TMV World Team

Could the TC Helicon Mic Mechanic replace all your live voice processing? Do me a favor to start off by closing your eyes and picturing two things: Swiss army knives and sport utility vehicles. Now ask yourself what comes to mind? General all-purpose-ness? Usable but not ideal? If you miss what I'm driving at it's that generally things perform better when they are built for a specific task. TC Helicon, on the other hand, may just have figured out how to buck that trend. I generally try to refrain from waxing ecstatic by maintaining my most professional unbiased opinion when it comes to product reviews here at TMV HQ but TC Helicon's latest offering is making me a bit giddy. Why you ask? Well, it's simple really. I introduce to you the Mic Mechanic: an all-purpose live vocal processor that sounds so good out of the box it nearly made me do a double-take the first time I rigged it into my signal chain. INTRODUCING THE TC HELICON MIC MECHANIC Order from The Vocal Gear Store NOW Click HERE We've been collectively impressed with the concept TC has created with the VoiceTone pedal series with an effort towards studio quality vocal processing with simple analog-style user interfaces. Rotary knobs and stomp switches replace LCD menus and rows of buttons all the while maintaining pretty sophisticated digital design under the hood. With each generation of new products Helicon has continued to revolutionize what makes for cutting edge vocal processing and they that concept even one step further with the Mic Mechanic. TC Helicon touts the Mechanic as a complete vocal toolbox and they may not be far off the mark. Considering its diminutive stomp pedal form factor the Mic Mechanic comes equipped with 3 reverbs, 2 echos as well as combinations of each, automatic chromatic pitch correction, as well as adaptive tone with EQ, compression, de-essing and gating. That doesn't even take into account the built in mic-pre with phantom power and remote effect control via the MP-75 microphone. Obviously at this point you now have a small stomp pedal that is trying to do the job 3 or 4 TC pedals did so on the surface it appears there are compromises. Tone control is either on or off, pitch correction has a single knob of control and the effects only have a dry/wetness knob and yes changes in effects mid-performance require you to reach down and manually change them. TC has however cleverly integrated a tap tempo into the effects bypass switch if you first hold it down until the effect on light flashes. In the end I found the compromises to be nearly meaningless as the Mic Mechanic sounded so good out of the box I could have cared less about it's supposed limitations. With adaptive tone my voice cut over the band better than it ever had, big lush effects were dialed that sounded great in seconds and pitch correction was the most natural I have ever heard out of a live rig. All these things acted in unison to really make my vocals 'pop'. WRAP-UP For $149.00 the TC Helicon Mic Mechanic is in my opinion one of the best sounding new vocal processors on the market that easily sounds as good as voice processors costing 3-4 times as much. It wraps studio quality effects into a simple compact package that sounds literally fantastic right out of the box. We at TMV give the Mic Mechanic our highest level of recommendation. www.tc-helicon.com Review by Travis North *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

Throw out your vintage effects, this mic does it better. You can find Placid Audio products on Vocal Gear Store. Most of the time in either a live or studio situati on when I'm looking to give a vocal track a bit more of a distinctive sound I instinctively either reach for some flavor of an effects processor or my favorite plugin. Why? Because generally unless one enjoys combing through Craigslist and eBay listings for that perfectly elusive esoteric microphone, modern effects processors with hundreds if not thousands of available models to choose from often sound quite good in addition to offering nearly infinite control over our sound. Convenience, however comes at a price and there is one effect situation in my experience where the cold unfeeling electronics continually seem come up a bit short of something authentic sounding: the vintage "telephone" effect. Sometimes there's no replacement for the real thing and thanks to Mark Pirro of Placid Audio we have something called the Copperphone Mini that may just fill that niche. INTRODUCING THE COPPERPHONE MINI Placid Audio was initially spurred by a need of the singer of Pirro's band - The Polyphonic Spree - to find the perfect vintage sounding microphone. Instead of trying to actually find something authentically old Mark - whom is also a sound engineer - decided to have a crack at creating his own. After creating a few prototypes, word started to spread around the musician community and in 2003 Pirro started producing small quantities in his garage outside of Dallas, Texas to fill the need. As popularity grew he created two additional models, one of which is the Copperphone Mini . One of the most distinctive features about the Copperphone series is Placid Audio builds them out of rather robust looking polished copper housings. The Copperphone mini is no exception and is rather attractive to look at especially when installed it is removable aluminum shock mount housing. Construction and fit and finish is high grade and I would say the overall look belies its $299.00 MSRP. Oddly enough the Copperphone Mini was originally designed with Harmonica players in mind but after artists started using it on vocals, guitars, upright basses and the like it became apparent that the point of the Mini isn't the application but rather the creativity it can introduce into the sound. The Copperphone Mini uses a fairly forgiving dynamic as well as a cardioid pickup pattern to make it fairly versatile both live and in studio. Contrary to the look the Mini does not use any vintage internal components but rather high-grade modern electronics with an impressively low noise floor. It should be noted that any mic or effects box operating in a limited frequency bandwidth can increase the potential for feedback depending on how much gain you are trying to pump through it. However, in practice I didn't find the Mini to be any better or worse compared to other similar devices when pushed beyond realistic limitations. THE SOUND OF NOSTALGIA So then how does the Copperphone Mini sound? Impressive. On vocals, the Mini finds an excellent balance between that vintage lo-fi effect and leaving a wide enough of a frequency band so the vocals still have some weight to cut through the mix. The Mini when compared to some telephone effects I had in my signal chain really shined with its warm analog goodness. I found the Mini to inspire more creativity than just a stock telephone effect as I felt generally it had a much more authentic sound and that could even be varied by careful use of proximity effect. WRAP UP With its tank-like boutique build quality, killer vintage sound and lifetime warranty the Copperphone Mini is decidedly one to consider adding to the arsenal. It's not so much IF you'll find a use for it but rather WHEN and I'm willing to bet the first time you do you'll quickly find more and more uses. We at TMV are certainly having some fun with ours. ~TN Copperphone Mini Specs: - Type: Dynamic - Polar Pattern: Cardioid - Frequency Response: 200Hz , 1.4kHz - Impedance: 150 ohms - Output: 105 +/- 2dB SPL @ 1 kHz - Microphone Dimensions: 1.75 inch x 2.25 inch - Shock Mount Dimensions: 6 inch diameter x 0.75 inch - Weight: 0.75 lbs FEATURES - High-grade passive variable reluctance transducer - High-quality Switchcraft 3 pin XLR connector - Rugged copper housing and components - Dismounting kit for optional ergonomic handheld use - Handcrafted in the U.S.A - Lifetime operational warranty - Aircraft aluminum shock mount ring to fit North American style stands http://www.placidaudio.com/products/copperphone-mini/ Review by Travis North *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

Kick the nasties coating your mic to the curb with Mic Wipes INTRODICUNG MIC CHECK WIPES If you ever find yourself in the situation of being at the mercy of using a crusty club mic then you're going to want to know about Mic Check Mic Wipes. Because god only knows where one of those things has been. You may have even improvised and gone as far as to pick up a box of GASP chemical laden Kitchen wipes to do the job. Thanks to Mic Wipes you no longer have to ingest green crusties or chemicals. Mic Wipes are a specially formulated single use packet cleaning and disinfecting wipe designed just for your microphone. According to the company Mic Check Mic Wipes have a higher alcohol content of 70% than normal wipes which is effective at killing 99.9% of all germs. Unlike chemicals in other wipes the Ethyl Alcohol used in Mic Wipes is completely safe so there is no concern of inhaling anything toxic to your body. In addition, the wipe material used is a more porous material which is better suited at cleaning all the crevices of the microphone grill. IN PRACTICE I found Mic Wipes to be fairly effective in not only cleaning the grill but the body of the mic as well. There is enough moisture in a single wipe to easily clean the average handheld microphone such as a Shure SM58 with enough left over to go wipe off something else sitting nearby which over the course of my review I found myself compulsively doing. Everything cleaned with Mic Wipes is left with a subtle yet fresh minty smell. WRAP UP Overalls Mic Wipes are a good addition to the gig bag. A pack of 50 for $34.50 (all the product you can see HERE) on the street would probably last the average singer or sound engineer a reasonable amount a time and it 's hard to put a price on preventing yourself from getting sick. Go check them out. ~TN www.checkthatmic.com Review by Travis North *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

