Those of us who prefer to remain nonunion were depicted as being less polished and unprofessional rubes-more trouble than we're worth! That may be the case in insulated areas like the Left Coast and New York City. But there is a planet full of nonunion performers in nonunion regions who are certainly equal to, or better than, their cousins in SAG and AFTRA.

This is never more obvious than when the unions conduct a strike and clients are forced to find nonunion talent to fill the interim gaps. When the strikes end, why are those of us who filled the gaps asked to give up the juicy gigs? Not because we aren't good enough. After the last strike, many clients begged us to join so they could continue to use us. But the union works very hard to keep experienced, professional nonunion talent away from as much of the premium work as possible, regardless of experience, talent, and capability.

Not all union members are good talent. Some get work just because they have a card. Not all nonunion members are bad talent. Some just don't like unions and prefer to remain free. Out here in the real world, those are the facts of the voice-over business.

Your magazine reaches far beyond the localized reality about which Mr. Peck wrote. I sincerely hope that producers will check with their local recording studios for recommendations of who, in their experience, may be best for a job - not who is carrying a card. Joe Van Riper via e-mail

Author Nick Peck replies: Joe - Thanks for your thoughtful letter. I can see that this union issue struck a nerve. Please go back and reread the section of my article on this topic. It begins with questioning whether to use union or nonunion talent and outlines the pros and cons of both. It says that going with union talent means stricter rules, more expense, and more paperwork, but that many studios and projects require union talent. It also states that "nonunion talent can be a viable option for many reasons," including being in a location with a smaller union presence, and that "many nonunion talents can do your job justice."

Darragh O'Farrell's sense that the union members he has worked with are more experienced "in general" is simply a statement that here in California, voice-over talent in unions tend to work more, logging more hours behind the microphone, and are thus more at ease there. He also states that he works with nonunion talent and has helped them get more work by bringing them into the union.

I agree that not all union members are good talent and not all nonunion members are inferior talent. I have personally worked with terrific and mediocre talents in both categories. Just like budget and schedule, the union/nonunion issue is a parameter that comes into play when making casting determinations. I think you should always start by getting recommendations, then screen the demo tapes of potential candidates yourself to determine the best fit for your project.

BE REAL

This is regarding Steve Nemeth's letter published in the March 2004 issue ("Letters: Loops, Schmoops").

Well, here we go again. I thought that we as a community were getting past this whole "real" music versus "fake" music thing. Alas, after reading your letter, I realize that I am mistaken.

Okay, Mr. Nemeth, check this out: you put your finger on a guitar string sending electricity to a speaker cone that causes it to vibrate, which in turn causes vibrations in the air that our ears perceive as sound. I put my finger on a button sending electricity though a series of circuits causing a speaker cone to vibrate, which in turn causes vibrations in the air that our ears perceive as sound. Are those two examples really so different? Is one more "real" than the other?

Although the methods and mechanical devices used are different (and yes, an electric guitar is a mechanical device), both are equally valid. Once your screaming guitar track is laid down in Steinberg's Cubase and digitized, does it suddenly become fake? Of course not, because musical style and feeling lives on in those 0s and 1s. And whether something is "music" or "noise" (a subjective distinction in itself) depends on the intentions and skills of the musician, not on the fact that we are in a "digital age."

Now for some really crazy statements. My synthesizer, drum machine, sampler, and computer are "actual instruments." Finally (TR-909 drumroll, please), I am an "actual musician," not because of the particular musical instruments that I choose to express myself with, but simply because I choose to express myself through music, whatever form that may take.

With that said, I think I'll fire up my PC, flick on my controllers, samplers, and synths, and play some "real music." Scott Orlans Down Time Productions

HOLD THE PHONE

I was interested in your very comprehensive coverage of ringtones in the February 2004 issue ("Desktop Musician: Phone It In!"). I'm a ringtone developer based in Medellin, Colombia. We produce ringtones in all monophonic formats (including some obsolete ones), as well as SP-MIDI, SMF, and SMAF for Latin American carriers. I'd like to point out a couple of practical points to your readers.

In monophonic formats, most of the current generation of handsets that support monophonic tones in iMelody format (for example, the Motorola C330) accept only a modified version of the iMelody standard. This format restricts the size of the string to 128 bytes, removes most of the header and footer information, and limits the number of octaves.

Also, when creating SP-MIDI files, you mention only the Beatnik Editor. There is another way to create SP-MIDI files, which is free if you already own Steinberg's Cubase SX. You can become a member of Forum Nokia (Nokia's Developer Community) for free at ./, and then go to ./main/0,,034-62,. This is the download page for the Nokia Audio Suite, a VST plug-in designed to ease the creation of SP-MIDI content, help you with the MIP values, and create the SysEx information. It has an effect called the Auralization tool, which allows you to hear what the content will sound like on the handset.

I tested the plug-in with Cakewalk's Sonar, and it didn't work. Cakewalk's VST Adapter gave me an error with the .dll. So I assume that it works only with applications that use VST natively (such as Cubase and Nuendo, for example).

Congratulations on a great magazine that's always filled with excellent content. Tjebbe Donner Cyclelogic

Michael Hoover of Cakewalk replies: Tjebbe - We've tested the Nokia Audio Suite, v. .2, in Sonar .1, by wrapping it with the Cakewalk VST Adapter, v. .1, and the plug-ins worked just fine.

To use the Nokia Audio Suite in Sonar, click the Insert | DXi Synth menu item, and select SP-MIDI Creator to create a MIDI track and an audio track for the synthesizer. The SP-MIDI Creator emulates the MIDI capabilities of a variety of Nokia phones, which are stored as presets. Use the synth's MIDI track to compose your ringtones. Next, in the synth's audio track, insert the Auralization tool plug-in into the FX bin. The Auralization tool simulates the acoustics and digital signal processing of Nokia phones listed in the presets. If you have problems with this procedure, please contact Cakewalk's tech support (provided at .com ).

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Your site (.com) is an excellent research tool. I've subscribed for several years, and recently I began to collaborate with my friend, who is somewhat new to project-studio recording. I want to fill him in on several things, so I've been searching your site for all those great articles I have buried in a giant stack of EM issues. It has been a pleasure to easily find so many of the basic tips and tricks scattered over several years' worth of the magazine.

You've made my life easier, as both a teacher and as a research assistant. John David Duke, Jr. St. Louis, Missouri

WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK.

Address correspondence and e-mail to "Letters," Electronic Musician, 6400 Hollis Street, Suite 12, Emeryville, CA, 94608, or . Published letters may be edited for space and clarity.