Paragon Studio Trident Audio Board Refurbished

Paragon Studio Trident Audio Board Refurbished by Sue Basko, Esq. Update 2016: Sadly, Paragon Studio was forced to go into sleep mode because the building in which the studio was housed was sold to a developer.  The Trident Audio Board was sold to another Chicago Studio.  Joe Connors is now producing at Bennett Road Studios.  If any others from Paragon want to write in and say what you are up to, we are happy to post it. My very dear friends at Paragon Studio in Chicago have worked for months refurbishing their famous Trident mixing board.  Paragon Studio is a great place with wonderful people.  You can read about  Joe Connors, the Chief Engineer and producer, HERE.  Paragon sent me this excellent write-up below about the historic Trident audio board - which I have had the pleasure to sit behind many times.  Please read and enjoy the pics.   Trident TSM 48x32x24x4x2 Mixing Console #9

Paragon Studios, Inc. is home to the legendary Trident TSM Console #9 used to record artists Art Garfunkel, Pink Floyd (The Wall), Queen, Roberta Flack, Meryl Streep, Little Richard, Elvis Costello and R.E.M. to name a few.

Paragon Studios, Inc. This unique Trident audio mixing console was constructed in 1979 and remained in full service at Trident Studios in London until 1981 when renowned recording engineer, Ben Rizzi, purchased and installed it in New York City’s Master Sound Studios. There, the console’s award winning recordings by renowned artists led to a studio buyout and its relocation to Kaufman Astoria Film Studios in 1984. The console was then sold to Fred Shaw of Bradley House Music Studios in Quinby, South Carolina. In 2002 the console was purchased by its third and present owner, Ned Engelhart, of Paragon Studios, Inc. in Chicago, IL.

The legendary Trident TSM #9

Just some of the many artists who have recorded on the legendary Trident TSM #9: Placido Domingo, Keith Richards, Tony Bennett, Pink Floyd, Barbra Streisand, Dizzy Gillespie, Queen, Kiss, Luciano Pavarotti, Sesame Street, Julie Andrews, N’Sync, Elvis Costello, John Cullum, Wynton Marsalis, Gary U.S. Bonds, Sir James Galway, Roberta Flack, Sinead O’Connor, Laverne Butler, Monty Alexander, Arthur Blythe, David Sanborn, Joey Henderson, Ramsey Lewis, Robert Merrill, Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Bill Taylor, Astor Piazolla, Marvin Hamlisch, Betty Carter, Barbara Cook, Incognito, Billy Joel, Benny Carter, Leonard Bernstein, Itzhak Perlman, Blues Traveler, Little Richard, R.E.M., Chuck Harrington, Ornette Coleman, Branford Marsalis, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Ace Frehley, Phylicia Rashad, Don Byron, Paul Williams, Vilayat Khan, Kathie Lee Gifford, Jack DeJohnette, Peter Erskine, Art Garfunkel, Charlie Haden, Judy Kaye, John Lurie, Marcus Miller, Michel Petrucciani, Markus Roberts, Buzzcocks, Samuel Ramey, Chico Hamilton, Kathleen Battle, Hal Miller, Chic Corea, Meryl Streep, Vernon Reid, Betty Buckley, Paquito D’Rivera, Oscar Peterson, “Weird Al" Yankovic, Monte Croft, Dom DeLuise, George C. Scott, Don Rickles, Angelo DiPippo, Joe Simon, The Drifters

The legendary Trident TSM #9 has completely been reconditioned to original factory specifications! Come in and listen for yourself! The process has been lengthy, arduous, painstakingly tedious, time-consuming, with many prolonged delays spent finding the correct replacement parts! The regional tech for Trident during the 70's was John Klett |techmecca@me.com | www.technicalaudio.com. Our local expert who has been assisting since the legendary Trident TSM #9 was installed in PSI (and, in fact, was the individual whose recommendation was made to Ned to purchase) is Soren Wittrup of CS Electronics Inc. Fred Guarino, owner of Tiki Studios in New York, had a Trident similar to Paragon's. Mr. Guarino sent information, schematics, and was of the utmost assistance. Story has it that Fred sold his board to Alicia Keys, and then she sold her's to someone in Kansas City.

