Sampling and synthesis techniques

Osc1 & 2: Oscillators 1 & 2 are where you can choose the octaves, panning and wavelengths etc. firstly you can choose to have either one or two oscillators operating. you can pick the type of wavelength you want to use to shape the sound, choosing the sound waves you want to use you can then change the octaves, the cent and pitch the sound up or down in semitones. once you are happy with the sound you have chosen you can adjust the mix, this means that you can choose which oscillator is more prominent, turning the mix dial all the way to the left means only oscillator one will be heard working vice versa and keeping the mix dial central means that’s both are equally as loud.

Filter 1 & 2: Filters one and two (adjusting oscillators one and two respectively) are the sections of the synthesiser in which you can remove or boost certain parts of your sound. You are able to add either a low pass, high pass, notch or band pass filter. the strength of the filter can be adjusted using the faders as can the resonance. There is also a small button that allows both filters to be linked.

Lfo: Standing for low frequency filter, the LFO section is the part of the synthesiser that is used to make dub step style wobbles. You are able to choose the type of wavelength used in LFO and which part of the synthesiser is effected, you can alter the race and the amount, this can be used to change the shape of your sound quite dramatically.

Filter env: The filter envelope is the envelope in which you can adjust the attack, decay, sustain & release of the filters. You can adjust the levels to alter the sound you have made and then choose the amount, this determines how powerful the filter envelope itself is.

Amp env: The amplitude envelope is the section of the subtractor that allows you to adjust the volume profile of your sound. When a note is pressed the attack, decay then sustain sections begin, and when the note is released the release section starts. E.g. on my sound I have set the attack at it’s lowest, this means that the sounds begins as soon as a note is pressed, I have also set the release to minimum so when the note is let go of the sounds stops straight away.

Mod env: The modulation envelope is a section of subtractor that allows you to change other parts of the synthesiser. Again you can adjust the attack, decay, sustain & release to change your sound. you can choose the section of subtractor that the mod envelope effects. It can be sent to either the first or second oscillator, the mix dial, the FM dial, the phase or frequency.

My samples: To use my samples I searched through the reason sound banks, I finally settled on a redrum drum kit & rewired it to be linked up to a kong drum machine. once I had hooked up the two machines I opened up the nano sampler within kong and reversed the sound of each drum. Afterwards I added a rattle to the snare drum and filters to the bass drum, this boosted the bass whilst also making sure the snare stayed prominent, it also added a ‘tin’ like sound to the snare. once I had finished with the effects I changed the velocity of one of the bass drums, this made the sound seem shorter and more sharp.

Acoustic theory and synthesis gloassary

Frequency The frequency is the amount of cycles a wave makes per second. One cycle would equal one hertz. Higher frequencies are heard as higher pitched noises.

Wavelength The wavelength is the distance between any one point on the wave to the parallel point on the next cycle. The longer the wave length the lower the pitch of the sound. Wavelength means literally the length of the wave.

Amplitude Another word for volume, amplitude measures the height of the troughs and peaks in a sound wave. The higher the amplitude the higher the peak (which directly corresponds to the height of the trough.) And in turn the higher the peak the higher the volume.

Fundamental The fundamental frequency is the building block of the sound. It is the lowest pitch created by an object when sound is created. The higher frequencies created make up the harmonics.

Harmonics The harmonics of a sound wave determine not only the sound created but also the shape of the sound wave. A sine wave has no harmonics and is a ‘pure tone’ whilst a triangle wave has an odd number of harmonics with amplitudes that decrease exponentially. A square wave has an odd number of harmonics that decrease steadily whilst a saw tooth wave is all harmonics that decrease steadily.

Integer An integer is any doubling of the original frequency that is a whole number. For example if the original frequency was 100 Hz any integer would be 200 Hz 400 Hz 800 Hz etc.

Integer multiple A fraction of the original integer frequency, for example if the original frequency was 200 Hz, an integer multiple would be 250 Hz.

Non-integer multiple Any frequency that is not in line with the fundamental frequency. For example if the fundamental frequency was 100 Hz a non-integer multiple would be 140hz or 213 Hz etc.

