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Ok..first of all I usually record @ an outside studio with other players - but I have a lot of material in demo form that would take a while to record in that fashion...Also have been known to come up with some interesting instrumentals that I never know what to do with...I'm on the fence about joining dispatch with a current catalog of less than 50 studio tracks...My questions..* What version of Sonar or something similar would you buy for this {yes..cost is an issue}* I play bass, some keys, guitar & can do vocals..drum machine Ok ?..used'em before creatively..* Do most of you copyright tracks you "create" on the fly for dispatch listings ? {could get costly}* I have basic mic's..Sm 58, Sm 57, Beta 58, and a Rode Nt3 condenser..good enough sound quality ?I'm sure i'll have more questions to add to this later in the day..thanks..hope this isn't too off topic with all the gear talk..john

You might consider signing up to get the dispatch listings. You can do that without joining Dispatch. Then try to write some stuff in time for the listings and post it here for feedback. That way, you'll see how fast you can work using your setup and you can get some feedback on the music. As a side benefit, you'll be adding more pieces to your catalog.With Dispatch, you pay for what's left of the year so if it takes you a few months to get up to speed, you can pay a pro-rated fee for Dispatch.Just an idea.Mazz

Quote:You might consider signing up to get the dispatch listings. You can do that without joining Dispatch. very good idea..thanks mazz..didn't know you could get the listings without joining..So..how would I go about getting the listings ?thanks..john

Quote:Quote:You might consider signing up to get the dispatch listings. You can do that without joining Dispatch. very good idea..thanks mazz..didn't know you could get the listings without joining..So..how would I go about getting the listings ?thanks..johnJust call Taxi's customer service line, and ask to be put on the email list for Dispatch

thanks Vikki

Quote:Just call Taxi's customer service line, and ask to be put on the email list for Dispatch You can do that!? God bless this forum!(edit: mere seconds and a quick phone call later... done! )

regarding the studio questions, your equipment list sounds fine - its what you do with it that makes the difference, but you have the right basic tools. I like cubase's free version as a good starting point without any cost. It comes with most M-audio products. Also sonar comes with most roland or edirol products. Maybe you can find someone who purchased a product and doesn't use the free software that came with it to send the disc to you? Or use garageband - works great!

The cheaper Sonar home studio version is a good one to go for, it does most of what the professional versions do. There is a steep learning curve with any DAW but sonar is perhaps less of a mountain than some. If you are aiming at tracking up real instruments however there is the issue of computer latency and monitoring. Some external hardware such as a mixer or recording interface is required. An outboard compressor is also vital. Have a read of the TAXI "studio buddy" to find out more.With regard to copyright - You don't need to spend any money. Just send a copy of the piece to yourself by recorded delivery and keep the envelope. Copyright exists automatically as soon as the piece is written - you just need to be able to prove it.

Quote:With regard to copyright - You don't need to spend any money. Just send a copy of the piece to yourself by recorded delivery and keep the envelope. Copyright exists automatically as soon as the piece is written - you just need to be able to prove it.From what I understand, this method won't hold up in a court of law though, should you need to prove (being the "operative" word) that you own the rights to a song that never went through the Library of Congress. If they (LOC) have no record of your song, you'll more than likely lose the case.ibanez468

Quote:Quote:With regard to copyright - You don't need to spend any money. Just send a copy of the piece to yourself by recorded delivery and keep the envelope. Copyright exists automatically as soon as the piece is written - you just need to be able to prove it.From what I understand, this method won't hold up in a court of law though, should you need to prove (being the "key" word) that you own the rights to a song that never went through the Library of Congress.ibanez468From what I have heard, things are different in countries other that the US such as the UK. In the US, you need to register with the US copyright office in order to be protected in a court case. I've heard that in countries like the UK, the mail-it-to-yourself copyright (aka "Poor Man's Copyright") is fine. I think if you are going to market your songs in the US, it would be a good idea to have a US copyright (or other official one that the US recognizes) but I don't know enough to be sure.As far as the cost, you can submit groups of songs as a collection for one application fee. So, if you are in the UK and churning out a lot of tunes for Dispatch, you could mail yourself copies for short term protection and when you have a batch of them, do a US Copyright.Bear in mind that although being protected is very important, the overwhelming majority of folks you submit music to have no interest in stealing your material.Also, if you have a recording you are pitching (not just the song's words and music), you should use US form SR-51 for US copyright which allows you to copyright music, lyrics, and the sound recording(s) all at once. Casey