A top drummer, an engineer, & a CloseUp® breakthrough walk into a studio . . . 

Impressing someone with PJ’s background was a tall order. His resume is exceptional. Well-seasoned in West African drumming traditions, he has also done stints as a sound engineer, and scoring percussion for live dance.  Beyond his training exists a more inherent, familial instinct for rhythm: PJ is part of a rich line of Filipino-American rhythmic musicians, including a father who played rhythm guitar and a grandfather who was an upright bass player in Hawaii.  The reverence and excitement PJ has for tradition was mirrored throughout his experience using the CloseUp® Drum System:

“What you guys are doing is so exciting. I say that knowing a lot about… the slog of dealing with [live] music.” 

We need to step back to paint a rather grim picture of the current state of mic-ing drums.

Mic’ing Drums: go old school, or go CloseUp®

Mic-ing drum kits has long been known as one of the most time-intensive, gear-laden components of live sound, requiring the coordinated efforts of a well-trained audio engineer and patient drummer as well as an array of heavy, tangle-prone cables, mics, and stands. Either that, or sacrificing real-time sound for a handful of pre-recorded trigger-activated samples (or as some call it digital drum death). 

Even if you look past the physical tedium of the set up, the tech limitations, and acoustic challenges, current technology greatly limits the repeatability and reliability of the amplified sound you’ve just spent eons setting up to capture. Drum amplification is so notoriously finicky and intensive, it’s a wonder better solutions for so common an instrument haven’t appeared, until now.

With The CloseUp® Drum System, what was only possible in a sound-proofed recording studio is now available in a user-friendly platform, in any environment.  As PJ puts it: “If you can get a clean sound right away, any engineer will tell you: that’s the goal.” 

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Turn Up. Tune In. Get CloseUp®. Don’t Trigger.

Each drum kit is a canvas of different microtones and sounds. Because tuning and amplifying drums is so sensitive, some sound engineers use triggers to play pre-recorded samples when different drums are played. The number of samples available is more limited than what can actually come out of a drum kit. There is so much personal identity and style embedded in a drummer’s playing that gets immediately lost when you switch to samples. PJ on digital ‘solutions’ for live drums: “I’ve tried it and I can’t do it—I’ve had drum pads and drum triggers. I play the acoustic instrument; I want those nuances.”  Because the CloseUp® isn’t sample based, he can get them. He was happily shocked by just how transparent the CloseUp® digital interface is: 

It sounds really good. And it doesn’t kill the feeling . . . I was trying to trick it to see if it could detect something super soft after a huge cymbal crash—and it did! It does! 

Where other technology can sound sterile or robotic, he noted the CloseUp® Drum System had a “rich and warm” tone that reflected his drum kit and his playing. 

How does the CloseUp® Drum System do it?

The answer lies in our user-friendly tuning process.

It walks the drummer through recording short samples of their drumming while connected to a computer. These samples are only used to train the CloseUp® system. After which, microphones and live EQ are used to generate sound. Once the samples are recorded, the drummer can EQ these samples using simple, guided software.

These samples are then processed by the patented EzQ® software and used to create a custom algorithm that EQs your personal drum system live through our microphones.

Once it’s done, you’re ready to perform again and again, in different environments.

Drummers can rest assured knowing that each kick hit and snare roll will be amplified in real time, not replaced with a pre-recorded sound. We give drummers this solid, authentic base, and from there they can amplify or alter the sound however they please.

PJ speaks to using the CloseUp® interface:  Anybody who works in sound engineering or audio editing knows… it can be hard to understand, [even for great musicians.] But a total beginner using Your Heaven[’s CloseUp®] will start to understand EQ-ing experientially; it’s bottom up versus top down.

Next Steps for CloseUp® 

This is changing the whole game. It’s exciting and it also feels like: ‘Can it be true?! Is there actually this much convenience at our fingertips?’ To have this convenience in this compact package…it’s almost unreal, like: ‘How is this possible?! …It has so many advantages that I have not seen on the market. 

