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Julia Gilbert has signed up for one of our new courses over the summer at mac. We’ve asked her to blog about her how she gets on:

This week, we went over some of the Logic features that we covered last week. I have to admit that this week, I started to get a bit mixed up between the features in Logic and Reason, but the tutor was more than happy to go over things.

A new feature in Logic that we looked at this week was the Compressor, which is a kind of automatic volume control that restricts the dynamic range. Some of the compressor controls work in a similar way to the Amp Envelope controls we looked at in the second lesson, which was handy. We also learned about Side Chaining, which is where you can apply compression to one channel, based on the volume of another channel. This can be very useful to distinguish between different ‘bottom end’ sounds, for example, kick drum and bass.

We then looked at something very cool: automation. This means automatically adjusting the volume (or any other parameters available) while the track is playing. You may have seen video clips of the faders magically moving by themselves on mixing desks, for example:

Well we learned how to do a digital version of the same thing. The faders on the screen move by themselves, although admittedly it’s not quite as impressive as hardware moving by itself.

We learned about two different methods of automation. The first is ‘Read’ where you can precisely ‘draw’ the levels by placing nodes on an automation lane below each channel. The other method is ‘Touch’, where you adjust the parameters in, say, the synth software as you play through the track and the software automatically draws the parameter levels for you. The Touch method probably feels more natural, but is less precise. However, you can edit Touch automation using the Read method afterwards.

Next week is the last class on this course and I will be sad for it to end because I have enjoyed it a huge amount, but I’m also looking forward to having a go of putting my new found knowledge to use.

Julia Gilbert has signed up for one of our new courses over the summer at mac. We’ve asked her to blog about her how she gets on:
This week, we switched from using the Reason software to have a look at Logic Express. We looked at how Logic deals with the things we’d covered in Reason, namely the mixer, drum machines, synths, samplers and effects.

One of the advantages of Logic over Reason is that it can record real-world sounds and the tutor demonstrated this by recording his voice (simply counting from 1 to 10) with a microphone plugged into an audio interface. He then manipulated the recorded vocals. Another advantage of Logic is that it is compatible with Garage Band, which comes pre-installed on most Apple Mac computers.

Like Reason, Logic has a ‘piano roll’ feature, which displays the notes you play into it and lets you make changes and correct mistakes. So you don’t even need to be able to play notes particularly accurately as you can always clean them up afterwards. It gives you very precise control over the notes you are using and the interface is very simple to use. You can use similar controls to text editing such as drag-and-drop and copy-and-paste and is one of my favourite features of this kind of software.

Next week, the tutor is bringing in a finished track that he made himself using Logic to show us what it is capable of. We have also been promised a lot more hands on experience with Logic as this week consisted of a lot of demonstrating how to use it.

I am finding the course really interesting and think it has given me the confidence to start having a play with the sort of software we have been using and hopefully have a stab at making some tracks of my own.

Julia Gilbert has signed up for one of our new courses over the summer at mac. We’ve asked her to blog about her how she gets on:

This week, we carried on using Reason, the software we were introduced to last week. Even though we were using a specific piece of software, the tutor teaches us about the features from a generic point of view, so a lot of the knowledge we are gaining could be applied equally to other software.

We learned about samplers and how they differ from synthesizers and had a play with a couple that are available in Reason. We also learned about how we can use Filters to filter out certain frequencies and create more interesting sounds.

Some terminology I have heard a lot was demystified when we moved on to look at Amp Envelopes with controls for attack, decay, sustain and release. Basically how the sample sounds relate to how you press the keys on the keyboard. Similar controls could also be applied to the filters.

Finally, we learned about Effects, (in this case reverb and delay), and how we can use them as “Send effects” across all channels in the virtual mixer in Reason. The tutor mentioned some real world examples of guitarists who use these kind of effects.

After each bit of theory with the tutor demonstrating features to us on the big screen, we got to try them out for ourselves on our own. The two hours really flew by this week, I was surprised at just how much we managed to get through. I just hope I remember it all!

