Rich's dirty secrets to awesome home recording with cheap hardware
I'm pretty sure any pro-audio guy who reads this is going to be thoroughly disgusted because the method described below uses old-school tech. But it works and it can be done very cheaply. And yes, I mean CHEAP. Not "inexpensive". I mean cheap, as in stuff-you'd-find-at-a-garage-sale cheap.
1. The computer
The minimum required for PC hardware is an Intel 1GHz CPU, 2GB of RAM, a plain sound card with a "LINE IN" port, an 80GB hard drive that runs at 7200 RPM and the Microsoft Windows XP operating system or a lightweight Linux distribution.
The above in detail:
A PC with a single-core 1GHz processor can be found just about anywhere. These 10-year-old (or greater) computer boxes are so cheap that people practically give them away. You specifically want an Intel processor and not AMD because some older AMD's like the Athlon XP cause frequency noise in the sound card when recording, but the Intel does not. This doesn't happen with modern AMD CPUs, but it does on the older ones.
You do not need anything more than 2GB RAM for 32-bit Windows XP. About 99% of PCs with XP are 32-bit and not 64, so it's not something you have to worry about. 32-bit XP even though it's supposed to support 4GB RAM at the most will only support 3.2GB maximum, so it's a total waste to have anything more than 2GB RAM. As for the clock speed of the RAM, it doesn't matter. It could be the slowest RAM available and it will still work just fine for audio recording software purposes.
Audio does not take nearly as much hard drive space as video does, so any hard drive 80GB or greater will work. The only thing you have to watch for is that the drive runs at 7200 RPM and not anything slower. There are slower 5200 and 5400 RPM drives out there, and if you unfortunately have one of these, junk it for a 7200; this will be printed on a sticker on top of the hard drive in plain sight.
The blue port on the back of a plain sound card is what you need to pay attention to, as that's "LINE IN", and yes it is a stereo input. This means you can feed the analog output of a mixer into it easily. It is most likely true the cheap PC you pick up will already have one of these.
As for Microsoft Windows XP, well, everyone knows what that is. It's not in production anymore but it's been around since 2001 so it's not like you don't know it. And no, it does not matter if you have "Home" or "Professional" edition, because there's nothing in "Professional" that would give you any advantage when recording audio.
If the computer box you have doesn't have XP or you can't get a license for it, download Lubuntu for free and use that instead; it's a lightweight very-fast Linux that will run on old computers easily. It will also run modern web browsers like Chrome and Firefox. The only crappy part is that getting wireless internet to work in Linux is annoying, but chances are the old PC you'll be using has no wireless anyway and just a plain wired network card, so this isn't a problem.
2. The software
I suggest using the free Audacity, but since most people want to know what I use, it's Cool Edit Pro 2.1. This is really old software that was last made under this name in 2003. This is before Adobe bought it and changed it to Adobe Audition. I used Audition 1.5 for a good long while but eventually went back to CEP because it just runs better - even in Windows 7. Cool Edit Pro is not available for download as it's not made anymore, nor was it ever freeware.
CEP is my personal choice for recording software. If I didn't have it, I would use Audacity and wouldn't think twice about it, because it's the only thing I prefer to record with besides CEP. Like CEP, Audacity is very light in operation, doesn't give you problems, has all the filters and effects CEP does and works great.
Oh, and there's one other huge advantage concerning Audacity - it's multi-platform, meaning it can run in Linux. If your computer box is running Linux, you'll be using Audacity, and it's good to know this.
3. The mixer
I use a very basic Behringer Xenyx 502 mixer because it's all I need. I feed a "Y" connector from the 1/4-inch left/right outputs to a stereo 3.5mm-input to the sound card (which for you would be the blue "LINE IN" port).
The exact cable that you need is a 1/8" stereo to dual 1/4" TS splitter.
To note: If you're recording a full band, you're going to need a mixer with more inputs for the extra microphones and such. If you need the extra inputs, get the Behringer Xenyx 1202FX. Great mixer, easy on the budget, small but not too small, and even has built-in effects with 100 presets.
