How to Become a Singer in Dubai

By Andrea Leigh  |   Submitted On January 12, 2016

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How to become a singer in Dubai Guide
Dubai is a fantastic location in the Middle East, rich with prosperity and opportunity for new and existing businesses to thrive. Dubai is also a prime location for entertainers and singers to perform and succeed in a full time career in the art to which they love.
But what does it take to become a singer in Dubai and what should you know as an entertainer seeking to break out into the Dubai entertainment industry?
As a professional singer and performer in Dubai, I have put together what I have discovered and learnt throughout my journey and experienced whilst entertaining in the UAE.
Before we start, I would like to point out that I am not just a nobody. I have been a professional singer and entertainer worldwide who has finally settled down in the beautiful city of Dubai. Dubai has some of the most fantastic restaurants, beaches and most importantly entertainment.
Awash with restaurants, hotels, nightclubs and entertainment venues there has never been such a great location for entertainers, bands and singers to achieve they're full potential.
To ensure that you have the best chance of success in the UAE with your singing career then follow these simple steps below:
Create a promotional CD
All entertainment venues and agencies will want to hear your voice before they book you. Creating a CD of 5 to 10 tracks will be enough for them to make an educated decision before signing you up.
Dubai has numerous recording studios located inside and surrounding the city in places such as Deira, Downtown and Abu Dhabi.
Make sure that you have a broad selection of various genres so that you are open to more opportunities and venues.
Get professional photographs
There is nothing worse than being empty handed when an agency or venue requests some professional photographs.
Hire a photographer to take a selection of pictures in hi-resolution to be used in any promotion, web sites and social media.
Get on social media
It is important that you start creating a following as soon as possible. Create fan pages on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter where people can find you and watch any of your live performances. Allow your fans to share and comment to get maximum outreach.
Be sure to reply to comments and announce any future performance dates. Remember that venues need to be filled to ensure that you keep singing there!
Print some business cards
Another highly embarrassing and unprofessional occasion is when a potential client or venue asks for your business card and you don't have any to hand them.
You will find that business cards are still extremely popular in the UAE. This maybe due to the multicultural population of Dubai and the UAE. A good company that offers affordable business card printing are DESCO.
Having a professional and attractive business card is the quickest way to get your contact details into the right hands and generate some business.
Be sure to have the following information printed on the business cards:
· Make it clear what you are offering
· Your Name
· Contact Numbers
· Email Address
· Website Address
Build a website
I have been asked by countless agencies if I had a website which they can use to direct their clients to. Having an online portfolio is fast becoming the future for many entertainers.
Your website should look professional in it's appearance, be easy to navigate and locate information, have your tracks embedded or linked to and have professional images.
Including any video on your website of live performances is also a powerful advertising tool.
Visit venues
Get dressed up and put your best shoes on! Time to get out there and start visiting venues to drum up some business.
Simply visiting restaurants, bars, golf clubs and nightclubs is a great start. Ask to meet with the entertainment manager at each venue.
It's always wise to call the venue prior to visiting to ensure that the person you need to speak to are present when you plan to visit them.
Register with an agency or entertainment company
This really goes without saying but it is surprising that when I meet other singers who are just starting out, they tell me they have yet to do this.
The benefits of registering with an entertainment agency in Dubai, is that they can find additional work for you in the region. Some of the work maybe one-off and temporary yet it still creates revenue for you. More to the point that you can make more money from one-off gigs than a regular residency gig. (crazy right?)
Network
Networking in any business venture has always been critical to success. In the entertainment industry of the UAE it is no different. It is very much who you know rather than what you know and I have witnessed some extremely bad entertainers and singers in Dubai making more money than good singers and this is the reason.
Go to open mic nights and networking events for singers and bands in Dubai. These are great places to get your name on the scene and team up with other musicians who share the same passion for music as you.
Sing with a band in Dubai
Some will say that there is nothing better than hearing a live band in Dubai and an exceptional singer together. And I would agree with this. Great bands have serious earning potential in the UAE cities.
To find a band or other musicians can be fairly easy. Add an advertisement at the local supermarkets community board or paying a visit to open mic nights and networking with band members or bands is the way forward.
How much does a professional singer in Dubai earn?
The sky is the limit. Typically a new singer to the Dubai scene can expect 1,500 to 2,000 Dhs per gig however this can jump up depending how good and in demand he or she is.
As always larger venues tend to pay more than smaller venues. Hotels and iconic located venues will be willing to pay more depending on the quality of the performance.
I really hope that the information that I have put together in this guide will help provide you with the right tools to become a successful singer in Dubai. If you would like anymore information on myself then please visit my website below and remember that the voice comes first.

