JavAkustik - Comprehensive acoustics consulting, control products, and construction. JavAkustik offes a complete line of acoustical control products for Home Theaters, Audiophile Music Rooms, Professional Recording Studios, Concert Halls, Lecture Theaters, Karaoke Clubs, Movie Theaters, Schools, Warnet Gaming Rooms, etc. -- Absorption panels, Schroeder Diffusor arrays, Membrane traps, Helmholtz traps, and poly panels - all designed to achieve repeatable and superb results.

Acoustics Design & Consulting ONLINE!
Get the help you need while building your own home studio.
We give you complete design & details for construction & acoustics, drawings (AutoCAD 3D & 2D), specific advice and continuous support during the building process and guaranteed results. We will design custom traps and diffusors for you - that you can build.

Email John here at john@jhbrandt.net or jhbrandt@yahoo.com.  Please send us all the info that you have including measurements, photos, drawings, and any particular noise specifications that you need to meet. John will be available to you until your project is completed.

Custom Pro-Audio Gear
Check out our CUSTOM SHOP in Bekasi, Indonesia. - Excellent products at an affordable price. Don't settle for inferior workmanship on your fine gear. Let West Java Audio repair your equipment with precision, speed, and economy. We service all makes and models of professional and semi-pro audio equipment. Our service is friendly and guaranteed. Our CUSTOM SHOP can design and build any special equipment you may need. - We also provide precision setup of stringed instruments and keyboards.

Miking live instruments
Many people will tell you to mic that amp or instrument real close & find the ’sweet spot. Sometimes that’s not a good idea. When you mic too close, you lose the room sound and the clues that tell the listener that the instrument is ’real’. If you back off a little on the mic you’ll give the instrument some ’space’ and ’depth’ which adds to the realism. I have successfully used VST instruments such as pianos, cellos, or horns in this manner... I send the VST output to an amp in the studio, mic the amp, mic the room, & take a direct from the VST & mix it all together for a very realistic recording.

Miking Vocals
When you record vocals, of course you will always use your best mic... But - DON’T record your final vocal in a booth! If you do, it will always sound like you did it in a little booth or box, and there is no way to process the modal ringing created in the booth without messing with the sound of the vocal. Always record your ’star’ vocal track in a room of at least 1500 cubic feet.

Drum Sets & Percussion
Again, back off on the proximity if you can. Remember, you’re not miking for a concert, different techniques apply. Try micing the snare about an inch away at right angles to the top head with the capsule pointing at the metal rim, not the head.... try it! I think you’ll be impressed. See, if you get the mic in the right spot, you really don’t need all that EQ. And lay off the compressor. Put it on a slow attack (RMS) at about 2.5:1 & don’t let it smack the kick or snare back any more than about 3 to 6 db. I don’t use compression on overheads or toms except for the overall mixdown.

To Make a Great Demo:
* The first thing that a publisher or producer listens for is a hook or catch phrase. Be sure your song has one and that it hooks the listener within 10 seconds of listening to the song.
* The Vocals must be up front, not buried under the drums, guitars or bass.
* Edit the song to a saleable length aproximately 3 1/2 minutes.
* Do something unique in the song. Do it only once.
* Make the song connect to the listener on a subconcious level. It must move the emotions.
* Keep it simple stupid. KISS is the rule. Don’t throw everything you’ve got at it.
* Remember, the Song will let you know what it needs... You’ve got to listen!

Making A Record For the First Time
* Be sure that you are well rehearsed. Do not go into the studio to write or finish a song. Studio time is very expensive and being unprepared could cost you alot of money.
* Buy new Strings for all instruments & re-string the morning of the session.
* Buy new drum heads & install them a day before the session.
* Tune the drums the morning of the session & for each song if necessary.
* If you are hiring a producer, contact him early so that he can produce effectively.
* Come early to the studio to set up. On major sessions, setup often takes a whole day.
* Get plenty of sleep the day before. Make sure that all bands members do the same.
* Don’t be deceived about drink or drugs... They don’t make you sound better... you just think you do.
* Take the time to think the project through.

Ok, if you have perfected your music, your style, your song and you are ready to make a recording for commercial sale... You definitely DO NOT want to go to somebody's basement that has recently purchased about $2000 worth of semi-pro recording equipment. Now, please don't get me wrong. This kind of set-up is excellent for development and songwriting. But, you are not going to get what you want from bad acoustics, inferior equipment, engineering skills and limited or no knowledge of production techniques. I know that I'm being pretty bold about this, but I like to confront false ideas with facts.

You have absolutely NO CHANCE of making a hit from your basement unless you are EMINEM or WEEZER or ALICIA KEYS or LINKIN PARK! And these people, I promise you, if they are recording in their basement or at home, have spent at least $100,000 on their acoustics & gear... AND they hire the very best engineers they can get. Period.

I see this every day. People call me and ask me how much studio time is or how much do I charge per song. They are looking for a studio to record their 'hit' CD. They have saved up about 500 dollars. I tell them that they could book a day for about that much and they ask if I thought they could get 13 songs recorded and mixed in that time. I then proceed to gently break it to them that they MIGHT get one song recorded properly, but mixing and editing would probably take another day. UNLESS they want to record 'Live to 2 Track', like in the old days or Jazz style... but that's not a 'POP' sound or today's radio music.

I have had the great pleasure to work with some very good artists, producers and engineers during the course of my career. And I might add that I have gotten a little 'picky' in my old age. If you would really like to make a MASTER recording, please give me a call. If you just want something cheap... or you just wanna get rich. - try the lottery. Trust me, you have a much better chance at that.

The main reason I am writing this rant is: It's not about money. It's about ART. It's about the love of the music, the poetry or prose and feelings that are associated with it. The joy and the pleasure of simply listening to sounds that takes one to a magical place in space and time.

You are NOT going to make a million dollars when you have only spent 500. I'm very sorry to break this to you. It takes A TON of hard work, sweat, frustration, re-writes, 'record the whole damn song over again', band disagreements, crying, gigging, dealing with crooked agents.... In other words: "Paying your dues."

Patience, my dear boy... It's not necessarily the most talented that make it. It's the ones that 'stick-it-out'! It's the ones that put the most into it - AND - the ones that have the 'SOMETHING UNIQUE' to offer.

Also, if you are doing the same thing that everyone else out there is doing, WHO do you think is going to buy your stuff? I mean... REALLY! There's literally a MILLION other musicians with similar ideas, styles and songs! What sets your music apart?

A songwriter came to me and played me his new song. After he sang it to me he said he just wrote it... in 15 minutes. I thought to myself, yes... hmmm, I though so... It sounds like it was written in 15 minutes. I kindly told him that it was nice, but that he needed to work on the hook line and bridge. Don't get me wrong again, now... great songs can be written in a few minutes, BUT, it usually takes quite a few rewrites to get it to hit commercially. Let me say this again.

Work on your art.

Effort in = Value out.

This is your mission, if you choose to accept.

This tape will self-destruct in 30 seconds....

--- John H. Brandt