6/16/25

Today I set up my vocal microphone and tested it. I’ve been practicing to a metronome and singing into a studio mic, while wearing head phones, to get used to hearing myself amplified and to make sure my key/timing is perfect. Standing is better for singing they say. We will see. Not plucking around the bass, but practicing with a pick, muting the strings, and only playing the root note of each bar on the bass into my tone beast. I’m not giving myself any room to mess this first part up. All this effort as I’m attempting to make the perfect scratch tracks. I’ve never understood how, “taking a shot in the dark,” with a scratch track is a good idea. It’s the foundation of the project. In my experience, that means it has to be perfectly on time. First thing I plan on recording are the drums. I haven’t written the drum parts. But I will move on to the next phase by practicing the drums everyday such that next summer I can record them with confidence. I’m not going to try and do anything fancy. Just get the point across. I might not even have drums on all the songs. And it will be a short record, probably about 35 mins. I’m not a martyr to rock. Practicing 35 mins a day is child’s play. 

Looking at this mic set up, I don’t know why I didn’t do this sooner. I’ve had the sound proof panels for some time now, the nice mic for some time now as well. With the standing desk and pop filter, it felt pretty comfortable. Not too caged. I didn’t have to reach across a desk to press record. I have a nice preamp and compressor, but why make things more complicated then they have to be right now. Just get your most expensive microphone, plug it into your most expensive interface, and remember to use rxisotope to clean out the room sounds. 

It’s spring time in cleveland, we’ve had heavy rain. But at the same time, this is the best time. It’s almost summer. Winter is so cruel here. I get why so many people go to Florida.