Subtractive synthesis Subtractive synthesis is a form of synthesis based on subtracting sound. Firstly an oscillator is used to create a sound, secondly filters are added to remove or change any unwanted sounds. Finally the amp envelope is used to shape the sound over time, altering the decay and the attack etc.

textural componants

1: Identify and describe the main characteristics of reverb

Reverb is a series of echoes that are so close together that the human ear cannot distinguish the spaces between the sounds and so it appears to be one sound. Reverb occurs in the studio or in nature, it happens when a noise (Called the original noise or sound source) it made, the sound waves then reflect of surfaces they come into contact with. These are called early reflections. Reflections after this are called late reflections, the more late reflections there are the greater the reverb.

2: Give at least three examples of how different spaces will produce different types of reverb:

1. A car park is a big open space, this means that the sound will travel further and bounce of the surfaces. There will be little reverb in an environment like this, this is due to the fact that the echoes would be far enough apart for our ears to tell, this means it would not be reverb but instead it would count as echo. 2. An open field would not produce much reverb. This is because it is a big open space with no walls or roof, this means that there are few surfaces for the sound waves to bounce off. With only the floor for the sound waves to reflect off there will be hardly any secondary reflections. This means that there is hardly any reverb. 3. A bedroom would produce a lot of reverb, this is because it is an enclosed space with lots of objects for the sound waves to bounce off. This in turn means that there are lots of late reflections, meaning lots of reverb.

 

3: Where was your two songs recorded? How will the venue for the recording affect the natural reverb of the instruments?

 

Both songs were recorded in a studio. This would affect the natural reverb of the instruments because the environment was purpose built to record songs in. The studio itself would’ve been built to minimise reverb and other unwanted noises during recording. This means that unwanted effects such as echo reverb and distortion are kept to an absolute minimum.

4: How can we enhance / improve the reverb of instruments recorded in recording studios?

The reverb of instruments can be enhanced/ improved by adjusting the position of the instrument in the studio and in relation to the mic, the closer to the middle of the studio the more echo there will be where as if the instrument was in the corner there would be more reverb due to the sound waves reflecting off the corners.

 

5: Identify describe and explain 4 main types of textures used in music
1.Monophony – a single melody and no harmony
2.Homophony – a single melody accompanied by chords
3.Polyphonic – two melodies play simultaneously
4.Hetrophonic – a single melody, performed by two or more musicians

 

6: What textures are used for your songs?

Strawberry swing: Polyphonic texture is ued.
Many men: Homophony is used.

 

7: What family of instruments do the instruments in your two songs belong to?
Strawberry swing:
Piano: Strings
Main guitar: Strings
Acoustic guitar: Strings

Many men:
Drum machine: Electronic/percussion
Piano: Strings

Sonic componants

Strawberry swing:

When listening to Strawberry swing it is easily noticleable that the vocals are the loudest part of the mix, this wouldve been done so the listener can here the lyrics clearly and understand the meaning of the song. They are not too loud but stand out clearly over the rest of the song, the placement of the lyrics in the stereo field sounds fairly central so it doesnt sound off to one side, the vocals also seem fairly close when talking about the depth in the stereo field. The drums in the song sound around about the mid range of the eq spectrum as do the guitars. The song lacks in bass and treble with everything being in the middle band. This however doesnt mean that everything clashes, The main guitar that plays the main repeating melody seems to be panned slightly to the left while the acoustic guitar seems to be panned slightly to the right, giving them both room and allowing the drums and vocals to pass through the middle. The song overall isnt very loud and seems to be mixed accordingly. Everything feels like it is playing from a distance, not too far away to seem distant but not close at the same time, it feels like the song is being played to you from the other end of a long room and comes in waves.