RODE Microphones brings the big guns to iOS with the iXY RODE i-XY Podcast However good they claim to be I've always been a bit leary of using iOS devices along with the loads of 3rd party plug-in devices for anything remotely related to audio. Most surmount to little more than toys with sketchy build quality and laughable user interfaces that inevitably result in more irritation and poor quality sound than the price of admission. Australia-based Rode Microphones hopes to change that perception with the introduction of their iXY Stereo Microphone. Immediately out of the box its clear that Rode has brought the proverbial gun to a knife fight. The i-XY is unquestionably one of the most professional looking iThings to plug into the 30 pin dock of an iOS device. Side note - sorry iPhone 5 adopters there isn't an i-XY for you - yet. The Rode i-XY features twin stereo capsules in a clever X/Y stereo configuration and is housed in a rather attractive silver alloy casing. Machined allen-head screws complete with Rode's trademark gold pickup area dot and a b uilt-in power on indicator light fill out the look. Construction is in fact so robust that in hand it feels almost as if Rode constructed the iXY out of a solid block of aluminum. The 30 pin connector fits rather tightly into the base of your iOS device leaving little concern for getting dislodged. Along with the iX Y unit comes twin foam wind screens as well as a compact hard zipped carrying case. Rode also provides a recording app - RØDE Rec - for download in the iTunes store. More on that below. Order RODE i-XY Recording Microphone for iPhone and iPad from The Vocal Gear Store I tested the i-XY with a variety of sound sources from spoken voice to acoustic guitar as well as a rather l oud metal concert. The i-XY seemed to handle all with relative ease and had more than enough headroom to preserve the original recording without clipping or phasing issues. The noise floor was reasonably low for a field recording microphone with minimal background noise when recording in quieter settings such as acoustic guitar. However, as expected, the Rode did prefer to be as close to the source as possible especially when dealing with soft-spoken tracks. Overall the iXY gives any high-quality field recording array some solid competition from the standpoint of preserving the original source. While the Rode i-XY is an impressive piece of hardware on its own the available Rode Rec iOS app is what makes the i-XY shine. Starting with the ability to track in 24-bit 96 kHz resolution the Rode Rec app also features built-in editing much like a DAW as well as the ability to add various effects such as compression, EQ and some additional processing courtesy of Izotope. While recording you also have the option of live monitoring through the iPhone/iPads build in 1/8" mini jack. The main recording transport screen features quick rather accurate metering that's a nice bonus and when the device is flipped sideways the transport gives way to simple yet intui tive editing screen which allows for simple to more complex fades and trimming. Once you complete your recording tapping the 'Share' tab reveals a rather complete set of file sharing including SoundCloud, Dropbox and the usual email and iTunes options. Talking about iPhones and iPads, take a look on this wonderful iPad accessory - Hercules DG305B iPad Holder, order online from The Vocal Gear Store When it comes high-quality field recording for iOS devices Rode brings their A-Game with the iXY. They've managed to package high-quality hardware with a clever and complete recording application that in our opinion negates the need to carry around a separate field recording device. The Rode iXY is available now for $199.00 on the street. The Rode Rec (not included) is available for $5.99 in the iTunes store. ~TN i -XY Specifications Acoustic PrinciplePressure GradientCapsule0.50"Polar PatternAddress TypeEndFrequency Range20Hz - 20kHzMaximum SPL120dB SPL (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load)Sensitivity-42.0dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (8.52mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHzEquivalent Noise Level (A-weighted)18dB-APower Options(Powered by iOS device)Weight40.00gm 46.00mmH x 55.00mmW x 40.00mmD http://www.rode.com/microphones/ixy Review by Travis North *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

INTRODUCING THE TC HELICON HARMONY SINGER I would argue that the TC-Helicons pedal style vocal effects are some of the best ideas to come out of their facility in Vancouver, BC. They are small form factor, intuitive to control and easy to get a great sound out of. No menu's to navigate, just simple rotary knobs, buttons and a master on/off footswitch. They are in my opinion a joy to use. The TC Helicon Harmony Singer is no different. Rotary controls for harmony type, wetness and reverb line the top along with a Tone button borrowed from the Mic Mechanic and a master switch flesh out the top. On the sides are the typical mic control switch along with instrument in and through as well as a thoughtful ground lift. On the back you'll usually find mic in/through as well as power and USB ports for firmware updates. What makes the magic happen, though, is the instrument in port. TC Helicon calls the Harmony Singer "Guitar Controlled". I imagine you could plug any kind of instrument generating tone and a line level signal but if you opt to use the TC Helicon Harmony Singer without anything you'd be selling yourself short. Why? Because the real beauty behind this TCH box is that it uses instrument pitch to perfectly dictate the harmonies produced. Aptly put your harmonies will always be in the correct key. Always. And that is what makes the Harmony Singer awesome. Don't miss the chance! Use the 50% Discount Code for "Review my singing" Forum: TMVWorld50 THE TC HELICON HARMONY SINGER: IN PRACTICE In practice, it took me little time to dial in something that sounded pretty convincing. The Harmony Singer gives you a pretty reasonable selection of harmonies from a 6th below all the way to a 5th above as well as mixes of the two so provided you don't have a lead vocal that's completely bonkers chances are you'll be able to find something that will fit. The key here to maintain realism is to use harmonies sparingly and to find the right place for them to sit in the mix in relation to the lead vocals using the Level knob. It would also help if you do have some basic understanding of chord structure to determine the optimal sounding harmony for the particular application. THE TC HELICON HARMONY SINGER: WRAP UP All in after spending a few weeks with the TC Helicon Harmony singer I can honestly say this is the first harmony effects box I've used that is both easy to use and produces realistic harmonies. It's not the real thing and I wouldn't use it in place of human produced harmonies in the studio but in a live situation its one more useful tool to add to your vocal toolbox. THE TC HELICON HARMONY SINGER: SPECIFICATIONS Mic Input Level @ 0 dBFS: -42dBu to +1dBu Mic input SNR: >104 dB Phantom Power: 24V (always on) Guitar Input Impedance: 1 MOhm Guitar Input Level @ 0 dBFS: -7 dBU to 17 dBu Guitar Input SNR: >115dB Dynamic Range: >104 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Frequency Response: +0/-0.3 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Control: USB for firmware and control Mic Control: using TC-Helicon MP-75 Microphone or Sennheiser e 835 fx mic For more info: www.tchelicon.com Review by Travis North *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