DO NOT bother with USB. Don't even touch it. If you do, you'll encounter a lag/latency nightmare ("pausing" when recording). Use an analog output from the mixer to an analog LINE IN input on the computer. It is not a sin to do this.
Yes, there will be some barely-there electronic noise when recording with analog. You will see this when recording with Audacity, but that's OK because you only hear it just before a recording starts. This means you can "silence" that part of any track just by highlighting it with the mouse and then using the "silence" filter. It's really not a problem, believe me.
Remember: Nobody will know you're recording with analog, because nobody cares. Well, nobody except pro-audio guys who will tell you you're doing everything wrong when in fact you aren't. If some pro-audio guy tells you "you're doing it all wrong", just ignore the guy, because he's obviously not going to give you the money for the super-awesome all-digital crapola. It's your money, and if you have to go cheap, then go cheap and record your way. Analog recording works and sounds just fine, because it's not like you're recording a symphony.
How much does all this cost?
The computer: You probably already have an old clunker computer, so this could be free. If not, try picking up an older Dell PC box. These things are everywhere just about anywhere in the world, and can be had for next to nothing. The only thing you'll have to spend any real money on may be a new hard drive. A refurbished Dell from Wal-Mart is the perfect super-cheap budget recording PC. It's $188! The only crappy part is that it's Windows 7 and not XP, but who cares? You can dump that for Lubuntu Linux (which runs really good on a Dell) and you're good to go.
The software: Free.
The mixer: Between $50 to $125
The Y-connector cable: $10 to $20, depending on where you buy it (again, I suggest getting the 2-pack from the linked cable product above).
Total investment will be anywhere from $0 to about $325 after taxes/shipping. And yes, that is the total cost. Nothing more needs to be spent after that. Any other costs would only be for music gear such as a guitar effects processor and microphones.
What about the recording quality? How will my recordings sound?
Here's the deal when it comes to the quality of your recordings:
Give a guy inexperienced in recording $5,000 worth of hardware and say "record something great", and that guy will record nothing but crap.
Give a guy experienced in recording $300 worth of hardware and say "record something great", and he will.
What this means is that just because someone has crazy-good super-expensive hardware doesn't mean he knows how to use it properly. It's the same as "an experienced guitar player with the $100 guitar sounds great while the inexperienced guitar player with a $1,000 guitar sounds like crap". Experience counts both for playing and recording. If you have no recording experience, expensive recording gear will give you no advantage whatsoever.
What this also means is that nobody sounds great at first. Your first recordings, whether they're on cheap or expensive recording hardware, will sound terrible. And you know what? That's just fine. You will get better at recording the more than you do it.
In addition, remember that for the guitar player (and the bass player), a modeling effects processor is your best friend. Again, I will mention the DigiTech RP255 here. If you plug that sucker DIRECT into the mixer and don't use any amps, you'll sound good even with little to no recording experience. TRUST ME ON THIS ONE. If on the other hand you try miking an amp with little to no recording experience, you'll sound awful because miking amps for recording is never plug-in-and-go. It takes time, the room acoustics matter, and a whole bunch of other stuff needs to be taken into consideration that you probably didn't think of - nor would you want to. All you want to do is hit the record button and go, right? Right. Use modeling processing, don't bother with the miked amps, and you'll save yourself from a lot of frustration and headaches.
I mean, if you want to mike the amps, then go ahead. But it will prove to be a huge pain in the ass compared to using a modeling effects processor.
Anyway, there you go. Now you know cheap ways to record your stuff.
Must-have gigging essential - GPS (and how to get ultra-precise directions)
I've been a Garmin GPS user since 2005, so believe me when I say that I know my way around a GPS. The current unit I own is the nuvi 40LM model. The "LM" by the way means "Lifetime Maps", so when buying a Garmin GPS, always get one that has "LM" in its model name so you don't have to pay for map upgrades.
