Just curious.

Anyone making some $$$ with their arranger other than(or in addition to)performing out in public?

Perhaps writing jingles? ads? recording? Doing something at home to make $$$ with your arranger?

Tx

Two years ago, I worked for several months with a friend of mine who had written 100+ songs as a young man in Italy ... He had written down the lyrics to most of them, but not the music notation ... We spent a great deal of time creating the written music through the use of Notation Composer software hooked up via midi to my technics kn6000 ...my friend would sing the song, I would pick out the melody on the KB and then play it through Notation Composer ...
The songs we completed were then copywritten through the Italian version of ASCAP, and since then some were made into you tube videos by my friend's son ...
The hope was that by submitting the songs to songwriter web sites, someone might want to publish or record one (or more) ... however to date, the only activity has been the playing of one of the songs by some Italian band in a concert in Italy ...
It was a labor of LOVE more than $$$ - but it was GREAT fun ...

Although it's far from a full-time thing, I'm using the Tyros4 in the studio (owned by a friend) and it's used to create demos for budding (and several seasoned) songwriters and their original material...we can do a nice backing track in about the same time it takes to play the song...generally, I either pick up the tune by ear, or the artist brings in a chord chart, and sometimes we even get a score sheet.

For nearly all the tunes I usually create a custom style or edit an existing one that is close to what will work. These demos are then sent by the artist to their respective promoters.

Also, we have done custom backing tracks (again, only needing the Tyros4) for singers who want to have a CD of themselves singing that they can share with friends and family...often it is retired performers who want to make some sort of keepsake or legacy of their former work...this is always a lot of fun, and very interesting, as the genres run the gamut from Celtic to Big Band although recently we've been doing a lot of Country tunes and older R&B songs.

We don't charge outrageous fees but try to be realistic considering the nature of our clientele.

As I always say, the Arranger Keyboard is the Swiss Army Knife of instruments...especially these later models with extensive style editing/choices and on-board midi and audio recorders, not to mention the luxury of HD storage.

Ian

I spend over 30 hours a week doing film scores. Lots of times, I'll do a rough on an arranger and send it to the client or film producer.

Sometimes, I'll take the arranger to the production company, and we'll work with the writer, editor, producer or a combination to come up with the rough.

Occasionally, on very low budget spots for non-profits, I'll actually use something from the arranger. This is not because there is anything wrong with what can be done on an arranger, but rather a preference to keep in the high budget, real player realm. Many times, I could make lots more dollars just using the arranger. That's not what I'm known for. My clients are 2 automobile manufacturers, a national pizza firm and another restaurant chain.

The arranger is responsible for a considerable portion of my music income.


Russ

My neighbors pay me to stop playing.

aaaaaaaah, Jerry I can't believe you. That has to be the best post I've read in a long time.

John C.

You made me laugh, thanks.

Hi quitpic1:

I use my arranger for songwriting and creating rough demos of the songs I create. I'd like to tell you this is a fantastic way to make money but it would be a bald-faced lie. The music biz today is so overcrowded there is little room for folks without great financial backing and tremendous talent.

The advent of the internet and illegal downloads turned the music industry into an armed camp and new, unknown, untrusted artists and songwriters are forced to "run the gauntlet" time and time again until a track record is established.

On the other hand, jingles and soundclips might be an easier way to make some chump change via licensing through a music library... but the sea is fraught with rocks and shoals and there are sharks swimming in these waters as well.

If licensing interests you, there are a ton of Music Libraries to explore and possibly work with. Do yourself a favor and read up on the "rules of combat" and tricks of the trade. At one time, I subscribed to the "Music Library Report" and it is an excellent source but alas, no longer provided for free. They have the goods on just about anybody and everybody in the Music Library Business... and there are new ones appearing every day.

Best of luck,

Dave Rice

www.ShowCaseYourMusic.com/DaveRice/

Thanks all. Mostly, I'm curious but always looking for a way to make a little $$$.

Dave,

Just out of curiosity. What is your work flow for creating your demo's. Do you use your recording capabilities of your keyboard? Another recording/mixing device?

Tx

Hi again:

My process includes a Yamaha PSR-S910 connected to a Boss BR-864 Digital Recorder. I set up each song by adjusting the style, changing or modifying volume of each "voice/instrument" and then recording to only one track. The vocal is taken directly into the 864 and the volume adjustments on each "instrument" used on the 910 are automatically overlayed onto the same track. I have sixteen track capability but prefer the one track method which is, essentially, a "live" recording. From the 864, I send the WAV file to my PC and edit the final song for minor volume changes, etc. Then I make a duplicate MP3 file and distribute copies to my other computers.

