http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/index.htmlWhat's going on at KAOS Musiceninfo@kaosmusiccentre.comCopyright 2009 KAOS Music Centre2013-03-25T12:07:08-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Tue, 8 Dec 2009 15:28:11 -0500info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2013-03-25T12:07:08-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/da17fc8750f9172cd04f1c9fd6cefed1-112.html#unique-entry-id-112http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/da17fc8750f9172cd04f1c9fd6cefed1-112.html#unique-entry-id-112In our world of huge mixes, stereo effects, 5.1, 7.1 mixes etc … we sometimes lose sight of the beauty of a plain old mono effect. I've written a bunch of times about how we tend to go crazy using up the huge selection of processing resources at our disposal, not always improving our results. It's human nature, we tend to choose the best available (or seemingly best) option. So, when it comes to selecting from a list of effects we tend to favour the most elaborate choice. My favourite studio owner/youtube video maker Graham recently put up a good tip about using mono delay on a vocal track instead of a stereo version. His video makes a good point. How often do you spend tons of time mixing an epic piece of music only to find that the vocal track seems to be getting lost. The fact that the delayed version of the track is bouncing all around the mix might be the reason. Sometimes, as illustrated in Graham's video, it works better to have that delayed track living in one spot across the stereo spectrum.

In any case, this video is well worth the 5 minutes. This simple tip might really help define some of your more HUGE sounding mixes. I'd definitely recommend checking it out. Here's the link to it, hope that you enjoy.

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2013-03-05T10:15:19-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8bbbac7fb5599d990d74d01108f91d7b-111.html#unique-entry-id-111http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8bbbac7fb5599d990d74d01108f91d7b-111.html#unique-entry-id-111 Like everyone, I'm always trying to improve when it comes to mixing my recordings. Whether you're a working pro or a late evening amateur enthusiasts recording engineer, we all want our efforts in the mixing stage of the process to improve the sound of our projects. Often times however, our inexperience and our over zealousness to utilize all of the awesome (included with our software) plug in processing power causes us to take a nice, natural sounding song and turn it into an over produced, badly mixed disaster.

The static mix starting point approach is an excellent way to start the process of mixing. Basically, a static mix is nothing more then your song mixed using only volume and panning, no effects, no dynamic procession and no automation. The premise is, if you can get your song sounding pretty good by just adjusting the volumes and panning, it will be much easier to then adjust EQ, add effects, automation etc. Also, it follows that by starting with a decent sounding mix you might stand to fuss with processing a lot less, resulting in a more natural sounding mix.

At first glance, I have to admit that I thought that this advice was a bit overly simple but after watching the video I realized that while I do start my mixes this way, I might not be spending enough time on my static mix before diving into the world of processing trying to fix all of my recording mistakes. Perhaps a bit more time and attention to my static mix might help improve my final mixes and reduce the amount of time I need to spend getting there.

Might help you as well… The video about this topic is here on YouTube, check it out .. it's good.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2013-02-20T17:12:36-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b1f91d9923124f766696544647e2e396-110.html#unique-entry-id-110http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b1f91d9923124f766696544647e2e396-110.html#unique-entry-id-110I read, what I thought was a good article today about EQ as it pertains to mixing your recordings. It suggested a way of approaching EQ in a way that I hadn't really (consciously at least) thought of. In the past, I'd often ask my buddy Ken (studio owner) questions about EQ and how to set it for various instruments. He'd always give me a general suggestion, what frequency to adjust etc. but would always say .. "it depends on what else is going on".

This article kind of took that same approach. First of all, sounds obvious but the first rule is that just because we all have tons of EQ plug ins at our disposal doesn't mean that we must use them. Sometimes a track just doesn't need any EQ. Next, it suggests listening to each track on its own to decide whether you like the sound of it or not. Sometimes, EQ can be used to add gain to various frequencies to change or enhance a track. Other times you'll want to reduce the gain on a frequency or two. Once you get your tracks sounding good on their own it's time to try them together. It's at this point that you can start to determine problems in terms of over crowded frequency ranges. Remember, if all of your tracks sound good on their own yet combined there are frequency crowding problems it follows that you'll have to adjust one or more tracks to thin out some of the frequency ranges.

A good suggestion is to start with your bed tracks. Drums first, then add bass. If that's okay add in any rhythm guitar, then keyboards .. etc. Don't change anything (EQ wise) until you hear a problem. Fix each issue as you add tracks until you have a nicely balanced instrumental track. Then add in your vocal tracks. Now, if they sound muddy, you can EQ them to sit more nicely into your mix.

It's totally a game of hit and miss but you can approach it in a bit of a logical fashion and narrow down problems (EQ wise) one by one. Trying to listen to the entire mix together and identify EQ problems is best left to the pro's with years of experience. Even those guys have basic tricks like these ones that they rely on.

Good Luck and I hope this helps your mixes .. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2013-02-07T11:32:50-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b97417d3e734a9014b9f0d10e3b46fa2-109.html#unique-entry-id-109http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b97417d3e734a9014b9f0d10e3b46fa2-109.html#unique-entry-id-109As almost each week goes by, I learn more and more about shooting video and recording live audio. I'm sure that I've still got tons to learn but I have come a long way in my ability and the quality of the results in the past few years. One area that we have made big improvements is in our audio quality. We are routinely now getting really good sounding guitar tones in our videos. Not so much in our earlier videos. There are a few practical reasons for this. One, we are using more and better mic's as well as a much better audio interface. One less physical reason is the volume that we are recording our electric guitars at. Many of you know one of our managers Lou Roppoli. Well, Lou builds amps, plays guitar and is a student of the school of 80's rock, loud and proud. When we would shoot our videos, Lou and I would often argue about his volume. I would (wrongly) protest about his insane volume. In the early days, I simply didn't know how to properly record a really loud amp so Lou would turn down. The result, a kind of wimpy tone, definitely not what we were going for.

Recently, we redesigned on of our studio's to be used, in part as our video set. This room is much bigger and has really good acoustics, similar to that of a recording studio control room. In this room, we could crank up the amps a lot louder. The result was a way better sounding tone in our videos. Why I wondered? So I did what everyone does when they need an answer, I called my mother in law … okay not really, I Googled it. Turns out that bass frequencies our attenuated as much as -42dB in relation to mid and high frequencies when played at low volumes. In other words, the lower your output volume, the less bass you would hear. As you turn up the volume, the bass volume rises and the overall tone tends to thicken and become nice and smooth. There's more to it then just that but that is the general idea.

So, the take away is this … If possible, when recording electric guitar get your amp up as loud as possible and adjust your input gains on your audio interfaces pre amp to compensate for the louder signal. You will need a room with relatively controlled acoustics, otherwise your ear bleeding loud guitar will be bouncing off all of the walls and windows creating a bunch of unwanted reflection harmonics that will completely defeat the purpose of cranking your amp. We have achieved this by constructing wall baffles that really deaden up the room acoustically, total cost about $300. Well worth the investment and time not to mention a pretty easy DIY project. Your result will be a much more balanced and powerful tone. If you end up with too much low end you can always us your EQ to roll a bit off. It's almost impossible to add realistic sounding low end but taking it away is easy after the fact.

Ok Lou … your were right .. jerk:)
]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2013-01-03T15:29:01-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/709d31f6ecc7040d0f776e7a650161fc-108.html#unique-entry-id-108http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/709d31f6ecc7040d0f776e7a650161fc-108.html#unique-entry-id-108As most of you know, I subscribe to a youtube channel called recordingrevolution. The guy behind the channel posts all sorts of excellent videos designed to help people get better results from their home recording set ups. He does sell some instructional material but his youtube videos are free of course and more importantly, really good. He just put up a "new years" esq. type message outlining what he thought were the 3 big mistakes that home studios make. I found it pretty interesting but it also got me thinking that these principals also applied to other areas of the music business.

His number one mistake was .. "don't try to be a pro studio". What he meant was that too many people spend way too much time trying to buy exotic equipment and decorate their spaces like the pro facilities. He goes onto say that pro studios are doing business at such a higher level then the home studio that it is just really disproportionate to try to own the same equipment and have as fancy a facility.

His second mistake was .. "do try to be like a pro studio". Sounds like a contradiction to the first mistake but what he is referring to is how professional and organized a pro studio is. He is encouraging people to act professionally, schedule themselves effectively and conduct themselves like pros. It doesn't cost any more to act professional as it does to not.

His third mistake was .. "losing sight of our original motivation". We all get into music because of a love for some part of the art. Often, we can get wrapped up in either the finances or the technology such that we stop enjoying it. He, rightly maintains that the best musical results are achieved when the people creating it are having fun, not stressing about deadlines etc.

So, how does this relate to other areas of the business? I often see people in my travels who would love to skip some of the hard work of being a pro in the music business. I guess what I mean is, trying to become a pro in any field is a process and the development part of that process can not be skipped. For a player, that means really becoming a good enough player. Owning pro gear is not substitute for substandard playing. If you are good enough to be a pro in the music business, chances are you will become one. I'd concentrate on really being that good.

How many awesome artists do we all know who couldn't show up on time for their own funeral? Some of the greatest talents are complete bumble heads. Just about every pro that I know is extremely together and organized. You don't have to be a super organized person, just responsible and nice. You can really discount a lot of hard work and talent by simply not caring enough about being professional, courteous and organized. Being great at something is the hard part. Being organized and courteous should be easy by comparison, don't discount it.

When things are going great, it's easy to have fun with your work. It's when times are challenging that it starts to become less fun and more work. His last bit of advice about having fun with your work is applicable to just about anyone in any industry but good advice nonetheless. There is a reason the old saying " do what you love and the money will follow " is famous. It's because it's true in most cases.

So, there you have it, some words of wisdom from me, inspired by a guy named Graham from youtube :) Concentrate on being the best you can be, conduct yourself well and try to have fun doing it. I think I've just outlined my outlook for 2013.

Happy New Year everyone .. Bill

Here is a link to that video in case you'd like to watch it .. Click here]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-11-28T09:52:09-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/76b2cfe41101bbbe95dcc97be67e8d6a-107.html#unique-entry-id-107http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/76b2cfe41101bbbe95dcc97be67e8d6a-107.html#unique-entry-id-107Recently I was involved in a recording project where we both video and audio recorded all of the bands in our Rock Band Experience program here at the store. It's a ton of fun to be involved in that type of project, I acted as the live audio engineer, a camera operator as well as the "wanna be" director. The real work came when I loaded all of the footage and audio into my computer at home and started to mix.

Did I mention that although I have lots of experience around mixing and recording, i'm not actually a recording professional? Nonetheless, I do my best and my years of experience observing others and doing some on my own serve me well and I can get a decent, although not really "pro" result. I don't often mix entire bands, more often I am mixing singer songwriter type projects and to be honest I found it difficult. I understand the concept of getting each instrument to occupy particular frequencies and to avoid layering multiple instruments in the same frequency range on top of each other to create a crisp, non muddy sounding mix. That said, I was spending tons of time futz'n with EQ's trying to segregate the various instruments to create a decent sounding mix, with limited success to be honest. In frustration, I asked my buddy Ken O'gorman .. Studio owner and mix master for suggestions. Without hesitation he started talking about high and low pass filters, a plug in that I had never used. Remember, I'm an amateur. Basically, a pass filter either allows your signal to pass either above or below a set frequency, eliminating the rest.

Well, when it comes to pass filters I am no longer avoiding them because I didn't really know what to do with them. In fact, they are my new best "plug in" friend. It is a lot easier to apply a high pass filter to a guitar track then it is to fool around endlessly with the EQ. By doing so, I was able to know exactly which frequencies I was getting and which I wasn't. This was really handy and easy when I was moving from track to track trying to not only make them sound good but ensure that they were not overlapping frequencies with the others. I'm probably using too many filters now but they are really useful and easy :)

The result was a really big sound with all of the tracks being audible without being too loud. Check out pass filters in your DAW software, they're easy to use and really helpful.. who knew?

Here's a link to a good video from our friends at the Recording Revolution that demonstrate a low pass filter on a drum track .. very helpful
]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-10-18T11:56:48-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/2f800b462ef59ce14a1e7d6a795d81f1-106.html#unique-entry-id-106http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/2f800b462ef59ce14a1e7d6a795d81f1-106.html#unique-entry-id-106Over the years I've accumulated some really good recording knowledge but my day to day world is spent predominantly outside of any recording environment. All that to say, I might have more recording experience then some, but a whole lot less than others. When I sit down to write a blog on some recording topic I usually consult the mighty world wide web for some info and some inspiration. Today I came across what I thought was an awesome website for people doing any type of home recording.

The site was called "The Recording Revolution" dot com. It seems to be a couple of things. Firstly, it is full of short but very informative blog entries on home recording techniques. Some of them are written while others are in the form of a video. Lots and lots of really good stuff. I killed at least a half hour watching videos. It also looks like the owner of the site, a young guy named Graham Cochrane has a line of more detailed videos to sell on a variety of home recording topics. Now, I have never seen any of the Pay Videos but I'd bet they are good judging from the quality of his Free videos.

In any case, this is a great resource for all of you home recording enthusiasts and one that I have subscribed to and will revisit often.

Check it out .. It's pretty good!

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-09-26T14:46:59-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/878ebe1c94fa62d2a268ddcd90353348-105.html#unique-entry-id-105http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/878ebe1c94fa62d2a268ddcd90353348-105.html#unique-entry-id-105Some might say that we (and when I say we, I really mean me) spend too much time fussing with technology when it comes to our videos and some of the social media stuff that we do. Some days I might agree but most of the time I wouldn't. We set out some time ago on a direction to make our business stand apart from others in terms of what we offer our customers. Among many other things, this included the videos that produce for our customer's consumption, entertainment and education. When we started making videos 3 years ago we basically knew as much as the next guy, basically nothing. Since then we have been constantly learning and constantly buying new gear in an effort to improve the look and feel of our videos. This past week we tried a new format for the videos with what we think is great success.

Instead of shooting them in our store we moved into our large classroom. We employed a technique where by you black out the background, move the subject quite a bit forward from the background and then light the subject only leaving the background unlit. The effect is a very isolated subject and much better colour contrast, not to mention that the product becomes the highlight of the frame. Our hope was to improve the viewers experience by removing all of the distractions created by the motion in the store as well as all of the other products hanging in the background. Also, the sound was much easier to work with in the controlled environment of the classroom.

Bottom line, we think we may have taken our videos up a level our two and we hope that you enjoy the improvement. Best part of the whole thing, total cost $39 for the background paper :) You can check one of the new videos out here.

Thanks for reading, watching, shopping ... everything

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-09-05T10:51:30-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/dbb7d8e2bf0cbb901f15f4c231e80cdc-104.html#unique-entry-id-104http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/dbb7d8e2bf0cbb901f15f4c231e80cdc-104.html#unique-entry-id-104Some of you might be a bit bummed out that although summer isn't "technically" over, the beginning of September definitely signifies that it is at least close to being over. It's true, the days are shorter, the temperature is not as hot yaada yaada yaada... Truth is, for some, me included, this time of year is one of the best for a bunch of reasons. For one, I love the temperature at this time of year. At my age (46) lets face it, I look a lot better in a pair of jeans and a sweat shirt then I do in bathing suit. I also heat up fast so sub 25c is more to my liking. Also, the summer is a time in our work that calls for a lot of hard physical work, which normally I don't mind but this summer I combined that with moving my family from one house to another. This made for double the hard work so I'm just as happy to be done with that for this year.

When September hits, we always kick back into full retail and education gear which is pretty exhilarating. This year, we have planned a whole whack of new video topics geared to share our mountain of knowledge with our customers more then ever before. In the coming weeks and months you can look forward to seeing a whole bunch of new "how to" videos covering topics such as amp set up, how to get a particular tone, all different types of pedals and their application as well as lots of new "how to" recording videos. We still plan on offering our customers a full diet of Gear Review videos but hope that these additional videos will help improve our contribution back to our customers.

Also on our agenda for this upcoming fall and winter are two separate "Songwriter Contests" as well as a number of "Performance Nights" for our students all geared towards getting our community out and interacting with us and each other. In the past, our videos have been very well received by people locally and world wide and last year our Songwriter Contest was very popular not mention inspirational so, we are really looking forward to stepping up our social efforts and we are anxious to see how they are received.

We hope that you like all of the new things! It is one of our main goals to be an industry leader when it comes to social engagement and building a fun community around our music store and school. If you have any suggestions for us, we would love to hear them. We can't promise to implement every suggestion but we will promise to listen to any suggestion and we are definitely grateful for any input.

Looking forward to another great year in the music business ... Thanks for everything .. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-08-27T15:11:14-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/91b30101ef04bc4df2411c738b43765d-103.html#unique-entry-id-103http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/91b30101ef04bc4df2411c738b43765d-103.html#unique-entry-id-103I don't deal much with PA systems these days in my role here at KAOS. It is just something that our store does not focus on and not surprisingly, we don't sell much. That said, in my earlier days in the music retail business I used to talk about and sell PA systems quite regularly. All that to say, I'm not a super pro in the PA department but I do have some experience with it.

This past week I was installing a new PA in our studio classroom to be used for rehearsals with our various Rock Band Experience bands. We needed something that would deliver as clear a sound as possible without being super loud so as not to compete too much with the rest of our school. The challenge when you want to restrict volume is how to make it sound powerful while not ear bleeding loud. The answer was to add a sub. The sub gives you the powerful feeling while leaving the top speakers to deliver a nice crisp upper end to the sound. The result was fantastic. Using Yamaha's new DXR 8 speakers and their DXS sub we achieved a fantastic sounding set up that completely fills the room with sound without having to be "off the charts" loud. With 1100 watts at our disposal we did feel it necessary to test out the volume and YUP! it can go loud and still sound really clean.

So, for all those who are thinking of getting a PA for rehearsal or for a small live set up, consider smaller top speakers and a sub as opposed to giant all in one speakers without a sub. If you are trying to fill small to moderate sized rooms with sound, the sub will help your sound a lot more then having a 15" top speaker without a sub.

