How'd you start?

[ecsound]

Just thought it might be interesting to see how everyone started out.

What you started with, your first project, how old, etc.

forgive me if this has been posted before.

Anywho, I started with a 4 track Porta02MKII (trashcam), recorded my first "band"'s CD when I was 13 with just that, a PRO20M (the cheap gc brand xlr's) and a Nady SP1. The most horrible collaboration of noise, but I had a damn good time doing it.

Starting off small with no money and about $150 in gear taught me how to truly utilize what you have. I taught myself mic placement, leveling, panning, etc. by just testing "what sounds good" . If you boil down all the complexity in the recording industry, it all goes back to the basics. Just see "what sounds good" , IMO.

I'll be interested in seeing how everyone started off!

ec

[quietdrive]

I was 16, "produced" my first band's demo. Recorded on a 6-track hard disk recorder. Before that I had a 2-track tape recorder.

[NathanEldred]

Started in '87. Did 'sound on sound' with multiple tape decks from 13-15 y.o. until I got my first 8 track cassette based machine @ 16 y.o. Played in a few bands....Moved up to an 8 track 1/2" @ 18 yo which was when I first started doing it for pay. Added ADATs almost right away (16 track at first then 24 tracks a couple years later). Played in more bands. Did various freelance sessions at other studios and University around our area on 2", 1" 16, more ADATs, few DAWs at that time. Went to DAW format in 1999 (native, Samplitude). Now using Samplitude, Pro Tools, 2" 16 track. Things are so different now.

[Jonsey]

Well, i think i was about 6 months old, i used to play the maracass, some refered to it as a rattle. I Didn't record an album as such but my parents recorded my vocal to tape...or was that casette?

[Kris]

I had a Dead Milkmen instrumental on tape, and a boom box with a mic input... I made up some lyrics and recorded them onto another cassette with the DMs music. I think it was an anti war protest song... were we at war in the 80s????

[shaneoconnor]

my father noticed that i loved to write songs, so he bought me a portastudio 4 track when i was 11. over the next 4 year i started recording my friends bands and using my 4 track (i had a collection of half working units) as a songwriting tool.

i went to band camp and hooked up with a classical engineer who let me assist on some mobile recording sessions. i started to build up a daw rig and then went to berklee.

im graduating berklee in two months and i own a studio in boston now.

[rwhitney]

Around 1966 my uncle gave me a black Sony reel-to-reel recorder that allowed recording on each the two tracks at different times. They may not have even been in sync, I don't remember. I recorded the walking bass line of a 12-bar blues and overdubbed lead lines, both with an old Orpheum acoustic guitar (with f holes) that was my adopted grandfather's (from Italy), who my grandmother gave to me when I was 12 or 13 years old. That's how it started for me.

[Mike Caffrey]

Fostex X15 when I was 15 or 16.

I recorded The Beatles when I was 16 on that 4-track.


Literally. The band's goal was to get sued for trademark infringement. They sold 200 copies of the album on cassette, but no lawsuit.


It's kind of interesting to look back our little teenage music community. My first band played in high school talent shows and battles of the bands with the same 3-4 other bands. Adam Lassus (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) learned to play bass in my band . I met Steve Wolf at one of these shows - he's prgrammed and played onhalf the Dr Luke/Max Martin track people ask about around here. He may now be the drummer I've most recorded. Billy Mann played in his band. Kurt Rosenwinkle played in another. There are a few other guys who are working, but I'm ot familiar with what they're doing. G Love was a few years behind.

I didn't think of it as a very musical environment at the time.

[warhead]

Fostex X-26 4 track cassette, late 80's. Used that "free" dynamic mic on everything! Initially we never even thought about the sound of that crap, just made music with it and learned how to bounce lots of tracks (and hiss!). Recorded my songs and my friend's songs with it constantly.

Fostex M80 8 track 1/4" machine, bought from the studio I was interning at around 1992, paired with a Fostex 812(8) mixer, Alesis effects and monitors...I was on fire man. 15ips and way less track bouncing. Mixed to MiniDisc (could not afford a DAT machine). Built a two room studio out of a 10'x40' office trailer and charged about $50 per song.

Early 2000's I moved to a Fostex D series 16 track HD recorder setup, then quickly graduated to a Nuendo rig. I've been using Nuendo ever since, although the setup has gotten a lot nicer!

Building a new room this year, first isolated tracking / control room setup I've had since the trailer (and that wasn't REAL ISO).

War

[Sigma]

i was 13 my dads bought a studio and i helped tear up the place... gofered at 15 in 1971 while they were building the second consle..got suspended from school for 3 days and had to clean the studios..then I quit Villanova at 19 and took a job at the studio as the gofer and learned from there