This is an article I wrote for an online magazine back in 2001. When Second Story was gigging regularly, I used to get asked a lot, "How come you guys seem to get better mixes and sound from the soundman than we do?" Here's at least some of the answers.
Getting Great Sound from a House Soundman
It always amazes me how many local artists tell me that they don't play a certain club anymore because the "sound man is so bad there." With rare exception, I tell them that whenever we play that same club, our front of house sound is just fine. Granted, there are clubs that have people behind the boards that shouldn't touch the tone controls on their home stereo — much less a fader on a mixing board — but those clubs are so few and far between that it usually isn't the issue.
Getting good sound in your local club can be a matter of following a few simple rules, most of which I've seen broken by most of the bands we've played with over the years. Whether it be ego or ignorance, not doing your part to get good sound is probably doing far more damage to your front-of-house mix than the soundman's inability (or indifference.) Here are a few things that I've learned over the years; many of these were tips from soundmen, many just revelations and discoveries after lots and lots of gigs over the years.
Above all – BE NICE.
The soundman is just doing a job. To him, it's often no different than your weekend gig behind the register at the corner drug store. It's a paycheck. He obviously has to do a good enough job to keep the gig, but if you're not pleasant and friendly, he's not going to invest more than a minimum of effort to get you guys on stage. If he's thinking, "these are cool guys," he's usually going to sit behind the board and bring the fader up when the guitar player starts his solo, instead of wandering off to get another beer.
As an addendum to the above, be considerate.
We've got an amazing amount of gear for our live show. Between MIDI and "regular" bass, two guitar preamps and midi guitar, keyboards, a sampler, drums, percussion... we could be a soundman's nightmare. But we've carefully designed the way our equipment works so that it is simple for the engineer — one mic (on one speaker) covers all three guitar preamps, a high-quality DI (with a three-foot XLR extension cord that hangs off the side of the bass rig) covers all the bass, and the sampler runs through the keyboard player's rig, which is also handled by a single DI. Voila! Even with all our complex gear, we're as simple to mix as a standard 5-piece group. Also included in being considerate – get your gear onstage and set up quickly and efficiently, and when the show's over, don't waste time breaking down, especially if there's another band after you.
Have decent gear.
This may sound like a no-brainer, but I've heard bands whining because they didn't get a good sound out front; meanwhile, the guitarist is using a stomp-box through a Peavey Audition 20, the bassist has 40 year-old strings on his $110 bass, and the drummer hasn't changed his heads (or tuned his drums) since he bought the kit for $200 in 5th grade. While not everyone can afford top-notch gear, you've got to have decent tools to build a good show. Even if you polish a turd – you've still got a turd.
Stage volume is key
So many times I've seen bands with a guitar player whose rig is so mind-bogglingly loud that the soundman actually turns off the mic in front of his cabinets; there's so much volume coming from the stage that he can only try to even up the level of the other instruments to compensate. At this point, the soundman has lost control. If you have a bad mix now (and you most certainly will) it is your fault. Need that full-blown distortion sound? Get a Marshall Powerbrake or something. Though this seems like common sense, I see it all the time. Usually, for these bands, I leave the room - it makes my ears hurt.
Set up "Side-stage"
In clubs that amplify all the gear (drums, bass, guitar - not just vocals) your amps become redundant if they're facing the audience. What's the point of facing the amp at the crowd if all they hear is the mains? Turn that amp sideways to face the band – not only will it allow you (and your bandmates) to hear yourself better, but you can also turn it down a bit and get a little clarity on stage. Also recommended: tilt that baby up towards your head. If your amp is hitting your pantlegs, you won't hear it as well as the poor bassist on the other side of the stage (and vice-versa) and you'll both turn up, negating each other's efforts.
Think ahead
Does your band have a sound that is unusual? Do you have specific mix requests? Don't expect the soundman to know these things, you've got to tell him. Obviously, don't overdo it ("in the second chorus of the third song, we NEED you to put a huge slapback delay on the background vocals"), but if you're a keyboard heavy band playing in a guitar-rock dominated scene, you should let him know. And if you're planning on whipping out a Sousaphone in the third number, he should probably know that as well. As an example, I often use heavily distorted bass sounds; I let the soundman know ahead of time so that he doesn't think something's wrong with the bass when it gets all "fuzzy." I also use a subharmonic synthesizer module occasionally – I make sure I warn him about it so I don't blow his subs. (Note: one soundman didn't believe me and brushed me off - I actually DID blow two of his subs because he had them cranked. That was HIS fault.)
Finally: Be appreciative
When the show's done, ALWAYS thank the soundman, even if you may not think it was his best effort. They like to hear that they did a good job just as much as you like to hear it from the audience. If he did an amazing job, it's not unheard of to slip him a tip and/or buy him a beer. Even if just a thank you and a handshake, he'll remember you next time you play there – and it will be a pleasant memory, not a "oh no, not these uncivilized rock star wannabes again."
All in all, I'd say that the vast majority of sound problems can be solved with some effort, forethought, and common courtesy. Remember that your ultimate goal is to have great sound out front – a soundman can make a great band sound horrible if he wants to (or doesn't care.) But all that even the best soundman can do for a under-prepared, ill-equipped band is to make them suck a lot louder.
7.30.2008
7.29.2008
My "Rickenfaker"
Here's my 1976 Ibanez "lawsuit" copy of a Rickenbacker® 4001. I picked her up on eBay a while back. She was in rough condition; the pickups had been spray-painted flat black - without being removed from the bass! In addition, a thumb rest had been screwed into the face of the body! Of course, she had the usual dents and dings that you'd expect on a bass over 30 years old, and she was grungy from having been neglected.I took her apart, cleaned her up, removed the pickguard and electronics, replaced the pickups, electronics and knobs with genuine Ric parts, and put a set of RotoSounds on her. Once I was satisfied that she was back up to speed, the crowning touch: I fashioned a replacement headstock logo, in the style of Rickenbacker's type, that says "Rickenfaker." I figure, it's not the real thing - so I might as well play up to that fact. It's a poseur, but it does a good job! We've recorded it on a number of the Din Within songs with great success so far.
I also equipped her with a "stereo" output jack (with a switch) to allow me to send the pickups to separate amps (a la "Rick-O-SoundTM") or both to a single output for normal use.