While I'm talking about powered speakers, these new Yamaha speakers really sound amazing. There are 2 series, the DXR and the DSR along with the DXS sub's. They are many different sizes but all of them have quite high output capabilities and all of them, even the least expensive sound amazing. They are mid priced in the world of powered speakers but definitely worth every penny in terms of a long term PA investment.

Play it loud, but only if it sounds good !

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-07-27T15:33:20-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c8336e6c62c97c55de53e043ef291ade-102.html#unique-entry-id-102http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c8336e6c62c97c55de53e043ef291ade-102.html#unique-entry-id-102We get asked all of the time, which audio interface should I buy? On one hand, the answer can be pretty simple but on the other it could be a bit complicated. On the surface one might think that your choice depends on how many inputs you need and how much money you're willing to spend. While those are important factors, it really depends more on how much time you're willing to spend researching your purchase. What I mean is this. If you walk into almost any music store, most of them could sell you an interface right off the shelf that would fit your needs in terms of budget and inputs. From that perspective buying an audio interface is easy, it will take as long as it takes you to drive to your local store. On the other hand, what you might not realize is that there are probably a dozen or more interfaces that you could have purchased that also fit your needs. The question is, do you care to research which one of those is the best choice? .. and .. more importantly how can you determine which one is the best. To be honest, you can't definitively determine the best VS the worst but with a bit of knowledge you can definitely narrow them down and weed out the crummy ones. Here's how ..

After you've determined how many inputs and outputs you need and how you are planning to connect this to your computer (these days USB 2 and Firewire are both solid choices for a home studio recording less then 16 tracks at a time) you can compare a few specs. First, have a look at the sampling rate. 24 Bit 44.1 kHz is pretty standard and is capable of producing excellent results. 32 Bit 96 kHz is better but not in terms of sound quality as much as internal headroom while recording so this can be misleading. Having an option to switch between more then one sampling rate is better. Dynamic range gives you an idea of how different the softest signal and the loudest can be. The greater, the better. Under 100 db is okay but over is better. Frequency Response again gives you an idea of how much width there is between the lowest freq. sound able to be recorded and the highest . Again, the greater the spread the better.

Beyond those basic specs, there are many more technical specs to look at but not all interfaces will list them. Furthermore, beware of putting all of your decision making weight in the spec basket. Manufacturers are masters of manipulating specs to appear better then they are (in some cases only but it happens). Once you have narrowed your list down to say 4 or 5 units, hit the online forums and read about other user's experiences. You will soon see a pattern of love or hate for the various units and it will be clear on which ones are the favourites. After you've narrowed it down to a couple I'd recommend buying whichever one is more popular in your area and in your local music stores. This way you will be able to access local support on it if necessary.

So, spend a bit of time researching and you'll get rewarded with the best sounding interface you can buy and won't spend any extra for it.

Happy recording .. Bill
]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-07-17T16:55:04-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/30ce75b04eb4c9e0faa75a87cd94377a-101.html#unique-entry-id-101http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/30ce75b04eb4c9e0faa75a87cd94377a-101.html#unique-entry-id-101Recording acoustic guitar is pretty common these days given its tremendous popularity as a songwriting instrument. Getting a good sound can be tricky especially if you are trying to record acoustic guitar to be mixed with other instruments. There are as many tricks and tips as there are songs but as with all recording situations there are a few basic guidelines that you can follow in your quest for the ultimate sounding recording.

Firstly, and this may sound dumb but be sure that you re-string your guitar with fresh strings before you record. Fresh strings will not only sound a million times better, they will tune up a lot better then those rusty old ones. Second, and again this may sound dumb but make sure that your guitar is 100% in tune. Re-tune regularly during your recording. Unless you are hoping for an out of tune sound, you can't tune enough. So, lets assume that you are using a digital recorder inside of your computer and that you have at least one condenser microphone. Mic position is a lot of what will determine your sound. There is a lot of trial and error here but in general you should place the mic about 6-8 inches away from the guitar near the sound hole but not pointing directly into it. Try pointing the mic at the fingerboard of the guitar at about 45 degrees. This off axis angle will naturally produce a nice smooth, not too boomy sound. If you're trying for a more thin, twangy sound you could try angling the mic towards the bridge. Also, you could record a second mic positioned slightly differently or combine the guitars built in pick up. Be mindful of phase issues when using more then one mic or a pick up during recording but often the combination of more then one source will produce a great result. Playing with the levels and pan settings of the various sources can produce really interesting results, sometimes good, sometimes not so much.

Lastly, acoustic guitar is often an instrument which fluctuates a fair bit in volume so you may have to use some compression during recording. If you have a real compressor that would be the best but many computer programs allow you to use a virtual compressor during recording. I would suggest a mild setting of something between 3:1 and 4:1, just enough to even out the volume between the soft and loud parts. Keep in mind, if the player is strumming full out for the entire recording you won't need any compression so don't bother with it.

As will all recording advice, the main thing is patients and creativity. Do as many test recordings as it takes to get the sound that you want. As well, if you plan on using your guitar track in a mix with other instruments, it only makes sense to have the other instruments recorded (at least test versions) before trying to figure out what sounds best in your acoustic guitar recordings. Getting good sounding tracks can be time consuming but it is not really that difficult.

Good Luck and have fun !!

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-07-07T15:05:36-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5a002993772fa578258a9dd0d8576ba9-100.html#unique-entry-id-100http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5a002993772fa578258a9dd0d8576ba9-100.html#unique-entry-id-100As I lamented in my last blog, the end of the school year is one of the busiest yet most rewarding times of the year for me personally in my business. New this year was the addition of a new year end activity that I have coined "The Rock Band Recording Sessions". All throughout the year, our Rock Band program participants host a number of live concert performances as part of their "Rock Band Experience". I polled the guys in the program to see if they'd like to start mixing in some recording along with their live performances. I thought it would be cool experience for them and would give their friends and families a bit of break from coming to see them rock out live in a really really non air conditioned theatre.

The consensus was yes and a few weeks ago we did it. Five bands in five hours, each recording a few songs live off of the theatre stage floor directly to my iMac using Cubase. The idea was that I would take the video and audio and produce a better then average video for each person in the program.

Well, all of the guys in the various bands stepped up and brought their A game to recording day, it was awesome. Each band took a few passes at their songs and we chose the best one from each. As well, we did a few quick vocal overdubs right there to help polish up a few mistakes and thicken up the overall sound. Since that day we had the audio mixed and quickly mastered by our very own Ken O'gorman at his studio and I have been working with the video to put the songs together into individual videos. We shot with 3 different video cameras so the colour and quality was a bit different for each which presented me with a challenge in post production. It didn't look good when I was cutting from one angle to another. The solution was to take about 90% of the colour out of the clips and make them almost black and white. It actually turned out to be a cool stylization and solved the colour issue.

In the end, each video turned out really well and I think that the guys will really enjoy them. The Rock Band Recording Sessions were a great success with more to come in the new year. Once again I am reminded why my job can be so rewarding. I get reminded every time I see how much people enjoy playing at one of our recitals or in this case in a live recording session. Performing never disappoints, it always produces a strong emotion and with Rock n Roll that emotion is almost always positive.

Great work guys .. looking forward to getting started again in September. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-06-26T18:41:01-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/3aad1b907963688d5f1113e0e427e6eb-99.html#unique-entry-id-99http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/3aad1b907963688d5f1113e0e427e6eb-99.html#unique-entry-id-99Most of you know that KAOS Music is not only a traditional music store, we are also a full fledged music school and have been since the day we opened almost 24 years ago. These days our school boasts close to 1000 students of all ages studying piano, guitar, bass, drums, voice, woodwinds and strings. Over a typical year we teach in excess of 36000 individual lessons and a whole bunch of group lessons. It's a lot of work but it is shared by over 30 people and we are pretty experienced at doing it these days which makes things a lot easier. Being involved with music education is something that I consider an absolute gift in my life. Being at least partially responsible for helping someone learn to enjoy music making is a good feeling that is hard to replicate any other way. I suppose it is pride feeling and those are hard to come by in our day to day lives.

A lot of cool things happen over the course of a year in a music store. Almost all of them are cool and fun but no other day fills our emotional buckets like recital day. Over the course of a day we get the opportunity to watch hundreds of kids perform their songs for their families. To some this may sound like torture, one song after another played by someone who is just learning. While it is true that not every performance is perfect I can guarantee you that if you watch with the right frame of mind you will see a bit a magic in every single performance and every once and a while you will see something that will reach right into your heart and squeeze. I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, there is magic to be had every time you see someone digging deep to do their best, in any situation but for sure when it comes to music. This past weekend was no exception. We witnessed some of the most inspirational efforts you could ever hope to see. Some of the highlights included numerous brother/sister performances, brother/brother/friend performances, a couple of incredible drum performances with students and their teacher and countless individual performances. Each performance was also topped off with a teacher performance that brought the house down each and every time.

So, while we get to do some really fun things in our work, nothing beats recital day. It's our best day of the year.

Still enjoying the memories .. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-06-13T15:16:27-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5301d288a4d8cfd0a3a2188b3063305b-98.html#unique-entry-id-98http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5301d288a4d8cfd0a3a2188b3063305b-98.html#unique-entry-id-98Now that you've got your vocal track beautifully recorded, the only remaining step is to get it nicely mixed with the rest of your tracks. Truthfully, most of the tricks to properly mixing a vocal track exist in the preparation of the track itself for mixing. What I mean is this. First, you must ensure that you have set the compression for your track properly such that the overall level of track and the variation in db level is as consistent as possible with as little variation in level as possible while still maintaining a natural sounding track. Once that is done, you can address any EQ settings if any are needed. Usually, I'd suggest that you not EQ a vocal track but if you feel you need to then go ahead. My only anecdotal advice would be make EQ adjustments as sparingly as possible and on very specific frequencies, no broad range boosting or reducing. The last preparation for mixing your vocal is to add any necessary reverb. This is where people sometimes go wrong. First of all, depending on how and where you recorded your vocal track, you may not even need to add any artificial reverb. However, in most cases you do.

Here's the thing about reverb, while a vocal track usually has a bit more reverb then the rest of the tracks, it will sound wrong if the only person in the band who has reverb is the singer. It's like the band and the singer were in two different places when they recorded. Kind of like the band was in the closet and the singer was in the bathroom, not so good. So, the best thing to do is to use a reverb from your softwares master section, not individually per track. This way, all of your tracks will have access to the same reverb (like being in the same room). Probably best to use a preset reverb, either a plate or a room reverb. Adjust the reverb time and level settings to get an effect that sounds good to you. It's often a good idea to compare vocal tracks to professional recordings to see if your settings sound similar to the pros. If not, keep adjusting. Now, from each channel in your software, start adding (increasing the reverb send level) reverb to each non vocal track until the music sounds good to you. Once you have the band mixed and the reverb set for them you are ready to mix the vocals in. Again, compare to a pro recording. The worst thing is for your band to sound like they were in the middle of a church. Too much reverb=bad!!

At this point, there is no magic formula. Simply put, you want your nice, even level vocal track to sit in with the band such that the words can be easily heard and understood. Another great trick to judge the vocals levels is to play your song fairly loud and then move into the next room with the door closed. Listening from a distance allows you to hear things differently then when you are sitting in front of your speakers, usually for long periods of time. It is also a very common practice to put your mixed track on a iPod or phone and play the track in many different settings such as your car, a small iPod dock, a big home stereo, through headphones etc. You will soon see that what sounds great in one setting sounds bad in another. Try to find the best average level for your tracks such that they sound as good as possible in all settings. Again, play a track of your favourite artist to compare how the vocals sit in a professionally mixed song. It's a lot of trial and error combined with some comparing combined with experience. As always, there is tons more to be learned by guys smarter and more experienced they me but these guidelines are a good place to start.

The doing is most of the fun .. Thanks Bill
]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-06-05T11:35:18-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/2cdce20281880fb66e74d8365521d0a8-97.html#unique-entry-id-97http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/2cdce20281880fb66e74d8365521d0a8-97.html#unique-entry-id-97In my many years of being involved with selling home recording equipment, without a doubt the most struggled with aspect is when and how to use a compressor. In this short blog entry I will try to offer some basic ideas for you to get started using and improve your results with compression. Firstly, a few disclaimers. One, I am only talking about virtual compressors, the ones that live inside of your software and two, I am only talking about applying compression after you have recorded. Compressing while recording is a whole other article.

So, first a quick explanation of what compression is. Basically, a compressor takes an audio signal and reduces it's db output level based on the settings of the compressor. It is used to limit how loud an audio signal will be output from a particular track. For example, often a vocal track will range in loudness as much as 10-15 db softest to loudest. This is tricky when mixing as some parts of the track are too soft while others are too loud. If you apply a compressor you can turn the overall track up while the compressor will limit the loud parts to a particular maximum db level. This will allow you to place the track in the mix much more easily while allowing the vocal part to be more clearly heard.

The main settings on a compressor are Ratio, Attack, Release and Threshold. Simply put ratio refers to how much gain reduction is to take place. For example, a 5:1 ratio means that it would take an increase of 5 db of signal above the threshold db setting for the output to increase by 1 db. A higher setting will result in more reduction while a lower ratio would produce less reduction. The threshold is simply the db level at which any compression starts to be applied. The lower the db level, the sooner reduction will be applied and vice versa for a higher setting. The attack refers to how quickly the compression is applied and the release refers to how quickly the compression is stopped once the db level drops below the threshold.

So, a practical example with a vocal track might look like this. You record your vocal track with no effects and no compression making sure that the peak levels stay well below 0 db. Now, listen and look at the track. Determine if you even need compression. If the db level does not fluctuate more then a few db throughout the song, don't bother with any compression, it's not necessary. However, most vocal tracks do vary in db level, many quite a bit so turn on that compressor. Most vocal tracks will sound decent with a 4:1 5:1 or 6:1 ratio. As for threshold, you will have to listen and look at the track to determine the db level to set this at. Basically, you want to have the compressor kick in before the signal starts to get excessively loud. You can play the track and try different settings to see which setting prompts the compressor to kick in at the right time, it will be somewhere around -4 db. As for attack and release, you will want fast settings here and better yet if your compressor has automatic options for these settings go with them, if not experiment. Once you have the compressor working to limit the peak levels down you can slowly move the overall volume of the track up so that the softer parts are closer in level to the louder parts. This will reduce the overall db range of the track (the difference between the softest and loudest parts) and make it much easier to mix with the rest of the tracks.

I hope that helps. There are thousands of articles on compression out there online so read up and make better sounding vocal recordings.

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-05-29T15:56:04-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/80b212282518057a7521efa84edadc45-96.html#unique-entry-id-96http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/80b212282518057a7521efa84edadc45-96.html#unique-entry-id-96I guess you could debate what the "actual" most important element is for a capturing a good vocal recording but since this is my blog, this is my opinion .. for what it's worth. I believe that the most important part of the vocal recording process happens during the set up of the mic, adjusting of the preamp and inputs on your computer and then finally the test recording. Basically, everything that you do before actually attempting to capture a usable vocal track. While this seems obvious, how many times have you spent hours recording only to finally realize that you have bad tracks. Maybe they clip, maybe you can hear too many P's and S's or maybe they just don't sound that good. That's a lot of wasted time and energy. Here is a short list of what I believe to be essential steps in getting set to record the best vocal track that you can. Skip any of these steps and you can be sure that you may not get the best result that you are capable of.

- First get your mic set up on a good quality stand in a shock mount clip. Then make sure that your windscreen is set in place 6-10 inches back from the mic.

- Once connected to your audio interface have your singer sing some passages so you can set the input gain on your interface. Make absolutely sure that you are comfortably below the level at which your clip light illuminates on your interface. If you overdrive your digital interface, your recording will be essentially useless. Remember, most performances get louder when the "rec" light is on so adjust the gain a bit lower then you think to compensate for this.

- Once you have a good strong but not clipping signal set on your interface, set your input level in your recording software. Most software packages rely on the pre-amp or audio interface for their settings but if you need to adjust go ahead and do so based on the same principals as the previous section.

- Do NOT activate any compressors, limiters, EQ's etc to be recorded with your source vocal. Possibly activate a bit of reverb for your singer to hear in their headphones but do NOT record the reverb.

- Now, most important part ... do a number of test recordings of about 60 seconds each. Most singers will want a backing track to record with, ideally the tracks that you intend to use in the final recording would be used. You can try different microphones, different positions in the room, different distances from the microphone etc. You don't want to go too crazy but trying some variations will ensure that you get the best sound that you can get from the room and the equipment that you have.

- After listening to all results decide on which version sounds the best to you. Listen for clarity and level consistency in your recordings. The more clear and even it sounds without any effects on it the easier it will be to work with later and the better it will sit in the overall mix in the end.

Good Luck .. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-05-15T15:41:49-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e9606b44a792aa0b2d357155e0c23261-95.html#unique-entry-id-95http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e9606b44a792aa0b2d357155e0c23261-95.html#unique-entry-id-95In a previous blog I spoke about recording vocals at home and in general terms, how to get a good quality sound. In today's blog I'll talk a bit about trying to figure out which mic to buy. When it comes to home vocal recording there is no one answer to which mic you should buy, only some guidelines for you to follow. The first question we often get is, dynamic mic such as a Shure SM58 VS a Condenser mic such as a MXL V89. Generally speaking, the larger, more sensitive diaphragm of the condenser mic will deliver a nicer, more balanced sound. Next question is alway, why should I spend more money on a more expensive condenser mic? Well, the answer is, because they tend to sound better and have less signal noise. That said, you do not have to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars, probably less then $250. Here is what I suggest, spend some time setting up your home studio so that you can record the same vocal phrase over and over. Even better, have some bed tracks recorded so you can hear your vocal tracks in context. Then, buy 3 or 4 microphones from your neighbourhood store ranging in price and from various brands with the provision that you can return most of them after a weekend or a few days. Then, record the same thing with all of the mics and then compare. Your ears will tell you which one to get. Don't forget to get and use a shock mount and a good pop filter. Trying to fix low frequency boom sounds and wind pops after they are recorded is nearly impossible so don't be cheap, you have to have them.

