Inspirational story - Building a Computer Room for the Children and Teachers of Nepal

Almost a year ago we were privileged to join “Room to Read” and our education partners in building a computer room for the Children and teachers of
Anandaban , a small village that lies about 260 km southwest of Kathmandu, Nepal.

For those of you that didn’t have time to travel in Nepal (I actually did …) – the Village of Anandaban is part of Rupandehi district that lies in the southwestern “terai” region of Nepal (the name given to plains that lie close to the Indian border). Rupandehi evokes a holy sentiment for millions of Buddhists all over the world because it is the birth place of Lord Buddha.
The School’s Computer Room was completed May 11, 2007, By November they had dial-up Internet connectivity.
The school attracts students from many others nearby villages as well. There are many private schools in the area, and most of these schools have facilities to support computer education. Most of the students who come to School are from poor families in which both parents have to work long hours during the day just to save enough money to send their children to school.

The lab features a total of 26 multimedia desktop workstations, a laser jet printer, and desks and chairs for students and the teacher. The computers are fully networked (100 Mbps) through a 24-port networking switch with dial-up Internet connectivity.

The computer lab is used by students Sunday to Friday for approximately 7 hours per day. Most of the students in the school have never used a computer before.

About “Room to read” –
Founded by John Wood, Ex-Microsoft Executive, “Room to Read “partners with local communities throughout the developing world to establish schools, libraries, and other educational infrastructure.

Special “Thank You” to Dan MacFetridge for working with “Room to Read” and our partners to make this happen and for truly change people lives.

Make your PC an Ultimate PC

The online retail campaign went officially live this week (See “Best Buy”) - “Make your PC an Ultimate PC”
Microsoft is offering an upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate for $99 with new PC purchase through June.
· With the purchase of the Windows Vista Ultimate upgrade offer, customers can also purchase Intuit QuickBooks Pro and /or Windows Live OneCare at a promotional price during this time.
· This holistic offering provides the ultimate small business systems to the small business customers – helping them to get more done faster, work from virtually anywhere, track customers, suppliers, and cash flow, and keep information protected from accidents or theft.

Truly inspiring story - Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

This is a truly inspiring story about Patrick, that we were fortuned to be a part of… As the show went live a few weeks ago we are now able to share it with you all!

Last November we were asked by one of our partner Cakewalk and ABC Primetime TV show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition to help out with a family in Kentucky in building a recording studio for Patrick, a talented young man who was born without eyes.

If you're not familiar with the show, it airs Sunday nights with 14 million people viewers each week. Each episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is self-contained and features a race against time on a project that would ordinarily take at least four months to achieve, involving a team of designers, contractors and several hundred workers who have just seven days to totally rebuild an entire house -- every single room, plus the exterior and landscaping.
The lives of the lucky families are forever changed when they learn that they've been selected to have their home walls moved, their floors replaced and even their facades radically changed.

This ABC Primetime show has won two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Reality Program, plus the People's Choice Award for Favorite Reality Show/Makeover and the Family Television Award for Best Alternative/Reality Program.

Few words about Patrick ….
Patrick is also confined to a wheelchair and can’t extend his arms or legs fully. Despite this he played trumpet in the local college's marching band. His dad would wheel him around in formation during practice and games. The house the family was living in was too small for his wheelchair, so when home he would need to crawl (and remember he had no eyes) or get carried by the parents. The father worked nights to support the family and to care for Patrick and allow him to go to school.

Patrick new Studio

We had some great partners joining us and donated gear and equipment to build Patrick studio : Cakewalk donated SONAR 7 Producer Edition, Rapture, Dimension Pro, and SPS-250 from Power Studio ,as well as building Patrick studio on site, Roland donated a PCR-800 and Edirol Speakers, Audio Technica donated all the microphones for the piano, vocals and trumpet, Allen & Heath donated a ZED mixer, Auralex donated Studio foam ,Gibson donated a Baldwin baby grand (!) and guitars for the other son's room, and we -Microsoft donated Vista, Encarta and Office .

Even though it was a small donation from our side we hope we made Patrick and his family happy

The Hughes Family

Next week at the Grammy

We are sponsoring the “50 Years of Great Grammy Recordings” Party at Village Studios in West Hollywood.

This year marks a special moment in history as The Recording Academy® celebrates 50 years of musical excellence with the 50th Annual GRAMMY® Awards. As part of GRAMMY Week 2008’s festivities, The Producers & Engineers Wing of The Recording Academy will present “50 Years of Great GRAMMY Recordings” on Thursday evening, February 7, 2008 at The Village Recording Studio complex in West Los Angeles. This event will be a celebration of past winners and present nominees in the producing, engineering, remixing and surround sound categories. Over 300 prominent music industry guests will be in attendance.

