Something to ponder · Mastering.com Members Club

Something to ponder

Is it me or my gear?

Countless recordings and live performances have used SM57 / SM58 $100

If you can't get a respectable capture into one of those mics. It's not the mic.

Headphones -- unless someone is paying you 'I can retire now' money. You probably just need some basic cans. $200

Monitors -- Don't fall for the YT vids. Learn the monitors you can afford. I have heard killer mixes that were done on 6x9 speakers a guy ripped out of a car. He was a real musician / engineer. He had passion.

'All input devices (preamps - Audio interface) are the same'. Kinda. These days the cheap stuff is so good that if you don't push it most can't tell the difference. The thing is if you want character you want to push the pre so the expensive stuff wins. BUT .. you can go clean and then distort in the box. So... is it you? or your gear?

Guitar finger squeaks ... I'm sure there is a plugin for that but TomoFugitaMusic can fix that for you. You won't like the discipline and neither did John Mayer.

So what is my point? The best advice I have ever gotten, and it always seems to come from many respectable professionals. Stop spending money until you have something that you know for a fact will make a difference OR you are building a collection OR money is simply not an issue in your scenario. The thing you buy, even though considered better, might make you sound worse.

Why?

because you put a better mic in your less than adequate room

because the new guitar amp is super responsive and your technique is inadequate

because -- and this could be an expensive good thing -- oh, I thought I was ok but I have work to do.

The ENTIRE WORLD is awaiting your new music that is raw, real, and creates an emotional experience for them.

17 comments

Something to ponder