Bottom line, you can buy an incredibly good sounding microphone for less then $200 these days and a pretty good one for around $100. At the risk of sounding old (which I kind of am) I can remember (and my memory is not that good:) when a decent condenser mic went for over $500. These days, you can get an awesome sounding mic for half of that. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-05-07T16:26:26-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5a3f2b5630c8a3470696f73aebb2321d-94.html#unique-entry-id-94http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5a3f2b5630c8a3470696f73aebb2321d-94.html#unique-entry-id-94Sometimes, when you least expect it you get a blast of inspiration from someone or something. Whichever form it comes in, it's always welcome and always a treat. Last night we hosted a small concert event in our store featuring a Canadian Folk artist named John Wort Hannam. Now that its over, I'd love to take credit for it but truthfully the credit goes to a customer of KAOS and friend of mine name Jayne Mitchell. She approached me months ago about the possibility of me becoming involved in co-hosting some small shows featuring various folk artists. Even though our clientele is not overly folky in nature I thought, sure. Any good music is good music and truth being told, Jayne was doing most of the organizational work so it would have been foolish to say no.

Well, boy am I happy I didn't because I would have missed the opportunity to meet two of the nicest and pretty inspirational guys that I have ever met. Maybe it's the smaller city upbringing, maybe Alberta is just different then Ontario but Scott Duncan (the fiddle player) was not only a monster player but one of the nicest, most considerate guys you'd ever get to meet. He's been playing all of his life so you'd expect him to be good but his abilities would be hard to equal by any player not to mention his delightful disposition. John's story is even more unique. Having taught english up until the early 2000's he had never played guitar let alone written a song. However, one day he decided to retire from teaching, take up guitar and become a song writer. Now.. he's either the most courageous guy in the world or maybe the dumbest but either way I'm impressed. All kidding aside, the amount of courage needed to drop a teaching job to become a songwriter is enormous and very inspirational. Even more incredible is how good he is after only 10 years. The best part of it all is that when you point all of this out to John he seems genuinely puzzled, like somehow the scope of his achievements had never occurred to him.

Anyhow, on a lot of different levels, both of these guys did a lot more then just entertain us last night .. They inspired me at least and I suspect everyone else in the room as well. Thanks guys .. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-04-24T14:46:51-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/2e31d415b70c1ffbbd6893a08fe5b480-93.html#unique-entry-id-93http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/2e31d415b70c1ffbbd6893a08fe5b480-93.html#unique-entry-id-93Home recording is easy these days. All you need is a decent computer, a decent audio interface, some cheap or free software and you're good to go. NOT!! The parts about the computer, interface and software are true but anyone who has tried home recording knows that getting a good result has a lot more to do with just owning the gear.

Drums in particular are the most challenging of all of the instruments to record at home for the obvious reason of how many mic's that you need and the number of audio inputs required into your recording software. However, there are some very practical tips to be used in order to capture a very good if not, KILLER drum track at home.

Step one, start with good drums. I'm sorry to be the guy to tell you that no digital magic exists to make your crummy drums sound good after they have been recorded. A Hybrid Kia is not going to go as fast as a Ferrari no matter how wicked its paint job is. Nothing wrong with a Hybrid Kia, they're just not that fast. Similarly, crummy drums are fine, they just don't sound that good recorded.

Step two, make sure your kit has recent if not new heads and that the kit is tuned up to your liking or more importantly, like the kit you are hoping to sound like.

Step three, get an audio interface that accepts at least 4 microphone inputs. Most people who already own an audio interface have a unit with either 1 or 2 mic pre amps which just is not enough to get a GOOD recording. You really need to, at a minimum, capture a separate kick signal, snare signal and have two over heads to attempt to capture the toms and the cymbals. Having an interface that accepts 8 inputs will give the ability to separately mic the hi hats and all of the toms which would be significantly better. However, this blog is about doing this on a budget.

If you only have 4 mic's to work with I would suggest dedicating one to the kick, one to the snare, one overhead placed somewhere between the second tom and the floor tom and the final overhead between the hi hats and the first tom. This way you can capture the majority of the groove (the kick and snare) first hand and hopefully get enough of the hi hats to make it sound good. You will have difficulty making the toms sound good this way so I would suggest not depending on them much in your arrangements. Again, if you can mic them separately that is way better.

Now, your signals. For recording, adjust your input gain to something less then you might regularly. In other words, if you set your input gains for each mic such that they are about as hot as they can be you are almost guaranteed to overdrive your interface while recording thus capturing a distorted signal. Drummers always play harder during the real recording then they do durning sound check. Always leave yourself some db room to add compression or other effects after the fact. Once you record distorted signals, you are finished and the only solution is to re-record.

Popular opinion these days is to record with no processing (ie: compression or limiting) during the tracking stage. If you want to add this type of processing after the recording you are free to do so without any limits. If you record with it, you can't take it off if you don't like it.

As for microphones, this is a huge topic but on a budget I would suggest using what you have first and adding only what you need. A Shure SM57 will work for every drum in your kit, so use them if you have them. If you have some vocal mic's such as a Shure SM58, they're not perfect but they will work. If you don't have mic's or you don't mind spending a few hundred dollars, you can buy a 4 or 6 mic kit from many different manufacturers for $200 - $400. These kits come with a dedicated kick mic, some condenser (more sensitive) overhead mic's and clip on mic's for the actual drums. For the money you can't beat these drum mic kits.

In the end, a new 4 input interface will cost you about $300 and a full set of drum mic's about $250 (if you even need new mic's at all). The key to good drum recording is universal, you've got to capture good source recording in the first place. The better your mic's, how well they are placed and how well your input settings are will determine this. You don't need a ton of gear. You do need a few key pieces but more then anything you need know how and experience .. All of which is free, just takes time. The university of YouTube has most of the information that you will need and your neighbourhood KAOS Music always has time to help you with tips and tricks. Go ahead, spend a few hundred dollars and start making some awesome drum tracks.

Good Luck .. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-04-18T08:37:48-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/3bb5e6475a154688d77350844689ff3e-92.html#unique-entry-id-92http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/3bb5e6475a154688d77350844689ff3e-92.html#unique-entry-id-92Regular readers of my blog know that I am involved (via KAOS Music) with Show Choir Canada, the organization that hosts Canada's only national show choir championship for high school aged kids. This years event took place last weekend and once again I left the Sony Centre with a full dose of incredible feelings of optimism and Glee .. sorry I couldn't resist.

It's a little tough to articulate here but I'll try my best to explain why this event always leaves me feeling fantastic about performing arts and young people. The competition itself is awesome, 13 schools do a 20 minute set competing for the final top 6 spots and a chance to win. On the final day, the 6 final choirs do their set again to a full house (3000 or so people) hoping to entice the 5 judges to award them the top score. The performances are almost unbelievably good not to mention that the music (which is close to pro level) is performed by student bands. That alone is inspiring enought but not really what I'm talking about here. The parts that really get me are the moments (and there are many throughout the day) when a young soloist steps up to the mic and delivers a life changing performance. You just know that those young people are experiencing perhaps the best moment of their lives, the energy is incredible. It's not often that one gets to witness someone realizing a real life dream and I find the experience pretty powerful.

I have nothing but admiration for my friends at Show Choir Canada as they have done much more then just organize a cool competition .. They have created an environment for teenagers to work towards and in many case realize a real life dream. Something that many kids, especially art'zy kids might never get the chance to do. I'm getting that feeling again just writing about it.

Dreams .. they really do come true sometimes. Thank you Show Choir Canada, you're doing a great thing!]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-04-02T17:19:09-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b7462966f95d294819ecc883d53d03fa-91.html#unique-entry-id-91http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b7462966f95d294819ecc883d53d03fa-91.html#unique-entry-id-91Although, Glee and showchoirs are not my usual subject matter in this blog, there is an event coming up in a few weeks that is way, way cooler then you might imagine. Millions of people watch the hit TV show Glee each week, its popularity is undeniable. That said, millions of other people don't think that its that cool. Wherever you sit on that fence, let me tell you what I think is cool.

Teen aged kids performing their hearts out on a Broadway sized professional stage .. basically living a dream. Having witnessed this spectacle last year in this competition's first year I can tell you that there is a pretty palatable magic in watching young performers get this opportunity. Their already significant talent was elevated by being on the big stage, under the big lights basically performing in the big time. It was really really cool and very entertaining.

A good friend of mine is one of the founders of Showchoir Canada and has put a mountain of work into this project and has achieved many successes, the most notable is having created an opportunity for these young performers to live out their dream of performing at this level, giving them the pinnacle to strive for in this competition. It is very admirable work and I hazard to say that I'm a bit proud of him .. but don't tell him I said that.

That said, the finals on the April 14th are wildly entertaining, not expensive and something that you and perhaps some of your families would really enjoy. You won't believe the incredible energy this event has. To find out more you can visit their website here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-03-29T16:02:02-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9996a1304fd24777ef40bc6f0abac595-90.html#unique-entry-id-90http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9996a1304fd24777ef40bc6f0abac595-90.html#unique-entry-id-90These days, we deal mostly with guitar players. As such, we don't often get a chance to talk about sample player workstations. Now if you're a guitar player you might be thinking .. Ya the less I talk about sample player whatever's the better. While it's true, sample playing workstations are not for everyone, they are one of the least expensive, most versatile ways to take your home studio to another level.

First, what is a sample playing workstation. It's less scary then it sounds. Basically, it's a plug in that works inside of your recording software, in this case inside Cubase VST. Simply put, it's kind of like a really powerful (yet easy to use) keyboard that lives inside of your recording software. So, for example, you can take a track of your song and turn on this plug in. Now that track turns into a sample playing keyboard track that you trigger from USB keyboard controller or any MIDI keyboard. This gives you access to over 1400 sampled and synthesized professional sounds to use in your songwriting. Be it an awesome sounding drum kit or drum loop, an authentic sounding bass sound or a full orchestral string section you have a lot of choices and that library is expandable by purchasing additional specific libraries. With the ability to run up to 16 tracks, each with a different sample you can really spice up your songs.

The highlights of Steinberg's Halion Sonic are that while it is really simple to use it is quite powerful in terms of editing. Also, at well under $300 it is down right cheap when you consider what you get. Lastly, Halion Sonic is no enthusiast level product. The sound quality of this product is pro for sure. See for yourself at the Steinberg website. For some of you, this will be one of the best things you could add to your set up and certainly not the most expensive.

Talk to you next time .. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-03-21T14:12:39-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d60b4a3650a5e001c4167b741b4e4708-89.html#unique-entry-id-89http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d60b4a3650a5e001c4167b741b4e4708-89.html#unique-entry-id-89As a 25 year veteran of the music business, getting excited about new products is sometimes not as easy as it was, well, 25 years ago. It could be my advanced age of 45 :) or it could just be that technological advancements have significantly slowed in the past 15 years.

In the world of keyboards, most big, fancy, super powerful keyboard workstations have gone the way of the VCR. Their awesome power is simply not that in demand any longer because their super powerful computer cousins have taken their place in many ways utilizing advanced software. That said, one segment of the keyboard world that seemingly has no end in sight is that of the digital piano. The piano seems to have consistently found a place in modern music and is the cornerstone of pretty much all jazz music. As a result, players all over the world continue to have a need for a good portable piano to play live. Also, the digital piano has largely replaced its acoustic sibling as the less expensive instrument of choice for a large percentage of families getting involved with piano lessons for the first time.

]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-03-12T16:35:46-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c3bcd595e7e939c3b938e3657c812cb2-88.html#unique-entry-id-88http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c3bcd595e7e939c3b938e3657c812cb2-88.html#unique-entry-id-88
It is a bit tricky to articulate to be honest. It kind of feels as if a depressed shopping period has ended and a new better, brighter period will begin shortly after the March Break. Maybe it also has something to do with the fact that many of our industries new products start to arrive in April. For whatever reason, mid March definitely feels a bit like a black hole separating a bit of a lull from after Christmas and a nice boom heading into the nice weather. Whatever it is, my experience during the March break is always the same. I usually enter the week feeling a bit down and depressed which is consistent with this week and I end the week loaded with new plans for the next 4 months which leave me feeling super pumped up and ready to tackle the spring head on.

OR .. Maybe I'm just a bit nuts. :)

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-02-28T16:25:53-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/19fbd750d13be6b2f392590e2bc86837-87.html#unique-entry-id-87http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/19fbd750d13be6b2f392590e2bc86837-87.html#unique-entry-id-87A few blog posts ago I shared with you guys that I had taken on a new project by starting a new company called Masterclass Video. Well, in the past few weeks I have finished up the first video featuring Phil X and have just finished up the first incarnation of the www.masterclassvideo.com website. The journey from the original idea to today has been really really fun and I thought I would share a few of the details of the things that I enjoyed so much. Firstly, making the video was a lot of fun for me. As you know, I make all of the videos for KAOS but I wanted this project to have a considerably more professional look to it so I hired local videographer Rocky Nash. Rocky brought the whole process up into the pro level and in the process taught me a ton about video. On the day of the shoot, being on the set of a Phil X video is a lot of fun and very very loud. I was the director and I had very little idea of what I supposed to do so I only got to kind of enjoy the process of watching Phil play guitar as only he does. While Rocky did all of the editing, I was involved in the decision making part of putting the film together. Again, I learned a ton about the process as I jumped into the role of executive producer HA HA what a joke... Again, with Rocky's help I think that we put together an excellent looking video.

Putting together a website is not really that new for me as I handle all of the website duties for the KAOS site but I did get an opportunity to learn a lot about streaming video on demand. This is a relatively new technology and there is a fair bit to learn, which I am still doing. Nonetheless, as with all of these new things, I know more about it today then I did yesterday. Maybe the most difficult thing about this project is understanding and estimating the reach of the various social media's. The success of this venture is based on how people who follow particular celebrates will react to the offering of a teaching video by one of their heros. I have my theories and over the next few weeks, I will find out how right or wrong I am about it.

That said, while enjoy the challenge of formulating an idea and a theory about how to market it, I can't say that I have ever enjoyed the waiting period that I am in now. Waiting to find out if the idea will take off or crash is my most unfavorite thing. Oh well, it was all mostly fun. If you would like to check out the preview for this video you should visit www.masterclassvideo.com . The concept is a great one so I am hopeful that it enjoys some success.

Thanks for reading .. BIll]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-02-22T17:19:26-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a3daed9d8f6b38d5eed45bb6e852699e-86.html#unique-entry-id-86http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a3daed9d8f6b38d5eed45bb6e852699e-86.html#unique-entry-id-86For the past month or two we have been pretty busy over here at KAOS Music with various projects, all designed to improve our customer's shopping experience. One such idea was to drastically improve our products (new and used) page. In the past, we had found it difficult to get good photos done much less display them well online, it's trickier then you might think. We also wanted to improve our online sales. For years now, we have been selling products to people all around the world by way of email mainly. However, this is pretty clunky by today's standards so we wanted to update our ability to process sales online automatically. So, we turned to a company called Big Commerce to help us get our products online in a far more streamlined and "pro" kind of way. Big Commerce provides us with a pretty slick template that we can populate with whichever products we like. They handle the check out process, payment processing and shipping estimates. Also, any products on our online website also appear in our Facebook online store which lives inside of Facebook for all those who prefer to do their browsing without ever leaving Facebook. Long story short, our online store is pretty darn cool now.

Now, our customers can browse through our used and some select new products on our store site, all nicely organized with much better photos and zooming ability and ... if they decide to buy something they can go right ahead an do so online. As well, this improved online store services people outside of the GTA much better and hopefully is going to improve our online sales.

We hope that those who utilize our online store enjoy the improvements. Click here to visit the online store now.

Thanks for being such cool customers!!

Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-02-07T11:21:36-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/54760034e80152f145b9c4e1dc7f36f2-85.html#unique-entry-id-85http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/54760034e80152f145b9c4e1dc7f36f2-85.html#unique-entry-id-85Usually, my blog has to do with keyboard, piano or recording equipment. Sometimes I stray off into the area of KAOS business stuff but this past week my attention has been mostly focused on a project outside of my regular role at KAOS Music so I thought that I would share it with you. About 6 months ago I started to refine an idea that I had been thinking about for some time. The idea was to create video masterclasses featuring real life elite level people, musician's mostly but not limited to them. It seemed to me that this level of player rarely if ever made this type of video and that they had large numbers of fans who might really love them if they did and be willing to pay a small fee to see such a video. I added to the formula a charitable component so that a minimum of $1 would be donated from each video streaming sale. Making money is great but giving it away is awesome and I've never really had an opportunity to be overly charitable so this was a great opportunity for me in that regard.

Anyhow, our good buddy Phil X ( famous session guitar player with a huge discography of famous people ) agreed to be the first guy to give this a try. So, last week, Phil fly in from LA to shot the first ever Masterclass Video. The video is going to look great and sound fantastic, now we just have to hope that our theory about his fans wanting to pay $16 to see the final 45 minute masterclass is right. Fingers crossed.