Why as a gigging musician do you need GPS?
Some clubs, venues and other places you gig will be in really weird locations
I have gigged in places that would be next to impossible to find even with printed directions from Google Maps. There are some spots so tucked away that you're amazed anyone could even find the place. There's been several times I've said to myself, "Wow, I'm glad I had my GPS" when arriving at certain locations, because I know I'd never be able to find it from a printed map alone.
Trying to find a place at night without GPS is just a bad idea
Driving at night sucks and always has. And of course, most gigs are played after the sun goes down. During the day when the sun is out, sure, it's usually easy to get around. But once nightfall comes, things that did look familiar are all of a sudden unfamiliar. Any landmark or road sign that's not lit cannot be seen unless you're pointing your car's headlights directly at it (which of course you can't do since you have to stay on the road).
Gas is frickin' expensive
Drive with GPS and you save money on gas. The best example I can give of this is what happens when things don't go according to plan.
You drive to the gig and get there with no problem. After the gig, you pack up and start to head back home. During the trip back home, you're driving on the highway and up ahead is an accident where you're forced to take an exit ramp to somewhere you've never been before. With GPS, this isn't an issue because the nuvi will recalculate the route automatically and get you back home. But without GPS? Yeah, your printed map is worthless at that point. You'll be wasting gas from driving around for a good 15 to 30 minutes trying to find a way around the accident and get back on the highway.
How to get ultra-precise directions with a Garmin nuvi
Note before continuing: This is going to seem like a really long-ass way of doing this, but believe me, getting to gigs this way will not only save fuel but also save your ass from getting lost many, many times. It's totally worth it to learn how to do this stuff.
Step 1. Find the gig on Bing Maps
I purposely recommend Bing Maps because it's easier to get coordinates there instead of using Google Maps. You'll see why in a moment.
The example location I'll be using here is Pegasus Lounge in Tampa, Florida.
I go to Bing Maps and search for "pegasus tampa"; this shows the address as 10008 N 30th St, Tampa FL.
Step 2. Switch to Aerial View
The default view is "Road". Switch that to "Aerial".
Step 3. Zoom in tight on the location
Step 4. Right-click a spot to get the coordinates
Step 5. Enter the coordinates in the nuvi
Okay, now it's time to punch this into the nuvi so I can navigate exactly to that spot.
Note: The directions below is how MOST nuvis work. Yours may have menus that are slightly different, but the end result is always the same (which you want it to be).
First, "Where To?"
Second, "Coordinates" (you may have to press a down arrow to see this)
Third, "Format" (at bottom), and change to "h ddd.ddddd" so you can enter the numbers just like it shows on Bing Maps, then "OK".
Fourth, enter the coordinates. The first number is north or south. If a positive number, it's north. If a negative number, south. The second number is east or west. If positive, it's east. If negative, then west.
And yes it is true you'll only be able to enter 5 digits after the decimal point and not 6 as the Bing Map coordinates show. Don't worry about that as it's still very precise.
After that, touch "Next"
At this point you'll want to examine the map to make sure you've got the right spot. If the streets match up with what you see in Bing Maps, you're good to go.
After examining the map to make sure the right spot has been mapped, touch "Save"
Name the location, then touch "Done", and "OK".
At this point the location will be in "Favorites", so now from the main menu you can touch "Where To?" and then "Favorites" and it will be in there.
Why is it necessary to map locations like this for your gigs?
Direct coordinates are always accurate.
From above you saw that named addresses - especially for businesses - don't usually point to where you're trying to get to. But with coordinates there is absolutely no question of where the GPS will take you.
Another reason to use coordinates is for parking. Sometimes there are gigs where the parking is in the back rather than in the front, and you have to go down some special access road to even get to the back of the building where the parking area is. Obviously, that's not listed on any map because it has no defined address, so coordinates are basically the only way to get directed to places like that.
Is a smartphone GPS as good as a Garmin nüvi?
No, and it never has been.
