Photography: On model releases and subject rights

This post will clarify copyright law, a matter about which many people have only a vague understanding. To begin, I must say that no-one should take what I write as legal advice. Instead, consult a lawyer specialising in this topic as necessary, not least because copyright is different in different territories, even though there are universal conventions that most countries have signed.

This article will outline the rights of the subject (e.g. model) portrayed in a photograph. These are likely fewer than you expect. 

Fixing audio problems on Windows

The Windows operating system supports an extraordinarily diverse range of hardware and software. For common, everyday tasks, it works well. But it's not optimised for media production out of the box. What happens when you get stuttering playback, crackling audio, and other nasty symptoms? Nine times out of ten these problems can be fixed by changing the default settings

This extensive series of articles provides an easy, step-by-step approach to eliminating the major causes of audio glitches. The knowledge compiled here comes from decades of practical experience. Nothing here requires registry tweaks or third-party software, but can easily be achieved through the Windows interface, confusing though that may sometimes be. 

Removing Unused Windows Components

This is part of a series on fixing audio problems in Windows. You may wish to start with the main article. 

This information is provided as a quick reference. Please don't contact me for tech support, but instead use web searches to find further information. The included screenshots are from Windows 10 Professional but other recent Windows versions will have similar procedures. 

Tuning an RME Soundcard

This is part of a series on fixing audio problems in Windows. You may wish to start with the main article. 

This article is a quick guide to your RME soundcard settings, assuming you own one of their common Fireface USB devices. Please don't contact me for tech support, but instead use the RME Knowledgebase and Forum.

Tuning Windows Sound Settings

This is part of a series on fixing audio problems in Windows. You may wish to start with the main article. 

This information is provided as a quick reference. Please don't contact me for tech support, but instead use web searches to find further information. The included screenshots are from Windows 10 Professional but other recent Windows versions will have similar procedures. 

Tuning Windows Device Settings

This is part of a series on fixing audio problems in Windows. You may wish to start with the main article. 

This information is provided as a quick reference. Please don't contact me for tech support, but instead use web searches to find further information. The included screenshots are from Windows 10 Professional but other recent Windows versions will have similar procedures. 

This article will help you diagnose device driver problems, explaining how to install the latest drivers for your hardware. 

Tuning Windows Performance Options

This is part of a series on fixing audio problems in Windows. You may wish to start with the main article. 

This information is provided as a quick reference. Please don't contact me for tech support, but instead use web searches to find further information. The included screenshots are from Windows 10 Professional but other recent Windows versions will have similar procedures. 

Tuning Windows power settings

This is part of a series on fixing audio problems in Windows. You may wish to start with the main article. 

This information is provided as a quick reference. Please don't contact me for tech support, but instead use web searches to find further information. The included screenshots are from Windows 10 Professional but other recent Windows versions will have similar procedures. 

Piano plugins: an overview of inexpensive options (part two)

If you haven't done so already, please read the first part of this article for the necessary context and terminology. Then, read this article to accompany the video on YouTube. There you will get to listen to all 23 pianos. 

Piano plugins: an overview of inexpensive options (part one)

Sooner or later, everyone needs a piano. Whether you are making pop music, composing for soundtracks, scoring a game, or simply looking for wonderful tones to manipulate into crazy shapes, a piano is the most versatile and timbrally-rich instrument you can find. A classically-trained pianist will prefer a "proper" physical grand piano. A jobbing musician will own a portable electronic instrument of high quality. But this article is directed to everyone else: music-makers who need a software solution and don't have a fortune to spend.

This is the first of two articles on the subject. Here I will discuss approaches to creating digital instruments, popular software samplers, and how to judge a sample library. In the second article I present capsule reviews of no fewer than 23 piano plugins, so that you can find those that suit you best. A companion YouTube video is now available, so you can listen to all the instruments.