Joseph Connors with Darrel Yount And, finally, our legendary Trident TSM #9 reconditioning project was completed under the dedication and supervision of our Chief Engineer, Joseph Connors, and in-house tech, Darrel Yount of Music Dealer Services / Mods by Darrel. Call if you wish to know more about our legendary Trident TSM #9 reconditioning project.   Who We Are First and foremost, we here at Paragon Studios, Inc. believe in you, the artist, and the music you are making. We listen to your needs and present solutions to capture and preserve your creativity. No matter if you are a seasoned professional or just beginning, we are committed to providing you with exceptional quality in service and product. We're Team Players All of our efforts are targeted at creating and maintaining long-term mutually rewarding associations, not only between us and you the artist, but among your entire team. We help you grow by understanding the relationship between you the artist and your support network of Manager, Tour Manager, Publicist, A&R Exec, Booking Agent, Attorney, Record Company, etc. We've Got the Gear, the Ears, and More Paragon Studios features professional recording hardware and software from Pro Tools HD and Logic, to gear by Shure and Neumann. Whether you’re going for a clean digital recording, or that classic analog “straight-to-tape” feel, Paragon has what you’re looking for. In house instruments include assorted electric and acoustic guitars, basses, Hammond B-3 Organ (with Leslie cab), unique Steinway Grand Piano and various drum kits with assorted snares, cymbals and percussion. We are experts at capturing the sound of your own gear and help you polish that personal touch on your tracks. We're Flexible Whether it’s a short demo or a full length album, our eclectic studio and productive atmosphere is the perfect fit for nearly every genre. Paragon Studios is a 24/7 facility, including space and studio. Block rates are available, and rates are negotiable to fit your budget.  CHRIS (JOE) CONNORS  Chief Engineer Paragon Studios, Inc. Joe Connors studied composition and linguistics at the University of Montana. After college, Joe began his career at Paragon Studios, Inc. as an intern, learning the ropes of recording and further developing his composition skills. He quickly earned the title of Chief Engineer in 2007 and has held the position ever since. FUN FACT: Joe used to be a Sous Chef at Drayton Place in Mobile, Alabama serving Cajun and Creole flares on French Cuisine. Mouth-watering aromas are commonplace wafting about the studio complex; especially in the kitchen and dining areas when Joe wears his 'chef hat'! 820 West Fulton Market, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60607 Phone: 312-942-0075 (Studio Line), Phone: 312-942-2488 (Fax) Phone: 312-342-4005 (Cell), E-mail: info@paragonstudiosinc.com

Camping for Music Festivals: Creating a Campground

Camping for Music Festivals: Creating a Campground

by Sue Basko, Esq.

If you want to create a campground to go with a concert or festival, there are many factors to consider.  Below is a list to get you started in planning.  There are so many details. If you're going to do this right, you need to be extremely detail-oriented.  It can be best to work with someone who has done it before.

Some of the most basic needs are drinking water, portapotties, hand washing stations, and showers.  These can all be rented.  There are companies that will send a big truck filled with potable water that can be used for drinking and showers.  "Potable" means the water is clean and safe for drinking.  It is safest to also use potable water for showers and misters, so there is no risk of bacterial infections in the water mist.

In hot weather, cooling stations are needed to keep campers from getting heat stroke.  Misters are often used.  A mister is a length of hose or piping with small holes in it, attached to a clean water source,  that emits a fine mist.  Usually the misters are mounted above head height, so people can stand under them. Sometimes misters are fronted with  a fan, to spread the cooling mist. Other cooling stations are a dome or tent that has air conditioning.

Here are some links to companies that rent misters, portable showers, potable water trucks, portable toilets, etc.  These are links to get you started so you can get an idea of what is available, space needed, and costs involved.   Most of these sites have good photos of the equipment that is for rent and some even provide layout diagrams.  Keep in mind, you have to use a company that delivers to the location of your event.