Here's a closeup of the "Rickenfaker" overlay. When I first created it, I thought it was such a swell idea that I'd put them on eBay for other owners of copies to apply to their basses - alas, that didn't last long. Once the Rickenbacker brass caught wind of it, they strong-armed eBay into cancelling the auctions, and subsequently threatened me with eBay banishment. They are EXTREMELY protective, which I understand - but it's not like I was passing off the bass as a real Ric (or making a kit for others to do so). Legally speaking, my humorous log is a parody, which constitutes fair use (look it up). But I wasn't about to get into a verbal fistfight with them (and risk my eBay history and account) for a measly $10 apiece. So, nyah nyah, I've got a RickenFaker logo and you don't.
7.28.2008
7.27.2008
Our Music Video for "Wake"
Back in the day, our band Second Story had a song called "Wake" which was a fan favorite. Dark and a little spooky, it featured samples by Dr. Jack Kevorkian and told a story of a person who was "trapped in their own body" by illness or injury. The song's lyrics are a study in duality - the first verse asks for release from her prison by being "woken up", while the second verse asks to be "woken up" by being released...
Sometime around 2000, we shot a music video for the song - a co-worker of myself and John was studying film in college, and she needed a good project for a class. She conceived and edited the entire video, as well as secured a location and brought all the props and other needs. We basically showed up, and that was it! We wanted to eventually edit in some performance footage to make it more like a traditional music video, but never made that happen. But it's pretty cool to watch!
Enjoy.
Sometime around 2000, we shot a music video for the song - a co-worker of myself and John was studying film in college, and she needed a good project for a class. She conceived and edited the entire video, as well as secured a location and brought all the props and other needs. We basically showed up, and that was it! We wanted to eventually edit in some performance footage to make it more like a traditional music video, but never made that happen. But it's pretty cool to watch!
Enjoy.
7.25.2008
Lyrical Genius, Part II - Ben Folds
It's a shame, but it seems to me that a lot of songwriters don't really work as hard on their lyrics as they do their music. Granted, there are exceptions, but so much of - particularly popular - music is made up of utter dreck, lyrically speaking. (Of course, a lot of the music blows, too.)
Even most of the words that are well-written are pretty lacking; they don't really mean anything.
So I present the second in a series on songwriters that I feel deserve mention for the profundity that they display in their lyrical output. Enjoy!
BEN FOLDS
Ben Folds is considerably more well-known than my previous entry; he's had several songs hit on the radio ("Brick" was a pretty major hit) so you've probably heard of him, even if you never heard of Kevin Gilbert. But perhaps in all the upbeat, rockin' piano jammin', you never noticed what an incredible storyteller he is? The aforementioned "Brick" is a very good example; a (fictional?) story about a couple of teenagers who go to the women's clinic the day after Christmas is not actually a pro- or con- argument for abortion, it's instead a powerful statement on loneliness, "status quo" relationships, and honesty, among other things. And it's told in the context of a story so simply told - few words, but words well chosen - that one can hardly have trouble identifying with the "character" in the song.
It's a skill that Ben has in spades. Another very good story told, from the "Ben Folds Five" album, is "Boxing." It's a story about a boxer who's well past his prime, yet still boxing because it's all he knows. It's sung to his manager, Howard, and the most goosebump-raising line is at the tail end of each chorus:
Boxing's been good to me Howard
But now I'm told, I'm growing old
The whole time you knew, in a couple of years I'd be through
Has boxing been good to you?
Damn, that gives me chills just typing it.
Then there's the amazing "Fred Jones Part II" from "Rocking the Suburbs":
Fred sits alone at his desk in the dark
There's an awkward young shadow that waits in the hall
He's cleared all his things and he's put them in boxes
Things that remind him: 'Life has been good'
Twenty-five years
He's worked at the paper
A man's here to take him downstairs
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
There was no party, there were no songs
'Cause today's just a day like the day that he started
No one is left here that knows his first name
And life barrels on like a runaway train
Where the passengers change
They don't change anything
You get off; someone else can get on
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
An incredible story, told incredibly simply. You relate, you understand - it's an amazing skill, and one that I hope to develop in my own songwriting.
To steal Kevin Gilbert's phrase: To be simple, yet profound.
I'll close with lyrics from "The Luckiest" - an amazing (perhaps a little sappy) song that my wife and I made "our song" at our wedding and for always. It has the amazing distinction of this great moment: When we played it for my Mom (who we lost in April) the first words out of her mouth after she heard it for the first time were, "You know you have to play that at your wedding, right?" (This was before we were even engaged.) Amazing song, amazing lyrics: Note - I typed from memory, prose-style, so the line spacing may not be as Ben Folds originally wrote 'em.)
The Luckiest (from "Rockin' the Suburbs")
I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot.
Now I know: all the wrong turns and stumbles and falls
Brought me here.
And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it every day.
And I know that I am the luckiest.
What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike...
Would I know?
And in a white sea of eyes, I'd see one pair
That I recognize
And I know that I am the luckiest.
I love you more than I can ever find a way to say to you.
Next door there's an old man
Who lived to his nineties
And one day, passed away in his sleep
And his wife, she stayed for
A couple of days and passed away
I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you
That I know we belong...
And I know, that I am the luckiest
Even most of the words that are well-written are pretty lacking; they don't really mean anything.
So I present the second in a series on songwriters that I feel deserve mention for the profundity that they display in their lyrical output. Enjoy!
BEN FOLDS
Ben Folds is considerably more well-known than my previous entry; he's had several songs hit on the radio ("Brick" was a pretty major hit) so you've probably heard of him, even if you never heard of Kevin Gilbert. But perhaps in all the upbeat, rockin' piano jammin', you never noticed what an incredible storyteller he is? The aforementioned "Brick" is a very good example; a (fictional?) story about a couple of teenagers who go to the women's clinic the day after Christmas is not actually a pro- or con- argument for abortion, it's instead a powerful statement on loneliness, "status quo" relationships, and honesty, among other things. And it's told in the context of a story so simply told - few words, but words well chosen - that one can hardly have trouble identifying with the "character" in the song.
It's a skill that Ben has in spades. Another very good story told, from the "Ben Folds Five" album, is "Boxing." It's a story about a boxer who's well past his prime, yet still boxing because it's all he knows. It's sung to his manager, Howard, and the most goosebump-raising line is at the tail end of each chorus:
Boxing's been good to me Howard
But now I'm told, I'm growing old
The whole time you knew, in a couple of years I'd be through
Has boxing been good to you?
Damn, that gives me chills just typing it.
