Phil Stacey’s new record hits shelves and sites today- give it a listen. Phil’s got a wonderful voice and the record was produced by super-producer Brown Bannister; I did most of the programming and keys. It’s a pop record- I did lots of drum and synth layers and some string work. Drum sounds are from my own samples, Operator, and perhaps something I recorded on the spot to use inside of Impulse. Synths and pads are from Thor, Absynth, Pro53, Ultra Analog, and the MO8. I was working on it right before Live 8 was released, so all but one track was done in version 7. There was a last-minute addition that gave me a chance to use 8; I think it was the first real work I did using 8. I used the Collision instrument and some of the new effects in a song called “Hard To Get”. It turned out wonderfully and Collision has become a go-to source for anything from soft mallets to crazy craziness.

The standing studio is now complete- or at least more committed to. The cardboard box/desk combo has been replaced by a modular system from Ikea with great results. I assembled a basic system with Broder components- a worksurface and a hidden rear shelf for cables, power supplies, a flux capacitor and other miscellaneous clutter. The shelf has also become Nuvi’s new favourite studio spot. See space for pictures.

I would highly recommend you try a standing setup, even if only for the health benefits. I’ve grown quite fond of the freedom and mobility it affords. Now I don’t have to buy a Herman Miller. Perhaps I can use that money for shoes instead…

Finally- a break in the schedule. First order of business: Live 8. It’s been sitting in my studio, quietly and patiently waiting to be unleashed. Installing software whilst in critical stages of a project can be a recipe for disaster, so I’ve waited. For this upgrade I went for the Full Monty and ordered the Suite. Admittedly, I’m skeptical of some of the extras, namely the orchestral and piano samples. I doubt they can compete with the larger libraries in terms of realism and articulation, but sometimes the best sounds aren’t the best when they’re put in a track . No matter- I would I have ordered Suite regardless. Installation is relatively smooth; somewhat lengthy, thought. Time for lunch? I look forward to posting thoughts in a while.

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…

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.

A laptop keyboard as an input surface only takes one so far. Sure, it can be a great conversation starter, but if you’re trying to actually work… maybe not. One octave and no touch sensitivity can get old quickly. Enter the Korg NanoKey. Some friends gave me one for Christmas, and, in the words of Jack Black, it’s totally awesome. If only I had this on my last transatlantic… Touch sensitive keys, octave switching, pitch bend and programmable mod control; nice. The pitch bend is pre-set; press the pitch button and the Nano transmits a positive pitch bend message. It’s crude at best but the pitch sweep is set to a pleasing rate- it gives a slightly different effect than a normal pitch bend. It’s cheap, and it’s novel, but it stays in my backpack and gets used. If only they had given me the black version…

My WSG blog is featured on musicfromouterspace.com. Thanks, Ray!

Alright. Creativity will win out every time over stacks of gear. I’m not a latest-greatest kind of guy and I work with a minimal setup. However, I have to write something about a piece of gear (or rather software) that has transformed how I work and create. I started using Ableton about a year or maybe 16 months ago, and it has really transformed the way I work. I know that sounds like a quote from a catalogue but it’s the truth. I can listen to the first thing I created with Ableton and it’s as if a switch was thrown in my brain. A good switch. Maybe it’s my appreciation of German engineering; perhaps it was a fresh perspective or maybe the software is the best match I’ve found for how my mind works. Whatever the reason, I love it and it’s my main creative (not recording/mixing) software. So go ahead, call me a sell-out, but I’m happy to give recognition to a great thing. Speaking of German engineering, Waldorf, after closing it’s doors and then re-opening, has released another winner in the form of the Blofeld. Nicely done, although my personal favorite is still the Microwave XT.

In the ever changing, never ending adventure that is my work, I’ve recently found myself writing and producing for a few Latin artists. It’s great and I love it but there’s one small thing: I don’t speak Spanish beyond being able to order a taco at Las Palmas! I love being the only gringo in the studio, or sitting down to do a track and not having a clue as to what the lyric is about (at first- I’m learning as I go…) The good thing is it’s all turning out well. It’s also a great illustration of how music can bridge the gap between any two things that are seemingly non-compatible.

I just finished the soundtrack for House Of Wolves. For all the movie fans out there who are thinking, “I’ve seen every trailer but I’ve never even heard of that one…”, don’t despair. It’s not a movie (yet); it’s a book. A soundtrack for a book? Yes! Why Not? House Of Wolves is the second part of a five-book series by Matt Bronlewee. Ancient texts, secret societies, codes, maps, forgotten World War II Nazi strongholds… it’s great stuff. The soundtrack is a very organic/ambient/electronic work, with vocals on a few of the tracks by the Tactus Cartel.

I’ve started working on a project called Tactus Cartel, and I’m trés excited about it as it’s very much my own creative vision, I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a solo record, but I am the driving force behind the production and writing. There will be other honorary members of the Cartel of course; I trust my instincts but collaboration sometimes yields a higher quality result. The first of the honorary members is Dave over at Bristow Design- he’s helping with visuals and probably writing as well. The second honorary member is Paul, although he doesn’t know it yet. My main goal with Tactus Cartel is expression- it’s a moody electronic/ambient/pop sound that lends itself and is primarily aimed to film and television. What you’ll hear is basically what happens when I sit down and make music without the usual input from label/a&r/management/radio/marketing/wardrobe/catering… Not that input and collaboration with the label side is bad- it’s a necessary element in creating something that everyone can be excited about.
While I’ve had this project in mind for sometime, I’m just finding the time and creative vision to pursue it. Creating something that is rooted deeply within yourself and then putting it out for public consumption is highly exciting and at the same time quite unsettling, but the initial response has been wonderful. Perhaps it’s because I finally have something to offer in the songs I am writing, or maybe people are drawn to purity as far as artistic expression. Well, perhaps that last thought is a bit utopian but here’s to hope.