T
tcdave
New member
I am posting this to see if anyone is interested in sharing ideas and have an interest in my music. I really need encouragement and I would really like to hear your songs too. I am having a hard time with sharing this because I personally do not know anyone who is interested........so here's my story.
I recently started getting back into making music again. In 1983, my "guitar" band broke up and afterwards, I started writting music with MIDI. I used a Jupiter 6 and a Sequential Curcuits Drumtraks. As the years went by I bought a Roland JX8P, a rackmount TX81Z, Casio CZ 101, Ensoniq ESQ-m and a Ensoniq Mirage. I was one of the first few who bought a mirage when it first came out. I worked only with a few people. In 1987, I decided to give up making music and get into playing music as a DJ because I knew some DJ's that made $500-800 a night! Frustrated with tring to make it and it was really hard to get a A&R rep to listen to my music, I sold my Keyboard, Computer, Drum machine, and Software. I have been a DJ since then.
About 6 months ago my friend, Randy, convienced me to start up writting music again. What happened is that I found a "music time-capsule". Would you believe I found all my old demo tapes and ideas from 1983-1987? Yep, I had a variety of full songs, partial songs and "bits and pieces". I even had all my MIDI data on 5 1/4" floopies. At that time I wrote my music on Roland's 8 track MIDI sequencer (no audio) called MPS and them later bought a better sequencing program called Texture. Texture was a much better program that was written by programmer/musician Roger Powell. So I played my music to Randy and he really liked it. He convienced me to get back into writing and playing music again.
Since I have played keyboards it made sence to buy one again. So, I looked for a MIDI controller. (Not on Ebay, where the price always goes up but on Recycler.com where I can personally negotiate a lower price from regular "for sale" ads. Note: I bought everything for my studio on recycler.com except for Cakewalk's Sonar) I bought a MKB-300 controller for $100. I the following week I found an Ensoniq EPS-M w/ 4X ext. memory for $180. Since I had my old mirage "data/sound" disks it made since to buy it. The EPS can play Mirage sounds and it is also multitimbral. I later found a great deal for a Korg M1 rack mount and a Roland U-220, both for $300. Now all I needed was the sequencing software to put it all together. I heard about ProTools and the Digi-001 but after careful research, I decided on Cakewalk's Pro Audio 9. I found out that ProTools is very expensive and doesnt work on AMD systems. I found a great deal on PA9 too. Actually, I found "Pro Suite" which had PA9, Gigasampler with gigapiano, Musicians Toolbox and other EFX disks. I found this guy who sold me the software for $150. I later decided to get Cakewalk Power to learn it. After getting to know PA9, Cakewalk had a seminar in a music store very close to my work. They were promoting Sonar. So I went to the seminar and saw what Sonar was about and noticed that Sonar, in a way, was Pro Audio 10. But this program had alot more. Easier screens to mix, I liked that. DXI SoftSynths and other better quality effects plug-in than PA9. So, I went out and bought Sonar new from MTLC.net for $275 with shipping included. They had a special with free shipping. The last thing I bought was the book Sonar Power and the full version to LiveSynth Pro Softsynth Software. I am currently very excited about Soundfonts and learning as much as I can. Then came the idea, do I really need my synths if I can buy Soundfonts and Softsynths? I currently not knowing what to do about this. This sure has been an adventure for me this last 6 months. I have learned alot in this time. I am amazed by what you can do on the desktop! Softsynths, Plug-ins, Multitrack digital audio recording. They sure did'nt have this in the '80's! Sometimes I wish I had never stopped writing music but in 1987, I asked myself if this was just a childhood dream just gone bad (making it in the music business) and did I want to continue on a dead end course of "ground hog day" version of sending out demo tapes endlessly with no reply. I did some soul searching and decided I would stop playing and "grow up". Now, 14 years later I am getting back into music and not to "make it", but for my own rewards and enjoyment. Nothing more. But there is a side effect to all of this. I am excited about it. I mean, really excited about playing music. It feels like getting back together with an old girlfriend that you been thinking about for years........and then reunited again. This past 6 months have been very enjoyable for me. I have kick in my step and have been whistling some tune that I recorded the night before.
So, that's my story. I'm back making music and I am glad to be part of HomeRecording.com's community. I would like your resposes or emails. I would love to know how your are doing and what songs you are working on.
