Gazebo

Amazing! I will dip in, not sure I have the time to listen to 12 albums in one go!😅

Thanks for watching. You are both absolutely correct. This is my first attempt at a video, and I had no storyboard or theme, just a bunch of video images from my phone. I had the song and thought there was a thematic link, so stuck it all together. I quite like it, but there are glaring problems on watching again after sleeping on it. The good thing is I can see a lot of the issues and you have been very constructive in your criticisms, so thankyou very much. It gives me food for thought for next time.

As I was given a wah pedal for Christmas it was only polite to give it a run out. This is a song I wrote about my morning walks during lockdown, which were both therapeutic and inspirational. The footage is from some of those walks. Light Across The Fields video.

Sometimes that process of thinking about things can be as much of a deterrent to progress as anything else. You see it all of the time, that the biggest barrier to creativity is yourself. Too much thinking about stuff, not enough doing. Fear of doing something that doesn't "measure up", too much worrying about quality control, when you have no output over which to QA check! Obsessing over the gear you "might" need, when you probably have more resource in your laptop than the Beatles had when they recorded Sergeant Pepper. I guess I have been there, and that's been causing procrastination. Here's a weird thing. I cut my finger quite badly which meant I couldn't play guitar, and suddenly when physically stopped from being able to play I had a load of ideas. As soon as I could play again I was recording and came up with something that I am really pleased with. It was recorded simply, with all existing kit, and it was so much fun. Great to be in that immersive space, where time disappears as I chase the sound I want. I think this song sets the direction for the EP. We are in lockdown for Covid-19 in the UK, and I suppose that has also affected things. I am working from home and probably more busy than normal, but we are taking local walks every day, and I am seeing things in my neighbourhood that I have never noticed before. We have found lanes, fields, alleyways and places that we didn't know existed, and that opens your mind to what is all at our fingertips. Looking forward...

There has been progress. I hate the phrase "LIfe getting in the way". It presupposes that life being lived is in some way less valuable than stamp collecting, trout fishing, off road biking, music (whatever your interest is). Truth is, that life is what enriches our interest, through providing perspective, and to a certain extent scarcity. There has been a lot of life since my first post on this blog. Most of it very positive, and things that you wouldn't set aside to force an EP onto an unsuspecting public a few days earlier. But there has been progress. I have five new songs in various states, all in some recorded form. All are needing a lot of editing, trimming and restructuring, but the melodies and lyrical intent are there. I've been experimenting with recording techniques and equipment, trying to find the "sound" for the ep as I have made demos The writing process has been organic, in that I have not forced anything, but just gone into my little recording space and seen what happens. It is working out, and I don't intend developing any of the songs beyond demo until I have decided on the ones to go on the EP. I'm normally a record it once and put it out character. This time I am going to redraft, rewrite, restructure and see what I can achieve. The photo is my writing and demo session yesterday. I used the Zoom R8 as the notebook for recording, so that I didn't overthink things around production, but just captured the raw elements in some kind of arrangement.

I was on a sunbed. The sun was beating down, and I was thinking about how much I love writing, playing and recording music, but that nothing happened with it. I have been here at Songstuff for a long while. I'm not much of an activist - a part time lurker really, but I started thinking it might be tome for a change. I wanted to set some rules, some targets and objectives and to see how I can do better than I have before. Here's what I'm thinking: Create a brand new musical vehicle, with a new "band" name. (The band is really likely to be me, possibly with some collaboration and support). Write and record an EP, 6 tracks maximum, with a unified sound Release before the end of the year - Bandcamp, Soundcloud and maybe look at Spotifiy etc via Distrokid, CDBaby or similar Proper videos for two of the songs, maybe lyric and static image videos for the others on a band specific Youtube channel Social media marketing campaign (I have just shut my Twitter account, but I think Instagram is better for music anyway. Twitter seems to have become a place to shout at other people) Aim to at least double the number of listens and downloads achieved on my best previous online release "Prime", which goes back to 2014. (Currently standing at total plays 394, 18 sales/ downloads - not the highest bar to be honest, but that's the benchmark). RULES All songs must be new - no old rewrites No new equipment - this is not a GAS exercise, but a creative one. Choose some base sounds (amps, guitars, keys etc) and stick with them to produce a homogenous sounding EP. No concerns about adding some unusual sounds, but the base should be recognisable. Artwork can be outsourced - not my area of expertise.