Celebrate the Sony ACID AND Sony Sound series 10Anniversay on Windows as the “Platform of Choice”

This was the tenth anniversary of Sony ACID® Pro and Sony Sound Series, and we participated with Intel Corp. and Sony Creative Software in throwing a VIP party to celebrate at the Memphis Café in beautiful downtown Santa Ana, CA.

This party was to celebrate the personal and professional relationships that have made Sony ACID Pro and Sony Sound Series loops and samples the industry standard in music creation. Live entertainment featured our old friend DJ Papi Love and the aforementioned Rondo Brothers.

There were at least 120 attendees representing partners, editors, producers, and artists from all around the music industry.

Microsoft at Sundance Film Festival

Darek Mazzone , our one and only crossfader Chief Editor went to Park City, Sundance 2008.

This post is "From the Editor" ...his blog at Crossfader.com ...enjoy reading ....

Sundance 2008 started with a very bumpy flight from Anaheim to Salt Lake City that took my breath away. Utah in winter is a sight to behold, and the temperature change from Cali to SLC was insane. 65 to 7 degrees is tough. The airport in SLC was abuzz with all the film folks trying to find their ride to Park City. The onslaught of Hollywood in the snow starts as soon as you get to baggage check. Why is it that people who work in the glamorous field of cinema seem to never smile?
I got in my rental and headed toward Park City, about 45 min with no traffic. The mountains were gorgeous in the snow and falling light. I was DJ-ing the Seattle Sundance Party so my soundtrack for the drive consisted of new music I was testing out before playing it on the dance floor. I must admit it’s a little incongruous listening to Brazilian Drum and Bass while driving through rural Utah.
Coming into Park City, there was a huge traffic jam. When you consider that Sundance takes over a sleepy ski village and turns it into the biggest US film festival for a couple of weeks, the strain on services must be nuts.
I found an overpriced parking garage and headed for the club. We were doing our party at the Star bar.

The show was made up of various Sub Pop bands such as The Helio Sequence, Kelley Stoltz and Daniel Martin Moore, me, and the vibe of the festival. It was all good.
I knew many of my friends were going to be there for DJ gigs or showing their films or both, as was the case with Paul Miller (DJ Spooky). I texted him to find out what was going on. Then things got interesting. Behind most store windows and doors on the main streets were curtain-covered areas which served as “Gifting Stations”. These act as a way-station to get product into the hands of celebrities and various tastemakers. The number of these stations at Sundance is amazing. It feels like everyone is there trying to get their product shown.

So, as I said before, the amount of strain all this must put on the city is crazy, and lo and behold, mid way into my set...lights out! Half of main street, Park City goes black. Power outage! This made for some fun conversations and a real sense of camaraderie with people who are often dealing with others through a veil of indifference. It really made for a memorable time. The lights came back on in about an hour and Helio Sequence killed it.
I bounced to DJ Spooky’s party at the International Directors Tent and danced to some crazy dancehall while the Stella Artois (sponsor) flowed free. Sundance is a blast.

Buy The Software You Use - NAMM turns Blue

The International Music Software Trade Association (“IMSTA”) represents the business interests of our music software partners.

Their key function is the advocacy for the legal use of software in music content creation, primarily through public education campaigns. IMSTA members include software developers, distributors, retailers and publications. Saturday, January 19th, IMSTA declared “Software Day” during which over 500 T-Shirts bearing the slogan, “Buy The Software You Use” on the front and “Presented by Microsoft” on the back.

We were also awarded the “IMSTA of the Month” distinction. An IMSTAR is a company or individual who voluntarily adds value and a higher level of support for the IMSTA cause that goes beyond basic membership duties. Said Paul Fattahi, Executive Director of IMSTA, “By sponsoring this event, Microsoft has shown a great deal of support for IMSTA and its agenda. This act of generosity has saved us thousands of precious dollars. Thank you Microsoft.”

Live Broadcast from NAMM 2008

Live Broadcast from NAMM 2008 Sponsored by Microsoft & Intel
Through a special arrangement with Microsoft and Intel you can attend all of Cakewalk's special events from the NAMM show online as they happen. You'll even be able to ask questions during the Q+A period.

Friday, January 18th, 2008 All times PST

12 PM SONAR 7 Production Masterclass w. Magic Mendez (Unified Tribe, The Whispers. Phil Perry. George Duke)

Magic Mendez creates some of the best sounding productions we have ever heard come out of SONAR. Known for his work with The Whispers, Phil Perry, George Duke and other R&B stars, Magic will be playing music from his new project Unified Tribe and discussing his production techniques.
Click this link to view the talk online as it happens

1 PM SONAR 7 Advanced Production TechniquesJoin Cakewalk's Bill Jackson as he takes you through some advanced production techniques in SONAR 7 including AudioSnap, V-Vocal, and Comping.
Click this link to view the talk online as it happens