Many men:

One of the first things that can be noticed is that the bass drum is very central panning wise, it is very close in terms of the stereo field, it in a sense covers everything like a blanket, without it the song would be hollow and sound empty. The vocals are the same but not to such an extent. They still feel fairly central but they also sound like they have been panned not to the left or right but more so that they have been split in half and have been panned to both sides. In terms of the stereo field they feel close but do not carry the blanket feeling that the bass drum does, they feel more in the mid range rather than the bass, this helps make the song feel less muddy overall as too much bass and nothing else would make the song seem too low down and not mixed properly.
As for the piano it seems like it has been placed in between the mid and high range. It sounds as if it has been panned also to both the left and right but unlike the vocals it feels like it is in the background. It is more of a support sound rather than a carrying sound, it definitely feels as if it is in the background behind the vocals and the drums but also seem clear still and is not cut out by the drums or vocals. By far the quietest part of the song it is still noticeable due to the way it has been mixed. As for the drums and vocals they both feel alot closer and lower down than the piano. perhaps this is why the piano can still be heard clearly, because it stand higher than the rest of the the song clear of everything else.

Music componants

Music Components	Song 1: Many men (50 Cent)	Song 2: Strawberry swing (Coldplay)
Genre: The genre of a song is what the song sounds like, the tempo and the instruments used etc.	Rap/ RnB	Alternative rock
Tempo: The tempo is the pace of the song, the faster the tempo the quicker the song.	The tempo of the song is a typical tempo for an r&b song, it is around 110 – 120 bpm.	The song is mid-tempo song, it is probably around 90 to 110 bpm.
Melody: Melody is the main sequence of notes in the song, it is generally what you would think of as the ‘catchy bit’.	The melody of the sogn is a mx of the vocals and the piano in the background of the sound, the piano plays in the back of the song and repeats the same melody through out the song. The vocals follow a similar flow all the way through & stay at a similar pitch through out also. The vocals suit the beat of the song as they are fairly aggressive not only in the way they are rapped but also the actual lyrics themselves add to the feel of the song as a whole.	Vocals by Chris Martin, slow and in a calm relaxing tone that adds massively to the feel of the song on a whole. Sounds ‘dreamy’ and makes the listener feel in a sense disconnected from the rest of the world like a kind of movie montage. The vocals make the song happy and yet sad at the same time, it makes the listener feel nostalgic. It can feel happy because it paints a picture of a happy memory/place etc. but yet can also feel sad because the nature of nostalgia means that the memory is no longer happening and it is missed.
Harmony: the harmony is the part of the song that supports the melody, it helps to fill the song and make it feel less empty.	The main harmony in the song is the piano in the background repeating the same melody over and over. It adds to the song and makes it feel more complete. There are also strings in certain parts of the song, they help the song transition from a chorus to a verse or vice versa.	Acoustic guitars playing a sequence of notes in the background, different guitar playing a different melody alongside pizzicato strings of some kind giving the song a sense of rhythm as well as providing support for the melody, the main guitar heard gives the song a relaxing feel and an almost liquid feel. The guitars build up in a cannon like way during the initial intro of the song and the repeat untill around 1:30 when a synth piano sound comes in as the guitars fade out and then they come back again at around 1:40 at which point the pizzicato strings become much more prominent as the song gets into its stride the synth piano come back again at around 2:30 and fades out again at which point a different melody becomes the most dominant feature on an acoustic guitar with the original guitar still playing in the background until the end of the song when it once again becomes louder as the acoustic guitar stops and plays along side the pizzicato strings.
Timbre: timbre is how the sounds in the song sound, weather it’s soft, sharp etc. timbre is difficult to explain in words and can be felt more than heard.	Vocals: The Timbre of the vocals are aggressive and have aggressive tones as well as aggressive meanings. They work well with the pace of the drums and help the song to feel pumped up. Piano: The piano in the background of the song sounds sharp and helps to make the song feel edgy like something big is about to happen, this would make sense when taking into account the meaning of the song itself. The piano itself works well with the rest of the song as it is not as agressive as the rest of the sounds but isn’t soft, it still helps to add to the overall feeling of the song. Drum machine: the drums in this song work in sync with the vocals to make the song feel pumped up and aggressive. They sound upfront and in your face with alot of bass.	Vocals: the vocals in this song sound ‘far away’ and in a way ghost like as if they’re not really there and are trying to break into the world. The vocals themselves are slightly echoed and slow paced giving the song a tranquil feeling. Acoustic guitar: The acoustic guitar that accompanies the main melody gives the song a fullness it otherwise would not have. It sounds fairly soft with a slight sharpness distinguishing it from the rest of the song and giving it more of a rythem. Guitar: The main guitar loop melody in the song is spacey and slightly psychedelic, this give the song a dream like quality. the guitars themselves sound echoed and fuzzy. Drums: The drums in the song are slightly muffled and fairly quiet, they are fairly soft and relaxed, this helps the overall feel of the song to be more relaxing.