Smartphone GPS works and I'm not saying it doesn't. But a Garmin nüvi GPS is true real-time (it updates its location every 3 meters or less, which is super-accurate), uses true from-satellite positioning while many smartphones do not, doesn't run the risk of crashing like a smartphone does (on many smartphones, if you receive a text or call while navigating using the phone's GPS, that can crash the phone's OS almost too easily), and of course the nüvi is way, WAY faster at calculating and routing to destinations.
I consider smartphone GPS "fair" at best. Yeah, it works, but not like a nüvi does. Any nüvi made from 2010 or later runs circles around smartphone GPS in basically every way. I know that ticks some smartphone owners off when they hear that, but it is the truth. This is why iPhone owners to this day prefer Garmin nüvi over the iPhone's way of doing routing (even before the crappy map app Apple has now in iOS 6).
Simply put, you need a dedicated GPS in the car, and it should be a nüvi. The smartphone is great for texting, talking and so-so navigation, but when you want the good stuff, you go Garmin.
Again, remember, this is coming from a guy who's been using Garmin GPSes since 2005, taken trips over 1,000 miles with them and has navigated to gigs with a nüvi that a smartphone would never find even on its best day.
Why the rock music scene in Tampa Bay sucks (and what can be done about it)
Since moving to Tampa Bay Florida in the mid-2000s, I've been in and out of a few bands. Some never went anywhere after the first rehearsal. Some would purposely withhold information such a conveniently not mentioning the fact it was a church band (if you're in a church band, say so up front or bug off, and I seriously mean that). Others I got kicked out of for "not playing well with others", and I'll explain more about that in a moment. And one turned out to have a singer who was nothing more than a pill-popping, stoner drunk. Of course I didn't find this out until after I joined the band, played a single gig where the singer took the stage in a high drunken state and promptly forgot half the lyrics to the songs he was singing. It wasn't pretty.
Tampa Bay is the land of 1,000 crappy sports bar bands that never go anywhere and never will go anywhere who all tell the same lies over and over again.
Here's a condensed list of those lies:
"We're pro"
This is said even though the band has no demo online, no web site whatsoever and not even a dopey ReverbNation page (tip: a ReverbNation page is the calling card of any band that sucks). Ask for a recent demo and you'll be lied to until you actually show up for the first rehearsal, only to be given a CD (who uses CDs anymore?) that was made 5 years ago from musicians not even living in this state anymore. Gee, thanks.
Anyone who says they can't make a demo because it's "too hard" is lying right through their teeth. If I can make a demo using a decidedly old webcam and my laptop, you can make a demo by recording a video with your smartphone. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. The reason you don't do it because you're either too stupid to do it, too lazy to do it, and/or you just suck. And bear in mind there are 12-year-old kid guitar players who know how to post videos to YouTube while you don't. Yes, that means if you're a musician and haven't posted any video to the internet recently or none at all, you're officially dumber than a 12-year-old. Congrats.
"I/We have connections"
Knowing dive bar owners does not count as connections. All that means is that you're such a drunk and go to that bar so often that the proprietor knows you by first name. Your lie comes in the respect that all your 'connections' are worthless, because you're passing them off as good when they're not.
"I/We can get gigs anytime"
Same as above. Your gigs are all at those crappy dive bars. Again, worthless. A band cannot get known at all by playing Bob's Country Bunker over and over again.
I don't claim to be the best guitar player, but...
I want to make it very clear up front that while I can hold my own on guitar, there are plenty of other players out there who can smoke me easily. I am a solid believer in The First Rule of Being a Musician, which is there is always someone better than you. I understand this very well, which is why I don't try to be #1 at anything to do with guitar, because there are guys playing nylon acoustics on street corners in Spain that can absolutely destroy anyone here that plays guitar - and that's a fact.
However...
...there are so many subpar musicians in Tampa Bay that it's just ridiculous.
