Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

19 hours ago

Plugin Alliance Product Updates Major changes made, free for everyone

Plugin Alliance Product Updates sonicstate.com/news/2026/04/10/major-pl... #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

1 day ago

Freak of the Week! – Sounds and Presets Arturia’s line of ‘Freak’ synthesizers gets a lot of love, and rightly so. This week, we have a bank for each version, one of them free, along with …

Freak of the Week! – Sounds and Presets #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

1 day ago

Plugin Alliance Product Updates US Major changes made, free for everyone 10/04/26 Plugin Alliance have announced a free update for everyone - with what they call the first major …

Plugin Alliance Product Updates #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

1 day ago

Freak of the Week! - Sounds and Presets - gearnews.com Arturia's line of 'Freak' synthesizers gets a lot of love, and rightly so. This week, we have a bank for each version, one of them free, along with patches for Moog's Subsequent 37 and the Waldorf Iridium.

Freak of the Week! – Sounds and Presets www.gearnews.com/freak-of-the-week-sounds... #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

2 days ago

Your brain might understand music theory better than you think, regardless of formal training […]

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 days ago

Your brain might understand music theory better than you think, regardless of formal training A recent study published in Psychological Science provides evidence that people naturally absorb the underlying rules of music just by listening to it …

Your brain might understand music theory better than you think, regardless of formal training #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

5 days ago

Why Do Social Media and Streaming Make It So Hard for Artists in 2026 ourmindonmusic.wordpress.com/2026/04/04/why-do-social... […]

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

6 days ago

Why Do Social Media and Streaming Make It So Hard for Artists in 2026 A recent post by indie country rock artist, Michael Wayne Dill, in the Our Mind on Music FACEBOOK group, prompted a lively discussion which inspired me …

Why Do Social Media and Streaming Make It So Hard for Artists in 2026 #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

6 days ago

Dusk Audio releases Chord Analyzer, a FREE real-time chord detection plugin Dusk Audio has released Chord Analyzer, a free MIDI chord detection and music theory analysis plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux. We’ve covered a …

Dusk Audio releases Chord Analyzer, a FREE real-time chord detection plugin #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

1 week ago

Dusk Audio releases Chord Analyzer, a FREE real-time chord detection plugin Dusk Audio has released Chord Analyzer, a free MIDI chord detection and music theory analysis plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux. We’ve covered a few Dusk Audio releases recently, including DuskVerb and the 4K EQ, MultiComp, and Tape Machine trio. Chord Analyzer is a different kind of tool. Instead of processing audio, it reads incoming

Dusk Audio releases Chord Analyzer, a FREE real-time chord detection plugin bedroomproducersblog.com/2026/04/02/dusk-audio-ch... #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

1 week ago

Best Service releases Eduardo Tarilonte's Desert Winds and Ancient ERA Persia for Engine Player […]

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

1 week ago

Best Service releases Eduardo Tarilonte's Desert Winds and Ancient ERA Persia for Engine Player #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

1 week ago

"The point when I want to top myself is usually a good indicator that the track is finished": 12 artists on how they beat writer's block and actually finish songs […]

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

1 week ago

"The point when I want to top myself is usually a good indicator that the track is finished": 12 artists on how they beat writer's block and actually finish songs Finalising the last few bars of a project or adding those all-important finishing touches to a mixdown can be an intimidating prospect for all of us, …

"The point when I want to top myself is usually a good indicator that the track is finished": 12 artists on how they beat writer's block and actually finish songs #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

1 week ago

Desert Winds For Engine Player US Eduardo Tarilonte's library offers the sound worlds of the Orient 27/03/26 Best Service has announced that Desert Winds by Eduardo Tarilonte is now …

Desert Winds For Engine Player #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

1 week ago

Desert Winds For Engine Player Eduardo Tarilonte's library offers the sound worlds of the Orient

Desert Winds For Engine Player sonicstate.com/news/2026/03/27/desert-w... #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

2 weeks ago

Apple Music now surfaces concert listings and ticket links via Bandsintown and Ticketmaster deals […]

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

Apple Music now surfaces concert listings and ticket links via Bandsintown and Ticketmaster deals When a user plays a song, they can pull up the artist, see upcoming dates nearby, and buy a ticket without switching apps.Source