Andrea Leigh is a professional singer in Dubai who has performed worldwide. She continues to perform within the UAE and is highly regarded as one of the best singers in Dubai. For more information on Andrea and her performances then please visit my website http://www.theandrealeigh.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Andrea_Leigh/2237955

8 Tips on How to Make Vocals in Music Recordings Sound Professional

By Matt W  |   Submitted On January 12, 2016

First things first
Every voice is different. Settings that help the voice of the top-selling artist to be at the top of the charts, might do nothing to help your voice. In fact, such settings might even harm it. Keep that in mind as you read advices regarding frequency numbers, etc.
Your voice is unique. And what is unique, has to be treated as such. That's why opinions about microphones vary so much. I will say this though - the better the vocal recordings, the easier it is to mix them properly.
1. Equipment
Let's say you take a picture of a sunset over Paris with an old, two megapixel camera. It's going to be a great picture nonetheless. But if you try to make a poster out of it, you'll end up with a blurry, pixelated mess. What the pixels and camera quality are to your eyes, bits and studio equipment are to your ears.
Expensive, high end studio equipment can indeed give you a sense of what makes it expensive, or to put it correctly, what makes it different. Using it is a good way to train your ears. But never suppose that quality lies in the price, because like I said, every voice is unique and just because something is expensive doesn't mean it makes your voice sound better. With that said, if you ever have the chance to record with different studio equipment, different mics, different workstations etc., please do so! It will give you the opportunity to consider the best arrangement for your voice.
2. Environment
Keep recording sessions dry. You can add every reverb, and every room ambience you can think of with just a few clicks, but it is almost impossible to remove recorded room ambience from your signal. So, do everything possible to keep your room dry. If you have a booth, you are probably in a good situation. If you don't have one, try to build one (it's easier than you think-just Google "vocal booth selfmade" to get some inspiration). If you don't have time or the money for it (you don't need a lot), at least try to separate your recording area from the rest of your room in some way.
3. Panning and Track Numbers
Everybody has a different approach to panning and the number of vocal tracks that are necessary. I'll just tell you my opinion.
The lead vocals for verses are usually placed in the center. If you want to give your listener a certain intimacy, it's always better to use only one vocal track. It just keeps your mix clear and it makes the listening experience better. I'm not a fan of doubling the entire verse. With all the subtle differences between the two takes - including the consonants that never get matched up perfectly - it just makes your vocals sound messy. If you want a clear lead vocal, only use one track.
The next thing I would do is record two tracks in which you double certain parts of the verse. Pan them both in opposite directions (15 to 40), and reduce their volume. You have to hear a difference between the doubled part and the part without doubles, but don't make it that obvious. Just so that it gives your vocals and the meaning of what is being said in certain parts more power. Doubling is quite common in all kinds of music, especially in rap music. If you are singing, rather than rapping, be careful when doubling because it can make your vocals sound too artificial and too pop-ish. On the other hand, if you are going for that pop sound, doubling might be a great tool for you!
In the chorus, you can record two vocal tracks and pan them between 30 to 60 - one to the left, one to the right. Another option would be to record a third track, which is placed in the center, but not as loud as the lead vocals in your verses.
Some people record one lead track and double it (copy and paste it) and edit them differently (EQ, compressor, pitch, etc.) This can be another great tool to make your vocals sound different in certain parts of the song, just like the panning advices I mentioned above. Try it out and see how you like it.
4. Equalizing Vocals
At first, add a low cut filter on every vocal track. It's quite common to raise the frequencies from 2 kHz and up for female vocals, and 3 kHz and up for male vocals. Frequencies between 6 and 8 kHz are very sensitive because this is the place where the S sounds are at home. Be careful here. What sounds good and clear on your studio monitors, might feel like needle-sticks to your ear when listening with earphones. Always double- and triple-check your mix on different playback devices like monitors, headphones, earphones, etc.
If the S is too sharp, reduce it. You can either add a native de-esser in your DAW by applying a dynamic equalizer, or by manually reducing every S in your vocal recording. The latter is the most time-consuming, but gives you the most control. Keep in mind that equalizers and de-essers don't recognize consonants, they recognize frequencies. And some consonants might share the same frequencies as the S. So only apply native de-essers with caution.
5. Reverb
When adding reverb, keep in mind that the lead vocals should usually be just that - leading. So, adding too much reverb is disadvantageous. Only use small room reverbs. You shouldn't even recognize the reverb, except when it's gone. It also depends on the instrumental. If there's a lot going on in your instrumental already, a big reverb would probably be too much for the song. Yet if your instrumental has much room/space, reverb on vocals can be very effective.
6. Breathing Sounds
Of course, your vocal recordings will include breathing sounds. Whether the presence of such breathing sounds should be strong or weak is a question of personal taste. In my opinion, they are extremely important. That doesn't mean they should be extremely loud though. It means you should edit them separately and with great care.
If a breath is too loud, then reduce its volume. If it is too long, then replace it with a good breath from the same take or from another one. If a breath makes a certain part feel too hectic, then remove it. If it feels like a breath is missing, add one.
These adjustments can improve the flow of your recordings and make your individual takes feel more cohesive. They can also be used as a kind of glue to stick two consecutive takes together to make them feel like they were recorded at once!
But: Don't double them, and don't cut them. Always fade in and fade out.
7. Consonants
If you have recorded one lead vocal track and two doubling tracks for a phrase such as, "I'm looking at the mist," you mind encounter a rattling noise at the end, because the three T's of "mist" will not appear at the exact same time. You can either move them closer together, so the rattling sound disappears, or you can remove two of them. Fade out the tracks you removed the consonant from to avoid unwanted cutting sounds.
8. Breaks
Many people avoid breaks because they want to finish their project or they don't believe breaks are necessary. But human senses get accustomed to both good and bad stimulations. You might not recognize something in a room, if you just came in from the sun, but once your eyes adjust, you will notice all sort of things you had missed. When you enter a restaurant, you might perceive good smells, but after you have been sitting at your table for a while, your perception of those smells vanishes. The same thing happens with your ears. If you have been mixing vocals for a couple of hours, you might think they sound good and clear, but the next day, you might just feel ashamed at how muddy they sound.
Take short breaks, if that is all the time you can afford. Taking longer breaks - in which you change your environment - is better. And before you perform your final mix, set your project aside for a couple of days. It'll give you fresh ears when you resume. At least try it once. Afterward, I think you'll be pleased that you didn't release your music without a two-day break.
That's it for now. Try to apply some of this the information and see how it fits. Consider these advices and numbers as a point of reference, but always let your ears decide! Experiment, have fun, and do what YOU like!

