Planning your song arrangement with a BR1600CD (track count)

[Super 8]

Everything I do is pretty much one take .... I like it to be spontaneous, not too worked out and a little rough round the edges. Like I mean it.

WISE WORDS THAT MAN - I concur!

In the past I have been guilty of 'over baking that musical cake' (and often completely losing sight of that first embryonic bit of 'musical magic' that made you hit the record button in the first place!)

I think my problems were both part-creator & part-means of production. By this I mean, I had a tendency to obsess over stuff and, as such, overdo things. This side of my studio personality reared its ugly head the moment I started to make music with a computer = OPTION PARALYSIS! I just never seemed to know when a song was done and kept going back to it (usually getting further & further away from the actual song itself!)

What I'm REALLY liking about this BR unit is the way it somewhat limits me on the technical front. It's a lot more transparent than recording with a computer - you can forget about it. As a result I don't feel 'bogged down' by the technology (as I often did!) and this frees up more time for me to actually concentrate on the most important bit in my opinion ie: 'THE MUSIC'!

I have now learnt from experience that composing/playing/performing music and the art of recording/producing are two VERY different disciplines (you have to wear completely different hats!) The thing is, looking back, using a computer I often got so 'lost' in the entire production side of things that I never seemed to be able to actually finish a production! (In fact, I've played actually more music in the last few weeks with this machine than I had done in the six months prior when still using a computer!)

Why Roland discontinued this model 'God Only Knows'! To be honest, I was gonna throw the towel in on the whole muzak making lark but this thing's come along at exactly the right time for me and, as a songwriter, it's just the ticket - the tonic I was needing!

George Martin won't lose any sleep over my production skills but, listening to the stuff Macca churns out these days I now reckon I can give him a run for his (vast hordes of!) money on the writing front at least!

So yes, spontaneity is the name of the game. For what it's worth, from the personal experience I have acquired down the years, here's my 2 cents:

'Don't get anal about the music you make! Keep it real, throw it down and put it out there -  don't get overally precious or obsessive about your music or it will show. It's 'just music' Man! It's far better to capture 'a feel' (in as long as it takes to record it) than to spend a fortnight obsessing over the ambient characteristics of the snare drum in your mix - I know, I've been there!

OK, here endeth the lesson! Long live the BR1600! 'The Queen Is Dead' (long live 'Queen'!)

What the f*$k am I talking about? I know not what. Good day ....