, the music production experience of its designers is obvious. All functions are accessible at one button press. The simplicity of Beat Thang is a double bonus, insofar as it makes it easy for beginners to get started in music production, and gives professionals the focus where they want it: on creativity.
It’s all about the bling
One button in particular caught my attention: Blang. No, it doesn’t relate to music production. It controls the backlighting of the top panel and front grille. To some, Beat Thang may look a little too “Tron.” If you don’t like the lights, Blang lets you turn them off (just the active button lights) to save batteries, or dim them to see what you’re doing onstage.
In keeping with the performance aspect of Beat Thang, its 13 velocity-sensing trigger pads mimic the layout of a piano.
The pads are labeled with note names and accidentals, making it easy to play melodic lines. Plus, you can shift through all eight octaves. Or, you can connect to a MIDI keyboard via its five-pin MIDI port and have access to all eight octaves.
Beat-making while you wait
In the previous segment, we said we were going to challenge Beat Thang’s “15-minute music production guarantee.” It’s a challenge you can’t lose. And yes, within 15 minutes, I was dropping beats like an ugly baby, and creating some very complex, layered, film-score style electronica.
Can you make professional-sounding beats with just Beat Thang and a set of headphones? Quite simply, yes. Now beatmakers, stay tuned for music production tips used in hit-making beats—courtesy of The Beat Kangz.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Darius Van Rhuehl is the owner of Backhouse Productions and also a producer of pop, rap beats, hip-hop beats, and R&B beats for TV. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and has studied music production from multi-platinum producer Michael Wagener.To learn more about Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
Producing beats with Beat Kangz’ Beat Thang – Part 1
The Beat’s the Thang, wherein I’ll capture the conscience of the Kangz.
It’s been a long time coming, but Beat Thang by Beat Kangz, a professional-level beat maker/drum machine/workstation has finally arrived.
And while some think it may have shown up late to the party (as the cool ones do), it’s not bringing just chips and dip; it’s a complete music production workstation combining the functionality of several units, including signal processing, mixing, mastering, MIDI sequencing, computer recording, and music sampler.
Beat Thang is poised to do battle with NI’s Maschine beat-maker, Akai’s MPC 2500/MPC 5000 beat-makers, and Roland’s MV-8800 beat-maker (now a legacy product). The question is whether its beats can stand up to that kind of heat . . .
In this series of articles, we’ll talk about Beat Thang’s features, design, ergonomics, sound quality, and ultimately, explore whether the kind of beats you’d expect from a world-class studio can be produced just with Beat Thang and a set of headphones—wherever you are?
We’re also going to challenge the Beat Thang’s 15-minute beat-maker guarantee: If you're not making beats within 15 minutes of opening the box—whether you've produced beats before or not—Beat Kangz will offer a “no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee.” Plus, we’ll give you some production tips for dropping serious beats with Beat Thang.
What’s in a name?
As the great bard Shakespeare once said, “A beat-maker by any other name would still drop the beats like an ugly baby.” . . . or maybe it was DJ ShakezPeer . . . (Well, I thought it was Shakespeare).
I have to admit, at first I was a bit put off by the name Beat Thang, but then again, there was a time when the greatest American action hero was named “Arnold,” and spoke with a thick Viennese accent—and that seemed to come out okay (nobody beats Arnold). So, if The Beat Kangz want to stay true to their roots and culture like Arnold did, then more power to them.
My concern is that they might be pigeonholing Beat Thang. People might think that it’s a beat-maker for rap and hip-hop beats only. Not true. Its 3,000-plus onboard sounds are able to span multiple genres, including dance, pop, dubstep, electronica, and more. Plus Beat Thang’s functionality is what you would expect from a professional studio tool.
As long as we’re on the subject of names, let’s talk about some of the names behind Beat Thang. Two in particular jump out at me: beat-maker extraordinaire Dallas Austin (Michael Jackson, TLC, Madonna, Pink) and producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel).
As a bona fide studio geek who speaks in reverent tones about Bob Ezrin—his and Dallas Austin’s involvement tells me that not only can Beat Thang span multiple genres; its design incorporates the experience of studio professionals.
There’s a big difference between studio gear designed by the people who use it to make hit records and equipment designed by electrical engineers who’ve never dropped the beats. The names Ezrin and Austin tell me that Beat Thang is a serious beat-maker that “understands” how the creative flow works.
And that’s the subject we’re going to discuss in the next article in this series: The physical design of Beat Thang and how its controls keep you in the creative mind.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Darius Van Rhuehl is the owner of Backhouse Productions and also a producer of pop, rap beats, hip-hop beats, and R&B beats for TV. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and has studied music production from multi-platinum producer Michael Wagener.To learn more about Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
It’s been a long time coming, but Beat Thang by Beat Kangz, a professional-level beat maker/drum machine/workstation has finally arrived.