2 PM Beat Fetish — Martin Atkins on 25 years of Industrial & Post Punk RecordingProduced by Martin Atkins, Beat Fetish is the culmination of over 25 years of recording and includes some of the best material, cherry picked from sessions with Pigface, The Damage Manual, Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails and other artists. Atikins will be playing examples from the collection and discussing his sound design and production techniques used, along with anecdotes from the sessions. In addition Martin will also be discussing his new book Tour:Smart, the definitive book on touring and breaking the band. Martin is one of the most entertaining speakers in the industry and this talk is not to be missed.
Click this link to view the talk online as it happens
Ask questions

3 PM How the SONAR REAC Solution will Revolutionize Live Recording

Cakewalk and Roland announced a recording system at IBC earlier this year for Roland's REAC technology and V-Mixing system that will allow the recording of 40 channels of 24-bit audio over a single Ethernet cable. In addition this technology will work at distances up to two km with only 1 ms of latency. Tune in to learn more about the complete REAC solution and SONAR-based recording system and how it will revolutionize live recording.
Click this link to view the talk online as it happens
Ask questions

4 PM Introducing Craig Anderton's Minimoog Tribute Expansion Pack for Rapture

Join us as Craig Anderton, music technology authority and the editor of EQ magazine debuts his Minimoog Expansion pack for Rapture. Craig will talk about his relationship with Bob Moog, the importance of the instrument, and the painstaking process he used to creating this expansion Pack for Rapture. He will also discuss how you can use these sounds as a springboard for new sonic creations through Rapture's advanced synthesis capabilities. This talk will be followed by a complete demonstration of Rapture by Cakewalk's Brandon Ryan.
Click this link to view the talk online as it happens
Ask questions

5 PM Film & Video Game scoring masterclass with Shawn Clement, Timothy Michael Wynn, Chuck Carr, and Peter Johnson

We've assembled a panel of three of the best film and video game composers to discuss their craft and how they do it all in SONAR. Tune in to learn techniques for scoring to picture and the nuances between film and game production. The presenters will also provide tips on breaking into the industry. On the panel: Shawn Clement (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Batman Vengeance, recipient of ASCAP's award for most played underscore), Timothy Michael Wynn (James Dean Forever Young, The Punisher, The Simpsons Game), Chuck Carr (Pain, Grand Turismo, Music Supervisor for Sony Playstation), Peter Johnson (CSI NY, Spiderman 3 Soundtrack)
Click this link to view the talk online as it happens
Ask questions

Make Your Mark — Chicago, IL ,Thursday, January 31, 2008 3:00 PM—7:00 PM

Coming to Chicago

Make Your Mark — Chicago, IL
Ignite your potential!If you're serious about growing your skills as an artist and professional, knowing what it really takes to advance your career will be a key part of your success. The Make Your Mark event is your opportunity to get free insider advice from a host of industry veterans in audio, film, video and animation on how to stand out and get noticed.
Join us at Flashpoint Academy, Chicago's first Digital Media Arts College, and learn what it takes to take your career to the next level. Plus, experience the latest and greatest innovations from Avid, Digidesign, Softimage and M-Audio and check out Flashpoint Academy's state-of-the-art production facilities.Register now!
When/Where
Thursday, January 31, 2008 3:00 PM—7:00 PMFlashpoint Academy28 N. Clark St.Chicago, Illinois 60602http://www.flashpointacademy.com/
Located in the historic Burnham Center, Flashpoint Academy sits across from Daley Plaza and City Hall. Find Flashpoint Academy using Google Maps.
Agenda
2:15-3:00 pm
Registration
3:00-3:15 pm
WelcomeKurt Krinke, Account Manager, Avid Technology
3:15-4:00 pm
Making It: Insider Advice on How to Stand Out and Get NoticedModerated by Tom Duff, President of Optimus and A.I.C.EJoin local professionals: John Binder, Cutters; Mike LaBellarte, Outsider; Carlos Lowenstein, Whitehouse; Jon Adler, Daily Planet; and Sean Berringer, Red Car for a panel discussion of today’s digital media creation industry and what it takes to make it in the business.
4:00-7:00 pm
Reception/Open HouseTour Flashpoint Academy’s new facilities, featuring the latest Avid, Digidesign and Softimage gear.

