The Secrets about Numbers stations

Since World War II, so-called Numbers stations have been transmitting coded messages using shortwave radio antennas. These transmissions sound weird and somewhat spooky to most listeners, impossible to decode to cryptographers, but to the intended recipient may contain information that changes the course of history.

Simple SW radio

Simple SW radio

Numbers stations are simply shortwave radio transmitters usually operating between 3,000 and 30,000 kilohertz and are possibly pirate stations which operate unlicensed leaving them absent from any government documents. If they are not pirates, then who is authorizing them? If they are pirates, then what audience are they transmitting for? Using Short Wave radios will never arouse any suspicion unlike the use of more sophisticated computer equipment.

The broadcasts generally begin with an alert signal which may be a simple tone, or it can be fragments of a song, such as with the famous Lincolnshire Poacher station, which begins broadcasts by playing several bars from the well-known tune of the same name. Others include Magnetic Fields (Jean Michel Jarre), Swedish Rhapsody, Cherry Ripe. This indicates to listeners that a message is about to begin.

Number stations use a system which is absolutely secure. A so called ‘One Time Pad’ provides the key for encryption and decryption using a string of numbers as the key. After use the code is destroyed meaning that no part of the key is ever reused.

Not all Numbers stations send out simple numbers. Some of them send out noises instead. The station known as ‘The Buzzer’ sends out high precision buzzing on 4625khz 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It has been on the air for over 10 years with no information about its source.

Here is an example from the Swedish Rhapsody station

The Conet Project released a set of CD’s with recordings of Numbers Stations and Noise Stations based on the work of Numbers Station enthusiast Akin Fernandez .

Numbers Station transmissions have become popular with music and filmmakers. Notable among them are Boards of Canada (album Geogaddi track Gyroscope), Max Richter (most of the album The Blue Notebooks), Jóhann Jóhannsson (album Orphée track A Song For Europa) and the film The Numbers Station starring John Cusack and Malin Åkerman

Music Producers and bands pre-recording checklist

This is a checklist that I usually give to a client before they come in to record. It covers most situations, such as being fully rehearsed with the arrangements clear through to copyright clearance and having all accessories ready and working.

The idea is that the client will waste as little of their precious time as possible by being fully prepared before the session starts.

  • Are you fully rehearsed?

    • For example, the vocalist should ensure that all potential mistakes in the vocal tracks are corrected before recording. Or the lead guitarist can perfectly play the solo from start to finish

  • Are the arrangements finalized?

    • You can make a great song AWESOME with a killer arrangement. So spend some time deciding if there are things about the song that could be changed to make it have even MORE impact

  • Have you settled any sound recording copyright issues in advance?

  • Are all instruments and accessories ready?

    • Guitarist checking the battery status of their gear; or bring extra batteries in addition to the power adapters in case of accidental malfunction

    • Vocalist and backup vocalist printing the lyric sheets in advance

    • Drummers making sure their drum sticks work or in good condition

    • Check for serious tuning problems in case of guitar strings and replacing faulty strings days before actual recording

  • Is the tempo of every song confirmed?

    • One of the biggest time-wasters in the studio is recording at the wrong tempo. That’s why you should take time to identify the best tempo for the song. Once you start recording, you can’t go back and change the tempo

  • Are song demos uploaded?

    • For the producer - As you listen to the song, ask yourself a few questions. Does it need to be faster or slower? What instrumentation do you hear in your head? Does the arrangement need to change? Do the transitions work? How about the chord structure? Let your imagination run with it for a few days

  • New drum skins fitted (if required)

  • Spare set of sticks

  • Organize a second snare drum for tuning options

  • Organize a second set of cymbals for options

  • Are the guitars setup and restrung?

  • Is the bass setup and restrung if required?

  • Do you have a spare set of strings for any guitars?

  • Print out the lyrics (3 copies)

    • write up the lyric sheets for your songs, including chord changes

  • Are the backing vocals parts written in advance and rehearsed?

  • Have you organised the production budget and payment schedule?

