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The Upward Spiral


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When I joined these forums at the invitation of Ernie Rideout less than a year ago, I didn't know jack about pro audio. I was a two-bit punk shlepping a guitar amp around dive bars, wondering what the f*ck I was gonna do with the rest of my wasted life.

 

Since then, thanks in large part to what I've learned on these forums, I have built a thriving (although still embryonic) original music production business. I have clients telling me that I'm over-qualified to work for them. The guitar guru of the century (Craig), whose columns my brothers and I have been reading since we were drawing Kiss logos on our jeans with crayons, emailed me, and sent me his CD. A few weeks later, I came home to find a synthe module sitting by my door. And I just found out that I've been quoted in EQ Magazine.

 

I went from "Borderline Suicidal" to "I've Got The World On A String."

 

The funny thing is, it's the folks who gave me a hard time that I've learned the most from. Fletcher...my infamous baptism by fire has marked me for life. I will never, ever, record a track again in my entire life without his spector in my ear, saying, "Does it sound good, you muthaf*cka? Did you do all you could do to make it sound good? No? Cut the f*cker again!" And Lee, with her busting my ballz over using a drum machine. Same deal: "What would Lee say? It sucks! It's a machine!" If I ever get props from anyone for my beat science, Lee gets a consulting credit, just for being there to raise the bar to an impossible height for me to even attempt to meet with my beat programming. It's like, everytime I program a beat now, I do it with the aim of pleasing Lee in mind. Not that that will ever happen, but yo, those beats are stylin' now, compared to pre-Lee. It's all about the influence...

 

There's so much more, I would be up until dawn giving props to everyone here, and explaining everything I've learned, and the post would be so long that y'all would take one look at it and just click the "back" button, and I wouldn't blame yas.

 

Chip, for example. I know Chip & I aren't exactly buddies, but Chip's a first-rate guitarist. When I track my guitar playing now, I'm a lot more consciencious about how precise my playing is, 'cause I have Chip's standard to measure against. Since I've joined this board, I listen ten-times more closely to EVERYTHING I do when playing, tracking, EQing, FXing, mixing, and critiquing my stuff than I did before I came here. My fellow Illadelph producers are hearing the difference, and they're buggin'.

 

Ya get what ya give, and ya take what your mind is open to. Tedster is the model of humility...y'all can take from Tedsta his example, and ya don't have to write a check to Sam Ash or Sweetwater for that. Danno, Khan, Argomax, Hiraga, Phil, soapbox, Nevasleep (where did ya run off to mah bro?)...Julian Stand-In The Streets Of London, Karen the JungleGirl (that tag gives me a ...we'll take it off-line), alphajerk... sorry if I left anyone out, but it's late, and I'm getting sleepy. All of these unique personalities, with unique goals and visions, in one place, collaborating on a sort of cause celebre del arte. This is a special place. We're like Man Ray and Duschamp times 100. It's cool. 'Nuff said.

 

Onward and upward with the arts...

curvedominant

Eric Vincent (ASCAP)

www.curvedominant.com

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Curve, I feel like you're the one who has helped me more than I have you but thanks for including me in your list of fame.

 

I have to agree. I've argued with some of you, I've exchanged information with others, I've enjoyed a great many jokes. It's all been fun!

 

Having the technology to record at home in addition to major studios is exciting, but also lonely. It's nice to see the flip side of technology allowing me to visit with people from all over the world and bringing back the music community I often miss!

 

BTW, "You Get What You Give" is one of my favorite pop songs of the last few years: great philosophy, great music!

Enthusiasm powers the world.

 

Craig Anderton's Archiving Article

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"...and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

 

---- Paul McCartney (The Beatles "The End" Abbey Road)

 

Who said Paul couldn't be deep lyrically?

 

Great post Curve. Keep on growing and sharing.

 

Phil O'Keefe

Sound Sanctuary Recording

Riverside CA

http://members.aol.com/ssanctuary/index.html

pokeefe777@msn.com

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Thanx Curve.

And thanx to Daniel South, too, who bestowed gifts upon us.

And thanx to Craig, who runs this theatre.

And thanx to the Internet, because only 10 years ago all this didn't exist and people from different countries annd places did not meet each other in this easy way.

Max Ventura, Italy.
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Originally posted by soapbox:

Having the technology to record at home in addition to major studios is exciting, but also lonely. It's nice to see the flip side of technology allowing me to visit with people from all over the world and bringing back the music community I often miss!

 

Amen!!! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gifhttp://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

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I'm honored to even be mentioned in your post, Curve. I'm going through the same thing...only I'm still at the "dissatisfied and getting more so" with everything, y'know...like "Is the track good enough?" ...and wondering if I can ever get it there. But, y'know...continuing anyway...

 

Forever endeavor...

"Cisco Kid, was a friend of mine"
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Great post Curve.

Upward and onward and beyond.

 

This place is most often an oasis in the midst of

a very solitude, at times hopeless and endless

journey.

