Cheebs Beats

Free VST's - AcmeBarGig

2010-04-28T16:29:00.000-07:00

What's up guys? It's been a rough past couple months for me. My grandmother passed away this last Monday. She had been struggling with heart problems ever since her big heart attack 2 months ago. She is finally at peace and can rest now, but it's still hard on me and my family. What I've learned from this is to make sure the ones in your life who you love know it. I was there almost every day to support her in the hospital just so she knew she wasn't alone in this huge world.

All that aside, I'm back to music and production. And with that, I'm back to givin out tips and heads up about stuff I like and find helpful.

In this post I will be talking about AcmebarGig. They are a great lil company that makes VST's. I stumbled on their B.I.G. (Bass Integrated Gain) and really liked it. It made me investigate the name more and I found they have quite a collection of some cool plug-ins worth checking out.

You can find them at http://www.acmebargig.com/. Go by and check them out when you get a chance!

Take care

-Cheebs

Cheebs Beats - Drum Machine Kit Pack

2010-03-24T11:02:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! This collection is a mixture of classic drum machine samples and some of my own personal drum samples from other machines. All machine samples are as follows.

Alesis-
HR 16
D4

Boss-
DR-55
DR-110
DR-202
DR-550
DR-660

Casio-
CZ-2305
MA-101
MT-18
MT-100
MT-500
MT-800
Rapman
Rapman II
RZ-1
SK-1
VL-1

E-Mu-
Drumulator
SP12
SP1200

Korg-
01w
DDD1
Korgmini
KPR77
KR33
KR55
Minipops
MP7
SR-120
T3
Radias
ProWave
Prophecy

Roland-
CR68
CR78
CR8000
JD800
JD800 Dance Card
MC09
R5
R8
TR66
TR505
TR606
TR626
TR707
TR727
TR808
TR909
XV5080

Yamaha-
DD5
DD10
DD11
DD50
PTX8
RX5
RX7
RX11
RX15
RX17
RX21+21L
RY30

Misc-
Kawai R-50
Linn9000
MSX
Oberheim
Simmons SDS5
Visco Space Drum

Buy Here!

Hard Rocker and Bo$$ Hawg Out Now!!

2010-03-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

Out Now
MDR008:
CHEEBS
http://www.monkeydub.com/releases/cheebs-mdr008-hard-rocker >>>>>>>>> clips are here

AVAILABLE @:
clicking the following links will direct you to MDR008 Release

DIGITAL-TUNES

JUNO DOWNLOAD

Addictech

iTunes

And many more sites like these!

3 Favorite Free VST's Right Now

2010-02-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! It's been awhile. I have been busy producing and selling and playing and living. But I'm back with a short list of the 3 free VST's that I have been using most recently. These are some solid, low processor taxing VST's that you can get FREE.

TAL-Tube - Download Here -

I love this tube VST. It's made by Togu Audio Line (TAL) and its super easy to use. I like to add it to drums and synth to give them a little extra something. They have other good VST's you on the site, so check them out when you get a chance.

Unknown 64 - Download Here -

This is a cool synth that is packed full of weird sound FX and cool bass sounds. I like it for layering in synths to make sounds extra fat or on its own to fill in little gaps. It has some cool 8 bit sounding drum sounds too that make some dope drum hits. Get it and mes around with it.

Imperfection - Download Here -

This is nice little VST that takes your clean, crisp, soft digital sounds and smudges them a little bit. Add some dirt, hum or degrade the sample rate to bring out the rawness of anything you are trying to produce.

Have a good day!

Dubsetp Release!! SFLYD020

2010-02-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

Out Now
SFLYD020:
CHEEBS
http://stupidflyrecords.com/sflyd020 >>>>>>>>> clips are here

AVAILABLE @:
clicking the following links will direct you to SFLYD020 Release

DIGITAL-TUNES

JUNO DOWNLOAD

JAMVANA

And many more sites like these!

New Dubstep Release! Each Track ONLY $.88

2009-09-17T23:03:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! I am here to announce my second Dubstep album release. It's called "Cheap Trix" and features mammoth bass monsters such as "Kill The Living", the exclusive crunked out masterpiece "Lean Wit It (Dirty Dozen) and 4 other soon to be classic Dubstep tracks that will kill babies and rape grandmothers!*

The whole album is $4.50 or you can buy single tracks for $.88 each! How can you pass that up? It's cheaper than a McDonalds double cheeseburger and it won't give you the shits.** Put this on your iPod and make your ears bleed!

This is an EXCLUSIVE release just for Myspace on Band Box, so you can't find this anywhere else! Get your copy today.

Check out the 30 second clips to fully understand the ball bruising, clit crushing, ass kicking bass packed in thse audio A-Bombs!

-Cheebs

*Songs will not kill babies or rape grandmothers.

**Songs may in fact cause the shits in some cases.

3 Free Guitar Amp VST's

2009-09-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Today I'm going to give you a list of 3 of my favorite guitar amp VST's. All these are free and are super easy to use. Try them out!

Tube Baby - Download

This one is really basic but gives a nice distorted sound.

FreeAmp2 - Download

This one is nice. It has a bunch of foot pedal FX options and is a pretty complete VST. The download link is close to the bottom

A-150 Amplifier - Download

This one is a nice little VST that can ad warmth to some synths and guitars. It's a quick, easy one to throw in there when you want some extra distortion.

Enjoy!

-Cheebs

100 Dubstep Drum Loops With Donation!

2009-08-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I put together a pack of 100 exclusive Dubstep drum loops. Anyone who from now until October that donates $10 or more to help me get Scratch Live will get a link to these downloads. They are all in wav format and all are 140 BPM. Just load it up and you are steppin'!

Drop me a email at cheebsbeats@gmail.com to remind me if you donated and I don't respond right away!

Help me help you while you help me!

-Cheebs

How To Make A Sweep Using 3x Osc in FL

2009-08-18T19:52:00.000-07:00

This is a video I found on http://www.tutozed.com that describes how to create a "sweep" effect with the 3x Osc plug in that comes with Fruity Loops. Enjoy!

Now get to sweepin!

-Cheebs

Review - NI Massive

2009-07-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

The first time I used Massive, I thought it was too good to be true. This is one of the easiest VST's to break into that I have used in awhile. I started out with the demo version to try it out to see what it was all about and I loved it so much I had to buy it.

The layout is really easy to figure out. The filters and effects are easy to link up and the signal flow is easy to change. Within 10 or 15 min I had a nice sound and was getting the hang of all the filters.

It comes with a lot of really dope pre-sets and the oscillators are easy to mess with.

You can get it for $229 all over the internet and I feel it's worth every penny. You can also use it on 2 different computers which is nice and the updates are free for life.

Check Massive out here http://www.native-instruments.com/#/en/products/producer/massive/ at the Native Instruments site.

Breakdown-

Interface : 9/10
Sound: 10/10
Ease of Use: 9/10
Value: 9/10

Overall: 9.25/10

A side note, I'm saving up for a new laptop, so any donations you can throw my way would be great. I need to start doing sets.

-Cheebs

A Couple Drum EQ Tips

2009-06-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Long time, no see! I've been dealin with a lot of different things. I signed my first Dubstep song, got an offer to make Dubstep drum loops and put out my first Dubstep EP. I've also been getting offers to play gigs but i need Scratch Live first. If you would help me get it by donating in the top right of the blog through paypal that would be great =D!

Anyways, I'm here to give a couple tips about EQing drums in a mix. Hope this helps.

Snare-

The snare is in my oppinion the most important of all the drums. To me its what keeps the time and makes it a beat. I know you can use a kick, hi hat or even bongo loop to make a beat but the snare is the one that stands out the most, it cuts though the whole kit and makes sure you know whats going on. A few little things I do when I mess with the snare is I cut out all the low's below about 100Hz in the EQ. This makes it sound crisper and stand out more in the mix. I also boost around the 500Hz area for a lil extra punch and crunch.

Sometimes if the snare clashes with the vocals try cutting out between 2.5kHz and 3.5kHz by a dB or 2 to make sure the vocals stand out past the snare int he mix.

After all of that I throw a little bit of reverb on it. Not too much but just a little to fill out some of the dead space in the loop.

Kick-

A lot of the time people will boost all the low's in the kick, but I only boost between about 50Hz and 80Hz because anything lower than 50Hz just becomes mud and rumbley noise to me. I also bring up 500Hz a little bit and some of the higher freq to make the kick's punch stand out in the mix a little more. You might need to cut it also if it's an extra slappy kick to beguin with.

I never usually put reverb on kicks. Sometimes it works but I usually stay away from it.

Hi Hats-

Hats I will cut the lows below about 100Hz to make the sizzle stand out. I might also cut it from about 15kHz and above to get rid of the harsh tones that might come out in the hats.

I will throw a little reverb on the hats, about the same amount as the snare just to fill in the space on the loop. I also might throw a delay on some of the hats to give it a shuffle.

Just a couple tips, enjoy and come back soon!

-Cheebs

Free Dubstep Release

2009-06-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

What's up everyone? I know I was going to answer some questions, I'll get to that soon. I just wanted to share with you guys my first Dubstep release. I call it "Happy To Be Here" EP and it has 4 tracks. Download it today!!