And while some think it may have shown up late to the party (as the cool ones do), it’s not bringing just chips and dip; it’s a complete music production workstation combining the functionality of several units, including signal processing, mixing, mastering, MIDI sequencing, computer recording, and music sampler.
Beat Thang is poised to do battle with NI’s Maschine beat-maker, Akai’s MPC 2500/MPC 5000 beat-makers, and Roland’s MV-8800 beat-maker (now a legacy product). The question is whether its beats can stand up to that kind of heat . . .
In this series of articles, we’ll talk about Beat Thang’s features, design, ergonomics, sound quality, and ultimately, explore whether the kind of beats you’d expect from a world-class studio can be produced just with Beat Thang and a set of headphones—wherever you are?
We’re also going to challenge the Beat Thang’s 15-minute beat-maker guarantee: If you're not making beats within 15 minutes of opening the box—whether you've produced beats before or not—Beat Kangz will offer a “no-questions-asked, money-back guarantee.” Plus, we’ll give you some production tips for dropping serious beats with Beat Thang.
What’s in a name?
As the great bard Shakespeare once said, “A beat-maker by any other name would still drop the beats like an ugly baby.” . . . or maybe it was DJ ShakezPeer . . . (Well, I thought it was Shakespeare).
I have to admit, at first I was a bit put off by the name Beat Thang, but then again, there was a time when the greatest American action hero was named “Arnold,” and spoke with a thick Viennese accent—and that seemed to come out okay (nobody beats Arnold). So, if The Beat Kangz want to stay true to their roots and culture like Arnold did, then more power to them.
My concern is that they might be pigeonholing Beat Thang. People might think that it’s a beat-maker for rap and hip-hop beats only. Not true. Its 3,000-plus onboard sounds are able to span multiple genres, including dance, pop, dubstep, electronica, and more. Plus Beat Thang’s functionality is what you would expect from a professional studio tool.
As long as we’re on the subject of names, let’s talk about some of the names behind Beat Thang. Two in particular jump out at me: beat-maker extraordinaire Dallas Austin (Michael Jackson, TLC, Madonna, Pink) and producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel).
As a bona fide studio geek who speaks in reverent tones about Bob Ezrin—his and Dallas Austin’s involvement tells me that not only can Beat Thang span multiple genres; its design incorporates the experience of studio professionals.
There’s a big difference between studio gear designed by the people who use it to make hit records and equipment designed by electrical engineers who’ve never dropped the beats. The names Ezrin and Austin tell me that Beat Thang is a serious beat-maker that “understands” how the creative flow works.
And that’s the subject we’re going to discuss in the next article in this series: The physical design of Beat Thang and how its controls keep you in the creative mind.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Darius Van Rhuehl is the owner of Backhouse Productions and also a producer of pop, rap beats, hip-hop beats, and R&B beats for TV. He attended the Juilliard School of Music and has studied music production from multi-platinum producer Michael Wagener.To learn more about Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Grammy Award Winning Producer Dallas Austin Presents Beat Thang
When multi-Grammy Award winning producer Dallas Austin decided to introduce a portable beat maker and groovebox—artists, producers and DJs around the world took notice.
Austin, made his industry bones first with LaFace Records then moved on to produce hits worldwide for TLC, Pink, Gewn Stefani and Boys II Men among others.
A collaborative effort between Rowdy Electronics (Austin’s company) and Beat Kangz Electronics, Beat Thang is a powerful, self-contained and light weight beat maker, groovebox and music production device designed with Hip Hop artists, DJs, rappers and producers, both novice and professional, in mind.
The first ever beat maker and groovebox designed to specifically produce Hip Hop beats, the Beat Thang has a monstrous 3,000 plus original sounds, beats, loops and 65 digital effects programmed in; so, when you first pull it out of the box, you have professionally mastered, radio ready tools right at your fingertips. This alone blows away would be competitors like Roland’s MV-8800 or the Akai’s MPC-5000.
But there is more to the Beat Thang than just a beat maker:
• As a groovebox, Beat Thang’s sounds, beats and loops can be manipulated so you can build on what you have been given and make music like the pros do.
• Onboard sampling and re-sampling makes the Beat Thang the most versatile and useful beat maker and groovebox in the market by giving you the ability to sample anywhere you happen to be.
• Jacks for microphone and line input/output along with two USB ports make it easy to upload your own beat maker and groovebox samples and custom sounds.
• The Key Span feature enables you to take multiple samples instantly turning this beat maker and groovebox into an everywhere device.
• Sequence internal and external sounds at will with Beat Thang’s 16-track MIDI sequencer.
• 256 MB of RAM and two SD card slots allow you to save your beat maker and groovebox creations to use when you need them and real time loading gives you access to the data instantly.
• Portability is a major plus put in the Beat Thang; a rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides six hours of plug-free play time and allows you to take it everywhere you go.
