Song-A-Day 2019

Back to the normal studio, huzzah! But also a travel day. I’m normally a bit drained mentally when I get home. Then there are all of the small things that follow a trip: unpack, empty the dishwasher, decide if you actually need to eat or if that airport dinner in St. Louis is going to be enough…. Mary and I sat and chatted for a bit, and before I knew it, it was “late.” It was actually only about 10:00, but it’s the final stretch of Song-A-Day, I’m grasping for ideas, and I was fairly sleepy. For the first time, … Continue reading

Another day with the mobile rig, but I was feeling a little more confident with the setup, and had a more time than the night before. As a result, I ended up experimenting a bit with Reason’s granular synthesis module. They’ve added a decent amount of functionality to the most recent upgrade. I don’t know if that had anything to do with the change of ownership or management at Propellerhead, but the surprise was a pleasant one. While browsing sounds, I came across a few presets that I know I’ve heard on various lounge and chill albums that I own, … Continue reading

It is amazing how reliant one can become on a normal working environment, certain tools, and software setup. I’m on a quick trip to attend a wedding this weekend, and brought a mini-rig with me to attempt road composition. My workstation consists of my normal DAW, Digital Performer, running on a MacBook pro and using a Novation LaunchKey Mini controller for input. I’ve tried two other rigs in the past. The first was similar to what I’m using on this trip, but using Propellerheads Reason software, and a larger Novation X25 controller. This was a great setup once in the … Continue reading

Another night of intense procrastination and finding other things to do. Watched some TV. Looked for a snack. Made a drink. Made another drink. Went into the studio. Left the studio. Went back into the studio. One thing that differed this time is that I didn’t start off listening to sounds for inspiration. I just sat and thought a bit. We’re in the final week of Song-A-Day. Normally it’s week three when the tank is starting to run dry and things start getting weird, so I suppose I’m a little behind schedule. I’m also way behind schedule on listening to … Continue reading

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 Ok, that’s an overdramatic and exaggerated account of yesterday, but it makes for a good opening, doesn’t it? While writing my entry for I Am Not Here, I realized that it was already the 19th! I’ve had a few days this month where I struggled a little to find an idea, but on the whole, I haven’t experienced the same creative pressure that was present in other years. If I had to make a comparison, it’s been like what marathon runners describe when they’re in that middle … Continue reading