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I just read "The Ultimate Portable Studio" by Miss Gina Fant-Saez. I found the information to be straight forward, informative, and based on what I personally consider to be a very critical aspect - personal experience. For my part, I'm 59 years old, was a practicing musician for the better part of 25 years - recorded, traveled, made obscene amounts of money and had a ball! Oh, we were one of the few bands in existence in our day that would actually do 'casuals.' High paying one-nighters with all the hard physical work that entailed with equipment setups, sound checks, and no roadies. And thanks for the aching back memory, Gina. It took three of us to lift the organ up to the stage! What separates me from most of you is that I was there at almost the beginning. No electronics, no fancy machines, just the desire to share our music with others at a time when it really did take hard work and personal talent (Karaoke still had decades to go). The changes and improvements that have come down the pike have been truly amazing, and sometimes seem overwhelming to older heads like me. I digress. My niece has taken up the double bass. At age twelve, she shows aptitude for electric bass as well, and will need a bit of growing to handle the upright without a box to stand on. I have bought her a laptop (Windows), an excellent small computer sound system (with woofer), gave her a good full-sized digital keyboard with MIDI (that I bought at Radio Shack and have enjoyed for years), and the two of us are drooling at some of the hot new-generation electric upright double basses that are available. I've been researching portable studios, and find articles written by devoted practitioners such as Gina to be exacly what I need - an update on what's out there, what works and how. I've always been personally impressed by any individual who will invest their own money into a product before commenting on it. I was also impressed with that "Plug Me In" mp3 song and how its construction was managed in the e-session world. That took talent and an excellent working knowledge of your instruments (computer generated or otherwise). One must understand that nothing will take the place of talent, and chasing all of the latest gizmos searching for that perfect or new sound is a useless endeavor. Been there - bought all the guitar wire bending, foot stomp screechers, character keyboards (about a dozen or more), and other gadgets as they came along and in retrospect don't think I earned one cent more than if I had not used any of them. I've seen users with legacy instruments and computers do more with them than the newest generation for no other reason than they were expert at using what they had - the same holding true for the instruments they owned and played - not any of that 'virtual' stuff. Take a look at Alison Kraus for example. And off the track for a moment, I've walked into music store 'vintage' rooms and found old Fender guitars that I bought new (plush lined hardshell case included) for $125.00 that were going for $1,500.00 and up! While I personally wouldn't pay that kind of money for the old clunker now, new musicians are laying out the cash for that 'vintage' sound - not the 'latest'. To each his own. And that's the crux of my point today after reviewing some of the comments. Disparagement is not an acceptable method of equipment review. Each system outlined by Gina has strengths and weaknesses, and each of you owns compatable equipment which you have educated yourself on and feel comfortable with in use and discussion. It doesn't follow that others would automatically find the same ease of use that you enjoy. Being able to quote pages of statistics to bolster an argument that one item is better than another will never pass my "ear" test. All systems require a learning curve, and an investment in motivated desire to actually accomplish whatever goal has been set. This comes easier to some than others, and having accomplished mentors such as Gina to assist is welcome relief indeed! Here's something you young people should take into consideration. It isn't your opinion that fans will be paying cash for, it's the talent you display in producing something of beauty that can be enjoyed for a long period of time - regardless of how rich or minimalist your kit may be. And one trade secret from an old working musician - you don't need 12-piece orchestration to bring down the house. After all, it wasn't Ray Charles' band that people paid good money to hear. All you need is enough instrumentation to plant a hint or seed to awaken a memory, and you'll never lack for a full dance floor - I've seen packed houses with nothing more than a drum unit and keyboardist/singer. Thank you for your hard work and willingness to share, Miss Gina Fant-Saez. John www.knightsix.com |