If you're interested you can like the Masterclass video fan page on Facebook so that you will be notified when the video is ready to be viewed. We are shooting for early March 2012. Hopefully, my career as a video director/producer will continue past early March :)]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-01-30T14:00:50-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/89d806ef0739455622f3a203895a9c5d-84.html#unique-entry-id-84http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/89d806ef0739455622f3a203895a9c5d-84.html#unique-entry-id-84The biggest segment of people using home based digital recording software these days are singer/songwriters. This could look like a 16 year old girl or a 45 year old guy. Styles being recorded range from commercial pop to bluegrass finger picking. The constant among these people is their need for high quality recording hardware and software. Steinberg and Yamaha have been providing people with very cost effective and high quality solutions for years now and they have just taken an existing solution and made it better. The Yamaha CI2 is a 24bit high quality USB audio interface with 2 mic preamps, phantom power for condenser mic's, a function knob and 5 function buttons. Aside from providing superior audio input quality, the knob and buttons add all sorts of convenience when using it with audio software, especially the included Cubase AI6 and Wavelab LE. Up until now, you only got Cubase AI5 with the CI2 but now, Yamaha has started including the upgraded AI6 version of Cubase and Wavelab LE (regularly $99) all at the same $239. Having the improved Cubase is nice and having a version of Wavlab offers users some excellent new mastering abilities and file format options not previously available to them. Bottom line, a great audio solution for a singer/songwriter just got a fair bit better. Drop in any time to see this software in action in our store or read more about it here. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-01-23T17:15:02-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fa20d00a8071dddbded8d1e014ec6a33-83.html#unique-entry-id-83http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fa20d00a8071dddbded8d1e014ec6a33-83.html#unique-entry-id-83
I suppose that every adult looks at their kids technology in envy but I really do think that my kids have a lot more cool stuff then I did when I was their age. Maybe my dad said the same thing. In any case, its a cool time to be into music and own an iPad. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-01-13T17:51:43-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ac3b9ac3ca08b695c68eb3d0edccd88d-82.html#unique-entry-id-82http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ac3b9ac3ca08b695c68eb3d0edccd88d-82.html#unique-entry-id-82
This week I'd like to share with you one of the least talked about but most powerful features of Cubase. First, let me ask you, which weakness, more then any can ruin a good recording? The answer, at least from my perspective is a sloppy drum track. Producing super tight drum tracks is hard, even for seasoned drummers but a loose drum track can really make an otherwise great recording sound, well crummy. Cubase has the enhanced ability to analyze your drum tracks and establish what it calls hit points. Hit points are basically beat lines usually broken into 16th or 32nd note resolutions. You as the user have the ability to manipulate these hit points to ensure that they are accurate. Once established you can have Cubase slice up your drum parts into dozens of individual segments each being a single drum hit such as kick drums and snare hits. Once sliced up, Cubase can use its quantize feature to tighten up the timing of less then perfect drum tracks. It is worth pointing out here that I am not advocating making your drum tracks perfectly quantized and unnatural sounding but I am an advocate of making them sound rhythmically consistent.

If this sounds all a bit un-musical, you're right it is pretty nerdy and technical. However, there is nothing musical about a bad drum track and lets face it, most of us don't have Neil Peart as the drummer in our weekend band or as our songwriting partner. So, start with solid bed (drums and bass) tracks and your song stands a much better chance of sounding good.

For more information about Cubase 6, Click here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2012-01-05T16:24:42-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/4490a114ac29e1eb602428bc9cf9a300-81.html#unique-entry-id-81http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/4490a114ac29e1eb602428bc9cf9a300-81.html#unique-entry-id-81
Well, times change, manufacturing in other countries gets more popular and prices come down. These days, it is common place for home studio owners to have at least one decent condenser microphone if not more. While many companies are involved with making nice quality, low cost recording microphones one in particular is MXL. These guys have a huge line of amazingly good sounding recording microphones at remarkably low prices. One of my favourites is a model called the V69ME. This particular microphone is a tube condenser mic, wired exclusively with Mogami (really high quality cable) cable with an external power supply to further enhance its quality and reduce any power noise. Sold at under $400 it is incredibly hard to beat. So, if you're recording with a cheap mic and would like to dramatically improve your recordings sound quality, look at buying a new mic. The MXL products may or may not be what you end up buying in the end but they are definitely worth checking out.

You can check out a review video that I did on this mic a little while ago on YouTube here .. http://youtu.be/3o_Eu9Tt_g0]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-12-15T17:03:19-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/cd9692abb0fcb629367ce31266ec014e-80.html#unique-entry-id-80http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/cd9692abb0fcb629367ce31266ec014e-80.html#unique-entry-id-80Ah, another session of our now famous Rock Band Experience program came to an end last weekend with the Rock Showcase featuring a 20 minute set from all of the bands. As many of you know, I am a participant in the Rock Band program as a drummer in the Monday 8:30 band. Many of you will also know how much I enjoy the weekly activity of getting out to play good old fashion Rock n Roll good and loud in the DC music theatre. Its a great program, lots of fun. At the end of most recitals or showcases I am fortunate to be on the receiving end of many compliments for hosting the event. People naturally like to get out to hear their loved ones play and I, being the host of the events get the honour of being thanked on the way out. This time however, I received a number of emails, notes and texts in the following days after the showcase. Along with thanking me they went onto relate to me how the program has positively impacted their family members life. More then just a thank you, a kind of recognition for doing something really significant. Truth is, I recognize what they are talking about and I see the impact of these programs on many of the participants, me included. As I said to them, I don't mind taking a bit of credit for organizing things but the real credit should go to the music. Sometimes we forget how powerful a force music can be when people get involved in making it. So much so that we start assigning credit for its effects to other things or people, like me in this case. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the recognition and I love to do what I do. However, the magic ingredient is not me, its the music.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-11-25T12:11:04-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e13ba6580db2c348167627377e52729e-79.html#unique-entry-id-79http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e13ba6580db2c348167627377e52729e-79.html#unique-entry-id-79Well, if you didn't read my last blog entry I'll sum it for you. The entries into our Songwriting Contest really blew me away in terms of how good they were. I was expecting a few great entries and a bunch of mediocre ones. Instead, to my surprise we got almost all really good quality songs. A few nights ago we held the finals for that same contest. The top 5 entries in the under 19 and 19 and over categories were chosen to perform for our panel of judges in an live final. Holy crap!! They were a lot better live if you can believe it. We were pretty much blown away by how well this group of mostly younger people performed. Once again, it was really hard to determine the top 3 in each category but we did. I can't thank the contestants enough for their efforts, they all did a fantastic job. More then that though, I couldn't encourage them more to continue writing music. Its a special skill that most don't possess but wish they did. Having written a song or two in my life I know first hand how great it feels own that creation that usually means a ton to you personally. Anyhow, we had one of KAOS's best nights ever watching these people leave everything on the table performing their songs. I for one am hugely proud of their efforts and achievements as I hope they are as well. Well done you guys and gals, I was happy to be part of your night. Watch our site as well as our FaceBook fan page for videos of all of the performances over the coming weeks.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-11-10T13:36:02-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a9a60e114874cfd1e87b68baf2a20f56-78.html#unique-entry-id-78http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a9a60e114874cfd1e87b68baf2a20f56-78.html#unique-entry-id-78As most people who follow my blog know, we are in the midst of running our first ever city wide songwriters contest. It is a contest open to all ages in any style. All one needed to do to enter was to make a video of themselves singing an original song. From my perspective, my goals for this contest were modest. I was hoping to spread some good energy around the store by organizing a cool contest with good prizes all for free. Good energy and happy customers are always great for business. My secondary goal was to promote and build our FaceBook fan page following as well as improve the regular traffic to our website. Well, so far so good in terms of people feeling good and increased numbers of people visiting our media sites. In fact, we have all but doubled our FaceBook fan base.

What's way more interesting then that stuff is how unbelievable the quality of songs and their performances were. I suppose that if you lived in LA or Manhattan you might expect really high quality songs and performances but for some reason I was only expecting a small percentage of the entries to be really good. Boy was I wrong, almost every entry was at least good and most of them were fantastic. Being one of the four judges, I can tell you that all of us have a far more difficult time narrowing down to the top 5 in both age categories then we had anticipated. So, next time you wonder if there is a ton of musical talent quietly walking around the streets of Toronto, stop.. There is. All ten finalist will be performing live, competing for the grand prizes on Wednesday Nov 23 at 7:00 pm at the Crooked Cue (right above our store). Tickets are $5 and are available at the door.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-10-25T13:10:27-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/1691fa93d72ac39d57a982ed52a21a9f-77.html#unique-entry-id-77http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/1691fa93d72ac39d57a982ed52a21a9f-77.html#unique-entry-id-77This is definitely one of the coolest things that I have had the chance to do in a long time. Just last week I started what will be likely a 4 or 5 month process of building a high end, custom acoustic guitar. What, why, how, who ??? I'll explain. About a year ago, I met a guy named Garren Dakessian. He is a guitar builder from Oakville, Ontario. Turns out that he knows some guys who know a guy who knows me and .. well you get the idea. After visiting our store and getting to know our guys a bit, he approached me to see if I might like to help him promote a new guitar builders course that he had been offering to private students. We agreed but nothing much came of it. Then, a while ago he came up with the idea of our staff actually taking part in the course and in return we would shoot some videos and blog about it. The idea was that people (our customers) would get a better idea of how cool the course was if they witnessed us actually doing it.

Well, let me tell you, after only one session I can already tell that this process is going to be a ton of fun and a really valuable learning experience. Anyone who likes guitar and likes the idea of knowing how one is built would love this course. The best part is that by the time you finish, you have built a boutique level custom guitar of your dreams that you naturally get to keep. The course is completely flexible around your schedule and you can take as long as you'd like to complete it. I'm looking forward to blogging about my experiences and I hope that some of you will consider taking the course. So far I can tell you that Garren is one of the nicest guys that I've ever met and that he definitely knows what he's doing .. and he is there all along the way to make sure that your dream guitar actually turns out to be a good dream, not a bad dream.

Check out our first day on the Loucin Guitar Project Video page here..]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-09-28T15:55:38-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c9d78f0b0e2db8330cf25791e4a6cae7-76.html#unique-entry-id-76http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c9d78f0b0e2db8330cf25791e4a6cae7-76.html#unique-entry-id-76I consider myself a bit of a "fly under the radar" type of guy. Most of the time, I think that this is a good way to be, strong but silent. However, in the role of social media promoter it's not always the best way to be. Promotion is a tricky business and I have to admit that I don't always know exactly what I'm doing. Some things work, some don't. That said, one thing that is always true is that word of mouth advertising is one of the best ways to promote without having to say a thing. Your customers do the talking which makes the promotion just that much more credible. Hard to earn this type of promotion and impossible to buy it, word of mouth praise is priceless. Recently, I received an email from a good customer who had just purchased a new Gibson Les Paul. This was a bit of dream purchase for him and our guys, Lou in particular obviously took good care of him. He was so pleased with his experience that he took the time to write a letter (see below). Aside from being proud of my guys and their consistent service and hard work, I'm thankful to Pete for taking the time to recognize us. It's all too easy to complain or gripe when we so often receive mediocre or bad service, it's a lot more notable when we take the time to recognize good or exceptional efforts. Thanks Pete ..

Hi Bill,
I wanted, or should that be more like "needed" to send you a quick message to say what a pleasure it's been to have recently purchased my third guitar from KAOS Music Centre. As in the past, my main man Lou looked after the sale and I couldn't be happier with both the service, and the guitar. Oh.... I bought a Gibson Les Paul (Studio) this time :-) While it's not a top line Les Paul model and with my not being a top line player, it's a perfect fit for me. Goes without saying I LOVE the new addition to my 6 string family.

Lou was always saying to me...... "buddy.....get a Gibson" Well how thrilled was I to learn that my local music store became an authorized Gibson dealer!! The rest is elementary..... boy was he ever right.

Anyway, so as not turn this into a novel, just wanted to say a quick thanks and kudos to Lou and all the staff at the store who make an amateur like myself feel important. It's nice to get such service, makes one feel good to spend their money in the local economy.

Cheers,

Pete]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-09-26T15:55:57-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8c870ac3d2cf0cde2f04ba4ef6fb0f4b-75.html#unique-entry-id-75http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8c870ac3d2cf0cde2f04ba4ef6fb0f4b-75.html#unique-entry-id-75I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I am getting asked a lot about the reasoning behind our newest promotional activity, The GTA Songwriters Contest. I suppose that I assume that people can read my mind more then they actually can (not including my wife who is awesome at it :) I'm honestly not sure if I have ever run a contest in the past but we certainly haven't run any type of contest recently. I've been working with this idea for over a year now trying to figure out a good way to implement the contest so that it would be fun, fair, good for the people entering it as well as serve our promotional objectives. So, objective number one .. Fun. In recent years I have really stepped up my efforts to engage our customers with fun activities. Seems to me that people love the opportunity to do something with their music like enter it in a contest and maybe perform it live. Getting out and participating in something like this is fun. In order to be fair we needed a way to host the contest. In recent months a company called Wildfire has made it possible (and legal) to host a contest on Facebook. With the help of our manufacturers and some local studio owner friends we have been able to offer some awesome prizes as well as host a fun final live performance event at our favourite bar, the Crooked Cue. As far as being good for us, well anything that is good for our customers is usually great for us. Hosting the contest on Facebook is going to improve the number of people participating with us on that social platform which is excellent for us. A big part of our promotional strategy is based on giving our customers lots of extra value from our videos and articles. We do this largely via our Facebook Fan Page and our website. In the end, having fun with our customers doing fun things around music almost always results in a few new sales and lots of good feelings. What more could I ask for?]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-09-16T12:48:03-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fcd4e20fe9309df623d18988220570ae-74.html#unique-entry-id-74http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fcd4e20fe9309df623d18988220570ae-74.html#unique-entry-id-74To be honest, I'm not sure how many years ago Sal walked into our store with his mom to sign up for guitar lessons, all I know is that it was quite a long time ago. He was just a little kid, seemingly like most little kids that walk into our store with their folks. However, it didn't take long to see that Sal was one of those kids, the ones who not only loved to play but the kind of kid who would put in the work to get really good. Add to that, Sal is good looking guy and one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Anyhow, I'll never forget the day that his Mom and Dad came to us to ask our opinion of Sal dropping his post secondary academics and pursuing music full time. We had gotten to know them over the years of lessons and had a good relationship with them. I remember being honest with them about my impression about Sal's chances for success but also noted that he seemed like the kind of person that had the drive and where with all to give it a good shot. He was still young and he really wanted to do it. Well, the rest is history as they say. Sal has gone on to have a continuing career with rock band 'My Darkest Days' produced by Chad Kroeger of Nickleback fame. That said, over the past 4 or 5 years we have watched and witnessed just how hard big time success is and how hard Sal has worked to get it. All I can say is that it is no wonder that most people don't make it. Having the talent, the drive, the good luck and work ethic all line up at once is a real long shot. We're proud of Sal's success, he deserves all of the credit. He took the chances, put in the work and has always been a pleasure to be around. Good going Sal. We only see Sal once in a while these days but it's always nice to connect . He was featured in Guitar World recently. Click here to read the article, it's really good!]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-09-01T15:39:32-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c27c7fa6f3ce999242e0d9c8c81a3f47-73.html#unique-entry-id-73http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c27c7fa6f3ce999242e0d9c8c81a3f47-73.html#unique-entry-id-73Well, it's September 1st and that means two things to me. First, summer is pretty much over and secondly today is the first day of our new fiscal year. Having just completed a full year cycle I thought that it made sense to blog about the years goods and bads. In general, I'm happy to say that the year was successful in far more ways then not. We had great success with our new Adult Guitar programs, our Glee program enjoyed some limited success and our Rock Band Experience program was a resounding success. Our private lesson programs moved along well with enrolment hovering around the 750 student mark most of the year which is pretty good for us. Our Yamaha Early Childhood courses were also very well attended this past year. All of these lesson successes have set up this year for a solid start and likely success again. Retail sales were once again hard to predict this past year. Some months we exceeded previous years while others not. In the end, we did manage to exceed the previous years retail sales. Much of our retail success can be attributed to attaining the Gibson product line (we've sold many) and a very good year selling Yamaha Avant Grand product. I also think that it is also safe to say that much of our success can be linked to our strong sales staff who are not only good guys, they do a good job taking care of our customers.
For me, honestly, it was a bit of tough year. Looking back through my notes I got reminded not only of the successes but of the many (way more then usual) failures that many of my efforts experienced this past 12 months. I found it kind of hard on my self esteem and it wore me out a bit more then usual. However, as I always tell my kids "the road to success is paved with failures". I think that is true but I also think that success is coming at a higher price these days and that road to success is quite a bit more bumpy then it used to be. All that said, considering the economic times I would be a fool not to be happy, which I am. This is still great job and I have a good feeling about this next year. As always, thank you to everyone who helped make KAOS Music successful once again this past year. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-08-12T13:57:04-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a300df82cf0535359c080cc546185015-72.html#unique-entry-id-72http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a300df82cf0535359c080cc546185015-72.html#unique-entry-id-72The other day, my school teacher sister said to me, " Well, I'm just about ready to get back to work". Back to work, is she insane??? Well, maybe but she has been off work for almost 2 months now so I guess I can understand how she might be a bit bored. Not being a school teacher I, like most people only get a few weeks off at a time (if that) and therefore don't have the problem of getting bored on vacation. However, over the summer I get to really enjoy a much slower pace in my work for about 6 or 7 weeks after the end of June and boy do I love it. I get most weekends off and I take a few 2 or 3 day breaks to get away with my family, it's awesome. Now that mid August has arrived my life of work leisure is promptly coming to an end. We are now into the last few weeks of the summer and for us, this is a pretty busy time. While our school is well over half full already, the other half of the people will register in the next few weeks. That's a lot of registering to do in a short amount of time. As well, we are now receiving inventory like crazy to accommodate the rush of new instrument sales that accompany the start of the school year. Add to that, we are finishing up all of the maintenance on our store and school. All of that and we are still trying to take in the last few weeks of incredible weather. If it sounds like I'm complaining I apologize because nobody knows better then I how lucky we all are to be in the music biz and to be making a good living doing it. It's been an awesome summer and it looks like it will be a great fall, weather wise and in business. Enjoy the last bit of summer!]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-07-11T16:51:34-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/adb141d724013f911dfcd731b904948a-71.html#unique-entry-id-71http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/adb141d724013f911dfcd731b904948a-71.html#unique-entry-id-71My role at KAOS is largely repetitive. What I mean is that week to week, month to month and even year to year my tasks reoccur with a fair bit of predictability. In many ways, this is great because for the most part I really enjoy my job. July and August are perhaps the most predictable. With our music school all but shut down for the summer and many of our customers consumed with summer vacations or activities I turn my attention to three main areas. Firstly, I almost always renovate or at least repair the store and school. Ten months of use leaves carpets, walls and bathrooms a bit damaged and in need of repair. Some years we renovate more then just repair. This year we are installing some new flooring but not doing any other major renovations, just touch ups. Secondly, I overhaul our student database and make any improvements needed based on any issues that occurred in the previous school year. Lastly, I work hard on promotion for our school. The more students that we are able to attract in the early part of the school year the better when it comes to our overall yearly education performance. In recent years this has changed from more traditional advertising to strategies that focus far more on our website and social media. As I've said many times in the past, I am no expert when it comes to social media or websites but having handled this aspect of the business for some time now, I have learned quite a bit over the years. As well, the wild west of social media and online strategies have yielded a fair bit of success for us in the past and we have high hopes for its continued success. Here's hoping ... ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-06-29T14:41:16-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ee12e0200ae98ffff6e75e5aa1617890-70.html#unique-entry-id-70http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ee12e0200ae98ffff6e75e5aa1617890-70.html#unique-entry-id-70
Now that the recital is in the books, we take time to reflect on the year just past and the new year waiting for us in September. Looking back I can say without hesitation that this was the best year for education that our business has ever enjoyed. Registration was strong, our teaching staff was great, administration was totally smooth and the new programs that we introduced were very well received. Looking forward, it is going to be tough to top but we've got all summer now to figure out how do it. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-06-20T16:27:38-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/02e635a9d8650fd15008e311b722ab3c-69.html#unique-entry-id-69http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/02e635a9d8650fd15008e311b722ab3c-69.html#unique-entry-id-69Another session of hard work pays off for the participants of the KAOS Rock Band Experience. This program brings together people of various ages and organizes them into rock bands based on age, ability and musical preference. This is a pretty new program for us here at KAOS, only about 5 months old but it has really been met with positive results. In just our second session, we had 4 bands participating. 2 bands made up of teenagers and 2 made up of, well, older guys. Yours truly was one of those aforementioned older guys playing drums in one of the adult bands.

