Chris Bell’s Weblog

How to get your PING URL?

// September 3rd, 2010 // No Comments » // General

So, as most people know by now, Apple unveiled their new social network PING. PING allows you to interact with other iTunes users and artists to discover new music, and keep up with your favorite artists. So far it seems very difficult to invite and find your friends on PING. Entering email addresses isn’t very efficient. For about 5 minutes they had a way to connect your facebook account to tell friends where you are located on PING, but that was swiftly removed for unknown reasons. I thought the best method to tell people where I’m located on PING would be to provide a URL. I started doing a little searching and finally figured out if your right click on your name on your profile you can get the URL. It’s super long, but at least it will help tell other people how to find you.

Here’s how to find your URL on PING:

1. First download iTunes 10 and go to your PING profile. Here’s mine.

2. Use “Control-Click” for Mac or “Righ-Click” for Windows on your name.

3. Then choose “Copy Link” and paste the link somewhere to keep track of it.

You can visit my PING page and follow me here Chris Bell

MY PING PAGE

Avid releases new line of Pro-Tools HD I/O’s

// August 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // General

The time has finally come to upgrade our Pro-Tools I/O’s. I haven’t had the opportunity yet to hear them, but usually every release is a noticeable improvement. They have even released a MADI interface. Probably to compete with the Solid State Logic I/O’s. I’m really looking forward to hearing these. If you haven’t upgraded to an Intel machine yet you will have to do that as well to run the new interfaces. They only are supported on 8.0.1 or higher which isn’t supported on Power Macs. They have also introduced a stripped down I/O which included Mic pres and 7.1 monitoring for the people that don’t need a bunch of I/O’s and just mix in the box. That wouldn’t be me so I will have to stick to the 16 in 16 out boxes.

Working with Video for Singer/Songwriters

// August 17th, 2010 // No Comments » // General

We have been experimenting with doing video now with singer/songwriter Tim Miller. It usually takes no more than 3 hours to record/mix/edit. If you are a singer songwriter and need a quick promotional video of a new song this works really well. Here is an example of what we’ve been working on with Tim. 1 complete take for video and audio.

On To Something from Chris Bell on Vimeo.

Phoenix Hart CD to release in Oct 2010

// August 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // General

We’ve been working really hard on this project with Phoenix Hart. I want to share a few of the tracks with you. The project will be released in Oct on C.D. and vinyl.

Phoenix Hart by Chris Bell Productions

Sights From Mt. Rainier

// August 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // General

Here is a video I put together of some of the footage from our base camp on Mt. Rainier July 2010

Mt. Rainier Sights from Chris Bell on Vimeo.

Track me on my climb on Mt. Rainier starting July 7

// June 30th, 2010 // No Comments » // General

Starting July 7, my cousin Ben and I will be climbing Mt. Rainier. This will be a first attempt so not sure what to expect. Along the way I will have a “Spot” which will track my progress on the mountain. If all goes well we should summit on July 9. Check back often and watch our path up the mountain.

Here is the map below:

The Sample Rate Debate

// June 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // General

The Sample Rate Debate from Chris Bell on Vimeo.

Help Save Wireless Microphone Frequencies

// February 26th, 2010 // No Comments » // General

The FCC’s ruling on the use of wireless microphone frequencies is quickly coming to a head.  Audio and video wireless technology has long used certain frequencies known as ‘white spaces’ in the analog television bandwidth.  All of the current technology we use in theaters, concerts, television, film, and churches are in danger of becoming obsolete overnight depending on how the FCC rules on this issue.

The Producers & Engineers Wing is at the helm coordinating a letter writing campaign.  But they have received very few letters.

Can you take a minute and write a short advocacy letter – and ask 5-10 friends to help too??

More info here: http://shure.com/stellent/groups/public/@gms_gmi_web_us/documents/web_resource/us_doc_700_spectrum-changes.pdf

Here are the key guidelines (be sure to use your letterhead at the top):

* Indicate what your place of business is (I work in live entertainment in x kinds of venues), and highlight the value that your work brings to the culture, economy, entertainment of your community

* Indicate you are writing to the FCC to protect wireless microphones from interference and ensure that wireless microphone users will be eligible for licenses.

* Mention how you use this technology:  Wireless microphones, intercoms, in-ear monitors used, for example, by vocalists, musicians, actors, worship services, etc.  Mention if your productions are broadcast, filmed or recorded because the FCC equates these activities with eligibility to obtain an FCC license.

* Indicate why it is critical for you to be able to use interference free wireless microphones/intercoms/in ear monitors.  For example, it enables critical real-time, crystal clear communication with congregants, constituents, live audiences, etc., it allows freedom of movement over a stage, altar, auditorium, etc., it enables creative and innovative productions, etc., it enables audiences an enhanced experience for sporting events, etc.  Negative consequences if your production experiences interference.