Happy To Be Here - http://www.mediafire.com/?yzz1jmtqzjm

-Cheebs

Its Been Awhile!

2009-06-11T18:52:00.001-07:00

Sorry it has been so long guys, I've been dealing with some music recently. I just sold my first Dubstep track to a label out of PA and I'm finishing up my mix tape.

I'll go back and checkout all the questions that people asked and post some answers and stuff in the near future. Stay tuned!!

-Cheebs

5 Tips For Cracking Writers Block (For Musicians)

2009-05-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

I know how hard it is sometimes to just get started on something. There always seems to be a ebb and a flow when it comes to making music. Either you cant stop, or you can't figure out where to start. I have been on both sides of that fence. When you can't stop, that's not too bad. It's when you can't start, that's when you want to start pulling your hair out and punching walls. Over the past few years I have figured out ways of starting up the creative process again. They don't always work, but sometimes it's enough to get you over that hump and start making music again. I hope these help.

1 - Listen to other people who make your same style of music

Sometimes it helps me to listen to other peoples stuff. It gives me a chance to relax and let my mind wind down. Once you clear your head, you can start to listen to the different sounds, chord progressions, drum patterns and other aspects of the music. Even if you just pick out one thing that you like and try to mimick it, that might help you get started on making sweet sweet music again.

2 - Get out, but bring a note pad or recorder

Sometimes I think of some of the best melodies when I'm in my car on the way to work. Again, when you let your mind go, that seems to be when ideas start to hit you. Go hang out with your friends, go see a movie, go to the beach or just go for a walk. But don't forget to bring something to write or record the idea when you get it, you may never get it back again.

3 - Network with other musicians

Part of what makes me progress as an artist is meeting and talking to other musicians. Everyone has their own take on everything, and if you sit down and chop it up with someone who is in the same genre of music as you, you might pick up something you never thought of before. Sometimes that little spark is all it takes to make the creative fire start burning. If you don't know where to meet musicians around where you are then try going to forums and groups online. That has been helpful for me in the past.

4 - Show people your stuff

Sometimes it helps when you let people hear your music, even if it isn't finished. Ocassionally the feedback is enough to get you motivated to either change the song you showed them, or start on something new. Anytime I show people my new stuff and they like it, it puts me in a productive mood. At that point I take it and run with it.

5 - Go back and listen to old tracks

From time to time I like to go back and listen to my old music. This shows me how much I've changed and grown as an artist over the past years. Good or bad music alike, it could help you break out of the rut and get back at it again. Just hearing how you have progressed might get you going enough to move on to the next phase.

Hope those tips help! Keep checking back for more!

-Cheebs

Donation Donation Donation!

2009-05-12T13:27:00.001-07:00

Hey guys. I got my first donation the other day, it was pretty sweet!! I decided I'm going to offer insentives for people to donate. If you donate 10 dollars or less I'll give you a link to 50 MB of drum samples. If you donate 10 to 20 dollars I'll link you to 100 MB of drum samples. More than 20 gets a special gift, you get a choice between a few things!!

If you just want to donate out of the kindness of your heart and don't need drums, that's alright with me also.

A big THANK YOU goes out to Bobby J. for being the first to donate!

I'll be back real soon with some new stuff!

-Cheebs

Free Albino 3 Patches

2009-05-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! It's been a little while. I've been busy with music and stuff recently, but I'm back.

One of the synth's I use the most is Albino 3. I use it for both Hip Hop and Dub Step. It has a wide range of sounds and takes very little CPU power. Here is all the presets that I have found. There are hundreds to choose from. Just extract the folders into the presets of your Albino folder.

Here's the link - http://www.mediafire.com/?5mydij5hoyg

I'll post some more tips and stuff in the next few days.

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Khaotic Kicks

2009-04-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

Here's another kick sample pack. Almost 5 MB of drums. Some good stuff!

Here's the link - http://www.mediafire.com/?3ynyg2y2w2z

Keep checkin back!!

-Cheebs

5 Tips To Spice Up Drum Loops

2009-04-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

This was a request. I'm gunna go over a few ways to spice up drum loops and make them more interesting. Feel free to throw in your input in the comments if you want.

1 - Hi Hat Patterns

A good way to spice up drum loops is to vary the Hi Hats a little. Throw in an extra open hat in a few places or a shaker. Cut them out in a few places here and there and double them up in a few places. It can add a whole different flair to the pattern. Putting the Hat's a little off can give your pattern a cool shuffle effect also.

2 - Layer Up And Vary Snare Samples

When I lay drums down I layer up at least 3 snares and all the way up to 6 sometimes. This makes the snare in your loop sound fuller and more interesting. Another good thing to do is only use some snares at spots and then use the others on different parts of the song. You can change a few at the hook, or like I do often is at the end of 4 or 8 bars I change out a few of the snares with different ones just to add a a little extra something. You might not notice it, but you do. It's subtle differences like that that keep people listening without knowing it.

3 - Make Longer Patterns

Most of the time just doing 2 bar patterns works. But when the drums are more the focus and you use less samples or synth, you should make the pattern longer. Making your loop 4 or 8 bars long makes you focus on where you can change things to spice it up. By getting a bigger picture, you realize where it gets repetitive and you can almost feel where you should switch it up a little bit to keep it interesting.

4 - Throw In Other Drum Loops

Every 4th or 8th bar add in a pre-made drum loop. I have a link in one of my older posts to download some if you don't have any. It gives a good little change before a hook or just in the middle of a verse. It can help emphasize what the emcee is trying to say or help with a transition. I don't do this as much, but it is pretty cool to try out every once in awhile. Just make sure the loop matches up to the BPM of your track.

5 - Get Pads

I didn't realize until I had a MPC how easy it is to lay out drum patterns with your fingers by hitting the pads. You can get units from a few companies that connect USB or MIDI to your computer to allow you to do the same thing. By playing on the fly and recording you can get a human feel to your loop and you will also vary the pattern more than when you sit and draw it out. If it's too far off you can always quantize to put things closer to where they should be. The Akai MPK49 is a good unit that has 12 pads, 49 semi weighted keys and a transport control built in. The pads really help.

Those were a few ideas. Just listen to your loops and anticipate what it needs. After awhile of making and listening to them you will get a feel for where certain things need to go in order to spice it up.

Don't forget to donate through my pay pal link in the top right of the page. Everything helps.

-Cheebs

3 Dubstep Links For Beginners

2009-04-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! I just recently got into Dubstep. I'm not even really sure how it's made yet. Here's a few links I found real helpful when starting to make Dubstep for the first time. You should bookmark these links for future reference.

1 - http://lazyrecords.co.uk/articles/dubstep-production.html

This is basically a rundown of how a Dubstep track is laid out. What programs you need, how to make every synth, the history behind stuff. It's a good site to give a look at a few times.

2 - http://www.bedroomrecords.co.uk/musicproduction.htm#albino3\

This page gives you a step by step tutorial with pictures about how to make the signature wobble bass in Albino 3. This bass is in almost all Dubstep tracks. Get Albino 3 or Massive, both great VST's for bass.

3 - http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=14797

This is a post in a forum titled "The Dubstep Production Bible". This is a great post to check out. It's broken down into chapters and links to everything. Check it out and bookmark it because you will need to check it out again.

That is all for now. If you can spare a few bucks, please donate to my Pay Pal account. The button is on the right side of the page at the top. Thanks!!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Fat Drums

2009-04-11T01:20:00.001-07:00

This is a huge almost 10 MB pack of all kinda of drums. If you download and like these drums please donate to my Pay Pal account, the link is on the right side of the blog. Thanks!

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?zcmnimhdkoj

-Cheebs

Free Samples - The Doc Is In

2009-04-11T01:12:00.001-07:00

This kit is drum samples that are out of Dr. Dre tracks. Some good sounds and drums! Don't forget to donate if you like these samples! Click the Pay Pal button on the right.

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?tdi0gmmtktz

Check back!!

-Cheebs

3 Cheap Sources To Buy Foam For Soundproofing

2009-04-08T21:09:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! A big part of creating a good space to mix down tracks is making sure your control room is as dead as possible. By dead I mean there is as little reverb coming off surfaces in the room as possible. It is also good to soundproof any vocal booth as well.

There are a few companies, such as Auralex, that charge an arm and a leg for soundproofing foam. The reality is almost all foam is the same when it comes to dampening reverb, so why not get something that is cheaper? Here are 3 sites I found that will get you one step closer to making a dead control room or vocal booth a reality.

Foambymail.com - My friend ordered from this company and he got more than he paid for. They are a very good site and carry all kinds of foam.

Soundprooffoam.com - These guys carry both sound absorbing and sound blocking materials. Another good site.

Foamorder.com - This site is a lot like foambymail.com. Good deal on foam, they also carry an adhesive spray that comes in handy when trying to hang them foam.

Some of the packages are less than 50 bucks for way more foam that you would get from Auralex, so shop around and find what works for you!

I also now take donations, so I would really really appreciate it if you guys would help out with any amount possible. There is a Pay Pal button in the top right, you cant miss it.

-Cheebs

Now Taking Donations

2009-04-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I just put in a donation button over on the top right of the blog. If you enjoy what I'm posting or find it helpful, help me out by droppin a few bucks via Pay Pal. It's safe and easy and it will motivate me to keep good posts coming.