• Packed with all the beat maker and groovebox software needed to integrate smoothly with studio equipment in both Mac and PC operating formats, Beat Thang is a powerful editing, mixing and mastering studio device.
All this and more has been packed into Beat Thang’s lightweight, fully portable and durable design. Novice to professional, every artist finds something about the Beat Thang they can’t live without, once they know its there.
Beat Thang retails for around $1,500, but don’t let the price fool you. This is a life-time purchase that will never become obsolete. As well as all of the onboard goodies you also get:
• Beat Thang Virtual beat maker and groovebox
• More than 40 Beat Thang training videos
• Sample legal contracts to help you protect your original creations
• Studio/Music business, business plan model
• Access to Sell More Beats Online video course
• Life-time technical support
• Software upgrades via USB
• One-year subscription to Rocbattle.com
The value of just these add-ons is worth the purchase price and they come completely free as part of owning the Beat Thang.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Beat Thang is a hi-tech evolution in beat maker, groovebox and music production technology that is revolutionizing the music industry. Beat Thang gives you professionally mastered, performance ready tools you can use anywhere you want. To find out more, go to http://www.beatthang.com/
Austin, made his industry bones first with LaFace Records then moved on to produce hits worldwide for TLC, Pink, Gewn Stefani and Boys II Men among others.
A collaborative effort between Rowdy Electronics (Austin’s company) and Beat Kangz Electronics, Beat Thang is a powerful, self-contained and light weight beat maker, groovebox and music production device designed with Hip Hop artists, DJs, rappers and producers, both novice and professional, in mind.
The first ever beat maker and groovebox designed to specifically produce Hip Hop beats, the Beat Thang has a monstrous 3,000 plus original sounds, beats, loops and 65 digital effects programmed in; so, when you first pull it out of the box, you have professionally mastered, radio ready tools right at your fingertips. This alone blows away would be competitors like Roland’s MV-8800 or the Akai’s MPC-5000.
But there is more to the Beat Thang than just a beat maker:
• As a groovebox, Beat Thang’s sounds, beats and loops can be manipulated so you can build on what you have been given and make music like the pros do.
• Onboard sampling and re-sampling makes the Beat Thang the most versatile and useful beat maker and groovebox in the market by giving you the ability to sample anywhere you happen to be.
• Jacks for microphone and line input/output along with two USB ports make it easy to upload your own beat maker and groovebox samples and custom sounds.
• The Key Span feature enables you to take multiple samples instantly turning this beat maker and groovebox into an everywhere device.
• Sequence internal and external sounds at will with Beat Thang’s 16-track MIDI sequencer.
• 256 MB of RAM and two SD card slots allow you to save your beat maker and groovebox creations to use when you need them and real time loading gives you access to the data instantly.
• Portability is a major plus put in the Beat Thang; a rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides six hours of plug-free play time and allows you to take it everywhere you go.
• Packed with all the beat maker and groovebox software needed to integrate smoothly with studio equipment in both Mac and PC operating formats, Beat Thang is a powerful editing, mixing and mastering studio device.
All this and more has been packed into Beat Thang’s lightweight, fully portable and durable design. Novice to professional, every artist finds something about the Beat Thang they can’t live without, once they know its there.
Beat Thang retails for around $1,500, but don’t let the price fool you. This is a life-time purchase that will never become obsolete. As well as all of the onboard goodies you also get:
• Beat Thang Virtual beat maker and groovebox
• More than 40 Beat Thang training videos
• Sample legal contracts to help you protect your original creations
• Studio/Music business, business plan model
• Access to Sell More Beats Online video course
• Life-time technical support
• Software upgrades via USB
• One-year subscription to Rocbattle.com
The value of just these add-ons is worth the purchase price and they come completely free as part of owning the Beat Thang.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Beat Thang is a hi-tech evolution in beat maker, groovebox and music production technology that is revolutionizing the music industry. Beat Thang gives you professionally mastered, performance ready tools you can use anywhere you want. To find out more, go to http://www.beatthang.com/
Beat Thang: Better Equipment Makes Better DJs
No matter if you’re mixing beats on stage, in studio or going Free-style, Indie or Hipster at a jam or rave, Beat Thang portable music production device has all the tools needed to let you mix beats, drum loops and samples on demand. That’s because Beat Thang is the first and only beat machine designed specifically for DJs.
Unlike generic drum loop or beat machines that barely live up to the titles, Beat Thang has it all for the DJ on the roll. Wrapped in a durable, light weight, portable frame are ultra-sophisticated beat making programs at its heart. Beat Thang is the only real choice for the professional or up and coming DJ.
Developed by multi-Grammy Award winning Hip-Hop producer/songwriter Dallas Austin’s Rowdy Electronics along with Beat Kangz Electronics, the Beat Thang beat maker combines years of know-how generating hit beats and puts it in every DJs hands.