CES 2008

Last week we were at the largest Consumer Electronic Show (CES) for the 2nd time since we took the Consumer Global ISVs initiative.
Our strategy this year at the show was all about “enhance and extend” the digital lifestyle experience by
a) Delivering partner solutions that are using the unique features and increased functionality in Windows Vista
b) Expanding our adoption targets to other MSFT technologies/platforms such as: to Xbox , Zune , and Windows Home server

We had 8 of our top partners showcasing wide range of solutions from Healthcare, Photography, Imaging, Video and Music
Partners such as: Cerner, Pinnacle, Sonic, NERO, HP Imaging and Printing Group, Nuance, Sony and Cewe color


Cerner Care Console(TM) solution
A consumer-centric technology that empowers patients to take an active role in their care
Integrated with Microsoft Windows Media Center and Xbox 360







Video - See how CareAware is powering the Smart Room of the future
PR - We received very broad coverage overall. Check out more here.
Spectrum Health Collaborates with Cerner and Microsoft to Implement Technologies that Empower Patients


Cewe Color Photo Book
CeWe Color developed with support of Microsoft an extended application based on the current Cewe Photo Book software which utilizes the functionality of .NET and WPF

Quick Tour - Special Windows Vista version












Pinnacle – Video editing software
“Pinnacle Systems has always been committed to being among the first to support the latest Microsoft products, beginning with our flagship Pinnacle Studio software. This commitment continues with some exciting new developments for mobile users. With support from Pinnacle Studio and Microsoft Zune for WMV, MPG4 and H.264 files, consumers can now enjoy the videos they’ve created wherever they go.”






PR - Microsoft Supports Pinnacle Systems With Prizes For The Ultimate Pinnacle Stud...
Pinnacle Systems Introduces Free Video Editing For All With New VideoSpin
Tutorials - http://www.pinnaclesys.com/s11/demos/Studio11_promo.html


NERO - Windows Vista-enhanced software suite
Nero announced it will showcase the latest Windows Vista-enhanced Nero 8 software suite in the Microsoft booth at the International Consumer Electronics Show. Newly optimized for Windows Vista, Nero 8 gives users a complete multimedia package that allows them to organize and manage their digital lives, as well as create and edit digital content.




PR - Nero to Showcase New Software Suite Nero 8 in Windows Vista Booth at CES
Video - http://ftp6.nero.com/press/videodemo/enu/index.html


Nuance - In-Vehicle Entertainment and Information
Today, the world’s top ten car makers each are working with Nuance to change the way people use navigation systems, digital music players and mobile phones in their vehicles. With high-profile deployments in Mercedes-Benz vehicles and the new Ford SYNC system being showcased at CES, Nuance is helping deliver safety and convenience for millions of drivers that want to use voice for controlling in-dash navigation, searching playlists on music players, dialing phones and accessing online services.

PR- Nuance Communications in the Spotlight at CES 2008
Nuance Speech Now Available through Ford SYNC in Twelve 2008 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury Models

Avid released more than 50 drivers that support Vista

AVID has just published their current state of Vista driver development for M-Audio products – More than 50 released drivers!!!

This is important announcement as it will allow M-audio end-users to start using or upgrade to Vista.

“M-Audio has been keeping pace with changes to the Windows Operating System since the release of Windows 95 nearly 12 years ago. Over the past year, we have worked directly with Microsoft’s Vista team to prepare for this release. We are very excited about the opportunity to offer continued support to our Windows customers as the Windows Pro Audio community begins the gradual transition to the Vista era. “
http://www.m-audio.com/windowsvista

Interview with renowned photographer Spike Mafford

Born in México, photographer Spike Mafford was educated in California and eventually relocated to Seattle.

Throughout the journey, Spike has sought the ideal image, which he describes “hunting the perfect moment, which is invariably a fleeting one. I love the sense of the elusive 'now' that one tries to capture.” This journey has not only carried him from one end of the North American continent to another; but has enabled him to marry the disparate worlds of sun-bleached México and rainy Seattle in a way only he could.
Whether capturing a stark leafless tree through a stucco porthole and the confetti-laden sugared skulls of Día de los Muertos celebration or the opulence of Seattle’s courthouse terrazzo floor, Spike’s images are infused with a stark elegance.
He talks to Darek Mazzone about his process and inspiration

http://crossfader.com/full_content.aspx?id=163

The Program - Five nights that celebrate the best of Northwest hiphop

THE PROGRAM
The best of Northwest hiphop

The first 2 nights of the Program we’re off the hook and totally sold out!
It is the biggest showcase of NW Hip Hop and Production ever and the depth and quality of talent is staggering. To see so many producers using their PC’s to create this amount of work is definitely encouraging for the future.
The fact that it’s an all ages show has added a new level of excitement and crowd participation from the audience.
Look for interviews with some of the major players in the next few days at http://www.crossfader.com/

What it is?
Five nights that celebrate the best of Northwest hiphop, at Neumo’s December 18-22

Why it is?

The 2000s have seen the explosionof the NW hiphop scene, from the success of local producers to breakdance crews winning national championships to Northwest groups touring internationally and fans coming out in droves to support local shows. One of the groups at the center of this excitement has been who came into existence in 2003, achieved local recognition in 2005, and reached national recognition this year with their second CD, Bayani. Prior to releasing Bayani in June of 2007 on the legendary Rawkus Records in a joint venture with their own label Massline, Blue Scholars had sold out Seattle’s Showbox several times, including a two-night stand that sold out in advance.

