Sunny skies, cool crystal waters and an endless supply of refreshing bubbly beverages…plain and simple, Summer rocks. Traditionally it’s a time to kick back, relax and take it easy. Here at Splat! HQ, we’re taking the opposite approach. Rather than switching to auto-pilot, we’re thrusting everything into overdrive. We’ve just added over 1,000 new imaging elements to our online audio database, including 100′s of Summer and 4th of July themed pieces. And we’re getting down right now, producing an even greater array of audio madness.
Yeah, we’ll take some time to chill, hit the pool, maybe snooze for a bit in the hammock, but remember your pals at Splat! are just a click away when you need use. After all, we work hard to make your job a little easier.
Greetings friends, been a while ‘eh? We’ve been in a groove here at Splat! HQ, lights down low and volume up high (within reason, actually.) Thousands of new imaging files have been constantly uploading the the Splat! website and we feel like it’s some of the best material we have ever produced. From totally rockin’ summer concert promos for Rock Splat! to topical “Weinergate” liners for Talk Splat!, the imaging is epic!
This week we’re adding tons of patriotic IDs/sounds/drops/music beds for your 4th of July production and programming. As always, the stuff is going to be smokin’.
New stations are joining the Splat! nation every week, so we wanted to give a quick shout out to all our new friends who have just come on board. Welcome gang!
More fun stuff to come, stay tuned.
Splat! is proud to welcome WSRV Atlanta, WHTQ Orlando, WZLR Dayton, KGMO Paducah, KFH Wichita, all adding Splat! to their already awesome stations. They join other rockin’ folks like WWAV, WWCD, WVGG, WPMO, WSLW, KSID, WRBZ, KTIX, WNUY each joining the Splat! nation over the past few weeks.
Try something new! Sure it’s natural to get into a groove and make your workflow as smooth as possible, but if you’re not careful that can lead to repetition or (gasp) even boredom. To break things up, try some new software or download some new plugins. You don’t need to spend a lot of money, demo some free trials or freeware. Mess with stuff that you don’t know too much about because it makes you think. If you have the luxury, work in another studio for a day, a change of scenery can give you new perspectives. The biggest breakthroughs come when you step outside your comfort zone, so challenge yourself every day.
Have fun. Short and simple. Seriously, we all know sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in deadlines, workloads and the never-ending quest for perfection. The daily demands placed on a producer sometimes make it seem like, well, a job. But don’t forget that you actually enjoy what you are doing. Heck, you’d probably be doing the exact same thing for free in your spare time if you weren’t already doing it as your profession. Creating promos and IDs for radio is really like a big game with cool sounds and awesome toys. You’re creating your own rules every time you enter the studio, so make the first rule, “have fun.”
When it comes to microphones we all know about the Proximity Effect, pickup patterns and “the sweet spot,” but there’s a different kind of art involved with mic placement. What’s hanging in front of it. From gold records to black light posters, we’ve seen all kinds of cool “wall art” in radio studios. What are you looking at in those brief glances from the script when you’re behind the mic? Send us a photo. We liked this arty shot, sent in by swashbuckling producer Tony Maddox.
….we checked in with Mike Goode who provided this arty, random studio shot of his favorite mic. We’ve been tracking Mike since his days at the old Y-107 in Los Angeles. His production is always top-notch with insane flow and curious twists. He’s in Vegas these days rockin’ hard as always, and always hard at work producing great imaging.
Sticking on this recent theme of screen shots from various locations, the Splat! Cam strikes again. This time, zooming in on world-class Imaging Dude Tony “The Shoes” Maddox at WMGK in Philly. At the time, crafting a smooooth promo for a Journey promotion at the station.
Any way you want it, as long as it’s got the whiz.
So recently 97-1 AMP Radio in LA did a “world premiere” of the new Lady Gaga. The music sounded great, but the promos sounded AMAZING! Jake Kaplan is the man, he makes it happen, he’s got the Midas touch.
Jake sent us this screen shot of the Lady Gaga promo he was putting together in his studio. He’s running ProTools 8 on a Mac Pro. But even if he had only a 4-track cassette player, he’s still conjure magic. The lights are low and the volume is high, baby!
At this very moment, deep inside his secret sonic laboratory, Mike Gagliano from WRIF in Detroit is crafting a monster of a promo for Stone Temple Pilots. Splat! has eyes everywhere, so take a look at the perfectly orchestrated aural masterpiece on his workstation. Mike G rocks as hard as his station. www.wrif.com
