john Moxey Studio 2023 is a little over doing it??

[El Diablo Songwriter]

What sucks is that there's no way to reply to these pictures, so I guess the best way is to bring it to this discussion area.

 

I'm really thinking that's over doing it.. where I lack in studio equipment, I excel in plugins.  LoL 🤣

 

All I have is a Asus Intel laptop, Roland Midi keyboard (PCR-300) https://www.roland.com/us/products/pcr-300/ , Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, Yamaha HS5s, AT2020 microphone, AT2050 microphone.

 

The PCR-300 was made for Windows XP, 7, and 8.  I had a really hard time getting it to run on Windows 10, but I was able to do it.  It works perfectly with Cakewalk Sonar DAW, even though I now use Reaper.  It's Dnamic mapping button was exclusively created for Cakewalk Sonar, which still works in the free version by Bandlab.  But I hardly use that feature, so it's not a big down fall for it.  If I ever move to windows 11 (which my computer isn't compatible for), I may have to get myself a new midi keyboard.

 

Intel is the best computer chip for making music on for PC.  AMD is better for gaming.

 

Just imagine a picture of my room ..lol... 90 sq.ft. of studio small room :P. Perfect for bass extension that only your neighbors can hear... LoL!

 

[john]

Sheesh, I’d cut things back so much!

 

I enjoy playing my keyboards so that’s good. Same goes with my guitars, bass and assorted instruments. Sure I could replace them with plugins but meh, I prefer playing the actual instruments… and I get plugins for the instruments I can’t play or can’t play to a level I am happy recording. I was a musician first, starting learning my first instrument when I was 4 years old, it makes sense to me to still have the ability to use real instruments when I can.

 

I started working in a recording studio when I was 16 years old. I fell in love with that physical interface. It’s just largely souped up with a digital back end.

 

I record a few styles of music from folk, through classical, rock and electronica to name a few. Sometimes software instruments are adequate and appropriate, sometimes they are a square peg in a round hole.

 

I am far from against plug ins, but sometimes they are a lot of work for a lesser result (sometimes exactly the opposite is true too). I keep my options open if I can.

 

A lot of my remaining audio hardware is legacy. An old dual gate compressor, an old physical sampler, so that I can recreate old mixes easily. I unashamedly use patchbays for 2 reasons… I have a very bad back so crawling around connecting the various bits of gear I have is not something I want to do every time I reconfigure my connections to include a bit of gear. The other reason is to protect the connectors on my hardware. The Patchbay gets worn out, not the connectors. The other main bits of gear are an old DAT for my old DAT masters, and my MOTU ES 828 interface which is a perfect interface for the variety of recording scenarios I might need. That said I wish I had the modern equivalent of my old creamware cards from my old Carillon PC. That was an awesome sound card in it’s day.

 

My second PC is for video streaming and video editing. I’ll be using that for recording video versions of old and new articles for Songstuff, for creating video courses, for interview of artists for SSUK, and IMS and Songstuff and for songwriters and producers on Songstuff too.  I’ll also be using it for video for my own music. I also use that PC for most of my internet.

 

The PS5 is just for fun.

 

My University course was all about designing audio gear, hardware and software. I am toying with the idea of creating some software instruments, effects and tools. I also studied a variety of Ai tech from learning algorithms, genetic algorithms, neural networks and object oriented design. Applications from instruments and effects through to adaptive interfaces and creative Ai have all developed a lot since I studied. All that is in the software realm. I design and admin websites, create digital art… so much of my life is purely software… purely inside the box or online, so I indulge myself with the comfort and immediacy of hardware interfaces (including the faster work rate they bring).

 

It’s not gear for gear’s sake. Each part fulfils a useful role that I understand. I am more aware than most of both the capabilities and benefits of software and software modelled gear, but I am also very aware of their limitations and compromises. Sometimes I enjoy the benefits and live with the limitations, sometimes I don’t. They are all deliberate choices.

 

Believe me… software takes up a lot less room! On a bright note, I didn’t opt for 16 or 24 track reel to reels for my old multitrack tapes!

[VoiceEx]

I think that John's studio is rather lovely! Though if you ask me, I don't think hes overdoing it. I think its just right 👍

 

Then again, I'm not one to talk because my motto is: You're studio is not 'complete' until it looks like an alien warehouse. We talking an entire ecosystem of gizmo's and gadgets, a surreal hellscape for technophobes. Forget about visitors tripping over wires - I want people to get lost in there. And, no, I won't be happy until I need to start pumping power from nearby houses. Maybe even power plants. Lean into it with a mindset of: "I am not a collector, we the The Borg!" 🤣

Edited November 28, 2023 by VoiceEx