Dynamics: Dynamics are how loud or quiet the song is, it can be either Piano or forte, with different volumes in-between such as pianoforte etc.	The dynamics of the song stay the same through out, staying at forte from start to end. The bass drum and the vocals appear to be the loudest componants in the song.	The dynamics of the song are pretty much consistent, staying the same all the way through at a mid volume mezzo piano level. the only exception to this is at around 2:36 when the instrumental bridge and the chorus come in, at this point the song reaches a mezzo forte level but once again goes down when the song starts the outro.
Structure: The structure of a song is how it is set out, for example a song could start with an intro then go into verse1 then chorus1 verse2 chorus2 and so on.	The song starts with an intro of two people talking and gunshot effects telling a short story before the song kicks in. The song itself starts with the chorus before the drums kick in fully. After the first chorus the drums kick in and the first verse starts. at around 1:30 the second chorus starts until around 1:55 when the second verse starts and continues until 2:30 when the chorus comes in for the 3rd time. At 2:55 the 3rd verse starts an continues until around about 3:30 when the chorus comes in for the 4th and final time, once the chorus is finished the beat continues to play until it fades out, making the outro of the song.	The song starts with a short intro and goes into the first verse untill about 1:35 when the drums out for a few seconds and come back in signalling the start of the second verse, this continues till around 2:36 when the song goes into the bridge, a short instrumental is then followed by a chorus which repeats with different lyrics. This chorus goes on till 3:45 when the song starts it’s outro, the vocals drop out then the melody untill only the claps and some strings can be heard.
Instrumentation: the instrumentation is simply what instruments are used in the song and how they are set out.	Vocals: The vocals in the song are aggressive and make the song feel gritty and tough, the lyrics themselves also enforce this. Piano: the piano is the supporting harmony in the song, it repeats the same melody in the background throughout the song and helps to fill the song with something other than rapping and drums, it makes the song feel fuller and more listenable. Drum machine: The drum machine is prominent through out the whole song. They add the base to the song and also help add to the mid and high ranges also with the hi hats and cymbals.	Vocals: Vocals provide a relaxing quality to the song and help to fill the song in Acoustic guitar: The acoustic guitar adds backing chords to the song and fills the song up, without the supporting harmony of this guitar the song would feel empty and incomplete Main Guitar: The main guitar is the overriding instrument being in the forefront of the song the whole time. Drums: Drums in this song remain fairly quiet and in the background, not overpowering the rest of the song but giving it a nice relaxing rythem and still adding to the overall feel of the track.
Arrangement: Arrangement is how the instruments in the song are used, things such as what time they come in, at what dynamics they are playing and what they are playing itself. It is basically how the instruments are arranged. Where as structure is how the song itself is arranged	Vocals: At 19 seconds into the song, just after the intro and the beginning the vocals start & become the main melody for the whole song. they continue until the end of the song and are the main component of the song. Without the vocals the song would simply be a drum loop & a repeating short melody. Piano: The piano starts from the beginning of the intro and changes once the song itself starts. once the song has started it stays repeating the same melody over and over until the end of song. Drum machine: The drum machine kcks in at around 20 seconds into the song, they add bass to the song and fill the song in, they keep playing in the same drum loop until the end of the song where they fade out during the outro.	Vocals: At around 30 seconds the vocals start and add a second melody over the top of the main guitar, the vocals continue to the end of the song with pauses and add alot to the song yet do not add alot at the same time, they work well with the instruments in the background. Main guitar: The main guitar comes in almost straight away with the melody and stays for pretty much the rest of the song, on occasion the melody may vary slightly Acoustic guitar: From about 12 seconds in the acoustic guitar comes in quietly and builds up in volume to support the main guitar, the acoustic guitar repeats a chord sequence that helps to back up the main melody all the way through the song Drums: The drums slowly build up at the beginning and help build up the songs intro, once the intro has finished the drums stay in the background to help fill up the song through out and give it it’s rythem
Rhythm: The rhythm of the song is usually made up of the drums, it is what gives the song timing and pace.	The rhythm of the song stays the same through out the song, at around 20 seconds the drum machine comes in and the bass drums carries the main part of the rhythm. the hi hats in the background set a pace for the song that still works in sync with the bass drum. The snare helps to set the timing of the song and make it easier to lay vocals over the top and keep in time	Claps at the beginning with an echo effect lead the song into the main rhythm of a repeating bass drum with the claps still playing very quietly in the background of the song. due to Coldplay being influenced by African music during the recording of the album the drums on this track have a particular feeling to them, they are the main component of the song and yet a background feature at the same time. The rhythm of the notes themselves are reminiscent of African tribal drums with a westernised twist added. Once again at the end the claps become louder, still with the echo effect added they lead the song out with a steady 4/4 beat.