Added everyone on this thread - I'm at @KrooharrDude

All of the collaborations I have been involved in have been a two way street. I may have seen lyrics that inspire me, and have written some music and shared it back. Sometimes my songwriting partner(s) think what I have done is good, add ideas or point the song in a completely different direction. I tend to do several recorded "drafts" that I share, and we critique and change constantly, and I will also suggest lyric amendments or additions that I think would work. Sometimes I develop a melody suggested by my co-writer, but I have always had a situation where all parties involved have a continuing interest in the song from inception, with agreed changes along the way. Those changes can be difficult sometimes, where one or other particularly don't like something, but you have to be honest and allow the power of veto and rely on your co-writers to be both happy to compromise and to deal with contentious changes sensitively. Honesty is the best policy, but be prepared to accept that it is a partnership and it's not all your way. The end result is always better than you could achieve on your own.

Synthtopia seems to be aimed at the guys using midi and synths a lot. For me, this is not a big issue. If you posed the same question to readers of an acoustic guitar magazine the results might be markedly different. Bitwig is completely new to me - in fact I hadn't heard of it before reading this. I came from a background of cassette 4 track recording initially, moving to a hard disk recorder. My first DAW was Cakewalk Guitar Tracks. I moved onto Home Studio, then dropped out of recording for a while. When I started again I found Kristal, which was revolutionary for me. So simple, yet powerful, and demanding some creative thinking. (No midi, limited tracks and VST ports). I bought a new interface and tried the Sonar Lite and Cubase Lite versions that came bundled with it, and it whetted my appetite for more features. I tried Reaper around this time, and a friend also introduced me to Studio One. Just because of the way I like working, Reaper has been the DAW I have stayed with. It's not about features, price or that it sounds different - I just "get" Reaper in a workflow way that I didn't any of the others, and the more I use it, the more things I find in it. Of course, I am a prone to GAS as anyone, and often look around wondering if the grass is greener somewhere else, but for the moment Reaper does everything I need and more.

+1 for the Blue Note covers Simultaneously intense and laid back.

Assuming that you have a computer already, for under £1000: Microphone (SM58 or Samson Condenser) & Stand - £120 Interface M-Audio - £130 (or if you are a guitarist try the Line 6 POD XT (£79) which is bundled with loads of great sounding guitar amp sims and effects) DAW - Reaper £70 or Studio One Free (Free). Lite version DAW's are often bundled with interfaces, and are plenty good enough to cut your teeth, and include enough effects etc to turn out some good stuff. VST and VSTi effects - see the thread for the additional free effects you can download on this forum. Monitors - I've never had any (space issue) so use either computer speakers when tracking or headphones. Not ideal, but will get you started, no problem. MIDI Keyboard Interface - M-Audio Keystation (£105) if you are a keyboard player Thats enough to get you going - upgrade as you need to when you know where you want to go. Hope this helps.

I've got three electrics, an acoustic and a bass - quite a modest collection! Electrics Vintage V6LB (Strat copy) - my go to guitar, seems to be able to do anything Coxx ES335 Copy - Lovely tone, was referred to by a friend as a blues-machine. Looks great, but not quite as versatile as the Vintage Hondo ES335 copy - massive personal value, was bought with a minor inheritance, so is the one that I will always keep. Looks better than it plays to be honest, but for snarling Britpop sounds or anything involving some overdrive very useful. Not so good clean. Acoustic Made by Vintage - not a big gear-head, so don't know what it's emulating, but sounds good and has served me well for nearly twenty years. I bought it at a music show, discounted because of a slight blemish in the finish. Has never let me down, and I know it so well now that I overlook it's minor shortcomings. Bass Tensor Precision Bass copy - Plays well - traded a Yamaha fretless to buy it, and it sounds good though doesn't have the brand cachet. Not outstanding, but a decent workhorse, and reliable for recording.