Suggestions & Ideas you have for the Community

[SteveB]

I have spent a lot of time thinking about my worries regarding the impending
Forum changes and I know I am risking being shouted down....

Here is my opinion

I now am firmly against losing the MBR post your work section...

...This is my opinion, I would be grateful if it could be viewed as that...

What ever format is chosen....I will still be here!
Mike

48 - I too will be here whatever format is chosen. And we will be shouted-down together if that be the case. (But, c'mon. Do you really think we will be shouted down on here? The people are just too darned polite and obliging! ) And, this may seem a churlish question by the way, how has this situation arose? Who/Why/What wants the format changing? I read the 'Admin' post earlier, is this 'Pedro' of who people write so respectfully? And it seems pretty clear that the site underwent a change to incorporate all the other BR recorders -extant and those (Hopefully?) yet to be designed - the name of the Site was changed to reflect this, and as I pointed out previously, there's a photo on top of the page to remind you of the different versions. And what of the Micro users' themselves - are they forever destined to only own one BR machine? What if they upgarde to, say, the 1200 and suddendly find their precious work submerged under umpteen pages of Micro MP3s? And then become frustrated because no one is commenting on their proffered goods? Anyway, whatever...

[AndyR]

Really well put 48.

Obviously, I haven't experienced it quite this way myself, but I have exactly the same fear as you.

I'm begining to think that maybe our fears are unfounded, but... I still have the fear. And the problem is, it won't be proved either way except by changing the forum and finding out we've discouraged people or not - it's a difficult one.

Somebody wrote somewhere that music isn't a competition... well, actually, once you've got going, it is a competition. It's not like a sport, where the idea is to grind the opposition in the dirt... it's more of "hey wow! I like that, but look... (fanfare) ... what I can do..." expecting the other person to come back with "aha! like what you did there - but what do you think of... THIS!"...

In fact, people have even responded to me with "you've raised the bar..." - I just realised the sporting analogy. The way I look at it, yes there is a bar I'm working to - but it's my own personal bar, I'm competing with myself all the time...

I want to show off what I can do, I'm assuming that's what motivates all of us for posting work here, but I really don't want to discourage anyone or make them think there's a "standard" for posting... If anything, I'm driven by a secondary motive - I want to help people if I can. I find writing and recording, though sometimes frustrating, extremely satisfying and fulfilling, and I firmly believe anyone can do it if they're prepared to put the effort in.

I'm coming round to what Bosko et al are saying though - they don't think the folks who are going stick a toe in the water are going to get discouraged, any more than they get discouraged at the moment: as it stands, they've still got people like me posting a month or two's work, compressed and polished into a carefully arranged 4 mins, in amongst the "here's my first recording on the MBR, what do you think" posts - if the proposed format is going to be discouraging, then, sadly, someone like me posting at the moment is already discouraging people...

... I've just realised that's the logical extension to my fear... and I can't fault the logic.

If people are getting discouraged, considering what the MBR can do, this was always going to happen sooner or later on here, and there's not much anyone can do about it. No-one's going to suggest "once you get too good you gotta stop posting"!!

I think the key is in the way that people behave on here, and how we all respond to each others posts and contributions. If we start getting snooty and forming little clubs (which is what humans do quite well ) then yeah, we're in trouble. But we'll be in trouble in this format just as much as the proposed one...

EDIT: SteveB and Pinedog posted while I was typing - I haven't been around long enough to know what's what, but I've been wondering whether things are going to change or whether we're just all theorising? If I was "in charge" I would look at the vote, and I'd read all these posts as well. That's why I'm taking the trouble to type so much - I think the fear of accidentally shutting out potential newbies needs to be carefully considered

[Ferryman]

Yes, really well put Mike (48). I hear what you are saying. So it's balance between getting more interaction with the other BR users and making sure they don't feel left out versus having too many posts that are very sophisticated recording efforts that might put off newbies for whom the MBR is the first step into the world of recording.

On balance, I still feel it is better that we combine all the BR boards, provided (as I have suggested all along), we ensure the recordings are primarily created on a BR box. The MBR users will still significantly outnumber all other BRs, so the addition of a small number of posts from (possibly) more sophisticated types shouldn't put off the newbies.  There will still be a lot of "no more than 4 track" type MBR posts, which is where most newbies start. And the attitude of everyone on the board is so encouraging that I don't think we will get any elitism.