PJ’s enthusiasm is what makes our work at Your Heaven® deeply satisfying. As fellow musicians, we want to enhance each musician’s unique relationship to their instrument. We’ve dedicated decades to researching and painstakingly testing our algorithms and gear. PJ thinks our formula and commitment are working: 

I look forward to it being sold! I will happily tell people: ‘You’ve got to try this. I did it; I used it; I see how easy it is, even if you’re not great at this [EQing / tech].’ …to have all that research already done for you, that’s the magic of this…the sound quality and the ease and convenience. 

We are currently in exciting talks with different audio companies regarding our innovative technology and how to bring it to a wider audience of musicians and sound artists. 

If you are interested in our system, don’t be a stranger! You can reach us at support@yourheaven.net. We also encourage you to check out our website which features more information about our CloseUp® Systems: microphone + EzQ® amplification systems for a range of acoustic string instruments. 

Thank You PJ!

Thanks go to PJ Roduta for his contributions to the music and dance communities in Pittsburgh and beyond and for taking the time to try our CloseUp® Drum System and talk all things drumming and sound. It was a pleasure working with him and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with musicians and audio techs the world over, to spread our message of accessible, achievable, authentic, acoustic sound.

We’ll leave you with a final nod from PJ and our promise to remain committed to bringing high fidelity sound to acoustic players—because plugging in should amplify your sound, not compromise it. 

Your company has a lot to be excited for; this sounds fantastic! I was in the studio recently —it’s got a lot of new fangled equipment…and what you’re doing—it’s exactly what [the studio engineer] was trying to do: get true, authentic sound. Simple. Clean. Clear. And without getting rid of the warmth, the je ne sais quoi, that really beautiful atmosphere.

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Saturday June 8th, 12pm–6pm

Sunday June 9th, 12pm–4pm

…more about PVDFEST

PVDFest welcomes its fifth edition with countless opportunities to dance in the streets and experience Providence with thousands of your closest friends! With stunning spectacles curated by FirstWorks and artists from around the corner and across the globe, you won’t want to miss it– for more information visit: www.PVDFest.com

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

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Saturday April 20th 7pm – 9pm

Music Mansion 88 Meeting Street Providence, RI 02906

We’re excited. This Saturday, composer and guitarist Juan Falú plays at the long cherished Music Mansion. As an interpreter, Juan has an unrivaled command of improvisation on his classical guitar. Classical guitarist Eduardo Fernandez has called him “a real time composer.” He received the National Music Award (2000), the ClarinPrize (2001and 2008) and the Gardel Prize (2008). He has offered concerts in prestigious halls in more than thirty countries. His recordings include 24 albums as soloist, and more than 50 as guest of other artists.

More about the Music Mansion . . . 

For almost a century, the hall has been filled with the sounds of beautiful music, from children playing in their first piano recital, to professional musicians delighting a Sunday afternoon crowd with masterpieces by Mozart or Bach.

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The festival boasts a variety of enriching events, including masterclasses with the likes of Gaelle Solal and Grisha Goryachev, ensemble coaching workshops, and lectures on maximizing performance. Of course, you can also attend the concerts ($8 – $15)  at the URI Fine Arts Center and The Pump House Music Works.

Grisha Goryachev; Flamenco

Kick off the festival season with us and browse other fabulous music gear from Alhambra Guitars, Joe Burros-dealer in Kenny Hill Guitars, and Wakefield Music Co.

On Sunday April 7th, The Great Necks Guitar Trio will be doing our CloseUp® System proud during the GALA CONCERT from 6:00pm–8:00pm at the URI Fine Arts Center

By sponsoring nationally touring guitar trio  The Great Necks, we’re thrilled to promote and support Rhode Island’s vibrant music scene–particularly our acoustic brethren who will be stepping outdoors to play as surely as the first spring blossoms.

“I’m looking forward to having my trio have a clear, crisp and articulate amplified sound and perhaps a long-term partnership with Your Heaven Audio. The system provides the most accurate representation of my guitar’s sound that I’ve heard so far,” says The Great Necks member and festival organizer Adam Levin

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This year, Your Heaven® Audio’s CEO will be one of the panelists in the Preliminary Workshops at the conference.

