Musician Forum - Band Discussion Board - BandMix

I heard ( or read ) a comment the other day stating that the day of the demo CD is dead and gone.

Audio alone is ancient as B&W TV.

Demo's should be AV, perhaps even multi media ( if that is the correct terminology ) sent via smart phone / puters.

What do you guys think of that ???

sanshouheil wrote:I heard ( or read ) a comment the other day stating that the day of the demo CD is dead and gone.

Audio alone is ancient as B&W TV.

Demo's should be AV, perhaps even multi media ( if that is the correct terminology ) sent via smart phone / puters.

What do you guys think of that ???

Done that. Bad idea. Going back to CDs and cassettes. At least until I can do better videos.

OK Mike.

Thanks for the input.

Would you care to expound on " bad idea " ?

sanshouheil wrote:OK Mike.

Thanks for the input.

Would you care to expound on " bad idea " ?

I underestimate the easily offended. 'Nuff said.

LOL

Point well taken.

Sans.....a big problem I have with the new medium of demo exchanges is the quality of the final product. So I prefer listening to someone's CD rather than an MP3 or Youtube cut.

I've heard plenty of songs/music from differing artists/genres, that just don't cut it because of the quality of the recording. For example, if Im auditioning drummers, I want to know if that drummer is in touch with the tone he's putting out. Hard to do from listening to it through the new formats out there. Especially if you have to listen through computer monitors.

Sometimes, when checking out somebody's music, I stop listening just 15 seconds into the song. Mostly because it sounds like crap through my high-end sound system.

And this means that the hook or novelty of the song has to catch me from the very beginning, or I just wont listen to the entire song, which is not fair to the musician......but it's my ears and patience that are at stake.

So....maybe this is what Mike was trying to say, or maybe not. But what a lot of musicians out there are just not getting is, that your music might be great, well played and written.......but if an AR man or investor doesn't take the time to listen......you're not getting that big budget recording contract, or that well-paying road tour agreement.

We (musicians) are all striving for different goals. In some cases, an MP3 demo (because I believe that's what an MP3 really is) will do the job. But the CD recording has a better chance at getting listened to (by the "Right" people) because of the sound quality.

A good point Scratchy.

Most of the people I would be sending demo's too would not be sound professionals.

Still, the question was a general one, and not particularly related to just my situation.

Good input.

Thanks.

The problem for bar owners i know is that if they just hear a cd they think that youve doctored it up beyond what you sound like live.

If you are active bar band I would think just record a good show you do, you could just carry it around on a laptop and let them see what you sould and look like live. Just make sure its one with plenty of people dancing and having a good time. And that it sounds decent.

Listening level quaility has gone way down hill the last few years in my opinion.

As far as bar owners they want to know that you can entertain a crowd, bring in your own crowd and make them money.

It is a business, if you are expecting to get paid.

Scratchy wrote:Sans.....a big problem I have with the new medium of demo exchanges is the quality of the final product. So I prefer listening to someone's CD rather than an MP3 or Youtube cut.

I've heard plenty of songs/music from differing artists/genres, that just don't cut it because of the quality of the recording. For example, if Im auditioning drummers, I want to know if that drummer is in touch with the tone he's putting out. Hard to do from listening to it through the new formats out there. Especially if you have to listen through computer monitors.

Sometimes, when checking out somebody's music, I stop listening just 15 seconds into the song. Mostly because it sounds like crap through my high-end sound system.

And this means that the hook or novelty of the song has to catch me from the very beginning, or I just wont listen to the entire song, which is not fair to the musician......but it's my ears and patience that are at stake.

So....maybe this is what Mike was trying to say, or maybe not. But what a lot of musicians out there are just not getting is, that your music might be great, well played and written.......but if an AR man or investor doesn't take the time to listen......you're not getting that big budget recording contract, or that well-paying road tour agreement.

We (musicians) are all striving for different goals. In some cases, an MP3 demo (because I believe that's what an MP3 really is) will do the job. But the CD recording has a better chance at getting listened to (by the "Right" people) because of the sound quality.

Sound quality is also an issue, as you said. I've heard really awful-sounding demos burned to CD, that just says to me "We don't give a f*ck." Sometimes such an attitude could work in your favor, but usually not. A poor recording just tests the patience of the listener further, giving them incentive to shut it off.

Yes, I could see that being quite beneficial.
Another variation on the theme.
May work well in our situation as well.
Food for thought.

Thanks JW.

I think you should have a good quality CD or these days preferably a DVD of your band in a Demo pack or Promo Kit.

Include a very brief bio, what you play, equipment, a good picture and references of places that you have played where the owner will give you a good review. Include thier names and phone numbers.

I think it's best to have both; however, recently at the NAMM show, I found lots of CDs still being exchanged. I've also run into a number of people who aren't as technologically advanced as we think. While there are numerous musicians who can do things on their phones and such, there are many people in decision-making positions who aren't. I think it's a good idea though that if you're looking to perform to have a DVD of a performance. Honestly though, many club owners care less about sound albeit how many people you can bring, that's the first thing out of their mouths.

Chaeya

Recent gig MEDUSA got was after person promoting and booking requested bands send URL link for agent to listen to songs. I sent mine located at bottom of this post. I've listened to SANS latest Noisy Kung Fu and a few others like Jsantos, JimmyDanger. The three songs on bandmix are MP3, however they don't appear to have been corrupted by any over compression and such. TAKE A LISTEN. THANKS!

Alrighty then - exchanges of opinion concerning the rotten way music is listened to IN GENERAL these days. Give me vinyl through a vacuum tube pre-amp, a JVC power amp with stereo 7-band eq, maybe a Pioneer or Techniques turntable and JVC dual tape deck and a Stereo VCR using super high-end VHS tape. Yes, you can record onto VHS tape and the quality is awesome as the tapes's width is just shy of the Master you used to get uh, back then in pricey recording studiois. Klipstch Speakers ten feet apart raised six inches off the floor.

Was a time when an A&R dude would play 15-20 seconds of a each song off a four-song demo through a KILLER system AND they also had a beat up half melted by the sun $45.00 tape player with.................BASS BOMB. If it sounded like GOD on both, it went into a pile - a special pile. I HATE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY - MP3, .MWA .WMA. .WAV AND THEN ALL THIS kbps kbs skpsdk 128 328hz, this format, that format. Give me the record, slap it on. Done deal. Or not.

Hey tox, I'm not by any means a metalurgist. But the 3 Medusa tunes posted sound really good... well done! I listened all the way through. Also, I quit doing the mirror thing on account of I got tired of cleaning up broken glass and the stone thing ain't so bad... easy to maintain

I believe a press kit would normally include either that or a url to music.