At the end of each session, we hold a performance featuring each band playing a 15-20 minute set. All four bands did well and more importantly, did better then the first session in my opinion signifying improvement. I can speak for myself when I say that my playing has gone from mediocre to way better then mediocre in the past 5 months. Just getting out to play once per week combined with a ton of practice :) well okay, a bit of practice has produced really encouraging results for me and, I suspect for the others as well. One thing is for sure, you can't deny the rush you get from playing rock music, on stage really loud for an audience. The Rock Band Experience, it's a cool program.

If you'd like to know more about it, you can read about it here on our site or contact me directly, I'd be happy to talk about it with you. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-06-13T17:03:02-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/21960c71a3fb142fa66235287bcf03d0-68.html#unique-entry-id-68http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/21960c71a3fb142fa66235287bcf03d0-68.html#unique-entry-id-68In the guitar world there are tons of nice guitars made by many different manufacturers. Gibson is definitely one of those manufacturers. Others that immediately come to mind among guitar players and non guitar players alike would be Fender and Martin. After that, most non guitar people would start to struggling if asked to name more companies. However, guitar players and music people in general know that there are many more great manufacturers out there. Godin, Yamaha and Ibanez just to name a few. Furthermore, there are many manufacturers that many people have never heard of that make excellent guitars. Suhr, Tyler and Collins are a few that fall into this category.

Regardless of quality level, there are levels of popularity among guitars. To be considered an "A" line, a manufacturer must not only make great products, they have to be in very high demand among the general public. If a manufacturer makes great guitars but they are not super popular, they might be considered a "B" line. We have existed without an "A" electric guitar line for our entire 21 year history until now. While we are very thankful to our existing supplier partners and continue to support them whole heartedly, none of them would be considered on par with Gibson when it comes to popularity among the public. Getting the Gibson line of electric guitars has added a long sought after "A" line to our store and it has been a really positive turn of events for us. The math is easy, people who are interested in a Gibson product are not interested in anything but a Gibson product. So, if you don't have any Gibson products it is all but impossible to offer them anything. Now that we have the line, people are buying them from us, something they couldn't do in the past. Time will tell in terms of how successful the Gibson line will be for us but it seems all but certain that it will only be a matter of how much success we'll have, not if we'll have success.

Thanks Gibson for believing in us and thanks to all the people who have supported us in our new product line so far. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-05-27T13:08:29-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/307b8a27c34e549374b82e7abd0ab589-67.html#unique-entry-id-67http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/307b8a27c34e549374b82e7abd0ab589-67.html#unique-entry-id-67Anyone who knows me knows that I like to learn new stuff. I wouldn't say that I am a junky for new information but I always like to be learning. As a business owner, the learning never stops whether you like it or not and believe me, some days I wish it would. Not all lessons are fun ones if you know what I mean but I digress.

At various stages of my career as owner of KAOS I have found myself a bit frustrated with my ability to advance the business in one way or another. In the earlier days that usually meant that I wanted to make more money or in the really early days that meant I wanted to lose less money. More recently my frustration usually stems from the difficulties around taking an already good company and making it outstanding. Seems that the first 85% of starting a company is actually easier then the last 15%. The irony of that is that the first 85% was really hard which kind of explains why this last 15% is so difficult.

Anyhow, I've recently gone back to school in the form of some business coaching which hopefully will help me in my quest. The program is a 3 year thing meeting 4 times per year. I'll be learning lots of new skills but I can already tell after just the first day that the biggest challenge will be changing the way I think about things a bit and leaving my comfort zone. The concepts don't seem that wild, just very different from my usual. In any case, I thought that it might be a good message for everyone. If you do things (anything for that matter) the same over and over, you can expect the same result. Simple but true. Change is difficult but in many cases worth it. I'm starting to feel like Yoda giving Luke Skywalker advice now so I'm going to sign off. Stay tuned for updates on my professional development over the next year. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-05-16T17:29:12-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d95a4995901182062242a8dbcc0281f9-66.html#unique-entry-id-66http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d95a4995901182062242a8dbcc0281f9-66.html#unique-entry-id-66
The next presentation that I saw was given by a guy named Scott Stratten from a company called Unmarketing. This guy was awesome. The title of his talk was "How to take advantage of Social Marketing". What this turned out to be was a lesson on how to "really" deliver good customer service. Really down to earth, real world advice that was completely understandable, usable and real. His advice on social media was more geared towards what not to do rather then what to do. In any case, 40 minutes of excellent, usable information. I highly recommend checking this guy out if you are into business and in particular customer service as it relates to social media. I think this guy might have been a genius disguised as Jack Black from "School of Rock"

The third talk I took in was by a woman name Linda Nazareth. Her talk was definitely the least Rock n Roll but her knowledge of demographics was undeniable and the information was very useful.

I have to admit, I don't usually get this type of value from the MIAC show but this year, the seminars seemed to be custom fit to my needs and preferences. In terms of the industries temperature, things seem to be pretty warm. Attitudes about business seem to be upbeat and positive which I would concur with. So, all in all... MIAC show experience .. 9/10.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-05-10T16:11:17-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f0944678e6f5fd789bc258b5c0cc448f-65.html#unique-entry-id-65http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f0944678e6f5fd789bc258b5c0cc448f-65.html#unique-entry-id-65Of all of the things that I do here at KAOS I can tell which thing is the most fun for me, it's making movies. Over the past year or so we have gotten into making short movies for a number of different reasons. The main reason is to add content to our website describing the products in our store. This series is called the Gear Review series. Another type of movie that we make is also educational and is called the KAOS Information exchange. These movies help people make purchasing decisions. Another thing we use video for is to provide students of our Adult Guitar program with make up videos for missed lessons. We have over 40 lessons done in video format. The newest type of video is a series of How to play videos. These videos will show viewers how to play particular songs on guitar. Why?? just for fun.

Learning how to make these videos has been one of the most fun parts of my job in the past few years. From how to light a video (something I am still very much learning) to which camera to use to how to properly record the audio right down to what resolution to output the final file at. Its all very complicated but thankfully within my reach to learn and I'm having a ton of fun doing it. If you watch our very first Gear Review on the Epiphone Blues Custom 30 Amplifier you will see just how far we have come. Still, with a long way to go, I am pleased with how our videos are looking these days and hope to improve them even further. Just picked up my new HD camera today. Not quitting my day job this is Videographer Bill signing off.
]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-04-19T17:10:22-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/22f4b8bf5fcde3fe3597b2cbca50592b-64.html#unique-entry-id-64http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/22f4b8bf5fcde3fe3597b2cbca50592b-64.html#unique-entry-id-64For many years, we have been proud Epiphone dealers. Epiphone, owned by Gibson make less expensive versions of their guitars in Asia. Its a great line and the products have always been great quality and very good value. As good the Epiphone products are, they are no replacement for the American made Gibson originals and we have missed not having them up until now. However, existing dealer set ups combined with supply and other factors simply didn't line up for the Canadian distributor such that they could authorize us as a full line Gibson dealer. That is until now !! As of today, we are an authorized Gibson dealer and boy are we stoked. Gibson guitars are one of the worlds most recognized and revered guitar line. Many of our customers already own a Gibson guitar and we are looking forward to being the place many more of you get your first Gibson in the future. We are really looking forward to combining our unique style of excellent customer service with one of the worlds best guitar lines. Good things are sure happen. New Gibson guitars should be arriving mid next week. Watch for product announcements and new review videos. For more information from Gibson click here]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-04-12T10:25:19-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fbb1e6d8400b934365bdc6567bcbd3a9-63.html#unique-entry-id-63http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fbb1e6d8400b934365bdc6567bcbd3a9-63.html#unique-entry-id-63For those who don't already know, we run a program called The Rock Band Experience. It's a weekly program where we organize kids and adults into bands, rehearse them on a full scale sound stage all leading towards a session ending showcase. This is a new program for us and this past weekend marked our very first showcase. Because the program is brand new and drummers are sometimes hard to come by and partially because I wanted to, I was not only the host of the showcase, I was also a participant as well. We started off the show with our newest adult band and they were great. This bunch of guys had the least experience playing in a band, some having never done it before 12 weeks ago and one guy who only started playing a year or so ago. You would have never known it, they did fantastic bringing the classic rock. Then, came my band made up of KAOS veteran customers as well as me. I'd say we did really well blazing out 3 more current rock tunes. Then came the younger generation. Both of our younger bands were awesome ripping out some modern metal classics. Special thanks has to go out to our Rock Band Coaches, Ken and Everett. Their guidance led all four bands to a really respectable performance that was enjoyed by over 100 friends and family members. So, will the Rock Band Experience program continue... You bet. Most of the bands have already signed up for the next session and we have a ton of interest in our modified summer programs. It's not hard to understand, great place to play combined with great leadership mixed in with some loud rock music ... it's a formula for fun - and - fun it was. Rock on!

Check out the pictures on our facebook page - Click here
Check out some of the new video from the showcase Click here]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-03-17T15:26:36-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e9a3fa269442b374f4cd5c13e4a39b53-62.html#unique-entry-id-62http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e9a3fa269442b374f4cd5c13e4a39b53-62.html#unique-entry-id-62Nope, it's not time for our annual recital. That takes place at the end of June. Having expanded our education programs this past year, we have expanded the performance opportunities as well. Having become involved in the world of performing show choirs I have had the opportunity to get involved with a new organization called Show Choir Canada. This organization exists to promote performing show choirs in Canada and host a National Championship which is coming up in the next few weeks on April 8th & 9th. Our capacity at this event is assisting with the pianos and other back line gear for the live bands but we are going to be present for most of the performances. Anyone who enjoys the TV show Glee would love this event. More information is available from the Show Choir Canada site. On that same weekend yours truly and 20 other brave rockers will take to the stage at the DC Music Theatre to rock out a short set of the music we have learned and totally perfected (well mostly perfected) in the KAOS Rock Band Experience program . This program puts similarly aged players together into bands and leads them in 12 rehearsals all leading towards the big session ending show. This past 12 weeks was the first session of this new program but judging by the enjoyment level amongst the participants, I would guess that this program is here to stay. So, what's usually a real sleepy time of year for me has turned into a busy but really fun month for a middle aged rock star wannabe. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-02-23T13:55:40-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/64a3aa968a5ecb415ff1a9cdb7c63e6d-61.html#unique-entry-id-61http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/64a3aa968a5ecb415ff1a9cdb7c63e6d-61.html#unique-entry-id-61It's true, we rearrange our store a fair bit, maybe a bit more then average but it's always for good reason, at least that's our story anyway. While our staff meet regularly to discuss current items and issues we hold a special set of meetings about 3 times per year. These "special" meetings are designed to give us an opportunity to really identify things that need improving and come up with solid plans to do just that. In a recent "special" meeting we identified what we thought were a bunch of small store layout issues. Also, we identified our recording and drum departments as needing improvement. This combined with a desire to improve our interactions with our customers and parents waiting for students led to a series of suggestions. Well, like most times, one thing led to another which ended up necessitating a complete re-do. Now that its all done we're pretty happy (for now at least). We've significantly opened up the store in terms of space to walk around. We've consolidated all the electrics and acoustics in their own space. We've created a more comprehensive area for basses and bass amps. We've created a much expanded digital recording presentation area and even improved our little drum department. We did give up a bit of space behind our counter which is okay because we want to get out into the store more to hang with our customers.

Three long work days, a couple of pulled back muscles and a few really dirty shirts and we're done until the next set of meetings anyhow. We hope you like it.

You can check out pictures of the new store layout on our facebook page - click here]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-01-27T15:15:54-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9b327eb71a0324096f821d92bd5ecce1-60.html#unique-entry-id-60http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9b327eb71a0324096f821d92bd5ecce1-60.html#unique-entry-id-60Not that I'm not always honest in my blog articles but to be completely honest, my first impression of this years Namm show was a bit less then top notch. In an attempt to be a "positive guy" I was focusing on what felt like only a few highlights of the show. Nobody likes a guy who can immediately find the negative in things and frankly, sometimes that guy is me .. I'm working on it. However, after being back for more then a week I have changed my mind about my less then enthusiastic first impression. Firstly, let me explain why I think that I was a bit ho hum about the show. Having attended for over 20 years straight now, the wow factor is a lot more subdued these days when compared to the crazy technology days of the early 2000's. Back then, everywhere you looked there was a ground breaking product. Finding a cool new product wasn't the problem back then, keeping track of the cool new products was. These days, all that awesome technology form those years is now completely taken for granted and no such crazy technology breakthroughs have taken their place. So, that leaves guys like me left to find innovative new products even if they are really just small improvements on previous offerings.

That said, now that I am documenting my show I realize many of our existing products have been improved (which is cool) and we found a number of new products to improve our offerings. None are going to change anyones life but manufactures continue to improve and innovate products which only goes to make the playing experience that much better. Success is measured in smaller increments these days when it comes to the Namm show. My new "final" opinion of this years show is ... excellent.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-01-18T16:48:56-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/35b81722898561c21cbae8fe59b4b4c8-59.html#unique-entry-id-59http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/35b81722898561c21cbae8fe59b4b4c8-59.html#unique-entry-id-59It's true, there are lots of parties at Namm as aptly illustrated by this entries picture. Look closely to see if you can find Lou (kind of like 'where's Waldo') Even though it is the antics of the after show parties that go down in history it is the business day that has the real value to us. You see, Namm is a lot more then looking at products even though we do look at a ton of products. A typical day for us at Namm starts with a breakfast meeting of some sort well before 7:30 am and is followed by a morning seminar of some sort, all before the show opens at 10:00 am. After that our day is pretty much rammed with meetings and more seminars mixed in with looking at products. One of the big challenges of the show is geography. The Anaheim convention centre is well over 1 million square feet so getting from one place to another involves a fair bit of walking. Add to that over 85,000 attendees and exhibitors and you get some serious traffic jams. Anyhow, by 5:00 pm you have walked at least 7 or 8 KM's and never sat down except for a quick lunch. Is it all worth it? Absolutely... The insight that we get from seeing so much product in such a short period of time is awesome. Also, the communication that takes place with so many people over the few days of the show is invaluable. You can achieve things in a few days that would take all year without the show. Seeing and being seen is also a big part of the show. There is a lot of value in face to face time with the big wigs of our industry, something that does not happen much in between shows. Oh ya, the parties and rock star appearances are a ton of fun which only goes to remind us why we love our jobs so much. Music is cool and we're lucky. Stay tuned for more detailed accounts of our trip as I continue to blog for the next week or two. We saw tons of good stuff, much of which we are excited to bring in for you as well. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2011-01-04T17:26:51-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f4c2bd73cf421fb4b3d885711c435087-58.html#unique-entry-id-58http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f4c2bd73cf421fb4b3d885711c435087-58.html#unique-entry-id-58For regular readers of this blog know, I'm a wear my emotions on my sleeve kind of guy, the challenging and the fun stuff. My yearly trip to Los Angeles for the Namm (National Association of Music Merchants) show is one of the most fun 4 days of my year. Don't get the wrong idea, it is also one of the hardest working 4 days of my year as well. So, why so much fun? Well, that's easy, it is 4 days of work surrounded by intense music. There are instruments, tons of them. In fact, pretty much every mainstream instrument available is on display at this show. From guitars to drums to keyboards and technology to woodwind, brass and orchestral strings. There's more amps and guitar processors and pedals then you can get your head around. Then there are the people. There are literally tens of thousands of music industry people all living and working inside of a 2 km radius, usually inside the convention centre. Now big crowds aren't my favorite thing but this crowd is cool. It's full of diverse and dynamic people (some a bit more diverse then others) who make up a really great atmosphere. Then there is the learning. I'm a guy who likes to keep moving in his work. I hate not learning and achieving so this show is great for me. I attend hours of seminars on all sorts of topics but I focus on things like social media and marketing as well as finance stuff. Perhaps the best 2 things about this show are the sunshine and my friends. By January, we've forgotten what a sunny day feels like and man does it feel good to get into the sun and my friends, well, it's just fun to hang out while working with people that you love and don't get to spend much time with otherwise. The Namm show, it's a great experience and even after 22 years of going, I still look forward to it every year. Watch for my follow up blog entry after the show. Also, Lou and I will do our best to shoot as much video and as many pictures as we can for you while we're there. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-12-22T11:48:59-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e97056ead09b6fdb7379aa0496291c67-57.html#unique-entry-id-57http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e97056ead09b6fdb7379aa0496291c67-57.html#unique-entry-id-57Often at this time of year I could be accused of being a bit crusty. While I hate to admit it, these accusations might have some merit. You see, as a retailer, November and December are a bit stressful. You must do your very best to predict which products to buy and how many of them you will sell in December. Then you must attempt to buy them at just the right time to satisfy your customers. If you get that right, you will be rewarded usually with some additional sales and hopefully some additional profit. If you get it wrong, you will be punished with poor cash flow and excess inventory to be featured in your surprise Boxing week blow out sale. It's a big challenge and one that takes a lot of time and concentration to manage. As a result, I may get a bit crusty'er then normal:) That said, beneath my tough exterior lies a very sentimental guy who as he gets older has definitely started to appreciate some of the finer subtleties in life. One such example would be how great Christmas is and in particular how great it is for music in general. Think about it, no other time in the year promotes singing and musical performances more then Christmas. We complain about Christmas songs but lets face it, we all secretly like, if not love them. Most kids perform some sort of Holiday concert based around music. Adults take in Christmas themed shows all based around music. We skate and ski outdoors with what playing full blast in the background?? Yup, music. Christmas is a time traditionally centered around taking time off from work and spending it with family doing fun things often centered around music. In many cases, people think of music when it comes time to buy a gift for their loved ones. We sell tons of guitars to people buying for someone who will hopefully begin learning to play in the new year. What could be better for the music business? Christmas is like a booster for music, once a year music gets a huge hand up from Christmas by its natural ability to encourage people to sing and play as well as get involved with music by putting thousands of new instruments in the hands of up and coming players.

