SONOMA WIRE WORKS NEWS: AUGUST 2006 EDITION
ANNOUNCEMENTS
- RiffWorks Line 6 Edition (v2) is Shipping!
- RiffWorks 3D Designer Wins Emmy for "The Triangle"
- RiffCaster Pick of the Month
- Sonoma Wire Works' MySpace Page
FEATURED COLUMN
- Meet Hayden Bursk of Drummerheads
by Michelle Wright
RIFFWORKS LINE 6 EDITION IS SHIPPING
The Line 6 Edition of RiffWorks is now available from the Line 6 store at a special price for Line 6 customers of $99.99 (new) $29.99 (upgrade). Many of you have been waiting for this special deal from Line 6 and we are happy to announce that it is ready! The upgrade is free for users who activated the software on or after February 1, 2006. Get it here: http://line6.com/riffworks/
There are upgrade instructions in our guide.
RiffWorks Standard shipped a couple of weeks ago from sonomawireworks.com/store for $129.99 and users are loving it! RiffWorks Line 6 Edition includes the same main features as RiffWorks Standard, the same FREE 8 InstantDrummer sessions, and the same RiffLink 60-day free trial. The difference between the two versions is RiffWorks Line 6 Edition works with compatible Line 6 devices only (GuitarPort, PodXT, PodXT Live, PodXT Pro, and now TonePort UX1 and UX2); while RiffWorks Standard works with all ASIO and Core Audio devices (including the Line 6 devices listed above). RiffWorks Line 6 Edition does not include IK Multimedia's AmpliTube LE plug-in.
Note: RiffWorks Line 6 Edition (v2) and RiffWorks Standard (v2) work with the InstantDrummer sessions from the Sonoma Wire Works store only. There are 46 sessions available right now!
Version 1 users may choose to crossgrade to RiffWorks Standard (v2) for $59.99 by applying for a crossgrade coupon. Information about the coupon can be found in the FAQ.
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RIFFWORKS 3D DESIGNER WINS EMMY FOR THE TRIANGLE
Robin Graham is the designer responsible for the 3D design in RiffWorks. He is also a RiffWorks user and bass player. He was chosen to work on RiffWorks when he sent his resume to us with an image of a warehouse that looked like a real photo, including rusted metal, dusty corners and realistic lighting and shadows. It was phenomenal! Robin can create realistic-looking music gear, too. As you've seen in RiffWorks, the lighting on the knobs as they turn makes it seem like you can reach out and touch the cool, smooth metal. Look for intentional imperfections that enhance the reality like scratches, smudges, screws in different positions, and knobs that wobble ever so slightly. For the RiffWorks interface, Doug, Dave and Dan laid out the ideas. Then John-Paul Walton and his awesome team turned them into great 2D designs complete with fonts, colors, and style. Then Robin Graham applied his cinematic magic to create realistic perspective, textures and lighting which brought it all to life. |
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RIFFCASTER PICK OF THE MONTH
Here is a sweet song created as a RiffLink collaboration and posted to RiffCaster. These musicians collaborated on the same song from the comfort of thier home studios in Florida, Michigan and a few different California locations.
"Pork Link" by pbbobkanobi, GuitarSlinger, mickeymix, Mkolak, randy, tylerloder, and bestage
Songs can now be published to RiffCaster with the click of a button within RiffWorks (v2) or emailed to riffcaster@sonomawireworks.com. We are up to 1947 posts!
Listen to RiffCaster
SONOMA WIRE WORKS' MYSPACE PAGE
We've thrown up a MySpace page and hooked up with some great musicians and other friends:
http://www.myspace.com/sonomawireworks
MEET HAYDEN BURSK OF DRUMMERHEADS
by Michelle Wright
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I've had the privilege of watching Hayden demoing RiffWorks at tradeshows. His demos are mini concerts with guitar, vocals, drums, info and heaps of personality. Dazed by the overwhelming tradeshow, visitors would stop in their tracks, groove to his tunes, learn about RiffWorks, and thank him for much needed entertainment.
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Michelle: What is your background in music?
