I know, it’s kind of awkward. I didn’t talk to you for a bit. You see, I’ve just been going through these… things. I meant to talk to you about them but after enough time passed I felt like it’d just be too embarrassing. I never forgot, I just got… caught up.

Oh, really? We’re cool? OK. I’m glad. I’m, really glad.

It’s good that we can talk about this. You’re a terrific friend.

You see, I’ve been balancing my life out a little. Gosh, I love writing here. I also love to make music, I love to love my lover, I love to give 100% at my day job, and lately I’ve loved doing nothing with my spare time so I can catch my breath, catch some entertainment, and catch a moment for myself. Despite being a consummate atheist, a vestige of my Protestant upbringing manifests itself squarely in my virtually inexhaustible work ethic. That’s great, and the pride I get from work keeps me alive, but sometimes work-for-pay trumps work-for-pleasure, and I’ve had to make a few strategic decisions in order to maintain (or regain) a sense of sanity.

This compromise comes at a great emotional cost, because I equate hard work with personal growth. To get a little personal without being too revealing, my chaotic upbringing left me with few choices other than to be a hard worker. Opportunities were never handed to me, and my determination and drive are literally the only things which kept me from accepting my circumstances and settling for less than what I am capable of. My parents graduated from agricultural rural America to the (relatively) Big City because they knew they could do better. The hand I was dealt in life nearly sent me to the wastebin of sub/urban America, except my instincts told me to push hard despite whatever negativity I encountered in order to achieve the fulfillment I knew I could attain. That’s why I am here now, and I credit my decisiveness and determination for every bit of it.

I came into adulthood with, for one reason or another, a gift of exceeding technical intuition and analytical ability, and so I eventually found myself in a career related to computer software development. It’s the for-pay talent that I’ve developed the most and I’m rewarded for it on a daily basis. Something happened a couple of years ago when I was finally financially supporting myself and was able to indulge my less-profitable talents. A great shift occurred within me. My yearning for a life centered around creative expression has caused a great deal of internal struggle and I’m now proactively taking measures to make that dream a reality somewhere in the near future.

I’ve always been a risk taker, but my present stability and comfort has made me a bit more conservative. It wasn’t too long ago that I was dumpster diving for food and I’d really not like to go back to that, so whatever move I make from here ought to be calculated and made with great finesse. Knowing full well that all the great things I have in life came through Years Of Very Hard Work, I’ve set about a long-term strategic program of projects which will incrementally move me closer to where I want to be. When these projects become clear to me and after I’ve taken the time to plan them out, my tendency is to move ahead on them full bore and keep my head down until I’m near the end. Thing is, though, that I don’t have as much time or energy as I used to, considering that I’ve got a very important job (important to me) and that I spend much more energy on other people now than I use to. Some people call it ‘adulthood’, others call it ‘life’.

So as it stands, I’ve got a handful of projects on my plate, and these projects can be broken down into about a hundred discreet, smaller projects. They will all take me considerable amounts of time, and I’m OK with that. I’m getting better at accepting how some things will take priority over others, despite however much I want to move forward on all of them. Sometimes I come home from work and I just want to eat dinner and watch a stupid movie… other times I’ll get takeout on my way home and then work until 2:00AM. It’s just how life is, and we all need to accept it.

That said, I’m coming back to this blog with a less prolific approach. I still plan on writing great articles but only within the amount of energy and time for research as my schedule allows. When I can’t expound upon a philosophical debate I will instead dispense technical knowledge, and hopefully all you nerds will be able to gain something from it all.

Thanks for reading. There’s so much coming soon.

I took some time off, as I mentioned in my last post. It’s been good for me, and I’m gearing up to get back in the swing of things here in the coming week.

Much of the past two weeks was spent getting in touch with my creative identity. Creatively, I feel like I’m at either a threshold or crossroads, where I feel like I’ve nailed the technical aspects but I’m struggling a little, figuring out where to go with this knowledge. I had a great period of creativity this summer and fall but nothing I’m doing lately is satisfying me all that much. Maybe you know the feeling? It’s really frustrating. I’m putting energy into other projects now, and I’m spending whatever downtime I have experimenting with new musical ideas. My creative blocks typically don’t last too long, so I’m sure I’ll break out with something new and exciting sometime soon.

I found a refuge in reading and listening these last two weeks. One video was particularly inspiring. It really helped me get through the brief creative dark spot. So here it is:

1. Day job
2. Record label, developing online store and content database
3. Composing
4. Recording
5. Equipment maintenance
6. Networking
7. Research
8. Blog
9. Time for myself
10. Time with the people I love

I call it the curse of the late bloomer: Economic, financial, and personal circumstances kept me from exploring my creative potential for far too long and I often feel like I’m playing catch-up to realize all of the creative impulses I’ve deferred over the years. Add onto that an already full plate of self actualization (also deferred due to said circumstances) and a career in an unrelated field, which began to really take flight three years ago, and it’s a recipe for either constant anxiety or some kind of weird casserole that only my mom could invent.