Dj blog

CDJ’S: pioneer cdj 2000

A CDJ ( compact disk jockey) is essentially a digital turntable with added features such as looping and effects. It allows you to do all the conventional djing skills such as scratching with ease and allows you to use things such as cue points and filters. They can be used with a cd, a usb stick or can be linked up to a computer and software such as traktor.

Jog Wheel/Mode	The jog wheel, in vinyl mode allows you to use the cdj as a turntable, touching the top of the platter will stop the song asif it were a real turntable, you can slow down the song by touching the side of the wheel and can use it to fast forward or rewind the song by spinning it like a record. It can also be used to scratch when moved back and forwards.
Pitch	The pitch range, obviously allows you to adjust the pitch up or down, this can be used in mixes to keep the tracks in time by either speeding up or slowing down a song, it can also be used as an effect if u wish to alter the sound of a song, most noticeable changes when using pitch is the vocals either sounding very low or high pitched and ‘chipmunk’
Format	The formats that the cdj 2000 can support include Usb’s cd’s sd cards. And it can support Wav files, Aif files, and mp3’s.
Display	The display on the pioneer cdj 2000 is simple to use and understand, built in to face slightly upwards the design makes it easy to use and read even during the middle of a set, a click wheel allows you to scroll through the menu and select the track you wish to use. The display shows you the bpm, album art and even has a visual representation of the song chosen similar to traktor souncloud etc.
Output	The cdj 2000 comes with 1 stereo RCA output. It also comes with an SPDIF output for digital use.

MIXER: A mixer is a device used by dj’s to help mix tracks together during sets, it allows them to add effects and adjust the volume or the eq of a certain song whilst mixing in the next track in the setlist. The pioneer djm850 is a digital mixer. It comes as standard with 4 channel strips and each has a 3 band eq, meaning that you can adjust the bass, mid or high range. The mixer itself has a built in microphone input and comes with effects also built in to help mix on the go. The mixer also comes with an assignable crossfader, this means you can assign the crossfader to any one of the 4 channels you want. it also has midi outputs meaning that you can use a midi data file in conjunction with the device.