INTRODUCING THE TC HELICON VOICE LIVE TOUCH 2 They call it a "Vocal-Designer". Interesting, I thought to myself while unpacking the TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 from its box. As the name implies TC-Helicon has released a new version of its innovative 'Touch' series which builds upon the original Voice Live Touch. I'll be upfront and say that I never had the opportunity to try out the original Voice Live Touch so this review will strictly be based on my experience with the new unit: the TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2. Gone are the colorful touch pads and diminutive LED screen. Instead, the Touch 2 is more serious wrapped in subdued grey with a much more usable LCD screen. Being this is a very menu driven device I imagine this is a welcome change to the original Touch users. TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2: Build This product can be purchased at The Vocal Gear Store. As with all TC-Helicon gear, the build quality of the TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 makes it feel like every bit of its $500 street value. There are no manual knobs and buttons on the Touch 2. Instead, every control aside from a mic gain knob is a touch pad. It's an interesting design concept that is going to work for some but may be troublesome for others. The layout is generally straightforward and once you get a hold of the basics of how to drive into settings, the TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 is fairly intuitive. I wish TC Helicon had given thought to backlighting their pads as I can see having issues in a dark club environment finding the right pad to hit, especially if you prefer as I do to not stand mount it. As a workaround, I highly recommend using their 3 button foot control available for purchase separately. TC Helicon touts the VL2 as giving singers "unprecedented creative control of their live sound with state-of-the-art vocal effects and performance looping in an intuitive touch layout." This I agree with. The TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 packs an enormous catalog of preset effects to get you started sorted by genre such as Rock, Pop, Alternative etc. that mock the vocal effects used on a large v ariety of hit socks. If that isn't enough they are continually updating the catalog that is downloadable directly to the VLT2's using VoiceLive support. The TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 In Practice The TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 is pretty much ready to go out of the box. Built in is TC's fabulous adaptive tone which automagically applies adaptive EQ, compression and de-ess to your voice. It almost always sounds great and it certainly does on the Touch 2. Every effect is just about infinitely customizable on the Touch 2 including all the usual suspects of HardTune, tap delay, reverb, harmony, doubling, choir, and transducer. However, I generally found myself starting with one of the built-in presets and then customizing it to fit my sound. One of the more interesting features added on the Touch 2 is an effects "slider" that allows you to a choc tweak with your sound as you go. TC has come a long ways with their harmony algorithms by syncing them up with instrument input to ensure they are always on point and realistic sounding. The Touch 2 adds to the flexility of this by incorporating 8 total voices (more than you'd likely every need) and what they call "RoomSense". If one doesn't have an instrument to plug into the VoiceLive, the two onboard microphones take it the chord structures based off what its hearing in the room to decide how to apply the harmonies. I would argue there's no replacement for real harmonies, but this comes so damn close that admittedly even I have started using them. Another key feature to point out is the 6 track TC VLOOP performance looper. This is where things can really get creative with the ability to record your vocals on the fly for up to 30 seconds. The Touch 2 is so intelligent that it will even quantize those for you for perfect loops. One you have your loops you than then add Reverse, Filter, Slow Speed, Squeeze and Squeeze Auto to really make things interesting. Overall I felt that the looper was well done and simple enough that it could be used in a live situation. CONCLUSIONS about The TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 The TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch 2 is without question an extremely powerful tool. At the end of the day, it does however, cater itself slightly more towards the studio and solo artist than it does to more of a rocker like myself. I felt the menu-driven design and touch interface left me spending more time in trial and error before finding a sound than I would have spent flipping a knob or hitting a switch on the Voice Tone series pedals. In my opinion, though, TC has found a niche within a niche market with the VLT2. If this looks like it might be your kinda thing I recommend you check it out.

Recently a new platform for music professionals called Music Gateway was launched. Music Gateway is a business platform connecting music professionals from around the globe in one simple, easy to use website. It's not so much a LinkedIn of the music industry as a complete collaboration solution where you can post and receive projects and collaborate on them in a secure environment. If you are looking for ways to find paid session work or find new talent to collaborate with beyond your direct network, Music Gateway might be just the thing you need. You can reach out o n a global scale and provide your services to other professionals, equally you can hire & source other music pro's and develop your career with feedback following each project. Your profile acts as a portfolio for other users to review. Interview With Jon Skinner, Managing Director Music Gateway To find out more about Music Gateway and how it could benefit individual musicians, we met up with Jon Skinner, Managing Director of Music Gateway and initiator of the platform. Q: Tell our audience something about yourself and your personal relation to music and the music industry My name is Jon Skinner, I have been in the industry since 1987, so getting on f or 27 years. Very similar to most people's stories, music at an early age was a passion and I got a drum kit when I was 6 years old. I've always had a good ear for music and was so lucky that the DJ's around where I lived as a teenager introduced me to Motown, Northern Soul, Two Tone and a wide variety of musical styles. When hop hip and break dance broke in 1983, I was hooked and started buying underground records & US imports from the states, those were special times for me. As far as Industry goes, I set up my own independent record shop in 1991 and I never looking back. Q: What made you decide to start Music Gateway? My experiences in the industry became the backbone of the system, it was very clear to me that there was this big hole in the industry regarding the connection between all the creation roles, especially on a global scale. I've felt the pain & struggled through that journey, I know the pitfalls and barriers people face and still face to this day. For me, Music Gateway is about empowering people to A&R their own projects, as relying on others most of the time doesn't work. Q: What sets Music Gateway apart from social media platforms targeted at musicians? First and foremost we aren't a social media platform, this is a fundamental point. We are strictly a business to business website and you only make a connection to another user if there is a purpose, a goal and end result for your recording. You don't built up followers or connections, we are about generating work and connecting professionals to the right people and their music projects. Q: Can you explain how music gateway will be a unique service especially for singers? Producers need singers, singers need producers. The key issue is finding the right person who is first of all, like-minded musically, and can work either to your budget or wants to co-write and or collaborate with you. Music Gateway is a targeted way of connecting to the right person for your project. You can receive work opportunities free of any charge, we only charge a fee if you receive paid work or a meaningful connection to another pro. Furthermore, reaching out to other singers, songwriters and professionals is essential to learn and develop your experience and skills in the industry. Finally, it's important that people understand we are in the bu siness of music and therefore if you are new to the industry you need help, guidance & support, this is what we offer. Q: You have received support for Music Gateway from many big names in the music industry. What is it you think that won them over? How did they respond when you first contacted them? The main response has been, wow OK it's so simple why didn't I think of it? I think there will have been hundreds of people who have had the same idea, that's the easy bit, the hard bit is developing such a system, which handling transactions, files and pretty complex functionality in the backend, whilst keeping it ultra simple for the users. In a word 'Unique'. We are the only website which is focused on the creative process, hooking up like-minded musicians on a global scale. We are a very clear benefit to the industry as a whole and this is why I believe we have received so much support from the core industry organizations. Q: Tell us something about the technology behind the platform and how it sets you apart from other platforms? We are very functional, it's about project management and allowing anyone on the site to Post a Project defining their need. When you create a project, you can define what it is you want to get done or who you want to reach out to, for example as a singer, you may want to connect with a producer to record a song, or look to hire a remixer to remix an existing song. You may need a song from a songwriter or seek to co-write with a musician. The options are endless. Equally, when you set up your profile and define your skills, we notify you of relevant projects which you can review and decide to PITCH (apply) for the work, this whole process and project management is unique. When a project starts the users are granted access to a workspace area, which is where you can manage your project files, this makes it easy to manage any project with anyone in the world, with message systems for communication and timeline feedback on audio files. Q: What is it about the unique community of singers at The Modern Vocalist World that interests you? Having spoken at length with Robert the founder and reviewing the resources on the website, it's clear that there is a great community of singers engaging through the forum and seeking advice & support. We feel that Music Gateway compliments the site perfectly, as we are focused on session work and music creation, which is a natural progression for anyone new to the world of singing and the industry. Q: Last but not least: why do you feel individual musicians should sign up for Music Gateway? What are the direct benefits? It's free for starters, it's free to pitch for project work and free to receive work opportunities. If you want to further your career, receive targeted and relevant work based on your skills, there is no other website like Music Gateway. For protection, you can manage any client work via the site and receive secure payments through the system and your account wallet. Reaching out and developing your own projects is fundamental if you are going to get ahead in the industry, staying local all the time, doesn't cut it anymore, you have to look further afield and work on a global scale. We only make a charge if you benefit through project work, so it's 100% fair. Without question Music Gateway has just shifted the power to the independent and helps remove industry barriers, register for free and create a Music Gateway Account. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - And if you want to improve your vocal skills, we have the right product just for:

