Arktus_K: Aspiring to disrupt the music and audio industry
- Thread starter Arktus_K
- Start date
@Namrehs,
In one word: Collaboratively.
I believe Singapore desperately needs to have an affordable, accessible and community-based studio rather than a collection of small independents because, frankly, with limited resources, our local facilities really can only deliver what we see today. However, when pooled together towards a common vision and goal, I think we can all achieve a whole lot more.
The idea is that Singapore suddenly starts being recognised as a place for producing a lot of very polished music and aural creations in a short span of time that it starts turning a lot of heads in the world.
In one word: Collaboratively.
I believe Singapore desperately needs to have an affordable, accessible and community-based studio rather than a collection of small independents because, frankly, with limited resources, our local facilities really can only deliver what we see today. However, when pooled together towards a common vision and goal, I think we can all achieve a whole lot more.
The idea is that Singapore suddenly starts being recognised as a place for producing a lot of very polished music and aural creations in a short span of time that it starts turning a lot of heads in the world.
Maybe you could share a little more about this studio? Is it gonna be a rehearsal space, a recording studio or a place where musicians get together and share their knowledge/techniques/styles in composing?
The purpose of this is for, like what you said, Singapore to start being recognised as a place for producing a lot of very polished music and aural creations in a short span of time so would this mean we as the musicians need some guidance in doing so? I mean there are alot of musicians out that who are really good at the instruments they play but when it comes to composing/songwriting, it becomes a completely different story, yes?
Interested to know more!
The purpose of this is for, like what you said, Singapore to start being recognised as a place for producing a lot of very polished music and aural creations in a short span of time so would this mean we as the musicians need some guidance in doing so? I mean there are alot of musicians out that who are really good at the instruments they play but when it comes to composing/songwriting, it becomes a completely different story, yes?
Interested to know more!
Certainly! I'm happy to share!
It won't be a one-stop shop per se, as I intend very much to partner with the existing local studios on this. Instead, it would be a facility that is focussed a lot more on mixing and mastering facilities (cos I think our independents are doing a pretty good job on recording already).
The current scope (for music) I have in mind involves 1 very large multichannel suite for DSD/DXD-type music, 2 fairly large suites for digital stereo mastering, 1 for multimedia mixing and editing (where it would be possible to professionally mix, edit and author music videos), 2 final mixing suites and a control room for recording in large-ish, adaptive isolated chambers/soundstages where PVs can also be shot.
Of course, there will also be ample lounging and interactive areas where bands can meet, chill, exchange pointers about music styles and even listen to some music on very nice playback systems (no, not the B***!!
).
As for guidance, I believe a lot of our musicians already have what it takes - even for composing/song-writing. In the short span of less than 3 months, I think I've heard and understood the potential that we already collectively have (and it's ridiculously high - like a massively overgrown baby that urgently needs to be taken past puberty and into maturity).
I believe the premium facilities in the community studio will be a prime platform in getting our musos to critically hear what they sound like (very important!) and empower them with the confidence and ability to improve and also to bring their own works out to the world.
(Oh and when I say "premium", I'm referring to Euphonix System 5, AMS Neve, Westlake and OceanWay kind of premium.)
It won't be a one-stop shop per se, as I intend very much to partner with the existing local studios on this. Instead, it would be a facility that is focussed a lot more on mixing and mastering facilities (cos I think our independents are doing a pretty good job on recording already).
The current scope (for music) I have in mind involves 1 very large multichannel suite for DSD/DXD-type music, 2 fairly large suites for digital stereo mastering, 1 for multimedia mixing and editing (where it would be possible to professionally mix, edit and author music videos), 2 final mixing suites and a control room for recording in large-ish, adaptive isolated chambers/soundstages where PVs can also be shot.
Of course, there will also be ample lounging and interactive areas where bands can meet, chill, exchange pointers about music styles and even listen to some music on very nice playback systems (no, not the B***!!