HEADPHONES: In the dj-ing world headphones are one of the most overlooked yet most important part of a dj’s arsenal. Headphones are used to cue the track that is next in line in the set to help beat match and make sure that the dj can here if it is in time without it coming out of the main output ( this would mean the audience could here the next song in the background and it would clash and ruin the set) They help the dj here what the mix sounds like sonically without any noise pollution from the crowd etc. this means that they can mix better and improve the quality due the being able to here the ‘true sound’ of the mix.
The Sennheiser hd 25’s have become industry standards for dj’s worldwide. Their supra-aural design and foam padding makes them comfortable to wear for extended periods of times, a useful trait for a pair of dj-ing headphones. External connections for the cables mean that the rotatable ear cups can be moved easily and without fear of the wires being worn down and broken from excessive use. Sonically the hd 25’s are accurate and create a ‘true sound’ helping dj’s to judge the bass and treble in their mix more accurately. easily replaceable parts mean that if a dj is to break or wear down the wire or the ear cups etc. it can be cheaply replaced instead of having to buy a whole new pair of headphones. Another attractive aspect of the hd 25’s is its simplistic design, being composed mostly of plastic and vinyl covered foam they draw little attention to themselves and stand alone next to the usual chrome covered garish designs of headphones typically used by dj’s in the past.
One weakness of the hd 25’s is the main cable, it is relatively short and stiff, leaving it prone to tangling, quite often dj’s will get them customised with something coiled and bulkier.

Studio Licence Blog

1. Desks:

Routing – Routing is how and where you send the signal from the desk, some desks will have more routing options avalible than others. Some desks will have routing options for groups or busses etc.

Channels –  A strip on the mixing desk that controls audio levels and panning for a single input, audio levels can be controlled with the fader

Busses – A group of 4 channels, busses allow you to move faders for multiple channels at once, useful for things such as drums (1 channel for each drum) so you can adjust the drum levels all at once.

Auxiliaries – An additional input/output on the desk that allows you to sends signals to effects machines (e.g a signal will go out of the desk through the aux to a reverb machine and then back into the desk having been altered)

Groups – Groups are similar to busses but they may not always have a physical ouput from the desk

Inputs – Inputs are a port to plug in cables that allow signals to travel into the desk

Outputs – Outputs are ports to plug cables into that allow signals to travel out of the desk

Additional effects – Additional effects are extra effects that you may or may not use during recording, certain desks may not have as many effect options as others

2. Microphones:

Polar patterns – Polar patterns are the way in which a microphones picks up the sound around it E.g shotgun or omnidirectional. different polar patterns are used in different situations

Frequency response – Frequency response is how a microphone responds to certain frequencies, certain microphones may have a lower bass roll off point etc.

Sensitivity – A microphone sensitivity specification tells how much electrical output a microphone produces, for example running a 20 volt current through two mics will result in a different electrical output for each mic, the one with the higher sensitivity will have a higher output.

Type – There are different types of microphones and each have their pros and cons. Dynamics are good for live performances due to their robust nature & resistance to moisture. they are also fairly cheap compared to other mics. Compared to dynamics, condenser mics are much more fragile and sensitive to sound, this makes them good for picking up subtle differences and sounds but bad for high volumes as they are sensitive and are prone to distortion.

3. Monitoring:

Nearfeild and Midfeild – Nearfeild monitors are designed to be played near you and are made to play clearly so the quality is good. a dj doing a set in a club would have nearfeild speakers close by facing themselves so they can hear the mix with good quality, midfeild speakers are made to be used at longer range and sacrifice clarity for volume, midfeild speakers would be used by the dj to play the music to the crowd.

Frequency response – The frequency response for monitors is, like the microphones, how well they respond to certain frequencies, this determines the range of sounds the speaker can produce. e.g a bass boosting monitor will have a larger frequency response within the low lying frequencies  

Two-way – two way monitors are monitors tat have two cones, one bass driver and on tweeter (for low and high frequencies respectively)

Three-way – three-way monitors are the same as two way monitors, the only difference is that they also have a midrange driver for frequencies in between the range of bass drivers and tweeters

Passive – passive monitors are speakers that do not have a built in amplifier and have to be connected to one via a normal speaker wire

Active – Active speakers are monitors with a built in amplifiers, in most monitors the only active speaker will be the sub-woofer

Power rating – Power ratings are a guideline set by the manufacturer as a maximum amount of power to use with the monitor, normally set below the limit where the device will be damaged to allow a margin for safety.

4. Recording devices:

Tracks – Tracks on a recording device allow a set up for each instrument (track 1 for a guitar track 2 for piano etc.) and can also be used for external midi devices such as a synthesiser. Tracks allow the use of multiple track recordings to be done at once and join them together to create the whole song, this is called multi tracking.

