John Pape Online Blog

The Scottish Locksmith, originally uploaded by mediatunes.

Project Description

This is a website for a local locksmith. They wanted to have Internet presence to attract local clients. The owner is Scottish and the name of the company reflects their heritage. With this as a background the decision was made to create a website using a Scottish Theme

Design Process

For this project I wanted to understand as much as I could about the company and they want the website to accomplish. I needed to get an understanding of what The Scottish Locksmith wanted the user to experience. Of great importance was to provide a list of available services, to provide complete contact information, and a sales incentive in the way of a discount coupon.

Graphic Design

With an understanding of the companies objectives I began to develop to page layout. To get me started I was provided with the existing company logo. From there I was able to develop the “Scottish” elements. The color theme would include Red, Yellow, and woody browns. The banner is a representation of a wooden plaque mounted on a stone wall. There is a tartan with the “morran” pattern. (This is the family name of the owner). Also include are images of bagpipes.

The layout was designed in Photoshop. I took the elements and added them. For the site I used a one-column layout with a horizontal navigation.

Building the Site

Once the sites layout was approved by the client I them proceeded to build out the rest of the site. I took the graphic layout and sliced it up and created the necessary tiles for repeating images. Each graphic image and text area was positioned using CSS. First I created a master template file. I then split the file into four separate files. These files are:

header
navigation
footer
content

Each of the navigation, header and footer files will be included into each content page using PHP include() function.

For site under 20 pages and that don’t need a lot of content updates it is best to build in a static format. This was the case for this site.

PHP was used for the form submissions and JQuery was used for form validation. Once all the pages were created and link through the Navigation system it was time to upload and test the site.

You can visit this site at http://www.scottishlocksmith.com/ to learn more about this organization.

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A few years ago a person who wanted to record a CD would either pay enormous fees for studio time or need to be picked up by a record label. Nowadays when you are ready to record you simply set up your recording space with the equipment you need and start laying down the tracks for those killer sounds you hear inside your head. It’s that simple; but, before you start recording there are few things you’ll need for your studio.

#1. A computer and software program.

Almost everyone has a computer these days, but not just any computer will do. You need one that is optimized for music with a lot of storage, memory and the power to run your music programs. As for software, there are several options available and only you can decide which is best for your needs. Just remember your software and your computer is the brain power of your recording studio. Definitely get the best equipment and software program you can afford.  More Info…

#2. Sound Proofing

Sound proofing is a vital requirement in your recording studio as without it your instruments and voices will bounce off the walls, creating an echo when you record. A good medium for this is recording foam.. as it deadens the sound and allows you to record without the echo effect. Anything that absorbs sound will work; I’ve known some would-be-stars to use egg cartons! More Info…

#3. Soundcard

An audio soundcard with adequate inputs and outputs to allow you to record all of the instruments at once. Without an audio soundcard there is no way for the sound to get from your instrument into the computer! More Info…

#4. Pre-Amp

Pre-amps give your instruments that extra boost of good sound that you don’t get if you simply plug your instruments straight into the mixer. By pre-amping your guitars and basses, you will keep their best sound before they go into the mixing board. More Info…

#5. Monitors

Monitors are special speakers you’ll need to make sure that you have everything right. With monitors you will be able to hear the highs and lows of your recording so that you can make sure that it all blends together correctly. Recording head phones can work in this capacity as well if noise becomes an issue in your basement at around midnight. Remember, it’s all in the mix. More Info…

#6. Microphones

Recording Microphone Equipment is a must-have. Recording mics are not the same as a regular microphone. These are designed especially to capture all of the sounds from the voice on every side. Attached to the recording microphone should be a pop filter, which will stop the hard consonants and hissing from dirtying up the recording with muffled sounds. More Info…

#7. Audio Compressor

Consider getting a compressor. While this is an optional piece of equipment, don’t overlook it. Specifically used for vocals, the compressor prohibits the waves in the voice from reaching certain peaks, putting you in the red zone. It equalizes the waves so that you can adjust the voice to match the other instrumentation as you go. More Info…

Setting up your own recording studio can be an exciting challenge. These are the necessary basics …you will need.. to get you started recording your own music… in your own home studio. You can always add more equipment later – or take away unneeded equipment. The mentioned list will give you a good start… to a complete your home recording studio. Have fun!

About the Author Jimmy CL Newson deals in all aspects of the music industry from audio and video production to marketing and promotions. He is currently working on projects involving internet television, internet radio and live music performances across the United States. His primary focus is the independent music community. Visit his website at http://www.musicindependenceonline.com for more information.

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