• Beat Thang is loaded with 3,000 plus original sounds, beats, drum loops and everything else DJs need for mixing no matter their style.
• Unlike ordinary beat machines, the Beat Thang has 65 digital effects, so when DJs first pull it out of the box, they can mix performance ready beats, sounds and drum loops, just like the pros.
• Preloaded sounds, beats and drum loops can be modified so DJs can make them their own.
• The onboard sampling and re-sampling functions in the Beat Thang make it the most versatile and useful drum loop and beat machine in the market, and the Key Span feature enables DJs the ability to import multiple samples instantly from anywhere they are.
• Microphone and line input/output jacks along with two USB ports make it easy for DJs to upload original samples and custom sounds and play back performance ready drum loops and rap beats.
• DJs need mass data storage in a beat machine, so Beat Thang’s 256 MB of RAM and two SD card slots allow them to save beats, drum loops, samples and mixes; real-time loading delivers data without delay.
• Portability and long-lasting power are major plusses that DJs look for. Beat Thang’s rechargeable lithium-ion batteries lets you create and play your beats loops and sounds for six plug-free hours.
• DJ’s special recording needs are met with the Beat Thang; seamless integration with both Mac and PC operating systems is available to produce professional digital beats.
• Beat Thang also patches directly into your existing sound equipment with crystal clear playback and onboard sampling.
Beat Thang retails for around $1,500, but this is a life-time purchase that will never become obsolete. As well as all of the onboard goodies you also get:
• Beat Thang Virtual beat machine for Mac or PC
• More than 40 Beat Thang training videos
• Sample legal contracts to help you protect your original beats
• Studio/Music business, business plan model
• Access to Sell More Beats Online video course
• Life-time technical support
• Software upgrades via USB
• One-year subscription to Rocbattle.com
The value of just these add-ons is worth the purchase price and they come completely free as part of owning the Beat Thang.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Beat Thang is a hi-tech evolution in portable beat machines that is revolutionizing the industry. With more than 3,000 original sounds, beats, drum loops and 65 digital effects, the Beat Thang gives DJs professionally mastered, performance ready tools to use anywhere they want. To find out more, go to http://www.beatthang.com/
Unlike generic drum loop or beat machines that barely live up to the titles, Beat Thang has it all for the DJ on the roll. Wrapped in a durable, light weight, portable frame are ultra-sophisticated beat making programs at its heart. Beat Thang is the only real choice for the professional or up and coming DJ.
Developed by multi-Grammy Award winning Hip-Hop producer/songwriter Dallas Austin’s Rowdy Electronics along with Beat Kangz Electronics, the Beat Thang beat maker combines years of know-how generating hit beats and puts it in every DJs hands.
• Beat Thang is loaded with 3,000 plus original sounds, beats, drum loops and everything else DJs need for mixing no matter their style.
• Unlike ordinary beat machines, the Beat Thang has 65 digital effects, so when DJs first pull it out of the box, they can mix performance ready beats, sounds and drum loops, just like the pros.
• Preloaded sounds, beats and drum loops can be modified so DJs can make them their own.
• The onboard sampling and re-sampling functions in the Beat Thang make it the most versatile and useful drum loop and beat machine in the market, and the Key Span feature enables DJs the ability to import multiple samples instantly from anywhere they are.
• Microphone and line input/output jacks along with two USB ports make it easy for DJs to upload original samples and custom sounds and play back performance ready drum loops and rap beats.
• DJs need mass data storage in a beat machine, so Beat Thang’s 256 MB of RAM and two SD card slots allow them to save beats, drum loops, samples and mixes; real-time loading delivers data without delay.
• Portability and long-lasting power are major plusses that DJs look for. Beat Thang’s rechargeable lithium-ion batteries lets you create and play your beats loops and sounds for six plug-free hours.
• DJ’s special recording needs are met with the Beat Thang; seamless integration with both Mac and PC operating systems is available to produce professional digital beats.
• Beat Thang also patches directly into your existing sound equipment with crystal clear playback and onboard sampling.
Beat Thang retails for around $1,500, but this is a life-time purchase that will never become obsolete. As well as all of the onboard goodies you also get:
• Beat Thang Virtual beat machine for Mac or PC
• More than 40 Beat Thang training videos
• Sample legal contracts to help you protect your original beats
• Studio/Music business, business plan model
• Access to Sell More Beats Online video course
• Life-time technical support
• Software upgrades via USB
• One-year subscription to Rocbattle.com
The value of just these add-ons is worth the purchase price and they come completely free as part of owning the Beat Thang.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Beat Thang is a hi-tech evolution in portable beat machines that is revolutionizing the industry. With more than 3,000 original sounds, beats, drum loops and 65 digital effects, the Beat Thang gives DJs professionally mastered, performance ready tools to use anywhere they want. To find out more, go to http://www.beatthang.com/
Beat Thang: Everything Musicians Need and More
All musicians really want is the right gear for the gig. Sometimes you need beats or loops, sometimes you need electric drums and other times all you really need is a music sampler and the ability to create loops on the fly. Up till now, if you wanted all of that, you had to spend thousands of dollars and lug around multiple machines and all the cables and adapters to sync up your sound equipment.
