Mar 30

The hi-hat drum samples of today are as varied as they are underappreciated. Think about your favorite songs for a moment. You can probably hear the kick and snare working away in memory, but it can be very hard to keep track of the hi-hat. The truth is, most hi-hats (hats for short) are just supporting acts to the snare and kick combinations that dominate our attention, but they are nevertheless an essential part of most music production projects, so underestimate them at your peril!

The two mistakes often made by music producers regarding the hi-hat are not made exclusively by amateurs, but also by so-called music production veterans and beat making professionals.

The first mistake concerns volume. The role of the hi-hat drum samples is often overstated and overemphasized by many expertly arranged songs. The human ear, it is claimed, has gained a perception of the frequencies that hi-hats occupy throughout evolutionary stages. Apparently some aerial predators made noises that had the same frequencies, and we can therefore hear it above its actual volume.

A good way to go about combating this incongruity is to mix the hat to the point where you think it sounds just about right, and lower it about two decibels further. Any listener will still be able to pick it up due to our superior perception of this sound, so don’t worry about ‘mixing it out’ these drum samples.

The second mistake that we’re going to look at is a pretty big one. Most of us are in the music production game to really make something that sounds good, but if you’re trying to achieve authenticity with your drum samples, there are certain things you really need to avoid and be wary of. With hi-hats, certain physical limitations prevent rhythmic operations that are perceived in a lot of rap songs. For instance, having a consistent hi-hat pattern playing one hit every 16th is all good, as that can be achieved. But coupling it with a cymbal hit or open hi-hat once a bar and not stopping the hi-hat? Physically impossible for most drum-sets, especially if the snare and toms also hit at the same point. How many arms does your drummer have? If you want to have a believable drum track, you must really pay attention here. If you produce dance music or other music where it is understood that the sample track is not supposed to be realistic, you can do whatever sounds good.

You can also go with the default drum samples patterns in programs like Toontrack EZ Drummer and BFD, as well as others. These programs usually include patterns that were really tapped out by a professional drummer on an electronic drum set and do not include these mistakes. You can learn a great deal using programs like this.

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Mar 27

Roller Derby was never really a big deal in the US, but has been around forever and was a staple of the early days of television. It was similar in its promotional format to its better known “sports entertainment” cousin, professional wrestling. It was frequently seen in the same bad timeslots on the same low powered UHF TV stations, and it was run by the same loose confederation of promoters and businessmen that characterized the regional territory era of pro wrestling. That’s where the similarity to wrestling ends–it’s storylines made pro wrestling angles look like high drama. While there is a definite history to the sport–great teams like the LA T-Birds and Bay Bombers, and legendary skaters like Ann Calvello it never really stuck in the public consciousness like the pre-Hulk Hogan era of pro wrestling.

New era roller derby reached a national audience through the A&E reality series Roller Girls. It featured a local, all-girl roller derby league in Austin, Texas and followed the lives of the players on and off the track. While the show was oddly engaging, it was the first clue that many had that such a league existed in the first place. A sport that was never taken seriously to begin with and that was really living on borrowed time since the’60’s before fading into the lowest level of obscurity had been rediscovered and embraced by an eclectic group of young women. They had kept the same essential format, thrown in a healthy dose of burlesque camp and Varga pin-up inspired glamour and made it into their own vibrant subculture. They changed some of the nomenclature and competitive format–in lieu of regularly scheduled games they renamed the competitions “bouts” a la MMA or boxing. The result was a compelling mixture of glamour, toughness and athleticism driven by a healthy dose of punk rock “do it yourself” mentality.

Today, roller derby is a full blown worldwide phenomenon. There are hundreds of local roller derby leagues not only in the United States, but Canada, Australia and Europe. Most of the local groups similarly play up the campy retro pin-up/hot rod iconography and everyone involved sure looks like they’re having a good time. Between teams there’s a vibe of good natured competitiveness and camaraderie.

This organic rebirth and growth of roller derby is a result of young women taking what essentially was TV time filler and made it into their own distaff ‘action sport’. The roller derby circa 2009 is a matriarchal success story. No one is in it for the money, as these local groups are typically run as non-profit organization. The women involved have recreated this sport, and run it, promote it and compete in it on their own terms.

The new generation rollergirls also pay homage to their sports’ pioneers much in the same way that skateboarders give props to Duane Peters and Tony Alva. Many of the individual group websites have sections devoted to the history of roller derby, and the late Ann Calvello–regarded as the Queen of the original Roller Derby–is revered as something of a patron saint. The Texas Rollergirl group featured in the A&E series has renamed their championship the Calvello Cup.

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Sep 11

Most of the women of color have had their own experiences of struggling with their afro hair. This has encouraged them to make their move of having their hair relaxed and straightened out more willingly than embracing their natural curls.

The natural curls have this fantastic look, and often have a cool and funky edge. In spite of this to be able to make most out of the afro hair, it is very vital to treat the natural curls properly. The main and most typical dilemma that the women of color will be facing with their afro hair is the frizzies. To be able to tame the frizzies, treat your natural curls well and using some hair moisturizer whilst your hair is still damp.