First, what is MassChallenge?

MassChallenge is the most startup-friendly accelerator on the planet. A non-profit, they help entrepreneurs from all backgrounds, industries, and regions around the world.

At the end of the program, the highest-impact startup will be rewarded in equity-free cash awards. We’re honored to be in the running as we take advantage of the resources offered in the program.

Just a little history . . .  to date, 1,500 MassChallenge alumni have raised over $3 billion in funding, generated approximately $2 billion in revenue, and created over 80,000 total jobs.

How we landed a spot in this year’s cohort

“Part of our appeal, is they like what we are and who we are. They tend to look at a team of people, and they look at an idea, and those are the two big ones,” says Your Heaven CEO Steve Schwartz.

Your Heaven Audio is a unique company in the cohort in that we’re already manufacturing a product that resolves a real world problem.

“Live amplification and recording for acoustic instruments is something people struggle with, and we have invented a really innovative product that solves a lot of problems that musicians face,” says Your Heaven COO Prachi Jain. “We are a manufacturing company, so eventually we’ll be creating a lot of jobs. There’s potential as a startup.” 

Danny Warshay, Executive Director of the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship at Brown, was introduced to Steve Schwartz by colleague Professor Barrett Hazeltine. Warshay was an early mentor and supporter of Your Heaven Audio, and has helped the company to develop and expand its team. After watching the team grow, he believes a few things have helped Your Heaven land more opportunities such as the MassChallenge – like winning the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition this past May. 

May 2018 when we won the Rhode Island Business Plan Competition

“The RI Business Plan Competition judges noticed a huge difference in YH from last year’s entry to this year’s.” Warshay believes a part of that is a reflection of the planning process that was initiated and supported in regular mentorship meetings.

Schwartz believes another reason they were awarded this prize was due to Your Heaven’s commitment to local production. “We would love to continue to assemble locally, as much as possible,”  he explains. 

And finally, Your Heaven has a proven track record.

“Not only do we have a working product, we are already making sales and have amazing traction with partners like Berklee school of music,” Explains Jain.

Social Enterprise Greenhouse, a co-work space we have access to in Providence through the MassChallenge

Some Highlights

“The process YH has undertaken in participating . . .  has been valuable in itself” Says Warshay, “I often say that the value of a business plan is partly in the plan itself and especially in the planING. The process of having to develop a plan, in other words, is valuable.”

It’s also been a pleasure to access the Makers Lab.

Interior of Made at MassChallenge Maker Lab

“The community here is great. In Boston, it is so nice to be around all of these startups – really passionate, and really believing in their idea. It’s challenging to fight against the odds, and to make prototypes in the office basement. Suddenly we’re no longer in a vacuum, we’re sharing our challenges and joys with highly motivated people,” Says Jain.

Schwartz agrees, saying “There’s way more going on than I’m possibly able to look at! I’ve gotten to meet a handful of people over and over again. There’s a community sense, and feeding off of each other’s energy and helping each other – in pragmatic ways, in thinking with each other and bouncing ideas off of eachother.”

There’s also the workshops.

“The forums have been pretty good for me personally. I don’t have a formal background in business . . . For me, it’s interesting to learn more about marketing.”  Says Schwartz. “Enterprise or indirect selling – those terms were so vague to me before but now they aren’t. And I can see the value in pursuing partnerships with other manufacturers and parts companies,” he explains.

Want to learn more about our CloseUp® System? Visit our Product Overview page!

Opening night concert – Georgia on My Mind: Start off the week with a great concert, “Georgia On My Mind” (Tuesday, June 26, 2018, 7:30 – 10:30 pm at the Ryman Auditorium). Hosted by the Peach Pickers, this show features artists in a musical celebration of their home state of Georgia. Proceeds go to the Georgia Music Foundation to support music education, preservation, and outreach.