). As for guidance, I believe a lot of our musicians already have what it takes - even for composing/song-writing. In the short span of less than 3 months, I think I've heard and understood the potential that we already collectively have (and it's ridiculously high - like a massively overgrown baby that urgently needs to be taken past puberty and into maturity).
I believe the premium facilities in the community studio will be a prime platform in getting our musos to critically hear what they sound like (very important!) and empower them with the confidence and ability to improve and also to bring their own works out to the world.
(Oh and when I say "premium", I'm referring to Euphonix System 5, AMS Neve, Westlake and OceanWay kind of premium.)
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Unfortunately, I've not begun outward marketing in earnest and hence, there are no mailing lists as we know it.
Feel free to drop me a PM and I'll connect with you over Facebook or email, though!
FungkiMunkees
New member
Hi zyang;
As wjl123 mentions, it doesn't sound very affordable, and I think thats one of the biggest obstacles most musicians face today, especially without some kind of external funding (full-time job, investors, grants etc). How do you think you could/would help to overcome this?
P.S. Out of curiosity could your studio accommodate for music video sessions too?
If your not sure how what I meant please PM me.
Cheers!
Interesting nickname, FungkiMunkees; reminds me a lot of someone prominent I've met in the industry.
Yes, the studio will actually take on music, motion picture and interactive media projects. So, it will not only have lighted soundstages (chroma-key ready!) for shooting music videos and offline edit suites (eg. "lock to picture"/colour-grading/proofing suites), but it will also feature dedicated high-fidelity mastering suites and mixing rooms where, perhaps a rarity for the local scene, dedicated versioning projects can be done.
There is a possibility of in-situ music instrument rentals too. But because of the degree of customisation going into most instruments these days, don't expect to find anything more than a couple of grand pianos and maybe a few drums and cymbals.
Also for music videos, there are also a lot of interesting off-the-shelf and cutting-edge appliances and tools that we can all tap on nowadays (such as the ARRI Alexa XT Studio, Sony FS700 and Blackmagic 4K for cameras - some of which are pretty affordable if rented in-situ, including premium optics), on top of the usual suspects. I will intend to collaborate with existing video production and rental houses to grow and explore this area more.
I understand that user-affordability has been a major issue, especially of late. Which is why I'm currently looking at tapping on various instruments to help alleviate (or even zero) these upfront costs. What remains to be passed on to the end users are literally just enough to help pay the bills to keep the facility going, at least for the very early bits. Ideally, in time, career musos working with us should be able to break out of this vicious cycle in a couple of projects and be financially-independent enough to run on their own. This is one of the short-term goals of establishing the facility. Just because musicians around the world are poor today and yesterday doesn't mean we should all be struggling and poor together forever. Efforts must be made to break free from this nonsense.
Yes, the studio will actually take on music, motion picture and interactive media projects. So, it will not only have lighted soundstages (chroma-key ready!) for shooting music videos and offline edit suites (eg. "lock to picture"/colour-grading/proofing suites), but it will also feature dedicated high-fidelity mastering suites and mixing rooms where, perhaps a rarity for the local scene, dedicated versioning projects can be done.
There is a possibility of in-situ music instrument rentals too. But because of the degree of customisation going into most instruments these days, don't expect to find anything more than a couple of grand pianos and maybe a few drums and cymbals.
Also for music videos, there are also a lot of interesting off-the-shelf and cutting-edge appliances and tools that we can all tap on nowadays (such as the ARRI Alexa XT Studio, Sony FS700 and Blackmagic 4K for cameras - some of which are pretty affordable if rented in-situ, including premium optics), on top of the usual suspects. I will intend to collaborate with existing video production and rental houses to grow and explore this area more.
I understand that user-affordability has been a major issue, especially of late. Which is why I'm currently looking at tapping on various instruments to help alleviate (or even zero) these upfront costs. What remains to be passed on to the end users are literally just enough to help pay the bills to keep the facility going, at least for the very early bits. Ideally, in time, career musos working with us should be able to break out of this vicious cycle in a couple of projects and be financially-independent enough to run on their own. This is one of the short-term goals of establishing the facility. Just because musicians around the world are poor today and yesterday doesn't mean we should all be struggling and poor together forever. Efforts must be made to break free from this nonsense.