Crossfader.com using Silverlight

Croosfader.com is one of the first sites to choose Silverlight for his online video magzine
Now you can get high-quality video to all major browsers running on the Mac OS or Windows.

What is crossfader
Crossfader is a online magazine aimed at the professional and next generation digital artists. Our main goal was to create a site that features video interviews and stories with artists who use technology in their work. We feel the PC has transformed how art and expression is made and we’d like to share that story. Our motto is Artist. Creative. expression aimed at the professional and next generation digital artists. Our main goal was to create a site that features video interviews and stories with artists who use technology in their work. We feel the PC has transformed how art and expression is made and we’d like to share that story. Our motto is Artist. Creative. expression
http://crossfader.com/default.aspx

What is Silverlight ?
Microsoft® Silverlight™ is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight offers a flexible programming model that supports AJAX, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby, and integrates with existing Web applications. Silverlight supports fast, cost-effective delivery of high-quality video to all major browsers running on the Mac OS or Windows.

Share Your Studio Experience" online video editing contest by Microsoft & Pinnacle

Today we are announcing a new contest

Since the “Share Your Pinnacle Studio Experience” contest went live in July in the US and Europe, the number of contestants and site visitors has continued to grow, reaching more than 1.75 million page views and more than 700 video submissions by the end of December. Visitors to the contest’s web site have been showcasing their creative pieces, enjoying the diversity of the submitted videos, voting or rating their favorites, reading about user experiences and sharing editing techniques.
“The Ultimate Pinnacle Studio Experience” new video contest will enable even more users of Pinnacle Studio software users to share their creativity and experiences with thousands of visitors from around the world. Eligibility has been extended to include US and Canadian (excluding Quebec) users with all versions of Pinnacle Studio software, not just Pinnacle Studio 11. In addition, the contest will now accept one submission per email address, rather than one per household.
Pinnacle Systems has also lined up an exciting group of prizes that will be awarded to the contest’s winners. First-place winner will receive a Microsoft® Xbox 360 Elite, a Pinnacle PCTV™ HD Ultimate Stick and Pinnacle Title Extreme. For second place, the winner will receive a Microsoft® Zune 80GB, a Pinnacle PCTV HD Card and the Pinnacle Scorefitter™ product vol. 1 & 2 with original, royalty-free songs for use with Pinnacle Studio v.11. Third-place winner will receive a Microsoft® Zune 30GB and the Pinnacle Scorefitter product vol. 1 & 2.

Jake One: Producer & DJ

Jake One’s long history of production began in 1992, when he was inspired to begin creating beats by Sensimilla producer Hussein and Vitamin D (Derrick Brown). After collaborating with underground hip-hop artists Boom Bap Project and Sharpshooters, Jake’s production was usurped by the commercial world of rap—artists 50 Cent, Kutfather, Snoop Dogg, G-Unit and E-40 have either directly featured his production on their albums or highlighted his work on full-lengths and compilations. Jake’s beats appear on records released by Rhymesayers Entertainment, Quannum, Epitaph Records, EMI Canada, Interscope and Columbia.

Crossfader interviewed Jake in his Seattle Capitol Hill studio, where he discussed his vinyl obsession, musical modus operandi, and the stealthy and humble way in which he represents Seattle hip-hop for the United States in totality.

http://crossfader.com/full_content.aspx?id=159

2007 Guitar Player's "Guitar Hero" Competition Recap

Published Tuesday, November 20, 2007 3:57 AM by Dan Moore at the http://ampalliance.org/ site

What do you get when you put over 500 guitarists in a room with multiple bars, a stage with a house band, and a PA system? Even though I'm sure there's a humorous anecdote brewing, the real answer is the 2007 Guitar Player Guitar Hero competition at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

So, was this the video game "Guitar Hero"? Not really...even though it was sponsored by Activision/Red Octane, the creators of the Guitar Hero game title for Xbox 360. Rather, this was the final stage of Guitar Player magazine's next "Guitar Hero" competition, that started with thousands of entries from guitarists all over the world to compete for the grand prize and the sole title of the next "Guitar Hero".

The AMP Alliance was proud to be a contributing sponsor along with Microsoft, Digidesign, and Activision. As a drummer (and, alas, not technically a musician), I was very curious to see what this was all about...so I hopped aboard the non-stop from SEA to SFO to check it out.
Once we got inside, we noticed a line of people along the side of the theater. Curious as to what the hubbub was about, we maneuvered around the side and found out they were waiting for their turn to play the Guitar Hero game on an Xbox 360 unit and a 42" wide screen. It was really cool to see the level of excitement this game has generated, and that it is helping raise awareness of musicianship and creative expression to households all over the world.