Putting The TC-Helicon MP-75 To The Test If somehow you hadn't noticed there has been an absolute explosion over the last 5 years of excellent professional quality vocal gear designed to give the modern vocalist absolute control over his or her sound. With the likes of EV, DigiTech, and Electro-Harmonix in the game the list is long and noteworthy. All focus on multiple product lines supporting a broad variety of instruments. Non-focus specifically on the vocalist which is a crown that solely belongs to TC Helicon. Arguably they wear it pretty well. The TC-HELICON MP-75 AND MP-70: DIFFERENCES The same outfit headquartered in British Columbia, Canada that brought us the VoiceLive, VoiceTone, and VoiceWorks have now introduced 2 new fully in-house designed professional live microphones: The TC-Helicon MP-70, featuring a dynamic super-cardioid capsule with neodymium magnet and MP-75 building on the MP-70 with the addition of a mic control circuit. This switch is designed to interface with existing TCH vocal processors allowing you to control effects directly via a recessed micro switch located on the MP-75. TC-Helicon MP-75: DESIGNED FOR VOCALISTS When design started for the MP series microphones TC Helicon had never to date built a microphone. So what did they do? Borrow a capsule from another manufacturer and build around that? Nope. TC instead designed a brand new microphone from the ground up utilizing what are in typical TC fashion very high-grade components and top rate construction. TC has designed what they call a "modern performance vocal microphone"; A vocal mic specifically designed for the way we as modern vocalists sing using amplification. Vocals in modern music are much more than a mic and a PA and as an artist you deserve to have the best performance every time. Call it controlling your own destiny. Taking that control a bit further is the MP-75. As luck would have it TC Helicon was gracious enough to bestow upon us a fresh one to run through the paces . LIS-WHAT? Retailing on the street for $169 the MP-75 features what TC calls a Lismer capsule which is a proprietary design consisting of a patented Neodymium magnet structure suspended by a dual shock mount for low handling noise. Helicon is mum about construction detail specifics so all we know is the diaphragm itself consists of some type of dual material construction. TC-Helicon MP-75 CASE Upon opening the TCH container we find the MP-75 stored inside a padded cylindrical mic case emb lazed with TC Helicon logos. This is a tasty detail touch that is a step up from the mic "baggies" everyone else provides. While I wouldn't necessarily recommend dropping it off a building the design is nevertheless fairly beefy. The case top unzips to reveal the MP-75. TC-Helicon MP-75 ERGONOMICS The MP-75 itself is actually a rather handsome mic. Coated in a subtle sparkle gray finish with relatively large ovoid pop screen the mic has rather nice ergonomics with a comfortably sized handle and pronounced kneck taper that fits well in the hand without fatigue. At the base of where the taper starts up towards the mic head lies the triangular shaped purple-hued control circuit button. Unscrewing the pop screen reveals the beauty extends inward as well with what appears to be a fairly large diameter capsule similar in size to the huge EV N/D767A. The shock mount is equally as nice with plenty of give for aggressive singers and low handling noise. USING THE TC-Helicon MP-75 In a rehearsal environment with full band, the TC MP-75 was plugged into my signal chain consisting of a VoiceLive1, VoiceTone T1 and VoiceTone D1. I initially set it up to control only my VoiceTone D1 doubler pedal and made sure the mic control button on the T1 adaptive dynamics pedal was disengaged as I like to leave it engaged 100% of the time. I was initially struck as to how big and rich the MP-75 sounds. With the mixer EQ fully zeroed out I felt no need to make any adjustments as it sounded great as is with my voice being more of the Leggerio/Lyric tenor and subsequently carrying a bit less weight than that of baritone/bass singers. Some vocalists may find they need to dial back the low end slightly to avoid a bit of muddiness. I found the Helicon to demonstrate and excellent amount of cut that allowed me to easily be heard over the band without being anywhere near the point of feeding back. This is where the MP-75 absolutely crushes any other live performance microphone I have used to date. Nothing I could do from cranking the PA to cupping the mic to pointing it directly at my monitors could get it to feedback. Quite honestly the MP-75 has some of the best feedback rejection properties I have ever seen in a live mic. That finally brings us to the other little detail setting the MP-75 apart from the pack - it's simple control switch. S o simple in fact that all you can do is switch an effect on or off. For some reason, however, that is absolutely awesome. No longer do I have to be near my pedal board when a song change is coming ready to switch. Suddenly it's also easier to switch multiple effects at once. For example now instead of using two feet to simultaneously change a setting on my VL1 and D1 I can engaged the D1 directly from the mic. It's simple yet oh so practical. So window dressing aside: has TC managed to create something that sets itself apart from the 99,000 other excellent alternatives out there? I think so. Combined with its excellent dynamics, nice cut and superior feedback rejection properties along with it currently being the only mic out there with onboard effects control TC has in my opinion effectively managed to encapsulate a true modern vocalists microphone. It's a pretty safe bet the MP-75 is going to be my new go-to mic for the foreseeable future. So tell us TC when can we expect a wireless version? The TC-Helicon MP75 Can Be Purchased at Amazon.com *This product review is a courtesy of The Modern Vocalist World and is endorsed by The Vocalist Studio International.

Ashram by Nicholas Roerich An instrumental in 4 movements (The Ordinary, Running Out Of Breath, Dweller On The Threshold, Jambudvipa), the composition aims to evoke the progress of an individual getting fed up with their day to day life to the point of taking an extended time off for reflection and introspection. In the cosmology of Buddhism, Jambudvipa is the name of the continent of the terrestrial world where ordinary human beings live. From Wikipedia : In a way, both the ordinary and Jambudvipa can be taken to be coextensive, or sharing the same spatial extension if you prefer, as it is the mindset or attitude of the individual that determines in which they abide. In other words, the ashram that is referred to isn't necessarily a physical location, for instance some building located in India, but can also mean a mental construct, or a way of doing things. In that sense, the piece depicts an inner journey beginning from over-activity and ending in temporary seclusion, where reflection and healing can take place. The Music Of The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the Music section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled Samsara.

Quarryman by Gustave Courbet "Stonecutter" is intended as an anthem to perseverance and is based on the following quote byJacob August Riis : It's one of my favourite quotes and it has helped me on several occasions. The composition counts exactly 101 hits on the snare drum, with the 101st corresponding to the climax, the hammer hitting the rock one last time and breaking it. The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the Music section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled Samsara.

Deliberation by Ronn Boef "Polygraph" is a portrait of human relations turning from sweet to sour, hinting at the necessity and difficulty of constant genuineness. The suite lasts about 10 minutes and is composed of the following four sections : Exposition, Confrontation, Deliberation, and Vindication. "Confrontation" aims to depict the often difficult yet cathartic experience of having to stand one's ground and defend one's views when criticism or outright attack threatens one's balance and inner peace. "Deliberation" is intended to evoke the following phase during which the contents and effects of the aforementioned exchanges are assessed and reflected upon as the heat of the confrontation slowly subsides. The Music Of Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the Music section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled Samsara.

