tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27537483857725721182024-03-13T14:32:48.848-05:00Ortiz AudioResources for Recording, Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Projects, and general musicianship.aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-87491559686373363902015-01-02T12:03:00.000-06:002015-01-02T12:05:20.653-06:002014: Year in ReviewIt has been one hell of year. Definitely seemed to fly by, but there was so much that was done.
Let's see, I got kicked out of my rental space. Thankfully I was able to buy a house and move even deeper into being a home studio. Big plans to build out though, we shall see what happens.
My band, Carrion Kind, finally finished our first full-length album that has been getting aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-54665829513412899342014-10-09T16:23:00.000-05:002014-10-09T16:23:46.081-05:00Instant Starship noise! Had this shown to me recently and it makes an instant starship noise! Never know when you'll need it!
This is for the linux super nerds out there!
play -c 2 -n -c1 synth whitenoise lowpass -1 120 lowpass -1 120 lowpass -1 120 gain +10
Then if you just want to feel at home on the Enterprise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCSaqkyQVio&list=UUF6R1ZDskjCeBMomUGCtxXw
Bwahahaha!aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-90460000526194918372014-09-22T16:10:00.003-05:002014-09-22T16:32:45.355-05:00Prepare Yourself! Carrion Kind, Yar, Savage Wizdom, and Salt for Knives!Wow it has been absolutely crazy the past few months. Also been a really long time since I last posted any sort of news. So much has happened. I had to move to a new house and start building a studio from scratch again. This time I own the damn place so I hope to not have to move again for a while. Every move just seems to hold everything back.
Since I have been still working and spearheading aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-78533925167161594092014-06-10T00:35:00.000-05:002015-07-06T12:33:56.584-05:00Converting DDP to CUE and CUE to WAV/MP3When working with professional mastering engineers, you will often get a DDP image of your master. Or sometimes you get a CUE with a CDT and attached WAV file. Here are a few tricks to dealing with those.
DDP Manipulation
If you pay money you can get the DDP tools from Sonaris. Wavlab can only burn a DDP to an image... lame. If you are comfortable with the command line, you can use FOR FREE:aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-35669560856548847022014-03-21T16:52:00.003-05:002014-03-21T16:52:43.135-05:00Exporting Cubase Tracks with the ClickBeen a while since I have posted... busy yo! And this really needs pictures and shit, but I am just going to talk about it and you will be on your own to figure it out.
Here is a problem that has plagued me for years with all sorts of weird workarounds. You work with a band to get the scratch tracks and tempo's all set. Then they want a copy to take home and practice to... fuckin' yes! Oh aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-57675705498599863682011-10-04T18:32:00.000-05:002011-10-04T18:32:38.547-05:00Using the Dreamplug's Crypto ChipAfter talking with colleagues regarding this box (there are now several around) I learned that the encryption is pretty slow. But this is without the hardware encryption enabled. So let's see if it can be enabled.
For more information visit:
http://www.newit.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2030.0
Reference
Intel(R) Pentium(R) CPU G6950 @ 2.80GHz
$ openssl speed -evp aes128
Doing aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-58483365273632614122011-07-11T18:37:00.001-05:002011-07-13T10:51:13.778-05:00Setting up the DreamplugJust recently I got a Dreamplug from Global Scale Technologies. It is pretty cool in that it only draws 5W of power and comes with plenty of processing power and features for all sorts of things. It is initially designed for prototyping for full scale products. However it is great for the hobbyist to mess with and have a lower powered computer for servers, voip, etc.In my case I got one to aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-64692277367633573242011-07-03T12:52:00.000-05:002011-07-03T12:52:22.101-05:00Some UpdatesWell it has been a long time since I have posted anything. As many of you know, I have moved back to Santa Fe, NM. It is nice to be back and I have been swamped with business. Hopefully there will some releases that I will be able to talk about here soon.
