Ken Lewis Has Been Robbed

I saw my website the other day, only there was something very strange about it. It was my website, my design, my business model, my ideas, on page after page, my words practically verbatim, in some cases, my text taken directly from my site. Only there was one big problem. IT WAS NOT MY NAME!!!!!! check out this thief.......


DanFrampton.com


I guess they say any publicity is good publicity, but if I have to give this guy some publicity in order to call him out on his Grand Theft Website, then thats what I'll do. The saddest thing is this guy "supposedly" has good credits and has done good work, but then if his moral base is this low, then who knows, maybe he stole his credits too? I mean, arent we in a creative business? Shouldnt someone who spends his days creating in the studio be able to create a website thats not a carbon F'ing copy of mine?????

I mean, it would be one thing if he simply borrowed a couple ideas and made them his own, but this guy straight up jacked my whole site. Usually i dont get bent out of shape about stuff like this, but this was just so flagrantly over the top immoral, underhanded, unethical, i felt i needed to launch a blog war, at least as my first salvo. I emailed him. He admitted to "stumbling across my site" and ..."being influenced by my site". So i emailed him back a few days ago asking him to create an original website, but thats where he lost his balls. He has not responded yet.

SO....... I'd like to ask all of you guys reading this blog to send good ole' Dan Frampton an email complimenting him on my, i mean his website. Whatever else you'd like to say to Dan is completely up to you :-)

info@danframpton.com

tell your friends to drop him an email. Now, being that he also mixes records, maybe i should be worried about someone reading my blog, going to his site, and hiring him to mix your record, but then, if you really want to trust your project, your most precious possession, to an engineer who has stolen so directly from me, then I guess you trust him not to steal your music, or maybe he'll just borrow parts of it. I'm sure all the London labels are going to be lining up to hire this guy after they find out how trustworthy he is with their most precious possessions, their artists.

I'm appalled.
-Ken Lewis

Mixing with the Apogee DA16x and the SPL Mix Dream

Holy #%^*$^&(*!

OK. This is definitely the best (and most expensive) studio upgrade I've made since going to an HD Accel 4 System. I just invested in an Apogee DA 16x which feeds 16 outputs into an SPL Mix Dream analog summing box, which becomes in effect, my mix buss. the idea behind this is that it reduces the math that the computer has to perform with not only playing back dozens of 24 bit tracks simultaneously, but also calculating how they all blend together into a stereo mix. Thats alot of calculations. With this setup, you can assign different pieces of your mix to different outputs and let the analog summing box blend them all together in the analog world.

I have to say, I am actually a big fan of all digital mixing, and I'm sure there will be plenty of times that I think an all digital approach will be better, but this setup definitely has a sound to it which i really like. Two thumbs up from me. Having said that, the price tag was painful to say the least, though a fraction of the HD upgrade of last year. At this point, any improvements I make to the studio will be small and expensive. Nature of the beast i guess. I'd say for probably less than a 5% improvement in overall mix sound I spent about $8,000. Ouch. the cables alone for this new setup were over $1,000 just to connect the Apogee to the Mix Dream and get inserts for the Mix Dream (I can use all my analog gear on the inserts of the Mix Dream, pretty dope). I could and did use alot of my analog gear before, but it was a bit more difficult. However, I'd still say 95% of my mixing is plugin based, but then i have more plugins than should be allowed by law. This SPL is almost strictly a mix buss, but i can definitely hear the difference.

So, between my HD Accel 4 system, Apogee outputs and clocking, SPL Mix Dream summing, along with my outboard including a Lexicon 960, a real EMT 140 Plate, and a bunch of Manley, Sontec, Focusrite, Avalon, Lang, Nuemann and other outboard, I have a pretty damn kick ass mixing studio. I'm thinking about getting a couple Apogee Ensemble interfaces for my production studios. Gotta say the Digi 002 interface i'm using now on one of my production rigs pretty much sounds like crap. Its not like i mix in those studios, but i think it might be more inspiring to create music on those rigs if they sounded a bit better. Yes I've been accused of being a gear hound on a regular basis, but hey, I invest heavily in my own career, and i think there's something to be said about that. My clients don't seem to mind.
-Ken Lewis