Apple Music now surfaces concert listings and ticket links via Bandsintown and Ticketmaster deals #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

The "other" day job - what matters Stan Stewart - @muz4now

The “other” day job – what matters #inspiration #musicianresources #musiciantips

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

2 weeks ago

The “other” day job – what matters ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * Some things matter. Some things matter more. ## Nothing Wrong With A Day Job I’ve gone through periods when my only income was from music. However, throughout most of my adult life, I’ve had a non-music source that provided most of the money coming into my accounts. In addition to writing, composing, arranging, performing, and recording my own music, I’ve almost always had another music “day job”. Sometimes, these have been performing and directing music for a variety of organizations. Though typically, this work has been for a church. ## Service Music If you’ve been following my story for a while, it’s likely that you know I’m an ordained minister who only served as clergy for a brief time. After a few more years, I started to provide music for a variety of congregations. Because of my understanding of both theology and musicology, I have been able to serve this function well. Not long ago, I took one of these church music positions as a second day job. It had promise. But my spouse asked me why I seemed so miserable while trying to do this work. I realized that I needed to take a risk. This risk was to address my concerns head on without knowing the outcome. I had no idea how sharing my story would be heard. But I did. I asked to meet. We met. All of my concerns were heard with a gentleness and openness that I had not anticipated. ## To Work Another Day The result was that my position at this church became a source of joy for me. Instead of misery, these negotiations allowed me to shift. I wrote new songs, conducted choirs, sang solos, and did it all with a sense of integrity. Fortunately for me, joy is contagious. The minister, the music committee, the choirs, and the congregation have responded in kind. I think that’s pretty cool. I can’t promise bliss in the music programs I’m leading. But I can say that, for now, something good is happening. And that’s a good enough reason to carry on. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

The “other” day job – what matters #inspiration #musicianresources #musiciantips https://muz4now.com/2025/the-other-day-job-what-matters

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

Listen to Synth Music from Whatsisname? Here's why. Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Listen to Synth Music from Whatsisname? Here’s why. #indiemusic #musiccommunity #musiciantips muz4now.com/2025/listen-...

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

2 weeks ago

## Listen to Synth Music from Whatsisname? Here’s why. https://muz4now.com/2025/listen-to-synth-music-from-whatsisname-heres-why/

Listen to Synth Music from Whatsisname? Here’s why. #indiemusic #musiccommunity #musiciantips muz4now.com/2025/listen-to-synth-mus...

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

2 weeks ago

How to Build a Guitar Practice Habit That Lasts - GUITARHABITS Build a lasting guitar practice habit with simple routines, small goals, and motivation tips to stay consistent and improve your skills every day.

How to Build a Guitar Practice Habit That Lasts - GUITARHABITS
#MusicianTips #MusicianResources
www.guitarhabits.com/how-to-build-a-guitar-pr...

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

Adding the "Oh!" to Omnisphere Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Adding the “Oh!” to Omnisphere #musicianresources #musiciantips #musiciantips #technology muz4now.com/2025/adding-...

