Sailor55

I too have several headphones kicking around. But when I want to hear exactly what I've mixed with no "personality" whatsoever, I turn to my Neumann NDH 20's. They bring nothing of their own to the table. I guess you could say that is their "sound"... i.e. no coloration of any kind. Granted, they are crazy expensive ($700 CDN these days, slightly less than what I paid for my used Mackie HR824 monitors many years ago) and takes a bit of getting used to, but the entire spectrum is presented in all its naked glory. I listened to some Billy Joel with them recently. Wow. Lots of stuff I'd never heard before. But, whether it be headphones or studio monitors, my vocal shortcomings are generally quite apparent (and irritating) to me. - Dan

That "pop up panel" is exceedingly important to me and central to my workflow which involves much audio editing. All the stuff one continually needs in a tight little box only an inch away from where the cursor is now. Please never take that away. Never. - Daniel

I donate a healthy sum to my local food bank once each year. I do it when it's convenient for me, usually toward the end of the year. I am happy to do so and the folks there are certainly appreciative. Early this year they called and asked if I would consider giving the same amount as last year in monthly installments deducted from my bank. They were quite persistent, but I refused. Clearly, they desire consistent and predictable cash flow. I suppose I can't blame them for that. But I don't like it. It makes me feel taken for granted and leaves me out of control. If for any reason I can't (or don't want to) give, I must take an action, rather than simply not take an action. I realize this is not an apples-to-apples comparison (i.e. charities vs DAW revenues), but seems the whole world is moving in this direction. I own outright a lot of Waves Inc. plug-ins. Waves has a thousand products many of which do practically the same thing. They'd much rather I pay a permanent yearly fee for the privilege of accessing any plug-in at any time. That puts me in full control of a grand array of products (many of dubious utility, but some that could become integral to a project) while putting me in less control of my money. Unfortunately, it's something I may have to learn to get used to.

Many thanks John for taking the time to make an extremely useful video. It is much appreciated. My takeaway: Beyond a membership to BandLab (which is not particularly useful to me), there is no good reason, at present, to obtain Sonar unless one wishes to monkey about with GUI issues for months on end while actual music production suffers. Cheers... - Daniel

And here I thought I was an old-timer...

Brilliant. A dance floor filler. No question about it.... - Daniel

I'll tell you why I like this: It's so very far from what I do or what I ever could do. (I'm from a era you probably can't conceive of). And yet, I very much recognize the merit and validity of this work. Short and sweet. And so damned tight it squeaks. All in all, a very clever little tune. I can easily imagine a band of 21-year-olds playing this live in front of a thousand jumping puppies. All the best... - Daniel

Great stuff! I like this mix. Very dense, and yet I can easily isolate everything in every direction. Solid guitar work & lyric combined with an interesting sentiment. Believe me, I know the work that went into this. Much appreciated. - Daniel

Here's some battlefield angst. I know there's another song titled "Fire In The Hole" (Steely Dan), but this isn't that. No, not at all. - Daniel https://www.taggerband.com/Music/FITBH/FireInTheHole.html

I'll say! And the reverse is also true. I've known tech savvy folks with a profound understanding of gear who think producing actual music is just another "technical" issue. Here in Canada, the most commercially successful musical act, by far, is Long & McQuade Musical Instruments. (For my American friends, they are the largest gear retailer in this country. I don't think they have a presence in the USA.) - Dan

This is a great piece Rex, and I like it very much as is. But... If you ask me, I think it's crying out for maracas. I swear I can hear them even though they're not there. I know its easy for me to say: "just put some maracas in". Maracas are damn hard to get right. But I think they could add an appropriate flavor. - Dan

Fabulous vocals, guitar, lyric & mix, . Absolutely top notch. I admit I'm not really country guy either, but this is the kind of thing that can really bring me over. You should be proud of this. I would be. - Dan

I like this a lot. Goes interesting and unexpected places. Real drums too. That kick can't be missed. Perfect mood for hanging around the house while it hammers down rain outside. Cheers... -Dan

Thanks for the fabulous feedback everyone! I assure you all that it's very much appreciated. I put a lot of work into my productions and to have them so positively received by others in the same creative community is most rewarding. And I shall let John D. know he is appreciated. - Daniel

I once lived in a rough neighborhood... https://www.taggerband.com/Music/FITBH/RedTide.html Dimension Pro: acoustic bass, drumbeats, strings Addictive Drums 2: additional cymbals Lead Guitar: John D, current player in my band Vocals: a singer from StudioPros.com whom I hired long ago - Daniel