Next week, we’ll be looking at a different piece of software: Logic Express. It will be interesting to see how it differs from Reason.

Julia Gilbert has signed up for one of our new courses over the summer at mac. We’ve asked her to blog about her how she gets on, here’s the first post:

I was pleased when browsing the courses available at the new Mac to see several that appealed to me, but one in particular jumped out: Introduction to Music Technology. The description of the course was:

“Gain an insight into the music production world, whether it’s recording live instruments, creating totally electronic music or anywhere in between. This fun start up course shows you the tools and skills needed to create music using the latest audio software.”

Ever since I first got into electronic music in the late ‘80s, it has been an ambition of mine to be able to produce my own tracks. But I just didn’t know where to start. None of my friends were interested and the prospect of buying and leaning about expensive equipment was extremely daunting. If only this sort of course had been available to me back then.

This course appealed to me because it was not too long, five weeks, and it is aimed at beginners/intermediate. It was not too expensive, especially when you consider you’ll be getting five two-hour lessons. I was also looking forward to using the well-equipped new Digital Media studio, which I’d had a look round during mac’s opening weekend.

So I signed up and attended my first class on Wednesday. The class was not very big, there were just six of us, which meant we would all get plenty of attention from the course tutor. The tutor introduced himself and then asked us all to say something about ourselves and what we hoped to get from the course.

The lesson consisted of the tutor demonstrating the software we would be using for the lesson, interspersed with lots of hands-on experience. We each had our own desk, Mac computer and music keyboard to play with.

I was surprised at just how much we got through, and by the end of the class I had managed to create and edit my own drum pattern and keyboard loop, and layer them to make something approaching music. Of course, it sounded a bit basic compared to what the tutor could do, but like he said, he has had years of experience. I was quite pleased with what I was able to achieve in just two hours on software I’d never seen before. At the end of the lesson, we all saved our work. It will be very interesting to see how we improve over the next few weeks. Can’t wait for the next class…

The fantastic BE Festival are looking for artists to display their work at the AE Harris Factory (home of Stan’s Cafe) in the Jewellery Quarter during the festival.  Here’s what they’re asking for:

BE Festival is a border-crossing, groundbreaking festival of theatre and dance from all over Europe, taking place in the atmospheric surroundings of the AE Harris factory. Over four days this venue will be a melting pot of creative people from many backgrounds, and if you would like an international, multicultural audience for your work, why not bring your portfolio along to the venue this Friday between 10am and 6pm?

The address is 110 Northwood St, B3 1SZ. It’s in the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, just close to St Paul’s Square. If you want more information or you can’t find the venue, contact Isla (isla@befestival.org).

For more details about BE Festival and the fantastic programme of performances go to our website: www.befestival.org

And even if you’re not interested in getting your artwork on display, why not get along to the festival itself next week? The line-up looks great, and it’s only £10 per night to go along and see some brand new theatre from across Europe, or £35 for a four day pass.

Hope to see you there!

Just had a quick look out in the Arena so thought I’d post a couple of pics. The tech guys are starting to get it ready for its first show of the summer which is in just a couple of weeks. We all can’t wait to get back out there and see this wonderful space in use again!  The Congo Allstars play the first gig for us on 10 July – tickets are available now online or from 0121 446 3232!

Also coming up in the Arena we’ve got a silent disco on 30 July, Polarbear’s spoken word showcase Bear’s House on 31 July and Tunng on 13 August.  Check out this post to find out how you can contribute to the silent disco playlist!

Have you got any musical skeletons lurking in your closet? Any tunes you love but are too ashamed to say?  Now’s your chance to come clean and bring them quite literally out into the open when we host a Silent Disco in our outdoor Arena on 30 July.

For those that don’t know, a silent disco is a disco where people dance to music listened to on wireless headphones rather than a speaker system. Anyone without the headphones hears no music, giving the effect of a load of people dancing to nothing. There are three channels of music to choose from, and you can switch between them whenever you like!