Which Is The Best Vocal "Method"to Study? A unique look at the approaches, challenges and insights of being a singing teacher. Advice from Vocal Coach Kathy Thompson © 2009 Request permission to use in whole or in part by email: admin@purevoicepower.ca We study singing to get better at it just as we would study any skill. We are studying this art form in order to improve our ability. One of the foundations of voice work lies in building confidence. But more than that, we should study singing in order to acquire healthy technique when we vocalize. Notice that I said healthy rather than good. I try to avoid words such as good or bad, because they imply judgment. When you sing with correct and healthy technique, you are in fact maintaining your voice for longevity and stamina, as well as optimum performance. Good technique involves understanding your instrument to some degree, and employing recommended, safe habits when it comes to warming up or working out with your voice. Beyond that, continued study and vocal maintenance (regular practice routine) is recommended. Regardless of my teaching methods, there are constants and truths such as: Progress does not - and will not - happen instantly, overnight. As with developing any physical skill, developing one's voice takes time without force. If you practice regularly, you will see results. Everyone progresses at a different rate. In order to create something artistic, it helps to know the rules. That's the same with anything you want to excel at in life! We shouldn't assume that just because you know how to use your voice to talk and have sung songs, that you know all there is to know about how to do it better. Think of it this way: Just because you know how to run doesn't mean that you can automatically run a marathon. Just because you can use a sewing machine doesn't mean you can sew high fashion clothing. Just because you can talk with your voice doesn't mean you can sing expertly. Just because you can sing without studying doesn't mean you have the ability to sing like a seasoned professional with heavy usage demands on one's voice. I think we can agree that someone just learning to paint can paint any old picture without knowing what they're doing or studying it. Maybe they will get lucky and it will look fine. But it's usually short-lived. Pretty soon that passionate novice painter will want to know how it all works. So they study. Great painters know all about painting and understand how the great masters created such classic, unique and timeless art. I think it's the same with singing. What is a method? My dictionary defines METHOD as: A manner of procedure, esp. a systematic or clearly defined way of accomplishing an end; system or order in thought or action; the plan of procedure characteristic of discipline; logical or scientific arrangement. A method is the way in which we do something. Most everything we do has a method of some kind. You might have your own method of stacking the dishwasher or your own method of folding your towels. Use of a method simply implies that there is a systematic or specific way of doing something. If a singing teacher advertises that they are certified in a particular method of teaching singing, it's possible that they will be only able to deploy only that one method when teaching voice. They may not be allowed to utilize any aids, exercises or approaches that they as a singing teacher created themselves. I prefer not to work like that. To just use one method created by someone else would be stifling to me, no matter how popular that method is, or which masterful teacher developed it. I am the sum of my parts. All of my experiences as a singing student, actor, voice over artist and vocalist made me the performer I am today, and also the teacher I am today. I have studied voice with many singing teachers myself, taken workshops, and I was a voice major in college. I have experienced various styles of teaching voice as a singing student myself. I have developed my own approaches on how to connect with students as individuals over the years and I customize lessons to the way in which a student will learn best. (BTW- I myself, will continue to learn, read, research, develop, take workshops and classes for the rest of my life. We are never above learning anything new.) Which Teaching Methods does Kathy use? I believe that there are so many different approaches to teaching voice because there is no standard. That is a lengthy discussion which is best had elsewhere. When I teach voice, I use mostly my own “method”. That means I use partial things from a variety of other methods, or systems of teaching voice, along with exercises, games and handouts that I created. I draw from information from all forms of media, and my own personal experience as a singer. I would work differently with someone who is very soft-spoken and shy than I would with someone who is a high-energy extrovert. There are different kinds of learners and I take that into account. I never plagiarize anything from other singing teachers. I might take a seed of an idea I learned and tweak it, just as you would a classic food recipe. If I learn something related to singing from a science book, I will incorporate that. If I use a scale from another method such as the Seth Riggs SLS method, Frank Sinatra method, the Alan Greene workbook, or the Bel Canto method, I am sure to tell the student where that exercise came from and that they can pull on those resources. (The source is always quoted on their printed handout). I frequently tell my students about other singing courses! If a student is doing something incorrect during singing, I can imitate it in my own voice, identify where the error is occurring during the process, and then show the student how to approach singing that one thing with more correct technique or more economical way. Kathy's Approach I insist on visiting the basics at first and spend time accordingly on the usual things such as correct breathing, posture, vowel formation, etc. It's ongoing. I devote a part of every lesson to performance. I want you to be an original. I want to help you discover the leader within you. Every moment that we are singing a song, we are making decisions about how to sing it. The lyrics will mean something. The beat will mean something. How you phrase, deliver words, the volume or power you apply will shape the song. The vocal nuance or the boldness you choose will come into play. I think there is an actor in each of us and we can adopt characters for our songs. How you connect with your audience whether live on stage, or from a recording booth - will matter in the end. The main goal of lessons is not to CHANGE the inherent way your voice sounds. My goal is to take the unique sound of your voice and add to it; enhance it. We work towards uncovering and empowering the artist within you. We develop the voice you have and build upon that with a spirit of joy. You will discover new sounds. You can't force your voice to grow or do things it can't possibly do until you have trained to do it. (And yes, there is a difference between belting and yelling!) To me, singing is both science and art at the same time. I never try to change someone's natural sound. We only enhance it, help it flourish, take a holistic vocal evolutionary path and keep adding new musical layers. At the end of every lesson, I hope that these 4 questions will be answered yes: 1. Did your voice get some good exercise / workout? 2. Did you learn something interesting and new? 3. Do you understand the assignment for next time; are there any questions? 4. Do you feel motivated to sing and practice? I research. I test. In truth, science is still learning about human behaviour and how the brain works, which is paramount to the mind-body connection not only when it comes to singing or playing an instrument, but is related to learning and executing ANY physical skill. Science is still learning about the voice. What Makes a Great Singing Teacher? Let us pose this question to anyone who teaches a skill. For example: In order to be a fantastic football coach, does that person have to be a fantastic football player themselves first? In order to be a fantastic auto mechanic teacher, does that person have to be a fantastic auto mechanic themselves first? In order to be a fantastic singing teacher, does that person have to be a fantastic singer themselves? It's my opinion that the answer to that is yes. Ideally, at some time in their career the teacher, trainer or coach would have excelled at performing that skill themselves, which they are now teaching. If they themselves know what it's like to hit a home run on stage or in the studio, they can bring that experience to you through their coaching. Don't be too quick to judge the style of your singing teacher. If you are a raspy rock singer and you need to learn how to sing more healthy easy sounds during practice, you might not want to study with a person who only knows how to rock hard with their voice. You probably need warmer, richer, healthier exercises to sing; not more of the same. You need a little something in the way of therapeutic singing. Look to a variety of styles to study: R&B, folk/roots, classical, SLS, theatre, pop, etc. Internet Misinformation About Singing Methods There is so much misinformation on the internet, it's hard to believe what's true and what's not! Just because something is in writing doesn't mean that it is entirely accurate and absolute. There are literally hundreds of people out there calling themselves singing teachers, vocal coaches, starting schools and calling themselves experts. Should a singing teacher have academic credentials only? A degree? Stage experience only? What credentials does someone need to be a valid singing teacher? Suppose someone has performed on Broadway stages for years but has never been in a hit musical, is not famous, and they decide to teach singing. Does that mean they won't be a good singing teacher? Maybe maybe not. Don't be fooled by fame. Fame can be a result of luck and good networking skills. It's rare that anyone becomes famous by accident, including singing teachers. They have usually sought their station. That's not good, bad, right, or wrong just fact. A few times, a parent has asked me if I have taught anyone famous. Would that make a difference to the quality of my teaching? Not necessarily. Keep an open mind is all I'm saying and try not to think in absolutes. There are singing methods out there with certified coaches who are fanatical with the notion that they have the ONLY and the BEST method of teaching singing on the planet. Some attach to celebrity endorsement. Well there can be many, many amazing and valid approaches to working with people on their voices. I think that some popular methods are far too technical and the student gets hung up on the mechanics of singing. Some methods recommend things like warming up with very high quiet tones, or never talk about vocal mechanics, and assorted approaches. Here’s something that made my eyes pop wide open. I saw video of a celebrity voice coach working with a famous rap superstar that I found to be very disturbing. He had his female rap star actually moving her jaw sideways, quickly sweeping it back and forth, fast and hard, as a part of the vocal warm-up! You can almost guarantee TMJ medical issues from that. In fact, it could possibly warrant litigation. This NY singing coach was charging an astronomical hourly fee into three figures (but included back massage). I like to base things in fact. I have kept a log of internet untruths about singing. Here is just one of many, and more benign than most: There is a website I saw which has the word musician and university in the name of the site. Under singing, it says, Singing is easy. Anyone can do it. But what most singers do not know is that your voice is just like an instrument. I don't think that's true. No, singing is not easy for everyone. Some people are very challenged with vocally interpreting and recreating sound as they hear it (* research the word amusia), and require different amounts of, and approaches to- ear training for accurate pitch placement. Some people are in poor physical condition and have a hard time understanding breathing, believe it or not. Some people were raised in a culture where silence was encouraged and they are ashamed to use their voice in a singing fashion. And so forth. The human voice is the only musical instrument located within the body. It is prejudiced with emotion. A piano is not. A violin has no emotion. A guitar has no emotion. It's the players of these instruments who can bring emotional interpretation to sound production. But our voice is within our body; the player and the instrument are one. Furthermore, I can see all other instruments as I play them. But you cannot see your voice as you play it. You feel it. You operate this instrument of voice as your brain sends neuromuscular impulses to your voice and various other muscles and systems in the body. For fascinating information on this, I encourage you to investigate The Alexander Technique for Singers. (FYI, it's a little technical.) I don't mean to scare or intimidate anyone. Connect with the person you want to work with. See if they make sense to you. Use your instincts and common sense when it comes to information at large. If something sounds astonishing or weird, perhaps try searching university and academic websites which are usually loaded with true and verified information. When we sing, let there be unconditional joy. Kathy Thompson, Vocal Coach, Toronto

