Sounds from....The Kitchen?

5-String Banjo Master, Walter Hensley has once again entrusted the studios at National Media Services to revive a classic piece of “Hensley” bluegrass history. Having recently mastered the compilation album, “From the Hills,” a collection of Walter Henley favorites from two previously released albums (Rebel Records and Capitol Records), Walter asked us to revive this session containing rehearsal tracks recorded almost 40 years ago.

Walter was not quite certain what he was sending to us, but he knew that at one time this master reel contained at least part of the rehearsal, recorded on ¼” tape, using a single microphone, in his brother’s (Jim Hensley) kitchen. Jim who engineered the session also served as a member of the group playing the guitar. We were pleasantly surprised to find a well stored tape showing very little signs of wear or corrosion, and thanks to Jim, it was stored tails out. This was instrumental in helping us to revive this 7 track piece of history to its original beauty. I still think he is pulling our leg. It is amazing how incredible this recording sounds, especially considering the configuration. Walt, Are you sure you didn’t have another microphone set up somewhere? It just goes to prove how many times we in our modern day, state of the art facilities can “over think” situations in the studio.

Members of the band were: Frankie Short, mandolin. KO Campbell, electric bass (YES, I said ELECTRIC bass). Walter Hensley, banjo (Nice Hair Walt). Jim Hensley, guitar.
Unfortunately “Sounds from the Kitchen” is not scheduled for release, That’s my name for the session. Walter can’t dream of releasing a rehearsal to the public. This shows what a perfectionist he is. Don’t worry; I’m trying to talk him into including at least one track on a future album.

Walter Hensley is considered by many bluegrass legends, to be one of the greatest instrumentalists in the history of bluegrass music, and it is a fact that he has been instrumental himself within the genre. In 1959, Walter was the first banjo musician to play at Carnegie Hall with Earl Taylor and the Stoney Mountain Boys, and in 1964 he recorded the first solo banjo LP ever produced by a major record label (The 5 String Banjo Today, Capitol Records.)

To hear samples of Walter’s genius playing, or to purchase “From The Hills” a compilation of Walter Hensley masterpieces, mastered by National Media Services, click here.

Or I’m certain that Walter would love to have you drop by and pay him a visit. http://www.myspace.com/walterhensley

We are proud to have Walter as another loyal customer, but we are even more proud to have him as a friend. Walter, it was a pleasure to work with you again, Thank You.

Will Shenk
Chief Engineer, National Media Services, Inc.
613 N. Commerce Ave.
Front Royal, VA 22630
(540) 635-4181

National Media Services in the News

An article published in Americana Ryhthm Magazine's July/August issue.


July/August 2009

Good Or Bad, Music Makes A Lasting Impression
By Greg Tutwiler


Most active groups try to cut a CD about once a year. Often, they like to schedule that to coincide with the holiday season / new year. That way, their playing schedule for the upcoming year can support the new music project. Of course, the band hopes you will enjoy the new music enough that you would consider taking home a copy of their new CD.

How does that whole process work? I’ve been involved in the music industry in some fashion since I was a teenager. And now as a publisher of a music magazine, I’ve always been fascinated with the process of making and distributing music. Things have changed dramatically in the last dozen years, especially in this economic choke hold we find ourselves in.
Maybe you’re a member of one of the many music groups who read this magazine. Possibly, either you’re preparing to record a new project, or putting one together for the first time. Either way, I’m guessing you might be as curious as I, and are interested in
the process.

I invited a good friend of mine, Mark Tobosky, who is a project consultant with National Media Services in Front Royal,VA, to answer some questions for me, and tell me more about their CD replication company. (You can also view the back page of this issue
to see their full page ad all about the services they offer.)

I posed this question to Mark; “I'm in a band – we have a fan base and want to have a CD for sale at our gigs. We have a pretty good recording of the group already, How can you help me?”

“While the advent of digital downloads has been a huge advantage to the independent artist, most still need a product to sell at gigs and through internet retailers. Manufacturing can be a challenging endeavor to the beginner and veteran alike. Questions often arise concerning mastering, graphics, packaging and marketing. We guide clients through the manufacturing process from start to finish.”

Mastering Is The Key
National Media Services offers complete recording and mastering facilities. “If you have a good mix and haven’t mastered your recording you’re selling yourself way short,” Mark said. “Depending on your genre, your recording has to sound as “clean”, “dynamic”, “hot”, “full” and “big” as anything you hear on the radio. Mastering in this definition is referring to
the final step in your musical production before it goes to manufacturing. From project studios to professional facilities, the independent artist to the major record label, mastering is understood as being an essential process in the completion of any
musical production, and is the final step that will make your mixes sound bigger and better. A combination of
the right hardware, software, and most importantly, the trained ear is utilized in this process.”

