I quit.

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 3:49 pm

I've given up on recording. Man, I suck at it and I doubt it will ever become a career for me. So far all it has done for me is cost me money. At any rate I've refrained from posting any of my tunes here for the most part because...well, I'm not proud of it. Sold what little gear I had and the software. Now I'm suffering major anxiety attacks. I didn't realize it was such an addiction for me. At any rate, now that I'm done, I'd be glad to hear some of you tell me that I did the right thing. What few tunes I've done are at http://hue.dmusic.com feel free to chastise me now so that I can feel more comfortable about my decision.

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 7:09 pm

I dont know if i find the right songs or not. I'm just browsing around the link.
My first impression is that you have used the EQ the wrong way. You have been boosting the good to desguise the bad instead of removing the bad letting the good prosper.

If you would like to send me the raw material i would be happy to remix it to show you what i mean, I feel the potential in the material.

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:28 pm

This is more life related than recording related, but if you don't enjoy it, don't do it. You are never too far down one path to switch to another. Being good or bad at somthing has nothing to do with if you should persue it or not. If it's just about money, forget it! If you have a passion for it, then "good" and "bad" have no bearing on it. It's all about the process and continuing to learn. There is no right or wrong way to do this. Don't invest any energy in feeling bad about your work, thats a dead end loop and it will follow you in whatever you persue.
Good luck in future endeavors.

Posted: Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:40 pm

what the hell does it matter whether you are good or not? Do you enjoy spending time doing this? Does it make you happy? Those are the questions you need to ask, not "am I going to make money at this"

I mean, some guy you dont even know is willing to work with you. That *has* to mean something.

RO Admin Joined: Mar 20, 2000 Posts: 4328 Location: Canada

I said that a few times, that was 30 years ago and I'm still making music. Its up and down but its normal to get jaded at times.

Making money with our passions it not easy. Sometimes we need to look at different area's of the business. Being part of it in some other area can be every bit as rewarding and you may find you can actually make money.

There is a good book called " the Artists Way" see it in our Books link on thre side bar.

hope this helps some what. I feel for you. I'd take HansAm offer. Hearing someone else do things to your songs can be most enlighting.

Cheers!

Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2006 4:20 pm

Hey Hubert,

I was really disapointed that you quit Dmusic.com although I appreciate that you were putting youur family interests firsts. You also gave me very fair constructive feedback and encouragement which was appreciated (not nasty, not too praising but gentle encouragement with good tips about levels/mixing/vocals etc)

For anyone who is not aware of hueseph, he was a major contributor to dmusic.com in terms of information/comments and posted music.

Like many of us, he is his own worst critic. You should listen to his dmusic contributions. His recordings are excellent and the man is an extremely talented guitarist who can play great acoustic and electric guitar and he has very unique vocals that I find pleasing.

The majority of the contributions sound GREAT. You use Cubase for audio recordings as good as anyone who doesn't have a professional studio and certainly better than than the vast majority of home users.

If you had a CD for sale I would buy it - (hope this doesn't make me sound weird or stalker-ish but I genuinely like your sound)

I hope that you find your way back to your DAW and record some new tracks. I hope that some other readers here will check out hueseph's recording at dmusic.com and give him some positive encouragement, IMHO he is worth a listen.

Good Luck !!

Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2006 12:00 pm

Even if you feel you do not want to make it your career, it can still be a part of your life.

I started out wanting to be a "Rock Star". I found out that I couldn’t write good pop songs and I didn't have that special charisma that most stars seem to have. However, I was a great keyboard player, a solid singer and a very good arranger. I spent the next 17 years as musical director for various groups, finishing up with an internationally recognized act and performing venues such as the Apollo, Carnegie Hall, countless arenas and some TV; I also produced their first new singles in over 30 years. I wasn't a star, but I directed a great show for major talent.

Arthritis curtailed my performing career so I flipped over to the other side of the glass and became a recording engineer. While taking an advanced Pro Tools course my teacher encouraged me to try my hand at sound design/audio post production. In the past three plus years I have done numerous shorts, four indie features and ten episodes of a Network cartoon.