Introduced by Dr. Weiss, was designed as a voice coaching technique for singers and actors, This relatively new fascinating technique may become a powerful weapon against stuttering as well since it features not one good voice but a thousand of good voices...the patient is learning how to control his vocal output using minimal movements of his speech muscles, making it possible to change the voice output in thousand different ways, so you could have a different speech pattern every day...! Recommended for: Professional voice users, actors, singers, choir singers and opera singers, Professors, lawyers, teachers, secretaries, telemarketing people, salesmen, cheerleaders, rabbis, cantors, preachers, bartenders, waiters, and anyone with a hoarse, harsh voice that is using voice to make a living. Some limitations do apply: Since this is a highly sophisticated technique, not easy to grasp and demands between 30-45 minutes a day exercising - the patient should be at least 15 years old, should have undergo a successful previous full-length voice therapy technique or undergo a full-length voice coaching/singing/diction class…In some rare cases, a full length Yoga class would be sufficient (if a full scale of breathing exercises have been implemented). As an introduction let me explain the idea using a non-vocal muscle: Gravity exercise: Sit on the edge of the chair from the upright position curve your back to the right 10cm then go back to the start upright position curve your back to the right 5cm then go back to the start upright position curve your back to the right 2cm then go back to the start upright position curve your back to the right 1cm then go back to the start upright position curve your back to the right 0.5cm then go back to the start upright position curve your back to the right 0.1cm then go back to the start upright position (the last one you almost moved only in your mind is a specialized minimal movement ! Now, do the whole process to your left side !.....In MMSM, you will learn to do this sort of highly sophisticated voice changing designated movements with the main 5 speech muscles: Belly, chest, larynx, jaw, tongue works like magic for professional voice users! Best of all, you don't have to be a voice patient, you can learn this technique as a part of advanced singing or acting curriculum. Also, you don't have to undergo a follow-up period to get used to this when you finish the technique you can actually use it immediately on a daily basis

Before to get started with the article I want to apologize for my bad English!!! Recently i received a letter (automatic) from Hilary Canto where was written: "We would like to see you raise your profile more and be seen! This can be done with your page, videos, music uploads and blogs. Tell a story and promote your unique talent! Enter into discussions on other posts and let members see who you are." That's gave me a courage to write something here, at last, instead of just reading. I decided to share my own approach for developing , but you will not find any advices about "How to sing" or something about the vocal techniques. I will share my way of THINKING about singing and to be a singer. I don't know whether this article will be helpful to somebody, but is written with love to all!!! So, let's get started: I. If you want to be a singer you must need to sing. If your mother or father wants to make you musicians - excellent - TRY, but if you don't like it - stop here. II. Оn the first place singers sings with his soul and on the second place with his vocal mechanism. When you become a professional singer and sing every night the things become a little bit different but you must try to keep the fire. III. When you try to find a vocal coach, - go, meet him and think about him not only like a person who will show you how to sing, but you must see a person who has the abilities to teach you how to think about the art of music, and the art of living. IV. So, you feel you want to sing, you have found a teacher - so... Of course, you must sing - when you're walking,, when you are at home, when you take a bath (it is not good for the vocal cords, but you get the idea;)). If you don't practice, and sing only when you have vocal lessons, you will not achieve too much. V. You will find many singers who are better than you - don't worry, may be some day you will become good like them. You must understand, that not everybody is born for the big stage (imagine if everybody become "stars"). The music is not competition, which is different of the music industry. The art is a way to to express yourself, to send message, to make somebody happy (including yourself). It's not need to be great even good singer to sing. I'm telling you this, because if somebody tells you "You can't sing good, why are you doing this?" - first of all, no professional will tell you something like that, the second - you make it for your enjoyment (you fill happy when you sing, etc.), and once again - nobody knows how good you can become . VI. You must listen different kind of styles. This will help you to find the best fitting genre for you, which depends on two things - whether you like it, and how capable are you to represent the songs from this genre. To choose the right song for singing is very important thing and as the number of the songs you have listened is growing up, your choice will be bigger, you will improve your technique (trying different songs, from different styles), your knowledge base will become wider and your self-confidence will growing up too. VII. Try to be good person as it possible. The hygiene of the soul is such important as the hygiene of the voice. Think about the problems of the world, about what you can change, help the others. Try to find inspiration for singing and writing your own lyrics and songs. And if someday you become a great singer, don't forget from where you started! (I wanted to add a point "Try to find friends - musicians", but obviously if you are here, so you want to do this ) Good luck to all, and God bless you! Yours Sincerely!!! Dimitar (active working singer)

The 2009 Voice Foundation Symposium featured a half-day session on the speaking voice, with special emphasis on public speaking. Nancy Pearl Solomon, Research Speech Pathologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, organized and moderated the session, with wonderful advice and guidance by Lucille Rubin, Director of Professionally Speaking in New York City. Solomon began with a challenge to the audience to search for the science behind the art of public speaking. She outlined general approaches that have been taken in speech and voice science, noting that typical speaking, singing, acting, and vocal loading have been well represented in the literature, but topics specific to public speaking have been virtually ignored. To educate and inform the attendees of the Symposium, the Foundation invited speakers to address various aspects of public speaking. Diane DiResta, founder of DiResta Communications, Inc., in NYC, gave a powerful presentation about how to speak confidently. She outlined the 10 most common mistakes made by public speakers and demonstrated how to avoid them. DiResta provided practical tips, flawless demonstrations, and an entertaining start to the morning! Deborah Rosen, Director of Healthcare Outreach at Temple University Health Care System, addressed the psychology of public speaking. Rosen explained that the fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, is based on the brain's error in judgment that public speaking is a potentially catastrophic event, thus invoking the fight/flight or freeze/faint response. As an existential psychologist, Rosen framed her approach to dealing with this phobia in terms of exploring one's personal meaning related to the event. Susan Miller, founder of Voicetrainer, LLC, in Washington, DC, and Clinical Associate for the George Washington University Voice Treatment Center in Washington, DC, provided valuable information about ways to assess and advise the public speaker from a variety of perspectives. She introduced an extensive questionnaire that delves into the goals, message, and style of the speaker. Her typical evaluation follows with acoustic and video recordings. As a speech-language pathologist, Miller pays particular attention to enhancing the use of the vocal instrument. A panel discussion followed, including the podium speakers as well as three invited guest panelists. Panelists were selected to represent various factions of the Voice Foundation membership: Donna Snow from the Theatre Department of Temple University provided the acting coach's view; John Rubin from the Royal National Throat, Nose & Ear Hospital and University College, London, invoked issues of importance from the laryngologist's perspective; and Ronald Scherer, Professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, provided the speech scientist's perspective. Scherer wrapped up the session by presenting a framework from which the scientific voice community might begin to develop programs of inquiry to address the topic of public speaking. Questions amongst the panelists and from the audience clearly revealed the broad and intense interest in this topic. Lively discussions continued into the coffee break and the lunch hour, and evidence for the effectiveness of the morning's sessions popped up throughout the symposium as scientific presenters reminded themselves to slim down content on their slides, not to look at the slides while addressing the audience, and to pause more effectively. Individual coaching sessions to enhance presentation style at the symposium have been provided by Lucille Rubin and Susan Miller for the past several years, and were especially popular this year. Just another perk of attending and presenting at the Voice Foundation Symposium!

So you've chosen an image. You're decked out from head to toe in a carefully-manicured fashion statement to express the persona you want to project. But while you're peering in the mirror, checking out your looks from the outside, now look if you've checked inside. Image is crucial in the music marketplace. It gets you gigs, fans, dollars. Without it, you're just another indie wannabe. But do you know what's going on in that private space of yours on the inside? That place where your hopes and dreams are brewing, loves and fears bubble, and life story lives? Do you take time to look at that stuff? If not, you should. I once had a friend who sang back-up vocals for a talented musician in a local band. One memorable gig was on a snowy evening where the audience consisted of two friends of the band, the girlfriend of the leading singer-guitarist, the soundman, and me. I couldn't figure out why the lead guitarist wasn't attracting larger crowds. Okay, blame it on the snow. His songs were well-written and even compelling, his guitar playing admirable. Now after some reflection, I remember that his vocal expression, as well as the voice of the lyrics themselves, were one-dimensional. It was as if he hadn't yet explored the tremendously rich landscape of personality and experience lying underneath the monotone of image he was trying to get across. Perhaps he would have projected a more colorful and multi-dimensional image on the outside if he had done the work of honest self-introspection and self-discovery on the inside topped with a heavy dose of self-appreciation as well. Think of some singers that have earned your admiration, and chances are they really know themselves inside-out. A singer is an actor and a storyteller. Give over that story with your entire mind, body, and spirit. Understanding your own story will allow you to give yourself over in the truest sense to your audience. And it will be a more meaningful experience for you as well. With blessings for your personal transformation, Devora-Gila Berkowitz

(Polygraph from U.S. Patent 4,333,084) The first part of "Polygraph" is entitled Exposition and aims to evoke a somewhat peaceful and relaxed dialogue, before the relationship slowly degrades to the point of sourness as personal values and beliefs are questioned and subjected to criticism. The Discipline-era King Crimson influence is undeniable here, and to my ear the second variation sounds like something from Steve Reich's Drumming. I have a particular fondness for that piece of music. One fine evening many years ago I stumbled upon the main motif while trying some tapping on my classical guitar. The TV was on to Robert Lepage's movie Le Polygraphe so when I got to sequencing the motif, I named the file Polygraph. The band was looking for its name at the time, and so I also added the word to the list of potential names that I would submit to the boys at rehearsals. An awful lot of names were suggested during that period, but “polygraph” was the first to which nobody voiced any objection, so we jumped on it. The Music Of The Goal Was So Near from November 2008 to April 2009, made available for those who missed the original Clip Of The Day series. Poligraf series are reposts of writings and audio clips that have been originally published on If you enjoy what you hear, you are invited to visit the Music section of our website and support our efforts by pre-ordering our first album entitled Samsara.