With soul, funk and Motown on one channel and an 80s mix on another, we want you to help us choose tracks for the third channel by adding your guilty pleasures to our Spotify playlist. We’ve added in a few choices of our own to get the ball rolling, and so far we’ve got Survivor, Chesney Hawkes, ELO and Colour Me Badd, amongst others – can you do any better than that? Don’t worry if you don’t have a Spotify account – send your suggestions to us on twitter @mac_birmingham, or add your suggestions to our discussion on Facebook.

And tickets are only a fiver in advance, so why not get yourself a ticket too?

This is one of the first events we’re holding in the Arena since the reopening and as well as live music from The Congo Allstars (10 july) and Tunng (13 August), the Silent Disco is one of a couple of new things we’re trying out. Spoken word artist Polarbear is coming back to mac, hosting his Bear’s House and showcasing  some of the finest local spoken word and musical talent. And we’re hoping the space can used for some of BARG’s pervasive gameplay too.

And we hope you can all join us out in the Arena this summer for some fantastic events in this unique space!

Treasured – A Secret Journey continues its run until 27 June, with influential theatre critic Lyn Gardner calling it ‘a fragile thing that is as gentle as a morning breeze’ in the Guardian. Get your tickets now before it’s too late!  Also this week – following on from the success of the family workshops over the weekend, grown-ups can get an insight into the creative process  behind Treasured, with two workshops exploring Jane Packman’s multi-sensory approach and the importance of the audience in interactive performances.  The workshops are on Wednesday and Saturday at 5.30pm, tickets £6 (£4.50)!
Treasured – A Secret Journey, Wed – Sun 2.20pm – 4pm & 7pm – 9.20pm. Tickets: £7 (£5) weekday afternoons, £12 (£9) evenings and weekends.

This week’s Tuesday Tunes are brought to you by Dreemz - a young gospel choir from the Black Country. Join us on the Terrace for a barbecue and free music – performance starts at 7.30pm!

Friday night sees the BASS Festival bringing an exciting double bill of dance and theatre from Miami B-boy Rudi Goblen and Birmingham hip hop collective (and UK hip hop dance champions) Smash Bro’z.  Rudi brings his one man show Insanity Isn’t – B-Boy movements, rhyme, beat box and live music while Smash Bro’z present Fresh Genes - =their brand new dance piece depicting the journey and discovery of a young scientist who is on a mission to find a cure for the misrepresentation of Hip Hop in the UK. More info and tickets for this one off show are available here!
BASS Festival Double Bill, Fri 25 June, 8pm. Tickets: £10 (£7)

Tickets are selling fast for Saturday’s performances of Arabian Nights – The Lost Tales of Sheherazade.  Theatre of Widdershins present this wonderful family show featuring Genies, camels, flying carpets, and suspicious ne’er-do-wells!  11am and 2.30pm, tickets: £8 (£6)

Cinema

In the cinema this week, Casey Affleck gives a mesmerising performance in Michael Winterbottom’s controversial The Killer Inside Me (until Thursday). City of Life And Death is a “Brutal and Brilliant” (Empire) recreation of the 1937 siege of the Chinese capital Nanking by the Japanese (until Tuesday).

Tuesday’s 3 o’clock matinee is your last chance to catch Coco Before Chanel here at mac. On Wednesday and Thursday we’ve got Samson and Delilah, a sensitive film about a tragic love affair in Australia’s Aboriginal community.  And starting on Friday and running over the weekend there’s the new print of Akira Kurosawa’s classic Rashomon, and the Academy Award nominated Israeli film Ajami - telling intertwined stories of feuds, families, drugs and violence.

Check out the times and trailers below!

