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If you’re looking for credits on my CD jackets, you’ll be disappointed: there are none. Saves me space for more important stuff, and I figured it would get monotonous repeating my own name for everything.
I’m a dedicated DIYer, for several reason: 1) I have my own vision of how things should sound, and with the advent of sophisticated softsynths and samplers, we have access to exotic sounds and instruments that you wouldn’t even been able to find someone to play in years past. As a classically trained pianist and arranger, I’m able to get the expressivity I want without having to hire someone else, even if I had the money.
2) My style is somewhat unique, and I don’t yet know of any musicians out there I would be interested in collaborating with, since they’re virtually all into one genre or another and bring that style with them. This could change, but this is where I’m holding now.
3) I can practice and record whenever I want, and not be tied down to planned rehearsals and coordinating schedules. Due to my improvisational style of recording, it allows me to be much more spontaneous, and I don’t have to write down notes.
4) Having my own recording studio (if you want to call my cramped office a studio) allows me to do things over as often as I want without having to look at the clock. I don’t have to get nervous about performing in front of anyone else (I don’t even like to record with my wife around). Since it’s not really a studio, I couldn’t really fit in other musicians if I wanted to, let alone worry about sound-proofing and acoustic mics.
5) Most important, I want to prove to people that it’s possible to produce something decent without spending a fortune on production costs. I believe this is the only way to save Jewish music at this point. You can read my book for more elaboration on this point, but basically the need to cover the costs of production causes producers to imitate popular styles to guarantee sales, and that totally destroys the kind of creativity and innovation necessary to produce uniquely Jewish music.
6) I’ve been writing since I’m seven years old, and doing commercial graphics for the past 25 years, so I might as well do my own graphics and web design; that’s my bread and butter anyway.
Knowing that my music is for a very small niche market, and unwilling to sacrifice my standards, I could never justify a major investment in software or hardware. Instead, I’ve been investing incrementally over the years, taking advantage of sales and freebies to gradually build up a considerable arsenal of inexpensive hardware and software. Inevitably some things get used and others get neglected, but it’s often good to have some stuff in the closet that you can dust off from time to time for renewed inspiration. I admit to being somewhat of a sound (as in preset) junkie; I appreciate quality sounds and can go through quite a few till I find the right one, so there never seems to be too many (although they can get pretty hard to keep track of).
I’ve actually been through a few configurations over that past 20 years, but it always seemed the software/hardware setup was too complicated, expensive, and unreliable until recently. I always used Macs for my graphic work (anyone remember the Macintosh SE, about $4000 back then), so I used them for music too and still do. In terms of keyboards, I’ve been through a homemade clavichord, Hohner clavinet, Prophet 5 (very short time), and Ensoniq SQ-80. Now I use an M-Audio Axiom 61 midi controller. I used to use a number of midi modules, but now I just use the computer, with is presently a Mac mini server. I have a cheap Pro-Tech mic for vocals, and use my NI Guitar Rig Kontrol as an audio interface as well, although I have a few others.
Software-wise, my DAW now is Ableton Live 8, although I’ve used Garage Band and Tracktion in the past. I have quite a few plugins, but some of my favorites are NI Komplete, the AAS series, Alchemy, Discovery Pro, and others.
Read about my violin here.
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