It wasn't hard to see the promotional stuff...our logos and branding was everywhere, from the programs to the videos playing back on the main projection screen. They sold 578 tickets to the show (about 3/4 capacity of the Hall) with a marketing and promotion reach through the trades and web sites of over 500,000.

We had a really cool "Creativity is Fundamental" full page ad located on the back cover of the program that caught a lot of attention and tied in well with our other promos and branding around the venue and the promo materials.

We had a chance to get backstage and rap with a few of the contestants, including Danny Harvey, Les Robot, and the eventual winner Ladd Smith out of Nashville. We also had a chance to meet and chat with the legendary Joe Satriani and Steve Lukathur, who were both part of the panel of judges for the event.


We teamed up with Line 6 to help build out the prize packages given to all contestants, judges, and VIPs. Everyone received a copy of Windows Vista Ultimate and the GuitarPort software from Line 6. These guys walked away with some serious tools...but they deserved it!

The guitar hero site is using Silverlight

The guitar hero site is now using Silverlight !!!

The Guitar Hero Event - is an annual guitarist competition put on by Guitar Player Magazine of the Music Player Network. This event features the top ten finalists competing for the sole title of Guitar Player Magazine’s “Guitar Hero” – which also comes with a heap of musical equipment and a featured story in Guitar Player Magazine as the winning prize. The finalists were chosen after the staff of Guitar Player listened to thousands of entries posted on SonicBids.com.

The celebrity judges include guitar legend Joe Satriani, session great and Toto axeman Steve Lukather, former Poison and Mr. Big guitarist Ritchie Kotzen, ‘Rockstar: SuperNova’ house band guitar-slinger Rafael Moreira, and the fabulous Shredmistress Rynata.

The Majority of our focus for this event is the adoption of Silverlight as the web media format the Guitar Hero Simulcast, reaching an estimated 500,000 music enthusiasts all over the world! Guitar Player TV has previously been webcasting entirely in Flash, and our involvement in this event has spurred larger discussions between Music Player Network and Microsoft regarding a more permanent use of Silverlight as the standard web media format for all future GPTV simulcasts and regular programming.

"Music business" or "Success Business"

This weekend we are at the 2007 Music-tech

The 2007 MusicTech Summit, hosted at the Experience Music Project's JBL Theater and Learning Labs, will take place Nov. 2–3 and will examine how the changing technological landscape can empower artists and further their careers. Meet many of the most important players in this emerging industry, attend informative panels, network with industry leaders and jumpstart your career


Crossfader was one of the summit sponsors and we are having a lot of video interviews with artists and industry leaders.

Project Bar-B-Q -...food for music

Project Bar-B-Q is an intense conference held annually on a ranch resort in the central Texas hill country...

The goal of Project Bar-B-Q is:

INFLUENCING MUSIC HARDWARE & SOFTWAREOVER THE NEXT 5 YEARS

To this end, three to five groups are formed, each consisting of hardware developers, software developers, audio engineers, composers, and tech executives. Each group tackles a problem that has been identified as one of the industry's most important, spending two days of facilitated brainstorming to formulate its best shot at a solution. The result of this work is the annual BBQ report.

Dan Moore , our industry Bizdev represnt microsoft in the discussion.

We are proud to be able to support this unique think tank environment comprised of some of the greatest minds in the computer audio business, and learn what

The "Make Your Mark" tour (Music, 3D, Video, Film)

This week we were at San Francisco for the last stop of the Make your Mark tour!!!

With more than 500 students attending the events in 4 major cities (Boston, NY, LA and SF) this tour was a great success …

We were able to attract great PR coverage for both Microsoft and Avid, and reinforce our message that the “PC is a great platform for content creation”.
Having top artists from various disciplines, sharing and demonstrating their creative experience on the PC, and seeing students playing with the different tools was a great live evidence.

DJ/Producer Carmen Rizzo demonstrates how Pro Tools' diverse toolset lets you move seamlessly between production and performance, forever redefining the creative process and what it means to be a DJ/producer.


Animator and artist Raffael Dickreuter discussed how to start building a successful career as a digital artist


M-AUDIO is dedicated to creating cutting-edge products for digital DJs. They let you produce and perform the way you want,
so you can integrate your vinyl and CDs with the power of the computer or just leave those crates in the closet.


Visiting the Los Angles Film School, October 07

New Crossfader interviews LIVE from Atlanta

Crossfader Interviews & Content
(All content will be accessible on http://crossfader.com – links are embedded if applicable)

Featured interviews:

The Scott Storch Interview
We sat down with Grammy-winning producer Scott Storch (Christina Aguilerra, Pink, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Ja Rule, Beyonce Knowles, and Janet Jackson) to learn about how he got started in the business and what inspired him. Scott’s words of wisdom resonate deeply to those aspiring to become prominent in the music business…you have to start somewhere.