Design And Presentation
You’ll be helped in the design process by their professional graphic designers as well. You can send pictures, credits and even a stick figure sketch and they’ll bring it to reality, complete with bar code, shrink wrap and ready to put on the shelves and sell at your gig! If you have your own graphics no problem! They can accept them in many formats and have templates for all the
products we manufacture. If you want something other than the traditional plastic jewel box, you’ll find their line of Earth Friendly board packages to your liking. And if you want to do something totally custom, they probably can do it! Most bands want additional promotional materials too. They can also provide all your needs from posters and postcards
to t-shirts and even magnetic signs.

I can't afford 1,000 CDs --can you still help me?
“The statement we’ve heard during our over 30 years in the manufacturing business is this: I don’t need 1000 CD’s. I only need a couple hundred. How many indie artists, bands, filmmakers and small businesses need or can afford to make 1000 pieces? And the big guys doing the manufacturing set their prices up so that it doesn’t pay to get less than 1000,”Mark told me. “And if you need less than 500 pieces, you’re sent to an automated web site and spend hours uploading music files, “trying” to design your
package, only to hit the send button and hope for the best. In fact, in many cases it’ll cost you more to send your master and speak to a human being. If your project needs to be “Retail Ready” you may be disappointed. Many of the short run online services are laser printed inserts and fall far short of the professional “retail ready” look you need in today’s indie market. National Media Services has the latest in digital offset printing technology in house, enabling us to print “better than” offset quality printed products on demand, and in small quantities. We can do as little as 50 pieces. Our “retail ready” packages are complete with bar coding and shrink wrap. Why spend $1000’s when you can spend $100’s and get promotional materials as well? The way I see it, it’s better to get a 150 pieces, posters, bumper stickers and t-shirts, and have enough money left in your pocket to pay for gas to get to your gig.” And most orders will be ready to ship in five business days or less from final approval.

First And Lasting Impressions
“In the independent market, first impressions are everything. Granted, the quality of your product (the music, media content etc.) has to be a given, but it’s what the potential customer sees that makes the biggest impact. How many times have you bought a CD because the cover was cool? From our experience, one of the best things you can do is let a professional graphic artist design your project. Give them the basic information, ideas and imagery to work with and let them do what they do best…be creative!
An unbiased take on your music and image can do wonders. As musicians, we tend to get too close to our own project and that can limit your view from a commercial standpoint. Also, when things tend to go wrong during production, it’s typically due to graphics
not being supplied in the proper format or specs. This can cause delays and cost you money.” “Your music needs to sound as good on a clock radio as it does on a great stereo system. The levels, spacing, continuity and “feel” of your CD has to be consistent with major label releases. Again, as with graphic design, an unbiased set of ears will typically yield results that go far beyond your expectations.”

Compliment your CD with promotional items. T-shirts, stickers and posters are revenue makers you shouldn’t ignore. Being able
to get all these things done at a reasonable price and in small quantities is a huge benefit to the independent artist struggling to
make ends meet during these difficult economic times.

Give Mark a call at National Media Services and let the experienced staff in every department help give you a product you’ll be proud to offer your fans. You can reach Mark at (540) 635-4181 (ext 241) or at www.NationalMediaServices.com.

Barbershop!? I thought it was a recording studio!

Members of the barbershop quartet Four Man Vocal Band, along with their coach, after wrapping a recording session with Will Shenk at National Media Services. Pictured L to R: Randy Lazear, tenor; Dave Cureton, bass; Bob Bates, lead; Larry Walker, baritone; and their coach, Joe Cerutti. Joe is Musical Director of The Alexandria Harmonizers, the chorus of the Alexandria, VA, Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society.

The Harmonizers bill themselves as “the premier a capella show chorus of the DC Metro area,” and have won four international barbershop chorus championships. All members of the quartet have performed with The Harmonizers at venues including Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center Honors and the White House.

Both the quartet and Will found it very helpful to have Joe in the Control Room during the session, coaxing the best out of the foursome.

In its current iteration, Four Man Vocal Band has been together for more than seven years, though the quartet has been active far longer than that. The quartet rehearses in Front Royal because its members live in Fairfax County and Massanutten. They’ve performed at First Night Alexandria and at National Harbor as well as in Winchester, Berryville and Front Royal. Their next local performance is Saturday, September 19th, at Front Royal Presbyterian Church on Luray Ave. To inquire about booking Four Man Vocal Band, contact Larry Walker.

Will Shenk
Chief Engineer, National Media Services, Inc.
613 N. Commerce Ave.
Front Royal, VA 22630
(540) 635-4181

Miracles Do Happen

As the 4th of July holiday approaches, the number of calls from artists and bands needing product for a holiday gig increases tremendously! Here it is the 30th of June and we've fielded at least a dozen calls from people needing product for the 4th of July! Now we're fast, faster then many CD/DVD manufacturers. Most of our products are ready to ship in 5 business days or less from your approval but there are times you may need it faster!