I’m drinking wine right now. I love to drink but I normally put it off until the later hours, when I’ve completed my fourteen hour shift as an overachiever. I actually cooked myself a decent meal instead of getting takeout. All of my notebooks are closed, and the only reason I used a pen tonight is because Comcast and PG&E want some of my hard-earned soy-cheddar.

As much as it pains me to leave so many promising projects on the shelf for one whole week, I must do so to maintain (restore?) my sanity.

See you in a few days.

In typical Portlander fashion, I took advantage of the inclement weather by holing up in Studio Apartment Studio and working nearly ten hours in my pajamas. What a delight! With all of life’s demands – bills, friends, relationships, work obligations – it’s nice to detach from reality for one day and occupy the space I’ve created in my mind. I don’t think I could do it every day, as it tends to get somewhat lonely toward the end of the jag, but as an occasional retreat it’s quite sublime.

Part of the tape archive

I’ve learned a lot about work flow, especially as it pertains to music production on an eight-track recorder. Many recording artists have their pieces developed and ready to go by the time they enter the studio, but some artists – myself included – use the studio as a compositional tool. Quite often, I have no idea what I want to try, or what I want to hear, and so I’ll do little demos and try out a few ideas. I used to record these straight to the multitrack recorder but I often found myself backed into a corner when I wanted to change something or expand on the idea. Instead, what I’ve found to work particularly well is to record these ideas / experiments onto half-track/stereo 1/4″ tape and then archive them. The benefits of this are many, the most important being that 1) I’m not tempted to “overdo” something, and I can call these demos “finished” until a later time, and 2) It’s really easy to dump these tracks onto the multitrack exactly where I want to.

Now that I have these “perfect” tracks archived, I’ve gotten more used to punching in and overdubbing them on the eight-track. This has been incredibly liberating, as I feel I have infinitely more control over my work. I used to be averse to overdubbing for some reason, perhaps because it felt “unnatural” to manipulate time and sound this way, but I’ve taken advantage of it in a way that feels “good” and “right” to me, and I’m not looking back.

On another note, my first reel of 1/2″ ATR Magnetics tape arrived last week and it’s been put to heavy duty use here. My official report: At a +6 operating level on my Tascam 48-OB, dbx noise reduction is almost redundant and unnecessary for most tracks, although it still has its place on others. The sound quality is unmatched: I felt RMGI SM911 was dark and muddy for the kind of ‘instrumentation’ I’m using, and ATR tape is by far a better medium for what I’m doing. I’d still use RMGI SM911 and my old BASF PEM 468 tapes for rock bands and other, less ‘delicate’ program material, so I’m not avoiding it entirely. I was debating whether to modify my deck for +9 operation but I think it sounds just fine at +6 with ATR tape.

I’ve got some articles in development, and in the next few days I’d like to post content on the following subjects:

1. Using tape echo, including basic and more advanced techniques
2. How to get up and running with an analog home studio using minimal equipment
3. A history of tape music, focusing on artists such as Pauline Oliveros, Alvin Lucier, Pierre Schaeffer, and others
4. I’d like to write an interview with someone, and we’ll see how that goes … ?

Until then, take care and enjoy the last days of Fall…

Please enjoy this video in the interim. I promise bountiful blogness in the pending days.

Salvador Dali on “What’s My Line?” He’s a delightful pain in the ass as always. Some people can make a career doing the things that get others in trouble. Remember that the next time you step onto a BART car at 7:30AM.

1. Popular “experimental”/”lo-fi” music is utter bullshit. The low production quality covers up the complete lack of talent.
2. People will buy anything if they think there is a movement behind it.
3. People don’t buy original music, or music that doesn’t sound like anything they’re familiar with, hence the rise of “Chillwave”, which sounds like every awful 1970s and 1980s smooth pop hit rolled into one painfully self-conscious mess.
4. Don’t pay attention to music media. Its nature is to highlight rising trends and cash in on zeitgeist. Trends in music are created by the lowest common denominator, who want music that doesn’t encourage them to think for themselves.
5. Everyone else is an asshole academic.

Maybe I should take up yoga?

I’ve been very busy lately! I wish I had more time for this blog but I’ve been distracted with other things.

First, I’m composing approximately 20 minutes of new material for a split LP that I’m putting out with my friend Alex.

Second, I recently received some artwork from Paul that I will scan and arrange into a new layout for this blog.

Third, I haven’t been repairing or restoring any equipment lately. Although, I will be restoring some items to sell later to offset the cost of my upcoming release. Stay tuned.