Take it easy and drop me a line anything at cheebsbeats@gmail. com

-Cheebs

Free Samples - U.K. Hip Hop Kit

2009-04-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Here's a kit I found that I guess is from U.K. Hip Hop. There's some good hats and other drums in this collection.

Here's the link - http://www.mediafire.com/?jd3kowtn2l2

-Cheebs

Need any advice?

2009-03-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

What's going on folks? As you know I am here to give tips and advice and stuff. If there are any topics you want me to touch on, drop me a comment or a email at cheebsbeats@gmail.com and let me know. You can also get a hold of me on AIM, my s/n is phreakwiz. Just say hi and let me know you found me from my blog and I'll be happy to help you out.

I know a lot about music production, engineering, hip hop and rap, beats, tracking and a bunch of other random stuff. Fire me a message and I'll get back to you when I get a chance!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Hip Hop Drum Kit

2009-03-31T10:20:00.000-07:00

Here's a little kit of some Hip Hop drums. A few good samples in here.

Here's the link - http://www.mediafire.com/?ngzgzl2dmon

Thanks!

-Cheebs

4 Tips For Sampling Records

2009-03-30T15:08:00.001-07:00

Hey folks! Here is a list of a few things you should take into consideration when you go to sample something off of a record. Feel free to comment and leave more tips that you found, this is just a quick list of some of the more important ones. Enjoy!

1 - Watch the meters, don't clip

When you go to sample a record, play it through one time and make sure it doesn't clip or distort at any parts. The dynamic range on records used to vary so much because they didn't compress the crap out of everything like they do today. This means that it isn't consistent and may cause distortion on a few places if you have it turned up too high. Clicks and pop's are OK, but the music or sound you are trying to capture should not clip at all.

2 - Clean the needle and record

It sounds like a no brainer, but keep your needle and record clean to get the best quality sample. I use rubbing alcohol, undiluted for the maximum strength. Some people dilute with water, if you do that use distilled water to minimize residue after it evaporates. I have also used Windex and that seems to work well. Use a towel that will leave the least amount of lint behind, I use a nice soft paper towel and that works well. Pour some on the towel or record, I pour it on the record if it is really trashed, and then slowly turn the album and hold pressure on the record. Do a few spins and then let it dry.

For the needle I just fill the cap of the rubbing alcohol bottle up with a little bit of the alcohol and dip the tip of the needle in it. Then I softly press the end of the needle on a paper towel or old t-shirt. You will see a little black spot if it was dirty.

3 - Use belt drive table

Direct drive tables are good for scratching because the motor can get back up to speed quicker than most belt drive tables. The downside is since the motor is connected to the plate, there is a slight amount of motor noise. Belt drives have a rubber belt that connects the two together and makes it spin. There isn't the fast pick up speed, but it kills the motor noise and gives you a cleaner sample.

4 - Minimize line noise

Line noise is the hiss or buzz you might hear in noisy equipment. This is due to, in most part, low quality parts. Behringer is a very noisy brand that is popular because it is cheap, but remember that you get what you pay for. Noise can also be caused by improper grounding, unbalanced cables, florescent lights and other things. It is impossible to get rid of all the noise, but you can cut it down a lot.

Have a good day and feel free to add your own comments or tips.

-Cheebs

5 Essentials For A Home Studio

2009-03-27T16:56:00.000-07:00

Hey there people! Cheebs here again, but you already knew that. Today I am going to make a list of 5 things you HAVE to have if you have or are thinking of making a home or project studio. I know you don't really need all these things to make music in general, but you need these things to create professional sounding music that people will actually take seriously. Here we go!

1 - Reliable and FAST computer

When I started out, I had a shitty old PC that barely would run let alone record. It would take almost 5 minutes to start my computer up let alone all the babysitting and tip toeing I had to do to get the computer to effectively record anything. A good computer should have at least 2 gigs or RAM, a lot of storage (external HD's are great for this) and a fast processor. Now you can go to Dell and buy a computer that has all this and it will only cost you about $600. Computers have come a long way. A little side note, when you get a new computer be sure to get the OS install disk and reinstall Windows as soon as you get the computer to wipe off all the demo programs they load on there, also try not to put it online for downloading anything except updates, there's so many things other than virus' that can cause trouble and suck your processing power. Back up all the time also, you'll be happy you did.

2 - A good microphone

You need a good microphone, no ifs, ands or buts. The better the mic, the less time you will have to spend cleaning your vocals up later or whatever else you happen to record (guitar, piano, drums). Do some research online, read reviews and go to your local music store and ask the guys there to check out the mics they have in stock. They will answer any questions you have and the love talking about music gear (it's their dream job). You will want to get a condenser mic and you might want a good dynamic also. A good dynamic can be used for shows, or to record rough cut tracks to listen to and practice to. I have a Rode NT1a and a Sennheiser E385 dynamic. I like the Sennheiser better than the Shure SM58, it sounds less muddy than the 58 to me.

3 - A good interface for recording

Again, when I first started I used the stock sound card and had to convert the 1/4" down to 1/8" and plug it into the mic input that you would use for a little plastic mic. It will sound cheap and leave you pissed off. The best thing to do is to go buy a M-Audio interface or hop on the bandwagon like I did and buy Pro Tools with the M Box. You need the cleanest interface with the least amount of noise. You can get a good M-Audio USB interface for around $100 bucks or the M Box with Pro Tools for around $500 depending where you go. It's a small price to pay when you consider how much time it will take to clean up anything you record on a cheap sound card. Trust me, once you get something that sounds clean you will never go back to the noisy, hissy sound card again.

4 - Reliable studio monitors

So whats the point of recording something if you can't mix it? Unless you have someone who mixes your tracks for you, you will need some good studio monitors. Don't buy the cheapest ones either, you get what you pay for. I have the Rokit KRK 8's with the 10" sub. All together I spent around $900 for the bundle and I have never regretted it one bit. I used to mix on a Sony 3 CD stereo, then I moved to a home stereo system with 12" subs. They sound OK, but what a lot of people don't know is almost every home stereo system is tuned to sound good with a built in EQ. The whole idea behind studio monitors is to hear PRECISELY what you are mixing, not a EQ'd version of it. If you mix it on your home stereo or your computer speakers, it might sound good at first but then when you go to play it somewhere else it will either sound flat, too much bass or who knows what else. Go get good studio quality monitors, you will love them once you start using them. Plus you can turn them up WAY louder than your home stereo or computer speakers. It's fantastic!

5 - A vocal booth

When you record in a studio, the whole idea is to isolate each vocal and instrument. You want it as dry and "bland" as possible, then you can go and mix it down however you need to later. There's nothing worse than recording a vocal track and then listen to it later when mixing and realize there's some room reverb or someone mowing their lawn in the background. Some of the stuff you wont be able to notice, but others you will. They don't just record in the middle of the control room in a studio, why should you record your vocals in your living room? Making everything as clean as possible (I keep saying that) is one of the biggest differences between recording music and professional sounding music. You don't have to spend a grand on a booth, but it's not a bad idea to drop $100 on some sound proofing foam and sticking it up in the corner of your closet. You will notice the difference after the first session and you will be so happy you went thought the effort to make a booth. When I made my booth, I used carpet pad and old carpet from when my grandpa remodeled his house. It smelled a little funny at first, but I could go in there and clap as loud as I possibly could and there would be NO reverb at all. It's pretty cool, it makes you feel like your going deaf a little bit. If you shop around you can find places online that sell the foam for almost half the price as any music store would sell it for, just shop around.

If you invest a little time and money you will be surprised at how good your home studio will sound. You don't have to go buy it all at once, but listen to your music and think about what you would need first. If you rap and sing, you would want to get a good mic and the vocal booth first maybe. If you just produce and mix, get the monitors. Plan it out, make a list and start saving up, it will be well worth it.

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Full Metal Kit

2009-03-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! This is the first time I have posted a complete drum pack. This pack has kicks, snares, claps, snaps, hats and a few other goodies.

Here's the link - http://www.mediafire.com/?wy3wzm0zmkd

Enjoy!

-Cheebs

Reason VS Fruity Loops

2009-03-27T05:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Today I'm going to talk about my views on the differences between Reason and Fruity Loops. There are tons of people who will side with either piece of software and swear by it no matter what. Maybe your Friend has one or the other and that convinced you to go one direction or the other, or maybe you read reviews in magazines and online and that's what formed your opinion. I have had the pleasure of using both for a number of years and here is my take on each program. Enjoy!

Reason

Reason is great in the fact that it is like having a whole studio of rack-mount gear at your fingertips. You can add as many compressors, EQ, synth modules and various other types of gear and never have to worry about running out. The only limitation is the amount of processing power your computer has. It's a cool concept to start with and it's very appealing to someone who wants to own a full studio but doesn't have the money or space to hold the bulky, energy and space consuming units. I first picked up a copy of this because another guy in my crew had been using it for quite awhile, so I decided to dedicate some time to it.