* Sample text for what we want the FCC to do:           “Please ensure that any rule changes that the FCC adopts will allow for a streamlined, effective and practical process that will allow my organization and business, as a music producer and audio professional, to obtain an FCC wireless microphone license and continue doing what I am doing today. Please ensure the process of applying for this license is streamlined, affordable, and easy to complete.”

EMAIL YOUR LETTER TO: p&ewing@grammy.com – they will submit to the FCC via the Electronic Filing System on your behalf.

LETTERS ARE DUE MONDAY, March 1 AT 5 p.m.

We must have 100 letters by MONDAY! PLEASE PARTICIPATE!!!

Music Publishing Essentials

// October 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // General

Join me Oct 14 for the Recording Academy event in Dallas, Tx on music publishing and members mixer.

Chris Bell recording Phoenix Hart at Luminous Sound

// August 6th, 2009 // No Comments » // General

What Sample Rate are You?

// July 8th, 2009 // 8 Comments » // General

I just finished reading this months article in Wired Magazine about Neil Young’s new release on Blu-ray. The first thing I noticed was the sample rate. 24 bit 192 Khz!. I thought to myself “This guy gets it”. Somebody is finally using the technology available to us.

For those of you that don’t know how sampling rates work I’ll do a quick run down. Basically every second a piece of the audio is sampled a set amount of times. If you are at 44.1 Khz you will have 44,100 samples of the audio signal during that 1 second. If you you are at 192 Khz you will have 192,000 samples during that one second. The 192 is obviously going to be closer to the original analog wave form.

I’m still amazed at how many projects I get in to either mix or continue recording that are tracked at 24 bit 44.1 Khz. I’ve been on a few sessions with recording artists working on records for a major release and I check to see what sample rate the session was started at only to find it at 44.1 Khz. Why? The artist doesn’t have a clue. They are trusting the engineer to do their job. If you are an artist you should make it a point to ask the engineer what sample rate the session is being recorded at. Isn’t it our job as the engineer to capture the audio at the best quality available to us? It’s going to be interesting when these artists go back to rerelease the record at a higher sampling rate only to find out they can’t.

I was recording at 44.1 Khz on a Sony 3324 DASH machine in 1997. I understand that CD’s and MP3′s won’t be over 44.1 Khz, but we need to think about what will happen in the future. When we are listening to music on our iPods or computers at 192 Khz in a few years. Don’t you think the artist is going to want to release a Blue-ray or some other format at a higher sample rate so the general public can experience the record at an acceptable quality level? At a minimum all my sessions are recorded at 88.2 Khz. Can you hear a difference? Absolutely. If you are in the studio listening to what we are listening to, then here what the final C.D. the general public gets, you will be amazed at the difference. It was the same when I was recording to 2″ analog. The band would ask “Why don’t we record to Pro-Tools? I would say “sure we can record to Pro-Tools”. Then I would record to both at the same time and do a listening test. Half the console would be 2″ analog the other half Pro-Tools. Then I would flip back and forth between the two formats and let the band decide. Not once did the band choose Pro-Tools. This of course was back when we were on the black 888 I/O’s. Pro-Tools has come along way and I’ve done some great recordings now on Pro-Tools. I’m not going to get into the whole analog/digital argument.

Since the time we have all switched over to digital we have been struggling to get the quality back to where it was on analog. We now finally have technology to record projects and archive them at a reasonable sample rate that doesn’t sound like it’s destroying the audio. One of my favorite bad techniques engineers are using is this. Record to Pro-Tools at 44.1 Khz then transfer it to 2″ analog and back again. So let me get this straight. You are going to destroy the audio, copy the destroyed audio to 2″ analog, then destroy it a second time on the way back into the computer. And then possibly mix it through an analog desk recording it back to a digital format for a third time. Not only did you just waste a $215 reel of tape, you just made the artist pay for it, and resampled it 3 times at 44.1 khz. If you want the tape sound you have to record to the tape first. Sure you can get some tape compression sound from the tape by transfering, but is it worth it? It’s strange how we forget and just settle. You listen to 44.1 Khz and think it sounds good until you a/b it with a higher sample rate.

I really think the manufacturers should set 88.2 Khz or 96 Khz as the default sample rate when you open up a session for the first time. This will make it a habit for everyone to move to a sample rate that can be archived for a future release. I have even been going as far as running a 5.1 mix down after I mix the stereo mix and giving it to the artist to do what they wish. It might never get heard or the artist can use it in a few years for a future release and not have the expense of going back and doing recalls and remixing the record. I hope in the near future everybody jumps on the bandwagon and starts using the technology we have available to us.

The Grammy’s P&E Wing Summer Events

// June 16th, 2009 // No Comments » // General

We have planned 4 great events this Summer. Please join us on June 27 for the kick off with 2009 Grammy Award winner Joe Chiccarelli (White Stripes, The Raconteurs, The Shins) at Luminous Sound in Dallas, Texas. Todd Pipes from Deep Blue Something will be the moderator.