What do I mean by "subpar"? I mean drummers who can't keep time (the one thing they're supposed to be able to do) who keep slowing down and/or speeding up and/or not having a clue what they're doing behind the skins - yet still claiming they're "pro". I mean singers who are always slightly sharp or slightly flat yet INSIST they're in perfect key when you know they're not. I'm taking about bass players who take 30 minutes to tune a bass guitar yet still manage to always be out-of-tune (I can have one tuned in less than 15 seconds by ear). I mean guitar players that have $10,000 worth of gear yet can't play a fucking barre chord to save their lives. That's what subpar musicianship is.
Remember how I said I've been kicked out of bands for "not playing well with others"? I'll tell you why this happens. When I'm lied to with claims of being all "pro" and whatnot and then I show up to rehearsal and see and hear a bunch of subpar musicians, then oh yes, I will let you know about it. I will call you out on that. And yeah, you will get ticked off at me for doing so, but at that point I don't care because you cost me money. You wasted the gas in my car it took to get there, you wasted my time and now I'm calling you on your lies. You saw my videos and you know what I'm capable of, yet you invited me into a cesspool of mediocrity that is your rehearsal space... to what? Fool me into thinking you're something great when you're not? I'm not a fool, so yeah, screw you.
A list of stupid things almost all Tampa Bay bands do
Not talking to other bands. At all.
Crappy sports bar bands don't talk to other bands because they're too afraid of "losing their spot" in the one or two crappy sports bars they play regularly. They feel that other bands will stomp them out of existence and therefore stomp them out of paid gigs.
I can't even begin to describe how wrong this is.
Everyone knows the old saying that there's no such thing as bad publicity, right? Well then, answer me this, Mr. Crappy Bar Band Leader, how it is BAD when another band shows up bringing along THEIR fans which will in turn put NEW EARS towards YOUR BAND? Hmm? How is this bad? Could you answer that for me? I doubt you could, because your brain is probably floating in Jack Daniels most of the time.
All ears are good ears, and most bands are just too stupid to realize it.
Oh, and let's not forget that a "double headliner" would add to the overall entertainment value. It doesn't even matter if the bands aren't that great because at least it adds in some variety.
And yeah, I know, your set won't be as long as it normally is by sharing a gig with another band so you won't get as many tips. That's your shortsightedness kicking in. Stop doing that. Take any new ears you can get, because it's very likely a few of those new ears will turn into new fans and then turn into MORE MONEY YOU WILL MAKE.
Old vs. Young
Bands with members over 40 avoid younger bands like the plague and won't go anywhere near them, again for fear of being stomped out of the scene (to which I would ask: WHAT SCENE?) This happens even if both the young and old band play the exact same style of music.
If you're middle-aged or older and some younger band approaches you asking to open up for them, ACCEPT IT GRACIOUSLY and take whatever traffic you can get. Remember, all ears are good ears - especially new ones. That younger band will bring in younger fans that may (gasp!) actually like your band and come back to see you again.
And let's say for the moment that younger band puts on a great act and totally stomps yours. SO WHAT? It's not like you'll be banned from playing that venue ever again because of that. Take your lumps and just deal with it; it's not the end of the world and you're still getting paid, so I truly don't know what the hell you're all in a twist about.
Having an awful manager
Let me guess. The band's manager is one of the band member's fat, ass-pickled, cottage-cheese-boobed "rock wives". Did I guess right? I'm sure I did!
While I'm sure that wife is a probably a lovely person, she's a terrible manager. This is the woman who thinks "manager" means "bossing people around" and not actually picking up the damned phone to call clubs and venues, make connections, and schedule gigs. The only reason she's "manager" is just to give her something to do - and do badly. And it doesn't help that she dresses in the over-the-hill rock wife look where she wears shirts exposing her flabby gut that's literally hanging off the beltline, and wears jeans so tight that her flab spills out everywhere in true muffin top style (see photo). And of course from those ill-fitting jeans you can see a perfect outline of her camel toe in the front which, sorry to say, is gross and probably scares small children. The horror.