The Hank Shocklee Interview

A household name in urban and hip hop music and the producer of Public Enemy among several other groups, we spent over 30 minutes talking with Hank Shocklee of Shocklee Innertainment about technology, creative energies, and what young people can do nowadays to start capturing their creativity and build content. Plus he’s a really cool guy!

Meet Ray Williams, a man of many talents
A seasoned veteran of the music business and a mouthpiece for music enthusiasts around the world, Ray Williams (IMSTA, Music Marketing, MusicXPC, Steinberg Canada) speaks candidly about the creative process and the prominent role technology and digital tools play in that process. Ray most notably heads up the International Music Software Trade Association, a non-for-profit software anti-piracy organization based in Toronto, Ontario, whose charter is to educate music enthusiasts to “buy the software you use” and fight piracy and cracked software.

Taking the hip-hop capital of the world by storm!

The “Creativity is Fundamental” Campaign takes the hip-hop capital of the world by storm!

ATLANTA, GA - In our ongoing strategic relationship with Penton Entertainment Group, we were proud the be the Title Presenting Sponsor for the 2007 Remix Hotel Atlanta Show. This is an annual end user event held in the capital of urban and hip hop music, and is a major buzz generator for music enthusiasts, producers, and performers alike around the technologies and services that fuel this market space.

The Remix Hotel provides hands-on access to the technology and equipment used to create today's electronic and urban music via artist presentations and demonstrations, workshops, clinics and discussions. Remix puts the tools of the trade into the hands of the end user, and helps inspire young, up-and-comers to realize their creative potential through all the great tools of the trade.

Microsoft Master Class & Lecture Room
Held in a 40-seat mini-theater complete with projector, professional A/V equipment and surround sound, the Microsoft Master Class & Lecture Room provided a quiet, focused environment for our managed partners to showcase their latest offerings for PC content creation. The schedule was packed with product demos and tutorials on the latest technologies from the leading names in music content creation:

Ø Digidesign Pro Tools LE Master Class
We were fortunate to have one of Digidesign’s premiere demo product specialists, Alex Jinh, conduct daily product demos on the best selling Pro Tools LE system. Alex built a piece of music from scratch, right before an enthralled audience’s eyes…helping ends users understand how easy it is to create music on the PC.

Said Alex in an email afterwards, “People couldn’t believe we were running the demo on a PC. The system kept up with everything I was doing, never crashed, and helped make the demo successful. It really helped change people’s perception of the PC and its usefulness in making digital music.”

Ø Roland MV-8000 Production Studio Master Class
This was one of the most compelling demonstrations of building a piece of music from start to finish. Shown by the local Roland product expert Mike Acosta, the Roland MV-8000 wowed the crowd as beats were created, bass lines were recorded, voices and keys were added in, and the final piece was published to the PC…all in less than one hour’s time.

The demo went up a notch when a local Grammy-winning performing artist plugged in his bass and started recording new tracks alongside the beats, so attendees could see how you can combine live playing with electronic music. This really connected with the audience….totally awesome.

Ø Yahama Corporation Motif & Steinberg Sequel
Never to be outdone, Yamaha took over the Master Class Room with a compelling demo of their world-renown Motif keyboard workstation and interface. Yamaha product expert and Yankees fan Phil was able to build a funk tune with all the drums, bass, guitars, keys, and even voices in less than 15 minutes! The Motif can actually modulate and create parts around your central idea for a piece…you don’t have to know how to play guitar to get a great sounding guitar part to go with your idea.
Did I mention that the entire demo was centered around his HP laptop?

Ø Ableton Live 7 Master Class
Ableton originally made its mark in the music business as the world’s first music creation software dedicated to live performances…which meant the program needed to have ultra-fast response to changes made on the fly, and also feature a complete toolset for loop-based creation.
Ableton proved that was the right place right time strategy with the announcement of Live 7, a full featured workstation product that boasts a user base of over 100,000 worldwide and one of the most vocal, loyal customer bases anywhere.

Why is Remix Hotel important to Microsoft?
Events like Remix Hotel allow us to carry out our mission in a way that draws people in and excites their imagination….instead of a top-down overbearing branding and marketing approach. It is a unique opportunity to leverage existing relations with ISVs and enable them to position their product offerings as solutions that integrate seamlessly with the PC environment. It also is one of few events that allow us to accomplish several goals in one setting. When you get out there and start connecting with people one-on-one, you put some personality to your initiatives and help create the perception change that the Windows PC is a phenomenal creative content tool.

Creativity is fundamental

Today, we are unveiling our FY08 Go to Market campaign imagery, known as: “Creativity is fundamental. “

Building on the great success we had in FY07 with the “unleash your creativity” GTM with a spin this year towards inspiring enthusiasts to learn how to capture their creative energies using technology.

“Creativity is fundamental”- is our overall approach designed for the different online/in-person programs and Marcum activities we will be driving this year, such as: events, tradeshows, PR, websites and evidences targeting the Digital content creation (DCC) market.

