Pizza Hut Rap Song

One of my favorite things to do is write and record ridiculous songs with my friends.
I recently completed the newest edition to this list that includes "The Fred Song" about the former UNH strength coach Fred Domowitz, "U Can't See Me" which is a battle rap between myself and CJ "Chesta the Molesta" Parsons, "Puzzo Road (Thunder Puzzo)" which is essentially Springsteen's "Thunder Road" with almost all of the nouns replaced by "Puzzo."
"The Pizza Slut" is the most innovative yet and includes break-neck production (by me) and intense lyrical delivery by Benny B (me) and Steff "Screwcap" Kelsey.
"The Pizza Slut" is an ode to our love of the Pizza Hut Lunch Buffet. You see, back in my college days at the University of New Hampshire, I was a javelin thrower on the track team (see my profile). Steff was also a javelin thrower and had a mutual respect for PHLB as we like to call it. So every Friday, we would both go to either the Dover or Newington Pizza Hut and just get wrecked on pizza before track practice.
But the PHLB is about more than just pizza. It came to define us a students, as javelin throwers, as friends, and really, as men. Listen to the song and you will understand.
Hear it at www.myspace.com/javboyrecords and hey, while you're there add me to your friends.
Good day and happy Lunch Buffet

Click Play - The Pizza Slut



Right now I'm listening to Paul Simon's self-titled album. One of my favs.

Rock on

Ben
www.javboyrecords.com

New Studio Design

Salutations Soundmen (and women)

Big news!
After working in my new space, Bobby Bender Studios V, for about a month now it's become painfully obvious that my plan of starting construction on a 'real' studio in a couple of years is no longer feasible. It has to happen now!
Really exciting.
I've been conversing with the very helpful folks over at www.johnlsayers.com and getting some design ideas and have setttled on a design by Glenn (gullfo). Thanks Glenn!




Now I'm just waiting on the recording studio construction book that everyone suggests when building a studio, Home Recording Studio: Build it Like the Pros by Rod Gervais.
I've got a thread over at johnlsayers.com and will be posting a construction picture diary.
Yeah!

Right now I'm listening to The Allman Brothers Band An Evening With The Allman Brothers Band

Rock on

Ben
www.javboyrecords.com

DIY Gobos

Aloha Audiophiles

Ok, it's been over a month since my last post. But in the mean time I moved my home (and studio) and had a baby in the midst of the holiday season, SO GIVE ME A BREAK!
Not that my email box was full of faithful readers begging for more of my musings...

Let me tell you about a little project I did last week. I just moved into a new studio space and the new place is like 6 times bigger than the old one. Like Bobby Bender Studios IV, BBS V is a basement facility that is basically concrete and cinder block construction. In IV I remedied the inherent sound problems caused by such construction by covering all the surfaces with deflectors and absorbers, but because the new space is so much bigger, there's really no way to do that without dropping a bunch of cash. My solution was to get some gobos to give me the effect of having a moveable booth. But rather than break the bank for some store-bought barriers, I built them myself as is my nature.

What I did was go to Home Depot and get three sheets of plywood (5/8") and some castors. Couple that with the 2x4's I already had, plus the ugly window treatments my wife pulled off the windows of our new house and that's all I needed. I cut the plywood sheets down to about 47" x 70" just so I could fit them in my car (yep, I got three of those to fit in the Vibe!).
Here's what I did:

#1: Lay the plywood flat on the floor
#2: Use a heavy duty staple gun to staple the curtains (and I threw in some carpet padding for good measure) to the plywood
#3: The 2x4's will be the 'feet' of the barrier, so cut these down to the appropriate size. This will vary depending on how tall your plywood sheets are. I tried everything from 4" to 18" and I think 10" worked the best for my 70" sheets. You also may want to cut one end at an angle so to give you better support. You want four feet for each sheet.
#4: Attach some castors (wheels) to the 2x4's. Put them on the end that will be furthest from the plywood to give you better stability. I used 2" castors.
#5: Attach the 2x4 feet to the plywood and VOILA! you're done!

Try different dimensions and materials to suit your needs. This effectively reduced the flutter reflections in my new space and gives me something to work with until I get the 'real' studio built.

Right now I'm sitting with my in-laws and my wife and new baby as they watch Law & Order. What a rockin Friday night!! Woo hoo!

Rock on

Ben
www.javboyrecords.com