First off the interface is unique. When I first got it even I was amazed at the idea of having endless gear at my fingertips. I made quite a few unsuccessful beats on Reason before I made something that was even close to good enough to show someone. As far as the sound goes, it's a little harsh and digital. I know what you're saying, "It's a program, of coarse it's digital.", but bare with me while I explain. It's both a good and a bad thing that the sound engine is so unforgiving. The bad is you have to spend hours getting things to sound the way you like, kicks and snares as well as samples and synth need a lot of work and fine tuning to get them to sound the way you like. After awhile of messing with it (I mean years), I finally got down a routine on how to set things up the way I like them and was able to get the sound that I wanted. It is a pain in the ass when you first start out, being nothing really sounds great and it can be discouraging. The good, like I mentioned, is you really learn the "gear" and what each piece is good for.

Another thing I don't like about Reason is the fact it doesn't support VST's in any way unless you rewire it to another program such as Fruity Loops or Pro Tools. This can be a pain when you know there are so many good soft synth's out on the market and you don't really have a way to use them. To make up for this fact, you can get a number of refills for the different samplers and patches for the synth units. People spend a lot of time programming them and there are some really good ones. I found that I ended up with a lot more refills than I really actually found a use for. I also realized that the whole "virtual gear" thing was sort of redundant. I feel you move to computers for ease of use, so I don't see the point of having a program with a bunch of fake rack mount gear in it. It's kinda silly if you really think about it.

All in all, it's a good program and it gets the job done. It takes time to get used to the gear and how to properly configure each unit, but once you do, you can take that knowledge to almost any piece of real hardware and feel at ease setting it up and using it. There is still a place in my heart for Reason and I ended up making a lot of really good (and bad) beats on it.

Moving on...............

Fruity Loops

I have used this longer, and that might be part of the reason I tend to like it more. I started out with Fruity Loops in high school, so I have about 8 years total worth of exposure to this program. I know a lot of people give it a bad time because of the name, and I also admit the name is a little, well, fruity. But I feel it is a more complete piece of software, so let me explain.

First of all, the sound is already warm and smooth. It does take time to get everything dialed in to where you want it, but not as long as Reason. That alone makes it easier to work on, because you hear results much faster than you would in Reason.

Another thing I like is it supports VST's, and I love VST's. I have almost 100 different types from synth to effects and so on. You can find a whole slough of free ones online, and some of them are actually really good! I have ran across a few crappy ones, but those are easy enough to get rid of, and you never know what you will find if you don't look and try. There are only a few that didn't work for me, I didn't investigate why, I just moved on.

A down side I've noticed with Fruity Loops is this, when you are rewired into Pro Tools it won't export the beat along with the track. Reason on the other hand would bounce the beat along with the rest of the mix. I don't know if I set it up wrong, but I don't like that very much. I guess it couldn't all be good.

Fruity Loops is also pretty easy to navigate and this makes the work flow go much faster. The samples are on the left, you have your sequencer and everything else is right there for you. You can also find a ton of tutorials that cover a vast variety of topics for all kinds of music, just like they have for Reason.

It is also only available as of now for PC's and I believe it is also compatible with the new Mac's that use Intel chips. I don't use Mac, and I never have, so I don't really bother learning that much about that aspect of plug-ins and programs.

All in all, I just like Fruity Loops better because I am more comfortable with it. The rest of my crew all use Reason, and they also swear by it. They also all use Mac, so the shoe might be on the other foot if they used PC, but who knows.

I choose Fruity Loops any day, hands down. I still have Reason, but I haven't used it or even opened it for about 6 months or more. I just don't use it enough and I don't like it enough to give it another shot, at least not yet.

Like I mentioned, I prefer Fruity Loops 8 over Reason 4. I might change again soon, but I don't really see a need to. To each his own I suppose.

Hope this helps you out a little bit. Leave comments and ask me questions, I know quite a bit and I'm here to help.

Take Care!

-Cheebs

5 Tips To Get A Better Mix

2009-03-24T11:43:00.000-07:00

Whats up everyone? It's been awhile since I did a tip. This post will be 5 tips on how to get a better, more professional final mix. These are things I've noticed over the last 7 years help when you want to get the best results. If this is helpful, click the ads on the right side by Google, thanks!

1 - Don't record and mix in the same session

You have all your tracks recorded into Pro Tools or whatever you use to mix. You look at the clock, it's only 1:30 AM. You know you can mix this baby down before the sun raises. Don't do it. Your ears are already tired from listening to the recording process for the last who knows how many hours. If you need to, do a rough mix. But don't even think about making a final mix, it wont sound good later and you'll have to remix it anyways. It's a waste of time and energy.

2 - Use other sources to reference while you mix

I know I spent over 900 bucks on my monitors because I wanted something that would sound accurate and help me get the best mix possible. It's easy to forget that a lot of people don't spend 900 bucks to listen to music. Some of the frequencies might not come through on other peoples systems. The best way to combat this is to reference your final mix on different sources such as headphones, house stereo, iPod docking station, laptop speakers and most importantly car stereo. The more things you listen to the better idea you will get of how to tweak the final mix to make it sound clean everywhere it might be listened to.

3 - Take breaks at least every 2 hours

Your ears get tired after listening to the same song over and over and over and over and over..... You get the idea. When you do this you become less sensitive to the high and low frequencies in the mix, so you will overcompensate in both areas resulting in distorted bass and ear piercing highs. Every 2 hours or less just get up and walk away for a minute, ideally to a place that is quiet and secluded. Then come back 10 to 15 min later and get back to work, you will notice a difference in what you are hearing.

4 - Reference to songs you like

A good way to get a track to sound more professional is to compair it to another song that sounds the way you want yours to sound like. Listen to the drums, bass, vocals and every other aspect of the track. What is the reverb put on? Is there compression on the vocals? Are there some frequencies that need to be tweaked in your mix that sound better in the other track? This helps guide the final mix a little bit more towards the sound you want.

5 - Always wait a day before you are finished

I know you think the mix is finally done, but just give it another day or so. Listen to it a few more times in a lot of places until you are satisfied it will sound good. You want to be completely happy with the final product and there is no worse feeling than sending a song in to get pressed and then wish you had changed something. Just slow down little guy, and sit on the mix for a little longer before you know you are finished.

Take care and drop me a line!

-Cheebs

Free Song Hosting With Soundclick.com

2009-03-21T21:19:00.000-07:00

A lot of people these days use Myspace to promote their music. I do the same thing and I love how easy it is to reach out to people and promote your music and show via Myspace. What I don't like on the other hand is how few songs you are allowed to load and showcase on Myspace.

I found a great site years ago that I just rediscovered in the last few months. Soundclick.com! Soundclick is a website that is driven towards musicians and uploading your music to show people. I know what you're thinking, "How does that help me with Myspace?". Well, when you upload music onto Soundclick, you can create HTML code that allows you to put your music player anywhere, including Myspace! Post it on your main page, in messages, on comments and in bulletins. You can customize the way it looks and the song order as well. On top of all this, IT'S FREE!! You can pay extra for a VIP account, but you don't need to in order to take advantage of this feature.

Check them out at http://www.soundclick.com

Check out my page on Soundclick at http://www.myspace.com/cheebsbeats

Here's a example of one of the players you can get the code for

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Low Blow Kicks

2009-03-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I put up a drum sample pack. Here is a nice little pack of kicks that I have labeled "Low Blow Kicks". If you download this, click a Google ad on the right side of the page to help me out. Thanks!

Here's the link - Low Blow Kicks

Enjoy!

-Cheebs

4 Free Sound FX Sites

2009-03-19T20:01:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! I was working on a track the other day and I needed the sound of a car door slamming. Since I didn't want to record them myself, I decided to search for free sounds I could download and use. There are a lot of sites that claim they are free then you come to find out they want you to pay. Some have low quality sounds that you wouldn't want to use, even if they were free. I sifted through a few to find 4 pretty good ones that cover a lot of different kinds. As always, if you like this article, please click the ad's on the side and comment!

Partners In Rhyme - http://www.partnersinrhyme.com/pir/PIRsfx.shtml

Find Sounds - http://www.findsounds.com/

The Free Sound Project - http://www.freesound.org/

The Recordist - http://www.therecordist.com/pages/downloads.html

Feel free to drop me a line!

-Cheebs

Make A Moog Voyager By Yourself

2009-03-12T16:52:00.000-07:00

I was looking into building some of my own synth units. One of the most acclaimed synthesizers ever made have been the Moogs. Anyone who knows anything about synthesis knows what a Moog is. I happened to find a how-to that shows you how to make your own Moog Voyager. Check it out!! If you have time and it works, let me know!

Here's The Link - http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hb_musical_instruments/article/0,2033,DIY_13881_5226680,00.html

Cheers!

-Cheebs

5 Free Drum Machines For Your Computer

2009-02-21T17:57:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of some drum machines you can use on your computer to create your own drum loops. If you like what i post, please click a few adds on the side, it really ads up in the long run and helps me out.

1- Hydrogen

A great drum machine that although originally developed for Linux, is still very strong on the Windows platform. It has support for WAV, AIFF, and AU sound files with export to midi or WAV functionality. It is pretty easy to use and also offers advanced features including unique human velocity, human time, pitch and swing functionality.

