The more I read through posts here, the more I am seeing this pervasive ideal of the solo artist that has to perform everything, engineer and produce it all themselves. Can you? Should you? What the hell happened to working with other musicians?
I've been, and go, through both phases. I've had friends that have done drums, percussion, oboe, clarinet, alto sax, vocals, piano, organ, recorder, electric piano, accordion, violin, piccolo and flute, on my songs, in times past.
If I had my way, I'd never go near a VSTi. It would be live musicians all the way, forever and a day.
But that is simply not real life. I'm quite a prolific song writer and recorder. I keep trying to stop writing, but then, an idea comes and it sounds good in my head and I won't not work on it ! So consequently, I have loads of songs in various stages of development. And let's face it, none of them are so important for the survival of mankind, that old friends that can play certain things are going to drop what they're doing to come and play on them. And then organizing all of that with everyone's different schedules.......it's already akin to the invasion of Sweden, just trying to get 3 singers to sing on a few songs.
So VSTis were an absolute Godsend for me. I can turn my hand to guitars, bass, double bass, banjo, mandolin, percussion and occasional drums, so I don't need VSTis for them. But I like all manner of brass, strings, Indian instruments, orchestral stuff, all manner of keyboards, etc ¬> and that means VSTis. Rarely do they not sound like real instruments. I've learned how to tweak them. And I'll be using them until I drop probably, because when I'm hot to trot, I can't be waiting around for a friend to pop in from the States or Zambia or wherever. Mind you, when they are around, I try to utilize them. Not easy though.
As for doing all the stages myself, alone, I do kind of like the idea of that. Blame Jimmy Page. He gave me the idea.