Where I think things would change is if we allowed any recordings to be posted, BR or otherwise, in the same board. If we get a lot of posts along the lines of "I did this in Cubase, that in Reason, tweaked it in Audacity and only a little bit on the BR", that would put newbies off. I know I would lose interest as well, because I want to do everything on the MBR and push this box beyond its limits.

Cheers,

Nigel

[launched]

...because I want to do everything on the MBR and push this box beyond its limits...

Well said!!!

[Greeny]

RE-POST FROM THE VOTING THREAD....

I'd hate to see any of us falling out over this, as I think we all want the same thing essentially – i.e. a happy, supportive and inspiring forum. You could say that we already have that, so why change things? But I would personally like to see the 'other model' users get some more exposure. I too struggle to listen to all of the posts, but when I do I'm greeted with some absolute gems from the likes of Bosko, Blooby and Pinedog (to name but a few).

It's inevitable that new users will feel a little bit intimidated when they first come on here – but I don't think it's down to the structure of the boards. I personally feel it's inherently intimidating just to arrive somewhere like this – a bit like a new kid at school, where it takes time to settle down and understand what's happening around you. But look at how almost everyone has thrived on here! I was very nervous when I posted my first song, but the feedback and support was so good that I had no problem posting the second. I think we're generally a very welcoming bunch, because we all realise that we too took that first big step (whilst struggling to get our heads around the technology...).

No matter how the boards are structured, there will be insecurities for people. We all have our own little insecurities and weaknesses (apart from Kody, maybe, because he's so damn good at everything, lol). There are virtuoso guitarists on here who don't want to sing, there are amazing musicians that struggle to write original compositions, and there are amazing songwriters who can't play their instruments to the standard of others. But what does it matter? We've seen outstanding collaborations where these things get balanced out, and I can't see why that will ever change. For me personally, I know I can write and sing a tune or two, but when I get to playing a guitar solo, I know that it's an amateur stab in the dark compared to a lot of guitarists on here (and think you're all secretly laughing / wincing when you hear it). Now, I could have shied away from playing solos, but I figured I'd listen to what the rest of you do, and go for self-improvement instead. And I'm ten times the lead player I used to be. Still crap, just not as crap as before, lol. Not many of us are the complete package (such as, say, Prive, Hooper, Kody, Bosko, Geir and AndyR to name but a few), so for everyone, there is something bigger to strive for. I only have to listen to what Bluesberry and 48 are doing now to know how far people can come. I've heard them go from very good guitarists to confident, super-guitarists with a whole bag of tricks up their sleeves. Then there's Oskilio... can anyone have imagined where those guys would end up in the space of a few months. It's breathtaking! Then there's my mate oldrottenhead who everyone knows as a great songwriting vocalist, but he's now adding some guitar to a Jemima's Kite track. More progress! And then there's the wonderful Flash Harry who has played on around 50 of my songs and JK tracks to the point I just know that he'll get it right – every time. Now – that to me is what the forum is all about: listening, being inspired, and getting better. And as someone else pointed out, the fact that 48 is teaching others now is a huge accolade to him and the forum.

Sorry – this is a long post!!!!

Being on this forum and owning a BR has changed my life. That's not being dramatic, that's an absolute fact...
 

[AndyR]

That's a great post Greeny

[Pine]

Where's the damn toasting beer mug emoticons when ya need 'em!
Good observations Tim. Don't know what kinda stuff you used to do, but your music these days is addicting 

[launched]

Couldn't have said it better, Greeny - but I do really like your solos.

[Bosko Schwartz]

Very well said, Greeny, and my sentiments exactly.  I tried, but I guess I couldn't put it as eloquently as you did.

By the way, thank you so much for including me in the "complete package" group, but I am more along the lines of being able to do everything just barely enough to get the point across.  To put it another way, I'm a pretty good faker.   And ditto with me on guitar solos!

AndyR asked something about whether or not anything is ever going to change, and I think that is why we are all chiming in, and that is why we put it to a vote.  But the one person who has the ability to control this is Pedro (admin), who has not made his voice heard.  I'd like to know what you think, Pedro -- we all would!  Is what we are proposing even logistically feasible?

[Pine]

"i think i'm getting something...maybe it's Pedro!"