Recent content by mikeh

I had a melody and a chord progression in my head for about a month....and I knew I wanted the hook to be "It's Impossible To Know" - finally 2 nights ago the muse came to me with a story to tell. I haven't tracked it yet - but I thought my fellow songwriter's would appreciate the story line...

A lesson learned - and hopefully passed on! Most song writers understand the need to re-write in an attempt to make a song the best it can be - and I have always acknowledged the importance of re-writes. I want to share a recent experiance - which was a real wakeup call for me. A song I wrote...

Has anyone ever used one of the following? Zoom A2 Zoom A2.1U Korg AX10A Behringer AD121 No stores anywhere in my immedaite area have any of these in stock - they can order them, but I want to have an idea before I commit. I've looked at Harmony Central, etc. - but I often question most of...

I thought this could lead to interesting discussion. During the last couple of years, I only write 5 or 6 songs (to completion) a year. I suspect I start maybe 20-30 songs (either based on a groove, a chord progression or some snipets of lyrics) - but most simply don't develop. I've changed my...

Has anyone dug back to see who really influenced your playing style (not just some current popoular drummer - but perhaps who influenced them)? It can be an interesting and rewarding process. Please allow me to relay something I discovered about an influence on me, that I did not even know was...

OK - after reading dozens of posts about home made sound treatment using 703 - I finally did it. I bought a box of twelve 4'x2'x2" 703 panels. I bought wood to frame the 703 and fabric to cover the frames. My main tracking/mixing area is 15'x16' with 7' a ceiling (yeah I know, the rooms too...

Harvey Gerst's "More Me" headphones got a nod in the October 2007 issue of recording magazine. I know many of us feel fortunate that Harvey has been part of this community and he appears to be respected by many in the industry - having him get a nod in a national/international publication is...

How much time do you spend writing vs. recording? I spend about 15-20 hours per week recording my own material. Some weeks I spend more time in the studio either recording other people or as a session drummer - in those weeks I may be in a studio (mine or someone else's) as much as 30 hours...

I just found an old (I think 1964) Kalamazoo amp at a rummage sale - I paid $75. Real nice "pure" tone with 5 watts into a 10" speaker. Often people like to post about some find and/or bargain - so this is my post. I don't know if I got a bargain, but I think it was a cool find...

I bought a 49 key MIDI controller at a rummage sale for $5. It works (I hooked it up to a sound module and it sends all the on, off, bend & modulation signals) and it appears in very good shape. The lady bought it for her kid and when she realized it didn't make any sounds it sat in a closet...

Anyone have a suggestion for a decent condensor (LD) mic in the $300 range that either is omni pattern or can be switched from cardioid to omni? I want to experiment with recording both acoustic guitars and speaker cabs with the ability to capture some room sound (vs. strickly cardioid). I've...

I just wrote the following lyrics when I returned from a funeral. I knew the guy for more than 40 years. We went to grade school togther. The first band I was ever in, I formed with this guy. The first song I ever wrote, I wrote with this guy. He was a fine guitarist and a fine songwriter...

These lyrics are too warped to use in a commercial manner - but I thought some of the writers here would appreciate them. I wrote this about 4 years ago and sorta forgot about it. I was just going through some older material looking for something I could re-write and found this. A Different...

OK - I'm a drummer and while I have decent guitar chops, I've always used either amp sims (POD, J. Station) or combos. So, I bought an Epi Valve Jr. head and a used 2x12 with 8 ohm speakers - and I know I need to use the 4 ohm out on the amp. Now is where I show my ignorace (keep in mind -...

I've been playing through a POD & a J-Station for the last several years. I thought is worked fine - since guitar is not my main axe, it was a tool to dial up a guitar sound in a hurry. Now I've bougt a couple of small low watt solid state amps over the years (for recording) and was never all...