Christmas is a great time for many reasons but when it comes to music, I have come to realize how incredibly important Christmas really is. So, whatever your spiritual believes are around Christmas, we can all agree that this time of year promotes mostly really good things in our families and communities for which this guy is very thankful. Merry Christmas.. Bill]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-12-02T10:39:09-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/87d5873733e4cb22999061268b636be4-56.html#unique-entry-id-56http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/87d5873733e4cb22999061268b636be4-56.html#unique-entry-id-56I'm sure that there is a joke to be made (at my expense of course) from the title of this posting. Something like, it's about time that Bill got to work on being more social ... Ha Ha. not to mention his sense of humor. It's okay, luckily I have a thick skin :)

Seriously though, I have been working hard recently to learn about and improve the KAOS Music Centre social media effort. As many of you know, we have been fairly active in the past few years collecting email addresses and sending out email blasts to our customer base. This activity has yielded good success but we're not easily satisfied over here. Facebook and Twitter seemed like the next level of social media that needed to be embraced along with our email efforts. The question then became, what to do on Facebook and Twitter? To be honest, I'm still trying to figure out if and how Twitter fits into our efforts but Facebook seems to be a potential better fit for us. Now, I'm certainly no expert yet but I do know more then I did a month ago. The overwhelming consensus around Facebook is that you, as a business should offer value to your fans and not bombard them with promotion after promotion. Who needs to see more ads??

So, with this limited mandate in mind we hope that you, our newfound Facebook fans enjoy our notices about our product videos and blog entries as well as our periodic "FLASH" one or two day, fan only sales. Also, after Christmas we intend to hold a really fun songwriters contest using Youtube complete with some great prizes. Being involved with a community of like minded music people is fun and we hope to help facilitate that fun with our Facebook page. We hope that you join. Click here to visit our Facebook page.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-11-25T15:07:57-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/4085e132fd08b9235c67e76739aad6b0-55.html#unique-entry-id-55http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/4085e132fd08b9235c67e76739aad6b0-55.html#unique-entry-id-55It's true, the KAOS Jam night is always fun. For those who don't know, the Jam night is a one night event where we rent the function room in the Crooked Cue (right above our store) and set up a house band for customers to come out and play songs with. Any customer or friend of KAOS is welcome to participate and there is no cost. Young and old come out and let it rip with our band. Everything from a lot of blues tunes to country, jazz and inevitably some Led Zeppelin and usually some Rush. Some players are really fantastic and others have just started. The supportive energy of this event is inspiring. The weakest player is inspired by the best and the strongest players are usually the most supportive of the new guys. Last night was no exception. From our young customers who have improved dramatically since our last jam right on up through to a fellow who had the nerve to get up and play after only 10 weeks of group guitar lessons. Of course, the KAOS staff had its usual amount of fun with a few improv pieces. Some of these events are packed with people, others a lean turnout. Last night was about average but the energy and quality of the playing was no question, the best its ever been. Thanks to everyone who came out, tons of fun. You can check out the highlight reel here. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-11-10T16:55:32-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/37f5ba3b981784a5ebb8267b709a6135-54.html#unique-entry-id-54http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/37f5ba3b981784a5ebb8267b709a6135-54.html#unique-entry-id-54For years now, customers have been after me to revisit our Band Ensemble program. Years ago, we actually ran a small version of Rock School in our music school. For about a year we had a few bands made up from our student base practicing each week in our classroom. To be completely honest, back then, I didn't run the program very well and it fizzled and died. We had a great teacher but our facility wasn't really up to the task of housing a rock band practice along side piano and guitar lessons. Also, so many years ago we were not nearly as organized as we are today. Now, years later we finally found a great place to hold our program just a kilometer or so from our store and our organizational skills are pretty awesome these days. As well, we have a great team of teaching professionals to draw on for our band leaders. With all that in mind we have re-launched the program under the name of The Rock Band Experience. Aimed at both our younger students and customers as well as our adult clientele, we hope to provide participants with a really enjoyable 12 week journey of learning and rehearsing all leading to a fun session ending showcase called the Rock Recital. We've priced the 12 week program at $450 which breaks down to approx. $27 per week when you consider the Rock Recital and the included video. We're really excited about it as we feel that this is great value for an hour of guided rehearsal each week and a full club style performance at the end. If nothing else, it is going to be fun for those who dare to get out and play again or for the first time. For more information click here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-10-27T16:18:32-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9bd7c6bb0d0ca1be242b09be0284d44f-53.html#unique-entry-id-53http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9bd7c6bb0d0ca1be242b09be0284d44f-53.html#unique-entry-id-53So, the title of this entry might lead you to believe that I am the brains of this operation. Only partially true. Truth is, many of the main people who work here at KAOS regularly contribute some of the best ideas that end up as real things. Displays, promotions, web ideas, product choices, school policies etc. That said, a large part of my job these days is to come up with new and progressive ideas to keep people interested in our business and ultimately buying instruments or services from us. It's a fun part of my job but one that requires one to have a thick skin because often what you think is an absolute grand slam ends up grounding out to first. However, if you can deal with some failure, you get to enjoy the odd success which is always great. In the next few months I've got some challenges. It's up to me and my team to come up with a good way to fill up our seemingly pretty popular guitar classes for the winter. We're throwing all sorts of promo ideas around for this. We also need to get some, if not all of the people currently registered in the adult guitar courses to come out to our Jam in November to play a song in front of their friends and families. Another thing on my list of things to get organized is to improve our online registration process and implement a way for users to buy online gift certificates. Our Performing Show Choir is getting ready to perform just before Christmas so we need to get that show organized as well as promote this awesome program so that it will continue through the winter and into the fall. I'm working on the concept and the organization of our soon to be launched Rock n Roll Experience program and I need some good ideas on promoting this new program. All this while making sure we have the products that we need to sell through the Christmas season. Busy? You bet but it's almost exclusively fun stuff so I won't complain. I will say that I am always open to outside ideas so please feel free to send me any on these topics or any others. You never know where the next great idea will come from. I was speaking to a guy the other day who had what I thought was an awesome internet idea. If I ever get ahead of myself and he doesn't actually implement it, I may have to consider adopting the idea and moving it forward. That's for a different day. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-10-12T16:57:59-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8e815327dae4621de2451147bab4cd0d-52.html#unique-entry-id-52http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8e815327dae4621de2451147bab4cd0d-52.html#unique-entry-id-52In the era of never ending technological advancements in music production, we sometimes forget how it was done back in the old days, like almost 10 years ago :) Way back then, we didn't rely on pre-recorded samples of drum loops and guitar grooves. We routinely used keyboards. In some cases, we would use the keyboards built in recorder or a computer with MIDI recording software to record our backing tracks. In other cases, we might use the pre-programmed MIDI grooves manipulating which key they played in by playing either single fingered chords or actual triads on the keyboards lower half. I think we might all agree that there was a reason this technology fell out of favor, it didn't sound that good. However, these days a keyboard with pre-programmed grooves sounds much better and is very useable in many situations. For example, using a keyboards built in drum tracks (which sound great) could be used as the basis for a recording using your real guitar, bass and vocal part. As well, the pre-programmed bass parts in most better keyboards sound very authentic making them very useable for a songwriter. How about for practice sessions, most keyboards let you record chord progressions in any style that could be used for practicing other instruments with. The reason I decided to write about keyboards this time around was that it occurred to me that sometimes we have become to excited about new technology when old technology in some cases does the job better. A keyboard used to be an integral part of just about everyones setup, I wonder why that is not the case as much today. Maybe just an attitude change, maybe not. In any case I might suggest taking a look at todays keyboards. They are awesome sounding and super affordable. You might just be surprised how much you could benefit from one. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-10-05T14:32:04-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/0be5fd5b5098dd37f0c6607c325361de-51.html#unique-entry-id-51http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/0be5fd5b5098dd37f0c6607c325361de-51.html#unique-entry-id-51it's that time of year again. I know its only the beginning of October but this is the time of year that us retailers start stockpiling inventory for the upcoming holiday season. While this is a bit of extra work for a small company like ours, it does have one great advantage, we have a lot more then we normally do in stock ready to go. Take for example acoustics, we have just about every model of Norman, Seagull and Art & Lutherie in stock. We have every single Godin electric model now in stock. We have tons of Yamaha keyboards, drums, digital pianos and entry level electric guitars. We just received a huge order of Roland Cube amps and JS-8 Jam Stations. We have pretty much all of our amp lines in stock not to mention more accessories then ever. All that to say, its a great time to go to a music store. No other time of the year sees us with as much variety in our products.

With September behind us I am happy to report that this year has started off stronger then last and seems to be on a great course for improvement. Our product sales we almost back to our best September ever and our lesson registration has been very strong and encouraging especially in regards to our Glee Club and Adult guitar programs which are brand new this year. All in all, good news around here, its fun to be us, thanks for making it possible. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-09-24T10:20:04-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/86d777f509aa92267f6ce473b3367d16-50.html#unique-entry-id-50http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/86d777f509aa92267f6ce473b3367d16-50.html#unique-entry-id-50Alright, we're almost all the way through September and things are good. That is to say, all of the craziness of the last three or four weeks has dispersed and in its wake a well oiled machine that we call a regular fall day. Getting close to a thousand students registered, educated and pointed in the right direction is a ton of crazy work but once it is done, those dedicated students no longer need our assistance. They come and go like clockwork each week. Getting all of those rusted strings changed and all of those sticky keys fixed is tricky but again, once done its done. Now, we can turn our attention back to our retail customers, at least in part by getting our regular blog entries happening again, which they are. Keeping our product page more up to date. and. We can focus on our product videos which we have. We just shot 6 new episodes of The KAOS Gear Review and they will start to appear every 4 or 5 days in the video section. A new episode is already posted. Also, we can now focus on organizing a new customer jam night and a few other goodies. Anyhow, its good to be back up at full speed and we are really looking forward to a fun year. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-09-09T15:49:46-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/dd0c8d10c87ed73ca6a55964d5ee3f57-49.html#unique-entry-id-49http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/dd0c8d10c87ed73ca6a55964d5ee3f57-49.html#unique-entry-id-49Now, before I get this blog entry going I must say that even though it may sound like that complaining, I assure you that I'm not. From about mid August, about the time of my last blog entry, the lives of the staff of KAOS go from super serene to off the charts busy. The level of craziness is pretty much proportional to how close we are to the first week back to school. During the end of August we are madly working on our school. This is the only time of year that the school is completely quiet and its only for a week or two. We need to paint, organize and most years have the carpets cleaned or changed. Some years we install new equipment such as HVAC systems etc. It's a short window so we have to work quickly. This year, we only painted and had the carpets cleaned so it wasn't too hectic. We register more then half of our students at the beginning of August in a few days. These are students who have pre-registered back in June. This is pretty easy. However, well over 300 more students will register one by one between the last week of August and the second week of September. This wouldn't be that hard to manage but we have to register them while greeting all of the returning students and getting them into their first lesson. As well, many of them need new instruments which requires are help. This all makes for 3 or 4 super super busy days which my staff handle really well. Now that we are past Labor day, we have past the peak of the storm and are heading towards a much more steady pace. From all this craziness comes a very busy but organized school that usually runs pretty well perfectly for the rest of the year so it is totally worth it. I am happy to report that the economy seems to be feeling much better then last year at this time. People are happy and spending their hard earned money a bit more freely which is good news for everyone. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-08-04T14:46:48-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5257ed44206244a0f38fb0b349b332a1-48.html#unique-entry-id-48http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5257ed44206244a0f38fb0b349b332a1-48.html#unique-entry-id-48The highly anticipated Godin Icon's have finally arrived in our store. Why such a big deal you ask? Well, first of all they are a formidable competitor to the Gibson Les Paul. Secondly, they are made by Godin in Canada which mean they possess legendary awesome quality. Thirdly, these guitars are less then half the cost of a similar Gibson.

Now, there have been a lot of comparisons between these guitars and Gibson Les Paul's for somewhat obvious reasons. They look very similar, they have somewhat similar pick up configurations and they are made from similar woods. They are also geared towards a similar sound. That said, these guitars take the traditional Gibson format to a new level with a number of very unique features.

The Type 2 Fat Black model comes with a Godin GHN1 neck humbucker and a Seymour Duncan '59 in the bridge position. The Type 2 Classic has same pick up set up. The Type 2 Convertible has 2 Seymour Duncan P-Rail pickups with a 3 way switch and two mini switches. The Type 3 has three Lollar P90 single coil pickups and a 5 way switch. All models have the High-Definition Revoicer circuit which changes the tonal characteristic of each position. These various pick up configurations offer players tons of new tone possibilities.

All of the models are made from chambered solid mahogany with a carved mahogany top which produce that big fat sound. In a nutshell, these guitars sound awesome and I dare say a fair bit more versatile then their Gibson cousins. We're pretty excited about them and can't wait to start showing them off. We have 4 different models in stock now for you to give try. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-07-29T13:14:01-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ef9c5292d906a412f99da57586f83c7b-47.html#unique-entry-id-47http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ef9c5292d906a412f99da57586f83c7b-47.html#unique-entry-id-47Okay, it's not really a surprise that we did some renovations in July. Pretty much every year at this time we do some sort of building in our store. Are we just plagued by the force of habit? No, July or August are the only months of the year that we don't have close to 1000 students coming through the store each week. Also, about every 12 months or so, we usually feel the need to switch up our displays to accommodate something new or improve the flow of our store. Some may remember that last year we did a pretty significant renovation. We took two private lesson rooms and made them into one large, soundproof drum studio. Then we built two new lesson rooms, built a piano section at the front of the store and a new waiting area at the rear of the store - and - moved the counter to the middle of the store. While we loved most of that renovation, it became obvious to us that we had created a bit of a dead corner with the addition of a column near the back and we were under utilizing the area where the repair bench had moved.

Click to read more and view some pictures of the new layout. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-07-20T15:43:15-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/39c639bea08c8ce13c36f9974616a04f-46.html#unique-entry-id-46http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/39c639bea08c8ce13c36f9974616a04f-46.html#unique-entry-id-46I've mentioned it before in some of my previous blog entries but now the KAOS glee Club is officially off the ground. Back just after Christmas, a friend of mine who happens to be in the professional dance business started talking to me about show choirs. The smash success of the TV show Glee has spawned a ton of interest in this type of program here in Canada and he maintained that very few people were offering this type of program in their schools. In the US, show choirs are often more popular in schools then many sports programs. There are state level competitions as well as a National Show Choir competition. In Canada, pretty much nothing with very few exceptions. So, I naturally jumped into the idea head first only to hit it on the bottom of the pool. Turns out, running a show choir program is pretty complicated and much different then running a private music instruction program. However, undeterred I, with the help of many friends in the theatre business trudged through the details until we finally worked in down into a workable format. The final and most important piece of the puzzle was finding high quality people. Now, I've got great people musically speaking but a show choir requires more of a triple threat type of performer. Someone who can sing, dance and act not to mention choreograph. This type of person, I don't have. Luckily for me, my buddy the dance agent has a whole roaster of professional people many of which already work part time with kids. After an exhaustive search and interview process we think we have narrowed it down to 3 theatre professionals who in various combinations will be awesome.