Then there's the amazing "Fred Jones Part II" from "Rocking the Suburbs":
Fred sits alone at his desk in the dark
There's an awkward young shadow that waits in the hall
He's cleared all his things and he's put them in boxes
Things that remind him: 'Life has been good'
Twenty-five years
He's worked at the paper
A man's here to take him downstairs
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
There was no party, there were no songs
'Cause today's just a day like the day that he started
No one is left here that knows his first name
And life barrels on like a runaway train
Where the passengers change
They don't change anything
You get off; someone else can get on
And I'm sorry, Mr. Jones
It's time
An incredible story, told incredibly simply. You relate, you understand - it's an amazing skill, and one that I hope to develop in my own songwriting.
To steal Kevin Gilbert's phrase: To be simple, yet profound.
I'll close with lyrics from "The Luckiest" - an amazing (perhaps a little sappy) song that my wife and I made "our song" at our wedding and for always. It has the amazing distinction of this great moment: When we played it for my Mom (who we lost in April) the first words out of her mouth after she heard it for the first time were, "You know you have to play that at your wedding, right?" (This was before we were even engaged.) Amazing song, amazing lyrics: Note - I typed from memory, prose-style, so the line spacing may not be as Ben Folds originally wrote 'em.)
The Luckiest (from "Rockin' the Suburbs")
I don't get many things right the first time
In fact, I am told that a lot.
Now I know: all the wrong turns and stumbles and falls
Brought me here.
And where was I before the day
That I first saw your lovely face?
Now I see it every day.
And I know that I am the luckiest.
What if I'd been born fifty years before you
In a house on a street where you lived?
Maybe I'd be outside as you passed on your bike...
Would I know?
And in a white sea of eyes, I'd see one pair
That I recognize
And I know that I am the luckiest.
I love you more than I can ever find a way to say to you.
Next door there's an old man
Who lived to his nineties
And one day, passed away in his sleep
And his wife, she stayed for
A couple of days and passed away
I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you
That I know we belong...
And I know, that I am the luckiest
7.22.2008
The ol' Battle Axe
The bass shown in the photo to the right has been my main axe for almost 12 years now. It's a pretty amazing instrument, with lots of unique features that make it the most gig-worthy and the best-sounding bass I've ever encountered.My 6-string fretted GTB 356 Model was made by a US-based company called PBC that was located in Coopersburg, PA - they're no longer in business, but the basses are still made by Dave Bunker in Washington State. When I decided that a 6-string bass was going to be a necessity for Second Story, writing partner Scott and I took a trip up to PBC's factory store to check out their basses and manufacturing facility. (We had seen a couple of their basses and even talked to a rep at one of our local music stores.)
When we got there, they had a showroom full of basses - and LOTS of them were sixers. I picked up at least half a dozen while we were there, and they were quite nice; well-appointed, and very nicely finished (most, including my bass, have AAAA-grade flame-maple tops or better.) When I came across the bass I eventually bought, I knew instantly that it was the instrument I had to buy - it practically melted into my fingers.
There are some instruments that you just KNOW were made for you, and this bass was one of them. While I was "cashing out" the bass, the guy also confided in me that the bass was originally built specifically for Allen Woody; but when he came to get it, a new model caught his eye and he took one of those instead. All I know is: the bass is awesome.
Features:
- Bookmatched AAAA figured Maple top
- Patented Tension Free neck, 5 piece, Maple fretboard
- EMG Dual Coil soapbars, EMG BTC Circuit, 18v (The bass came with the pickups; I upgraded it to the BTC preamp and the 18v system)
- Individual "Through Body" Bridges in Gold plated solid machined Bell Brass (one for each string)
The Tension-free neck is the most interesting special feature on this bass. Rather than a traditional truss rod, the maple neck has a pair of channels routed through it; within these cavities lie two cold-rolled steel bars. All of the tension that the strings impart on the neck assembly are carried by the bars - not the wood. The manufacturers claim that this eliminates dead-spots, and allows for excellent adjustability and durability. All I can say is that the bass plays like buttah, and from the low B on the bottom string to the very highest notes up the C-string the bass has a balanced, even sound - octave to octave, string to string. 
The other innovation is the high-mass bridge system; there's actually a separate through-body bridge assembly - made of bell brass - for each string, which ties into the massive tone plate on the back surface of the bass. It makes for a bit of added weight, to be sure - this bass is no lightweight - but it creates the ability for amazing sustain; and since each string has its own bridge, multiple notes played simultaneously ring out and sustain just as well as single notes do. There's just a tremendous amount of clarity and focus to the bass. It... just... sings.Of course, visually the bass is striking - with its no-headstock design and very beautiful bookmatched top. And the headless design makes for some great ergonomic advantages as well. Firstly, the balance on this bass is amazing - where most six strings "neck-dive" because of the weight of all those tuners on the end of the neck, this bass just "hangs" in playing position with no effort. Also, not having a huge headstock makes the bass a lot more compact, which is valuable on the many crowded stages I've played on - I never accidentally whacked my singer in the head (though I thought about doing it on purpose more than a few times). And it makes for a smaller case, which is nice.
Clearly, I can talk a lot about this bass and go on forever. The maker is relatively unknown, but I'm a big fan and will hang onto this bass forever!
7.20.2008
Funk Fingers?
These are some of my favorite toys. Originally developed by Tony Levin and his bass tech, based on an idea that Peter Gabriel suggested - I believe the story went something like this: When they were rehearsing or recording one of Gabriel's tunes, to get a percussive sound, Tony was whacking his bass with a spare drumstick. Peter said, "Why not attach the sticks to your fingers? The result was this:
For a brief time, Tony actually had a bunch of sets made, and sold them on his website. I was lucky enough to grab a few sets for myself when they were there, since he no longer produces them. As a result, he gives his permission to recreate them yourself for personal use - but mandates that you cannot mass produce or sell them for profit (I think he owns a patent for them). I've since seen original pairs of the ones he produced sell on eBay for over $100 (which is ridiculous since they should be easy enough to make for yourself.)
I actually got pretty good at using them; I performed with them regularly in live concerts and bar gigs with Second Story - as well as recorded two of the songs for the second album using them ("Dancing on the Hill" and "Abducted"). I hope to soon have some video available of them in action.
But they're neat, very cool, and they never failed to get a reaction from the crowd when I started smacking my bass with them. And they can provide an ultra-percussive bass sound that just can't be matched with the thumb alone.
Here's a clip from the studio (pre-vocals) of "Dancing on the Hill," which features me playing the Funk Fingers through a distorted amp.