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

2 weeks ago

Adding the “Oh!” to Omnisphere ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * As my friend Edward Givens says, “great sounds = inspiration”. And sometimes it’s true. Thus came “O I C U”. > Any morning you wake up to new Stan Stewart music is a good day. That day is tomorrow, but still ☺️ > > [image or embed] > > — John M Davis (@jdsampo.bsky.social) November 10, 2025 at 9:16 AM Apologies to my non-gearhead readers. This may not be the most interesting blog post for you. ## O’s Ahead John M Davis commented when I posted about the release of version 3 of Omnisphere. (I’ll sometimes refer to it as “O3”.) I’ve been licensing and using this software synthesizer since version 1. Each upgrade has been interesting. Certainly going from version 2 to 3 was not the giant leap of upgrading from version 1 to 2. Still, there are features in this upgrade from Spectrasonics that make it interesting. I may be fooling myself, but it seemed like some of the patches I had created in the previous model of Omnisphere sound better in the new one. Add to this the long list of new or updated types of synthesis and effects (everything from EQ to powerful modulation) and you have a winner. Plus, the effects now may be used on any track. They are no longer limited to being used inside of O3. In response to John, I posted a thread of replies. After writing those, it occurred to me that the best way to explore Omnisphere 3 would be to create music with it. ## O, but… I’m not going to list everything updated feature or every perk of the upgrade. But I will tell you that this synthesizer is feature rich. Besides one of the finest arpeggiators I’ve experienced and a huge barrage of sampled sounds, it has a multitude of synthesis, filters, and tweaks. Visit the Spectrasonics website to read those lists. To make this project even more challenging, I’m trying to move my DAW from Avid Protools to Apple Logic Pro. (Yes, I know I’ll hear from my friends who use Reaper. I really did try it. I just could not get the hang of its workflow.) After decades as a Protools user, Logic is proving to be a steeper learning curve than I imagined. It simply does not have the same “logic” that I’ve gotten used to. But I was committed. And so, you get what you get. This may not be my best work, but it was fun. Oh, and did I mention I completed all four tracks in a week? That’s correct: composed, performed, arranged, tweaked, mixed, mastered, created cover art (not to mention this blog post), and uploaded in less than 7 days. ## The Omnisphere Rundown Each of the four tracks has a single instance of Omnisphere 3 I used to create the sounds on these songs. That means I was able to have (up to) eight sounds (since the instrument is 8-part multi-timbral). I limited myself to certain patch categories: “Cussed Um” is all patches created by me (custom, get it?); “O U R” is limited to factory patches from the new release; and “Celestial Cradle” is all 3rd-party (not from Spectrasonics) patches. The only non-Omnisphere effect I used was the iZotope 12 Maximizer. I could not find a limiter in the O3 FX array that provided mastering-level features. All other effects ranging from EQ to sound-field-imaging to reverb were a pleasure to use both within O3 and externally. It’s true. Sounds can inspire. I found it easy to compose these pieces of music. And now you get to decide if they are decent or just a fun experiment. (I’m good either way.) Thanks for listening. ## More Tech-Head Stuff What’s Omnisphere 3 good for? Almost any style of music. But I think ambient, chillwave, experimental, EDM, and trance are some that are easy to pull from it. For other genres, you may have to do some tweaking of your own. Any criticisms? Not anything major. A few patches had phase cancellation within certain pitch ranges. I found ways to adapt those using the built-in Imager effect. Do I recommend O3? I certainly do. As I explored things, I discovered that version 2 was included in nearly half of my previous releases. I doubt that I’ll repeat an O3-only release, but it will certainly be a major player in my sounds for music-making. ### Please share! * Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon * Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn * Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads * Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky * Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email * More * * Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook * Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit * * Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr * Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest * * Share on X (Opens in new window) X * ### Like this: Like Loading... ### _More for you_ * * * ### Discover more from Stan Stewart - @muz4now Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email. Type your email… Subscribe

Adding the “Oh!” to Omnisphere #musicianresources #musiciantips #musiciantips #technology https://muz4now.com/2025/adding-the-oh-to-omnisphere

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

How to Build a Guitar Practice Habit That Lasts - GUITARHABITS Build a lasting guitar practice habit with simple routines, small goals, and motivation tips to stay consistent and improve your skills every day.

How to Build a Guitar Practice Habit That Lasts - GUITARHABITS #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart aka muz4now

@muz4now.mastodon.world.ap.brid.gy

2 weeks ago

My first audiophile headphones changed the way I enjoy music – and they're on sale www.creativebloq.com/tech/headphones-earbuds/... #MusicianTips […]

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

My first audiophile headphones changed the way I enjoy music – and they're on sale As of today the Sennheiser HD 550 is the best value hi-fi headphone at $250. For the last 7 months I've been on a wild audiophile ride – and it all …

My first audiophile headphones changed the way I enjoy music – and they're on sale #MusicianTips #MusicianResources

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

Starting Out In Music? 5 People To Add To Your Team Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Starting Out In Music? 5 People To Add To Your Team
#musicianTips #musicianSky

Stan Stewart (muz4now)

@muz4now.com

2 weeks ago

Get Real - How Community Informs Reality Stan Stewart - @muz4now

Get Real – How Community Informs Reality

#community #MusicianResources #MusicianTips