Hello [Goodbye] World!

Alright so I've decided to create this blog in order to dispel rumors and myths about digital audio. I would also like to provide a little counterpoint to the many voices out there singing the praises of analog audio. There's enough of that both on the internet and off. For fairness' sake I do happen to own a tape machine and some small analog mixers, as well as some basic digital recording gear. None of the gear I have is considered professional quality, and I do not consider myself a professional audio engineer or producer. The perspective this blog will be written from is that of an amateur musician who is interested in the production aspects of music, and would like to "cut through the hype" and get good sounding mixes as quickly, easily, and cheaply as possible.

One of the main things that sparked my interest in this subject was watching Dave Grohl's documentary Sound City about the legendary Sound City recording studios in San Fernando Valley. One of the key arguments in this documentary was that the studio's Neve 8028 analog console was a huge contributor to the overall production process. This is something I can understand, as technology has been a crucial part of the evolution of music over the past several decades, especially multitrack recording technology. However, I felt there were some elitist undertones to certain parts of the documentary. I can understand preferring the sound of analog electronics and recording, especially if you grew up listening to music that was produced this way. But some of the musicians and engineers were saying that the lower cost of digital recording gear as well as the internet, have introduced artists into the mainstream that "should not be heard"-Says who?

In my opinion, anything that takes away this "wall" between what the public hears, and what musicians and artists are actually producing is a good thing. This is a separate, somewhat more political and economic point than the technical issues this blog will deal with in the future. But I feel it is important to say, as I would probably not have heard of many of the artists I enjoy without the internet. I also really enjoy hearing what artists can do with the tools modern digital recording technology offers. What I intend to do with this blog is create a kind of "safe space" where I can riff about the things that matter to me. I've noticed few places on the internet cater to the kind of music I care most about, so I will do my best to stimulate the minds of anyone who comes across this blog, just as my favorite musicians have done the same to me.

Here is a great example of a perfect marriage between digital and analog technology. Tom Jenkinson aka Squarepusher, together with his Akai S-950 sampler and bass guitar, creates an utterly alien and beautiful sound. When I first heard this it blew my expectations of both jazz and electronic music out the window. This album show it is certainly possible to have both sequenced, pre-programmed material, as well as live analog recordings get along in the same sonic space. Why? Why not!

So it is with this spirit that I say... Hello [Goodbye] World!