Inputs/outputs – Inputs and outputs are ports in which cables are plugged that allow signals to travel in and out of the recording device, these signals can be wired up to go through an effects machine to add reverb etc. or can be sent to the mixing desk.

Format – Recording devices come in all shapes and sizes, and many different formats. Even an iPhone can be used as a recording device, (although not recommended)  An iPhone would fall under the standalone category as it doesn’t need to be used in conjunction with any other device, once purchased it can be used on it’s own to record audio. Although stand alone devices tend to be easier to learn and much more portable, a computer based device would be a much more professional approach. Computer  based recorders have alot more to offer in terms of effects and quality, there are also many more software programs that can be used alongside and the extra price tends to be worth it.

Specification – Sample rates define the number of samples taken from a signal  in any given unit of time (normally seconds) naturally the more samples taken the higher the sample rate will be. Different recording devices will have different specifications of sample rates. Bit rate is the same as sample rate in the sense that it is the amount of bits taken in any given unit of time, again, the higher the amount of bits used the higher the bit rate will be

skills and resources

Skills: Many skills are needed to run and maintain a successful business, imagination is a key skill needed, without a usp (unique selling point) your business will simply blend in with all the others and be overlooked for an already more established company. You need to be persuasive in order to get people interested in your product, you will also need to be confident and professional. Someone who is not professional and is not punctual can not run a successful business. having an executive team is one of the safest ways the help keep your company afloat, everyone within can pool together their ideas and help direct the company move forward giving pros and cons from each of their ideas and points of views. each individual will have different skills and can be useful in their own department. For instance one member may be good at the public relations side of things whilst another may be better at organising management. Someone who wishes to run a successful business must have an open mind and be ready to listen to and take on board new ideas from people within the company and the end consumer of the product they are selling.

Resources: To start up a new and successful business you will need to have resources, this includes things like : Location, expansion of your business, communications and suppliers etc. Finding someone who can supply you with something for a cheap price is very important for a business owner (A record shop owner would need to find someone who can print records fairly cheaply for example) If you run a business that requires staff to be trained then you would need to look into finding someone/somewhere that can train your staff properly for as cheaply as possible. Location and accessibility to that location are also extremely important, there is no point in running a business when your main office is somewhere difficult for your employees to reach, it will just make your company loose major profits, expansion is important also because if you move into a new office and find your business is increasing in profits you will need more staff and resources to keep up with demand, this in turn means you will need more money for wages and more space for offices etc.

Fianance

Start up costs:

Promotion/ marketing: One start up of cost of setting up a new business is promotion and marketing, in other words getting your business out there, you would have to pay for adverts and flyers (your marketing strategies would vary on your business) you may wish to spend time promoting your business on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. If your business would benefit then you may also wish to have an event, this means you would have to pay for booking out the venue and possibly dj’s etc. 

Wages: To start up a business you may need to employ workers, this will, in turn, mean that you have to pay them wages. The money required for this will vary from business to business, you may need to only employ 1 person or 10. When starting up a business this is something you need to take into account and plan for.

Equipment: If you start up a business you will most likely need to pay for equipment, for example if you run a business that prints t-shirts, you will need to pay for the printer itself, the t-shirts and the ink needed. When starting your business you will need to take into account the costs of these materials and include them in your profits.

Stock: Stock would be a big start up cost for a business, you will have to pay for all the thing you sell ( for example if you sell clothes you will have to buy the clothes in the first place) when recording your profits you will have to take into account the cost of buying your stock, you will have to record how much it has cost you and make sure you break even and still have stock left to make a profit on.

Insurance: When starting up a business it is a wise idea to get insurance, there are many types of insurance you may need to consider (Such as public liability insurance & Professional indemnity insurance) These all cover different aspects that, depending on your business will be extremely useful to have, evidently the more kinds of insurance policies you take out the more money you will need to pay.