I have teamed up with Jesse Albright of DMBD Audio and renamed his studio to Desert Den Studios (www.desertden.com). With his rooms and myaortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-59755680849406977732010-09-23T23:49:00.004-05:002011-11-20T18:41:48.225-06:00GSP1101 Impulse Testing with 5150 ModelWell just in case you hadn't heard, the C55 Beta Firmware was released for the Digitech GSP1101 on http://www.mustbebeta.com/. If you haven't tried the beta firmware yet, DO IT. It adds so many features to the GSP1101. Stan, as he calls himself, has been a lifesaver to the GSP1101 and I hope that Digitech takes notice of how customer service and product support should work.
There have been tonsaortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-14027929372512481322010-06-01T17:12:00.001-05:002010-06-04T17:43:05.553-05:00Impulse vs. Real CabinetI have always been a fan of modelers and hope that the next generation will be better than the last. It is a great theory, a whole room of amps and FX in a single software package or device. The problem is that they sound usable at best. Tube amps just dominate in so many ways.
However, the tube amps are large and heavy, require expensive maintenance, and are just a pain all the way around. aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-10952932531747737232010-05-27T00:39:00.000-05:002010-05-27T00:39:36.730-05:00Audio CD Mastering Drives and Lite-On iHAP422 ReviewWell I just installed my new Lite-On Drive iHAP422. In Audio Mastering the "standard" I guess was to get a Plextor Drive since they had this awesome CD tester called Plextools. Well Lite-On has a similar product called K-Probe. Plextor and Lite-On are the only ones that provide this capability. But Lite-On does make drive for lots of other brands. There is also Nero's DVD-Speed and DVDInfoPro aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-33498370699333268882010-04-08T19:13:00.004-05:002010-05-20T18:02:50.910-05:00Couple projects done and some updates.Well it has been a while since I have had time to blog. But things are going pretty well in the Ortiz Audio side of things.
In January I finished up with Younger Brother. Straight up Rock and Roll that came out really well. It was a long haul with them, but the final product was worth it. There are samples on my site to hear for yourself. You can also find them on iTunes, Amazon, etc. Or you canaortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-41520582994266882122010-01-16T02:40:00.001-06:002010-05-20T17:56:45.493-05:00NAMM 2010 Day 1 and 2Well just back to the hotel after a long Day 2 at NAMM. Thanks to Keith Miller (www.km-guitarslinger.com) and Morley Pedals (www.morleypedals.com).
Thursday we flew in around noon and got stuck waiting to check in to the Hotel. So after some pizza and chicken buffet, we got all settled in and grabbed a shuttle to the show. We only had a couple of hours so Keith and I spent the time saying hi to aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-79332493148711387732009-11-22T21:13:00.001-06:002009-11-22T21:14:12.669-06:00Tracking for Third Party Mix (part 1)I often get approached by bands to do their mixing for them. Sometimes I have an offer to do mixing. I enjoy it and I think it is a good opportunity to get another set of ears on a project. Or maybe you are tracking your project at home, to save some money.
This is the first part of a series that will talk about getting tracks ready for another engineer. This first part aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-72342027413334642532009-10-16T15:04:00.000-05:002009-10-16T15:04:42.641-05:00Komplete 6 (Guitar Rig 4, Absynth, Kontakt 4)I was one of the fortunate ones to grab Native Instruments Komplete 5 when it was on sale for $399 a couple of months ago. I really wanted the Orchestras in Kontakt, the Akoustik Piano, and the Hammond B4. I figure the rest was just a bonus.
Anyway Komplete 6 came out and the upgrade was only $149 so I picked it up. The feature that excited me most was Kontakt 4 which included natural aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-75148229293507793322009-08-30T02:31:00.004-05:002009-09-10T23:12:43.326-05:00MCM 50-7774 D/A Converter ModsFirst off I have to thank Jim Williams of Audio Upgrades for sharing this mod on various internet forums. This particular mod came from GearSlutz.com
This D/A from MCM Electronics (50-7774) is for stereos but uses a nice BurrBrown PCM1716 DAC chip. It sells for a little over $100 but you can get it on sale for cheaper if you wait for a coupon code.
The weakspot is the use of aaortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-9645984627241941772009-07-14T11:10:00.007-05:002012-02-14T14:59:31.372-06:00Notes on Audio Op-AmpsI am getting back into modifying some gear and I figured I would post the notes that I have collected on Op-Amps over the years.
Just some random collected information about certain OpAmps.
