Last weekend I finally tracked down the guy I played with for a few years and the ensuing conversation was a bit enlightening for us both. We had not talked to each other since 1997, and recapping the past 18 years (and sharing perspectives) took over two hours.
 
We are both "avid hobbyists" and lean heavily toward original material, and we both record pretty much when free time allows. Ironically, he stayed on the path of "drum machine/4-track" whereas I had shifted to a DAW (1998). Big difference is where I have a truckload of ideas partially completed, he has completed 12 albums (yes 12).
 
He shared 24 songs initially which had been offloaded digitally. Because the system he used was identical for each, I took a "cookie cutter" approach and mastered them (noise reduction and made a mastering preset that was easy to tailor for each). After this, his wife requested I do 5 more of his acoustic pieces, so I have heard 29 total thus far. These are very well done (his chosen "best") and contain all of the components of a typical band (drum, bass, rhythm, lead, vocal (and even background vocals)).
 
In the midst of him being wowed (he used "freaked out" at one point), I had to suddenly stop him and tell him that I suddenly realized what an immense crutch a DAW is. Overdubbing is easy, editing tools abound, and just about everything serves as a distraction... almost like playing a video game that never seems to end. His "old school" setup was more effective in that his overdubbing was severely limited, punch-ins unused, and editing capabilities non-existent (re-tracking being the only option). I told him not to ever get enticed by all of the "goodies" out there with a DAW, but that a 24-bit recording setup will make collaboration easy. He had already considered DAW/interface options, and made a purchase this week (I will need to keep him in check so he doesn't go all "tech-dweebie" on me).
 
The take-away for me was a bit more stark, in that all that I needed I had years ago, yet continued to path down this "video game/beta tester" route for no good reason. My workflow has already shifted dramatically and will continue to... suddenly "old school" gets the recognition it deserves.
 
Anyway... I thought I would share, since my participation in these forums will dwindle dramatically in the days to come and I am punching my ticket on beta testing software. In hindsight, I wish I had tracked him down a decade ago. 

I picked up a Zoom R24 with the intention of getting away from the PC to do some recording without all of the shiny stuff to distract.  It's quite a shift, but once I get control of it (the R24) I'll be stepping back some too.
 
 

Nice story Mettelus and yes, quite an epiphany. I also remember the old 4 track days using my reliable Fostex 280 (which I still have) where you just had to get it right from the get go......or record it over again. Now, I just have waaaay too many choices and seem to do less with it.

nice post enjoyed reading it.

Thanks for sharing Michael.

Great story, thanks.  My experience is almost the opposite, though, in that I dreamed of doing things for years, but until there were virtual orchestral libraries, computer recording/editing, and other such tools, I could not realize the things I imagined.

konradh
Great story, thanks.  My experience is almost the opposite, though, in that I dreamed of doing things for years, but until there were virtual orchestral libraries, computer recording/editing, and other such tools, I could not realize the things I imagined.

I'm with you Konrad. There is no way I could have done the stuff I like to do now with my old reel to reel, with just me myself and I. Kontakt changed my life, lol.
 
Regards,
Dan
 

I'm a keyboard player by profession but I try to stay away from midi these days. It's a necessary evil sometimes but it's too easy to get sucked into editing mode. I try to play it well and sometimes do a part again, but don't do very deep editing unless there really is an obvious single offending note. That's regarding VSTs. Actual synths and keyboards I do all audio. It helps. Good post!

Great post and a wake-up call.
I used to have a Korg SQD-1 which, for the time, (80's)was a great tool, but by today's standards extremely limiting.
That said, it forced me to plan ahead and really think about structure and composition.
I am overwhelmed at the options I now have in comparison, and am excited at the prospect of what I can create, but I am definitely not as successful terms of actual completed pieces of music as I think they can always be improved with the myriad of possibilities available.
I'm wondering if a "back-to-basics" approach would be more fruitful.
Definitely food for thought.

I also have lots of uncompleted songs.
 
However, when I play them for people, they ask what am I still working on?
 
Last year I said I would complete an albums worth of song this year. I have about four or five close to complete, about that many in demo/construction mode and about that many in idea mode. I work on a different bunch to keep it fresh.
 
I worked on one song for over five years. Kept telling myself i was learning the software. Get close to finishing it and then start over because I'd tell my self I could do it better now that I have more knowledge. Yep that went on for five years!! The best version by the way was the one I did about year three!!