Taxes: Taxes are one of the most important things you need to account for when running a company. a company will need to pay different taxes depending on what type of business it is. You will need to consider the cost of corporation tax, importation & exportation tax (If buying or selling internationally)  

Sources of funding:

Bank loans – One source of funding is a bank loan, these are short or long term loans that vary in size depending on how much you need, bigger loans will need to be looked at before being granted to stop the bank loosing money to unreliable people. Bank loans tend to have a fairly high interest rate as this is where banks make money. They can be highly useful to new companies however as they can offer a large amount of money quickly and certain banks offer plans tailored to helping new businesses start up.
Sponsorship – Sponsorship can be a great way to create funds for your business, to gain a sponsorship you will need to approach the company you wish to join with. You will need a business that projects a certain image or you will have nothing to give to whomever is giving you money to be their sponsor (For instance Nike would not want a sponsor who has an image of being lazy and bad at sports) sponsors can be good as they provide money for your business and can provide you with connections in the market you wish to compete in. They can also make your business look a certain way however, gaining a sponsorship with a certain company may require taking your company in a different direction. 
Profit and sales – Sales are obviously one of the most important ways to make money for your business, if you have a product to sell the money made back of that is going to be where most of your money comes from, when selling a product you need to take into account the amount of money you spent to make it, the money made after you have broken even is your ‘net profit’ and it is this that people look at to see if your business is successful or not, the larger your net profit the more successful your business.
Venture capital – Venture capital is money given by investors to new business with a projected high turnover profit in the long term. This can be hard to secure though as it is high risk for the investors, to gain such a loan you will need a professional and solid business plan. Your company would also need to have an idea that has a potential to make huge turnovers otherwise the investors would have nothing to gain from helping your company.

Financial systems terminology:

Solvency – The ability of a company to meet its long-term financial obligations.
Indebtedness – Owing somebody money.
Profit margins – How much out of every pound of sales a company actually keeps in earnings after taxes etc.
Cash flow – The flow of capital within a business, arisen from investments or expenses.
Market shares – The percentage of an industry’s total sales made by a particular company over a certain time period.
Personal survival budget – A personal survival budget (psp) is a plan that lets you know how much money you need to survive after profits.
Overhead costs – Overhead costs are the overall on going costs of running a business.
Cash flow forecast – The predicted amount of money a company will have after a certain timeframe, used to help plan the future of the company and its finance.
Invoicing – A personalised bill for provided services or goods sold sent to a company as a reminder of payment.
Records – A record of finance often kept as evidence in case of legal battles.

tax and credit control

Vat: Value added tax is a tax added on to the price of a product or service paid by the end consumer. The current rate of VAT on most products stands at 20%
VAT is a consumption tax not a sales tax, this means that the business who makes the product or service does not have to pay. When someone charges VAT they multiply their selling price by the VAT rate to work out the price they charge the end consumer, the end price is called the ‘gross price.’

Corporation tax: Corporation tax is a tax paid by a resisted business based on their profits, the main rate currently is 23% and is paid yearly, the corporation itself is liable for paying the tax.

PAYE: PAYE (Pay As You Earn) is an income tax paid, as the name suggests, as you earn it. the amount of tax varies on the amount earned and is estimated, creating tax rebates for people over or under taxed. Your employer is responsible for sorting out taxes taken straight from your pay check.

National insurance: National insurance is a compulsory tax for employees & employers alike, their are different classes or ‘bands’ that vary depending on your earnings, people who earn more are taxed more and people who earn less are taxed less, the money raised from this tax is used for benefits and to support people who are unable to work for any reason.

Credit Control: It is important to limit the amount of credit you give out, lending out money or resources to shops or companies you don’t really know is risky and can lead to huge losses. If you are going to give or receive credit make sure that the person or company you are dealing with is reliable. Do your research on them and make sure that you are dealing with things that have been legally checked over to avoiding being scammed or sued etc. Do not give out credit to companies that you do not know much about, make sure you spend the time to find out if they are reliable beforehand. One way to remind a company of payment once you give them credit is to send them an invoice, this is a receipt of sorts that is sent to remind the company of payments they need to make.