Misting/ Cooling: 
http://www.bigfogg.com/
http://www.mistcooling.com/application/rental-installations.html

Potable Water, Showers, Restrooms:
http://www.ccirentals.com/products/jobsite-equipment-rentals-services/site-equipment/potable-water-trucks/ 
http://www.yourrestroomdelivered.com/equipment/portable-toilets
http://www.portakleen.com/product/8-stall-portable-shower-trailer

Another main need for any festival or campground is electricity. If there is not adequate on-site electricity (and there rarely is), you need to rent a generator.  Here are some generator rental companies to get you started on understanding what is available and costs involved:

Electricity Generators:
https://www.hertzequip.com/herc/equipment-rental-locations/ 
http://www.event-tex.com/Event_Tex/Generator_Rental.html

The links above are not recommendations, they are simply examples of companies you can explore to get started in finding what you need.  Your choice of a company should include such factors as location, price and add-on prices, availability, reputation, customer service.   Most such companies will be able to give you a lot of information.  For example, if you tell a company that you will have a 2 day festival with 200 people present all day and night, the company can tell you how many toilets you will need, etc.

Here is a basic checklist to get you started in planning a concert or festival campground: (These are numbered for convenience, but all items are important.)

1. Zoning 
2. Permits
3. Local laws
4. Inspections required 
5. Campground temporary - can you get a permit for that?
6. Is the ground surface suitable to tents?
7. What must be done to the ground surface to make it suited for tents?
8. Surface cushioning, leveling, drainage
9. Flood plain areas?
10. Electric wires overhead?
11. Lighting danger?
12. Sewage and water run-off? 
13. Presence of wildlife
14. Presence of mosquitoes, ants, mice, etc. 
15. Presence of any endangered species
16. Insurance - how much and can you get it?
17. Water sources
18. Water for drinking.
19. Showers - are there any?
20. Toilets - can you rent portapotties?  How many will be needed legally? Price them out.
21. Hand-washing stations
22. Servicing of portapotties, Cleaning several times per day
23. Toilet paper, paper towels, soap 
24. Electricity
25. Basic Lighting
26. Trash bins and collection
27. Recycling
28.  Clean-up during and afterwards
29. Security and safety
30. Layout done accurately to scale
31. Plotting the space, marking the space
32. Temporary fencing for exterior perimeter 
33. Fencing to demark roads, areas, toilet area, etc.
34. Layout marked or fenced, "street" signs and space signs made and posted
35. Signage
36. Car Parking
37. Car parking layout – must follow recommended sizes
38. Parking accommodations for handicapped
39. In and out allowed? How many times per day?
40. Alcohol allowed in?
41. Layout to accommodate cars and camping; should not mix or dangerous 
42. Picnic benches, tables, chairs?
43. Preparations for possible severe weather conditions
44. Having a central fire pit and shelter/ tent/ dome
45. Not allowing campfires 
46. Propane and cook stoves allowed or not? 
47. Establishing a business entity for accepting payments
48. Establishing a reservation system
49. Establishing reservation and refund policies
50. Camping price per car? per tent? Per person?
51. Campers should have ticket to event, show it to reserve campsite
52. Plan to have any “glamping” sites, that is glamorous camping with nice tents, furniture, etc, provided? (These rent for higher prices) 
53. Noise ordinances, drug ordinances, drinking, guns, weapons, fireworks, glass
54. Working with local sheriff (you don't want them coming on property)
55. Emergency Medical Techs on location at all times
56. Preparation for medical emergencies such as overdoses.
57. Advance prep for med helicopter, ambulance, etc.
58. Children, babies – allowed or not?
59. Camping 18 and up only?
60. Waivers of liability
61. Rules stated on website before purchase of camping spot
62. Dogs, cats, snakes and other pets brought by campers?
63. Handicapped accessibility? Ramps, portapotties
64. Availability of phone service, radio, wifi
65. Need to run phone line for campsite business/ emergency contact within camp and to the outside? Buy/ rent satellite phones/ radios? (This can be especially true in a ravine, cave, mountain valley, deep forest area)
66. Note: some ticketing systems depend on availability of phone service/ wifi to check authenticity of tickets.
67. Food vendors
68. Food vendor licensing, permits, health department inspections
69. Presence of potable water for kitchens
70. Source of electricity for kitchens 
71. Other vendors - sunscreen, insect repellent, flashlights, etc.
72. Possible entertainment on site 
73. Cleanup, Damages, Repairs, Restitution, Trash, Recycling
74. Set-up Time needed in advance (How many days/ weeks?)
75. Break down / clean-up time needed after? (How many days?)
76. Tire treads, ground damage, resurfacing (especially if it rains)
77. Hiring people for entry gate security, layout, set up, security all day and night, EMTs, recycling, toilet maintenance, trash pickup.