2- Leaf Drums

Leaf Drums uses standard WAV files for drum samples, so you can easily add your own or download more from the internet. this makes the uses of Leaf Drums limitless for creating drum loops, as you can add different drum kit sounds for the different styles of loop you are creating. It also supports loops that are re-sampled to fill the entire bar, whatever the tempo. It provides control over the length, attack, and decay of drum sounds. The effects given let you edit the delay, distortion, phaser, etc... Also, the loops can be exported as .WAV files for easy use in other application, which puts Leaf Drums up there with the likes of Fruity Loops

3- Drum Box

DrumBox is a great drum machine which uses .WAV files as the drum hits rather than having it's own presets. DrumBox is a 32 event, 8 channel drum machine in which you can edit the volume pan and shuffle of each channel. The graphical interface is basic, but the core of the drum machine is extremely well written.

4- Hammerhead

HammerHead Rhythm Station 1.0 is a drum machine based on the TR-909, which uses its own banks for samples, and if you want a different bank of drum sounds to use there is a program called 'MakeBank' supplied from which you create your own banks of drum sounds. HammerHead is a 16 event, 8 channel drum machine in which you can change the speed in bpm and the feel by adding shuffle.

5- Tuareg

Tuareg a sequencer/loop-composer/remixer that creates tracks out of the loops, samples and short sounds you feed it. It is simple to use, and has a very user friendly interface, the version offered here, but the is a 'FAT' version available for $35 from the Homepage with added features. It includes a drum machine and a bass line sequencer, and supports 6 channels of mono, with the ability to render to WAV, for use in other applications.

That's it for today!!

-Cheebs

4 Free Recording Apps For Windows

2009-02-19T16:18:00.000-08:00

Hey guys! I know that a getting a good DAW program can be hard. Pro tools is the standard but there are a lot of people who use everything from Cubase to Audition. Even though those are good programs, they can be expensive to someone just starting out in the game. I dug around and found 4 free recording programs that you can use forever or just until you decide to drop big bucks on something else. One more note, if you like what I do, please click the ads on the side, it helps me make ends meet!

1 - Quartz Audio Master

Quartz Studio Free is an easy to use multi-track digital audio recorder, perfect for quick creation of music tracks or audio assembly and…. Free ! Moreover, it features the basic functionalities required to use the Digital Sound Planet Virtual Studios - also Freely available registering on the Digital Sound Planet site. The program also includes, among other features, 4+2 audio tracks, real-time processing effects (Reverb et Chorus) on each track, along with volume and pan, audio track data editing functions, a spacialization interface, Skin change, etc

2 - tracAxPC

TrakAx empowers you to create professional music and video mixes in an easy-to-use and fun environment. Whether you are creating a music track for your MySpace page or a video for YouTube, TrakAxPC is the most powerful FREE application on the web.” Features include beat matching, a drag-and-drop interface for mixing and adjusting tracks, and video editing features. Audio formats supported include WAV, MP3, OGG, and WMA.

Trakax.com’s website is very slick. If the software is comparable, it may just deserve a place in your software toolkit. It may be a great DAW to get started on. The site also sells royalty-free loops, beats and tracks for a price.

3 - Audacity

This is a fairly well known free open source program. Check out the site for all the info. I used to use this a long time ago, so trust me, it's a good investment. Oh wait, it's free!!

4 - KRISTAL Audio Engine

KRISTAL Audio Engine is a powerful multi-track recorder, audio sequencer and mixer - ideal for anyone wanting to get started with recording, mixing and mastering digital audio. It is designed as a modular system. The main application provides a mixing console, while the audio sequencer, live audio input and so on are loaded as separate Plug-Ins

Thats it for today! Check back for more soon!!

-Cheebs

Getting Instrumentals and Acapellas FREE

2009-02-17T12:12:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I know how hard it can be to get a instrumental or acapella when you really need one. You might want to remix a track, put a mix tape together or just have beats to freestyle to or use to model one you are creating to make it have a special vibe to it.

I found 2 good links for acapellas and instrumentals, check em out!

BlackLabeled.com - This is a forum I found where people post both acapellas and instrumentals up. You can request or just search for one you need. You can also post ones you found to help other people out, this is a good way to get connection from people.

GetSoneShine.com - For being as bare as this site is, it has a ton of beats. He has tons of newer instrumetnals and also has sample packs and beats he has made for you to check out. This is a really good site to find beats!

Thats it for today! It had been awhile so I decided to post something real quick!

Keep checkin back!

-Cheebs

New Instrumentals Up

2009-02-02T22:51:00.000-08:00

I just uploaded 3 new instrumentals to my blog. Check out all of them at http://cheebsbeats2.blogspot.com and turn them up!

Check back for more!!

Review - Fruity Loops 8

2009-01-29T15:31:00.000-08:00

My view is a little bias on Fruity Loops because I have been making music with it for years. I don't remember what version I picked up first, but it is what I learned to make beats on.

First of all let me say, Fruity Loops is a great all around program for the low price. It has everything from a sequencer, piano roll, recording capabilities and many other aspects I could spend a hour and a half describing each one. But I digress, on to the review.

When you first open FL, it opens with a demo song to show you the range of abilities this software covers. Once you are done listening to it (if you even did) you can open up a new project and start.

The menu on the left side is easy to navigate through, and easy to customize. If you have a sample folder all you have to do is drag the folder into the list and it will automatically link the folder to the list. All you have to do then is click the folder and search for the right sounds. To audition a sound you just click it. If you go through it with the arrow keys on the keyboard like I do sometimes you push up and down to pick a file, and to open a folder or play a sound push the right arrow while the left closes a folder.

The piano roll is very straight forward, and has its own list of options such as quantize. This is helpful because I never play my melodies perfect.

The drum sequencer is also straight forward. Within 5 min you before aware of the basic in and outs of it.

What I really like about FL is you can load VST FX and instrument plug-ins. This makes it a much better weapon in your music making arsenal as opposed to Reason that does not support VSTs.

The patter sequencer is easy also. You just draw out each bar of each pattern and create the sequence. Not much more to say about that.

All in all, this is a great overall production machine. Recording vocals is even clean, but I think the record function is more for live instruments rather than vocals.

You can pick up a version of FL 8 for pretty cheap, just shop around and don't be afraid to download the demo to test it out.

Here is Image-Line's Fruity Loops Web Site : http://flstudio.image-line.com/

Breakdown-

Interface : 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Value: 9.5/10

Overall: 8.625/10

Check back for more and don't forget to give me feedback and subscribe!!

5 Sample Loaded Sites

2009-01-26T21:32:00.000-08:00

I put together this list of the top 5 places I go when I get bored with the drums I have. Some of these sites are more than just samples, so give them all a good look around and get as much out of them as you can. What's the point of free stuff if no one takes advantage of it?

Sample Swap

This site is full of break beats and loops as well as drum hits. There is also a section where people upload songs they have created for other people to download. I go here every few weeks just to see whats new.

BAP

I stumbled onto this site on accident. I was just looking around and clicked on a link. It threw me off that it was in french, but I found out where the samples were and downloaded some of them. Its basically just enough to get anyone started in making beats. There's some drums, instruments and loops to pick through. It's nothing too special, but I like something about it.

Sample Craze

This site is cool because it has a lot of drum kits for sale. But me being cheap, what really makes this site cool is there are free sample packs to check out of each kit you could but. If you spend a little time and download them all, you might find some cool sounds to inspire you. It might actually make you wanna buy something. it happens to the best of us.

Sound Zone

I haven't used them for quite a while, but soundfonts are pretty cool. It's basically a synth that is played in any soundfont player. A lot of good bass, piano and other synth are put in soundfonts and sound pretty good. It's also a good way of having a lot of sounds without having to get a bunch of CPU munching VST's.

KB6.de

These guys have tons of vintage drum machine samples. Everyone knows about the 707, 808 and 909 by Roland, but there are a ton of other really grimy and dope drum machines out there. I love hardware, but computers are the wave of the future, so I sold a lot of my drum machines. This way you get the milk and don't have to buy the cow, or something like that.

Don't forget to leave me comments on what you want. Most of these posts are requests.

-Cheebs

3 Links Stuffed With Music Production Tips

2009-01-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

As you know, this is a blog that is about music production. I look all over the internet to find tip and tricks for my own self, and I have decided to show you a few of the sites I go to when I'm confused or in trouble or just hungry for knowledge.

Tenth Egg

There is a lot of good stuff here from mastering to production. All of it is helpful and good to know. The more you know, the more you can do. Check this page out and bookmark it while you are at it.

Create Digital Music

This site is full of all kinds of info. It's a site like mine with a little bit of everything. I will one day be like these guys. Check it out and check out all the videos.

Remix Blog

This is a blog created by Remix Magazine. They have a great mag and this is a great blog. Check them out and be sure to check back often because they update all the time.

That's the links, use them or lose them.

Don't forget to comment if this was helpful!! I love the feedback.

-Cheebs

Dope Beats For Sale - By ME

2009-01-24T14:16:00.000-08:00

I have just opened up a new blog to showcase my beats. This is a way to prove I make the music i say I do. Beats like the kind T-Pain, Jeezy, Soulja Boy, Ludacris and T.I. might use. All are mixed and mastered to sound full and clean.

The beats are 20 to lease, 50 to buy. If you really like something, buy it, because if you lease it you cant have exclusive rights and someone might use it too.

