Check out this link.
Just another clue that expensive VST plugins with flashy GUIs are not necessary for good music production. In fact, you don’t have to spend a dime on software. Concentrate your investments in good hardware if you’re building a studio.
So here’s a good example of the flexibility of open source software. I sponsored an Ardour feature request (see here ) last week. It is now implemented in the 3.0 branch (which is still in early alpha phase, very unstable, might get released this fall sometime). Attached are screenshots of my mockup and the final implemented feature (notice the “group tabs” to the left and above the channels). There are several other workflow-related improvements that go along with the feature as well… all in all it turned out better than I expected, and I think it will be a huge time-saver. I only wish I could have paid more! It was no doubt much more than $75 worth of work.
Thanks to Carl H. (Hetherington I think) for implementing the feature, and of course Paul Davis and the rest of the developers for such a cool DAW.
Lately I’ve been a bit discouraged about the studio. It’s becoming increasingly obvious to me that being commercially successful is a bit of a pipe dream. I say this not just because it’s difficult to get clients (though I’ll admit we’ve hardly even tried), but also because I’m not particularly interested in commercial success. I’ve got (what could be considered) a business degree, but I’m not a businessman by any stretch.
I was inspired recently when I visited Steve Voltz and Randy Schweinsberg’s studio in Pittsburgh. It’s a really cool place that they’ve obviously put a ton of work into; and as far as I know, they don’t intend to do much commercial work there. Here are two guys doing what they love because they love it.
I just got done mixing a five-song demo with Righteous Fingers of Harmony this evening. I’m pleased with how everything came out; It was the first time I had used the AKG 414′s through the upgraded preamps, which I used in mid/side configuration to capture Mike’s acoustic guitar. The rest of the setup was pretty standard… SM57s as far as the eye can see, AKG 451′s above the drums, RE-20 on kick. The songs were all recorded live in one room, with the vocals and acoustic guitar overdubbed.
These guys have covered a lot of musical ground in the… um… many years I’ve known them. Check out their MySpace page ( http://www.myspace.com/rfhrock ) to hear the tunes.
I took these last week to update the blog with some recent pictures, but they’re already out of date! The new paint job went into the control room over the weekend. These are the “before” pictures… updated pictures will come soon. (These are really dark, sorry)
P.S.: Turns out that Windows doesn’t render the C64 font very well at small sizes. So if you’re on Windows, you’re better off not installing it; the blog will fall-back on the “fixedsys” font which is easier to read.