check out indieTunes.com

Ghostface Killa and unrelated Mary J Blige stories

I think i just completed a marathon amount of work. I think i'm going to collapse and sleep for two days. If it were only that simple, I'll be up bright and early on little sleep, right back at the record making. Def Jam hired me to do a BUNCH of work on Ghostface Killa's new album, which i think will be titled "Fishscale", though i dont know why. Anyway, I actually composed music for 4 Skits on the album. They wanted me to do music that was reminiscent of 1950's TV crime drama music, like Dragnet or something like that. It was really fun and quite a challenge coming up with full orchestral arrangements in that style, then sonically making them sound like they are coming out of a TV speaker 50 years ago. When the album comes out, I'll post a couple clips here in case you dont wanna buy the album (which you should).

I also did some sample interpolation for a couple songs, which basically again means i composed all new music that kinda has the same sound and feel as the stuff they sampled but couldn't clear. Side note...... i hear stuff like that on TV commericals all the time, its so obvious, there's a car commerical now that is dead on Coldplay. Anyway, thats kind of the idea, they sample old records, cant get em cleared, then hire the guy who knows how to make brand new music sound and feel like old records, a.k.a. me. So, I ended up working on six things for Ghostface, and at the last minute they hired me to mix a song called "Charlie Brown"

Its really funny because i have so many distinctly different client bases. My sample recreation people rarely use me to mix, and my mix people rarely use me to recreate samples, though they do often cross, which is actually very cool and gets me on alot of different projects and working with alot of different people and music. I dont really love having only one big client, though in the past it has served me very well working at different times fairly exclusively with Malik Pendleton, (we did Mary J, SWV, Diana Ross, Simply Red, 702, Aaron Hall, Jody Watley, Changing Faces, and a ton more great records.), and producer Mike Mangini, (we did Imani Coppola, David Byrne, Don Dilego, Anastacia, Baha Men, Boyzone, and a ton more together).

Anyway, I really had a blast working on Ghostface. I've worked with so many of the members of Wu Tang Clan over the years, but never as "The Wu Tang Clan". I've worked with O.D.B., Inspecta Deck, Method Man, Raekwon, Masta Killa, and now Ghostface. 6 of the 9 members aint bad i suppose. Raekwon even threatened me once because he thought I erased his vocal on a Pete Rock record. He calmed down quick when i told him it was a tech at Battery studios who erased his vocal and that i was there to help Pete Rock fix things. the session went well. I've been threatened by the best of em...... Puffy, Grand Puba, Raekwon, Special Ed, i'm sure there are others. Mary J Blige screamed like crazy at me once because she was mad at her producer. I wish she would have just yelled at him. But it was all good, i went on to make many more records with her, and actually about a year later she apologized to me. She said "the devil got in her". It sure sounded like it from my vantage point. I really do love Mary J to death, once you get to know her she can be an absolute sweetheart, she just doesnt let many people into that inner circle. Its been a while since i've worked with her, and she's an artist that i really miss being in the same room with. She is one of the greatest, most soulful singers alive.
-Ken Lewis


check out indieTunes.com

Q and A

I recently did a nice little Q&A session with a cool wesbite named Bandzoogle. Their members asked a bunch of questions and I answered. Anyone who'd like to read it, follow the link below.......

Ken Lewis Q&A

-Ken Lewis


check out indieTunes.com

Guitar Center Pro Audio

Ya know, it was just on my mind, so i thought I'd share. I have been steadily making studio upgrades for about 4 years straight. Last year was by far the biggest upgrade year with my Pro Tools HD Accel 4 system and the upgrades to Logic 7, along with the completely insane amount of plugins i now own. Last year i also bought the Kontakt Complete 3 software (amazing), two more subwoofers (i have 3 studios), and a ton of cables. In the recent past, its been Manley Compressors, Manley Limiters, microphones, speakers, my latest Mac G5 Dual 2.7 was a Guitar Center purchase. And just this week, i bought the Apogee DA16x from GC. (yes i'm a gear hound)

Basically, many of you might not think of Guitar Center as the place to go for pro audio, but i have to tell you, of all the pro audio places I've personally ever dealt with, I think i like GC the best. Customer service is really big with me, and these guys excel at it. Now, i dont endorse them, or anything like that, I just tell it like it is, and anything i've bought from a store in the last few years has been from Guitar Center. I even had my Digi 192 interface die on me in the middle of an important recording session a few months back, and to save time and get me up and running as fast as possible, the GC pro guy actually drove a new 192 unit out to me on a moments notice and I was back up and running.