And here's a sound clip, from a live performance with Second Story
Ahhh... toys.
For a brief time, Tony actually had a bunch of sets made, and sold them on his website. I was lucky enough to grab a few sets for myself when they were there, since he no longer produces them. As a result, he gives his permission to recreate them yourself for personal use - but mandates that you cannot mass produce or sell them for profit (I think he owns a patent for them). I've since seen original pairs of the ones he produced sell on eBay for over $100 (which is ridiculous since they should be easy enough to make for yourself.)
I actually got pretty good at using them; I performed with them regularly in live concerts and bar gigs with Second Story - as well as recorded two of the songs for the second album using them ("Dancing on the Hill" and "Abducted"). I hope to soon have some video available of them in action. But they're neat, very cool, and they never failed to get a reaction from the crowd when I started smacking my bass with them. And they can provide an ultra-percussive bass sound that just can't be matched with the thumb alone.
Here's a clip from the studio (pre-vocals) of "Dancing on the Hill," which features me playing the Funk Fingers through a distorted amp.
And here's a sound clip, from a live performance with Second Story
Ahhh... toys.
7.19.2008
7.18.2008
The FrankenStrat (part II)
(continued from yesterday's post)
The Electronics
So, now that I had the beginnings of a cool guitar, I needed to outfit it with some pickups. I knew that a red tortoiseshell pickguard would look super cool against the pale yellow body, so I ordered a loaded pickguard from Carvin. The pickups actually sound really good, with a vintage vibe but not a lot of noise. They're three single coils, classic Strat-style. However, they also add a special "7-way" switch to allow you to add the neck pickup to any other pickup combination; so, in addition to the typical five-way switching of a standard Strat, you also can flip the switch to get the previously unattainable neck and bridge combination, as well as all three pickups simultaneously.
Another thing trashpicked at GVOX was an old Fishman Strat-style bridge with piezo elements mounted in the saddles. Each of the tiny wires for the piezos had been severed, presumably for testing with pitch-to-midi systems, so I had to carefully re-attach them and wire it up as best I could. Once I did that, I got an active blending preamplifier from Bartolini to blend the piezo-electric elements with the magnetic pickups. I moved the "7-way" switch on the pickguard and installed the blend knob inline with the other two pickup knobs (vol/tone), and drilled tiny holes in the pickguard to allow access to the gain micro-pots for each pickup channel.
So electronically, the FrankenStrat exceeds the capabilities of most other Strats; allowing for 7-way pickup selection, "acoustic-like" piezo pickups in the bridge, an active blending preamp... it's pretty awesome sounding.
The Final Touches
All that was left were some final touches. I got a custom matching (well, almost) back plate cover made, put Grover locking tuning machines into it, and most recently, got a custom neck plate with a holographic laser-etched "Custom Shop" logo design on it. I sanded most of the finish off the back of the neck and protected it with Boiled Linseed Oil, which is one of my favorite techniques for a really comfortable and fast neck. Finally, I took it to a trusted guitar tech and had him fully set it up for action and intonation.
While I'm not a great guitarist (I'm far better on bass) this guitar is like "going home" for me. It's a little heavy, thanks to the Squier body, but it balances really well on a strap or on my knee. Perhaps it's the special time and effort I put into it, but it just feels like "my" guitar and no one else's. I'll never get rid of it. If you've never dabbled with putting a guitar together with parts, no matter where the source, I highly recommend it. It's a very rewarding experience!
The ElectronicsSo, now that I had the beginnings of a cool guitar, I needed to outfit it with some pickups. I knew that a red tortoiseshell pickguard would look super cool against the pale yellow body, so I ordered a loaded pickguard from Carvin. The pickups actually sound really good, with a vintage vibe but not a lot of noise. They're three single coils, classic Strat-style. However, they also add a special "7-way" switch to allow you to add the neck pickup to any other pickup combination; so, in addition to the typical five-way switching of a standard Strat, you also can flip the switch to get the previously unattainable neck and bridge combination, as well as all three pickups simultaneously.
Another thing trashpicked at GVOX was an old Fishman Strat-style bridge with piezo elements mounted in the saddles. Each of the tiny wires for the piezos had been severed, presumably for testing with pitch-to-midi systems, so I had to carefully re-attach them and wire it up as best I could. Once I did that, I got an active blending preamplifier from Bartolini to blend the piezo-electric elements with the magnetic pickups. I moved the "7-way" switch on the pickguard and installed the blend knob inline with the other two pickup knobs (vol/tone), and drilled tiny holes in the pickguard to allow access to the gain micro-pots for each pickup channel.
So electronically, the FrankenStrat exceeds the capabilities of most other Strats; allowing for 7-way pickup selection, "acoustic-like" piezo pickups in the bridge, an active blending preamp... it's pretty awesome sounding.
The Final Touches
All that was left were some final touches. I got a custom matching (well, almost) back plate cover made, put Grover locking tuning machines into it, and most recently, got a custom neck plate with a holographic laser-etched "Custom Shop" logo design on it. I sanded most of the finish off the back of the neck and protected it with Boiled Linseed Oil, which is one of my favorite techniques for a really comfortable and fast neck. Finally, I took it to a trusted guitar tech and had him fully set it up for action and intonation.
While I'm not a great guitarist (I'm far better on bass) this guitar is like "going home" for me. It's a little heavy, thanks to the Squier body, but it balances really well on a strap or on my knee. Perhaps it's the special time and effort I put into it, but it just feels like "my" guitar and no one else's. I'll never get rid of it. If you've never dabbled with putting a guitar together with parts, no matter where the source, I highly recommend it. It's a very rewarding experience!
7.17.2008
The FrankenStrat
Here she is, my favorite electric guitar. It's a true FrankenStrat, and over the years I've put a lot of work into it and I'm quite happy with the results.Humble Origins
The guitar got its start when I worked for a music software company. Among the products offered by GVOX was a computer interface for guitar; it allowed you to connect the guitar to your computer and use it for learning and composition. Nowadays, guitar-to-MIDI systems by Axon, Roland and Yamaha surpass (by far) the capability of the GVOX Guitar System, but at the time, they were cheap and pretty effective.
Over the years, they'd acquired a fair number of guitars at GVOX, for testing, giveaway prizes, etc. They had even forged a special relationship with Fender at one point to market and sell a "GVOX-Ready Strat" which had the mounting hardware for the GVOX pickup built in. So there were a lot of guitars around the office. I even had a pretty cool Strat next to my desk. That said, some of the technical gurus had even, at one point, apparently been working on wired-fret guitar systems and other such tech toys - so a lot of the guitars around the building had been somewhat "abused."