We have a lot more in store to keep driving perception change through our industry and show the world you can create anything you want using Microsoft technologies and platforms.

Stay tuned!!!

The next generation of digital artists

Today, we are launching our first campaign as part of the “secure the next generation of digital artists” initiative - The Make Your Mark Tour

Coming next month to Boston, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Make Your Mark Tour is designed to help students find their creative voice through technology.
Students will immerse themselves in the most advanced digital content production tools on the PC platform, mingle with the minds behind the gear, check out artist-hosted demos and hear industry experts reveal what it takes to break into the biz

Make Your Mark Tour - http://makeyourmark.avid.com/

Why Attend?
Students will get to hear from Grammy-nominated producers/Remixers to representatives from the SXSW Film Festival, and a host of other renowned artists and industry veterans in audio, film and animation on how to stand out and get noticed. Students will also be shown the latest tools from Avid running on Microsoft Windows platform.

Locations:
Boston - October 3, 2007 - Boston University
New York - October 13, 2007 - The Millennium Broadway Hotel
Los Angeles - October 20, 2007 - Los Angeles Film School
San Francisco - October 23, 2007 - San Francisco State University

launching Easy Media Creator 10 on Vsta

Today , Roxio, a division of Sonic Solutions is launching Easy Media Creator 10. This launch is a substantial upgrade to the company's flagship suite of digital media applications with New Windows Vista-Tuned Software Suite that helps consumers gets the most out of their digital lifestyle.

We will be targting over 40 million households and 15,000 retail outlets , as well as running massive online Online advertising: 100 million impressions , Online newsletter: 7 million impressions and e-mail campaigns: 30 million impressions

Yes.Silverlight is here !!!

We have 2 of our major GISVs supporting the Sliverlight launch: Sonic solution and Pinnacle (a Division of Avid)

“As the leader in consumer video editing applications, Pinnacle is constantly looking to provide our customers with new and creative ways to share their video projects with friends and family. As such, we are pretty excited by the possibilities of Silverlight and how its integration with our applications will enhance the Web-based social network experience of our customers — sharing media in an engaging fashion over the web has never been so easy.”
Jan Piros, Director of Product Management, Video Editing
Pinnacle

“Microsoft Silverlight is a compelling platform for Sonic that leverages much of our existing development experience, tools and technologies to develop richly interactive digital media applications from Hollywood to home, for the Web and portable media player products worldwide.”
Rolf Hartley, General Manager, Professional Products Group
Sonic Solutions

Extend our strategic alliance with Avid Technology

Im very excited today , as we are extending our strategic alliance with Avid Technology Inc.

Over the past several months, My team and Avid Technology have been working towards a strategic alliance designed to provide better user experience and enhance functionality on the Microsoft platform for the consumer market and the Media & entrainment industries.

This multi-year agreement will allow both Microsoft and Avid to drive end user excitement for our products and solutions by placing better and improved tools for digital content creation in the hands of consumers, enthusiasts and professionals.

We will be working together to deliver Vista certified Consumer based Video editing solution thru Pinnacle Studio product family, and for Digidesign ProTool that will include support for HW and SW components.
We will be making other investments as part of this deal ....
I wish i could have told you all how much/if any $$$ was involved here .....

At Remix Hotel NYC 2007's Sound & Stage Room, presented by Microsoft and Crossfader, several hardware and software partners will showcase cutting-edge

At Remix Hotel NYC 2007's Sound & Stage Room, presented by Microsoft and Crossfader, several hardware and software partners will showcase cutting-edge music-making technologies—all running on the Windows platform. The space will feature the latest music tools running on the new Windows Vista operating system, demonstrating how Vista has been designed to enhance the music-creation experience for professionals and consumers alike.
The Sound & Stage Room is split between the "Sound" and the "Stage" areas. The Sound area will feature a number of small kiosks with a variety of hardware/software solutions with a laptop PC, desktop speakers and various peripherals for demonstration by reps from the various partners. On the production tip, you'll get the goods on Steinberg Sequel and Cubase, Celemony Melodyne and Power Suite 5, Learned Evolution and more.
The Stage area will have a full P.A. system complete with turntables, controllers, a laptop PC and a DJ mixer; it will feature back-to-back presentations and performances by some of the music industry's hottest artists and producers, such as J Punch, Logikal, 3kStatic, DJ Boo and Chris Petti.

Windows Vista Musicians' Resource Page

Brought to you by cakewalk ...This page was designed to provide the ultimate resource on Windows Vista and the benefits it provides to the audio community. You will find links to hardware and software products that natively support Windows Vista, information on how to choose the right version of Vista for you. And relevant news stories that concern Vista and it's applications for music creation and audio production.

http://cakewalk.com/Vista/default.asp