 

 

 

------------------

William F. Turner

Guitarist, Composer, Songwriter

turnermusic

William F. Turner

Songwriter

turnersongs

 

Sometimes the truth is rude...

tough shit... get used to it.

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Yeah Curve!! You rock.

 

I agree this forum is the coolest buncha folks one could ever hope to cyber-hang with. And thanks so much for taking my posts in exactly the spirit they were intended. You all have done much the same for me - that is, raised the bar in my mind, that I have to reach in my music. I too am always thinking, as I work, about what you guys would think if you heard it. And that makes me work harder!

 

This place rules!! Thanks for reminding us Curve.

 

--Lee

 

P.S. d. gauss, as usual your post stole this thread. From one end of the rope to the other..... ROTFLMAO!!!!

 

--Lee

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YO! What up, Curvey!!??

 

Have you been poppin' luv drugz again??

 

Yeah, this site is G*R*E*A*T!!!!!!!!

 

I've been lurking, since it took off, but I've been stuck at another place.. you know doin' the 'alpajerk' (the +4000 post thing), but that place sucks way too much now.

 

There's a nice blend here...

 

hiraga

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Yeah, I'm off that crap too. After a couple of hundred pills, I started falling in love with trees, cars and the nieghbourgs dog.. No good.

 

I smoke lotsa ganja so I can focus on my goals.. hehe..

 

Bayern München/Valencia..?? Is that.. football??

 

ARE YOU OUTTA YA MIND??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Fucking HATE HATE football.. I say give 'em a ball each. Geez what a lameass game. It's not even sport..

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>>>Onward and upward with the arts...

curvedominant

 

----------------------------------

 

Curve, you got your SWERVE on today brotha!!! It is a priveledge to know you all!

 

khanresinhit

So Many Drummers. So Little Time...
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CD.

 

Hang tough, seen!!?!!!??

 

Like ya said, we often read mags with a lot of these cats as editors-at-large, or "made men/women" and they seem so.... remote...larger than life.

 

Forums like these, as detached as writing at a screen is, makes one cognizant that EVERYBODY'S cool and shit. All of the moderators, most of the participants. A lot of collective enlightment going on, and sometimes (as is the case with you curve) you realise, that "hey!! I don't suck 1/2 as much as I think I do!!"....

 

It's the best thing to be recognized by your peers, cuz we don't just create for ourselves.

 

Much props Curve, and if you stop now, you're in for a collective can of cyber whoop ass!

http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

 

NYC Drew

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Can't say I've gotten to know all of you yet, but I've already reaped some of the same rewards you have, Curve, from this bunch of wonderful, opinionated, passionate people. (Not necessarily in that order!) http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/smile.gif

 

Hope to get to know you better. (I work to keep myself from writing, "you all." Been living outside Nashville for 7 1/2 years. Repeat: I grew up in Chicagoland, I grew up in Chicagoland.. that's better.)

 

You all (Doh!) rule!!!

 

Neil http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman

 

Soundclick

fntstcsnd

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Yo, Drew, you ain't seen nothin' yet. Word is bond. The first round's on me at NYC AES, good brother.

 

>>from one end of the rope to the other i suppose....

hang in there,

-d. gauss<<

 

I'm glad someone picked up on that.

 

>> "You Get What You Give" is one of my favorite pop songs of the last few years<<

 

Is that a song? Who sings it? Sheesh, I gotta listen to the radio more than twice a year...

 

>>thanx to the Internet, because only 10 years ago all this didn't exist and people from different countries annd places did not meet each other in this easy way.<<

 

Totally totally. As a dedicated internationalist, the global village aspect of this is the dopest thing since James Bond, in my opinion.

 

>>Forever endeavor...<<

 

Exactly...continuous improvement, Ted, and the breakthroughs will come. Patience...

 

>>This place is most often an oasis in the midst of

a very solitude, at times hopeless and endless

journey.<<

 

It's a hard path, WFT, and that's good. That's what gives it its power and its meaning. I'm with ya in spirit, bro.

 

>>I too am always thinking, as I work, about what you guys would think if you heard it. And that makes me work harder!<<

 

Yo, Lee, is that weird or what? I knew I couldn't be the only one that that's been happening to.

 

>>Bayern München/Valencia..?? Is that.. football??

ARE YOU OUTTA YA MIND??????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fucking HATE HATE football.<<

 

Isn't it illegal to say that in Europe? I was hoping to get some bets going on that match. I got $20US on Bayern München. ¿Anyone?

 

>>Curve, you got your SWERVE on today brotha!!!<<

 

Can I use that, Khan?

 

>>I was joking. Geez, you fart during a group hug and...<<

 

...and? What? We cool, Johnno. But, no, I can't write on X. The pills are too fucking small, and it's usually too dark to see what I'm writing. I usually just give 'em a business card.