FungkiMunkees
New member
FungkiMunkees is the name of the band I'm in. We're looking at recording the rest of our album starting year end. We've done 3 tracks so far so we want to have a total of ten tracks. You can see my profile here to see what our instrumentation looks like.
https://www.facebook.com/FKMKS
https://www.facebook.com/FKMKS
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keyzs
New member
Hi all, TS has a very interesting proposition... though there is not much information except for the concept of studio owners collaboration, there are a few issues i think both the industry and consumers need to address...
first of all, i hope not to sound like a wet blanket towards the negativity of the industry especially here on this rock. if TS is looking to create a talent pool here, personally i believe there is much talent. the only set back is opportunity to carry on further. as far as the local industry is concerned, there is probable only one major broadcaster. all their content is either made by the lowest bidder or some folks on the inside. the nearest broadcasters open to suggestions are probably Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and India. Australia is a great place to nature talent, however, the costs are astronomical.
here are the issues:
Thailand - open to suggestions however, Thais are extremely creative with an established home grown talent pool.
HK - industry is shrinking but there are still a lot of production houses there.
Japan - huge industry with even more creative talent, market is semi-closed unless you know some one there in the first place
India - huge huge huge market, makes like 3x more movies than Hollywood. problem is honest dealings and low exchange rates.
Australia - has similar equipment and talent as HK and Jap. however, cost is almost prohibitive. 1 min of video footage converted to film is approximately AU$ 25'000.
Industry perspectives - much has changed over the 90's. music and content production has now gone into the homes of regular folk. almost anyone with a computer, a half decent sound card, camera, the necessary software and some talent can become a "producer"
the underlining positives are great, its a start however, the quality of content is no longer there. in the past there was always the talent manager and content director to assist in the production. they have a huge client base and are well aware of the current trends and markets. though that may not always be a good thing but in the end there is money to be made for all parties. at the end its money that puts food on the table.
Content perspectives - music recorded in the last 5yrs or so have been overly loud to the point of almost distortion. the reason is simply competition for attention over airplay. technically, this is almost wrong... but is still accepted, though this is now changing.
End user perspectives - the pervasive use of MP3 has caused much "deafness" and frivolity to end users. the demand for high quality sounds, stage imaging and, most importantly, quality & costs of playback equipment are no longer in demand. (one fact though: in the past folks may spend over sg$20k on an in car stereo system, today that industry is almost extinct; likewise folks may spend over sg$50k for a home entertainment system, that too is almost unheard off)
in today's context, so long as there is sound, the volume is loud, much thumping bass its all good.... (sad - very sad but thats how music is consumed. pls dont let me start on the movies.... now-a-days pirated cam downloads are accepted as "oh i have seen the moive..." in the past pirates had the initiative to "steel the showreals" to make a VCD...)
The spoils of MP3 and other compression - the use of MP3s no matter how good the compressor, there is loss. like it or not, believe it or not; this is a fact and its undeniable. originally a format used for data transfers but some smart arse decided that it was good for music too. unfortunately he/she/they must have very had very bad speakers and or are "deaf".
The highs of the 16kHz are lost or distorted. use a spectrum analyser.... prove this to yourselves and your clients.
its true that with average hi-fi component systems, the hi's are not produced, also humanly we loose our sensitivity of the hi's as we age. but those are no excuse for wanting and or demanding the originally captured nuances of the intended artiste.
also the low's are lost to rumble below 65Hz. hence, most consumer level EQ will force you to boost the 80Hz or worse 120Hz. (side note: 40Hz and below are not to be heard they are meant to be felt)
headphones simply give an illusion of stereo separation but ultimately they'd kill your ears a lot faster. the point when there is pain felt on the bone just behind the ears, you'll know that there is just too much low freq rumble.