A client and I were talking about communication yesterday, marveling at how seemingly simple conversations sometimes go so wrong, the meaning getting incomprehensibly lost in translation. The language we use is so crucial to communication that I spend an entire chapter of The Art of Singing discussing the many ways that it can help or hinder learning and understanding. On the surface it seems obvious, but in fact it's often an incredible challenge to be certain that what you sayis an accurate reflection of what you truly feel and think. More important than the language you choose however, is ascertaining the actual number of people involved in a conversation. It sounds like simple addition, but look closely. When two people are talking, they are not alone. Both bring to the table not only their current, conscious selves- the part of them that hopes and longs for specific things in the specific present- but the aspects of themselves that have been formed- often unconsciously- by their conditioning and past experiences. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, consider the last important decision you made see if you can recall the distinct- and likely disparate- messages from your brave and centered self, and your fearful, uncertain self the part of you that knows who you truly are and where you stand in the world, and that which is still caught up in less than ideal thoughts and patterns from long ago. Two people are talking, but four entities are communicating and reacting to what is being said (and not said), each with their own very distinct agenda No wonder things get so confusing! In singing it's even more complicated, as there are actually three energies wrestling for the spotlight when a single person steps up to the microphone: the present-day person, the collection of that person's past pains, fears and experiences, and the voice. Certainly singing is about the physical instrument, and its development and training are obviously important. But the voice is only one aspect of the entity that is The Singer. Truly effective vocal training- if it wants to be holistically integrated with long term results- cannot only be about isolated technical development. It must also involve and listen to the hopes and dreams of the person actually standing before you, as well as the fears and issues that oftentimes push that person both forward and back. It's a powerful lesson for all of us: we must become aware of every message we're sending out as well as hearing, giving space to each aspect of ourselves and others. When all of who we are feels acknowledged, listened to and understood, communication- and learning- are effortless.

YOUR INSTRUMENT - UNDERSTANDING THE WHOLE VOICE: A 4-PART SERIES Co-authored by Dena Murray & Hilary Canto The series is presented as downloadable pdf files below so that you can easily print them. We'd love you to have a discussion thread here in the comments section. Please add any questions/comments below. We hope you enjoy the series! Thank you Dena & Hilary Left-Click here to download Part 1 Left-Click here to download Part 2 Left-Click here to download Part 3 Left-Click here to download Part 4 Dena Murray teaches in- home and online beginners as well as professionals with her own style technique for correct placement of the voice as well the art of breathing. Books available are: Vocal Technique: Finding your Real Voice (Hal Leonard Corp. 2002), a beginner's book separating the voice before teaching how to bridge the passaggio. Advanced Vocal Technique: Middle Voice, Placement & Styles co-authored with Tita Hutchison (Hal Leonard Publishing 2007) focuses strictly on placement and a unique technical approach to bridging the passaggio. Vocal Strength and Power: Boost Your Singing with Proper Technique and Breathing to be published By Hal Leonard Publishing, end 2009. You can find her on the TMV Directory Of Experts. www.denamurray.com Hilary Canto teaches in-home and online and developed the TRUE VOICE COURSE specially for allowing the voice to flow freely from the heart and to teach healthy vocal technique for performance singing. The course is available as mp3 files with written sheets to download. You can purchase it through and see her training videos to accompany the course on her TMV, youtube and myspace pages. You can find her on the TMV Directory of Experts.

The 38th annual symposium on the Care of the Professional Voice took place June 3-7 in Philadelphia. Our hosts were Bob Sataloff , Chairman of the Board, and the staff of the The Voice Foundation. Ray Miller and I spent the evenings with our good friends from Maine who now live on the edges of Fairmount Park in the extreme northwest corner of the city -- a truly beautiful, tranquil place on the banks of the Wissahickon River and the bluffs overlooking the Schuylkill River. We arrived after our 8-hour drive down from Maine just as the conference opened, with Dr. Sataloff's traditional warm welcoming and his overview of the complex physiology involved in phonation. This background proves essential to understanding and participating in the rest of the week, and establishes a common framework of language and understanding between speakers and listeners. Christy Ludlow, TMV member Ron Scherer, Rahul Shrivastav, Johan Sundberg and Sten Ternstram followed with a variety show of practical and delightful explanations of how the voice is produced and how we perceive it with our ears and brain. This afternoon session is alone worth a million dollars for the neophyte, and hundreds of people -- PhDs, grad students and men-on-the-street -- learn and share new ideas in the field of voice -- a tiny subsection of overall medicine, but a very personal and important one to those of us who sing or speak for a living, or who have lost our voice at one time or another. Thursday was an all day sharing of the latest scientific findings presented by the researchers themselves, with a lot of give-and-take and audience questions followed by truly expert answers. This is a pricless opportunity for young researchers to share the limelight with seasoned and recognized experts, and out of it comes entire new ideas for further -- and new -- research. Midday is an opportunity each year for a major presentation by a keynote speaker presenting extremely current and relevant research findings. This year's speaker was Chuck Larson, who's spent a large part of his career studying the control systems that affect the voice and the laryngeal system as a whole. Through research in monkeys, he's traced the mechanisms of control, from the brain to the larynx, and today he presented all-new work on the role of hearing in pitch control -- an obviously critical aspect of singing. Needless to say, he went home with a set of HearFones to include in his future studies. Thursday afternoon is a time for viewing and asking questions about posters representing research from a host of researchers, many of whom could not be afforded the opportunity for live presentations. All sorts of really interesting topics are presented, and the researchers are right there to discuss their work with anyone who drops by. Are all Breathing Strategies Equal? a Field Report on Children's Voices Acoustic and Physiological Properties of Yodeling, One-Year Follow-Up of the LAX-VOX Tube Therapy, What Do Professioanl Voice Users Learn about Vocal Use, and a hundred other topics were presented. Thursday night was the opportunity to attend a master class given by famous voice teacher and singer John Burrows who's established numerous programs for young professional singers including the Lyric Opera of Dallas. Witnessing how such a person can coach singers of great talent to be even better, right in front of your eyes, is an amazing experience! Friday opened with an all-morning session on What You Need to Know About Speaking in Public -- an excellent presentation on the psychological as well as physiological factors that affect peoples speaking experience, and Friday afternoon was filled with half-hour workshops over at the Academy of Vocal Arts including master classes, rehabilitation of the injured singing voice, body movement (Alexander technique, etc.) and dozens of other vital topics. Saturday is a hectic jam session of dozens of 15-minute medical presentations, broken at lunch by a full hour presentation by this year's G. Paul Moore lecturer, who this year was Michael Benninger -- a long-time researcher and currently Chairman of the Head and Neck Institute in Cleveland. Dr. Benninger offered us a priceless inside view of Evidence-Based Medicine including the research and the people who perform it as well as the people who control it. Everyone was rolling in their chairs with laughter as he related the language of PhD-speak and stories of medicine not-so-research based. My favorite was the parachute-use research which, due to the lack of randomized double-blind clinical trials, was deemed inconclusive and thus contraindicated the use of parachutes. A great citation of this story, extracted from the British Medical Journal, appears at: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=parachute+use+to+reduce+injury+due+to+gravitational&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 After Dr. Benninger's talk, the day continued with similar jam-sessions on Speech-Language and Vocal Pedagogy, including a study from Hong Kong on whether there's any relation between the resonance we feel while singing and any actual vibration that takes place in what music teachers have come to call the mask. Sunday was a continuation of Saturday afternoon. There was a great session presented by Johan Sundberg together with TMV member Lisa Popeil on analyzing five different musical theater belting styles, giving all kinds of data and examples of these -- heavy, brassy, ringy, nasal and speech-like. Who would have thought it? And who better to explain it -- and demonstrate it -- than Lisa herself with her ear-to-ear, bright-eyed smile? This group of people is surely among the best, most friendly and welcoming groups in the entire world. Both Ray and I have enjoyed every year we've attended, and learned more than we could have imagined. The recent mutual recognition of this TMV community and the Voice Foundation has tremendous potential for all of us who sing, and who love singing, and we couldn't encourage you each enough to consider joining the Foundation. Their dues for Associate Membership are very reasonable and offer you the opportunity to truly get involved in the world of the vocalist at the highest level. Pete Mickelson -- 25JUN09