One such instrument provided me with the body for my favorite guitar. One day, while helping to take out the trash, I noted that a Squier Strat was being sent to the dumpster; its electronics gutted, its neck de-fretted and cracked... but the body, a cool yellowed semi-transparent, was in really good shape! So the body (with permission, of course) ended up in my back seat instead of the dumpster.
Similarly, some months later, I was helping to clean out our basement storage area and a Mexican strat whose body had been heavily battle scarred (but whose maple neck looked to be almost perfect) was marked for disposal but found its way to my house. A little bit of Dremel work later, the neck fit securely into the pocket, and I had the beginnings of a rippin' Strat!
(to be continued tomorrow)
7.16.2008
7.15.2008
Secret Stash Volume I
Occasionally I will roll out a cool demo track, archive or other interesting tidbit from my musical past. Here's #1 in the series.
This could have made a very cool bonus track on the Din Within CD, for sure - wish I'd thought of it at the time. It's an early demo of the song "The Bottom/Between Two Lives" that I put together to show Josh my early concepts. Some of those concepts made it into the final song, some didn't. And of course, this track is before Josh got all his gooey guitar goodness into the track.
The demo clip (and the "Between Two Lives" part of the song) is based on "Thru the Haze," a song I actually wrote for a songwriting contest when I was in High School. You can read the "Din Diary" (blog) at DinWithin.com for more details on the song's creation, but the condensed version of it is this: I radically re-arranged parts of that song, and Josh and I re-orchestrated it and combined it with a song he wrote called "The Bottom" to create the song that made it onto the album.
So, the lyrics used in this demo are the original "Thru the Haze" chorus, which we scrapped and completely re-wrote for "The Bottom/Between Two Lives." The drums on the clip are my programmed sample drums, and the instruments and vocals are all me. The synth solo was replaced with an amazing guitar solo (by Josh) in the final song. And of course, the song's overall layout was changed substantially, with new parts that Josh and I composed and produced together, etc.
But you can hear the beginnings of some of the textures we used, and I always find it quite interesting to compare songs with their early demos; you can hear my stamp on the song by listening to the demo, and you can hear Josh's by comparing it to the released version.
So without further ado: the early demo (circa Feb. 2005) of "The Bottom/Between Two Lives"!
This could have made a very cool bonus track on the Din Within CD, for sure - wish I'd thought of it at the time. It's an early demo of the song "The Bottom/Between Two Lives" that I put together to show Josh my early concepts. Some of those concepts made it into the final song, some didn't. And of course, this track is before Josh got all his gooey guitar goodness into the track.
The demo clip (and the "Between Two Lives" part of the song) is based on "Thru the Haze," a song I actually wrote for a songwriting contest when I was in High School. You can read the "Din Diary" (blog) at DinWithin.com for more details on the song's creation, but the condensed version of it is this: I radically re-arranged parts of that song, and Josh and I re-orchestrated it and combined it with a song he wrote called "The Bottom" to create the song that made it onto the album.
So, the lyrics used in this demo are the original "Thru the Haze" chorus, which we scrapped and completely re-wrote for "The Bottom/Between Two Lives." The drums on the clip are my programmed sample drums, and the instruments and vocals are all me. The synth solo was replaced with an amazing guitar solo (by Josh) in the final song. And of course, the song's overall layout was changed substantially, with new parts that Josh and I composed and produced together, etc.
But you can hear the beginnings of some of the textures we used, and I always find it quite interesting to compare songs with their early demos; you can hear my stamp on the song by listening to the demo, and you can hear Josh's by comparing it to the released version.
So without further ado: the early demo (circa Feb. 2005) of "The Bottom/Between Two Lives"!
7.13.2008
The H-Clamp Microphone Clamp
One of the issues that I've always dealt with is getting a good, consistent mic signal from a guitar or other stringed instrument, especially in the studio. Once you get the distance, angle, and orientation set, the player starts playing and moves around - and the whole thing gets out of whack. Plus, who wants to sit stock-still while trying to record a guitar part? You just end up with a stiffly-played, unevenly recorded part.
No fun.
That's where the H-Clamp comes in; it's a very simple - but super-logical - answer for the need for a stable mic holder for guitar, upright bass, and a host of other acoustic instruments. Made by a UK-based manufacturer called ExplorAudio, the simply conceived but extremely well-made clamp-on mic boom makes mic-ing up an upright bass, acoustic guitar, etc. easy. It is equally at home in the studio and on stage.
Made of durable and lightweight alloys and composites, it doesn't load up your instrument too badly, and its instrument contact points are covered with silicone and other protective surfaces to prevent damage or scratching.
The boom can hold most mics; you can use an optional shock mount for isolation purposes. And since it's a boom, you can adjust the mic's positioning pretty freely. It allows for a large variety of placements, angles, and positions. And of course, where you place it on the instrument is pretty much up to you. So if you prefer the "off-axis towards the soundhole" option or the "pointed at the 12th fret" position, you can pull it off.
ExplorAudio makes several different models; a version for acoustic guitar, a version for Cello, a version for Upright Bass, and a version for "Extra Deep" Bass (for basses of unusual depth). They also make a "Guitar Plus" version which includes three separate depth shafts, allowing you to get one H-Clamp for multiple instruments. Very cool! The photo to the right shows my H-Clamp on my carved upright bass; it's holding one of my Oktava MK-012 small-diaphragm mics.
The only place I know of to get these things in the USA is Gollihur Music - of course, I happen to work there. We always have them in stock, and the feedback from other musicians has been very positive. I have a couple of them in my home studio, and they're definitely money well spent.
No fun.
That's where the H-Clamp comes in; it's a very simple - but super-logical - answer for the need for a stable mic holder for guitar, upright bass, and a host of other acoustic instruments. Made by a UK-based manufacturer called ExplorAudio, the simply conceived but extremely well-made clamp-on mic boom makes mic-ing up an upright bass, acoustic guitar, etc. easy. It is equally at home in the studio and on stage. Made of durable and lightweight alloys and composites, it doesn't load up your instrument too badly, and its instrument contact points are covered with silicone and other protective surfaces to prevent damage or scratching.
The boom can hold most mics; you can use an optional shock mount for isolation purposes. And since it's a boom, you can adjust the mic's positioning pretty freely. It allows for a large variety of placements, angles, and positions. And of course, where you place it on the instrument is pretty much up to you. So if you prefer the "off-axis towards the soundhole" option or the "pointed at the 12th fret" position, you can pull it off.
