o si usted prefiere, "Los archivos de la Trucha del Kilgore."
Tuesday, May 16th, 2006
The quest for a home studio has been a long and winding road.

I often think how much more prepared I was back in the day, when I was paying in a "pro" studio....seems well worth every cent now.

...but there is still this romance of recording and producing myself without sacrificing any creative control...Without having to explain what I hear in my mind.......using the recording process as part of the creative process.

the problem is, when it comes to recording, I am in a foreign country, where I can barely ask " Where is the bathroom" or " How are you?" .....when I am surrounded by people discussing art, politics, and religion.....

..but much like learning a new language (literally)...there is an intrigue, and the more you learn about the language, the more you want to learn about the culture and the people who speak it, so is learning this art, this craft of recording.

What I have learned the most about this, is that the hunt for gear, is not where it's at....Really it's ALL about writing a good song, and not loosing sight of that.

Sure, there are most certainly better ways of capturing a performance, and with experience one can train and learn to do it in a way which is a perfect representation of a song.....recording specifically is all about capturing sound.

I think I could spend years trying to learn everything I can about recording, and perhaps I will...but I love to write and create music, so the key for me now, at least, is to try and create and use my studio as a tool to express my ideas...and perhas as a means for others to hear my creations.


Here's a list of my biggest challenges:

• I have to wear many hats.
• No drummer, or drumset.
• Not much experience using a DAW especially PC.
• Poor acoustics in current room.

...now in this list I would love to put gear limitations, but I think that would be a cop out.

Write a good song, and most times it will shine through a shitty recording, at least in a critical listenning way, not a kick back and listen to the music way.

I think a lot of the Beatles Anthology series, esp. the 2nd nd 3rd. There are a few pretty crappy recordings, as well as some less than stellar productions, but the strong song writing ability is there no doubt, wether you like the Beatles or not.

I am no 7th Beatle, by any means, but my point is, in the year and a half I have been learning to use my DAW, I have seemed to lose focus on writing a good song, and instead, getting caught up in what and how to record a good song...

in other words... losing focus on the journey, and focusing ONLY on the goal.

Ok, so my room sucks, and I don't have this and that piece of gear, or the a lot of money. SO WHAT!?
Record it anyway.
The whole thing with minimalism was a less is more thing....

though I am not necessarliy a minimalist, the fact is working within limitation, the best you can will actually improve your skill....in other words, do the best with what you got.

It's easy to look around on the boards and see people with a ton of expensive gear, and think that this is what I am missing....but in the end that is really the ultimate distraction about the internet. Though it is a valuable resource nonetheless.

So where am I going with all of this you ask?

Though my health has been of shit, and I have been ultra busy/distracted....I have managed to record on my handheld, and write down snippetts and ideas for songs...Unfortunatly I have been focused on the wrong stuff for these ideas to reach "recorded song" form..

So I am finally accepting my limitations, and going to start to get to work...sure I may pick up a piece of gear in the process, but this will not be a distraction.

Sat. June 10th....
I am still keeping this journal in obscurity....
man I am really feeling the limitations of my gear.....I posted something in the recording forum a while back on a search for a mic. pre..and basically came to the conclusion that that is not where my priorities should lie...
I had accsess to a Fender Twin reverb, but no longer....so was thinking an upgrade from my GT-8 was in order.
Don't get me wrong I love it, It has a lot of potential in many situations, but it is very difficult, at best, to get the sounds I want.
It just isn't the "real thing.."

Same with the drums....was thinking of a drum machine, but those are really just songwriting tools at best, unless of course your David Byrne doing "Psycho Killer"

When I can free-up some cash, I want to try these "Real drum clips"....It's very intriguing to me, at least at this point...cut and paste a several wav. files of real drums recorded in a great studio...the clips I have heard are pretty decent, but the whole ordeal sounds like brain surgury, and I fear may really suck the life out of the whole process.

Man, I wish drummers where like guitarists; "a dime a dozen.."

having said that, I am going to run an add searching for a studio drummer.

There are actually a bunch of drummers who sell their sevices, but that's too rich for my blood at this point, but if the other alternatives don't work to my liking, I am either going to have to take up the drums again, or spend the money....

I am still in the process of fleshing out some tunes I have been working on the past 6 mos. but, I know having at least some drums to work with would be very helpful..I just don't want this to be a distraction, which it is becomming.

I suppose because I let it really, but I would like at least a general idea of a song, before I press record.

I mean I hear it in my mind, but without some glue, it just doesn't "feel" right.

I must admit, I am thinking of packing it all in; selling all my studio gear... though I do not have a lot, I could get some decent money for it....and just going back to being a musician.

It is hard to wear a lot of hats....especially when you lack the tools and experience.

What keeps me from selling it all though is the challenge, and the view of the other side.

My fault is, I thought I was further along with the gear.
....again a distraction from just writing a good tune.


12/19/06

many twists and turns which seemed for the worse have really been blessings in disguise...

I (for now) am out from behind the recording gear.....and back on-stage....

I have sold all of my recording equipment, and have focused on building a decent guitar rig.

Been working with a bunch of fine musicians for 'bout 8 months now, and we are heading to the studio tonight!!!

I must say, though I am sure I will miss in many ways, that aspect of the creation.....I have been feeling very recharged as far as my guitar playing and songwriting chops....

once we get our demo put together...i will bump this thread and put up some links and pics....
my frustrations of old have been replaced with much better ones, like; trying to get 7 other peole's schedules aligned......


all for now..

1/26/07
drum auditions......
been a month of auditions....i must admit, i was expecting only one or two drummers, but we got an amazing response from our craigslist add...and after the untimely departure of our drummer, this was a most auspicious month....
getting ready to roll.....links soon.