How to get real value from old music gear

As you know technologies are constantly evolving at ever increasing rates of speed. You almost have to have a future traveling, time machine to stay current. And due to the demand and privileges that these technological advancements bring, the popular perspective takes what was cool and valuable and turns it into a door stop or bookend.

I could not believe how little some of the older equipment I own is now worth. Things I scraped and saved for that cost me $3000 or more 12 years are now worth $150 (on a good day). And unlike tube based audio gear, pre-CBS Strats or esoteric wine it’s not going to increase in value with age.

After I got over the initial shock, I decided to help boost the culture of my country and help a local musician get a leg up by giving him a bunch of old gear that I no longer use. That way I get some more room and someone deserving gets a break and I don’t have to go though the hassle of try trying to sell off all the stuff for next to nothing.

“One Man Standing” Music CD

I just release my new CD “One Man Standing” through http://www.cdbaby.com.

I never thought at the time I was recording it that this would ever actually be released. It was just suppose be a proof-of-concept writing experiment but it surpassed my expectations. I think was because it was one of the few times were I just wrote for myself. I didn’t worry about what or who it sounded like as long as I was putting out the energy and sound I was looking for.

I was sitting on these songs for years but after taking recent a listen I realize that the music was worth releasing. So I mastered it and created CD artwork and sent off for distribution.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

One Man Standing EP – Done!

After a lot of messing around, I finally got the songs where I want them sound wise.

There are only six songs but they work together well and the CD (EP) concept seems complete.

I also finished the artwork for the CD case and the top side of the actual CD itself. So it’s ready to go.

I have a one page web site set up in order to viralize the music but I’m not sure if I’m going to go with it just yet.

Will see -

Kevin

Another CD Almost Complete

In the process of mastering and finishing the art work for the next CD “One Man Standing” which will be a progressive rock E.P. (extended play – short CD)

Craig’s List Rock’s

I listed my first piece of gear in Craig’s List and it sold in under 48 hours.

Time to open up the flood gates.

Fast track the gear sell off

I just haven’t had the time to go looking for cardboard boxes so I’ve decided to start selling gear on Craig’s List. That way I can deal with local buyers and cut down on the whole logicstics of eBay and the shipping insanity.

Well the good news is I’ve started looking at what I’m going to replace everything with and it feels like my passion for creating music is returning.  It’s like I’m re-aquiring a license to be “COSMIC” once again! (thanks God).

I can see now that the direction I need to take is to simplify and focus (music and life). When I’m finished assembling my new music rig, I should be using 2, 1/4 inch cables max. In my old rig I was using about 300. It got to be such a pain to work with. I think it actually killed my creative buzz to make music. But all of that is about to change for the better. I can’t wait to get back in my temple.

Studio Pictures

Gearing Up for eBay

Now that I have decided to update my studio, I have the challenge  of  selling off my gear. Before I can start I need to gather cardboard to fabricate  boxes for shipping to the people who purchase my equipment. I got so much stuff to sell I probably going to need a load of cardboard.

I am going to need to start up a spreadsheet to keep track of everything. One good thing will be that I’ll have more room in my living room.

Total Change Of Plans

Well I’ve come to a point were I have decided that trying to work with 20-30 old music gear is just not worth it. I need a more focused setup to make it easier and more efficient to write music. I haven’t written any music in a while because it’s such a pain to make anything happen. There are constant problems with just trying to organize sounds, fight noise and replacing bad cables, etc. I just want to make music not Therefore I have decided to sell almost everything my present studio setup and purchase a total digital system.

This is a big deal for me. I was clinging to that gear because I thought I would never get another opportunity to have a good up-to-date system. But again technology has come to the rescue. I have a lot of stuff to sell. I doubt very much if I’ll get even half of what I paid for all this stuff. Well it’s not bad considering I have had the use of this stuff forr a very long time.

I’ve put together a survivor, temporary set up so that I can pump out another instrumental CD in the meanwhile so I can through the transition.

I thinking about getting a Plasma Monitor, Mac G5 with LOGIC 8 and a bunch of cosmic plugins.

There’s nothing like a little bit of technology to get creative juices going again.

A Change of Mindset

It’s almost impossible to be objective about yourself and your work. Good friends can really come in handy by offering their honest opinions about ideas or other areas of your life. Sometimes you may have to apply a “filter” to what your friends tell you because they too are only human and therefore subjective.

That not withstanding, I’ve found that very often friends can help you extrapolate some kind of less subjective spirit of where you are at that moment in time. This valuable less subjective spirit can be leveraged against where you want to go and actually become fuel to help you get there.

 

Test Tapes

In my early years of writing music I use to create cassette tapes comprised of music of my favorite bands and composers. Every fourth or fifth song I would slip in one of my own. I would play these tapes when my friends came over to hang out. Every now and again (fourth or fifth song of course), I asked my friends their opinion of the last song they heard. And if they asked me name the composer of that “last” song, I’d tell them “I didn’t remember” (in order to sustain the objectivity of my blind experiment).

 

Nose to the MIDI Grindstone

Writing the type of music I do in a heterogeneous environment of digital technologies and the organics of guitars can be challenging enough. The real challenge of course is the aesthetic application of all this musical hardware and software.

Lately, I’ve been somewhat obsessive with remembering what it was like to hear music before I walked down this technical and analytical path. As I remember there were certain modulations and sounds that really grabbed me emotionally (i.e. emotional anchors). The 10,000 mile high view can be a tremendous asset. It’s very beneficial to be able to see the lay of the whole aesthetic battlefield (especially when your often busy digging the trenches).

 

Blogarama

Until now, I never really understood the reason behind why bloging was so popular. But I have to admit that I’m seeing a real change in my own mindset towards my music from just bloging.

Just throwing your thoughts out there can be very beneficial. It’s kind of rekindled an old passion deep inside me and has helped me get my second creative wind. I guess just talking about something you really care about to yourself and a faceless world out there and make you realize how important that something really is.

Cool!

 

Kevin Atwood

Composer