Check out the beats at : http://cheebsbeats2.blogspot.com

Free Samples - I Got Da Clap

2009-01-23T15:45:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

There are 2 groups of people who produce beats, those who love claps and those who hate claps. I love me a good clap every once in awhile. I have put together a pack of 231 different claps. This should be the last clap pack you would ever need.

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?2wdejklnyx0

We gunna clap back......

-Cheebs

3 Great FREE VST Plug-In Bundles

2009-01-22T23:41:00.000-08:00

There are tons of VST's all over the place. You can get them all the way from free to thousands of dollars for a program that helps you shape waveforms. In fact, a PC, Fruity Loops and a hand full of VST's can make a whole studio out of a bed room and no one would know any different.

In my search for Vst's over the years, I have found a lot of shit and a lot of really good stuff. I have filtered through the shit and shoveled out a couple really good packs of VST files from different companies that are really worth getting. You can never get enough VST's, don't forget to pack these on top of the rest!

1: TWEAKBENCH "Nintendo" style bundle pack

This pack is great. It has VST's that replicate everything you would need to make a NES soundtrack. I mean it, EVERYTHING. The plug-ins are free, they offer the complete bundle in a sing zip for a small fee. Get these either way.

2: The Fillet bundle from digitalfishphones.com

This mini bundle has a few really cool dynamic plug-ins. I use the compressor quite often. The "Spitfish" is a really good de-esser, I use that one a lot too. You can navigate back and check out the other plug-ins they have also, it's worth a peek.

3: The VST pack from jeroenbreebaart.com

I just found this pack. They are all user friendly and sound real clean. Get these and try them out on a track to switch it up a little bit. Some good limiter and compressors in this bundle.

That's it for today. Don't forget to check the older posts and tell your other friends about this blog is you like it. Also leave me comments to tell me if this was helpful, I love the feedback.

-Cheebs

Tip - How To Tune Your Kick And Bass

2009-01-20T01:13:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! So many things have been happening recently, my head is spinning. I am putting out my first solo EP among a few other things such as school starting back up. But I sill am here to drop a new tip on you guys.

I know this has happened to you before, you're making a beat and you have the kick and bass together and it just doesn't work. There's either distortion or it just sounds weird or off and messes up the whole song. To get around this you can do a few things. You can play the bass so it doesn't hit the same time as the kick does. You can put a slower attack on the bass and a faster release on the kick so they barely touch each other. Or you can tune them together and make it sound more natural.

Here's how you do it

Pick up a kick that you like. EQ it, compress it, distort it or whatever else you want to do to it til you like how it sounds.

Next find a guitar or bass tuner plug in. Guitar Rig has one built in, but I downloaded one called C-Tuner that is a very basic and straight forward plug in.

Now run the kick through the tuner and take note of what key the kick is in. If it is a sharp or flat, or just a solid note, make sure you remember what it is. If it is a little bit off and you want to mess with it a little, you can pitch shift it slightly until it is in the key you want it.

Next match the root note of the bass you are using to the same key as the kick is in. This should help cut down on the distortion as well as make the kick and bass sound more natural together.

Little simple things like that really make a difference on tracks. So try this little trick out next time you are throwing a beat together and see how it works.

Check back soon for more stuff, as well as my album release!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Vintage Roland Drum Machine Pack

2009-01-18T17:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a pack of vintage Roland drum machine samples. I have ones from the 707, 808, 909 and other ones. Download this pack for the old school hip hop sounds, or just for the cheesy cow bells.

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?r2yeh2mz1tg

Also don't forget to pick up your copy of the Knuckle Phux Double Disk here : http://www.mediafire.com/?dyi0mgumzcy There has been 300 downloads this week alone, don't get left out!!

All the best!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Tweaked 909's

2009-01-17T16:59:00.000-08:00

A few people asked me for a few more tweaked drum kits. I put together the "Tweaked 909" kit for everyone who loved the 808's! Don't forget to check for other samples in older posts!

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?hye2oztnqmi

-Cheebs

Knuckle Phux Double Disk

2009-01-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

The Knuckle Phux Vol. 1 and 2 have finally been smashed together into a single download for your listening pleasure. The collection of production from Bad Planet members such as myself, DJ Sutch N Sutch, and MCG. The lyrics are laid down by myself and MCG with guests along the way. Check out Knuckle Phux Vol. 1, the album that started it all and Vol. 2 where we last left off. Vol. 3 is in the works and will be on its way soon enough.

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?wxzdmm4jetj

-Cheebs

Top 5 Albums You Want But Don't Need

2009-01-15T17:04:00.000-08:00

I have been listening to rap and hip hop for almost all my life now. I went through phases of other musics, and I didn't grow up on LL Cool J being from a white area and having white Parents. But once I was able to choose my own music, i always go back to rap and hip hop over and over again. Some say it's the beats, some say it's the words, some say it's the marketing, I say that I like it and that's all there is to it. But there are people who are just brainwashed and don't know what's good or bad for them. In this post I will touch on 5 albums everyone "Had To Have" but can live without.

1: 50 Cent - Curtis

First of all, I used to really like fiddy. When I first heard Get Rich, I loved it and listened to it over and over and over again for months straight, no joke. I knew, and probably still do know, every single word that is on that album from start to finish from lyrics to just talking. I don't know how many times I have said "G-G-G-G-G-G-Unit!" while partying with my friends. All that aside, Curtis is terrible album. After Dre stopped working with him and holding his hand, he went down hill. His stuff before Get Rich is better than Curtis. On this album all he does is talk about how much money he has and how he spends it on retarded shit as well as sound like he's falling asleep while doing it. After "Magic Stick" cam out I knew we were in for trouble, but this has gone too far. Stop it Fiddy, Stop It.

2: Lil Wayne - The Carter 1-3

I know everyone loves Lil Wayne, and I know everyone will call me a hater for putting these albums up, but I don't care. I don't get how this guy is so popular. His lyrics are whack as hell, he comes up with some of the most ridiculous punch lines i have ever hears as well as just some of the dumbest shit period. And now he's putting auto-tune on his rap?! What the hell is this?! I was annoyed by the robot voice when singing, but I can kind of understand it because there is pitch and notes there that go all over the place. But putting auto-tune on just regular rap vocal is just the last straw with the whole robot voice. They need to put it to bed, and Lil Wayne needs to take it more serious or just stop. He is not the greatest rapper ever, I'm sorry.

3: Kanye West - College Dropout

Again, like 50, I listened to Kanye's first album over and over again a thousand times. I think that will forever be his best, as I feel almost every ones first album is their best because they have had a whole life to prepare for that one album. Everyone one after that is on deadline to get done and be just as good. I even kind of liked Late Registration, but College Dropout is just Kanye bragging about how he is the best for the most part. And when it isn't on a song, it's him acting like a baby when people don't "understand" what he does. Fuck you, Kanye, you are good but you are not the best. I'm convinced him being that way is a act, but who knows.

4: Snoop Dogg - Ego Trippin'

I pick this because all of his albums sound the same now, so no one really needs this one.

5: T-Pain - Thr33 Ringz

Like I said, I understand it's kinda cool to have the auto-tune robot voice thing. But give it a rest, it's just been over done. T-Pain is the king of auto-tune, he wears a hat that proves it. It's too much. No one needs this, it's making people dumber just like ordering by numbers when you go out to eat. I don't really want to talk any more about it

Those are the ones no one needs.

-Cheebs

Tip - How To Figure Out BPM Of A Song

2009-01-11T20:03:00.001-08:00

I don't know how many times I've needed to know the BPM of a song. Sometimes it's for a accapella that I want to remix with my own beat, or maybe I recorded a song to a beat someone else made and I want to remix that. Maybe you are a dj and want to get a set together and need to know the BPM of a song to see the best song you can mix into it.

Whatever your reason for needing to get the BPM of a song, here is how you do it.

First you need to have a clock or a watch with seconds on it. It doesn't matter if its a stop watch, a wrist watch, the clock on the wall or your computer clock. Next play the song you want to find the BPM of. Next you wait for the second hand to run across the minute mark, 30 second mark or whatever mark you can easily reference in order to get a perfect starting time. Now all you have to do is count the beats. If you don't know what ones to count, the beat is where the first kick hits and usually where the snare hits. Some drum patterns are complicated and hard to figure out for some people, so it might take you awhile to get it sometimes. A easy way to know the beat is to just count at the time you nod your head, that's usually the beat.

Count the beats for either 10, 15, 20 or 30 seconds. The longer you count the more accurate it will end up being in the long run. Then you multiply the number you got after the seconds are up by how the amount you would need to to make the seconds a whole minute. For example, if you did it for 15 seconds and you got 20 beats in that 15 seconds, multiply 20 by 4 because 15 seconds times 4 is 60 seconds, and 60 seconds is a minute. So 20 times 4 is 80. The beat you just listened to was 80 BPM roughly.

Sometimes you need to mess around and find the perfect BPM because producers might arrange the tempo around the sample and not just a round number for the BPM, so that takes a little more time and effort.