Hayden: Although I'm currently a guitar and keyboard player, demonstrating products for Line 6 and Propellerhead Software, I originally began as a drummer. I started drum lessons at age nine and even formed an elementary school band. I eventually turned my focus to the guitar and songwriting, but I never gave up on the drums. I played through out high school and college, and even played drums in several rock, pop, and hip hop groups. While I graduated from Tufts University with a degree in electrical engineering, I always maintained a focus on music and audio. I spent my junior year studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston, so I'm officially a Berklee Alumn.
I currently have a recording studio in Portland, OR where I write, produce, engineer, and perform music for my own project, Oh Travioso, as well as create music cues for film and television.
Michelle: How did Drummerheads come about as a company?
Hayden: This past January, I attended three different trade shows with Sonoma Wire Works as their product demonstrator. Instead of using the Drums On Demand InstantDrummer sessions for the songs I was creating, I brought in my own drum loops using Propellerhead's Reason. There was a good response from the crowd, and Doug Wright of Sonoma Wire Works asked if I would like to make some InstantDrummer sessions. That way, people could actually use the exact drum sounds I was using for my demonstrations.
Michelle: What is your inspiration for making InstantDrummer sessions and how long have you been doing it?
Hayden: I've been programming drums for many years now as a production point to my own music, and I've come to understand how essential drum sounds are for a great recording. There's a good reason engineers spend hours taping all sorts of materials to the heads of drums, tuning and retuning the snare, moving mics trying to find the perfect placement for those overheads or that kick mic. The drum sound is the foundation of any great recording, and I want RiffWorks users to have the sounds they've been looking for.
For different drum parts and patterns, I turn to songs I love. I find my inspiration by listening to iTunes or the radio. I find myself listening constantly to what the drummer is doing now, so that I can try to reproduce that. Drummerheads InstantDrummer sessions are based on real songs, and I think that's why people find them to be so usable.
Michelle: Who is working with you to provide Drrummerheads content and what's their story?
Hayden: I wanted to give RiffWorks users a wide collection of InstantDrummer sessions to pick from, not just my idea of the perfect parts. So I've recruited musicians and producers who make music that I really enjoy to create InstantDrummer sessions of their own. Every InstantDrummer session we make has a "Produced by" tagline at the bottom, so that if you like sessions from a particular producer, you can search for more.
Currently in the line up we have:
Jason71 - A very talented graphic designer, artist, musician, producer, and even actor. His band, "Eskimohunter", has had their music featured on MTV shows such as Road Rules and the Real World. There will some great sessions from him in the vein of bands of Spiritualized, Stereolab, and the Flaming Lips.
G.W. Childs - Formerly a sound designer for Lucas Arts, "G-Dub" is quite a staple in the industrial music scene. His projects have included "Deathline International" and "Soil and Eclipse".
Evan Railton - Based in Portland, OR, Evan is a producer, drummer, and keyboard player for the band "Swords" on the Arena Rock label. He also has released solo ambient electronic projects under the name Ovian.
Peter Rodocker - A Nashville engineer, producer, and musician, Peter grew tired of Tennessee and moved to the northwest where he performs with his rock, folk, and roots influenced band "Listen Like Thieves". Embracing odd time signatures, Peter will be producing many great shuffles and 6/8 based grooves.
Michelle: What styles of InstantDrummer sessions are available to RiffWorks users from Drummerheads?
Hayden: Currently, RiffWorks users have their choice of the Vintage Rock session, a great straight ahead big beats kind of sound, and Four On the Floor, a classic collection of disco beats, buildups, and breakdowns. Both are offered in 16-bit and 24-bit versions. There will be many more sessions to come.
Michelle: What advice would you give to RiffWorks guitar players using your InstantDrummer sessions?
Hayden: Turn up the ambience knob. We're using a real room mic that you can blend into the drum sound with the ambience knob. I like to leave it cranked for big, wide, stereo drums. Also, use the lead-ins and the endings. Every InstantDrummer session has them. Use them to transition from one riff to another, and they'll bring a much more seamless sound to your RiffWorks songs.
Michelle: Are you taking suggestions for different styles of sessions?
Hayden: Always. I like hearing the kind of music people are making with Drummerheads InstantDrummer sessions, and I like getting feedback on what they could use more or less of. Currently, heavy metal sessions seem to be a hot favorite as well as more 6/8 grooves, shuffles, and latin beats.
Contact Drummerheads to put in your requests.
Drummerheads content is availabe now in our store.
Chat about this Newsletter in the RiffWorks Forum
