October /99: Decided that the CS2x wasn't for us and decided to get the new Roland xp-30 August /99: Recording was delayed for a few weeks do to computer problems brought on by a computer upgrade. Upgrading only some of the components of the computer, left our system acting funny with the MIDIMAN card. So we learned that next time we'll upgrade the sound card along with the computer. July /99: Ryan has started to use the GR-30 guitar synth. April /99: New gear! Just got the new Yamaha CS2x keyboard. I wanted something with some knobs to play with basically. Its really good for Argpeg patterns AND the patterns can be recorded in MIDI (which with the xp-10 couldn't). Dec 21/98: We have been working on recordings for Dead Composeur's new e.p. Over about 6 hours, we recorded "Take it Out on Me" . Right now we're finishing mixing & mastering the song, plus I'm working on a "Bride Stripped Bare" mix . The recording process was simular to the recording of "Oceans" but it was a chance to for Susan & I to play producer. Overall it was a good experience. Here's a hint: to increase to amount of audio you can record on a computer, change your screen resolution from 16 bit to 16 colours. It makes a HUGE difference. Sept 26/98: While recently completing remixes for Perdition's record I tried some new software, Wavelab & Sound Forge 4.0 . This a tremendous help for extensive audio file editing. I also had the Hyperprism DX additional effects added on to sound forge which was also really cool. I do need a better program that can edit the files together better cuz I found myself 'guessing' where to cut for a loop in forge and having to fix it in logic. (Also you can't keep logic and forge open at the same time which was a bit annoying.) June 12/98: The mixing stage of this record has been the biggest pain. (Try explaining electronic music to a local rock engineer and you'll know what I mean.) The mixer on logic audio is quite the joke, it made it really hard to do any real-time mixes and unless I'm wrong (which I most likely am) I couldn't keep any of the effects I had on stuff (on the computer) when I did a mixdown of the stuff?! Also anyone thinking of buying a DAT machine, don't bother .In the next year or so manufacturing companies of CD's won't be accepting DAT's (they only want CDR's). Already they are charging more if you send it on DAT vs CDR. The disk was mixed down on a Tascam DA-20 MKII DAT player by Damon de Szagheo of "Mime Radio" and mastered to CDR by D.J. John. April 12/98: Just moved from logic 2.5 to 3. Vast improvement, but the real time effects are still not as good as Cubase Audio. I still think Cakewalk is evil. As of October 1999 we are using... -Korg Trinity keyboard -Rola n keyboard -Gibson Les Paul studio guitar (w. a G7 processor) -GR-30 Guitar synth -AKG C1000S mic with a Digitech vocalist VHM5 (vocal processor) Everything is recorded on our PC in AudioLogic 3 (We started with MicroLogic 1.5). The only drawbacks to digital recording that I have found so far is that you have to have a really good mic, otherwise you're hearing static galore. The sound quality IS perfect so you can't hide the imperfections, that you would in Analog stuff. Plus the switch from using MIDI on the computer to doing harddisk recording, is a little more on the pocketbook, but it saves on the long run for recording costs. We also have a sequencer in the trinity, but we mainly use it for playback of stuff we can't play between the three of us in live situations.