john

A Rode NT2 connects to an audio mixer. The output of the mixer then connects to your computer, the exact method depends on if it is a seperate mixer that connects to the audio line inputs of your sound card, or if it is a sound card with a Break Out Box (BOB) ie an external box that connects to your computer sound card (often via USB2 or firewire). Phantom power is 48 volt power supplied by either: A special power supply By an audio mixing desk Your BOB (external audio inputs box that connects to your computer soundcard) In all cases you need to check that the mixer/BOB can provide phantom power (it may or may not be called that). Sound damping is any material that reduces or conditions sound mechanisms, in this case simply some material(s) that reduce the creaking of the floorboards. Different materials are better at reducing different frequencies of sound. You might find that other mechanical means can be used to reduce the creaks. Creaks come from movement, so reduce the movement you reduce the noise. Add in the damping to further reduce the amount of creak that spills into your studio space. Better to never have the noise on your recording than to try and rely on a filter to strip out noise. I've seen way too many great takes ruined by noise. For example when you strip the noise some will be left, plus the character or color of the recording can be changed as signal you want to keep can also get stripped along with the noise.

For indies now there really is no such thing as not dealing with the biz side. You simply have to engage. Probably just as important to understand and engage if you get signed. Seriously, you might not like the biz side but in the modern age it isn't an option, unless you want a very short, frustrating career.

luckily you can do lots of this for little money though it will likely take a fair amount of effort. One other common noise source... your computer, especially cooling fans and noisy hard disks. If it is a desktop you can buy low noise fans and "silent" bay enclosures. All in all it may well be cheaper to create a vocal booth to record in, although you will still likely need some general acoustic treatment. A vocal booth will allow you to focus most effort and expense to a smaller area.

A great vocal mic is the Rode NT 2, in fact any Rode is a good balance of quality vs price. One point is that most decent vocal mics need external (phantom) power. This external 48 volt supply is usually supplied by the mixing console. note, cheaper low end consoles may not do this. I imagine another source of noise in the basement cold be air conditioning / heating system. Other issues I can foresee would be standing frequency "hot" frequencies due to boxy nature of most basements, and issues with natural reverberation in a concrete environment. Both can be improved with relatively low cost acoustic treatments. creaking floorboards can usually be reduced by fixing the worst offenders and using some form of sound damping . You are likely to encounter issues with water noise (toilets flushing, faucets running ) also water pipes knocking. You will probably also find issues with electri spill so you will likely need some power supply conditioning and isolation for your gear. common causes are spill from poorly earthed electronic gear and power spikes (clicks) from light switches and timed heating / aircon switching on and off. In all cased reducing environmental noise will improve quality. By careful use of materials you can also warm up or cool down the natural vocal tone. Rig up a pop-blast screen too and avoid using the mic mufflers that reduce pop (the black foam mic sleaves). Thee other aspect worth really considering is noise reduction regarding your voice leaking outside your studio to sleeping people! That wouldn't make you popular. So some effort will likely be needed to reduce sound spilll.

True. My misreading. I was thinking of what the boyfriend's friend was saying and thinking it was his advice, not his experience. Sorry Sophie. That being the case the answer to many parts of your question come down to what is agreed in the contract. If it is covered then the terms of the contract should most likely be fulfilled, if not then it is an ammendment or supplimentary term that needs to be negotiated unless it is a stipulated option whose terms are pre-agreed if yet not enacted. If not yet agreed between your boyfriend and the label: 1. most likely the label 2. not if the label controls the page 3. I believe income comes from a share of advertising income 4. generally the label would be supposed to pass any income on to publisher and artist according to a share split governed by a contract betwen the parties involved. In this Vevo is quite right that it is outside their contract assuming they have no provision for spilitting payments between publisher and label. Both labels and publishers commonly collect monies from income streams which they then distribute to artists and songwriters. In this labels and publishers are suppoaed to provide accounting details covering money collected and then distributed according to the share split dictated by their contract. 5. Yes, usually there is. Contracts often stipulate what can go to arbitration and how an arbitrator can be selected. 6. Unlikely as the content you mention is controlled by the previous label, although a deal could be done between the labels. Generally it is the labels that own the videos. I doubt that could legally happen without express agreement. 7. contract law. it depends on what has already been agreed and I doubt the artist expressly gives their permission. The label would assert it has that right (rightly or wrongly) in otherwords asserting that they have the right as dictated by a contract outwith the vevo contract, ie your record contract. 8. a ) control b ) if they trust the label to honestly administer rights then they gain the same thing they gain with and trading of rights.. ie someone else does the work. 9. no idea. I doubt it. Sorry I can't be more helpful. I am not a lawyer nevermind an entertainments lawyer. Vevo have obviously aimed to divide and conquer, dealing with as few parties as possible and trying to push any compliance details onto the labels alone. One additional point to make is that if this is up for negotiating just now you should ask the label to explain the business justification for them administering the page and exactly what rights they need and what they will do in terms of accounting. Your boyfriend needs to have a healthy working relationship with them at the end of the day and a certain degree of trust will be needed. No matterr what is agreed however please get it checked by an ents lawyer.

Unfortunately this is a detail that , like all others, should have been examined by an entertainments lawyer and negotiated before signing. If you didn't contest it and have it ruled out before signing, there is nothing to be gained by contesting it now. True a very good lawyer might find a loophole or other way to negate the clause, however it is unlikely. More likely is that you now piss off the labe l to the extent that your working relationship becomes unworkable with any relationship having deteriorated to something that not only gets the band shelved while still contractually bound but possibly even cited as a demonstration of breach of conyract on your boyfroend's part. All in all not good and very possibly a career ender. Next time get it checked before signing and do all that questioning thinking before puting the signature on the contract. Meanwhile do what the contract agrees and move on. Better to regret that smaller loss than lose the whole damn thing.