  • Have you prepared a complete list of credits in the recording project?
    https://www.audiorecording.me/music-production-credits-in-recording-essential-documentation.html

Below is how you are going to fill up the details:

  • Date started– the date that the recording started

  • Song title– the official title of the song. If the song is copyrighted, use the title registered

  • Music publisher/writers – who wrote the song as well as the publishers. Sometimes artist and producers rush to the studios without giving proper credits to the songwriters and publishers. This can result to a legal issue particularly if the labels/artist/producers did not make an agreement with the publisher to use the song. Bear in mind that if you did not write the song, you have to ask permission before you can use it whether it’s for non-commercial or commercial reasons

  • Original/Cover – if the artist wrote the song, it is their original work. Otherwise its cover; the record producer should know this so that proper licensing procedures are implemented. Recording studio engineers should discourage recording of cover songs without proper authorization or license

  • Artist– the name of the artist or band

  • Album- if you are recording an album project, write the album name

  • Label– the name of the label, if the project doesn’t have label, use the owner of the sound recording copyright (in this case the artist if they are the one financial the entire sessions)

  • Producers – the one who is responsible for approving and disapproving the recording take. Sometimes the label hires producers or it can just be the artist themselves

  • Studio – name of the recording studio

  • Engineers – the name of the recording engineer in-charge; including the assistant if applicable

  • Operating system– the OS used by the computer to record the tracks

  • DAW– the recording software used e.g. Reaper, Pro tools, Cubase, etc.

  • Bit depth– e.g. 24-bits, 32-bit float. Never use 16-bit when tracking

  • Sample rate– e.g. 44.1 KHz, 48 KHz, 96 KHz, 192 KHz. Never use less than 44.1 KHz

  • Audio Interface – the analog to digital hardware interface used, e.g. Focusrite Saffire Pro 40 or DigiDesign Mbox.

Example track details form

Example track details form

Gilets Jaunes - binaural recordings

I stumbled across this remarkable work of audio field recording by Benjamin Gale a freelance Sound Editor, Field Recordist and Sound Designer currently based in London. Not only are these extremely good binaural recordings of the current civil unrest in France, known as the ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow jackets), but show a good deal of bravery in pursuit of the art.

Only pockets of casseurs remained

You can read the full article and listen (using good headphones) to his recordings at his website

Source: http://www.spacewalkaudio.co.uk/les-gilets...

KiloHearts Phase Plant is sounding very good

This is all sounding very nice. Coming soon! Phase Plant is the crowning achievement of the snapin eco-system that Kilohearts have been developing since the release of Multipass in 2015.

Phase Plant combines the power of or snapin effects with new modules for signal generation and modulation, creating a hybrid synthesizer capable of what has previously only been possible in classic modular setups. It does all this on a single screen and with surprising ease.

KiloHearts Phase Plant interface

The way the different elements go together gives a lovely modular feel, and allows some spectacular sound generation ideas to be generated when you move the placement of the modules around. For me, possibly the most impressive aspect is the graphics, which are really well done and help to explain the effect of the different modules by giving visual feedback.

KiloHearts plan to have it ready for Spring 2019

Sadowick has done a nice job of explaining it here

ADSR Sample Manager

If you are like me, it's very easy to slip into the endless search for the perfect sample for the moment. Then you find that you have wasted much of your precious production time.

My 53GB Ableton User Library is well organised but any help is always welcome so I was interested to see that ADSR have released a free plugin (VST and AU available) that scans your library and adds Tags intelligently.

adsr-sample-manager.PNG

It can be placed in a track allowing you to preview any sample, add, change or create Tags as you want.

Pick it up for free here

Rubel's Law

Today this one just felt right ...
Rubel's Law of Production - Mark Rubel, Instructor & Co-Director (2014) The Blackbird Academy

Great music poorly recorded will always be great; crappy music wonderfully recorded will always be crap

London's first Recording Studio

Possibly the first ever photograph of a ‘recording studio’. It was taken some time in 1898 at 31, Maiden Lane, London, where the Gramophone Co set up their first permanent recording room.

You can see that the piano is raised so that its sound can be captured in the (one and only one!) recording horn which itself would be adjusted to the height of a singer’s mouth.

You can find more details on this site

London’s first recording studio

London’s first recording studio