ExplorAudio makes several different models; a version for acoustic guitar, a version for Cello, a version for Upright Bass, and a version for "Extra Deep" Bass (for basses of unusual depth). They also make a "Guitar Plus" version which includes three separate depth shafts, allowing you to get one H-Clamp for multiple instruments. Very cool! The photo to the right shows my H-Clamp on my carved upright bass; it's holding one of my Oktava MK-012 small-diaphragm mics.The only place I know of to get these things in the USA is Gollihur Music - of course, I happen to work there. We always have them in stock, and the feedback from other musicians has been very positive. I have a couple of them in my home studio, and they're definitely money well spent.
7.12.2008
7.11.2008
HOW many strings are on that thing?
If you really want to get the audience's attention, you pull out a bass like this one. It's a 12 string bass (yes, you read that correctly.) It is actually sort of like a combination of a 4-string bass and a 12-string guitar; the strings are tuned in groups. There are four "root" strings for the standard bass guitar pitches of E-A-D-G. Then a pair of matching strings tuned one octave up are placed in close proximity to the main strings. So what you end up with, in the case of my instrument, is a tuning as follows (where a capital letter indicates the root string and lowercase letters are the octaves):
eeE aaA ddD ggG
The groups of strings are called "courses" and they are fretted and strummed/plucked in groups of three. What results is a HUGE, ringing, naturally chorused sound that can just fill the room.
Here's a clip from the second album from Second Story - a bit of "Truth Is..." which features the 12-string.
You've probably heard a 12-string before - Jeff Ament used one for the intro and outro riff (and much of the song) in "Jeremy"; playing a repeating figure complete with octaved harmonics. It's the signature line on the song. Another popular user of the 12-string is Doug (dUg) Pinnick of King's X; he's used it a number of times over the years, and since King's X is a trio, having the extra "girth" that a 12-string provides comes in handy, I'm sure.
As for me, I used it in two Second Story songs - "Truth Is..." and "Wise" - it also makes a brief appearance in the Din Within song "The Bottom/Between Two Lives." And I intend to use it a good bit more on the next Din Within album.
My particular bass is made by "Galveston," which is one of several names slapped on instruments that come to the States from China under several brand names (including several store brands). While the bass is quite solid, the stock electronics sucked big time, so I replaced them with some Seymour Duncan actives and a Bart preamp - the new pickups really emphasize the "chimey-ness" of the octaves, and yet they really helped to fill out the bottom end, too. And the Bart preamp really gives the bass a lot more headroom, which is necessary for a bass that creates so much bandwidth. Altogether, quite a worthwhile upgrade, even though I had to do a little work with the Dremel to make it happen.It's not for everybody (or every song, to be sure) but the 12-string is a pretty awesome tool to have in your arsenal. I'm sure it intimidates most of the guitarists I know!
7.09.2008
Lyrical Genius, Part I - Kevin Gilbert
It's a shame, but it seems to me that a lot of songwriters don't really work as hard on their lyrics as they do their music. Granted, there are exceptions, but so much of - particularly popular - music is made up of utter dreck, lyrically speaking. (Of course, a lot of the music blows, too.)
Even most of the words that are well-written are pretty lacking; they don't really mean anything.
So I present the first in a series on songwriters that I feel deserve mention for the profundity that they display in their lyrical output. Enjoy!
KEVIN GILBERT
Here's a guy who was troubled, for sure. And like many troubled, somewhat misunderstood artists, he was taken from us far too soon. But most of what he left behind was so deep, so powerful... his influence on me, my songwriting, my lyrics - it simply cannot be overstated. He is, for all intents and purposes, my musical hero. His music was original, yet hooky. His engineering and production skills were legendary among his peers. But I'm especially drawn to what he said.
His lyrics could be pensive, powerful, snarky, optomistic, intellectual, sarcastic, honest, simple, and profound - often all in the same song. There is so much to be read between the often simple lines of prose; you can tell he was well-read. He was a master of allusion, wordplay and clever puns.
Here, a few of my favorite stanzas.
from Goodness Gracious (from "Thud")
Goodness Gracious my generation's lost
They burned down all our bridges
before we had a chance to cross
Is it the winter of our discontent or just an early frost?
Goodness Gracious of apathy I sing
The baby boomers had it all and wasted everything
Now recess is almost over
and they won't get off the swing
Goodness Gracious we came in at the end
No sex that isn't dangerous, no money left to spend
We're the cleanup crew for parties
we were too young to attend
Goodness Gracious me.
from Waiting (from "Thud")
I'm waiting in the shadows with a chain around my wrist
I'm waiting with my best friend held firmly in my fist
I'm waiting for my heroes to tell me what to dream
I'm waiting for my neighbors to tell me what's obscene
I'm waiting for the apple, I'm waiting for the fall
I'm waiting for a renaissance to electrify us all
from City Of The Sun (from "The Shaming of the True")
The attendant at the Texaco saw the guitar case in my back seat
and decided to impart his tragic tale
He said: “I used to play in a band like you,
we even made a record too”
and sang a bar that hardly rang a bell
Now I’m not one to make a lot
of omens and premonitions and fleeting thoughts
but I must admit that I tried to avoid his stare
‘Cause I didn’t want to see him see himself in me
with the look of an extinguished flame that might be lurking there
Kevin Gilbert was a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, singer and audio engineer/producer. He was one of the founding members of the "Tuesday Music Club" which was the foundation for Sheryl Crow's breakout record "Tuesday Night Music Club" which won accolades and awards (though Kevin saw little positive effect of Sheryl's ascent to fame). He also worked with Madonna, Michael Jackson, Keith Emerson, Spock's Beard, Jonatha Brooke, and many others. His solo release "Thud" is an amazing album even today (having been released over a decade ago) and his posthumously released rock opera "The Shaming of the True" is an under-recognized masterpiece. I urge you to check out his work. Now.
Even most of the words that are well-written are pretty lacking; they don't really mean anything.
So I present the first in a series on songwriters that I feel deserve mention for the profundity that they display in their lyrical output. Enjoy!
KEVIN GILBERT
Here's a guy who was troubled, for sure. And like many troubled, somewhat misunderstood artists, he was taken from us far too soon. But most of what he left behind was so deep, so powerful... his influence on me, my songwriting, my lyrics - it simply cannot be overstated. He is, for all intents and purposes, my musical hero. His music was original, yet hooky. His engineering and production skills were legendary among his peers. But I'm especially drawn to what he said.
