At pointblank, we always look to the future. We have to – our job is to help our students create and prepare for their careers, to equip a new generation of influencers and creatives who will go on shape the music industry in the coming years. As such, we rarely allow ourselves too much time to look back, even in December. Indeed, throughout the month we continued to provide the very best production tutorials, exclusive free giveaways and informative features geared towards building your knowledge and taking your music-making to the next level. After all, we know you’ve got big plans for 2017, we’re here to help you achieve them.
To see each post in detail, click the corresponding title to be taken through to the page. And for those not already in the know, make sure you’re subscribed to our YouTube channel and following us on Facebook and Twitter so you never miss out on our cutting edge content. Now, roll December’s highlights reel:
Christmas Offer: It’s Your Last Chance to Grab a 20% Discount On Los Angeles & Online Courses Until Jan 9th
Christmas may be over, but there’s still a chance to save serious money on LA and online courses. If you’ve been dreaming of big things in 2017, what are you waiting for? We are currently offering two huge discounts off pointblank courses until January 9th! Alternatively, you could save up to £900 / $1,200 on any of our online courses. pointblank offers unparalleled immersive and practical education across all areas of music production and sound engineering, whether in our studios or online. To redeem your discount, just enter XMAS20 when you enrol.
Student Opportunity: Pioneer DJ x pointblank Accelerator Programme
Are you an emerging DJ looking for the chance to move to the next level? We’re looking for a student or recent graduate to take advantage of the newly launched Pioneer DJ x pointblank Accelerator Programme. The successful candidate will benefit from the combined support of pointblank and Pioneer DJ who will coordinate guest DJ slots at high level music industry events including Amsterdam Dance Event 2017. As well as access to top level DJ gigs, they will be invited to create guest mixes for renowned vlog platform DJ Sounds and Pioneer DJ Radio, with media support along the way from pointblank. Head to the original post for everything you need to know about how to apply.
Under The Radar with Sam Willis (R&S): Pt. 1 Korg Electribe ES-1
Stuck for Christmas present ideas? Fear not. We had a chat with Sam Willis, a.k.a Primitive World – R&S Records’ head of A&R and pointblank instructor – about some fantastic bits of overlooked music production hardware that are due a reevaluation. This gear can often be found for a steal online and could make a big impact on your tracks when utilised well. In the first instalment of the series Sam shows us the Korg Electribe ES-1, a small but powerful sampler. Described jokingly by Sam as ‘the poor mans Octotrack’, in reality this sampler is not to be underestimated and can be used for production or as a live tool to great effect.
PBR Streetgang ‘12.32’ Ableton Live Track Masterclass
We sat down with Bonar Bradberry and Tom Thorpe, the duo behind acid powerhouse PBR Streetgang (named after the boat crew in the 1979 ‘Nam classic ‘Apocalypse Now’), for an Artist Masterclass breaking down their track ’12.32’. Check out the video above, where the pair touch on a plethora of topics including initial conception of the track, together with their approach to processing samples and arrangement. They also give some insight into the benefits of collaboration and the impact it has on their creative process and workflow, and divulge their tips on how to get the best out of your production by optimising your tracks for the club.
Plugin of the week: Soundtoys Tremolator
The tremolo effect, sometimes wrongly named vibrato by musicians and even manufacturers , is the effect of modulating the amplitude of a sound. The first electronic tremolo effect for guitar was designed by DeArmond in the early ’40s, but if the early analogue devices had limited parameters, mostly depth and speed, digital devices tend to offer more controls to shape your sounds. Soundtoys’ Tremolator is a perfect example of what a modern tremolo effect can do. So what can it do? That was the subject of this recent Plugin of the Week. Make sure you subscribe to our YouTube channel for more tutorials and live events.
Register to Access Free Courses, Plugins, Projects, Samples & More
When you register with pointblank, you access an array of free sounds, plugins, online course samples, access to our social network Plugged In and much more! Simply register below and visit our Free Stuff page to get your hands on a range of exclusive music-making tools and tutorials provided by the team. Fill your boots!