There are programs you can use and application in other programs that try to detect the beat, but these programs aren't always accurate. I also found a link to a page that has a lot of songs BPMs already calculated and recorded. You can find the site here : http://www.djbpmstudio.com/index.html

Hope this was helpful! Let me know if you want me to touch on any subjects by dropping me a comment or email at cheebsbeats@gmail.com Take care!!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Cheebs Drum Loops

2009-01-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

I don't usually use drum loops in songs, but sometimes they are just what a beat needs to give it that specific feel you cant seem to create with the drum samples you picked out. Adding a whole loop or just a piece will spice up a otherwise boring drum pattern in almost any song. Here's a set of loops I put together for you to have. As always its free!!

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?1wzzxmwwwzr

Album reviews coming soon!

-Cheebs

5 Of The Best Hip Hop And Rap Forums

2009-01-08T23:55:00.001-08:00

What's up everyone! In this article I'm going to let you know something that some of the more hardcore Hip Hop heads might not take advantage of. There are a lot of forums on the internet that offer a lot of help, criticism and advice from people who have had the exact same problmes you might be having. Going on a forum is a good way to also network with artists and producers from all over the world who no one knows about yet. I have met a few really dope producers on forums in the past and I still work with them. Here is a quick list of 5 of the best forums I have found on the internet. Go sign up, browse the topics and maybe post something of your own.

Real Rap Talk : http://www.realraptalk.com/

Jee Juh Forum : http://www.jeejuh.com/forum/

Rap Battles : http://www.rapbattles.com

Underground Hip Hop : http://www.ughh.com

Rap Music Dot Com : http://board.rapmusic.com/

You might learn something

-Cheebs

Do You Want To Sing?

2009-01-07T00:02:00.000-08:00

Do you sing? Do you want to sing? Do you know someone who wants to learn how to sing? Do you even know where to start? Why is the sky blue? Do I need to ask so many questions?

Ok, I'll get to the point....

I found a few quick tutorials on a site called Expert Village. This site features a lot of tutorial videos that touch on a lot of different topics, not just singing, so after you learn to sing you might want to learn how to make sushi. Who knows?

On a side not, I can't sing at all. Here's the proof, listen after 1 min 13 sec : http://www.mediafire.com/?3m4ygztnnyu

Here's the link : http://www.expertvillage.com/video-series/586_voice-lessons.htm

That's it for today!

-Cheebs

Review - Shure SM58

2009-01-06T23:50:00.000-08:00

Anyone who is into the Hip Hop scene at all and has been to a show or been on stage, the Shure SM58 is a staple microphone that has been used for a number of years. You can see them being held on stage, in CD booklets and musician profile pictures. They are used for anything from slam poetry to rock shows.

I have used them many times at shows and know how they are a sturdy work horse that will live through anything.

Being a Dynamic mic there is no need for phantom power. A Dynamic mic, for those who don't know, is basically a reverse of a speaker. There is a cone that picks up vibration from your voice, moves a tiny magnet that is surrounded by fine copper wire that converts it to an electrical current. They are can take much more abuse and are harder to make distort. That's why they are used for more live shows.

One of the only down sides of these is they are a little "muddy". The mids and high mids are louder, which is good for cutting through a live mix but is not very good for studio production.

Overall, it is a very reliable and sturdy microphone. I recommend anyone buy one who uses their own gear for live gigs. They are also good to have just to practice. Pick one up and keep it in your gig bag.

Breakdown-

Interface : N/A
Sound: 7/10
Ease of Use: 10/10
Value: 9/10

Overall: 8.6/10

Check the Spec's out at : http://www.shure.com/ProAudio/Products/WiredMicrophones/us_pro_SM58-CN_content

More free drum samples are on the way! Check back soon!

-Cheebs

6 Dirty Sample Blogs You Must Peep

2009-01-04T23:03:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!

I was just checking out some of my favorite blogs I look through to get samples from. I know it took me months to filter through all the crap to really find the best of the best. I wish they updated more often sometimes but beggars can't be choosers. I decided I would show you guys a few of the ones I go to the most. They range from Soul to Jazz and beyond.

36 15 Moog : A blog dedicated to albums that are mainly composed with the Moog, a classic synth that everyone who makes music would love to own just to brag about it.

Dust 2 Dust : This is a blog I always check first. It has some of the best albums I have ever sampled. Vinyl ripped albums.

Orgy In Rhythm : I just found this blog and just happened to find some good albums on it. Check them out.

Milk Crate Breaks : This is a site that I guess is mainly geared towards Hip Hop and break beat samples. I get a few good ones of this page from time to time.

Never Enough Rhodes : A really nice blog with Rhodes flooded albums. I can never make the Rhodes sound like these guys can.

A Pyrex Scholar : This is a blog that is a lot like Milk Crate Breaks. It is just really good albums that have a lot of gems to sample. Check them out

A little side note about the downloads you get from these sites. A lot of the blogs that upload albums you can check out use rapidshare. This site only allows you to download 1 album at a time if you dont own a premium account. I strongly suggest you pay for either a 1 or 3 months subscription to save you time in the long run. Now rapidshare also make syou wait a number of minutes between free downloads. I say just pay and downlaod all the sample syou could ever imagine.

Let me put it this way, it's cheaper and easier than taking a trip to your local record store to buy these albums, then listen to and record to your computer. It took me a few months to realize that, so learn from my mistake.

Until next time!!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Tweaked 808's

2009-01-03T13:36:00.001-08:00

This is a pack i threw together that has 808's that have been distorted or tweaked in other ways to not sound stock. There are some really dope kicks and hats and snares in this pack as well as a few other sounds off the 808. It's really a nice accent to some hip hop tracks that need that dirty bassy feel to them that you cant get with normal 808's.

Here's the link : Tweaked 808's

Don't forget to check the older posts for more free samples.

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Boomin Bass

2009-01-02T21:07:00.001-08:00

Here is a kit of Bass stabs that can be used in all kinds of Hip Hop as well as other types of production. There is a style of bass for almost any track. Get them while they're hot!!

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?zymzzjmulwo

Don't forget to check out the other free downloads I have in my older posts!! They are all sorted by catagory on the right side of the blog under Samples.

Check back soon for more good stuff!!

-Cheebs

Review - KRK Rokit 8

2009-01-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone!! Time for another review!!

I picked these up because I've heard so much about them. I have also seen them in many pictures of studios all over the place from magazines to internet pages and even books.

I got 2 of them for 499.99 from my local music store. When I got home and got everything set up I was surprised at the amount of sound that came out of these little speakers. When I went to sound engineer school we used a lot of Mackie, so I wasn't sure they would sound as good. The seemed to sound as good to me, so I cranked them up higher.

I used the XLR connection off the KRK 10" sub I bought and the two were very accurate from what I heard. I did quite a few cross reference checks between my production and songs that I wanted my stuff to sound like, and after going back and forth a few times I was able to match up the quality very well.

I always say, if you want to make real music, you need accurate monitors. These are extremely accurate, affordable and they look kinda cool.

A little side note on these is one of them ended up burning out after about a year and a half. It started blowing fuses and KRK didn't replace it for free because it was too far past the warranty. Other than that I am extremely happy with these and I think if you are looking into buying monitors, consider them in your search. For the price, you cant go wrong!

Breakdown-

Interface : N/A
Sound: 9/10
Ease of Use: 10/10
Value: 8/10

Overall: 9/10

Check these out and other KRK products at : http://www.krksys.com/

Have a safe and happy new year!!

Check back for more!!

-Cheebs

Tons Of Video Tutorials at tunetorials.com

2008-12-29T01:06:00.000-08:00

Hey guys. I just found this link in my endless search for info on music production. This is a really nice collection of tutorials for basically every music program on the computer. i watched a few of the Reason and Fruity Loops ones and they looked helpful. Check them out and tell them is sent you!!

Here's the link : http://www.tunetorials.com/

Happy New Year!!

-Cheebs

New Beats Up!!

2008-12-29T00:20:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I just uploaded a few new beats up on to my Myspace beat page. They are called "Thuggish Soul" and "Fat Albert".

Here's the link : http://www.myspace.com/sloppyrecordsbeats

Keep checkin back and Happy New Years!!

-Cheebs

Can you tell the difference?

2008-12-24T20:28:00.001-08:00

Here's a chart that I found that will break down all the freq. in a beat and basically in any song. It tells you what makes what sound how it sounds and what to add or take away to get the desired effect. Just check it out, its very helpful.

Here's the link : http://www.recordingwebsite.com/articles/eqfreq.php

-Cheebs

Instrumentals

2008-12-23T23:11:00.000-08:00

A good way to make a beat sound a curtain style is by listening to a few beats that are the style you are trying to mimic(DUH). I found a nice site called GetSomeShine.com. The guy has a sample pack uploaded, has a section of beats he has made as well as about 4 pages of popular instrumentals that you can listen to and download. This iswhere I downloaded the beats I am using for my "Global Warming" Mix Tape that will be out early 2009. Stop by and tell him I sent ya!!

Here's the link : http://www.getsomeshine.com/instrumentals/index.php

Happy Holidays!!

-Cheebs

Free Plugins @ http://kubton.com

2008-12-22T03:04:00.001-08:00

I found a great free VST plugin page at http://kubton.com so I wanted to share it with you guys. They have all the types broken up into categories and each VST has its own description. Enjoy!