The Killer Inside Me (18)

Mon 8.30pm, Tue 5.45pm, Wed 8.20pm, Thu 6pm
More info

City of Life and Death (15)

Mon 5.45pm, Tue 8pm
More info

Coco Before Chanel (12A)

Tue 3pm
More info

Samson & Delilah (15)

Wed 6pm, Thu 8.15pm
More info

Rashomon (12)

Fri 6pm, Sat 3pm & 8.30pm, Sun 6pm
More info

Ajami (15)

Fri 8pm, Sat 6pm, Sun 8pm
More info

Treasured – A Secret Journey
Treasured – A Secret Journey, from the Jane Packman Company, is a unique sensory performance for one person at a time which invites you to venture into your imagination. Beginning in the sanctuary, you can relax and drink tea whilst your guide helps you choose one of three pieces of fantastic jewellery, each unlocking a different treasured secret…

Check out this video made by Jane with Chris Keenan of Prime Objective to give you a flavour of the show:

Treasured – A Secret Journey from Jane Packman on Vimeo.

Treasured is at mac Wednesdays to Sundays until 27 June. More info.

Plaid & Southbank Gamelan Players
Laptop wizards Plaid join forces with the Southbank Gamelan Players to perform new work they have created together with Indonesian composer Rahayu Supanggah. Presented by our friends at Capsule.
Friday 11 June, 8pm. more info.

Beyond the Ballroom
Presented as part of the BASS Festival, Beyond the Ballroom is an afternoon of dance, music, film and discussion with the leading contributors to UK jazz heritage. Dancers and DJ’s will dig deep to show off their dancing DNA, with movements from the streets to the dancefloor, illuminating it’s major part in the development of UK club culture. Including a premiere screening of Dick Jewell’s film The Jazz Room, with a lively Q&A hosted by Paul Bradshaw and UK Acid Jazz mainstay Mark “Snowboy” Cotgrove.
Sunday 13 June, more info.

Handsworth Revolution Revisited
In a discussion of the evolution of policing and race relations Dr Bob Ramdhanie examines the impact of black music on the political tensions that existed in the 60s and 70s. The panel also includes photographer Vanley Burke, Doreen Foster of the Bernie Grant Centre and Basil Gabbidon of Steel Pulse.
Thursday 17 June, 7.30pm. more info.

Cinema:

The Bad Lieutenant (18)
A rogue detective becomes a high-functioning addict who is a deeply intuitive and fearless reigning over the beautiful ruins of New Orleans with authority and abandon. Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes star in Werner Herzog’s remake of the 1992 cult movie.  

Fri 11, Sun 13, Tue 15 & Thu 17, 5.45pm
Sat 12, 3pm & 8.20pm
Mon 14 & Wed 16, 8.30pm
more info

Nightwatching (18)
From visionary writer/director Peter Greenaway comes a thrilling period drama, told with irony and wit, exploring the romantic and professional life of Rembrandt, starring Martin Freeman, Emily Holmes, Eva Birthistle and Jodhi May.
Fri 11 & Sun 13, 8.15pm
Sat 12, 5.30pm
more info

Tokyo Story (U)
Yasujiro Ozu’s 1953 classic tells the story of a couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their grown children, but find their children are too absorbed in their own lives to spend much time with their parents. Often regarded as Ozu’s greatest masterpiece, Toky Story has twice appeared in Sight & Sound magazine’s ‘Top Ten’ list of the greatest films ever made.
Mon 14 & Wed 16, 5.45pm
Tue 15 & Wed 17, 8.15pm
more info

This Saturday, mac and the lovely people at Moseley Folk are joining up to bring you a whole day of fun for all the family, with morris dancing, a free open session in the bar, screenings of the cult mockumentary Morris: A Life With Bells On and performances from Wizz Jones and the Demon Barber Roadshow.

There’s also the chance to take part in a special guitar workshop with Wizz Jones, who’ll be sharing some of the tips and tricks he’s picked-up over the years. Just found this video of Wizz playing Corinne, which should give you a taste of what you’re in for…

Free performances out on the terrace include 21st Century morris dancing from Cut A Shine, the Outside Capering Crew and all-girl burlesque morris group The Belles of London City.

For more info & tickets, visit http://macarts.co.uk/page/3649/performance/219.