I also do some consultation work and installations of home project studios. Many of my clients are Big Business types who just want a "playroom" where they can blow off some steam. It doesn't matter if the music is current or perfectly recorded, these guys are having fun, and that, ultimately, is what it's all about.

The point of the story is that there are always other options. I can no longer perform at a competitive level, but I found other ways to use my talents. So even if it's not going to be your career keep doing it for your own personal gratification. Who knows, perhaps one day the light bulb will go on over your head and everything will fall into place. And even if it never does, you'll still be having lots of fun.

Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:01 pm

How many times have I sold all my equipment I can't tell you. All I know is I've spent and lost a lot of money in the process. This is a learning process that takes many years to master. I'm not into this because I want to make money, its the fact that that I like to write music and who knows, maybe I'll write something that someone else would want to record. Sure it makes me sick when I hear someone post a song that just really kicks ass and then I play something of mine and I think, man this sucks. But like I said, this is a learning experience and a hobby. I've learned a lot just by reading the four ms here and by asking questions. So, don't give up. it is habit forming. Good Luck!

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 12:28 pm

damn if your recordings "suck" then i've got a damn long way to go...

Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2006 8:50 pm

Some people spend tens of thousands of dollars restoring cars just because it's "fun" for them. Their reward comes from going to car shows and sharing what they've done, and getting criticism from their peers on what they could've or should've done differently.

I don't see why all expensive hobbies have to be a return on investment. I am never ever going to recover my music-making spending, but I enjoy playing guitar and making music. Recording is an extension of that, and a fun one for me.

So, meh. It's money. Unless it's screwing up your life to spend the money on it (which is still in your control... buy a kazoo instead of a new set of monitors!), then to heck with it!

Greg

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 3:51 pm

I'm still anxious about the whole ordeal. I'll I've done since I sold my gear is think of ways to make/save enough money to build a better studio. It's frustrating. I love playing and I love recording. Does interfere with my life? I don't know. It certainly doesn't have to. Someone kick me. I can't reach.

Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:40 pm

My advice here:

Take a break for a while, and see what you think. You certainly aren't the only one in the boat of being unsure of what you're doing, that much is certain.

I've spent pretty significant (to me) bucks on my recording equipment, and as much as I love writing tunes as a hobby, I do want to see it go "somewhere"... it doesnt have to be a money maker, but I do feel I have a statement to make, as do most other musicians I'm sure.

As most other people, writing and recording takes LARGE amounts of my free time up.

To post something I've worked my ass off on across various forums, and then see tons of views, but extremely limited replies can be disheartening, and puts doubts in my head...

"What if I cant find a singer? What if, what if...."

When I get frustrated, I just leave it alone for a few days.... when the creative urge comes back, I work with it. When my mixes don't sound that good, I research different techniques.... I try to always have something to look forward to I suppose.

In a nutshell, don't give up!

Posted: Tue Feb 28, 2006 3:22 pm

Hey dude, I thought of doing the same thing, but I just can't seem to do that. I enjoy making music, some people have told me that I should have thouhgt about doing it years ago, but I just started with it last year about this time. I have thought about selling all of my equipment and just quitting, mainly because I haven't been blessed with those artists or performers who want to set their mark in the business, but I realized that regardless, I can always make my music whether or not I have the artists to work with. I can't explain it but music gives me a great high, especially when I hear the finished product. Just take a break, eventually you'll be back in the swing of things purely out of love for what you do. Keep at it and things will get better for you. Practice makes perfect, you just have to be willing to keep at it.

Big Trey ~ CEO/Battlleground Recordz

Posted: Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:05 am

Thanks BigTrey and all. I haven't quit music per se. Just Recording at this point. Maybe when the kids are in school I'll look into it again. I still practice every day though and I've been giving some coaching to friends kids. Yeah I love music but for now my focus is on my family. I kind of regret selling all my gear but it gives me motivation to upgrade big time when I get started again.

peace all.

Posted: Fri May 23, 2008 5:36 pm

You should take a class. I live in Seattle and I took an Audio Production class where we went to an actual studio ONCE a week and I feel like I know so so so much more than I once did. Recording can be intimidating but once you get your foot up for just a minute, you'll find each step easier to climb!

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