If I don't care for the first "take"... I simply record the whole thing again until I am reasonably satisfied. With an ancient voice like mine, my objective is primarily to get the gist of the song across with the idea that a real talent might want to do a cover, thus plugging me into the money stream.

I copyright and register each song via my publisher and ASCAP.

I hope this helps. There are better ways but I'm fairly prolific and can't afford professional demos.

Feel free to ask if I have not provided you with the answers you seek.

All the best,

Dave

Not to interfere with Dave's reply, but, instead to add to it, I use a similar method to his, only that I use the internal midi recorder in the Tyros4 and then bounce it over to the T4's Audio Recorder which gives me a Wav file.

Sometimes I'll edit the midi tracks for volume/effects etc., and also, like Dave, if I'm not happy with the first take, I simply re-record the whole piece, which is usually quicker than editing.

I then import it to my PC where I can make an MP3.

You can use the same process on the S910 if you so wish.

Again, apologies for butting in.

Ian

Thanks Dave,

Good description. I've been wondering how many folks use their on-board recording systems that are on their keyboards.

I'd like to do some recording and end up with an MP3 but may use my old trusty VS2480 as the recorder/mixer.

Thanks again.

Rog L

Thanks Ian. I'd like to use the Tyros 4 as well for recording. I haven't messed with that function on the Tyros yet other than for some quick recordings.

The midi recorder is the one to the left of the screen and the audio recorder to the right..correct? My understanding is that the main difference between the two is that the audio recorder can record voice?

How do you do the bounce from one to the other?

Thanks again.

Rog L

My opinion:
Every recording studio I have seen uses a mixer to set up the audio.

My method;
Keyboard into Chanel 1 of the mixer – Voice – into channel 2. I used a stand-alone reverb unit and a BBE (Sound enhancer) plugged into the mixer which allowed me to add as much of each unit to the mix. Both the add-on units were of better quality than what was in the keyboard. From the mixer to a Mini Disk recorder.

A Mini Disk recorded has a better sound than a Mp3 but not as good as a wave file in a CD.

I have a friend who creates all his back tracks using the above methor; his recordings sound professional.

Hope this helps, John C.

Hi Rog,

Here's a quick video on it...it's quite easy. You can add the vocals as the midi file is being recorded. Also, for the basic work that we do, the Tyros4's VH2 Vocal Harmony does all that's needed...it's just a matter of being careful with the settings.

The Tyros4's Audio Recorder has two tracks as well.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXTFLtUpbSo#t=49

I use a high quality, mint condition, vintage microphone, an Electro-Voice RE-15, which is ideal for most of my work.

Because the on-board Audio Recorder (Wav) in the Tyros4 is of professional quality, I like the convenience of having it all in one unit, especially if I need to go to someone's house to record.

Ian

PS...the T4's Audio Recorder also records any custom and/or expansion voices.

There are numerous ways top make lots of money writing and recording. If you think of it, nearly everything you see (TV, Internet)or hear (Radio, internet, etc.) has some audio that was written and recorded by someone.

The mental "bridge" is, most of us initially, at least, want to write songs. At lease 1/2 of what I'm paid to record are scores that are written and recorded as I am watching a cut of the project that is 99% complete. This is not a process of writing songs, but creating songs, sound effects....lots of different things, all matched in real time to the image.Even the "song" part of the projects are not very satisfying from a"stand alone" standpoint. If it's part that runs under a voice over, the lines are smoother, quieter and less involved than what you would do for a piece of stand alone music.


Deadlines are horrific; often requiring a 30 hour stretch of last minute alterations.I have finished many projects less than an hour before they were played at a corporate annual meeting.

It's a tradeoff, but there's a lot of personal satisfaction in being able to work in this field.

Every time a meet a kid who is complaining that he's having trouble finding a $75.00 "Buffet" job, I try to get him/her to widen their perspective. Of course, it takes flexibility, calm nerves, the ability to play lot's of different kinds of music
and works better for non-entertainer" musicians.

Not lots of clapping and "attaboys" at 3:30AM.

For the rest of the day, just listen to all the sounds you hear. The possibilities are phenomenal. And, once you're established as a reliable, creative source, the money is GREAT and the work is plentiful.


Russ

I've done a few of these type recordings, one for a now defunct airline, and the other for a Sci-Fi project that ran out steam (and funds), although I managed to get paid well on both projects.