Crafting a Hit Record: Working on your latest album? Check out this session, “Crafting a Hit Record,” where a multi-Grammy panel shares their tips on how you can craft your best record yet. (Thursday, June 28, 2018, 11:00 am – 12:00 pm at the Music City Center, TEC Tracks (Booth 153))

New Trends in the Guitar: Calling all guitar fans: check out this presentation, “New Trends in the Guitar,” led by Laura B. Whitmore of Mad Sun Marketing, where you’ll hear about the future trends of the guitar in a digital world. (Friday, June 29, 2018, 4:00 – 5:00 pm at the Music City Center, NAMM Idea Center (Booth 453))

World’s Fastest Drummer: With a packed schedule of events, time can pass in a blur… but it might literally, at the World’s Fastest Drummer Finals (Saturday, June 30, 2018, 10:00 – 10:40am at the NAMM Reverb Stage on the Terrace). If you can’t make it to the final showdown, be sure to catch the prelims on Thursday or Friday.

Best in Show: It’s the end of the week, and why not top it off with the NAMM “Best In Show”? Sip your coffee, join your friends for breakfast, and hear about the newest best new tech of the year. For everyone – musicians, retailers, or exhibitors – this is an event not to miss. (Saturday, June 30, 2018, 8:00 – 9:30 am at the Music City Center, Davidson Ballroom)

Your Heaven Audio exhibit booth: Come say hello! Looking for a microphone that isolates and captures your true, beautiful acoustic sound? We’ll be demoing systems for mandolin and strings, as well as our new and updated built-in version for acoustic guitar. Plus, we are excited to meet manufacturers to establish partnerships. Stop by the Your Heaven Audio table to say hi, meet our team, and learn more about what we’ve been doing to help make your sound even better. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

1. John Mayer Signature D-45 Acoustic Guitar by Martin

Price: $15,000

First up, take a look at the new John Mayer Signature model. This high-end guitar has an Engelmann spruce top, with Guatemalan rosewood backs and sides. If all of that doesn’t sound fancy enough, it was also designed, and signed by Grammy winner John Mayer. Musicradar.com tells that it’s full thickness neck comes with hexagon inlays, bone nut and saddle, plus gold open-gear tuners, as well as an interior label personally signed by the man himself.

2. The Concertina from Breedlove: Legacy Concertina E

Price: $2,799

The Concertina is Breedlove’s brand new body shape for 2018 which uses their new sound optimization process. What we really dig about this new build is that it’s smaller and more comfortable to hold, but the guitar still has a nice big sound. The Legacy is made from sitka spruce and cocobolo, and has a glossy finish. It’s comfortable, and the sound delivers, what more could we ask for?

3. Alvarez Guitars FYM66HD Model

Price $2,500

We were looking for unique, and we found it here. A one of a kind model, The FYM66HD is made out of perfectly conditioned Honduras wood from Japan that’s been aged for nearly 50 years. The FYM66HD is the all mahogany model. The rare material that this line of gorgeous guitars is crafted from draws us to it like a magnet. It’d be a gem in any collection, for sure.

4. Art & Lutherie Legacy Q-Discrete 2018 Denim Blue

Price: $450

Art and Lutherie is a sister company of one of our favorite guitar manufacturers, Godin. After completely revamping their line last year they revealed a new denim blue finish for a couple of their models. Ok, so it’s not ‘high-end’ price-wise, but this cool vintage looking guitar with on deck volume and tone controls has a sheer finish that gives each individual guitar a different look. They basically took a sweet guitar and made it even sweeter with a faded denim look that we just can’t get enough of.

5. Lowden S-35W Figured Walnut

Price: $5,980

This new 12 fret neck joint model by Lowden is redesigned with the bridge closer to the middle of the body of the guitar, and the neck slightly shorter. We particularly love this one made entirely of figured walnut, which is beautiful and gives the instrument a warm tone. Lowden makes great guitars, and this one just happens to stand out in not only look, but more importantly in sound. To the ear it’s distinctive and earthy, but is still super clear. Easily one of the most attractive models we saw, this acoustic is a perfect example of combing flawless looks and flawless quality.