Visit http://www.skillymusic.com for professional beats, soundtracks and trailer music, as well as mixing and mastering services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Matt_W/2224246

Review of Singorama - An Online Singing Course

By Karlee Sun  |   Submitted On January 12, 2016

Welcome to my honest and frank review about the online singing course called "Singorama"
If you are like me, you will enjoy singing and find that it brings you much joy and happiness. From a young age, I have always loved to sing. Usually, that would involve me joining singing groups like the choir in school. I not only liked to sing in groups but I liked to sing on my own too. But because I was a shy girl, I didn't have much experience singing by myself in public. Over the years, I dreamt that I could sing more confidently and show off my skills in public. But I also knew that I would have to have someone to guide me to improve my singing.
Recently, I considered taking singing lessons from a vocal coach. But I thought that there must be a cheaper option as the rate of a singing lesson per hour was quite steep. And at that time, I didn't want to fork out so much money on a vocal coach. So exasperated as I was, what did I do? I went and checked out the internet to see if there were any online singing courses that were affordable and that had a good reputation.
I found a few courses that I liked. And in this article, I will tell you about a great course called "Singorama." Here in this review, I will outline what you get when you pay for the course.
In the course, there are 28 audio lessons that you can download onto your PC. These lessons teach you the correct way to sing. It is divided into sections and each section deals with a different aspect of singing.
There are bonus warm up lessons that teach you how to practice your singing so that you can improve upon it. You will be taught how to increase your range and how to strengthen your vocal chords so that you can sing confidently.
One big proposition that the course makes is that you can learn how to sing properly and use your vocal chords properly to enable you to be singing much better after one week of practising warm ups. These warm ups take just 15 minutes per day. So you will get to see results after just one week! These fast results make this course very attractive.
You are also presented with three unique songs which were made officially for the course. This is handy as you will be learning how to sing a song from scratch.
Also included in the course are software that can help you on your singing journey. This includes a recording software that makes you feel that you have a recording studio in the privacy of your own home.
The best thing about this course though is the price. At the time of writing, the course cost just under $100 USD. That is an extremely affordable price. And the beauty about learning to sing online is that you when you pay for the course, you will be able to have lifetime access, meaning that you can always replay the audio lessons as many times as you like until you have mastered the singing technique.
This course also has a great reputation. In the past decade, Singorama has enabled hundreds of people to learn to sing properly and train their voice to sound like a professional. The lessons that you download in the course will help you achieve your vocal dream.