finally, Music and The Art of Recording is essentially to capture all the nuances of the artiste, preserve it for all time and to play it back in its entire originally correct entirety. its a culture and evolution of the human race. music is not something we buy, download and or steel, listen once and throw it in the closet.
anyway its too long a reply... i apologise for the rant. if you have read up to here... thank you
in closing, if there are ways i may be able to contribute, count me in... many thanks... cheers!!!!
first of all, i hope not to sound like a wet blanket towards the negativity of the industry especially here on this rock. if TS is looking to create a talent pool here, personally i believe there is much talent. the only set back is opportunity to carry on further. as far as the local industry is concerned, there is probable only one major broadcaster. all their content is either made by the lowest bidder or some folks on the inside. the nearest broadcasters open to suggestions are probably Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and India. Australia is a great place to nature talent, however, the costs are astronomical.
here are the issues:
Thailand - open to suggestions however, Thais are extremely creative with an established home grown talent pool.
HK - industry is shrinking but there are still a lot of production houses there.
Japan - huge industry with even more creative talent, market is semi-closed unless you know some one there in the first place
India - huge huge huge market, makes like 3x more movies than Hollywood. problem is honest dealings and low exchange rates.
Australia - has similar equipment and talent as HK and Jap. however, cost is almost prohibitive. 1 min of video footage converted to film is approximately AU$ 25'000.
Industry perspectives - much has changed over the 90's. music and content production has now gone into the homes of regular folk. almost anyone with a computer, a half decent sound card, camera, the necessary software and some talent can become a "producer"
the underlining positives are great, its a start however, the quality of content is no longer there. in the past there was always the talent manager and content director to assist in the production. they have a huge client base and are well aware of the current trends and markets. though that may not always be a good thing but in the end there is money to be made for all parties. at the end its money that puts food on the table.
Content perspectives - music recorded in the last 5yrs or so have been overly loud to the point of almost distortion. the reason is simply competition for attention over airplay. technically, this is almost wrong... but is still accepted, though this is now changing.
End user perspectives - the pervasive use of MP3 has caused much "deafness" and frivolity to end users. the demand for high quality sounds, stage imaging and, most importantly, quality & costs of playback equipment are no longer in demand. (one fact though: in the past folks may spend over sg$20k on an in car stereo system, today that industry is almost extinct; likewise folks may spend over sg$50k for a home entertainment system, that too is almost unheard off)
in today's context, so long as there is sound, the volume is loud, much thumping bass its all good.... (sad - very sad but thats how music is consumed. pls dont let me start on the movies.... now-a-days pirated cam downloads are accepted as "oh i have seen the moive..." in the past pirates had the initiative to "steel the showreals" to make a VCD...)
The spoils of MP3 and other compression - the use of MP3s no matter how good the compressor, there is loss. like it or not, believe it or not; this is a fact and its undeniable. originally a format used for data transfers but some smart arse decided that it was good for music too. unfortunately he/she/they must have very had very bad speakers and or are "deaf".
The highs of the 16kHz are lost or distorted. use a spectrum analyser.... prove this to yourselves and your clients.
its true that with average hi-fi component systems, the hi's are not produced, also humanly we loose our sensitivity of the hi's as we age. but those are no excuse for wanting and or demanding the originally captured nuances of the intended artiste.
also the low's are lost to rumble below 65Hz. hence, most consumer level EQ will force you to boost the 80Hz or worse 120Hz. (side note: 40Hz and below are not to be heard they are meant to be felt)
headphones simply give an illusion of stereo separation but ultimately they'd kill your ears a lot faster. the point when there is pain felt on the bone just behind the ears, you'll know that there is just too much low freq rumble.
finally, Music and The Art of Recording is essentially to capture all the nuances of the artiste, preserve it for all time and to play it back in its entire originally correct entirety. its a culture and evolution of the human race. music is not something we buy, download and or steel, listen once and throw it in the closet.
anyway its too long a reply... i apologise for the rant. if you have read up to here... thank you
in closing, if there are ways i may be able to contribute, count me in... many thanks... cheers!!!!