Fourth, I’ve been spending whatever remaining spare time writing in journals and catching up on reading. I’m about to finish John Clellon Holmes’ Go. After that I’m going to dive in to Ginsberg’s writings to catch up on what I’ve been missing.

More content will come soon.

1. The studio and the now less-encumbered creative process

I’m at a point where most of my essential music-making/recording gear is working. Last week, I did a lot of planning for future projects and occasionally made new music. I started on a new, large, complicated piece today with lots of layering and overdubbing. I’m glad I’m finally able to do this sort of big, ambitious project; a few months ago, I simply didn’t have the means or equipment to make it work. It’s why I originally set out to build a more robust music studio, and to see the cumulation of so many months of work makes me feel very proud. It’s great being able to focus on the art itself instead of the machinery beneath it. I just couldn’t do my best work when I was constantly distracted by failing gear and signal routing issues. There’s still tons of improvements still to be made, but I am freer to make bold decisions in the creative process without having to worry too much about whether I had the technical ability (personally and in terms of assets/equipment) to make them work.

2. Equipment improvements

I have a couple projects underway to streamline the workflow of the recording process as it is in my studio. One major improvement is a patchbay that I am building from scratch, to eliminate a couple of poorly laid-out patchbays that I am currently using. It should drastically reduce clutter and make it easier to route signals during production and mixdown. I’ll post an article on this when it’s closer to completion.

I also want, to get the Otari half-track machine running so I can do better mixdowns and bounces, which should provide an overall improvement in sound quality.

3. Making a record

At the beginning of the year, I decided I would spend six months putting together a complete album, and release it on my own record label. I realized that giving myself less time to do this would make me work harder, and it would force me to make tough decisions during the recording / creative process. So, I decided that I would do it in two months instead.

I am a big fan of my friend Alex Cruse‘s music. I really admire her intellectual approach to making music and I appreciate that she has done a lot of her own research on the kind of music that we make. We’ve talked about releasing some of her work, and so it seemed natural to me to ask her to contribute to my first venture into record-making. We agreed to do a split LP, with her work on one side and mine on the other, and we’ve set a deadline of early April for completed work. There will be design considerations to be made after that, and of course mastering and record-pressing, so I’m not sure when the finished product will be for sale. Hopefully, it will be for sale by the beginning of Summer.

I’m very excited about this. It will be a major accomplishment for me, and it will take me into a new phase of development as an experimental artist.

4. Blog and streaming audio

I have big plans for this blog. I’ll be writing lengthier, more in-depth articles once my equipment situation stabilizes. A brand-new design is in the works, with my friend Paul Solis providing original artwork. Jonah Strauss, another friend of mine and owner of Shipwreck Studio in Oakland, California, will write articles on Ampex MM-1200 maintenance and other studio equipment-related topics. Eventually, I will have a good balance of content between the history of modern experimental music, analog audio technology, and current electroacoustic / acousmatic / experimental works and artists.

Also, I am putting up an Internet radio station, to stream audio from this site. The focus is on 1980s and 1990s experimental artists, from out of print, limited-edition cassette releases. There is a wealth of this kind of music on the Web between several different blogs (Mutant Sounds and No Longer Forgotten Music being two of the most notable), and I will rotate a set of 10 or 12 albums for streaming every ten days. This is something that I want to have for myself, and I think that many other people will enjoy it as well. I would like to build a database of information on the albums being streamed, so listeners can learn more about the music they are listening to and perhaps find other releases that are in print and for sale.

And, of course, I hope that it will revive popular interest in this genre of music, but that’s my altruistic side speaking.

5. Record label

Finally, I am starting a record label. It’s the best way to promote my music and the music of artists whose music I deem to be important. I’ve wanted to start a record label since as long as I can remember but I haven’t had the time, money, resources, and social infrastructure in place until now. Now is the best time imaginable to present this music to the public and promote the crap out of it; I see a tremendous need for new music that defies convention and categorization and I want to do my part to make it happen. There’s too much music that is either too “out there”, too academic, or too traditional; experimental and electronic music shouldn’t be as alienating as it is to most people, and I want to bring a new form of it to a wider audience.

Other than the initial release with Alex and I, the rest is still being planned. More work will be done on this as the album gets close to completion.

- – -

I’ll be writing more this week, mostly on these topics.

It’s a total mess right now, because a lot of stuff is being repaired.