Karlee Sun loves music, particularly singing. Her favourite past time is to sing. Please feel free to visit her site at http://www.singtomusic.com where you will be able to download a FREE e-book that can help you become a better singer in just 90 days.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Karlee_Sun/2035609

The Best Looking Guitar Cases

By Alex Cawley  |   Submitted On January 17, 2016

As you read this I would like you to think of your guitar case. Is it a bland solid color with nothing special? If you said yes to this you are like almost every other guitar player there is. If you want to be different you can start by getting an exciting case. What you keep your guitar in can say a lot about the player.
The options that I am going to be talking about are what to be considered hybrid meaning they are meant for all different types of electric guitars. These can be very useful in all sorts of situations especially if you are a part of a band and you have an assortment of songs where some might require different guitars that you prefer to play for each song or maybe even if you are in a band that uses different tunings between songs. If you buy a few of these cases for your separate guitars, you can then keep your guitars tuned the same way at all times and switch guitars between sets instead of having to tune them to the new settings.
So which hybrid are we talking about here anyway? Well the Phitz hybrid case is my favorite of them all. It is a hard shell with the ability to protect stratocaster, telecaster, and supercaster body styles so if you have a guitar like one from the Ibanez RG series or a Fender Stratocaster the Phitz Hybrid Hard Case will work for you. This case also features very nice compartments on the inside where you can keep an assortment of things such as picks, tuners, straps, or even extra tablature paper. The material that this case is made out of is also very nice and durable, leaving your guitars in a super safe state no matter where you keep the case. You can throw it in the back of your tour van, on the floor of your room, or even toss it in the attic and you can guarantee that your guitar will be safe. The Phitz Hybrid Guitar case also comes in very cool and unique patterns really allowing you to stand out. So not only is it functional but it looks really really good at the same time.
If you have more than one guitar that you play consistently at a time, I would highly recommend you give any Phitz Hybrid case a chance as it is a great all around case and will allow you to look amazing while jamming out.

Visit Top Guitar for more info on Guitar Cases!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alex_Cawley/2235446

The Right Guitar Tuner For You

By Alex Cawley  |   Submitted On January 17, 2016

There are so many different guitar tuners out there that it can be hard at times to know which one you should choose. We have all been there when you need a new tuner so you start doing some research on the best guitar tuners and you end up with pages upon pages of results. It may all seem intimidating at first but am going to give you a few of my favorite all time best guitar tuners. Hopefully using this list you can find one that you really like.
My all time favorite has to be the Korg GA-40, I have had this tuner since I first started playing guitar almost 13 years ago. I still have the same exact one and it has yet to die on me. I can not think of anything else that is as reliable as the Korg. Not only is it reliable but the quality of the tuning is almost perfect. The Korg GA-20 even allows for drop tuning which I highly appreciate because I enjoy playing the heavier metal and rock songs. If you can not decide on as guitar tuner, the Korg GA-20 is no doubt one of your best options.
The second tuner on my list is the KLIQ UberTuner. The KLIQ UberTuner may not be anything too special but the display is just beautiful. You can see it in all light conditions whether you are in a dimly lit room, a dark stage, or even in the bright outdoors. Nothing fancy, just a simple thing that works.
The last one that I am going to suggest you give a chance is the BOSS TU-3. Unlike the last two tuners, the TU-3 is a pedal which means you can easily leave tuner this plugged in at all times. If you are in the middle of a jam session you can just easily turn it on, and tune up. My only complaint about the TU-3 is its display. It can be a little hard to read at times but it should not be too much of an issue once you get used to it. Over all the TU-3 is a very solid pedal.
When it comes down to your final choice it is purely personal preference though. If you have had a clip on before maybe try out the pedal or the normal electric version. Try things out and find out what you like best.

If you would like to learn more about Guitar Tuners and all other things guitar related, head to Top Guitar

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Alex_Cawley/2235446