See ya on the FlipSide,
tcdave
I recently started getting back into making music again. In 1983, my "guitar" band broke up and afterwards, I started writting music with MIDI. I used a Jupiter 6 and a Sequential Curcuits Drumtraks. As the years went by I bought a Roland JX8P, a rackmount TX81Z, Casio CZ 101, Ensoniq ESQ-m and a Ensoniq Mirage. I was one of the first few who bought a mirage when it first came out. I worked only with a few people. In 1987, I decided to give up making music and get into playing music as a DJ because I knew some DJ's that made $500-800 a night! Frustrated with tring to make it and it was really hard to get a A&R rep to listen to my music, I sold my Keyboard, Computer, Drum machine, and Software. I have been a DJ since then.
About 6 months ago my friend, Randy, convienced me to start up writting music again. What happened is that I found a "music time-capsule". Would you believe I found all my old demo tapes and ideas from 1983-1987? Yep, I had a variety of full songs, partial songs and "bits and pieces". I even had all my MIDI data on 5 1/4" floopies. At that time I wrote my music on Roland's 8 track MIDI sequencer (no audio) called MPS and them later bought a better sequencing program called Texture. Texture was a much better program that was written by programmer/musician Roger Powell. So I played my music to Randy and he really liked it. He convienced me to get back into writing and playing music again.
Since I have played keyboards it made sence to buy one again. So, I looked for a MIDI controller. (Not on Ebay, where the price always goes up but on Recycler.com where I can personally negotiate a lower price from regular "for sale" ads. Note: I bought everything for my studio on recycler.com except for Cakewalk's Sonar) I bought a MKB-300 controller for $100. I the following week I found an Ensoniq EPS-M w/ 4X ext. memory for $180. Since I had my old mirage "data/sound" disks it made since to buy it. The EPS can play Mirage sounds and it is also multitimbral. I later found a great deal for a Korg M1 rack mount and a Roland U-220, both for $300. Now all I needed was the sequencing software to put it all together. I heard about ProTools and the Digi-001 but after careful research, I decided on Cakewalk's Pro Audio 9. I found out that ProTools is very expensive and doesnt work on AMD systems. I found a great deal on PA9 too. Actually, I found "Pro Suite" which had PA9, Gigasampler with gigapiano, Musicians Toolbox and other EFX disks. I found this guy who sold me the software for $150. I later decided to get Cakewalk Power to learn it. After getting to know PA9, Cakewalk had a seminar in a music store very close to my work. They were promoting Sonar. So I went to the seminar and saw what Sonar was about and noticed that Sonar, in a way, was Pro Audio 10. But this program had alot more. Easier screens to mix, I liked that. DXI SoftSynths and other better quality effects plug-in than PA9. So, I went out and bought Sonar new from MTLC.net for $275 with shipping included. They had a special with free shipping. The last thing I bought was the book Sonar Power and the full version to LiveSynth Pro Softsynth Software. I am currently very excited about Soundfonts and learning as much as I can. Then came the idea, do I really need my synths if I can buy Soundfonts and Softsynths? I currently not knowing what to do about this. This sure has been an adventure for me this last 6 months. I have learned alot in this time. I am amazed by what you can do on the desktop! Softsynths, Plug-ins, Multitrack digital audio recording. They sure did'nt have this in the '80's! Sometimes I wish I had never stopped writing music but in 1987, I asked myself if this was just a childhood dream just gone bad (making it in the music business) and did I want to continue on a dead end course of "ground hog day" version of sending out demo tapes endlessly with no reply. I did some soul searching and decided I would stop playing and "grow up". Now, 14 years later I am getting back into music and not to "make it", but for my own rewards and enjoyment. Nothing more. But there is a side effect to all of this. I am excited about it. I mean, really excited about playing music. It feels like getting back together with an old girlfriend that you been thinking about for years........and then reunited again. This past 6 months have been very enjoyable for me. I have kick in my step and have been whistling some tune that I recorded the night before.
So, that's my story. I'm back making music and I am glad to be part of HomeRecording.com's community. I would like your resposes or emails. I would love to know how your are doing and what songs you are working on.
See ya on the FlipSide,
tcdave
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