Paragon Studio Trident Audio Board Refurbished

Free Music for Youtube Videos

FREE Music for Youtube Videos

by Sue Basko, Esq.

Do you like making videos for Youtube?  If so, our good friends at Youtube have worked hard to give some really great options for you to use really good music for free on  your Youtube videos.

The first option is a free music library.  You can use this on any of your Youtube videos.  The Youtube Audio Library has music that can be selected by genre, instrument, mood, or duration of the piece of music.  There's a lot of good music to choose from.  Go to the site and play around with the settings and listen. You'll hear some excellent selections to suit most videos.

This is what the Audio Library looks like:

what the Youtube Audio Library looks like. 

SFX Categories

Some SFX Selections in the "Water" Category

The Audio Library also has Sound Effects, or SFX for short.  Select the "Category" tab and you will find about 20 SFX Categories, each of which has about 20 selections.  There are so many great sound effects.   The picture on the left shows the Categories.
←← Sound Categories.

Sound Effect Selections→→
One the right, you can see some of the sound effect selections listed under "Water."  You'll find all kinds of water sounds from bubbling brooks to waves washing up on the shore, to a drinking fountain.

what the Ad-Supported Music looks like 

 The second option is Ad-Supported Music. These are a few hundred of  the most popular songs that lots of people want to use in Youtube videos.  The Youtube people have worked hard to cut deals for these songs to be used for free.  When you use one of these songs, an ad will play first and that ad money goes to the people who own the song. Or there might be those in-screen ads.

The Ad-Supported songs are a collection of today's most popular songs for Youtube videos along with some songs that have been popular for a few years.  In today's selection, you'll notice "Uptown Funk," which is very popular for school videos; several songs from "Fifty Shades of Grey," a few songs by Taylor Swift, the hugely popular "Gangnam Style," and a few hundred other songs that a lot of people like.   Some of these would be great for a Youtube wedding or vacation video, a travel video, a dance video,  or you own homemade tribute music video.  You can use all these songs in your Youtube videos without paying any money or getting any licenses. The songs have been pre-licensed by Youtube for your use in Youtube videos.

Each one of the Ad-Supported Songs has a different set of restrictions. You can see the restrictions by clicking on the arrow by the song.  Here we show the restrictions on two different songs.

Comparison of the Use Restrictions on 2 Ad-Supported Songs

Let's compare the restrictions on the two songs, "Love Me Like You Do," and "Uptown Funk." Notice that neither song allows you to monetize the song. That is going to be true of all the Ad-Supported songs.  You get to use the song for free, but your use of the song is supported by the ad revenue that goes to pay the copyright owners of the song.

The second restriction is whether Playback is blocked in any nations.  For some reason, Germany is a party to very few of the song agreements, and Playback is blocked in Germany on many of the Ad-Supported songs.  Notice that is the case with "Love Me Like You Do."  Playback of "Uptown Funk" is blocked in 244 countries.  That means your friends in the U.S. will be able to watch your video, but friends in other nations will not likely be able to watch.  The restrictions on each song are unique, so you need to click the arrow by each song and find out what the deal is with that particular song.

If you are choosing an Ad-Supported song, you will want to check on these restrictions to be sure you pick a song that suits your needs. If you want your song to be playable almost worldwide, you need to choose a song that is blocked in as few nations as possible.

Keep in mind, the use of this music is for use in your videos on Youtube only.  If you plan to host your video other places, the Youtube music licensing deal does not hold.  But remember -- Youtube videos can be embedded on most websites and social media, including on Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and Wordpress.

To embed a Youtube video, you copy the embed code and paste it in to any place on a website that accepts HTML.  You can choose a size, or you can make it any size by deleting in the height and width in the embed code, and replacing it with new numbers.  Be sure to choose a height and width that maintains the original aspect ratio.  For example, if the embed code is Height 300 and Width 500, then you must change each number proportionally, such as Height 150 and Width 250.  Otherwise, you will get a misshapen picture.

To show a Youtbe video on many social media sites, you just add the URL link. This is true on Facebook and Twitter.

Have fun making Youtube videos with this free music!  Please feel free to send me links to the videos you create.

Camping for Concerts and Festivals: Creating a Campground

Paragon Studio Trident Audio Board Refurbished