When I see the rock wife "manager", I run for cover.
A manager (male or female mind you) is someone that truly knows how to connect with people and knows how to lay off the Twinkies long enough to get good gigs. I'll talk about that more in a moment.
Complaining that "things aren't like they used to be in the music scene"
I have two responses to this.
First, said again, what scene are you talking about? The one from FantasyLand? Because it seems you live there.
Second, if you got off your dead ass and did something entertaining when performing, things would go well. In fact, they would probably be a whole lot better compared to what you remember. You would believe it or not create the scene. Yes, you. It's totally possible with the right frame of mind.
The supposed magical awesome music scene that was around in the 80s and 90s, sorry to say, never was.
People who pine for the days of how things used to be all say the same thing. "Yeah man, I remember when we used to play a gig and then after that party all night, get stoned, get drunk and it was FUCKIN' AWESOME man..."
Okay then, let's examine that for a moment. What you're pining for isn't "the scene". You're pining for the days when you had no real bills to speak of, no mortgage and could get drunk and stoned every weekend and not care about it.
That's not a scene. That's just innocent youth. You were in a crappy band back then and you're probably in a crappy band now, except it's 10 or 20 years later and you're fatter, balder and your body rejects all the crap you used to put into it. You got old. That's what happened.
And of course the drunken stoner days of the past have absolutely nothing to do with a professional performing act. Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. The only reason you remember the past so fondly is because you were as high as a kite most of the time.
You could in fact have it so much better now compared to then, but the problem is your brain is working in reverse instead of forward.
A list of stupidly easy things Tampa Bay bands could do to be successful but don't do
Where's the act?
The vast majority of Tampa Bay bands have no act to speak of. Usually all you see is four or five disheveled people crawl their way up on stage, stand perfectly still (except the drummer who sits still), play crappy songs and... nothing else. No movement. No activity. No show.
Where's the entertainment there? It doesn't exist. You might as well put a DJ there with two loudspeakers because it would be the same thing.
An act is not hard to put together. Really, it isn't. Do a few synchronized moves, maybe dress in the same color shirts to give your band some credibility as an actual performing act, etc. Like I said, not hard to do.
And no, smoke machines and lights will not change the fact you're standing perfectly still on stage. It's no different than planting four or five statues and having a DJ in the background sending audio out of the loudspeakers. NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL.
Did EVERYONE forget promo?
Proper promotion is a foreign concept to bands. They think tacking a poster on the dive bar's bulletin board that they'll be playing next Saturday night counts as promo. Nope.
How does one do promo on the cheap? Free t-shirts, stupid. Yes, seriously. Make your fans walking advertisements. They won't mind.
Or maybe actually (gasp!) buy some radio advertising time. You know how all bands say that radio stations never promote local acts? That's because you're not bringing in the station any money. Pay the station to promo your band and Oh My God they actually will. Amazing concept, isn't it? Pay someone to do something and they'll actually do it. Wow, who'da thunk it? And yes, it's true that kids don't listen to the radio anymore, BUT THEIR PARENTS DO. Think about that.
And for any one of you dumbass bands out there that says "Hey! We're well-known!" No, you're not. I've never heard of you. I haven't seen anyone wearing your giveaway t-shirts (probably because you never thought of it). I doubt your "popularity" goes beyond your backyard, if that.
Almost no local band knows how to do internet right
Are you selling CDs on the crappy band web site you have that nobody knows about? I guarantee you're doing it the wrong way, and that's compounded by the fact nobody wants your stupid CDs anyway.
Aside from that, does your band's Facebook fan page have over 500 fans? Mine does, and I'm just one guy. Do you even HAVE a Facebook fan page? GET ONE. It's free and ridiculously easy to maintain.
Got a YouTube channel? That's the #1 way fans discover new music on the internet. I have over 1,000 subs on mine. How about you? Do you even have one?