Fortunately for a few, we'll be able to have product for them and there's a couple that dropped of their master today and will have product tomorrow!

I've seen amazing things happen concerning turn time here at National Media Services so if you have what seems to be an impossible situation, give us a call! Since we do everything in house......Miracles DO Happen....

www.myspace.com/nationalmediaservices

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=613895820&ref=profile

It's Time to Promote Your Business!

This appeared on my desk this week... It's been around for awhile, but ever so true...

There once was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs. In fact, he sold very good hot dogs. He put up highway signs telling people how good his hot dogs tasted. He stood by the side of the road and called out, "Buy a hot dog, mister?" And people bought his hot dogs. They bought so many hot dogs the man increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove so he could meet his customers demands.

And Finally, he brought his son home from college to help out in the family business. But something happened. His son said, "Father, don’t you watch television or read the newspapers? Don’t you know we’re heading for a recession? The Middle East situation is unstable and the domestic economy is getting worse. And the father thought, "My son’s a smart boy. He’s been to college. He ought to know what he’s talking about." So the man cut down his meat and bun orders, took down his highway signs, and no longer stood by the side of the road to sell his hot dogs. His sales fell almost overnight. "You’re right, son," said the father. We certainly are in a serious recession."

Marketing Moral: If you stop selling your customers today, they may stop buying from you tomorrow!

An effective and economical way to start promoting is using full-color postcards. They work -- call me (Mike McCool 540-635-4181 ext 246)and let's discuss how National Media Services can help you promote your business.

Audio Books - 5 Unheard of Uses

Five Reasons to Listen to Audio Books You May Never Have Thought Of

The typical hardcover or paperback book is not going anywhere. The format shows no signs of ever dying off, even after considering the many technological advances made in recent years. It would, however, be foolish to deny the obvious and not so obvious benefits of listening to audio books. Here are some ways audio books could be put to use:

1. Do you like reading poetry? Then experience it in the way it was meant to be experienced: with your ears! Back in the good old days, it was not uncommon for poets to recite their works before a swooning audience. The great Irish poet and playwright, W.B. Yeats, was said to have written poetry in such a manner that, when vocalized, it would have a certain effect on the ears of its hearers. If you like the writings of T.S. Eliot, there is actually available a recording, on compact disc, of Mr. Eliot himself reading his own poetry. It’s obviously a fascinating investment for fans of Eliot. It’s only one in a series called The Voice of the Poet.

2. Fight road rage while listening to audio books—seriously. Statistics show that violent crime resulting from what is commonly known as “road rage” has increased tremendously over the past couple of years. If you happen to be one of those individuals with a bit of a mean-streak when behind the wheel, then don’t take to the boulevard without Waitley’s Optimal Stress Reduction in your passenger seat—or simply check out a few of the innumerable audio book titles available from an audio book rental club or in your local book store in the self-help section

3. Revisit the “Golden Age of Radio”. It is now possible to find a vast array of classic radio dramas on compact disc. Fans of The Shadow radio program have known this, and are undoubtedly pleased. Also, if you happen to like The Twilight Zone television series, then try to get your hands on a copy of The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas—Lou Diamond Phillips and Adam West are among the talent contributing to these programs.

4. Struggling in child-rearing? Audio books just might be part of the solution. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is a hit with the kids (just as every other Harry Potter book has been); and an obvious choice might be an audio book from the Lord of the Rings series—these classic Tolkien works are available in abridged and unabridged editions.

5. Learn another language… in your sleep. When you fall asleep your brain doesn’t just turn off. On the contrary, research has shown that the sleeping brain does receive, process and perhaps even store information. So why not use your good nights sleep effectively by listening to one of the many foreign language audio books. And while this technique may not be the only means of mastering a second or third language, it will make things a little bit easier.

If these uses don’t seem practical to you, they might put you in the mindset to think of your own ways to utilize audio books. And although some may say that listening to audio books is no substitute for reading, the growing popularity of audio book rental services such as Jiggerbug.com may eradicate paper books completely or at least come close!

Want your own audio book? We can help. National Media Services can help you from recording, production, artwork & manufacturing... all done in-house. Ready to convert an older audio cassette program to CD? Repackaging some of your older program will breath new life into them and start making the income once again. Let us help you.

Full-Color T-Shirt Printing

One color? No more. Don't settle on just one color when now you can have all the colors. Full-color sells and so will your shirts.

Don't pass up the opportunity to be selling T-shirts at your events. When people love you, they want more of you to take home with them, so give them full-color T-shirts.

Now with our new full-color, direct to garment printer, you can can have short-run T-shirts for about the same costs of 1-color shirts. Here's the sweet spot -- they can full fully customized -- everyone can be different, if that's what you want. Try different designs and colors to see what sells the best. No more inventory setting in the garage or basement that won't sell. Now ask your screen printer to do that!

Direct to the shirt - No transfer or decals!

Check it out!