That all changed in July when the Beat Thang was launched into the market. Created through a joint venture between Rowdy Electronics and Beat Kangz Electronics, Beat Thang is a multi-dimensional machine that’s a music sampler on overdrive and gives musicians, electric drum beats, electric drum loops, rap beats and much, much more.
Inside the Beat Thang’s light weight but durable exterior, beats the heart of a pro studio that musicians can use in every possible setting; whether playing live, putting down tracks in the studio or just creating rap beats and samples with the music sampler.
Packed in every Beat Thang are more than 3,000 original sounds, rap beats, loops and 65 digital effects; so the first time musicians plug it in, they have professionally mastered live performance ready tools on demand.
But Beat Thang is much more than just an electric drum machine; the onboard music sampler is equipped with some serious mixing tools so that you can create your own samples and performance loops.
Beat Thang’s music sampler allows for sampling and re-sampling functions that are extremely versatile and useful, unlike the extremely limited functions of would be competitors, Akai’s MPC-2500 or Roland’s MV-8800. Additionally, the Key Span feature enables musicians to take multiple samples instantly.
Beat Thang has a few other features that push it far beyond any music sampler or electric drum machine out there, they include;
• Dual microphone and line input/output jacks plus two USB ports that allow uploading of custom samples and sounds, rap beats, electric drum beats and runs.
• The multiple media ports allow Beat Thang to be plugged directly into existing sound equipment giving seamless integration for live performance and studio settings.
• Flawless integration with both Mac and PC operating systems allows complete interface for mixing and mastering; Beat Thang Virtual software gives you even more flexibility in creating your own rap beats, loops and samples.
• Save rap beats, electric drum machine beats, loops, sounds, samples and mixes with 256 MB of RAM and two SD card slots and play them back with real time loading.
• Onboard waveform editing and digital EFX functions make sample editing easy and fast even during a live performance.
• The Beat Thang’s lightweight construction and rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives six hours of plug-free play time, so musicians can take it everywhere.
Beat Thang retails for around $1,500, which is much more affordable than the thousands you would spend on multiple pieces of equipment to get everything Beat Thang offers in one package.
As well as the onboard goodies your purchase includes:
• Beat Thang Virtual beat machine for Mac or PC
• 40 plus training videos
• Sample legal contracts to help you protect your original beats
• Studio/Music business, business plan model
• Access to Sell More Beats Online video course
• Life-time technical support
• Software upgrades via USB
• One-year subscription to Rocbattle.com
All free.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Beat Thang is revolutionizing the music industry. Packed with more sounds, rap beats, loops and digital effects than any competitors’ machines. Beat Thang gives musicians everything they need and more. To find out more, go to http://www.beatthang.com/
That all changed in July when the Beat Thang was launched into the market. Created through a joint venture between Rowdy Electronics and Beat Kangz Electronics, Beat Thang is a multi-dimensional machine that’s a music sampler on overdrive and gives musicians, electric drum beats, electric drum loops, rap beats and much, much more.
Inside the Beat Thang’s light weight but durable exterior, beats the heart of a pro studio that musicians can use in every possible setting; whether playing live, putting down tracks in the studio or just creating rap beats and samples with the music sampler.
Packed in every Beat Thang are more than 3,000 original sounds, rap beats, loops and 65 digital effects; so the first time musicians plug it in, they have professionally mastered live performance ready tools on demand.
But Beat Thang is much more than just an electric drum machine; the onboard music sampler is equipped with some serious mixing tools so that you can create your own samples and performance loops.
Beat Thang’s music sampler allows for sampling and re-sampling functions that are extremely versatile and useful, unlike the extremely limited functions of would be competitors, Akai’s MPC-2500 or Roland’s MV-8800. Additionally, the Key Span feature enables musicians to take multiple samples instantly.
Beat Thang has a few other features that push it far beyond any music sampler or electric drum machine out there, they include;
• Dual microphone and line input/output jacks plus two USB ports that allow uploading of custom samples and sounds, rap beats, electric drum beats and runs.
• The multiple media ports allow Beat Thang to be plugged directly into existing sound equipment giving seamless integration for live performance and studio settings.
• Flawless integration with both Mac and PC operating systems allows complete interface for mixing and mastering; Beat Thang Virtual software gives you even more flexibility in creating your own rap beats, loops and samples.
• Save rap beats, electric drum machine beats, loops, sounds, samples and mixes with 256 MB of RAM and two SD card slots and play them back with real time loading.