Here's the link : http://kubton.com/freeplugins.html

Check back often!!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Knockin Kicks

2008-12-20T21:29:00.000-08:00

I just put together a pack of kicks real quick. These are some of my favorite kicks that I use, so enjoy them.

Here's the link : Knockin Kicks

Happy Holidays!!

-Cheebs

Tip - The Imporance of Ear Training

2008-12-20T13:07:00.000-08:00

What's up everyone? Today I would like to talk about one of the things that a lot of Hip Hop producers overlook these days, but is one of the most important things to be able to do. What I am talking about is the ability to recognize different frequencies and differentiate between notes. Not having the proper training can take a otherwise good beat and just make it seem "off" when everything is finally put together.

People will speed up a sample, throw it over some drums and put bass over it. But do you know how to EQ the sample properly? Do you know exactly what frequency is making it sound harsh, bassy, or just out of place? Do you have a favorite track you want to try to make sound cleaner or more commercial but it still seems dull? If you know what frequency you are looking for and tweaking, it will make it go much faster and you will end up being more productive in the long run.

I found a dope site that offers many kinds of ear training software's. I used one when i went to school and its really simple. The one I used just played white noise and turned up different frequencies and you write down what one you think it is. After a few min you start to be able to tell the difference between the frequencies and get more answers right. I don't know if that's what all these ones do, but any of them are great to check out.

Here's the link : http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/cat/EAR_TRAINING/

I also want to say that the entire site is very helpful and has a ton of stuff that has to do with multiple kinds of audio and video software. Just browse around and I know you will find something else you really want or need to download.

Here's the site link : http://www.hitsquad.com/smm/

Happy Holidays!!

-Cheebs

Review - M-Audio KeyRig 49

2008-12-18T18:50:00.000-08:00

I tested out this little baby and loved its simplicity. IF all you need is a midi keyboard, this is the one for you. It only has a usb output, no midi cables on this baby, so don't get it if you only use hardware.

Within 2 minutes it was plugged in, installed and working. It really doesn't get any easier. If you have a basic knowledge of usb midi inputs, you are all set.

The keys are semi weighted and feel pretty good. Mod wheel is nice and so is the pitch wheel. No bells or whistles, just basic midi.

I saw it from between 79.99 to 109.99 in places so shop around and check it out.

Breakdown-

Interface : 10/10
Sound: n/a
Ease of Use: 9/10
Value: 8/10

Overall: 9/10

For specs check out http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/KeyRig49.html

Keep checkin back for more!!

-Cheebs

Hip Hop Makers

2008-12-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I kinda posted quite a few posts today, but so what? I just wanted to let everyone know about a site I found called Hip Hop Makers. This is a great site and resource for anyone that is into Hip Hop production. There are tons of great articles, interviews, tutorials and resources for you to check out. He updates it frequently, so keep checkin back every week or so for any new jewels he decides to drop! Check the site out in my links or just go to http://www.hiphopmakers.com

Tell him I sent ya!!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Hi Hats

2008-12-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

I put together a small pack of Hi Hats. I know how it is when you cant find that perfect hat to fit the rest of your drums, here is my attempt to mix a few together. Enjoy them and keep checking back!!

Link - Hard Hats

Happy Holidays!

-Cheebs

Review - Propellerhead ReCycle

2008-12-17T14:48:00.000-08:00

The reason I picked up ReCycle was because I had heard it made chopping samples easier. One of my production buddies used it with Reason to cut up guitar riffs and drum loops he recorded. I decided since I was dabbling with Reason myself I would give it a try as well.

The install went very fast and it is a pretty straight forward program. I liked the layout, and I liked being able to see the wave form. It was a little difficult to see at first so I was pleasantly surprised to see you were able to change the color configuration in order to view the waves easier. I loaded up a drum loop and started messing around.

I first started with the "Sens" slider. It was very accurate in finding the slice points I needed. I think it being just drums made it easier, but that's not the point. Once you see the slice you like and hear it you can select the "Lock" tool to lock the slice into place. Once they are all in the right spot you can take the "Sens" slider all the way down and just your selected slices remain, quite easy.

After that you can have it recognize the amount of loops and add other effects such as EQ, compression and a stretcher option that makes the slices seem more natural and not so abrupt. You can then export it as a .rex file(for Reason), or as single wav file slices that can be used in any hardware or software that uses wav files. I made the .rex and closed the program and messed with the loop in Reason for awhile.

When i was shopping around I saw a few different prices for it from $199.99 all the way as low as $99.99 at some sites, so make sure you shop around.

I didn't make a song with the loop I chopped up because I did not make anything worth showing anyone, but I still use it today to slice drum loops and samples up to import into Reason and even Fruity Loops as well as on my MPC.

Breakdown-

Interface : 7/10
Sound: 8/10
Ease of Use: 9/10
Value: 6/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Check out ReCycle at http://www.propellerheads.se/products/recycle/

Happy Music Making!!

-Cheebs

Review - MPC2500

2008-12-17T14:06:00.000-08:00

The MPC2500 is an amazing piece of gear. When i first took it out of the box and took the plastic off it I was excited. The weight, the pads, the sliders and knobs, they were all so solid. I glanced through the Quick Start manual that came with it and was up and running in no time.

The stock sounds and songs were pretty good. A lot of the drums were dance and hip hop oriented and I liked that because that's what I would be using it for. After I browsed the basic layout and the many menus I started a fresh song to test out the Chop Shop function. I found that setting the input to mono instead of stereo I was able to record more samples off the record and have more to work with. Once I got the pieces recorded I found it was very easy to cut the remainder off the samples and make the loop clean with the sliders on the left side. Although I did not find the Chop Shop useful for this first attempt I saw how useful it would be in the future. The fine tuning took too long and I just wanted to get at the beat.

Laying down the drum pattern and the samples was also very easy. I had a rough beat after about 10 min and it sounded pretty decent. I found the auto quantize and toggled it to various settings as well as off. I found the mixer easy to use and the stock FX were decent. I did not find the FX very useful though because there only seemed to be 2 that you could program in at the same time and I wanted to use more. The 8 outs were nice though and made it able for me to bounce all the tracks separate. My only problem is it was stereo outs and used up 2 of the channels at a time, I was not able to get it to only use a single channel. The overall sound was warmer than I expected it to be.

Overall I really liked the MPC2500 and recommend it to anyone that uses hardware instead of software. It's easy and fun to use, it sounds good and it's a solid piece of equipment. I only felt limited by the samples, not the machine.

For the sample I used a Bob James song. The mic I used is a Rode NT1a in an enclosed sound proof vocal booth. Tracked into Pro Tools LE 7. Here's the link to the song - Sick Rap

Breakdown-

Interface : 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Ease of Use: 8/10
Value: 9/10

Overall: 8.25/10

Check out the MPC2500 at Akai Pro : http://www.akaipro.com/mpc2500

Happy Holidays!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Real Drums

2008-12-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when your making a track you want a raw version of what every hip hop kit has to offer for drums. This is as raw as it gets! This is a pack of real drum samples to be used in any production you choose. I have used these drums many times and am not letting you get your hands and ears on them.

Here's the link : http://www.mediafire.com/?nlnwz2mxvm4

Keep checkin back

-Cheebs

Free Album For Download

2008-12-13T18:33:00.000-08:00

There has been a album we made but have yet to release from a year ago. The name of this album is called "Knuckle Phux Vol. 2". It has production from myself, MCG, Sutch n Sutch and Conclusion. You can find links to all these people on my Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/cheebs)

"Knuckle Phux Vol. 2" : http://www.mediafire.com/?sjzgmtytvjy

Visit the groups Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/knucklephux

"Knuckle Phux Vol. 3 : Brown Out" is currently in the works and will be released mid next year. Let me know what you think and keep checking back!

-Cheebs

Free Samples - Cheebs Groove Drum Pack

2008-11-08T03:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a lil drum pack that I threw together. Not too much stuff but its got some cool drums as well as other goodies. Enjoy!!

Link : http://www.mediafire.com/?dmavmhrmdi2

-Cheebs

Fruity Loops Tutorials

2008-11-07T22:37:00.001-08:00

Hey everybody. This is my first real post so its pretty exciting for me!

So I found quite a few Fruity Loops tutorials on YouTube the other night and i thought I would share them with you. They are made by a guy named NFX. These tutorials are very very good and he goes into some really deep details. I do have to warn you he really is redundant at times and it gets annoying, but other than that they are dope as hell. I have been using Fruity Loops for years and I really think it is a great program regardless of the name. It has everything you need to make music of any kind and these tutorials will help you get the most out Fruity Loops if you use it.

Heres a sample of one and the link to his YouTube channel. Enjoy!!

Link : http://www.youtube.com/user/nfxbeats

Peace Out

-Cheebs

The Cheebs Beats Blog Is Open

2008-11-05T18:09:00.001-08:00

Whats up everyone? Ive never tried to do this blog thing before. Basically I'm going to dedicate this blog to Beats and the essential pieces to make them. Everything from samples, synth's, tutorials, programs, equipment and other things that i think of along the way. Ill be uploading my own vynal rips as well as feature ones off other sites. Stay tuned!!!

Check out my myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/cheebs

PEACE

-Cheebs

P.S. if you have requests or anything feel free to let me know!!