His lyrics could be pensive, powerful, snarky, optomistic, intellectual, sarcastic, honest, simple, and profound - often all in the same song. There is so much to be read between the often simple lines of prose; you can tell he was well-read. He was a master of allusion, wordplay and clever puns.
Here, a few of my favorite stanzas.
from Goodness Gracious (from "Thud")
Goodness Gracious my generation's lost
They burned down all our bridges
before we had a chance to cross
Is it the winter of our discontent or just an early frost?
Goodness Gracious of apathy I sing
The baby boomers had it all and wasted everything
Now recess is almost over
and they won't get off the swing
Goodness Gracious we came in at the end
No sex that isn't dangerous, no money left to spend
We're the cleanup crew for parties
we were too young to attend
Goodness Gracious me.
from Waiting (from "Thud")
I'm waiting in the shadows with a chain around my wrist
I'm waiting with my best friend held firmly in my fist
I'm waiting for my heroes to tell me what to dream
I'm waiting for my neighbors to tell me what's obscene
I'm waiting for the apple, I'm waiting for the fall
I'm waiting for a renaissance to electrify us all
from City Of The Sun (from "The Shaming of the True")
The attendant at the Texaco saw the guitar case in my back seat
and decided to impart his tragic tale
He said: “I used to play in a band like you,
we even made a record too”
and sang a bar that hardly rang a bell
Now I’m not one to make a lot
of omens and premonitions and fleeting thoughts
but I must admit that I tried to avoid his stare
‘Cause I didn’t want to see him see himself in me
with the look of an extinguished flame that might be lurking there
Kevin Gilbert was a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, singer and audio engineer/producer. He was one of the founding members of the "Tuesday Music Club" which was the foundation for Sheryl Crow's breakout record "Tuesday Night Music Club" which won accolades and awards (though Kevin saw little positive effect of Sheryl's ascent to fame). He also worked with Madonna, Michael Jackson, Keith Emerson, Spock's Beard, Jonatha Brooke, and many others. His solo release "Thud" is an amazing album even today (having been released over a decade ago) and his posthumously released rock opera "The Shaming of the True" is an under-recognized masterpiece. I urge you to check out his work. Now.
7.07.2008
The Circuit-Bent DS-1 - a Video!
So, I put together a quick video of the Bent DS-1 in action. Sorry that my guitar playing is lame, and also that the sound quality (using my camera's onboard mic) could be better. Next time I'll try using an outboard mic, maybe even run through some of the studio equipment. But you get the basic effect.
The guitar being used is my FrankenStrat (the subject of an upcoming post) and I mostly play in the neck position.
Check it out, see what you think!
The guitar being used is my FrankenStrat (the subject of an upcoming post) and I mostly play in the neck position.
Check it out, see what you think!
7.05.2008
My Introduction to Circuit Bending
So, if you've never come across the term, "Circuit Bending" is a sort of underground craze. Basically, it's creatively short-circuiting otherwise perfectly good electronic equipment, with the goal of creating new, sometimes strange, often other-worldly sounds with it. A very commonly "bent" device is the classic "Speak and Spell" toy (and its variants, like the "Speak an
d Math", etc.) - when you open one up and bridge certain points on the circuit board, you can speed up, slow down, pitch-shift, and otherwise mangle the voices that it creates, often to quite interesting and spooky effect.
So... why the heck would you do this? Well, a lot of "noise-based," soundscape and other "aliatory" music-makers think of these sort of sound makers as a goldmine for creating unusual sonic surprises in their music. And, if you're into experimenting and creating something new, it's really kind of fun! Plus, you can buy loads of "toys" to "break" on a pretty low budget.
You can see the switches and buttons I installed into the sides of the pedal; they activate the short-circuits (and, of course, turn them off for normal use). Another way to modify circuits(rather than a simple on/off switch) includes using potentiometers to vary the amount of current flowing to the short, which thereby varies the alteration. Even more interesting, some folks use light-sensing variable resistors; by changing the amount of light entering the light sensor, it changes the sound - cool! Body contacts, to allow your touch to modify the short, is another method commonly used. For my first project, though, I thought it prudent to keep it simple, so I stuck to switches.
So there are four different mods, which are turned on and off using the metal switches. I then further modified two of them with the red buttons; by pushing in the button, it puts a tone cap inline in the short-circuit, which modifies the pitch that is added/generated by the short-circuit. Playing with the existing knobs also modifies the bend.
All in all, I just wanted to get into circuit bending with a minimum of difficulty and a high level of success (meaning: I didn't want to "kill" the pedal, and wanted to have something I could actually use when I finished.) I did exactly that; I now have a "new" pedal which can make unique and unusual (but useful) sounds, and I did it myself for under $50.
d Math", etc.) - when you open one up and bridge certain points on the circuit board, you can speed up, slow down, pitch-shift, and otherwise mangle the voices that it creates, often to quite interesting and spooky effect.So... why the heck would you do this? Well, a lot of "noise-based," soundscape and other "aliatory" music-makers think of these sort of sound makers as a goldmine for creating unusual sonic surprises in their music. And, if you're into experimenting and creating something new, it's really kind of fun! Plus, you can buy loads of "toys" to "break" on a pretty low budget.
DISCLAIMER: If you try any of this yourself, please limit yourself to BATTERY-POWERED devices only. Short-circuiting the wrong points on AC-powered electronic devices can KILL you.
So, my first project, seen above and below, was a practical one for me, since I'm a more conventional player rather than a soundscape artist. I picked up a lightly used Boss DS-1 Distortion pedal for $30, opened her up, and starting playing with different connections on the circuit board. I found several points of interest (thanks to some help on the web of those who've bent this pedal themselves) and thereby made a common distortion pedal into something unique and interesting.
You can see the switches and buttons I installed into the sides of the pedal; they activate the short-circuits (and, of course, turn them off for normal use). Another way to modify circuits(rather than a simple on/off switch) includes using potentiometers to vary the amount of current flowing to the short, which thereby varies the alteration. Even more interesting, some folks use light-sensing variable resistors; by changing the amount of light entering the light sensor, it changes the sound - cool! Body contacts, to allow your touch to modify the short, is another method commonly used. For my first project, though, I thought it prudent to keep it simple, so I stuck to switches.So there are four different mods, which are turned on and off using the metal switches. I then further modified two of them with the red buttons; by pushing in the button, it puts a tone cap inline in the short-circuit, which modifies the pitch that is added/generated by the short-circuit. Playing with the existing knobs also modifies the bend.
