Now that the cold weather is upon us, it is time to get back into the studio and record some tracks! If you are anything like me, I tend to spend the warm weather writing songs and playing shows, rather than being inside holed up recording (unless I have a band to record). Now is the time when I start to get excited to get back in front of the microphones to record what I have been working on. Kind of like reading a great book--every time that I am not reading it I am still thinking about when I will be able to have the time to get back to reading. Writing and recording can be that way, too, as right now I cannot wait to have even a few minutes to plan, record, or mix. 

The planning right now is for a band from Fairview Park, Ohio, called Violet Ray. They are going to record a 6 song EP with me at their house in the next month and I am already obsessed with how I am going to get the sounds that I am envisioning in my head. There was a point today when I was texting one of the band members about my ideas for microphones and mic preamps on certain instruments and realized that I was being kind of a nut. I stopped texting after that, but am still thinking about the combinations that will produce the best sounds. Well, I guess that it is better to have someone recording you that is obsessed about the sounds--even though the recording doesn't even start for nearly a month....Haha

As far as the new gear, I have an Audio Technica AT802 coming this week, but that is kind of a small deal compared to what else is coming.... I have a Black Lion Audio B12a microphone preamp on the way!  That is very exciting because it is the first of the API 312 type preamps that I will have.  They are very much the sound of American rock-n-roll.  I will probably use it for all sorts of things when tracking individually, but what will I use it for in a live session?  Hmmm...I guess that will take some experimentation and thinking.  The reality is that I use many different types of preamps and am super excited with any new ones that I get.  This is no exception.  Most likely, I will track with it on something, but then re-amp tracks that would benefit from a little kick in the backside.  Sometimes that happens after a recording session....

Best wishes to all.  Feel free to comment or contact me.  I love to hear what everyone else is in to.....