Jamen

This afternoon, I met with my talented friend, Jamen Brooks, to talk about finishing up a second album. We finished his first solo album, Sleepyhead, way back in 2000. One of my all-time favorite projects. It was good to pull up a few unfinished songs and find that we have some strong material to work with. Jamen has a great ability to write sweeping melodies over surprising chord changes. So, we're in the process of assessing where we are with material, then moving on from there. We spent about a year working on Sleepyhead. Since it's been 8 years, I'm thinking we should move this one a long a bit more quickly.

LNA Video

So, one of my very favorite projects I'm involved with is Late Night Alumni with Ryan Raddon, Finn Bjarnson and Becky Williams. Here's a video from the song "I Knew You When" shot a couple of years ago. Yes, that is a magic Rhodes that puts out acoustic piano tones.

In it, I'm wearing a t-shirt from another favorite artist I work with, Jamen Brooks. More on him later.

Updated Gear List

This will be boring to most but I'm updating this here as a personal inventory.

Computers:

Mac Dual 1.8 Ghz G5 (Still using this. Definitely the longest use of any computer I've ever owned.)

Muse Research Receptor
Mac 1.2 Ghz G4 iBook

Audio I/O:

Lucid AD 96/24
MOTU 2408 mkII
PCI 424 card
MOTU 308
MOTU 828

Digi MBox 2 Mini
UAD-1 Card

Mics/Preamps:

Brauner VM1
Blue Baby Bottle
AT 4030
2 Octava MC 012-01
SM 57
2 Brent Averill APIs

Purple Audio MC77 Compressor

External Keys/Sound Modules:

Hammond B-3
Rhodes Mark II Stage Piano
Conover upright piano
Farrand & Votey pump organ
Roland JP-8080, D-110, S-760, Juno 106
Yamaha TG55,CBX-K1XG
E-MU Xtreme Lead-1
Sequential Circuits Drumtracks
Ensoniq EPS 16+, Mirage
Korg microKONTROL
Aleses QS6
Etherwave Theremin

Software:

Digital Performer 5.13

ProTools 7 LE
MOTU Mach 5, MX4, Electric Keys, Symphonic Instruments
Native Instruments Massive, Elektrik Piano, B4II, Pro-53, Kontakt, Kompakt, Intakt, Absynth, Reaktor, Guitar Rig, Spektral Delay, Battery 3, FM8, Vokator
Spectrasonics Atmosphere, RMX Stylus, Trilogy
Sampletank 2
Steinberg PPG Wave, Attack
EWQLSO Silver, Gold and Platinum Orchestral Library
Garriton Personal Orchestra
Voices Of The Apocalypse
StormDrum
Pluggo '74
PS03 Drums & Percs
GMedia M-Tron, Oddity, Imposcar, Minimonsta
Antares Auto-Tune, Filter, Kantos
Reason
ReCycle
A bunch of free-ware FX/Instruments

Other Instruments/amps/FX:
Fender Telecaster
Jerry Jones 'Dan Electro' electric guitar
Dan Electro 'HoDad" electric guitar
Tacoma acoustic guitar (currently 'hi-strung')
Norman acoustic guitar
Fender small nylon string
Fender Precision bass
Ampeg amp
Line 6 POD
Some Cheap-O accordion
Some Cheap-O glockenspeil
Vox-Box (think Frampton)
various small hand percussion

Monitoring:

I monitor through a pair of ATC speakers and a PSB sub.
I use a PreSonus Central Station and a Behringer 8 stereo channeled rack board just for monitoring.

I use no patchbays. Simple, direct lines to AD
I drive 2x20" monitors from my G5 and drive video I/O with a Canopus AVDC-100 to a Sharp Aquos LCD display.

I have a Hafler Pro2400, a pair of Yamaha NS-10s and a Wharfedale speaker I'm configuring for 5.1 monitoring.

...Meanwhile...

Oh what a difference THREE YEARS makes. I laughed today as I pulled this up and read what little I had written. Last night, Kindra and I had dinner with a few of our ultra-cool musician friends (including, but not limited to: Ryan Raddon, aka Kaskade, Finn Bjarnson, Mike Roskelley and their spouses) and Finn started talking about his blogs. It prompted me to revisit this and see if I can use it to keep connected as well as organize some thoughts, plans and ridiculous dreams in the way that only writing can do. Kelly Hyland started hers immediately and I've been prompting Kindra to get one going for a long time, in association with her website, kindrafehr.com. 

I also have a blog for my daughter, Aria, but since we're expecting our 2nd child in about 5 weeks, I think I'll discontinue that and make a general family one.

I'll try keep this one geared towards musical work and creative endeavors...