How Long Have I Been Into Music and How Long Have I Been Producing Music?
I've been into music for as far back as I can remember, can't remember when that was though. LOL. So long ago. I used to love watching The Hitman And Her, which changed to BPM and another I think called Club@Vision late on Saturday's nights.
I guess I started playing around with music in the late 80's with the decks then I started actually producing around 1990/91.
How I Got Into Music.
Well, I remember when I was about 9/10, money was very tight those days, of course Top of the Pops was the craze and I loved and still remember the concert Jean Michel Jarre held in Houston, Texas, great stuff, his music grew on me big time.
I used to get little piano lessons on my Nan's Grand piano when I visited her, bless her, she would teach me to play BIG tunes like Chopsticks, :) on a two layer organ as well, loved it.
Can't remember exactly when I got my first keyboard, had a few cheap ones when I was young then I got a couple of slightly better ones at around the age of 16/17. I know one of them was a Casio HT700 with built in Ram card slot. Just one of those keyboards you wish you never got rid off. It had some great sounds.
So all I did was play around with different keyboards, on and off until I was about 18 I suppose. I got my first super computer, the Commodore Amiga 500!
Before the Amiga I went through a range of computers and consoles like the Binatone Pong style console, the Vectrex system then the ZX81, Spectrum 48k, BBC, Spectrum 128+, the range most of us have been through in the past until finally I got an Amiga, what a joy, so much more possibilities.
I was a pure game addict too, still am.
How Did I Start Making Music?
Around the age of 20/21 I got Med! My first music tool. I then decided to stick with Octamed, which started off my music production skills. I then got the Amiga 1500, which I also upgraded with extra memory for doing animation's and video stuff, which I also got into big time using programs like the Deluxe Paint series.
So I guess my earliest set up was the Commodore Amiga 1500 and Octamed 4.
About 1994 I bought some new Soundlab decks (Big Mistake) and a Roclab MRT60 mixer.
The decks were useless because I found that there was not enough pitch control when crossing over, so I grew tired of this and started to mix records with bits from movies, TV programs, adverts etc, did some mad stuff. I soon sold a Soundlab deck but kept the other to play vinyl on. Still debating whether or not to buy some new decks. I still have the Roclab mixer, which is cool.
How Has The Set Up Changed?
After about a year and a bit of hard saving I bought my first serious piece of kit, a second hand Korg M1, LOL, could not afford a brand new one but it worked!
I read about Midi and needed a keyboard, the M1 was popular. I bought a Midi box and leads for the Amiga 1500 and I was away. The Korg was programmed as was the Octamed tracks and they both ran together via Midi, Aaah, bliss.
I started to produce tunes, then a drum machine entered my life, I was in heaven, but it never really crossed my mind about doing this for a living!
Whilst using the Amiga I then bought an Amiga CD32 with a few games and a copy of Video Creator. I used this to make videos for tracks on CD's and I made videos for my tracks using the Amiga too, a combination of animations strung together, then recorded onto video with my music. Just learning new ideas.
Somewhere around the early 90's I purchased a new keyboard, a big one, it was a Yamaha PSR 2600 or 7600, big old thing but great for an extra to my set up. Soon enough I sold this like all the other keyboards I previously owned, how dumb, could have had quite a collection now, but there you go.
Anyway as time went by I noticed a new keyboard, specifically for dance music I grabbed one while I had the chance, the Yamaha DJX! Although very cheap, it had some great sounds and easy to use functions, so it was ideal for my set up. I still have the DJX today. great when playing real time because of the instant function to turn on and off each parts of a style with separate keys. I also decided to get a DAT recorder for clearer recordings because my twin tape player just was not doing me justice. LOL.
During the mid 90's I decided a Playstation was the thing to purchase. So I did! After several games I bought Music, I got right into this program making quite a few tunes, then I got Music 2000 which was miles better than the previous version.
I still dabbled around on the Amiga until I got the Playstation 2, some mental games. (Sorry, just a pure game addict too) I purchased MTV Music Generator 2, I found it far superior to the other two versions mainly because of the sound library, and ease of use and the fact the PS2 has an Optical output, so digital recording was a doddle.
The year is now 2001; I've decided the time has come to get a PC! Waited too long for one of these. I buy my PC! Wicked, I also get the SoundBlaster Live Player 5.1 soundcard, a Modem and a new CDR/W drive. Also I bought a scanner and a new printer. I went through ALL my FM discs and tried pretty much everything on them all. I found Making Waves! I got hooked as did I with Rebirth and Reason.
I've tried the Cubase, Logic, and Cakewalk programs but still find Making Waves easier to use, it's quicker and it produces results. I am now on Making Waves Audio V3 with an upgrade so I now have full control over my equipment. I've stuck with MW ever since.
During the summer of 2001 I decided to purchase a proper CD burner for recording my music, DAT's are too expensive to send out and CD's are the appropriate format these days. I got the HHB BurnIT, which I am well happy with.
During the end of the 80's and through to the mid 90's I have also built my Technics stack, which I also use for my music, well, mainly the Amplifier with my JBL Control 5's attached. The rest consists of Mash CD player, Tuner and Twin Tape which I use occasionally plus I managed to get some ex-disco speakers from a mate, one Realistic Mach II 3 Way Speaker System with a 15" bass bin on it and not forgetting my Sony headphones and a couple of mics. Plus loads of sample CD's.
Things were ok, all equipment was rigged through the Roclab mixer, but it was not appropriate enough. All I've been using really is the PC on it's own with MW software plus some Plug Ins.
