Reflections on the reality of my investing in recording

Hi guys,

I've been researching upping my recording game in the future. DAW, laptop, mics, interface, treatments, etc. I started thinking about a budget and realized I could put something very nice together. But then I started to realize I'd have to learn how to properly use all this stuff, which much unlike most of you, is a major inspiration killer for me.

So I started looking up recording studios. I've recorded in studios before and enjoyed the process. Rates looked pretty good. Figured within a week I could put some nice tunes together for my budget and let someone else deal with the technology.

Then it hit me. For all of that money and time, besides me who would care about the end product? Outside of my best friend and maybe my wife (and definitely not my kids!), who would listen? Really almost no one. So what's my motivation here? Vanity? That wouldn't be the first time but this would be the most expensive time!

I think I'll stick with my Zoom...

[ChuckS]

Seems to be the right decision for you. For me, my hobby time gets split between playing the guitar, a general interest in custom guitars, and home recording. I enjoy them all, but spreading out the time to all three definitely limits my focus and advancing my skills. But, since it's a hobby, it really doesn't have to be justified, or make logical sense.

[AcousticDreams]

Hey J-Doug,

This is an important question. One that I am sure more all of us recordists have thought about.

I know I certainly have.

Sometimes it is not about what makes logical sense...it is about something that we feel we have do to for ourselves. Whether is be ego or something else? And who will listen to it? it really makes no difference? We have to do it.

For myself, it is about completing a dream that I had in my youth. Something that I set out to do...and for various reasons...quit the journey. It is about finishing that journey no matter the costs. It is about leaving a very slight Mark, of my very being-existence. Regardless or who will see it of even if it will be accepted or enjoyed.

I am investing thousands of dollars right now into the recording game...because I know that no studio, no engineer understands what I want & need & exactly like I do for the basic recording process.(for the mixing and mastering..that is a different story..that I know mixers can do better than myself by far.) And to get to where I am going has taken years of my life. Never the less...it is something that I have to complete.

Some things in life, do not have to be justified or proved. They only are.
Ha ha...that is what I tell myself anyway...

Enjoy the Journey. It is not the end that you are seeking...it is the Journey that gives each of us hope and purpose.

[reeve21]

Your zoom recordings sound fine, Doug. Seems like you can get into the law of diminishing returns pretty quickly with recording equipment.

Unless you think you would enjoy going down another rabbit hole-- why start?

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by ChuckS

Seems to be the right decision for you. For me, my hobby time gets split between playing the guitar, a general interest in custom guitars, and home recording. I enjoy them all, but spreading out the time to all three definitely limits my focus and advancing my skills. But, since it's a hobby, it really doesn't have to be justified, or make logical sense.

Everything you stated makes absolute sense to me.

[rick-slo]

It's just fun learning to do stuff and having one project goal or another and figuring out how to try and reach those goals.
Music (listening or playing) has always been an important part of my life. Why not extend it to recording.

[merlin666]

I think that nowadays many people like to share their recordings online on YouTube, forums, and other venues. I personally prefer to play live with or without others or an audience. I tried a few recordings just with my phone but found it a time consuming experience to do it over and over until I found result acceptable. If I invested into more technology I would spend too much time turning knobs instead of plucking strings. But I am very grateful to all who do and share their recordings.

[Mr. Jelly]

So what's the price of enjoying oneself or having fun? What is the purpose? Why do anything unless you get attention or some type of payback? Life is not logical though we pretend it is.

[jklotz]

I started recording my pieces after realizing that some of the ones I spent a month or two to work up are gone now, as I've forgotten them and probably won't go back to relearn. It's nice to have a record of them. Plus I put them up in the s&t section here and maybe on FB and folks seem to like them. Maybe I'll gig some of this stuff, so the recording can be a bit of an online resume, so to speak, or maybe not. Either way, it's nice to have something to show for all that work, even if nobody else ever listens to it.

My "recording studio" is quite meager though. Just a couple of mics, an interface and some software. These days you don't need that much stuff to get great results.

[H165]

Your kids may not, but your grandkids will.....

Thanks for the responses guys.

I doubt I'd be enjoying myself that much more with a major outlay. I'm enjoying myself just fine with Zoom. Plus my playing skills better align with what I spent on the Zoom.

And at least if no one listens my ROI is pretty sweet.

[TBman]

I think your recordings sound fine Doug.

Some members have made their own portable room treatment panels, maybe that's something you could look into.

[Chipotle]

This is exactly why, when someone posts about deciding on gear, some of the first questions that come up are "What are you trying to accomplish with it?"

I see this in plenty of other areas besides guitars as well. Too often, people get fixated on the stuff, and lose sight of what they actually want to do with that stuff. I've seen lots of people spend lots of money on some item and only then try to figure out what they can do with it. And it usually leads to disappointment. Recording gear (and guitars) are tools. First figure out what you want to do, then find the tools that will help you get there.

And if you think hard enough, you may just discover you already have what you need.

[FrankHudson]

Originally Posted by J-Doug

Hi guys,

Then it hit me. For all of that money and time, besides me who would care about the end product? Outside of my best friend and maybe my wife (and definitely not my kids!), who would listen? Really almost no one. So what's my motivation here? Vanity? That wouldn't be the first time but this would be the most expensive time!

I think I'll stick with my Zoom...

You're being thoughtful, analyzing your goals, questioning tactics. All admirable.

Some are replying with reasons why they spend money or effort recording, sort of a implied question in your conclusion since you're posting your thoughts. Here are mine in summary: my focus this century has increasing been toward composing, and musical compositions don't exist until they are performed. As a practical matter, I need to perform many of the parts myself, so by definition I need to record to do that.*

On good days I enjoy the process of picking instruments to play the parts, seeing how the parts come together, and mixing them. The process is interactive. Sometimes a I change what instrumentation I'm thinking I'm going to use, or as the parts come together I decide to change things. Painters have a term for this process: pentimento. Recording is, for me, then part of the composition process. Painters have no real way to "just play" the way we sometimes do on guitar, they have to apply paint to the medium.

*This choice, made for practical reasons, has been a difficulty. I have limitations as a player and so it's hard to compose what I can't play, though I've made some use of recording tricks to get me through. The one thing it can't help are the weaknesses in my singing voice. If I had more money or resources, I'd use better players and certainly better singers than I am.

[KevWind]

Well as Ol' Albert said "Its all relative"

I think the questions the OP is asking are very relevant and legitimate.

And there is no correct answer one way or the other. Each must decide for themselves how much time and money we are will to spend, and the answers will be different.

If one is looking at it from a "return on investment angle" (as opposed to a money spent on self enjoyment) those are entirely different sets of criteria. And one definitely needs to try to be brutality honest about the reality of not only their own talent and audience appeal but about the commitment it will take to generate return

Either way "Recording" like plying the the guitar, is a life long learning experience.