Studio Monitor Switching: Mackie Big Knob

To switch between my Yamaha HS50M and Avantone MixCubes studio monitors I am using the Mackie Big Knob Studio Command Center. This device allows me to switch between outputs and also to switch between inputs, although I am only using one input at the moment.

Furthermore, I can switch to mono to test the quality of my mix with a single-speaker reference. During quiet hours I can still compose and mix music using the headphone outputs. With the Mackie Big Knob, I can eventually (some point way in the future) set up studio out speakers, which would be useful if I actually had a recording booth. However, that isn't a part of my current setup so I'll be leaving these outputs empty for now. I've been trying this out and I like the ease at which I am able to switch between outputs. So I'm pretty satisfied, especially since I know it will continue to meet my needs as my studio setup evolves.

My Primary Studio Monitors: Yamaha HS50M

I'm continuing to add some new gadgets to my modest home studio setup. A few weeks ago I made a post about Avantone MixCubes, which are designed to be good reference monitors for low-fidelity speakers such as televisions or built-in computer speakers.

I am now adding a pair of Yamaha HS50M studio monitors to be used as my primary monitoring tool across a wider frequency spectrum. The reviews were pretty good on Amazon (4.5 stars). A slightly higher-priced model, the Yamaha HS80M, had an even better rating (5 stars), but it's probably best for now to just go with these HS50M as my entry-level monitors. The bass response isn't as loud as I would have expected, but otherwise I am very satisfied with the sound. I will probably purchase a subwoofer or two in the future for monitoring bass and sub-bass.

Starting My Collection: Avantone MixCubes

Ordered a few studio toys a few days ago, and one of my two boxes arrived today. I am now the proud owner of a pair of Avantone MixCubes.

These studio monitors are a modern rendition of the Auratone 5c SoundCubes that were popular in music studios in the 1970s as a reference monitor specifically for lo-fi speakers. These speakers, nicknamed "Horrortones," were intentionally limited in their sound capabilities, lacking bass and treble, thus placing a magnifying glass on the mid-range frequencies. A mixing engineer who could make a song sound bearable on these limited Auratone 5c SoundCubes has accomplished the feat making a song that sounds pleasant even on crappy speakers.

   

The Auratone 5c SoundCubes are no longer manufactured and the ones that are in existence are pretty worn as they are decades old now. These Avantone MixCubes are a modern-day replacement for their vintage counterparts. They are meant to be used as a secondary reference monitors. My primary reference monitors are still being shipped at the moment. I'm looking forward to setting these babies up and putting them to use.

Installing 64-bit Casio CTK-720 Driver on Windows 7

I had issues yesterday using my Casio CTK-720 keyboard on my Windows 7 laptop for the first time. I got an error stating that the driver was not installed successfully. This YouTube video helped me to resolve the issue, basically by tricking Windows into using the driver for a different MIDI controller.

Now that this is fixed I can get back to making hot tracks.

Welcome to the Defacement of Property Music Blog!

Greetings, music enthusiasts. My name is Gary Matthias, also known by my performing name, G2Z. I am a hip-hop vocalist and producer, and the founder of Defacement of Property (D.O.P.) Music. D.O.P. Music has been mostly an intermittent hobby over the past 10 years while I juggled my school and work schedules. I am creating this blog alongside the launch of dop.mx as way of documenting my journey of taking my music quality from an amateur to a more professional level.

Honestly, most of the music I have created over the past 10 years has been mainly for my own entertainment—that is to say, not for general consumption. In the near future, I seek to increase the quantity of my songs while also improving my overall production quality, all in an effort to increase my listening base.

My first order of business to come up a list of software programs and equipment to add to my repertoire for the entire music creation process from production to recording to mixdown to mastering.