A known fact concerning bands and internet is this: Without an internet presence, you will never get known outside of Tampa Bay. If the goal is to expand the band's presence as far and wide as possible (and it should be), then *duh*, get your internet stuff in check, use it and update it routinely.
Oh, and here's another thing - without a proper internet presence, you will miss out on potential gigs. Notice how my contact page link is plastered on every single page on this site? There's a reason for that - to make it as stupidly easy for people to contact me.
Business on the internet runs by email. Putting that address on business cards isn't enough. You need a site and you need to list contact info so when someone Google-searches your band, you're found and can be contacted easily. Doesn't that make sense?
One more thing concerning my fan numbers and YouTube subs. I don't even do internet promo that well, and I'm probably kicking your ass in that department. That should tell you something.
Too many musicians and not enough (right) managers
This is the unofficial list that disqualifies anyone from being a manager of a band:
- The person is related to any one of the band members in any way. This means no wives, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins or whatever... No, no, no, no, NO. A manager that's related to anyone in the band is a sure-fire recipe for disaster in short order.
- The person has no clue how to get around Tampa Bay at all. Managers have to be willing to travel around a lot in addition to making lots of calls and texts. I mean, with GPS being cheap and readily available, there's really no excuse, is there?
- It takes longer than 24 hours to get a text or phone called returned from the person. If that happens, the person is L-A-Z-Y, and that's no good at all.
- The person is a musician.
It's the last point I'm going to expatiate on.
Most of the time (but not all and I'll explain that in a minute), managers are who are musicians are the absolute worst people to manage a band for several reasons because they do not have the band's best interests in mind. That manager will try to shape your band into what his or her "vision" is and is guaranteed to screw everything up, citing "I'm a musician too and I know what I'm talking about" or some other nonsense like that. It's just a bad, bad idea to have someone that plays an instrument as your manager.
The only time a manager who's a musician is acceptable is if it's someone older who used to play but doesn't anymore regularly, has no interest in being on stage but does enjoy the process of managing a band because he or she likes being in the scene (for what little of it there is). That's an okay situation because that former or now-hobbyist musician has been in the scene, hopefully has experience, probably has some genuinely good contacts, and most importantly is not a drama factory. This type of dude is calm, cool, collected, and serious about what he or she does, but at the same time is fun to be around. That's a good combination because a manager who's your friend (as long as they're not related to you) can go a long way.
It really isn't that difficult to be a very popular act in Tampa Bay in a very short period of time
Musicians throw around the word "dedication" a lot when it comes to bands, but few truly understand what it means.
I'll tell you what it means.
It can be argued that the best gigs in the State of Florida are theme parks (Disney World, Universal Studios, etc.), because they pay well and you're exposed to a lot of people. However the second best gig is usually a county fair.
Some of you will instantly think, "Pff... no way would I play a county fair." Then you're an idiot. There are lots of ears at fairs. Ears of the people that actually matter concerning your musical career - families and kids, and NOT the drunks at the local watering holes.
Stop being just another crappy band and start being a professional performing act. Don't be musicians. Be entertainers.
When it comes to being a true entertainer, this is where most musicians fail when it comes to dedication. They think "being dedicated" means knowing your songs, not going any further than that and having no act to follow it.
Are you dedicated to putting on a good show and entertaining people? That's the question you need to answer. If you answered that with a "yes", what's your act? Do you even have one? If not, put one together. If you don't, you'll always be just another lazy-ass crappy sports bar band playing craptastic garbage that nobody cares about.
County fairs like acts that can draw big crowds because it means more cash for the event; it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that part out. To draw the big crowds, you need a good act that's entertaining and fun. If all you do is "play music" and nothing more, you'll never get the big gigs unless you luck out and get one by chance.
However - and this is where the manager part comes in - the best act in Tampa Bay won't go anywhere without good management. A good manager knows how to get in contact with event organizers and has a cell phone full of contacts for gigs all over the region. That manager should be calling and texting organizers and venue owners constantly to get the scoop on where the better events are, flying out the band's press packs left and right and getting the job done.
