The Audio Production Suite - ampthetex.co.uk

Biography

Ampthetex is the musical guise of now 29 year old "Steven Price", coming from a very small village called "Fochriw", Deep in the South Wales valleys. Where there is nothing much more than mountains, high unemployment rates, bad weather, and not much more to do.

After taking an avid interest in electronic music from around 1997, started listening more and more to artists such as "The Chemical Brothers", "Future Sound of London", "The Prodigy", "Orbital", "The Orb", "Aphex Twin", "Leftfield", etc., to name just a few. After getting into the music more and more, I started to take an interest in the making and production of the music.

I started out into the world of electronic music, and production by reading magazines such as "The Mix", "Future Music", "Computer Music" and "Sound on Sound".

Looking at all the expensive new equipment which was usually on review in these magazines, only dreaming of one day maybe being able to afford such equipment and to call it my own.

My first start out into the creation of music came from fiddling with some audio programs on an old 486 computer system, which I had been given by my brother.

First audio computer program I purchased was called "Techno Maker" by a company called DataBecker, it was one of those drag and drop looped based programs, very similar to the well known "ejay" series of music arrangement programs. I was quite limited with what could be done using a computer at the time, and also the programs at the time werent available or able to do what I wanted it to do. Old computer systems running Microsoft Windows 3.11, or if you were lucky Windows 95 wasnt very stable especially on a 486 with only a minimum amount of "RAM" memory, and a Creative SoundBlaster 16-bit. System crashes was just something you took in your stride or was just normal, but very annoying as you can imagine, you have just spent an hour creating some sounds and basslines etc., and the system decides to lock up and crash. Losing all your precious hard worked on data in the process.

After leaving school, I started to look and see if any college's in the area done anything which was remotely close to sound engineering, music production, audio technician, etc., but there was just nothing available, especially in the deepest darkest corners of the South Wales valleys.

I tried contacting TV stations such as the "BBC", "ITV", "S4C", etc., to see if they had any apprenticeships or anything in the way of work regarding sound engineering, audio technician, etc., to get a foot on the ladder and learn the trade. No where could help, so I was in dire straits.

I decided to go to "Ystrad Mynach" college on a two year course in computers, I thought I would broaden my arisen with computers and take it from there. Whilst in college I had access to the then all new world of the "Internet". This was a god send as you could type in what you wish and you would get hundreds of results, it was like an whole new world.

I started to look at these unique machines which you would hear about in magazines such as the classic's "Roland TB-303", "Roland TR-909", "Korg MS-10", etc., The internet allowed you to actually see images of them, and download samples created by them. After trawling the internet I downloaded quite a few interesting audio programs, "Stomper", "RubberDuck", "Hammerhead", are just a few. These would let you create your own drum sounds, and sequence a bassline. The technology was starting to really take off, and the programs were getting more and more sophisticated. I had been in college for around a year, and decided it was time to try something else and maybe seeing if there was any apprenticeships available. I quit college, and got a temporary job in a local factory. I would save my money and put it to a piece of equipment, the first item I purchased, for no idea why I chose it, but it was a Yamaha PSR-37 Keyboard, I think it was the sheer size of the keyboard with full size keys impressed me. As Im sure the sounds wouldnt. It cost me my first wage packet and set me back £99. Oh I wish I had looked in the free ads and purchased what I was initially after a "Drum Machine". I was really after the "Alesis SR-16" drum machine, but I couldnt wait and hold onto the money, I just had to get something. I think I sold the keyboard about 6 months later for a measly £30 in the local free ads.

In 1999/2000 after being unemployed for a period, I noticed that there was a place called "Immtech" in Cardiff, which done training in sound engineering, music technology, etc., I got some information regarding it and managed to eventually get a place on a course which was a NOCN Advanced Diploma in Music Technology.

It did mean I had to get up at 5.30am every Monday-Friday, walk a mile in all weather to the local train station, each way. Then a dulldrum of an hour train journey, each way.

The course was great though, and the studio we was learning in was quite well equipped too, so we got quite a bit of hands on training. The course took around 9 months to complete, and I passed it successfully gaining a certificate for "NOCN Advanced Diploma in Music Technology". I thought after gaining this I might have more of a chance in possibly getting some work in the studio environment, etc., but no such luck. No studio's, TV Stations, etc., were interested.

I never did get a job in a studio....

So I decided to start my own, stock piling an arsenal of equipment, and thats really where I am now. Over the years I have collected many different pieces of equipment. I am just in the middle of constructing it now, so I can produce my own music, at long last. Hopefully help others too, by producing others work, collaborations, and also teaching people that would like to know more about Music Technology, Sound Engineering etc.

As there are quite a few courses available, but alot of people havent got the money to spend on enrolling in a course. Im hoping to be able to learn people online by way of information, video's, sound clips, etc. Eventually showing local people that are interested in some of the many area's such as MIDI, Miking Techniques, Microphones, etc.

Here's to a great future.