Sorry I've been gone for so long. I'm having physical health complications. if you would like to inquire, PM me. Otherwise, accept my apologies. I'll be giving you an article a day starting today until I am where I feel I should be. Please understand that moderation policy for posts may make them take longer than a day to show and be approved.. Thank you. Singing has three main pieces: Air Flow, Phonation, and Resonance. Poor Air Flow, or Air Production, or Breathing, or Support, or WHATEVER WORD YOU WANT TO USE, WILL toss Phonation and Resonance out of balance. Just because you "don't believe in it" or "don't suggest/teach it" doesn't mean you AREN'T DOING IT SUBCONCIOUSLY. To me, GREAT Air Flow HAS to be subconcious or it's not good and "natural." Speaking of "natural," what IS "natural"? Oh, quite simply it's just what you are accustomed to. To a REALLY "good" singer, it's "natural" to sing correctly. To someone who is just starting as a "horrid singer," however, "natural" IS what they are doing, poor functionality and performance on a vocal level. What exactly IS "vocal level"? It's how the instrument is functioning. "Vocal Level" is misleading, because the ENTIRE body is actually your instrument. Most people ignore that and run into "Vocal Folds/Cords" are the key. Then they leave off everything that matters, except the Phonation. No air, no phonation, too much air, no phonation. It will cause constriction if the Air Flow isn't balanced. Now, balanced Air Flow HAS to be met with a BALANCED Phonation pattern, meaning the larynx and everything connected to it (again, leads to practically the whole body) must be used efficiently. Take "efficiently" how you will, as you're going to be doing that anyway. That just creates the frequency. The Resonance, quite frankly, SHAPES the sound into what comes out. If that's a very shrill, "ugly" sound colour, that's how your Resonance has shaped your sound. If it's an overly dull sound, again, it's how you shaped the sound with your Resonance. Resonance doesn't have to make a huge Opera sound. Actually, you'd be quite surprised how much Opera has in common with Rock, but I won't go into that. So, yes, Breathing IS important, but on it's own, it does nothing. If you want to "train" it, I have a suggestion. Get a balloon that is approximately nine inches (9in, or 23cm) in diameter when inflated. The goal here is to SLOWLY blow the balloon up in as few breathes as possible. Don't tie it, don't let it go. Next, do this part over a period of time to avoid lightheadedness. Slowly INHALE the air out of the balloon so it is completely deflated again. AGAIN, inflate the balloon by exhaling into it, and DEflate the balloon by INHALING it's contents. Do so slowly, and don't inhale it in one breath to avoid lightheadedness/nauseousness. As a side note, if a singer is missing good breathing, but has a great control over phonation and resonance, they can "cover up" their shortcomings, if they know how to use their available sounds properly and effectively. It's all in how you know to use your voice, and song choice.

Aged about seven & hugging an over sized acoustic guitar, I remember my cousin getting quite agitated with me because I wouldn't sing the melody line along with her there I was, happy in my way, doing what I always did picking out harmonies to anything I could and to this day, there are some songs from childhood, which I would struggle to remember how the melody went, but I could sing you any one of several harmonies to it I was only 12, when I did my first paid session job. I remember the feel of the warm Beyer headphones as they cupped my head & the clean, dry, smooth sound of my voice, completely filling my head with my sound. I had never been in a vocal booth before, let alone in a proper recording studio, complete with engineer and huge desk today I was being paid handsomely to do something I did all the time for fun to sing harmonies. I was hired to back up a fairly poor band from Manchester on their first album Today these guys are famous throughout the World. And so in that little dark room, I began my life time love affair with the microphone Today, I have more than 20yrs experience as a session singer, having thousands of studio and live credits including Celine Dion, Anastacia, The Rolling Stones, Robert Palmer, Sugar Babes & many, many others. In my role as a vocal coach, I am often approached by singers who are keen to enter the industry & one of the questions I am so often asked is How do you become a session singer? I read somewhere recently, that only 1 in 1000 singers, has what it takes to become a session singer. Session singers are regarded as the best of the best of the best, the premier league if you like their musical skills & intuition having been carefully honed, primarily through experience, involving long hard hours in the studio and an overwhelming desire to deliver a perfect product. I'm always amused when singers will tell me that if they can't make it as a lead singer, they would consider being a backing/session singer. A session singer is required to be a vocal chameleon and a more generic sound is often the most desirable. A singer who has a particularly distinctive sound will find it harder to get work as the vocal will stick out in the mix. A good session singer is content to remain anonymous & blend in to the background. Sure, they are occasions when a more stylistic vocal is required, but this is pretty rare. Blending is one of those essential skills, learned through experience & a backing singer will be required to match tone, phrasing, intonation and blend effortlessly with the lead singer. Most of my own work has been as a lead singer, performing my own lead and harmony vocals for a variety of projects, from video games, to commercial jingles, to demoing songs for named artistes and occasionally for release. From time to time I am also hired as a background singer, performing backing vocals for tours and studio sessions. Much of the recording I do is on overseas projects and I am able to do this from my own recording studio. Producers like to have the choice of whether you will record for them in their studios or your own. If you are recording in their own studios, the standard varies enormously – I have sung in multi million pound studios, in converted attics & on one memorable occasion, in a guys bedroom, with the mic gaffa taped to the side of his bunk bed! When asked what you need to be successful in the session world, first and foremost, you need talent & the confidence to know, that you really CAN deliver the goods. Many singers come to me for assessments, with the belief they can make it as a session singer, because they are good singers. Most will have never stepped foot in a studio & when asked to locate a simple harmony, they can't find it. They may have range issues or technical issues, more often than not, they can't think on their feet They flap you can't flap in a studio…You just need to deliver, every time & when producers & song writers are paying for your time, they expect perfect delivery (often anticipating their needs) FIRST time. Being a good singer just isn't enough you need to develop skills and nuances, the ability to ad lib on the spot, sing in virtually any key, harmonise and improvise endlessly you need to be able to do everything that is asked of you vocally and without too much thought and often preparation. Your skills are honed to perfection and vocally you must be in complete control of your instrument. You will have wonderful, natural instincts and the ability to take a song and craft it, in just the way the writer or producer has imagined it. Of course, vocally you need to be very healthy. You need to be a vocal athlete & able to sing without fatigue for many hours at a time. While a lot of it is about your talent not just your voice, but your sense of musicality, it is also about your personality. A session singer needs to be the consummate professional, the quiet man, the humble man (or woman) studios notoriously record late into the night & often you are often working alone or with just a producer it can be a very lonely job, with very long hours (it is not uncommon for me to sing for 8hrs straight) and the relationships you form with the people in the control room are extremely important. When there is serious work to be done and time is money, they need positive, dependable, professional singers to come in and discreetly do their job. It is nice to be important, but it is much more important to be nice. What I'm saying is there is no place for egos. There is so much more I could write, but just before I go, I want to say, if you really think you have what it takes, you are the real deal, then totally go for it why live an ordinary life, when you can live an extraordinary one Blessings, Sally Rivers www.thesessionsinger.com www.coachingwithsoul.co.uk

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