Paul Key (drummer ex Good Die Young, support slots with The Charlatans, The Twang, Proud Mary) took his audience on Tuesday 25th November, on a tour of Ableton’s strengths in different environments from DJing to live performance and standard studio production.

With an audience that was passionate about music, the evening kicked off with the statement “software that saved my life and my wallet” that was visible on the screen from a man who’s journey of finding and using Ableton, had clearly proven a critical one.

In a competitive market Ableton was and still is an innovator in music. Addictive to use, the software has a ‘do it yourself’ approach in a coherent and easy set up that is streets ahead of the competition, boosting correction of beat rhythms at the flick of a button. The live demo from Paul illustrated the accessiblity by taking a snare drum recording and in the space of 5 minutes, had composed an electronic dance track. The satisfaction of creating something from nothing highlighted a target market that not only catered for professionals, but people who could own and love it! The effect on Paul that Ableton Live! had were clear as he spoke in high regard saying “I could talk about Ableton Live! all night”.

Eyes had been opened to a world that was only a web page away to endless possiblities that can be downloaded for free at Ableton. Watch this space for future workshops about the software that will be coming the Old Broadcasting House for budding musicians.

We’re super-excited to announce that on Friday 8th August, Old Broadcasting House will be playing host to prominent venture capitalist and internet industry investor, Fred Wilson.

Fred’s spending a month in Europe this Summer, not only vacationing, but seeking to understand how entrepreneurs, with a different worldview to that of North America, are thinking about the power and potential of the web.

Through his appreciation of Sheffield Wednesday and acquaintence with Carl Griffith, cofounder of local startup ensembli, we’ve managed to tempt him into speaking about his experiences in two decades of investing in web and software ventures and hopefully to introduce him to the emerging technology ecosphere of the North of England.

Beginning with Euclid Partners, through the cofounding of Flatiron Partners and latterly Union Square Ventures, Fred’s been responsible for identifying, growing and exiting some of the industry’s most exciting startups, including Bug Labs, del.icio.us, Etsy, FeedBurner, outside.in, Tumblr, Twitter, Wesabe - some of which have been acquired by Google and Yahoo with others seeking to reinvent areas as diverse as personal finance, blogging and real-time communication.

Alongside his career at Union Square Ventures, Fred is one of the web’s most prominent bloggers, writing about topics ranging from technology and investing, to politics and music at his blog, A VC.

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With such a stellar reputation, we’re really very honored to host Fred and hear his thoughts on the state of the industry.  The evening will begin at 6pm with drinks, followed by a talk from Fred, an open Q&A session and a chance to network with other guests and also with Fred, before concluding around 8pm. We’d love to have you join us…

{ Register Here! }

This coming Thursday, Leeds Met’s Innovation North faculty is holding its postgraduate showcase at Old Broadcasting House.

Though the VIP evening is by invitation-only, projects on creative technology, digital imaging, music, IT and computing will be on show for visitors from industry.

Find out more at the Innovation North site…

More recently Tony has worked with a number of artists in various genres from blues to rock, hip-hop and jazz and to this end currently shares a small studio at The Strongroom with Haydn Bendall, former Abbey Road engineer/producer.

In addition Tony is a trustee of GETSET, a director of the Music Producers Guild and regularly provides guest lectures and workshops for universities worldwide.

An Evening with Tony Platt will begin at 6 pm and end at 8 pm. For details and to book places, please call us on 0845 122 1555 or email: info@ntileeds.co.uk

Haydn Bendall’s career - as a renowned record producer and sound engineer - spans three decades, with a ten year spell as senior engineer at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. Haydn has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Paul McCartney, Sting, Damon Albarn, Tori Amos, Kate Bush and Elton John, among many others. He has also worked across many different genres, including pop, rock, musicals and orchestral works. In addition, Haydn is Vice Chairman of the Music Producers Guild and lectures at universities across Britain.

At this event, Haydn will be sharing his experiences from his long and varied career and hosting a Q&A session.

‘An Evening with… Haydn Bendall’ will begin at 6 pm and close at 8 pm. To book your place, call 0845 122 1555 or email info@ntileeds.co.uk.

We have a few more ‘An evening with…’ events planned for the next few months…stay tuned!