Of the things I love about my work, the forever changing and unpredictable nature of what I’m doing day-to-day ranks high on the list. Today was no exception. I spent the day writing with Velez and Rich Peña. Rich is a wonderful producer, programmer and drummer- one of those guys who makes anything he’s a part of better, be it a session or a barbecue. He’s producing Velez’s new project. It was a great day- we wrestled with a lyric, started a track and captured vocals. These guys are fun, cool, and know music- all genres. Oh yes- they’re also quite talented. In addition to writing and recording, they film and produce a music/variety tv series- starring themselves of course. Check their myspace, website, or twitter.

I was reading an article on the Chip Collection blog and it made me smile because it was at the same time true and untrue. Now, the post is a tongue-in-cheek look at gear, out-of-date hardware and soforth, but it brings up something I feel strongly about: It’s so NOT about the gear.

Technology is great- anyone can have access to the same software and sounds that the “pros” use. The good side of this is that the playing field is somewhat leveled. The bad side is that everything sounds the same, and the overall quality of music is decreased. A quick tour of Myspace will yield hours of sub-par programmed tracks that use the same Reason presets. So what separates the good from the bad and the ugly? Creativity. Uniqueness. Individuality. Attention to detail. So, your music sounds like Royksopp? Great, but I’ll listen to Royksopp if I want to hear Royksopp. Give me something I haven’t heard before. Great bands and artists have a unique sound.

I’m a professional musician. Like most, I’m no prodigy, I don’t come from a “famous” music family and I don’t have a wealthy benefactor. The music industry is tough, and I work hard. I love what I do, and I love that it provides for my family. They come first. That means clothes, shoes, food or medicine for my daughter come before the latest plug-ins. It also means my gear list is relatively short when compared to a lot of guys. But that can be a great thing.

How can having no gear be such a good thing? Well, it forces you to be creative (a novel concept these days I know…). In my case, having only a few keyboards at my disposal really forced me to use them in non-standard ways. Instead of simply running a preset through a plug-in, I had to learn how to actually edit and design sounds. In the process, I discovered, quite by accident many times, new approaches, edits and processes that have become a huge part of what I do on a track these days. My favourite things are those that I have yet to hear on other records- things I think (or hope) I am doing first. Wishful thinking? Probably but perhaps no. Lots of gear, while being fun and novel, can be distracting. The other thing about having tons of gear is that, depending on how you came about that gear, it can hold you back.

Consider the chap who goes out and buys a roomful of gear. Now, he must work extra to pay for that gear, often having to do things that are severely draining on time and creativity, instead of being able to simply CREATE. And then, even worse, is the possibility of that gear being out of date and needing to be upgraded by the time it’s paid for. So how much did it really help? Then there’s the guy who has a minimal setup but knows how to make it rock. The limitation demands creativity. Before long, people notice. Not too long after that, he can afford any bit of kit he desires!

I’m somewhere between the two; I’ve made my share of bad gear decisions but I like my setup now. Some days I catch myself thinking “It would be great to have…”, but at the same time, I’m really thankful for a modest studio, because I know to some degree the lack is what forces me to up my game. Now if I can somehow get that modular I’ve been wanting, or that OP-1 synth…

But how does it sound? No bother, even if the OP-1 just sits there it’s bound to inspire something. The sound examples found on the website and various web locations seem promising. For now, here’s what it has: a synth, a sampler, a motion sensor, a built in mic and speaker, a sequencer, a great display and an awesome look. Yes, please.

Back in November I made the switch. No, not operating platforms or software, but the switch to a standing studio. Keyboards and control surfaces are now at standing height- at least the majority of them- my rhodes and upright haven’t moved. It took a while to get used to the change; my legs were a bit sore for the first week but in the name of good health I pressed on. I resolved to try it for as long as I could, and to go 6 months before making any permanent changes. My Axiom, computer keyboard, mouse and screen are propped up on a box; it’s covered with a black sheet but it’s still decidedly lo-fi. I’m now crossing the five-month barrier and I’m completely sold on the idea. I love the freedom of motion and the fact that my back no longer hurts.
So now I’m looking for a standing height desk, and the options, as you may guess, are a bit limited when compared to standard desks. I may end up ordering a desktop surface from Ikea and building the frame myself, we’ll see. More to come!

Who are the hardest working guys in music? Jason, Thad, and Josh over at SortedNoise. Not only are they world-class musicians and writers, but they have put together one of the most exciting, forward-thinking production companies in town. Head on over to SortedNoise.com and see what they’re up to.

I’ve had a number of people ask about my studio setup. I’ll say one thing- it’s fairly simple. Diapers, toys, clothes, food, school and the myriad other things that come along with family tend to take priority over synths, software, mics and preamps. There are those bits of kit that are indispensable; here’s a list, although it’s probably not all-inclusive:
I’ll start with my upright. It’s always on, ready to inspire. Unlimited polyphony and infinite tone. The Fender Rhodes. Calm, cool, and unassuming. Still can’t be beat by a plug-in. Mine is a 54 key version. Anyone else have one of those? My weighted controller is a Yamaha MO8, and I really like it, especially for the piano-type sounds. It doesn’t sound like a plug-in. Sure, it’s kind of kludgy to program, but it weighs considerably less than the MOTIF. I bought it a few years back for a tour; if I knew I was never going to move it I would want a MOTIF, but only for the expansion. Maybe a MOTIF rack is the answer to that… Anyway, back to the original topic. Ableton would be next. In a worse-case scenario, give me my laptop and Ableton. In a second-to-worse case scenario, give me my G-Media and Native Instruments plug-ins. I probably turn to those more than anything else, especially the Minimonsta, Oddity, Absynth and Pro53. Other softsynths would be the Olga, from Schwa Audio, and the Thor synth in Reason. Last but not least is my MG-1. I’ve modded it so it’s not exactly stock; it’s old and quirky but wonderful. My small controller is an M-Audio Axiom. Full-featured and built like a tank. I got mine a while back; three years without a case on the bus and several countries later and it still works perfectly. One of the knobs is crooked, but that happened when a bandmate borrowed it for a weekend.
There you have it. I should probably include my converters, which are Mytek. I should also mention my headphones, the Senheiser HD280. Not the greatest, but good enough and not so expensive that I’m afraid to throw a pair in my backpack.