I needed more! So the Roclab was no good for me, although it has served it's purpose so I've put it aside and replaced it with my brand new Soundcraft Spirit M8 mixing desk. Oh what a joy, so many channels. I now have all my equipment wired together via Midi.
I'm actually thinking of bringing the Amiga's back out of the closet to add additional tracks, not that I need them.
Where Is My Gear Set Up?
All my equipment is set in the master bedroom. My partner really understands about my music, but I know someday she would like to have a bedroom. So would I.
What's In My Set Up?
JBL Control 5 Monitors
Korg M1.
Yamaha DJX Dance Keyboard.
Souncraft Spirit M8 mixing desk.
Boss DR660 drum Machine.
PIII PC using Soundblaster Live Player 5.1 running the main sequencer being Making Waves Audio V3 and Soundforge for wave editing.
I have tried Cubase, Logic and Cakewalk series but prefer Making Waves.
Lots of the usual VST/DX Plug Ins and Instruments. (Anwida, Timework's, MDA, Sonic Foundry. Thousands of samples.
In the rack starting from the top, Technics Tuner, HHB BurnIT, Sony DAT, Technics AMP, Technics MASH CD player, Technics Twin Tape and last of all at the bottom, the Roclab mixer.
The rack is standard 19", it's very tough and keeps the children out. Have you ever seen the look on a child whose just turned up the volume FULL whack? Scared the living daylights out of my daughter, poor soul, you have never seen me run upstairs so fast! My daughter Jodie was suppose to be in her bed, I went down for a cuppa and she sneaked in, some music was on quietly and she turned it right up but did not think how to turn it down, too scared I think.
My Favorite Piece Of Kit?
At the moment definitely my new Spirit M8 mixer. It's opened up so many possibilities for me now. All it needs is to be fed, lots of cables from lots of new equipment. It's allowed me to use all my equipment again.
I do love the fact that although the Spirit desk is analogue, it has a useful Digital Coaxial output on the back, very useful for direct recordings.
Least Favorite Bit Of Kit?
The PC. Why? Only because of when the occasional crash happens or the screen freezes, same with most PC's. Typical problems. Very rarely does this happen when using the PC, but it is annoying when it does happen. At least my Amiga never really crashed on me!
How, Why &am What Gets Used The Most In The Studio?
The PC is used most of the time for sequencing, programming, editing, and layering out the main body of my tracks. Also used for mastering tracks and for effecting tracks or samples.
The PC is also used for editing beats and basslines and also melodies as well as the drum machine for percussion and melodies on the Korg plus the DJX fills in the gaps. This is just one idea 1use. The Korg is also used to pad things out, so many ways. It's great. I would rather not have tons and tons of equipment but I can understand why people collect loads, they love it!
How I describe My Music:
Tough one this, well I do a lot of different styles to start with. I produce Trance, House, Garage, D&B, some slow/chilled out tracks and some Industrial/Electronic styles. I'm currently looking at the commercial market.
Now some people could listen to my music and have a completely different way of describing my music, that's what I like, different opinions and feedback. My music has been described as mellow but it still cuts the dance floor edge.
My Techniques For Making Music:
I may start to produce a track using a Garage beat and it may end up more like a Trance track. My style is different, I'm still trying to get that feel that a dance track would provide, a great catchy melody, stomping beats and basslines plus vocals that make your hair stand on your neck and your cheeks glow.
I use the basics really when I make a track nowadays, that way it's not overdone, crammed with sounds and too much going on basically, this is the mistakes I used to make. Doubling up my beats, 2/3 melodies at the same time etc. but I soon got around these problems, by solving them myself or by the help of others.
My tracks can have my own edited patterns as well as preset loops occasionally, not afraid to use loops because these can be changed instantly. I love messing around making melodies using synth sounds, I play around on the keyboard and when I have a melody, I just transfer it to the PC or I'll just play a 4 to the floor drum pattern on the PC then start editing a pattern on the PC note editor in real time. I get a little melody going round in my head sometimes and I try to play it out on the keyboards, sometimes I forget how it goes, hate that when I have something good.
Once I have the percussion and melody going I'll start to work on the beginning of the track using pads and atmospheric sounds. Sometimes a track starts straight away with the beats.
I split up drum patterns and melodies by breaking them down into parts to use for building the track to a climax. The reason I do this is so I keep exactly what's on the original pattern. I do also make say a drum pattern by starting with just a kick, or a kick and snare then I start to edit it with more depth by adding hats, toms, cymbals, etc. in real time recordings.
I add FX to melodies when needed like echo's, filters, timestretching, delay's, flangers, etc. I love getting into the FX, the Processing, EQ, Mastering etc to sort out the final result of a tune. Endless possibilities these days.
If I need a little inspiration, sometimes I put on an album like a Trance album or maybe even a Top 40 Chart album, have a listen and see if I can get ideas. I don't really like to copy people's ideas, more like listen to how they build their tracks, how they start, finish and how they mainly lay out the track. The length of track is important to, plus what kind of instruments and FX gets used like vocoders for instance. I don't do this often but it has been recommended that I should!
Most of my sounds come from samples, FM CD's, (Cover discs and full sample CD's) plus I visit web sites that have Copyright free samples. I'm using all the sounds from my hardware equipment as well. I could get the Amiga back out, loads of samples on that too.
I have also done quite a few remixes and bootlegs. I have taken sounds from commercialised music, movies, TV, computer games, sound FX CD's and probably others too. I do this mainly for personal pleasure but I have also contacted a few known names for authorisation to use certain samples.
