sarNz

I started off in the recording world about 5 or 6 years ago with a simple song that I recorded through my $50 Behringer mixer and an SM57. I did a one man band sort of deal and wrote most of it while recording, it was a bit of a fluke. In the end I was actually really proud of that song and sent it to a few people that I knew who legitimately enjoyed it. After hearing their responses, I was hooked. I would just write song after song, not with any particular goal in mind, but just because I enjoyed writing.

I went to college knowing what I wanted to do as much as everyone else did – in other words I had no idea. But college was a great inspiration for writing, and I brought that same mixer and mic to my dorm room to continue my work. I thought that EQ and compression were cheating, unnatural processes that wouldn’t capture the realness of music. The metronome seemed more like a guideline and you could definitely tell in those recordings. My voice sounded like a mumbling nasally ten year old with a head cold. But to me it sounded great.

Fast forward to now, and I have since graduated. Granted, I still didn’t figure out what I wanted to do (I have an economics degree, and have NO clue what it’s about), but my music has come a long way. I know now that there is really nothing considered cheating in the recording art since no microphone can give a perfectly accurate representation of an instrument. And I now know that the nicer hardware is often used to make it sound better than it is in real life. Every little thing makes a difference.

I’ve moved on from that little Behringer mixer and now my FirePod is my go to piece of hardware. The SM57 still sees plenty of use, but is now accompanied by a 58, a RODE NT2A, and an AT2020. My playing is now actually in time with the metronome, my voice has improved significantly, and I have learned that using the EQ is definitely NOT cheating. So now I’m just working on my own skills and saving up for gear so I can have my own small studio (even if it’s just in my own house) when I can afford to move out.

My performance, my voice, and my techniques have all evolved substantially over these years, and I’m sure they will keep doing so. I would really be honored to win the ADL600 so that my technology can evolve with me (Ok, that sounded kind of transformers-esque, but you know what I mean). I will have to keep turning knobs and pushing buttons to solve the mysteries of this machine, but that experimentation up until the “Eureka” moment is one of my favorite parts of recording.

Whether I am doing direct in guitars, recording vocals, or whatever else I may be recording in the future, I think that this unit can really help my mixes shine and push them, as well as myself, to the next level. So I may never be up there with all the famous stars, but if I won I’m sure this ADL600 would accompany me through the years of my life as I try to become more than famous in my own mind.


Now here’s my song! This will probably be my only entry as the inspiration came fast, and I doubt trying to write more will have me come up with anything better. Recorded in my room with Fruity Loops, NT2-A, Sm57, ezdrummer. (Keep in mind, the only part of this song that may become true in the near future is my mom throwing me out of the house for having no job!)

EricIndecisive - ADL600 Song mp3 on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free


Lyrics:

I started off in Nashville at the age of seventeen
I wouldn’t play through anything but a Neumann or a Neve
Till the label asked me “Will you sell your soul?”, and I said “See you in hell”
It was then I realized I signed my money away as well

So I went back home to sing some songs through my Firepod
But after a few months my mother said don’t come back, unless you’re coming back with a job

So now I’m on the street, can’t tell you how I make ends meet
But to make it short, I’ve lost everything, including my dignity
Then I heard about this contest for a preamp you could win
So I sold drugs to an engineer just to get this session in

Now everything I’ve said is true
If by true you mean a lie
But the real truth is
That I need this
PreSonus ADL 600
To survive


Thanks for reading and good luck to all!