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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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    Posted: February 19 2020 at 15:35
Anyone here like to record original music for fun? I have done it with a great friend for over thirty years part-time on the weekends. It's a blast. Finishing up our 15th album. In those 30 years we have made about $40 dollars (online purchases), so it's only for fun. I do not use a computer to record; have a modest setup - Tascam DP-24 and a CD burner. Yep, I'm a dinosaur and refuse to click a mouse and get buried in windows to record something. Started on a Yamaha 4-track in the 80's. I am finally at the point where GAS (gear acquisition syndrome) has subsided. Always looking but never buying, finally happy with what I have and I have too much. I am finding that my old AKG D330BT microphone sounds just as good as the higher priced Mojave MA200. It is said that it's not the equipment, but the person using it that makes a difference. I don't know if that's true but I can get a track done a lot quicker than before. 

Any other weekend warriors out there, what's your setup, any stories to tell?




Edited by Grumpyprogfan - February 20 2020 at 06:28
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ForestFriend View Drop Down
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I play with multiple bands, and though some have varying delusions of grandeur regarding the band becoming a career, I regard all my original groups as "for-fun" projects (I do get paid to play covers now and then, though!). I think recording is an important part of the band experience - it's always a shame when a band falls apart and there are no good recordings to remember it by. Right now, I've got 3 different albums with 3 bands on the go in various stages of completion, most are recorded at home but one band has a studio booked. I've already released two with one band, you can find the link to those in my signature.

My personal set-up is either a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 into my computer, or a Zoom R24. Don't really have any fancy mics either - a couple of SM57/58s and some Apex condensers that seem to do an alright job. Even if I had a great mic, I don't really have any treated rooms to record in. I don't really care if my music sounds a bit lo-fi anyways. I used to record with just a Blue Snowball into my computer, always figured that if my guitar sounds like a guitar and you can hear what I'm playing, it should be good enough.

I don't mind recording into a computer, but I do find that shutting it off and using the R24 helps make me a bit more honest. It's too easy to get obsessed with minor details when recording on a computer since you can go back and easily overdub a single flubbed measure or what not. With the R24, I record a few good takes and edit together the best bits on my computer. It saves me from having a really embarrassing mistake, but keeps a few imperfections so that it sounds real. I've watched producers take bad takes and just tune the vocals or drag the drum hits so they're in the exact right spot, and really I hate that sort of production. I've always wanted to do live recording with a whole band, but it's tough to find the kind of band who will be willing to do that and do a good job of it.
My prog band - Boreal Kinship
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I have a friend I’ve recorded a lot with, mostly in the early 90s, but I went to visit him 6 years ago and we recorded a few hours of stuff over 2 nights, and we used a single handheld tape recorder like you might use to record a lecture or something. I edited and manipulated the tapes into a solid hour of music (9tracks), and it’s one of the creations I’m most proud of, despite the lo-fi recording. It sounds like an old Krautrock bootleg, it has that dungeon atmosphere to it. I was surprised that weekend’s recordings were even usable, let alone had the kind of lasting value they have.
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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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Thanks for the comments and keep them coming. 

Alex, I like Boreal Kinship, was that recorded at home? Sounds good.
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ForestFriend View Drop Down
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Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Thanks for the comments and keep them coming. 

Alex, I like Boreal Kinship, was that recorded at home? Sounds good.


Thank you! Everything was recorded at home. We are notoriously cheap - we don't like the idea of investing piles of money into a band that probably won't bring in any income. So if we can do something for free (well, not counting the cost of equipment) by ourselves, we won't pay someone else to do it.
My prog band - Boreal Kinship
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Easy Money View Drop Down
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Click on the homepage of my PA profile and you can the hear demos for my funk jazz group. All of the tunes were recorded and mixed by myself, mostly on old ADATs. I tried using computer software and I hate it because I prefer real time use of faders and controls.
I also prefer stand alone EQ and compression. A lot of people these days don't even know how to use stuff like that.

Edited by Easy Money - July 28 2020 at 09:22
Help the victims of the russian invasion:
http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28523&PID=130446&title=various-ways-you-can-help-ukraine#130446
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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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Points: 11539 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 20 2020 at 14:08
Originally posted by Easy Money Easy Money wrote:

Click on the homepage of my PA profile and you can the hear demos for my funk jazz group. All of the tunes were recorded and mixed by myself, mostly on old ADATs. I tried using computer software and I hate it because I prefer real time use of faders and controls.
I also prefer stand alone EQ and compression. A lot of people these don't even know how to use stuff like that.
Sounds great... better than demo quality. Are you the keyboard player?
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Easy Money View Drop Down
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Points: 10616 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Easy Money Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 20 2020 at 16:15
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Originally posted by Easy Money Easy Money wrote:

Click on the homepage of my PA profile and you can the hear demos for my funk jazz group. All of the tunes were recorded and mixed by myself, mostly on old ADATs. I tried using computer software and I hate it because I prefer real time use of faders and controls.
I also prefer stand alone EQ and compression. A lot of people these days don't even know how to use stuff like that.
Sounds great... better than demo quality. Are you the keyboard player?
Yes, thats me. I started making my own demos because I got frustrated with 'real' studios. I always felt I could do better on my own. A lot of people with 'real' studios don't have very good ears and they try to mix and eq at loud volumes which is always a bad idea.