Fact: Most bands in Tampa Bay are afraid of big success
By now you're thinking, "Okay dude.. you have good points. You've given me the confidence to really move forward with my band."
Maybe I did - but let's go even further than that. Let's say you get your ass together, get your band mate's asses together, put together a solid act, get good management, start getting known and are getting the big gigs. Suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere you start getting calls from the big venues. Things are going well.
Then something happens: The Fear.
Things are moving way too fast for you. You're getting a bunch of calls, people want your band to play everywhere and you feel you're being stretched beyond your limit. That's when your dedication shrinks into a little ball and then *poof*, gone. You quit even though things are going great.
There are stories strewn all over Tampa Bay from guys who "almost made it" with their bands but never did because they were too scared to really go the mile, so to speak. Success was happening, things were going along great and then one of the band members got The Fear, and it was all over almost instantly. Success, oddly enough, is what killed the band.
Guys like this when they tell their tales of woe blame everything but The Fear. They'll blame the record industry, or bad management, or the economy or whatever. Nope. It was The Fear, and it's a killer of bands everywhere.
To be successful as a performing act not only in Tampa Bay but pretty much anywhere takes a huge set of balls, or said more politely an iron nerve. This doesn't mean to have a "no fear" attitude, because you should always be cautious, but you can't let success scare you back into hiding. If it does, you'll never go anywhere.
The audio CD turns 30
On 1-Oct-1982, Billy Joel's 52nd Street was the first commercial compact disc, released in Japan. Now while true CD technology is several years older than 1982 (prototypes were around as early as the mid-1970s), the "music CD", if you will, started in '82, meaning the CD as we know it is 30 years old.
Should a band sell CDs at all anymore?
Ordinarily I'd say no because nobody wants them - BUT - you can at least produce them very cheaply for those that do if you go about it the right way.
If I were selling CDs (and I might try that in the future), I would only make LightScribe discs. LightScribe is a disc-etching technology.
To make LightScribe discs, all you need is a LightScribe-capable DVD burner (about 20 bucks) and LightScribe-friendly blank discs (also about 20 bucks).
If I were going the LightScribe way, it means I can make them on-demand. When someone places an order (I'd probably use PayPal), I can burn the disc specifically for that order, use software for to make the cool LightScribe-etched artwork, test the disc to make sure it works properly, then ship it out. Or, if I were going to play a gig that night, I could burn 10 discs to give away at the show. For the jewel case I'd just use clear slim cases.
The point to doing it this way is that it requires a minimal investment of about 40 to 50 bucks, and that's it. That's sure a hell of a lot cheaper than the several-hundred-dollars I'd have to spend for disc replication + artwork, which by the way would require a minimum order count of at least 100 to 500 discs!
If you're insistent on selling discs, do it the LightScribe way. The drive is cheap, the discs are cheap, the total investment is very minimal and the end product is still custom-to-your-band and looks cool.
So if you're going to go the CD route, don't spend a bunch of money on it. Get the LightScribe drive and discs, save a bunch of money by doing that instead of using traditional disc replication, and you've got yourself a nice little on-demand disc-maker setup.
This is what happens when I break my own rules
I bought a 12-pack box of Dean Markley Vintage 1972 reissue strings. As I've said in previous blogs, you should never buy this many packs of strings at once because what happens is that you'll never get through half the box without some of the strings rusting on you.
Well, that's exactly what happened to me even though I change strings roughly once every 3 weeks to a month. When I got to the 7th pack of strings, either the G or B string was rusted in any new pack I opened. I was able to get maybe 2 more sets of strings out of those 7 remaining packs, having to throw out the rusted G or B strings I found from the other sets.
Dean Markley should really offer the 1972 reissues in 3-packs, but unfortunately they don't.
D'Addario EXL120 strings on the other hand are offered in 3-set packs, so today I bought those instead.
I basically lost about 20 bucks for not following my own rules. Don't make the same mistake.