This was back when I was still using analog synths (Polymoog, Roland SH-2000, Roland JP-8) and playing in actual real time to a visual. We didn't even have SMPTE (timecode). Still, it was a lot of fun with the occasional nerve wracking moments.

I still have copies (on cassette tape) of the tracks somewhere here in my boxes of junk...I should try and dig them out and have them converted to digital. The Sci-Fi one was really creepy.

Nowadays, I'd love to tackle another project like those early ones, but having the benefit of more years of playing experience (especially improvising) and much better gear with the mighty Tyros4 and the potent little Yamaha CS-01.

Certainly with the advent of YouTube, there should be a few money making projects available for arranger players in providing copyright free music for someone else's video work.

Something to think about.

Ian

Sure glad I no longer have those deadlines, and I had them almost daily. Between newspaper and magazine columns, plus voice-overs for car commercials and auto dealership TV commercials, I never got to sleep. Thank goodness those days are longs since gone. Now I'm in the slow lane. I no longer need to go fast, even when traveling. Guess that's why I bought a sailboat - sure can't go very fast on wind power alone.

Russ is right about the opportunities - there are loads of them out there, and all that you need to do is go after them and have the skills to get the job done. Of course, you will have to do the usual, self-marketing things as well or you won't get those jobs. I even had an offer once to become an auctioneer - I kinda wish I would have done that. It looked like fun, but it is a very high pressure job. There was an auctioneer school somewhere in the mid-west that cost about $1,000 for six weeks of training back in the early 70s. I only knew two guys that went there and they came back here, opened their own auction houses and made a killing. Both later went into politics - what a waste of talent, but they still made a lot more money. Go figure.

The Audio Visual landscape is evolving rapidly, and even amateur videographers and electronic composers are putting out some incredibly good work.

Check out Vimeo https://vimeo.com/ sometime to get an idea of the high quality stuff being posted.

Ian

Tx Ian, Russ, Gary and the others who wrote.

I'm always on the lookout for ways to make $$$ with music.

One of the reasons I took up keyboard at age 63 was to re-record songs I had written back in the 80's/90's. Also, I was asked to do some radio commercials.

My main recording machine back when was a Roland VS2480...way ahead of it's time. I still have it. Great machine but it takes a bit of recording engineer skills to use it. Given that the best my Tyros 4 can do is bounce tracks I may look to the VS2480 again.

I also thought of you tube videos to record my songs/commercials. I have very good video/mike/recording equipment to do this.

I even did a keyboard video with the Tyros 4(youtube). Thing is, I don't know if I'll ever be as comfortable with a keyboard as I am with guitar....although an arranger is about all I've played for the last few years.

Tx again all.

Rog L

I agree with using the Roland again, Rog...the reason I've stayed with just the Tyros4 for midi and audio recording is utter simplicity (and perhaps a bit of laziness as well).

Plus, I know the Tyros4 very well, so I can get things done really quickly and still maintain high quality work.

For any commercial recording/studio projects, time is money, so I try to minimize the time in order to keep our prices low and competitive, while still making a decent profit.

If you are more on your own time, that is a different matter.

The Roland VS2480 is quite a fine piece of gear, and, it was way ahead of its time.

One thing I still do, is try to find the "fun" factor in each project.

Ian

Thanks Ian,

I'll look into the Tyros 4 and bouncing tracks a bit more.

Your mention of Vimeo brought back memories. I was a fan of Vimeo before YouTube became the standard.

My link to Vimeo.

https://vimeo.com/home/myvideos/page:1/sort:date/format:video

My brother, the keyboardist, is on this link but I haven't figured out how to make his video public.

Rog L.

Rog, I can't find anything at that link, even after logging in...what is there, and can you provide another/different link?

For me, it was narrowing things down to the basics, especially since retiring, and attempting to make the most of what gear I have here at home, which is where I prefer to work.

I found that too many choices (and this probably only applies to my way of working) tends to slow me down in the creative process...the less between me and my goal the better.

This is also a result from having so limited a keyboard setup back in the past and making the instruments go beyond what they were designed for...we used guitar effect pedals and an old Roland tape echo to get some pretty interesting results from some rather limited instruments.

Again, it sure was a lot fun, nonetheless.

Ian

Ian,

Here's a link to just my brother playing piano. He was providing music prior to his daughter's wedding.

https://vimeo.com/8476874

Not sure what to tell you about the other video link. It worked for me. However, here's another that might work.

https://vimeo.com/user790044