Jim's Home Brew Music Page

Background
Okay, so I am as geeky as they come. I have been playing music for 30 years, as a hobby. The songs below were all recorded between 2003 and 2008 as I found free time -- no real talent, just free time. I used a Yamaha AW16 Digital Workstation to record and mix all the instruments. I played all the instruments even though guitar is my favorite. There is no bass guitar, only the XP-30 synth. So, don't laugh too loudly when you hear these songs. Recording these songs was just my way of learning more about music and various mixing techniques. Nobody else played on these songs.

Inspiration
Well, there is no magic here. Depending on my mood and what I was drinking at the time, different songs come to mind. "The Hard Way" was inspired by the fact that everthing I do, work or play, starts out smooth and easy but somehow ends up being done the "hard way". Gotta luv it. Some songs like "Get Jiggy With It" and "Goin' Home" are inspired by the fact I used to play in a rock band and could really tear it up when playing for a crowd. When I think back to those days I feel compelled to write louder and faster songs. The slower songs are derived from trying to master the recording techniques. I was really inspired by a guy named "The Crawdaddy" who has mastered recording techniques and is a serious guitarist. We spent a few Saturday's on the phone talking about ways to improve my recording ability.

How It Was Done
Mixing was the most difficult, for me. It took many takes to get the tracks to sound right. Many songs need remixed. As with anything, the more you do it the more finesse you acquire. I laid down the rhythm guitar and drum tracks first on every track. I followed this with the bass track, then synthesizer and keyboard tracks. I added the lead guitar tracks and then some percussion like cowbells, cymbals and sticks, etc. Everything was recorded flat, in my garage, then effects were added later. I have no idea if this is the correct method but it worked for me.