Category Archives: music

Akai 3000D Reel to Reel

Well… instead of saving his money and focusing on recording, yours truly invested in a 40+ year old tape machine.
 
I never put too much thought into old reel to reels. I had completely overlooked their abilities to make some great sounding effects.
 
I stumbled across a video where someone demonstrated how to wire up a reel to reel to use as a classic tape delay. It was so simple!
 
So I began scouring through eBay and craigslist for a functional AND affordable reel to reel.
 
Like many other vintage electronics the listings divide into two price points.
The first was the people who were asking three times the amount you would go for. These machines were in beautiful condition.
The other was people somehow unable to test the machines with vague descriptions. They always put As-Is. This means both parties know it’s a rip off, but the as is means you can complain about it. The prices for these were on the much more affordable side, but many appeared to be missing parts.
Then last thursday night I found the “one”. It was pickup only from Garden Grove. Anny and I happened to have plans out in Anaheim friday night, so it worked out.
 
There is definitely a learning curve involved with these things. After an hour of using it i managed to break the stop switch. The stop/play switch is a “Cam” lever. The metal used , in this model, to forge this switch disintegrates over time. Thankfully there is a pause lever.
I’m hoping that using the pause as the stop won’t damage the unit. From what I’ve read these old machines always run while turned on. The stop and pause only move away the pinch roller.
I was also a little disappointed that it only seemed to run on one speed. After a few nights of research. I discovered that the tape driving motor had a sleeve on it. Once you remove the sleeve the tape plays a 3.75/ips instead of 7.5/ips.
I’m excited to try some bare bones tracking. I’d like to try singing and playing acoustic guitar direct to tape. I’m going to order some blank tape off eBay soon!
 
In this video I’m sending a few guitar leads into the tape machine at 3.75/ips. I’m then recording the delay back into the computer.

I’m excited to try some bare bones tracking. I’d like to try singing and playing acoustic guitar direct to tape. I’m going to order some blank tape off eBay soon!

In this video I’m sending a few guitar leads into the tape machine at 3.75/ips. I’m then recording the delay back into the computer.

Digidesign Command 8

I always wanted one of these things. They were always way too expensive. I’m guessing they aren’t compatible with the new versions of Pro Tools? So you can find them on eBay for under $300.

I got extra lucky and won this one for $150. I wasn’t sure it was going to be in the best condition. It got here yesterday. I plugged it in and got it working! This thing is clean. It’s virtually brand new.


This Command 8 is going to help a lot. I don’t even have to look at the computer screen to edit plug-ins and sends etc. I haven’t even started working with all the automation options.

Happy 3 Years of “In Strifes”

I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since I published that record. I was so happy to be done with it. It took a couple of years to get everything tracked right. I did rush through some things, that looking back I would redo. But that’s how it goes. Once you release your little art-baby, you have to just let it live out in the abyss.


The tracklisting of the record was done more chronologically. The record starts with a song of arrogance, Far From Home Sick. It comes out swinging, complaining about how all my friends are dumb and I’m the smart one for moving away. Spare Love and Reasonable Confidence should be more towards the end of the record if we’re going story-wise. I chose to move them up for the listener. They felt like “sturdier” songs as to keep up a momentum.

A Stand Off Waltz was important to me. It was one of the first songs I wrote for this record. When I finished its demo, I felt like I was a REAL songwriter. I’ve written dozens upon dozens of songs at this point, but it was the first one that didn’t sound like me… It sounded professional.

The middle of the record goes into snapshots of living in a toxic relationship. Wake Up Blondie was the weakest of the litter in terms of my songwriting. I chose to keep it in because it’s the only song that I blame myself. Lyrically the album is lopsided. I noticed that I played the victim in most of the songs.

The record concludes with songs of defeat. Blind Spot is a howling of denial. “I ain’t going to miss you, half as much as you’ll miss me” It’s almost a cliche you can’t quit you’re fired scenario. In End Of March, I talk about moving back home to all my burnt bridges and how I have to rebuild/repair myself.

I was convinced everything would start happening for me once I released this record. NO ONE GAVE A FUCK, but that’s life. Could I have advertised more? Yes. Could I have played more shows to promote it? Yes.

Maybe I should have documented my “process” better. Maybe I needed to give people a better look into how I made a record all by myself.

I believe watching someone make an album is like watching someone go to the bathroom. It’s intimate, but far from glamorous. I’d be too distracted, while trying to get my shit done (sorry for the pun). If you’re the type who enjoys that much attention, you’re probably making music for the wrong reasons.

At the end of the day I could/should have done things different. The record is a success in my eyes because I FINISHED it. I don’t care about sales or notoriety. There was a voice in my head telling me to make this album all on my own. I felt like I wouldn’t be able to progress without doing it. So I went for it.

Few “Artists” can say they wrote, performed, mixed, mastered, and published an album all by themselves.. WITHOUT FAKE DRUMS AND AUTO-TUNE, but I DID!

SPOOKY SALE IS ON!

BUY MY SHIRT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So this animation took me HOURS and HOURS in After Effects.

I didn’t mind, I was cracking up the whole time.

The trickiest part was looping the dance move. Once I precomposed that, the motion tracking took zero time. I’d say the most time-consuming part was automating the strobe text. It had to be done though, It was too boring on the left there.

1 2 3 4