Also in my experience, there seems to be nothing they cant get if they dont already stock it. So alot of you guys email me for tips on where to buy what, and i suggest checking out Guitar Center. I cant wait til i get my new Apogee DA16x from them, it should arrive tomorrow!
-Ken Lewis

Turning Japanese

If you wanna see something really cool, (and i know you do), click here


ProToolsMixing.com


I think i'm turning Japanese I think I'm turning Japanese i really think so........ Anyone remember that song?

Anyway, I just launched my site in Japan.

rock on

Ken Lewis

My Home Town

I was born and raised in West Chester, Ohio (suburbs of Cincinnati), and had a wonderful upbringing in a working middle class family. i have a wonderful friend back home that i've known since i was about 6, we'll call her "Jewel-ET-Garden" to protect her real identity. She heard that i caught a bunch of nominations this year, and offered to do some PR for me (PR is slick talk for getting me some press, and that she did). So, if you happen to be a friend of mine from back in Ohio, and you are now reading my blog because you read something about me in the paper, I have "Jewel-ET-Garden" to thank for that. I think another old friend helped as well, we'll code name him "Johnboy-L". I've already had a few friends i have not heard from in forever who've contacted me now. I cannot tell you how cool that is. I've always felt strong ties to home, as well as Cincinnati, and i come back as often as i can. Every year i come back for Midpoint Music Festival, which for those of you who don't know, is a really well run 3 day festival downtown every year that draws about 40,000 people. Midpoint brings me back every year to do professional speaking panels, and musician mentoring. stuff like that. Then i get to check out some of the hundreds of bands that are playing each night all around main street. Its something to see.

Anyway, so, if your reading this because somehow we know each other and havent spoken in forever, by all means, drop me a hello.

My old elementary school gym teacher dropped me a line the other day. It was awesome to hear from him. I dont think i ever told him that his son almost killed me when i was 17 years old. (we'll call his son "ttocS" to protect his identity) It was my first day on the job delivering pizza (i've done ALOT of crap jobs), and "ttocS" had worked for this place for a while, and took me out on the first few pizza runs to show me the ropes. "ttocS" is driving, I'm in the passenger seat with 2 pizza's on my lap. Its dusk and we're in a Ford Escort with bald tires, flying down a back road on slightly wet pavement. Couple hundred yards ahead a car begins backing out of a driveway. We both thought they saw us and would stop. Well, they didnt, they pulled right into the middle of the street and stayed there. We were doing 70MPH right at them and "ttocS" locked up the brakes. We didnt even slow down, we just skidded right toward their back bumper. At the last possible second, "ttocS" unlocks the breaks, pulls the car hard right, and screams at the top of his lungs (i'm not kidding) "WE'RE GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!", and at that moment we went flying thru a ditch towards an intersection, barely missed a huge brick structure that would have killed us, missed a telphone pole that would have killed us, then we came flying up into the middle of the intersection and skidded all the way across it, coming to a stop about 6 inches from an enormous wooden sign that would have also killed us. We sat there for about a minute in silence, but miraculously unharmed. We were alive.
-Ken

GRAMMY NIGHT - And the Winner is???????

OK, so i didn't win any statues for the categories i was specifically nominated by name, Album of the Year (Late Registration), and Record of the Year (Gold Digger), BUT, of the seven total Grammy nominations i was a part of this year, i won FOUR!!!!!

Holy &*^($*%#&$@^%#~!%@$*(&*

they are......

Best Rap Album "Late Registration" Kanye West (i contributed music and engineering)

Best Rap Solo Performance "Gold Digger" Kenye West (i contributed music and engineering)

Best Gospel Performance "Pray" CeCe Winans (I mixed it)

Best Contemporary Soul Gospel Album "Purified" CeCe Winans (i mixed on the first single)

This brings my net Grammy total to 6 wins over 20 nominations. Holy @#$%@%^*@^*!%&!