• Onboard waveform editing and digital EFX functions make sample editing easy and fast even during a live performance.
• The Beat Thang’s lightweight construction and rechargeable lithium-ion battery gives six hours of plug-free play time, so musicians can take it everywhere.
Beat Thang retails for around $1,500, which is much more affordable than the thousands you would spend on multiple pieces of equipment to get everything Beat Thang offers in one package.
As well as the onboard goodies your purchase includes:
• Beat Thang Virtual beat machine for Mac or PC
• 40 plus training videos
• Sample legal contracts to help you protect your original beats
• Studio/Music business, business plan model
• Access to Sell More Beats Online video course
• Life-time technical support
• Software upgrades via USB
• One-year subscription to Rocbattle.com
All free.
-- RESOURCE BOX --
Beat Thang is revolutionizing the music industry. Packed with more sounds, rap beats, loops and digital effects than any competitors’ machines. Beat Thang gives musicians everything they need and more. To find out more, go to http://www.beatthang.com/
Friday, October 7, 2011
Making the Most of your Owned Music Production Hardware
Let’s face it -- nothing in the music production arm of the music recording industry is cheap. If you were to list out the prices of all music production products and services that are used to make an album, the bottom line would be staggeringly high. From the unnecessarily posh recording studios to the outrageous hourly rates they charge, traditional music recording is not for the stingy.
However, thanks to the improvement in DIY music recording technology over the past twenty years and the accessibility of those qualified to educate on such products and their uses, the music recording playing field is being leveled. Thanks to this great shift, musicians of all kinds (beat makers, producers, instrumentalists) can now justify the cost of recording over a long period of time, whereas before the more you recorded, the more you paid. Not the case today! With products like GRAMMY award winning producer Dallas Austin’s new music production tool Beat Thang, what you get for your money is entirely dependent on how much you use it.
But DIY does not equal cheap. However, these music production suites often make up for their sometimes steep price point in other ways. For instance, Beat Thang comes pre-packaged with assets at no extra cost that a traditional music recording studio could never offer you, like 24/7 technical support from professional producers.
Additionally, I don’t think you’ll ever come across a music recording studio that will give you your money back if you’re not pleased within the first day of recording, like Beat Thang does. Most importantly, a studio will never be able to upgrade the sound of your recording once it’s finished. On home recording tool sets like Beat Thang, you get free software upgrades included for life.
Thanks to the digital connection on this music production device, no software on the Beat Thang will ever be obsolete, so long as its creators continue updating it to align with the progress of other music recording sounds and standards. Instead of having to spend a few hundred dollars an hour to master beats and record samples in the studio and know that the price is fixed, the more you use a product like Beat Thang, the more you’re getting for your money with each and every usage.
As beat makers continue their experimentation with Beat Thang, they’re also learning the ropes of music recording and beat-oriented music production as well, thus controlling their own creative destiny. No squabbling over artistic differences with anyone when using Beat Thang, just your own inner conflict.
Once you start to tally up all the features and see how much you’ll be using any music production device, not to mention learning from it, prices begin to seem more reasonable.
Beat Thang or no, it is important that you seek out information regarding portability, intuitiveness, and capability before purchasing any music production tool. The grade any piece of equipment gets in each of those categories will go a long way in determining if you’ll get your money’s worth.
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is a recently released music recording and production suite, co-designed by GRAMMY award winning producer Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more about the music production and music recording capabilities of Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
However, thanks to the improvement in DIY music recording technology over the past twenty years and the accessibility of those qualified to educate on such products and their uses, the music recording playing field is being leveled. Thanks to this great shift, musicians of all kinds (beat makers, producers, instrumentalists) can now justify the cost of recording over a long period of time, whereas before the more you recorded, the more you paid. Not the case today! With products like GRAMMY award winning producer Dallas Austin’s new music production tool Beat Thang, what you get for your money is entirely dependent on how much you use it.
But DIY does not equal cheap. However, these music production suites often make up for their sometimes steep price point in other ways. For instance, Beat Thang comes pre-packaged with assets at no extra cost that a traditional music recording studio could never offer you, like 24/7 technical support from professional producers.
Additionally, I don’t think you’ll ever come across a music recording studio that will give you your money back if you’re not pleased within the first day of recording, like Beat Thang does. Most importantly, a studio will never be able to upgrade the sound of your recording once it’s finished. On home recording tool sets like Beat Thang, you get free software upgrades included for life.
Thanks to the digital connection on this music production device, no software on the Beat Thang will ever be obsolete, so long as its creators continue updating it to align with the progress of other music recording sounds and standards. Instead of having to spend a few hundred dollars an hour to master beats and record samples in the studio and know that the price is fixed, the more you use a product like Beat Thang, the more you’re getting for your money with each and every usage.