All in all, I just wanted to get into circuit bending with a minimum of difficulty and a high level of success (meaning: I didn't want to "kill" the pedal, and wanted to have something I could actually use when I finished.) I did exactly that; I now have a "new" pedal which can make unique and unusual (but useful) sounds, and I did it myself for under $50.
It's cool stuff!
7.04.2008
Re-living the past, bassically...
In 1987, for my birthday, my parents bought me my very first bass guitar. That instrument was a "Rock Bass" from Epiphone/Gibson, a basic, passive model with a J-J pickup configuration. It was a great "starter" bass for the time; made in Korea, back when there wasn't anything worth owning coming out of China - it was solid, well-appointed, good-sounding and even kinda cool looking (pointy headstocks were all the rage in the late 80's.)That bass carried me through my early years as a player; it was my main b
ass for Outcry, my first "real" band that played "real" gigs (only two of them, but we rocked out both times!) When I co-formed Ransomed Soul with my friend Scott in 1990, that was the bass I was playing. It saw lots of action at lots of seedy bars (can I get a shout-out for Bonnie's Roxx?) and sounded really good.When I cobbled together the scratch, I upgraded the pickups to an EMG JJ set. When we recorded our debut album(s), I ran the bass right into the mixing console with no additional preamping or other toys - and the bass really sounds tight on those recordings. And it played really well.
As the years went on, 5-string basses became more popular, and I eventually found one that worked really well for me and started using that as my main bass, which relegated the Epi to backup duty. Once Ransomed Soul broke up, she mostly gathered dust. When (with Scott, again) I co-founded Second Story in 1996, it was playing my new SIX-string bass. Knowing that there was little to no chance that I'd be using the four string for any of the Second Story material, and needing the duckets for other musical gear (a future post will detail my INSANE Second Story rig), I sold "Heather" (yes, she had a name) to my co-worker and friend - and aspiring musician - Tom. A few months later, I was transferred to a new store, and I lost touch with Tom, the bass, and eventually, that job.
I've recently been feeling a bit nostalgic for old musical toys, and I don't really have a way to get in touch with Tom - so, I've been trolling eBay for similar basses to the old girl - and a little over a week ago, I found one: Epiphone Rock Bass, late 80's vintage, black hardware (rare) on black bass, rosewood fingerboard, JJ pickup setup... in good, played but not abused condition. The bass is virtually identical, and even came with the original case. So, I snagged it.
Because I'm a total freak, I also snagged a set of EMG old-model JJ pickups on eBay for cheap - used, but not abused. I figure that a little soldering will get me an almost exact duplicate of my original bass - all I need now is a set of black Dunlop Straploks and a purple strap...
So I'm really digging re-living the past - the bass will mostly live on the wall in my home studio, and maybe get pulled out for the occasional studio track. But it's cool that I was able to find it.
It's sometimes nice to go home again.
An introduction
So here I go, I guess it's time to start blogging. All the cool kids are doing it, so maybe I should too. I've always been a sucker for peer pressure.
Seriously, though - here's the gist of it; lots of musicians are on the web, hawking their band, selling their album, talking about gear, etc. So I thought that this would be a nice way for me to do that and more - share experiences with musical oddities like modifying guitars (I do that a lot), circuit-bending (I just started playing with that), and creating insane guitar or bass rigs with all sorts of bells and whistles (I've done that for myself as well as helped others with it). So I'll be talking about a lot of that sort of stuff as it occurs to me to do so. I'll probably ramble on about old musical projects, neat toys, long lost instruments I never should have sold, etc. Hope that interests you.
Who I am is a lifelong musician; son of a vocal/general music teacher (Mom) and a former music major/club musician/music store owner - and now, boss (Dad). My primary instruments are voice and bass (bass guitar and upright bass), but I'm a multi-instrumentalist and therefore own a large collection of other stuff - keyboards, drums, guitars, mandolins, didgeridoos, trumpets, and much more. I have my own studio, which I call Digital Din; my training is purely "on-the-job" as far as engineering goes, but last November my group Din Within released our debut album; it's an album that (with writing partner Josh's help) I recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered myself. Of course, I was also responsible for much of the performance. It's done quite well worldwide; it's available for sale at Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, iTunes, Napster, and many more (check out the Digital Din Homepage for a list of many of the retailers at which it can be purchased.)
So that's about it for now. I think my first post of real content will probably be about my "new" bass - actually a 4-banger from the 80's that I bought to recreate my first bass - one I wish I still had (for sentimental reasons only) but don't because I sold it to a former co-worker (Tom Wetzel - you still have my bass, man?)
Anyway, tune in soon for that post. Thanks for reading!
Seriously, though - here's the gist of it; lots of musicians are on the web, hawking their band, selling their album, talking about gear, etc. So I thought that this would be a nice way for me to do that and more - share experiences with musical oddities like modifying guitars (I do that a lot), circuit-bending (I just started playing with that), and creating insane guitar or bass rigs with all sorts of bells and whistles (I've done that for myself as well as helped others with it). So I'll be talking about a lot of that sort of stuff as it occurs to me to do so. I'll probably ramble on about old musical projects, neat toys, long lost instruments I never should have sold, etc. Hope that interests you.
Who I am is a lifelong musician; son of a vocal/general music teacher (Mom) and a former music major/club musician/music store owner - and now, boss (Dad). My primary instruments are voice and bass (bass guitar and upright bass), but I'm a multi-instrumentalist and therefore own a large collection of other stuff - keyboards, drums, guitars, mandolins, didgeridoos, trumpets, and much more. I have my own studio, which I call Digital Din; my training is purely "on-the-job" as far as engineering goes, but last November my group Din Within released our debut album; it's an album that (with writing partner Josh's help) I recorded, engineered, mixed and mastered myself. Of course, I was also responsible for much of the performance. It's done quite well worldwide; it's available for sale at Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, iTunes, Napster, and many more (check out the Digital Din Homepage for a list of many of the retailers at which it can be purchased.)
So that's about it for now. I think my first post of real content will probably be about my "new" bass - actually a 4-banger from the 80's that I bought to recreate my first bass - one I wish I still had (for sentimental reasons only) but don't because I sold it to a former co-worker (Tom Wetzel - you still have my bass, man?)
Anyway, tune in soon for that post. Thanks for reading!
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