If your hair is thick, then you had better opt for creams instead, and if your have finer frizzy hair, a moisturizing lotion will be fine. You also have to keep in mind that you have to stay away from any heavy and sticky products such as waxes because they will dry your hair out and encourage more frizzes.

Aside from avoiding waxes, you have to avoid any product that contains even the smallest, tiniest microscopic level of alcohol that is every so often found in hairspray. Apart from treating your hair well, having a good hairstyle that will fix your natural curls is another good option.

I have to applaud a woman of color who has short hair and openly embraces their natural curls, obtaining a chic and carefree outcome with their short hair. You can wear your short hairstyles straight along with rows of flawlessly lined small curls that are done weekly by your hairdresser or at a wash-and-go Afro.

Short hair can give you that more carefree and classic look, and not just that, but it will also highlight most of your features. You can always have a talk with your stylist and ask for his or her opinion on what will complement the shape of your face.

Braiding is also a hairstyle that will be perfect for women of color. By using the hair extensions, the short hair becomes longer and the thin hair becomes thicker. You have the preference of choosing the classic businesslike braid style that is braided together with the ends being twisted into a bun at the nape of the neck. However, you have to be careful still, is the hair is braided too tight it will result in thinning of the hair and may even cause bald spots.

Wearing your natural hairstyle will make you feel more untroubled about yourself and your do. What you need to do with your natural hairstyle is to do a two stand twist every after washing your hair and then put conditioner on the twists and let them be for a few days. It will be a big help for you when in accounts of saving more money that would or else be spent for your hairdresser every month.

However, if you really want to straighten up your hair then that is fine, but if you are more happy and comfortable with your natural curls then why not try these hairstyles for women of color to be of help.

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Sep 09

When an individual that has medium length or long hair and is just is out of ideas for how to style it then the perfect solution is the ponytail. It has many advantages such as keeping the hair off the face and looking neat and tidy without a lot of work.

If you want to have the perfect ponytail look then there is, some steps that you are going to have to take in order to achieve this.

First, you want to start with clean hair; otherwise, you are going to have difficulty if your hair is oily because the band holding your ponytail is going to slip because of the oil.

If your hair is dry and you have not conditioned it then you are running the risk for splitting the ends. So to begin with, make sure that you shampoo well and use a conditioner unless of course your hair is oily. Towel dry it as there is no need to blow-dry your hair for the ponytail look. You might want to add a little bit of gel to give it a nice shiny look and to help keep those flyaway hairs under control.

The best way to get your ponytail in instead of trying to fight with all the hair at the back is lean forward and brush all your hair down to your face. Bring all of the hair from the back forward. Once you have done this then you can gather all of your hair in one bunch and apply the holder that you are going to be using.

Now many people would use elastics but if you are going to use these then make sure that they are coated or covered in material such as scrunches for example. Once you have done this, you can stand back up straight and adjust your ponytail to exactly where you want it to hang from. Some individuals like a ponytail that will hang almost from the top of the head whereas others like it in the middle section of the back of the head and some even lower. This is going to come down to the type of look you want and if you are going to do anything further as far as styling with your ponytail

You can do other variations with your ponytail look as well. Perhaps if you do not want it at the back you can have your ponytail to the side. This way what you need to do is turn your head to the side to gather all your hair at this time.

Then there are different ways that you can dress up your ponytail by using some pretty ribbons, which are ideal, if you have used thin elastic. Alternatively, you may want to go with many of the scrunches. All one has to do is take a look around your home and you are going to find some creative ideas for adding that extra touch to your ponytail.

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Aug 31

Anyone who is getting into the habit of smoking cigars, or who has been a cigar smoker for a long time, knows that they can find a number of different accessories and tools that can help. If you are going to start smoking cigars, you are going to want to find a humidor in which to keep them. The humidor will make sure they stay moist and fresh. You will also want the right size ashtray to accommodate the cigars. Also, you can’t forget about two of the most important accessories ” the cigar cutter and the lighter. You will find that you have many different options available when it comes to these items.

One of the most popular types of cutter available is the punch cutter and lighter combination. People enjoy this cigar cutter lighter because they are able to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak. They will be able to have a nice butane lighter to give their cigars an even light, and they will also have a cutter that can get their cigars ready to smoke. The convenience of having them both in one tool is nice as well.

First, you need to understand how the punch cutter works. You will find them easy to use, although it might take a few tries to get the hang of it. With a punch cutter, you simply place the cutter on the cap of the cigar and then use the punch. This will create a small hole in the cigar. This is where the smoke will come through. Because the hole is so small, you will find that it can cause moisture and tar to gather around the hole. You will also find that this type of cutter does not work with the larger cigars.

One option would be to have both a guillotine cutter and a punch cutter available depending on the type of cigar you are smoking. The guillotine cutter will provide a clean cut across the cap of the cigar, and this will let you draw the smoke in more easily.

You can find different styles of punch cutters and lighters available, and you should easily be able to find something that suits your style and fits easily in a pocket or on a key ring. One of the best places for you to shop is online. You can find many different online retailers that sell the punch cutter and lighter combination, and you can find them at various prices. With just a little bit of research, you should be able to find a punch cutter and lighter that you like.

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