Studio Inventory

Mixers:

• Tascam M-520 20x8x4 mixer
• Tascam M-30 8x4x2 mixer in pieces, awaiting restoration
• Tascam M-216 16x4x2 mixer in pieces, awaiting restoration

Tape Recorders:

• Tascam 34b 1/4″ 4-track (x2) one functioning, one disassembled for complete restoration
• Tascam 48 1/2″ 8-track needs relay replacements on all eight channels, pending op-amp and capacitor replacement/upgrade
• Otari MX5050 MKIII-2 1/4″ 2-track
• TEAC X10-R 1/4″ 4-track (quarter track stereo) the most disassembled of all my tape decks, currently on life support
• Tascam 302MkII cassette deck
• Marantz PMD 430 cassette field recorder

Noise Reduction for Tape Recorders:

• dbx 150x (x6)
• Tascam DX-4D (x2)

Monitors:

• Yamaha HS-50M (x2)

Outboard:

• dbx 166xl two-channel compressor/limiter (x2)
• ART MPA Gold mic/line preamp (x2)
• ART Pro Verb reverb unit

Sound Sources, Miscellaneous Input/Output:

• TEAC AG-790 stereo receiver
• Audio-Technica AT-PL120 turntable
• Toshiba Hi-Fi VHS VCR
• Alesis io26 firewire interface

Microphones:

• Shure SM57 (x2)
• Marshall MXL-604 small diaphragm condenser (x2)
• Rode NT4 small diaphragm condenser, XY stereo pair
• Rode K2 large diaphragm condenser
• Naiant X-S miniature small diaphragm condenser, omnidirectional (x2)
• Homemade piezo contact microphone (x4)

Patchbays:

• Tascam PB-32W
• TEAC PB-64 (x4)
• Coming soon: DIY homemade normaling patchbay for accessory send/receive jacks on my M-520

Photos

TEAC X-10R, Otari MX5050 MkIII-2

Tascam M-520

Tascam 48-OB

Tascam 34b, In Pieces, Awaiting Restoration

Tascam 34b

Tape Shelf

Back of Patchbay

Photo from a show, July 2008

Patchbays

Honey the Cat, an essential element of the studio

Cable Heap

Behind the Tascam M-520

Behind the Console

Behind the Tascam 48-OB

Reel motor from Tascam 34b

Demo Clip Demo Clip Demo Clip:

It’s been nearly two weeks since I last wrote. I’m a bit bogged down in projects right now and I haven’t had much opportunity to make music.

A few technical issues have sprung up and I’m taking care of them as best I can. I was really hoping that I’d be out of the woods by now, equipment-wise, but it looks like I’m not there yet.

After eliminating most of the hums and buzzes from my studio, I hooked up my Tascam 48 eight track machine to the console and started recording. On playback, however, I noticed that four of the eight channels were producing weak signals. The needles on the VU meters looked right, and it wasn’t an issue with the mixing console. Something is happening in the amplification stage in the tape deck.

I opened up the machine and removed the amp cards to clean and inspect them. After putting them back in, the problem was still there and it appeared to follow the cards. That means that there’s something wrong with those individual amp cards. Maybe. I’m waiting to pick up a calibration tape, and I’ll start from the top and work to the bottom to find the problem and (hopefully) its solution.

Also, with my secondary Tascam 34b quarter-inch four track machine, I noticed problems with the reel motors on playback, fast forward, and rewind. When a tape is loaded, the motors will run at normal speed and then grind to a halt. So, I opened the deck, removed the motors, and gave them a full cleaning. I will also replace the bearings once I find a bearing puller to remove the old ones. I also replaced the belt, which I was going to do anyway.

Guts from Tascam 34b reel motor

This doesn’t touch on the issues that I’ve had with other equipment, but I should fix these two things before I move on to other projects. The eight-track is my primary multitrack, and the four-track machine will be very important for editing loops and for doing echo and delay. I kind of need them to work. You know.

- – -

I had a loop sitting on the bench, which I left there after I discovered that my eight track was broken. I put it on the working four-track deck and recorded it into Audacity. The original sound is a guitar chord, and I cut off the attack and made a loop from the remainder. This is one of my favorite techniques because the sounds that it produces are very glassy, and often sound like chimes. This was recorded in my bedroom, and I purposely EQed it to bring out the room sounds: my dehumidifier, street traffic, and general environmental white noise. It’s great as a demo, and I will eventually do it again in a proper studio for a more polished result.

- – -

I have a couple of building and design projects on my plate, too. I’m designing a loft bed for my bedroom. Underneath the bed will be a workspace, which means that I can get all of my broken tape decks off of the dining room table and into my personal space. I am also designing a shelf to go over the meter bridge of my mixer, which will hold a couple of lamps and my monitors. Finally, I’m designing a normaling RCA patchbay to handle the accessory send/receive jacks on my console. I will be writing a few posts about that later. Let me just say that it’s going to make this thing a LOT less messy:

Messy Patchbay

Anyway. Enjoy the clip. I’ve got some stuff to do.