I had an absolutely phenominal time at the Awards tonight. I got to walk the Red Carpet. Saw a ton of celebrities tonight. Usually i could care less, but it was kinda cool to be celeb spotting tonight, especially when so many of them were at arms reach. I saw some of the most amazing musical performances of my life. There is no way i could pick a favorite tonight, but several of my favorites included Coldplay, U2 (alone and with Mary J Blige), Mariah, Madonna and Gorillaz, Christina Aguilara and Herbie Hancock, Kelly Clarkson, Jay Z and Linkin Park and Paul McCartney, Paul McCartney's solo performace (he's a beatle for christ sake!!) Kanye West of course!!!!!, John Legend, ok, bascially, every performance tonight was so over the top amazing, I have to compliment every performer.

Afterwards, i went to the official Grammy afterparty. Country artists Big & Rich performed, and surprisingly, i really liked them. I also saw Evander Holyfield and a few other kinda sorta celebs. Then near Midnight i ventured up to the Kanye West afterparty. Even though I was on the guest list, the LA fire marshall decided to close the party. Apparently he wasnt aware that i was not inside yet. I'm going to have to chat with him about that. However, while i was outside waiting to see if i could get in, a ton of celeb's rolled thru and were also turned away, Snoop Dogg and Ti couldnt get in, Nelly was leaving the party, and Ludacris left as well. So, i guess i dont feel too bad.

All in all, quite an amazing and memorable night. One i'll remember for a lifetime. NARAS does a truly impressive job of hosting the Grammy awards every year. If you're a music industry professional, you simply must join NARAS. Did you know NARAS members are the only ones who vote for Grammy nominations as well as Grammy Winners.

Well, i have to fly out at 7am, meaning i must leave for the airport at 5am. ugh. I'd better wrap this up. as soon as my plane touches down, I'll be working on a project for Def Jam.
-Ken Lewis

Grammy 2006 Nominee Party

Its late. I'm in LA, back in my hotel room, at the tail end of my buzz from all the champagne and petrone at the 2006 Grammy Nominees Reception tonight. I had such a great time. Earlier in the evening, there was an industry awards banquet honoring lifetime achievement Grammy Awards to several people. Some of my idols got awarded tonight. Maybe my "idols" is not a good way of putting it, because i really dont idolize anybody, however, i do hold tremendous respect for so many people in this business, and many of them got honoroed tonight. Al Schmitt, Tom Dowd, and Chris Blackwell being the three closest to my heart. Without All and Tom, there would be no me. Without Chirs Blackwell, there would be no Bob Marley, no U2, no alot of great music. I ran into Al Schmitt at the Nominee Reception and i showered him with praise and honor and thanks for inspiring me in my career. Tom Dowd has passed on, but if he were here tonight, I'd have done the same to him. The contributions to music that both these guys have made is truly immeasurable.

Sometimes i pretend that being a Grammy nominee is not a big deal, but you know what, it actually really is. I think its just that guys like me really arent used to being recognized for anything at all, ever, and so we're used to just saying "oh, no big deal, just another day". But today was not just another day. Tonight was a symbol of the reason i work so rediculously hard at what i do, as well as a symbol of why it never feels like work. I love music. making it, mixing it, writing, recording, arranging, producing it. You name it, i love what i do. Tonight, it felt like the music industry gave a little bit back to me for all I've given to it, and I have to say it felt really great. Its a special thing to know that my name appears in the same category as names like Bono, Paul McCartney, Kanye West, Mariah Carey, and Green Day.

Please dont take any of this as arrogance. I think it has much more to do with dreams and goals. When i was 18 years old, i set a life goal, that at some point in my life i would earn a gold record. I worked on my first gold/platinum album when i was 23 years old. Pretty soon i had earned a bunch of plaques and i started to say "well, i have my plaques, my next life goal is to get nominated for a Grammy Award". I'm now a part of 20 nominations, as well as 4 nominations specifically by name, and before tomorrow night, 2 winning Grammy's. Now i've got much bigger life goals, and as soon as i meet them, I'll set even higher ones.

As i go to sleep tonight, with the Grammy Awards looming tomorrow, please keep your fingers crossed for me. I will never take these things for granted, and I will always treat them (if i ever experience this again), with the special honor that they deserve. I'm VERY excited about the big day ahead tomorrow. Wish me luck!!!

-Ken Lewis