As beat makers continue their experimentation with Beat Thang, they’re also learning the ropes of music recording and beat-oriented music production as well, thus controlling their own creative destiny. No squabbling over artistic differences with anyone when using Beat Thang, just your own inner conflict.
Once you start to tally up all the features and see how much you’ll be using any music production device, not to mention learning from it, prices begin to seem more reasonable.
Beat Thang or no, it is important that you seek out information regarding portability, intuitiveness, and capability before purchasing any music production tool. The grade any piece of equipment gets in each of those categories will go a long way in determining if you’ll get your money’s worth.
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is a recently released music recording and production suite, co-designed by GRAMMY award winning producer Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more about the music production and music recording capabilities of Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
Selling Your Beats on Beats Websites
The digital revolution has been kind to some sectors of the music business while horrendously detrimental to others. One highlight in music’s digitization is that DIY music production is more possible now than ever before. Countless beat makers today create professional sounding material in their bedrooms or garages using music production hardware and software available to anyone (Akai MPC 5000, Roland SP-555, Elektron OctaTrack, etc.). Many aspiring and established producers have used these recordings to propel their careers forward. One other product also geared specifically towards beat makers is Beat Kangz’ new mobile music production studio, Beat Thang.
Beat Thang is one of the newest music editing software and hardware combo units to hit the market. Beat Thang is also unprecedentedly easy to use and comes pre-loaded with thousands of professional sounds and loops. As a bonus, there are videos included with any Beat Thang purchase that feature professional producers training you on how to best use Beat Thang. If that wasn’t enough, also included with the purchase of Beat Thang are sample contracts that will go a long way in protecting your creations if/when you sell them.
So say you do create the hottest beat ever known to hip hop (or any other genre for that matter) using Beat Thang or any other product and you want to sell it on a beats website or through a music production library. What to do next?
One option is to upload your track to popular music production libraries like Killer Tracks or Aircraft in the appropriate category. Unlike beats websites that host only one specific type of track, these music production libraries are filled with hundreds of thousands of tracks of all genres, and are where music supervisors in the film and TV world come when looking for stock music to place in their creations.
As most bourgeoning producers will tell you, more money is made through licensing placements in commercials, TV shows, and film than will ever be made selling them to other aspiring rappers through beats websites.
But say you do want to sell beats to aspiring rappers. Well, there are a number of beats websites for that as well, including Beatswagger.com, Budgetbeats.com, Audio-sounds.com, and Soundclick. If you do choose to sell through these or any other beats websites, it’s best to sell them non-exclusively. That way, you’ll be able to sell them to more than one buyer at a time, thus increasing your exposure and your income. Of course, if someone is willing to pay extra for an exclusive track on a beats website, it’s up to you what the price point should be.
Another idea to take into consideration is leasing your Beat Thang tracks on these very same beats websites instead of selling. Some producers suggest leasing non-exclusive tracks for a 6-month period, allowing the purchasing party to use it and shop it to labels as a demo. If any labels are interested, then you can renegotiate for a certain portion of percentage points (commonly referred to as just points).
Stay tuned for more on selling your material through beats websites in future installments of this series!
Resource Box
Using products like Beat Thang, producers of all proficiency levels can create beats and then sell them on beats websites. To learn more about the music production and recording capabilities of Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
Beat Thang is one of the newest music editing software and hardware combo units to hit the market. Beat Thang is also unprecedentedly easy to use and comes pre-loaded with thousands of professional sounds and loops. As a bonus, there are videos included with any Beat Thang purchase that feature professional producers training you on how to best use Beat Thang. If that wasn’t enough, also included with the purchase of Beat Thang are sample contracts that will go a long way in protecting your creations if/when you sell them.
So say you do create the hottest beat ever known to hip hop (or any other genre for that matter) using Beat Thang or any other product and you want to sell it on a beats website or through a music production library. What to do next?
One option is to upload your track to popular music production libraries like Killer Tracks or Aircraft in the appropriate category. Unlike beats websites that host only one specific type of track, these music production libraries are filled with hundreds of thousands of tracks of all genres, and are where music supervisors in the film and TV world come when looking for stock music to place in their creations.
As most bourgeoning producers will tell you, more money is made through licensing placements in commercials, TV shows, and film than will ever be made selling them to other aspiring rappers through beats websites.
But say you do want to sell beats to aspiring rappers. Well, there are a number of beats websites for that as well, including Beatswagger.com, Budgetbeats.com, Audio-sounds.com, and Soundclick. If you do choose to sell through these or any other beats websites, it’s best to sell them non-exclusively. That way, you’ll be able to sell them to more than one buyer at a time, thus increasing your exposure and your income. Of course, if someone is willing to pay extra for an exclusive track on a beats website, it’s up to you what the price point should be.