 

 

Seriously, folks, I didn't mean to get all sappy and sentimental on y'all. I'm trying to remember exactly what did inspire that post...? Oh, who the hell knows. I think the point I was trying to make was: you can always re-invent yourself; at least I did, and maybe I'm a little pumped up over that. But what this experience has taught me, is that there are always several different angles to approach your goals other than the one that you've been locked onto. In my case, technological developments have created new angles, and now I'm exploring them. Steven Covey calls this the "Paradigm Shift." I'm not an expert on this stuff - it's new to me, actually, but it's very exciting, so indulge me while I rant on about it...

 

Anyone might think that they're at a dead end, and the world seems to be moving on, and feel like they're left behind or left out, and looking on and saying, "What the f*ck happened?" This has happened to the best of us at one time or another...or it will. BUT, remember that each one of us has amazing powers of adaptability. Maybe it takes a certain kind of person who can take adversity and turn it on its ear, but I don't buy that. It's a skill, a craft, and it can be learned...not taught maybe, because only you know what you are truly good at, and you have to cultivate that, and wait for the window of opportunity and be ready to fly through that window. You might screw it up the first couple of times and bash your head on the window frame. It does take a certain kind of person to keep trying, though. It's what John Madden calls "Stick-to-it-iveness." If you embrace the pain of failure and rejection, and learn to feed on that pain and channel it into effort, you will win in the end.

 

I live in Philly, and our very own 76er Allen Iverson just won the league Most Valuable Player award. His nickname is "The Answer." I don't like that nickname. If you watch him play, it's obvious what his nickname should be: "The Effort." I'm about average height (5'10" with my Timbalands on), and Allen's just a couple inches taller than I am, and he won the NBA MPV. Can you imagine the effort that takes? Now, imagine what would come of you if you put that kind of effort and discipline into doing what you do best. Go, ahead, close your eyes for a moment and meditate on that. What do you see?

 

Like I said, I'm not a guru, and your mileage will certainly vary. But this is a hard game, best played hard, IMHO.

 

Nighty-night...curve

Eric Vincent (ASCAP)

www.curvedominant.com

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I've learned a great deal on these forums, but that aspect pales in comparison to the FUN that I've had here. You can't see me right now, but yes, I DO have a lampshade on my head... http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

 

Generous thanks to the sponsors, the moderators, and all of you brilliantly talented contributors/co-conspiritors for making this the place to be!! I'm honored to be in your company.

 

Dan

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well how about mugsy bogues at what 5'? can dunk a basketball!?! damn mutherfuckers vertical is as high as he is.

 

 

i like to burn both ends of the rope.

 

 

the neighbors dog? man thats sick. even in my most acid induced binges i would of pee'd myself seeing hiraga mounting some poor doggie. http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

alphajerk

FATcompilation

"if god is truly just, i tremble for the fate of my country" -thomas jefferson

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Originally posted by soapbox:

"You Get What You Give" is one of my favorite pop songs of the last few years

 

Originally posted by Curve Dominant:

Is that a song? Who sings it? Sheesh, I gotta listen to the radio more than twice a year...

 

It was sung by Gregg Alexander (accompanied by some studio musicians), otherwise known as New Radicals. It was a hit during the winter of 1998-1999 (a late '98 release which peaked in early '99). You can find the song on the CD, "New Radicals" or on "Now That's What I Call Music! 2." "You Get What You Give" was kind of reminiscent of Todd Rundgren's music. That song makes me happy every time I hear it!

Enthusiasm powers the world.

 

Craig Anderton's Archiving Article

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I'm so honored to be here.

 

For a Mexican (Hola MemonKey!) is amazing to get in contact with such fine musicians, producers, technicians or just good humored guys like you all via something did not exist quite a few years ago.

 

I have even improved my "business english" (Thanks DanSouth and JoeGerardi) http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

 

If you think I could help you with anything, do not hesitate on asking. Free Spanish lessons ! http://www.musicplayer.com/ubb/wink.gif

 

Now can someone out there respond to my question about how to run simultaneously REAKTOR AND CAKEWALK?

 

Have a great Day...

GusTraX

Músico, Productor, Ingeniero, Tecnólogo

Senior Product Manager, América Latina y Caribe - PreSonus

at Fender Musical Instruments Company

 

Instagram: guslozada

Facebook: Lozada - Música y Tecnología

 

www.guslozada.com

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I've only been here for about 2 months and my attitude has changed so much for the better. I've learned so much in 2 months, I feel like I comitted a crime not paying for this knowledge. I love reading people views and opinions. They are so enlightening. I really dig how you guys stick to your guns and go down with the ship.

 

Curve thanks for starting this thread it was sooo needed bro! Everytime I see your name in a thread I always read it ! Oh and I'm with you on Bayern !!!!!!! All the way.

 

Alpha is really great too, I love his posts and brutal honesty !!

Lee is great so much insight it makes me sick !! In a good way ofcourse!

D Gauss Is always a riot !!!

Sorry I can't mention all but I'm at work and got to run !

ciao

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