Edited by Easy Money - July 28 2020 at 09:24
Help the victims of the russian invasion:
http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=28523&PID=130446&title=various-ways-you-can-help-ukraine#130446
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NecronCommander View Drop Down
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I just started recording some stuff in my bedroom for fun.  Currently have a Behringer U-Phoria 2-in and 4-in running aggregate to both mic everything and direct record everything.
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Grumpyprogfan View Drop Down
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Points: 11539 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Grumpyprogfan Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February 21 2020 at 10:01
^That guitar is cool. One of a kind?
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NecronCommander View Drop Down
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Yeah, it's a Warr Artisan 12 made to my specifications.
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bionic dog View Drop Down
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I have a Zoom R 16 that I run various synths, effect boxes and drum machines into it. You can record up to eight tracks at one time. It's easy to use and the recordings sound pretty good.

They seem to sell for $400 US, but when I bought mine it was quite a bit less.

If you're curious to hear what an R16 can do:
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*frinspar* View Drop Down
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I'm cheap and a "means to an end" kinda guy who plays for myself. So I went from my phone, to a looper and my phone, to an iRig with JamUp Pro on my old iPad, to Garageband on a new iPad. That allows me to achieve enough of what I want to satisfy the desire to make music. Big smile
And lots of pedals. LOL
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SteveG View Drop Down
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Originally posted by NecronCommander NecronCommander wrote:

Yeah, it's a Warr Artisan 12 made to my specifications.
Does anyone know how Mark W is doing these days with his cancer treatments?
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clivey View Drop Down
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Hi I am very new here but do write and produce much stuff. If you Google clivey macdougall you will see that I have literally 100 ,'s of tracks of varying degrees of unlistenabilty. for examples and recently I have been dabbling again with the moonlit knight of prog a d electroniclol.
I use Only 32 bit software that is old Cubase and reason,also dozens of virtual fx,Synths and amps
2 old Tenor Saxes , one soprano called Kitty who is a wee fake, flute, tin whistles, DeArmond x155 semi,Alesisq25 controller,folio12 desk and a electro voice mic
I have literally done thousands of hours playing gigs and busking in Tenerife be and Edinburgh but I really love all music though I am no expert.
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JD View Drop Down
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From the BUSKER (listed here) studios circa 1982

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Did quite a few albums in this space. I was the engineer.
The band was much more talented than is indicated by their rating on PA. But they were a victim of their own device being a working bar band. The albums never caught the energy of the live performances.

Best album to date is Northern Fantasies (2007) IMHO. It was recorded at the keyboard player's house (a small one room studio) then mixed at my place (in my dining room) all on a Korg D1600 DAW.


Edited by JD - December 13 2020 at 06:59
Thank you for supporting independently produced music
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Davesax1965 View Drop Down
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Half the keyboard setup. Factor in six saxes, six guitars, two basses, flute etc etc etc and I'm going for the "most gear in the smallest space" award. ;-)

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Lewian View Drop Down
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I've been recording stuff for 35 years or so. Lots of stuff exists but only a tiny bit is here. These days I don't find enough time but would like to record again (I'm using Logic on the Mac, that's basically all... of course plus bass, guitar, keyboards and some other stuff that makes noise)... occasionally I do "noise improvisations" with the Funex trio (some is on the Lewian soundcloud page) that probably won't be very popular around here, but who knows, some panheads may like it...  these are just recorded by a small digital recorder and later minimally mixed on Logic.
Some videos:

The photo of the Hotel Encore guy on bandcamp, who is an old friend of mine, actually shows my first bass guitar that I left in Germany for music visits. I am on a pretty small number of the things that he offers there but won't tell you which because some of it is a bit embarassing. Wink

I only made money from music once, or rather from "music"; we (Poeten & Moerder) got some 1000 Euros for producing a sound installation from household items that was (maybe still is) used in a German museum, because the guy who was responsible for curating the exhibition knew as and thought (I think rightly) that we'd do a good job and be cheaper than professionals. 

I should say that I don't see myself as a "real" musician and I never had any ambition to become semiprofessional or anything... I know I'm too lazy to become good on any instrument and also I have two left hands as Germans would say... everything that sounds like I can play an instrument properly is either achieved by trickery or by focusing an insane amount of time on playing the same part... but I'm fairly proud that I think I got something good to listen to (at least for myself Wink) out of my inabilities. 
I have no ethical issues with manipulations of this kind at all, because, as I like to say, music is for the ears!


Edited by Lewian - August 16 2020 at 05:32
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