Another idea to take into consideration is leasing your Beat Thang tracks on these very same beats websites instead of selling. Some producers suggest leasing non-exclusive tracks for a 6-month period, allowing the purchasing party to use it and shop it to labels as a demo. If any labels are interested, then you can renegotiate for a certain portion of percentage points (commonly referred to as just points).
Stay tuned for more on selling your material through beats websites in future installments of this series!
Resource Box
Using products like Beat Thang, producers of all proficiency levels can create beats and then sell them on beats websites. To learn more about the music production and recording capabilities of Beat Thang, go to http://beatthang.com.
The Benefits of Portable Music Production – Beat Thang
Nearly gone are the days of bands getting lined up in the studio for a recording session and all playing the same song at the same time, hoping that no one messes up. In fact, thanks to the Internet, artists can collaborate with beat makers on a music production without ever being in the same geographical location -- see Haley Williams and BOB’s “Airplane.” However, one thing that hasn’t changed is the need for portability of hardware required for music production.
The tools that producers and beat makers use to make their music productions are expensive, thus it’s harder to generate a profit as a beat maker. An endless list of equipment and/or music editing software is involved, and most programs are not easy to learn. Not to mention, these things are usually stationary, even if only housed in a laptop. Enter accomplished beat maker Dallas Austin’s new, intuitive beat maker and music production tool set, Beat Thang.
Beat Thang re-defines the term portability. Unlike programs designed for beat makers that need to be installed on a computer, Beat Thang lives in its own hardware, and a pretty slick hardware at that.
Disc-like by design, Beat Thang will fit in your bag and even on your lap, should you be out and about when creativity strikes. Want to show off your new creation to a project contributor, manager, or artist? You can bring the beat maker with you to your next meeting instead of your invaluable hard drive or having to worry about email not being secure / unable to send the massive digital file. Beat Thang’s battery is nothing to be worried about either, as it is a four-hour lithium ion rechargeable.
Some other perks that make this portable beat maker’s gadget worth the price point include its recording ability. On top of crafting your music production with the thousands of sounds already installed on the Beat Thang, you can use it to sample your own sounds as well. And because it’s portable, you can bring it to the desired sample sound instead of bringing the sample to you. Think about all of the sounds now available for your samples!
Additionally, this compact music production house is so intuitive that its creators, GRAMMY award winning producers and Beat Kangz electronics, guarantee that you’ll be a bona fide beat maker within the first day of picking up Beat Thang or your money back.
Beat Thang also comes loaded with technical support and video tutorials from professionals in the music production industry, and free software upgrades for life. As demonstrated in multiple promo videos, the machine is so nimble you can use the beat maker while walking.
That being said, it will be interesting to see if the competition can catch up to Beat Thang moving forward.
Resource Box:
Beat Thang is a new beat making and music production suite, co-designed by GRAMMY award winning producer Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more Beat Thang,’s music production capabilities for beat makers, go to http://beatthang.com.
The tools that producers and beat makers use to make their music productions are expensive, thus it’s harder to generate a profit as a beat maker. An endless list of equipment and/or music editing software is involved, and most programs are not easy to learn. Not to mention, these things are usually stationary, even if only housed in a laptop. Enter accomplished beat maker Dallas Austin’s new, intuitive beat maker and music production tool set, Beat Thang.
Beat Thang re-defines the term portability. Unlike programs designed for beat makers that need to be installed on a computer, Beat Thang lives in its own hardware, and a pretty slick hardware at that.
Disc-like by design, Beat Thang will fit in your bag and even on your lap, should you be out and about when creativity strikes. Want to show off your new creation to a project contributor, manager, or artist? You can bring the beat maker with you to your next meeting instead of your invaluable hard drive or having to worry about email not being secure / unable to send the massive digital file. Beat Thang’s battery is nothing to be worried about either, as it is a four-hour lithium ion rechargeable.
Some other perks that make this portable beat maker’s gadget worth the price point include its recording ability. On top of crafting your music production with the thousands of sounds already installed on the Beat Thang, you can use it to sample your own sounds as well. And because it’s portable, you can bring it to the desired sample sound instead of bringing the sample to you. Think about all of the sounds now available for your samples!
Additionally, this compact music production house is so intuitive that its creators, GRAMMY award winning producers and Beat Kangz electronics, guarantee that you’ll be a bona fide beat maker within the first day of picking up Beat Thang or your money back.
Beat Thang also comes loaded with technical support and video tutorials from professionals in the music production industry, and free software upgrades for life. As demonstrated in multiple promo videos, the machine is so nimble you can use the beat maker while walking.
That being said, it will be interesting to see if the competition can catch up to Beat Thang moving forward.
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Beat Thang is a new beat making and music production suite, co-designed by GRAMMY award winning producer Dallas Austin and Beat Kangz electronics. To learn more Beat Thang,’s music production capabilities for beat makers, go to http://beatthang.com.
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