Sites with OpAmp Reviews:
http://tangentsoft.net/audio/opamps.html
http://audioreviews.blogspot.com/2005/10/flavors-of-audio-op-amps.html
http://www.rock-grotto.co.uk/opamp.htm
Designing with OpAmps
DIY aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-25537634389111431692009-02-04T21:44:00.003-06:002009-02-04T21:59:15.752-06:00New Pedalboard
After many years of running around with my trusted old pedalboard I decided it was time for some changes. For any guitarist it is always evolving. Mine has changed a lot over the years. New gear, different sounds, different bands. With Sangre Mal, we are doing enough complicated stuff with samples and loopers, that it was time for an upgrade.
I looked around at buying one. But they are so aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-7367700621981166292009-01-28T23:28:00.005-06:002009-01-29T08:28:57.782-06:00NAMM 2009Got back from NAMM a couple of weeks ago. First off I have to thank Keith Miller (http://www.km-guitarslinger.com/) for hooking up the passes this year. Check out his website, he is an amazing player and an awesome dude. BTW-For those that don't know, I play rhythm guitar in his band.
This year I did a lot more stargazing than I normally do. The past 2 years have been more about gear. But in aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-41962051837336167312008-11-03T14:15:00.003-06:002008-11-03T14:49:18.855-06:00Bare Minimum Preparation for the StudioIf you search around the internet or talk to studio guys there are lots of tips for getting ready to enter the studio. They are all great and mostly true. But many of them consider the ideal situation. An yeah, of course it is nice to able to meet this ideal.
But let's be honest, most bands are not ideal. Instruments and supplies are expensive. My band included, we don't have the money to have aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-67151884577904142008-10-31T15:58:00.004-05:002009-08-20T23:58:54.960-05:00Capacitors in AudioThere of course is lots of contention over this topic. But more and more I read there is definitely a pecking order with limitations on cost, size, and available values. In repairs I use whatever I have on hand or can find. And to be honest, it works just fine. But for the super discerning ear, here is the pecking order or dielectrics:
Polystyrene
Polycarbonate
Polypropylene
Mylar/Polyethylene
aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-66699319626213690952008-10-29T22:48:00.004-05:002008-10-29T23:08:58.821-05:00Far Forbidden EPThis was recorded starting in late 2006. Then with member shuffles, the project was significantly delayed. Parts of it were finished up in the spring of 2008.
Drums were recorded in my small studio space. Shure PG52 kick, PG56 toms, SM57 snare, OH's with AKG C1000 S.
Bass was done direct into my MOTU 828 MkII.
Guitars/Amps include a bias modded 5150 II, Framus Cobra, ENGL Powerball, and aortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-78563689988558628452008-10-24T15:00:00.006-05:002008-10-24T16:33:22.188-05:00MOTU 828mk3 vs. Presonus Digimax FS Clock and PresI just recently bought a Presonus Digimax FS. I have been happy with results Ty (Studio Evil) and I are getting with Presonus gear. My hope was to use the clock and the better pre's for drums and some general use. Mainly to put my Behringer ADA8000 on a further backburner.
Now my MOTU mk3 is pretty decent. It was a significant upgrade in sound and features compared to my MOTU mKII. But I had readaortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-33515772575574863452008-10-20T16:10:00.011-05:002008-10-29T20:51:00.640-05:00Microphone Preamp's... Go High-EndI was having a discussion with a friend of mine about mic pre's. He has some money to spend on gear and I was basically trying to convince him to go high-end. Even if you can't get as much now for the money, it will save you money in the long run.
I guess for me I made that same mistake a few years ago. I had some money, and went cheap. Admittedly there weren't as many options as there are todayaortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2753748385772572118.post-91964057974318678702008-10-17T13:55:00.003-05:002008-10-17T13:59:56.265-05:00Blog Launched and Website UpdatedAfter a few months I have finally gotten a blog up and running. I was originally going to write my own blog software. But after seeing blogger.com and all of its integration with Google and how easy it is to use RSS, I decided to go that route.This Blog will slowly be filled with Recording Tips, DIY Projects, Session Notes, and whatever information I feel like sharing. So check back often and seeaortizjrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17808730692896241618noreply@blogger.com0