I have to admit that while I have always taken a great deal of pleasure out of the fact that my business in part teaches people how to make music, this program is filling me with a fair bit more pride. I think it is the prospect of facilitating such a big group in such a fun musical activity. I suppose that many theatre people before me have experienced this feeling but for me it seems unique even though I know it's not. Nonetheless, it's a good feeling to know that a program that you are involved with might help a shy kid break out or a talented kid discover some new abilities, you get the picture. That said, I hope it doesn't flop. Every single person I have asked thinks that this choir is a great idea. Let's hope that it translates into great registrations. Here's hoping. For more information you can click here. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comHome2010-06-29T11:43:29-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/972639c69bdde78de34a48b03a6a686a-45.html#unique-entry-id-45http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/972639c69bdde78de34a48b03a6a686a-45.html#unique-entry-id-45Yup! those are my kids just moments before leaving for the annual KAOS Music recital. Excited, you bet. Olivia was making her first ever recital performance after barely 5 months of lessons in our Yamaha Junior Music Program. Calvin, not actually performing, he's more of a keyboard basher at this point in his career but loves a good action pose. Every June marks the beginning of summer and the end of another music school year for us here at KAOS. To be completely honest, like our academic teacher colleagues, we to are a bit worn out by this time in the school year. As well, we always feel a fair bit of pressure to pull off a quality recital for our student's families. It's a bit like all year we get away without having to do a public performance and then all at once we are center stage with a really bright spot light on us. However, after years of experience you'd think we'd have this recital bit down... Nope, total anxiety every year. Nonetheless, due to the awesome quality of my staff the annual recital always looks polished and smooth despite our inner fears. This year, I must say was perhaps the best in terms of the student's performances. I know I may sound biased (it is my school after all) but with very few exceptions, the kids nailed their pieces. One after another, they executed their songs beautifully. The singers were great, the guitarists stepped it up and played all sorts of great tunes, the piano players were wonderful and the odd drummer and woodwind players did fantastic. There were a number of siblings who played together as well as more then a few original compositions. And lastly, in a bit of a twist, the store staff (not the teachers) pulled off a heavy metal version of 'Somewhere over the rainbow' to close the shows. All in all it was terrific. Once again, hats off to all of the performers and my entire staff for another outstanding year. You can watch a highlight video that we put together complete with a number of performances and still photos. Click here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-06-22T12:34:28-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/02003f08bae1886bd9d2194dd8f727e9-44.html#unique-entry-id-44http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/02003f08bae1886bd9d2194dd8f727e9-44.html#unique-entry-id-44Every once in a while I like to give the faithful readers of my little blog a bit of an update on what's going on over here at KAOS. Well, let me tell you June is a pretty busy month for us here. Not necessarily the busiest month for retail sales but busy in terms of getting ready for our Dutch Auction sale which just wrapped up (more on that in a moment) and busy in terms of getting ready for our big year end recital (this weekend) as well as making plans and starting to implement a bunch of small renovations and promotional efforts. So, the Dutch Auction sale ran last week and was by all accounts a really good success. I think I could say that in terms of excitement this years sale superseded last years version. This year we started at a lower discount, 30% and ended at 50% which seemed to produce more people hedging their bets and waiting until the last or second last day to pull the trigger on their purchase. In the end, there were a few people who hit the jackpot and a few that missed out by waiting. All in all, lots of fun as expected. Our big recital for our students is this Sunday and will surely prove to be a fun filled day for the participants and their families as they get up to strut their stuff. As always, we will conclude each recital with a staff performance which this year is rumored to be Lou, Jay, Bill and Everett. Hope that works out... As for renovations, we are not going as nuts as last year but we are planning to move our repair counter to free up some floor space by moving it into the back corner of the store. As well, we are planning to frame it with an accessory wall to help us offer you guys a better selection of smaller goodies. As for promotions we are planning a bunch of activities including a big mail out to promote our new adult guitar programs as well as a bunch of new online promotions to promote the rest of the school. Despite the slow business cycle of the summer months, we are always super busy during late June, July and August. Oh ya, Lou and Jay are taking some well deserved vacation and I'm planning to spend a bit of extra time with my wife and kids as well. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-06-14T16:02:15-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f53dadb9e16edb051deced6b548bc0ec-43.html#unique-entry-id-43http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f53dadb9e16edb051deced6b548bc0ec-43.html#unique-entry-id-43Well, its not that big a deal that a music store might hold a sale at the beginning of the summer. June, July and August are famously slow months in the music retail business and often times it makes sense to hold a sale. A business can generate some useful cash and move through some inventory all while giving its customers something special by way of a savings opportunity. All that said, the public are pretty desensitized to sales these days. When isn't something on sale? Last year however, I got the idea from a good friend to have a Dutch Auction type sale. To be honest, I didn't even know what it was. Basically you identify a bunch of products that you would like to include in the sale and set a period of time for the sale to run, a week for example. Then you start on day one with a pretty good discount on those products. Each day you increase the discount for the products that haven't sold. By the end of the sale, the discount that you are offering on the unsold products is pretty big. The fun part of the sale is that people watch the website and try to guess when a product will sell. Some will jump on the savings in the first day while others will gamble that a product won't sell today and will be cheaper tomorrow. Last year, people really got into it and we sold pretty much everything that we offered. As well, people had fun watching and participating in the sale. It was a great point of conversation for the whole week. This years version of this sale starts tomorrow and hopes to be just as much fun. Click here to check out the Auction products. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2010-05-31T15:26:22-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/56d726bb939617c68b57d26909e5bd41-42.html#unique-entry-id-42http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/56d726bb939617c68b57d26909e5bd41-42.html#unique-entry-id-42 UPDATE IT HAS ARRIVED CLICK HERE TO SEE PICTURES- Regular readers of my blog will know that about 3 weeks ago I sent a brand new Gibson Les Paul Traditional down to my friend Bill Nash to have it aged. Well guess what? This isn't the resulting the guitar. This is a picture of a '59 flame top Gibson Les Paul. Why the picture you ask. The reason is that in that same 3 week period, while I have been waiting for my Les Paul to be returned, Nash called me to let me know that I had once again won the Les Paul relic lottery meaning that the next Les Paul to be completed by them would be available to me to purchase. What luck! Not only did I have one of my own Les Paul's being aged, I was now in line to get one of Nash's creations as well. I couldn't say yes fast enough. Now we have my Les Paul coming in soon which by the way is being finished as a '50's Gold Top. We also have a 50's Lemon Drop Les Paul coming in any moment. When it rains it pours. Watch for the announcement about the arrival of these guitars. I can only promise one thing, they will both be awesome. We can't wait for them to arrive. For more detailed information about Bill Nash's Les Paul Relic's, Click here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2010-05-25T14:33:26-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/7f3cee2c20ac2ec4c35eb641f12ee8cd-41.html#unique-entry-id-41http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/7f3cee2c20ac2ec4c35eb641f12ee8cd-41.html#unique-entry-id-41Last weekend the annual MIAC (Music Industry Association of Canada) show was held at the Direct Energy Centre at the EX. Honestly, this show usually doesn't offer us much in terms of seeing new products. For a number of reasons, this show is not one that manufacturers typically use to launch new products. However, each year there are always a few gems and this year we were anxious to see the new Godin Icon Series of guitars. Godin announced to its dealers a while ago that it would be showing this new line up at this show. So, like little kids in the model airplane shop, Lou, Jay and I hightailed it over to the Godin booth to check them out. To our surprise, Robert Godin himself was there to greet us and subsequently spend about the next 45 minutes talking with us about all sorts of things. Turns out, not surprisingly that he is pretty passionate about building guitars. We were lucky enough to hear stories about some of the early days of Godin Guitars, the inner workings and production stories of their custom made 'Passion' guitar and a whole host of other interesting things. It was a real treat to have the President of the company telling us about their decision making processes in designing this new series. With no offense to any of my sales reps, hearing these insights from the man himself was a real treat and privilege for all of us. I have said it many times before but I can say it again with even more confidence now, Godin is a company that believes strongly in making guitars that guitar players want to play, have asked for and always at prices that most guitarists can afford. Perhaps more heart warming was Robert's constant references to the people he employs here in North America, most of them in Canada. He was an inspirational guy to meet and I feel better off to have had the chance. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-05-18T11:49:35-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9ef70f26a6b09e322c6b743c45b8ab3d-40.html#unique-entry-id-40http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9ef70f26a6b09e322c6b743c45b8ab3d-40.html#unique-entry-id-40Well, after a week or so of consultations with some of my teaching staff and a ton of web editing, the basic framework of our new Adult Guitar Courses is now complete and up on our site for people to review. From my perspective I can be honest in saying that this new education activity has been really exciting for me. It's not that I had forgotten how much fun it is to be involved in a brand new activity but I haven't launched anything this substantial in quite a long time. The creative part of it is really enjoyable for me and the potential for success with this new set of learning programs seems very good which is also potentially great news for us. Having said that, every single person that I have talked to about these courses seem equally excited which just adds to my excitement. Anyhow, Click here to check out the new courses and feel free to call us (416) 233-2232 or email us anytime with your questions and comments.

More importantly, if you are an adult and either play or want to play guitar, we hope that you will consider enrolling in an appropriate class. Its our hope that these classes will be as much fun as they are effective in getting you to start playing or improve your playing quickly. This is the goal. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-05-10T15:22:15-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c3c72474d351eb0787104ff54b853175-39.html#unique-entry-id-39http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/c3c72474d351eb0787104ff54b853175-39.html#unique-entry-id-39As any regular reader to my blog already knows, I made a trip to Manhattan last week to visit a music school. The trip's goal was to quickly examine how this school offered adult specific guitar classes, something that we are really interested in pursuing this coming September. So, was the trip a success? In a word, definitely! Here's a brief replay of the 2 day power trip. Thursday morning, arrive at the airport at 5 am, this really hurt. Arrive in New York at 8:15 am take a bizarre cab ride into Manhattan. Now, I know that New York cab drivers are a bit famous for their behavior but this guy was honking at imaginary people about every 5 seconds. Even on the highway with nobody for 100 meters of us on all sides, he was still honking. Anyhow, breakfast and a long walk up to Times Square and then onto Central Park for a bit of sight seeing and shopping for the kids. We had to stop into the famous "cube" Apple store which is just like the Apple stores here but about 10 times bigger. Along the way we stopped in at about 4 music stores including Sam Ash to have a look at how things were being done in NYC. After a super overpriced and only mediocre smoked meat sandwich we headed for the guitar school meeting at 2 pm. For about the next 7 hours, we talked and brainstormed with the owner and administrator of the school about lots of different issues. In the end, we had both learned lots about each others school. I learned how he ran a successful adult group guitar program and he found out how we ran a successful private lesson program largely geared towards kids. The exchange was awesome and hugely helpful for both us, me for sure. We intended on checking out a show but we didn't get out of our meetings until almost 10 pm, just enough time for a quick dinner and walk back to the hotel. Friday, we slept in a bit and got moving around 9 am for breakfast. This day we took a lot more cabs as our feet were sore and we had to cover a lot more distance. We checked out Ground Zero, Washington Square, the University and had lunch in Greenwich Village as well as stopped into a number of additional music stores. Perhaps the most important mission of the trip was the cupcakes that I had to pick up for my wife (she's a bit of a cupcake expert). Once we had the cupcakes it was back to the hotel and then onto the airport. The only other really notable thing about the trip was the 'crap my pants' turbulence on the flight home. More then a few people left their dinner in the plane and it was the first time that I have been truly scared for my life on a flight. Nonetheless, we lived to tell about it.

More information to come about our impending new adult guitar lessons. We have so much information to get through but soon we will have it all laid out for our potential new students. I can say that the courses that they are running look fantastic. The students are learning to play basic guitar in a very short period of time all while having a really fun time. Better then that, the program accommodates the busy schedules of adults letting them miss some of their lessons with the ability to still get the material covered. More details to come but we are sure our customers are going to love these courses. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-05-03T16:24:13-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/245fa547e4915ebb55b792ebb4b6dee8-38.html#unique-entry-id-38http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/245fa547e4915ebb55b792ebb4b6dee8-38.html#unique-entry-id-38It's been planned for a while but the week has arrived and I have to say that I'm a bit on the excited side. This Thursday I head out to New York for a few days to visit a very cool guitar school to get some new ideas for our upcoming adult guitar classes. Other then visiting the school I'll be taking some time to visit a number of music stores, both big and small. We're always on the lookout for new ideas and what better city then Manhattan? Watch for my post trip review next week.


]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2010-04-26T16:56:32-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5d89d2e98131b964d77737bffa86f78c-37.html#unique-entry-id-37http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/5d89d2e98131b964d77737bffa86f78c-37.html#unique-entry-id-37Way back in January at the NAMM show I placed my usual show order at the Martin booth. This order is pretty much a yearly event. Martin always has a number of new models that you really have to order at the show for delivery later in the year. Otherwise, you would be waiting much longer to get the new, cool models. This year, the new, cool models were the Performing Artist Series which have just now started to arrive into the store almost 5 months later. As part of the ordering criteria this year, Martin had a push on their 15 series guitars. This series is one that we had never carried before. Boy, were we missing out on one of the companies nicest, best valued lines. The 15 series is an old series made using either all solid mahogany or Sepele. The 15 series is an all solid guitar and sounds really fantastic, better then we had imagined. All for well under $1500 which is pretty inexpensive for an all solid, standard series Martin. Anyhow, two models just arrived and are available for you to try in store now. For more information visit the Martin website here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-04-20T09:49:40-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b37376288387101b6db6433b2f135955-36.html#unique-entry-id-36http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b37376288387101b6db6433b2f135955-36.html#unique-entry-id-36It's with a fair bit of excitement that I am able to announce that we have just begun developing a series of new guitar courses. There are a number of courses in development but they break down into two basic categories. Each category will have courses designed for adults as well as for youngsters. In other words, adults will not be mixed with kids and vice versa. The first set of courses are geared towards beginners. There will be a course for absolute beginners as well as at least one more course for more advanced beginners. These courses will focus on getting people playing quickly paying most of the attention to having fun. There will also be a series of courses designed for people who already play but want to focus in on a specific type of music or a particular discipline. An example of such a course would be "Basic Blues Guitar" followed up with an advanced version of it. Some of the courses being considered are the Blues courses, lead guitar courses, finger style guitar and possible band specific courses such as The Beatles or Led Zeppelin. It looks like these courses will run for 10 weeks and be taught in a class format, once per week for an hour. Class size would be as small as 3 students and as large as 6. Our first step in the development of these courses is a trip to New York to visit a school there who is having great success with this type of teaching. After doing this research we are going to set out to develop our own curriculum and start laying out the schedule for September. Saying that I'm excited would be an understatement. From our initial market research it seems that these types of courses will be popular, here's hope'n...

Watch for more information on these courses as we work through their development.

Check our Lou's most recent blog on "point to point" amplifiers. Click here
Check out Jay's most recent blog on personal recorders. Click here]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-04-14T10:41:37-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/dc3671a1e0c09e85b262d250a286d720-35.html#unique-entry-id-35http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/dc3671a1e0c09e85b262d250a286d720-35.html#unique-entry-id-35Well, okay... our new blogs may not be as cool as this Mazda concept car but they're pretty cool. We are happy to announce that starting immediately both Jay and Lou will be contributing each week to their very own blogs right here on our website. Jay will concentrate on writing about products that are related to guitars, recording and electronic music. Lou will focus more on amplifiers and guitars, specifically how they are made and what he thinks of the various products. With almost 40 years of combined experience in the music retail business, both Jay and Lou have a lot to offer when it comes to practical advice and expertise about music related products. We hope that you enjoy the blog entries and invite you to visit weekly. Here is a link to the Blog index page... enjoy

]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-04-06T12:29:49-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/849652889b8dba54429faea3f448a9f4-34.html#unique-entry-id-34http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/849652889b8dba54429faea3f448a9f4-34.html#unique-entry-id-34As recently announced on our Products Page, Bill Nash of NASH Guitars is now accepting new and used Gibson (must be Gibson) Les Paul's from his dealers to perform his magic relic treatment on. As a result, we are now in the market to purchase some select pieces. If you have a Gibson Les Paul Standard, Classic or Traditional that you are not playing and would like to sell, please email us to let us know. We may be interested in buying from you for cash or an equivalent trade. Email us here to get the conversation rolling.






]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-04-01T14:12:20-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ce98dc95dcd90b1c604fc0a945e149ac-33.html#unique-entry-id-33http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ce98dc95dcd90b1c604fc0a945e149ac-33.html#unique-entry-id-33

As promised, Godin product continues to arrive in our store. Most recently, more of the super value Godin Session's in some of their solid color offerings. The blue and the red are great. We must say, the pictured red is not nearly as nice as the real thing. Not being a huge fan of red guitars in general, I wasn't really looking forward to it but I have to say this slightly darker tone red is pretty nice, for red that is. Anyhow, these as well as the trans black and many of the other colors are all in stock for you to see. Drop in.. For more information about the Sessions, click here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-03-30T12:25:58-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8e45afc6b5da835ccd43212686e68158-32.html#unique-entry-id-32http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8e45afc6b5da835ccd43212686e68158-32.html#unique-entry-id-32Ever since it's inception, the KAOS website has been handled pretty much exclusively by me, Bill. This single person approach has worked well for us for a number of reasons. One, we're a small company and we don't have a ton of money available to hire a big firm to produce a website for us. Two, given our small number of people, we only have so much time in a day to serve customers, buy product, receive it etc etc etc leaving us very little time to be creative. Bottom line, having me take care of it on my own was a good working solution and to be honest, I really enjoy learning how to do it as I go. Also, it gave me a chance to work more from home which is a perfect fit for me right now as I have two young children who love having me around. I'm told that doesn't last forever so I'm trying to take advantage.

The down side of having only one person work on a website is that it gets difficult to continually come up with new content. As any regular visitor to our site would know, we have been continually moving towards a model of more product content. Our videos are a prime example and our product page, while still pretty basic is improving all of the time. Also, our Gbase.com presence is a move to improve our online product offerings. The KAOS blog is well read but my area of expertise is business not music as much so I only have so much to offer beyond announcements. Point is, I find it difficult to come up with what I think is interesting content for our customers to read week after week.

