Using uncompressed drum samples can be very unappealing to new music producers and beat makers, but anybody who has a real love for audio and an unbridled admiration of music and sounds that are true to their source will venture into the compression-less world sooner or later. Compression is basically the process of increasing the volume of the quiet parts of a song, piece of music or drum sound. It has been around since at least the 60s, possibly earlier.

Compression on drum samples can come into your workflow at two stages. The first is the drum sample selection process. This is where you’ll find the samples that were appropriately compressed by the library manufacturer, and hopefully not overly compressed. If you’re finding that a lot of your samples are ‘banging’ and very loud before even coming into your song, you’re probably dealing with samples that have had all the life sucked out of them already.

The second point at which compression will play apart is the final mixing process. This is where you would electively apply some compression using software or hardware audio compressors on drum samples or slight applications to soft instruments like the piano. The main creative difference here is that you are not subject to the over-compression used by many sound editors. Your decisions from here are truly coming from you.

Nearly every song that plays on the pop radio stations has a great drum pattern, with all drum samples cutting through the mix. This is very important as a lot of car radios still have speakers that aren’t so great at getting all the frequencies across, so a good mix is essential. While over-compression has had a lot of ’stick’ in the audiophile community, creative uses are not scarce. You just need to look to dance music and analyze the ‘ducking effecting to see how popular some creative compression can become in a genre.

If any of the sounds you pick are necessary but overly compressed nonetheless, there are ways of adding some color back onto the canvas, and one of the first steps you could look at is editing the actual wav sample. You should be able to see the spike at the start of the sample if it does not encompass all of it. Then lower the volume of that section but allow it to blend in. What you may want to do is mix this with a similar, uncompressed sample and set the latter to about 30% mix. This will give the sample some extra crispness, and while some of the same frequencies will be boosted, the overall effect will be much more natural.

A popular compression process that many Rock n Roll and Hip Hop producers are huge advocates of is the NY Compression technique. At its most basic level, it’s simply taking the same sample, one version of which has been compressed to the maximum amount and mixing it with itself. So you have a drum sample that is very punchy and cutting, while it still shows signs of the original variance.

If you want to make rap beats, good on you! It can be easy for some, hard for others. An important step when making rap beats is learning rhythm, so if you have that, you’re one step ahead of the pack.

It’s amazingly been 3 whole years since I bought my Xbox 360, and I thought I’d give a quick rundown about the best games I’ve ever owned. I have a slight partiality toward sports games, so there may be a bit of a bias here. Don’t hold it against me. Nonetheless, this is about my favorites, so whatever I say goes!

5- Tiger Woods golf. I’ve always been a huge fan of this series, dating back to my high school days when the game had first come out on the Playstation system. This is as real as it gets as far as golf games go, and amazingly, the game seems to improve each time they release a new version. I love it.

4- John Madden football. I don’t even know which year to choose, I love this game so much, but if we’re talking about the Xbox 360, we have to go with the most recent one, Madden 2010. This is an exceptional football game, and after getting it wrong during the first release for the 360, the Madden series has returned to its former glory.

3. Fight Night Round 3. A classic boxing game that came out right after the launch of the Xbox 360 console. Somehow, it still feels just as new and relevant today. How many games can you say that about four years later? Enough said.

2. Call of Duty 4. The very definition of online play was changed with this game, and it was all for the better. Multi-player gaming was never as fun as it was once this game came out, and I still can’t think of a game I’d rather play online.

1. Rock Band. This one may bug some pure “gamers”, but the most fun I’ve ever had on an Xbox 360 has come from playing Rock Band, hands down. Did I mention I’m a music lover too?

Learn how to fix the RROD at my xbox 360 repairs blog.

Shoes are a big part of athletic competitions, with major shoe companies shelling out millions each year to athletes who sport their brand. This goes on not only in national sports, but international sports at the Olympic games. Knowing which pair of shoes to buy, as a result, can be a tough decision.

Puma has a lot of experience in creating shoes for running sports- such as track. Even still, Puma caters to many sports such as motor sports, sailing, football, golf, and others. A company that can make shoes in many departments is usually the best choice, since they are able to adapt their designs to fit the latest trends and technologies in sports.

Even though Puma shoes are associated with sports, they also have a nice line of fashion shoes that women and men alike will appreciate. With brands such as “The Black Label” and “Mihara,” there is plenty of style to choose from. Formal occasions and everyday wear is popular among the Puma line of shoes, meaning you can have a shoe for every conceivable occasion.

If you have a part in motor sports, you are probably already familiar with Puma and their Speed Cat brand of shoes. These shoes are used among those who engage in motor sport activities specifically, but also have a consumer following for their suave sense of design. The Speed Cat in particular is highly resistant to oils and certain stains, so you will spend less time cleaning your shoes and more time showing them off to friends in great condition.

Girls and guys both have a lot of choice when it comes to Puma shoes. The Puma shoe line is notorious for providing most of their shoes in every color imaginable- even the favorite color of most female teens: pink! This is one reason why the Puma line of shoes has become so trendy. After all, consumers like to have choice- and not just a basic shoe that everyone else is wearing on the streets.

Toddles can get in on the Puma fun if they would like- the company puts out a very nice line for tots. Since they are inexpensive, stylish, and comfortable- these make for great shoes for families on a budget. Most brands will range between $30 and $60, depending on what you would like your toddler to wear in public. Just like adult brands, toddler brands will also be subject to choice in what you want in a shoe.

Closing Comments

Puma will continue to follow their success to the top, as they quickly become more recognized among consumers, and continue to be used by athletes. You may find your next pair of Puma shoes online at different retailers.