So, with that said, I am happy to announce that starting very soon both Jay and Lou will begin contributing to their very own KAOS Blogs. Lou's blog will concentrate on amps and guitars. He'll talk about new stuff, old stuff, how stuff is made, how it ought to be made, basically anything related to guitars and amps. Jay will concentrate more on effects, recording, software and hardware devices. He'll talk about things to do with making you sound better and how to record it.

Adding Lou and Jay is an exciting move for us. As a good friend of KAOS recently pointed out to me, Lou and Jay are two of the industries best kept secrets. What he meant was that both of these guys have almost 20 years of experience each and are both seasoned experts in their fields. The problem is that most people don't know about them. Those who do, visit the store and benefit regularly from their knowledge. We're hoping that these new blogs will serve to expose their knowledge to a far bigger audience, hence improving the appeal of our website. Watch for these new blogs soon under "The KAOS Blog" menu on our website. ]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-03-23T12:58:41-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e230563cd810f22d6e9a611c895b0499-31.html#unique-entry-id-31http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e230563cd810f22d6e9a611c895b0499-31.html#unique-entry-id-31We've been waiting eagerly for the Performing Artist Martin's to arrive. Yesterday the DCPA-1 finally arrived ahead of schedule thanks to the prolonged warm spell in the weather. Martin has a strict policy about shipping their Standard Series guitars when the temperature is below what they feel is a safe temperature to transport a guitar without damaging it. Not surprisingly to us, the dreadnaught member of this family did not disappoint. Awesome Martin tone, the magic of the Aura pick up system combined with the beauty of its contemporary design make this guitar the most exciting piece that we've received in some time. For anyone in the market for a top end guitar with one of the best performance pick up system available, this guitar is one strong contender. Stop by to have look and strum a few bars. For more information from Martin click here.




]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-03-22T15:24:52-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/4a0c7548a89cfbc8ff3a0d40308baa96-30.html#unique-entry-id-30http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/4a0c7548a89cfbc8ff3a0d40308baa96-30.html#unique-entry-id-30Being one of the industries most progressive companies can't be easy. Godin, the mother company of Godin, Seagull, Art & Lutherie and La Patrie seems to be up to the challenge. Most recently, Norman announced a number of new improvements to their existing models. Among some more minor design changes was the announcement that their very popular ST40 model was about to become an all solid wood guitar. With its new design the ST40 is now an all solid wood guitar for less the $500. Combined with Norman's legendary quality this new all solid specification makes the already popular ST40 just that much more of a great value, not to mention just that much better sounding. The all solid ST40 is now in stock for you to check out in our store.





]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-03-16T14:33:49-04:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f6b36b4b08c0188d4f392ebf1e147ae5-29.html#unique-entry-id-29http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f6b36b4b08c0188d4f392ebf1e147ae5-29.html#unique-entry-id-29Every year at this time Ibanez gives us an opportunity to purchase guitars in a fairly large quantity in return for some favorable terms. As a result, we usually stock up on popular models as well as take the opportunity to expand our Ibanez product offerings. This year we have focused in on the Artcore hollow body guitars. Aside from their stylish good looks the Artcore series is famous for being among the best quality, mid priced hollow body guitars available today. This series comes in a big variety of body sizes, pick up configurations as well as bridge options. We have already started to receive our inventory and expect to receive the entire order in the coming weeks. Drop in to check them out. In the meantime, if you'd like to check out the Ibanez website click here.

]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comCommentary2010-03-09T17:23:05-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b57a13d4059d0f92bd75c06621b5998a-28.html#unique-entry-id-28http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/b57a13d4059d0f92bd75c06621b5998a-28.html#unique-entry-id-28March always signifies the corner where we say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. Moods change, people venture out a lot more and the days are longer just to mention a few of the dramatic changes at this time of the year. As far as music goes, patios open, backyard parties start to happen and music starts to be heard again in the places where people gather. It's not that I would even dream of complaining about this past winter but it is always nice for us here at the store to be able to open the door up and let some fresh air in, literally and figuratively. For us, our year goes like this. August/September are very busy months, selling products and getting our school up and running, a big task given its size. October/November, continue to be busy with the school and we spend lots of time ordering and receiving extra product for the Christmas season. December is a giant blur as we all work a fair bit harder and longer to sell all of the Christmas product. January is a bit of a hangover month for us but by about half way through we are pretty much back to normal. Mid January we get to travel to LA for the Namm show which is always a nice break. January/February are usually pretty busy with sales and a bit of a second wave in student registration. So... By the time we get to March we are totally ready to relax a bit and dig back into what we like best which is promoting and selling gear. September til now this year has pretty much followed that pattern with the exception of the consistency of other years. About 60% of the time we have improved our business over last years recession and the other 40% of the time we have been the same or actually a bit down. All in all we are improving slightly but nonetheless, the inconsistency is driving us a bit nuts to be honest. However, we are improving and that is something that we are truly grateful for. Now, looking forward we are excited about our expanding video library and all of the new products slated to arrive in the next while. We are continuing to explore new ideas to expand and improve our business which if nothing else is fun for a nerdy entrepreneur like me. In our world like many others, March signifies the beginning of many more sunny days ahead. We're looking forward to a great spring and evening greater summer. We hope to see you soon.

]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comCommentary2010-03-02T12:59:47-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/7685ffc6d7e03fbeefe9100bb06797e7-27.html#unique-entry-id-27http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/7685ffc6d7e03fbeefe9100bb06797e7-27.html#unique-entry-id-27Here at KAOS we are always looking for new ways to expand our business. An idea that we are currently working on is a new, guitar centric website that would cater to guitarists of all levels. The site would potentially offer product reviews, a user forum for people to discuss product and music in general, a section of instructional playing videos, a free classified section for people to buy and sell gear as well as shop for band mates and possibly a store that would offer hard to get guitar related products like play a long books, accessories and guitar swag. Before diving in head first, something we often do, we thought we would ask your opinion. If you'd like to contribute to this idea we'd love to hear from you about what you would find useful in a site dedicated to the guitar enthusiast. If you do send us your ideas, we'll enter you to win a $100 KAOS Music Gift card to be drawn next week. Click here to email us your ideas.



]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-02-25T15:44:00-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/db9a2428a4bd1b11dd9f5bd3eb292213-26.html#unique-entry-id-26http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/db9a2428a4bd1b11dd9f5bd3eb292213-26.html#unique-entry-id-26Hot off the press, the February edition of our KAOS Monthly newsletter is up on our website and ready for you to read. A few announcements, a request for customer input and a number of product reviews. Click here to view it online and if you haven't already joined our email list, click here to be notified about our newsletter, special sales and other cool things.







]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2010-02-22T10:47:06-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e45cb551803d5e5c7da2f868a7537c4d-25.html#unique-entry-id-25http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/e45cb551803d5e5c7da2f868a7537c4d-25.html#unique-entry-id-25Another great Gear Review from Bill & Jay. In this review they take a look at the Godin 5th Ave Kingpin. Undoubtably one of the most interesting and popular guitars of the past year.

Click here to watch this video







]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-02-17T15:19:31-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ea3b7f2b2ac1daa2dc6befb6d8ae33c1-24.html#unique-entry-id-24http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ea3b7f2b2ac1daa2dc6befb6d8ae33c1-24.html#unique-entry-id-24Despite going head to head with game one of the men's Olympic hockey, the KAOS Jam enjoyed a decent turn out and some great performances. Ryan and the house band entertained the crowd with a new assortment of tunes including an awesome version of The Ocean featuring who else but Lou on guitar. Performances ranged from some KAOS Jam regulars to a few new people who got up the nerve to plug in and perform for their friends and families. As alway, lots of fun had by all. We haven't scheduled the next jam but it should be sometime in May. To view video from last nights Jam, click here.


]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-02-05T12:11:08-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a934538e38fe0bf79225066fa25c12a1-23.html#unique-entry-id-23http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/a934538e38fe0bf79225066fa25c12a1-23.html#unique-entry-id-23In the next few weeks, a new section will be completed on our website. The VIDEO section will consolidate a number of different types of videos for our customers. The first two series of videos will be: Phil X in a series of highly entertaining videos that he has shot for California based vintage guitar company Frettedamericana. In these videos, Phil shows the guitars off, explains why they're cool and does some amazing playing and singing. Phil is a Toronto Native and great friend of ours here at KAOS. These videos are awesome. The other series will be a new series of product demos by our very own staff. These videos will feature our guys giving you a quick 'live' look at the products that we sell. Both series will start to appear in about two weeks when the site update is complete. Other valuable and entertaining videos will be added as we discover them. We're pretty sure that you will find this new section of our site fun and helpful. Click here to view the Phil X Videos.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2010-02-04T14:53:52-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fab17dfc9fe240e852384cd2bb85463f-22.html#unique-entry-id-22http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/fab17dfc9fe240e852384cd2bb85463f-22.html#unique-entry-id-22Bill and Jay take a look at the newest, low priced, high quality guitar from Martin. In fact, it's not really a new series rather a reissue from a previous series. Either way, the guys walk you through the reasons that we like this series so much.

To watch this video click here.








]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2010-02-04T14:28:55-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/aa2d406169422cfb7859f6024fdfa1d8-21.html#unique-entry-id-21http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/aa2d406169422cfb7859f6024fdfa1d8-21.html#unique-entry-id-21Having just been in Los Angeles for our industries "New Product" show there is a long list of new products slated to be released over the next 6 months. We'll endeavor to keep you up to date about these new products and when they are slated to arrive in our store. Keep an eye on this blog, our newsletters and your email in-box for details as they become available. We just posted some information on the new Martin Performing Artist Series of guitars and some big improvements to the already famous AC series of amps from Vox in our product section. Check them out.





]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2010-01-20T15:24:03-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d5640f864a946ef22ff21c5901853e39-20.html#unique-entry-id-20http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d5640f864a946ef22ff21c5901853e39-20.html#unique-entry-id-20Bill and Lou take an in depth look at the Vox AC 4 combo guitar amplifier. Click here to view this video.









]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comCommentary2010-01-19T10:07:13-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/213c40d6719dd7fe90ac0c230a2160cc-19.html#unique-entry-id-19http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/213c40d6719dd7fe90ac0c230a2160cc-19.html#unique-entry-id-19Hi everyone, I just got back from the NAMM show in Anaheim, California and I have tons to report. This years show was not only fun it was very educational for business guys like me. There were lots of new and interesting products. By the end of this week I will have the January Newsletter ready which will be full of pictures and information about my trip. Watch for it and make sure you are signed up for our emails so you receive the notification. Click here to read about it.




]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comCommentary2010-01-12T09:59:34-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/712027fc3448ec1ad866e8d618678239-18.html#unique-entry-id-18http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/712027fc3448ec1ad866e8d618678239-18.html#unique-entry-id-18This past Sunday, we hosted the first 'Music in the Kingsway' concert in partnership with Yamaha Canada and our friends at The Kingsway Conservatory. All of the performances were simply outstanding but our headliner, Heather Bambrick stole the show with her unique sense of humor and absolutely stellar vocals. As a special treat, Heather had Dave Restevo with her. Dave is undoubtable one of Canada's greatest Jazz pianist. All of the performances were carried out on the Yamaha Avand Grand Hybrid digital grand which performed brilliantly. With almost 200 people in attendance, the show was a full out success. We'd like to thank all in attendance and everyone involved with this production. We certainly hope to do more of these concerts in the future. Read more about this concert.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2010-01-07T13:49:35-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d8050607fb8b6aa6c96e2d0816da3e03-17.html#unique-entry-id-17http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/d8050607fb8b6aa6c96e2d0816da3e03-17.html#unique-entry-id-17In the past year or so, lots of modeling guitar amps have been introduced. Despite lots of fancy features and a barrage of marketing, Roland's Cube series amps have continued to be perhaps the best sounding and most reliable. Bill and Lou take a closer look at the newest incarnation, The Cube 80x. Enjoy another edition of the KAOS Gear Review. Click here to view video.




]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comCommentary2010-01-05T14:27:30-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8cdff8b8683e688a843ea703a81c8bc4-16.html#unique-entry-id-16http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8cdff8b8683e688a843ea703a81c8bc4-16.html#unique-entry-id-16Yup, another year has gone by. As with every year since I became a responsible adult with actual responsibilities, it flew by in what seemed like a month or two. Looking back I'd have to say that all in all it was a wonderful year. Despite a world wide recession, our store was able to maintain our school business and only experience a slight decline in our instrument business. Everyone here at KAOS was healthy, happy and relatively prosperous as far as I know. From September 09 until now we have returned to our post recession sales numbers and our school is as healthy as ever. For all of this we are extremely thankful and happy. Coming up for us we have a couple of cool things happening. Firstly, this Sunday January 10th we will be holding our first ever 'Music in the Kingsway' concert which should not only be entertaining but also educational as it features the new Yamaha Avant Grand hybrid digital grand piano. Also, the following week I (Bill) will be traveling to sunny LA to take in the annual NAMM show which highlights all of the new instruments that are slated to be released in the upcoming year. When I get back I will get straight to work on a post NAMM trip newsletter to let everyone in on what I saw and got to experience.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2009-12-29T20:52:04-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8eaa36c722097698b6569ac8f8e9f192-15.html#unique-entry-id-15http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/8eaa36c722097698b6569ac8f8e9f192-15.html#unique-entry-id-15On Sunday January 10th, we are pleased to be offering our community a FREE concert to celebrate some of our communities unique talent, a brand new and very innovative hybrid digital grand piano by Yamaha and most importantly our appreciation for many years of support by the good people of our neighborhood. The concert will be approx. 60 minutes in length and feature three separate performances. A chamber group, a solo piano performance and a jazz vocal performance will round out the entertainment. Attendees will be welcome to stick around after the performance to take a closer look at the piano and speak with representatives from Yamaha Canada. We are very excited about this event and hope to host more like it in the future. For more information and to request tickets, click here.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2009-12-18T15:16:29-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/05c341e35081b2d824cdd0f117684516-14.html#unique-entry-id-14http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/05c341e35081b2d824cdd0f117684516-14.html#unique-entry-id-14On this episode of the Gear Review, Kaos veterans Bill and Lou look at the G & L Asat Classic Blues Boy Semi Hollow. This is by far one of the most popular guitars that we sell. Lou details why this guitar is such a nice instrument to play.

Click here to watch this podcast.]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2009-12-17T15:11:50-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ae02f3367d8ac8597c36667cd62421c8-13.html#unique-entry-id-13http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/ae02f3367d8ac8597c36667cd62421c8-13.html#unique-entry-id-13One of the coolest products that we sell. The JamVox is so much more then a amp modeling computer interface. Kaos expert Jay Stradiotto walks you through why this little and very inexpensive box is so useful to almost any guitar player, young, old, new or experienced. Check out a more detailed video about the Jam Vox - click here

To watch this podcast click here.


]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2009-12-15T15:00:53-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f64a1dc4bca2a16a8fc683be98369822-12.html#unique-entry-id-12http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/f64a1dc4bca2a16a8fc683be98369822-12.html#unique-entry-id-12One of Martin’s least expensive guitars it still outperforms and sounds superior to most. The DX1R is one of our most favorite acoustics for sound and feel. Truly outstanding Martin quality at a very affordable price. Jay and Bill walk you through this wonderful value. For more information please - click here.

To watch this podcast - Click here.


]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2009-12-16T14:07:23-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9e3b41d50160dc2f96f1a94db2186d6a-11.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/9e3b41d50160dc2f96f1a94db2186d6a-11.html#unique-entry-id-11One of our favorite guitars lines is the Nash Relic series. This Gear Review looks at one of our most popular models, the T52 based on a 1950’s Telecaster. Kaos product guys Bill and Jay take a closer look at this model. For more detailed information about Nash guitars, visit their website at www.nashguitars.com

Click here to watch this podcast


]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2009-12-17T13:44:20-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/297b62d4c954a5c96d9cf4c8991da419-10.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/297b62d4c954a5c96d9cf4c8991da419-10.html#unique-entry-id-10No doubt one of the most checked out and purchased amps of 2009, the Vox Night Train is awesome. Bill and Lou walk you through its features and explain why it’s so cool. For more information about this amp, check out the Vox website at www.voxamps.com

Click here to view the podcast




]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comProduct Review2009-12-18T15:44:02-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/97c12b975fdcebc997e0cb13fc1c0c10-9.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/97c12b975fdcebc997e0cb13fc1c0c10-9.html#unique-entry-id-9There has been a lot of hype and buzz about this new guitar by Godin. The progression represents Godin’s first relatively inexpensive, production guitar in a strat type format. You’ll see from this podcast that we are pretty excited about it and for good reason, it’s pretty awesome. www.godinguitars.com

Click here to view the Podcast


]]>info@kaosmusiccentre.comAnnouncement2009-12-18T20:38:11-05:00http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/65a764eadc0c0e4ce9c83a483b962a91-8.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.kaosmusiccentre.com/billsblog_files/65a764eadc0c0e4ce9c83a483b962a91-8.html#unique-entry-id-8As you have already noticed, our website has been completely revamped. There were a few different goals that we hoped to achieve with this overhaul. Firstly, we wanted to make our site look better, more consistent and more professional. Secondly, we wanted to make it even easier to navigate then the previous version and lastly, I (Bill) wanted to make it easier to maintain. The previous site was based on the iWeb platform that while extremely easy to use, had some serious limitations that was making the upkeep of the site very tedious.

This new site combines the Blog and the Podcast of the previous site into this single Blog. Here you will find all of our blog entries and our Gear Review Podcasts. As well, our used and new product pages have been significantly improved with better photos and categories to make finding stuff easier. More improvements will come as we go after we finish porting all of the content from the old site into this one.

Hopefully, you will enjoy this newly improved site and will continue to visit. Thank you as always for all of your support. Feel free to contact me directly at any time with your questions or comments, billkaos@rogers.com.


]]>