8/3/2018 4:33:08 AM
Who is the most versatile artist ever ?

2/6/2017 12:01:48 AM
Is it you or your instrument that makes good music?

1/29/2017 8:52:47 AM
The music transmitted during a near death experience!

1/19/2017 11:03:47 AM
How many of these top artists have you heard of ?

1/3/2017 6:50:42 AM
Play what you want, don't give in to social pressure

2/6/2017 12:01:48 AM

Is it you or your instrument that makes good music?
Obviously it's going to be a combination of both but some musicians put way too much emphasis on their instrument. Is that right?

We've all come across gear snobs, maybe you are one yourself. You aspire to buy the big named instruments Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, Steinway, Bosendorfer, Fazioli, Pearl, Ludwig, Korg and Rolland. Well I'm no expert but these are the names I hear most from musician's 'Must have' lists.

It's easy to get carried away and think that you'll sound better with expensive gear.

It's easy to blame a cheap instrument for your lack of quality playing.

It's easy to listen to precision tuned sounds and say you can tell the difference from lower spec recording.

The fact is, a good musician can sound great on a cheap instrument and a poor musician can sound terrible on an expensive one.

But most importantly a great song will sound good no matter what it's played on or even how it's played. and a poor song can't be rescued no matter how many $s you throw at it.

2/6/2017 5:02:03 AM

It's my brain that writes all the cool parts.

2/6/2017 5:30:50 AM

In my case it's the song - I'm no guitarist though I can play enough to accompany myself but I always have to have other musicians back me up for recording purposes! My instrument - my guitar is an average Fender acoustic which I've had for a years and a middle of the range flute and a range of great African drums, shakers etc plus a decent practice amp and mic. To me it's the song that makes it good or not.

2/6/2017 9:10:30 AM

The artist can do a lot, played on lots of bad piano's out of tune , keys not working, sticky. but even the best artist cant do much with shitty instruments.

2/6/2017 9:20:42 AM ---- Updated 2/6/2017 9:21:32 AM

As long as it has six strings on it I am good.

But I can get by with five. Or four. Whatever.

2/6/2017 9:42:19 AM

piano's with broken strings, broken keys, literally, hammers action that does not respond, pretty hard to make that work , unless it is ROCK and you have 3 CHORDS LOL, done that many times. bash the crap out of it!!

the piano has the same range as an orchestra. good players, can make amazing sounds with a good in tune piano, and when you play Beethovens pathetique. or a fugue by bach, darn hard to make it sound good, so have my digital piano ready. but the beauty of an acoustic piano. there is nothing like it

2/6/2017 2:41:09 PM

IMP is kind of a reverse gear snob place, an inverted musical world where no one ever talks a bit about gear or actual technical technique. Everyone here seems to regard method talk and tech talk as something only the inartistic would care to discuss, but I think those topics can be quite interesting. People here very much frown on discussing compressors or recording formats or how they mix etc., but that's all part of art to me.

Beautiful instruments are wonderful and worthy of discussion.

2/6/2017 2:48:03 PM

I am no good with gear. I think I would like to be more aware of understanding how it works and what it is Bob, I focus on my art mostly through the acoustic piano realm, more comfortable there, and feel I am able to capture moods and interpretation in that way, I sometimes do other things and still learning how to use my recording software for more elaborate tunes like I did for my kick back just relax album.But for a lot of my piano works it is H2 ZOOM and Q3 Zoom. and those are old and easy to use. so anyways, there must be gear heads here LOL?

cheers

bryon

2/6/2017 2:53:22 PM

Well I don't have tons of stuff, but it's significantg to me which stuff I have.

I have a 68 les paul black beauty, and that's why I don't need a collection.

I have a Gibson Jumbo J100, and that's why I only need one acoustic.

My two keyboards: a 1985 Roland JX8p had it since 85 and it's a wonderful thing for all the synthy things I like

A Motif, and it is great for imitating all kinds of keys, I use it a lot for electric piano

a real acoustic piano (real piano string vibration gives good texture in recordings)

I just record on a 16 year old Roland 1680 (16 tracks)

My board is a 12 channel Mixwizard...

I use very small very old tube amps

stuff like this actually matters to me

2/6/2017 3:02:44 PM

ok I get that. I have keyboards synths amp stuff like that. usually i think of foot pedals for guitars and all that kind of thing.


I will come back later and list my "gear"

2/6/2017 3:42:59 PM

For me the creative process begins with the sounds of a full rhythm section and I strive to duplicate what it is that I hear in my head instrumentally. Often there are sections where I sort of free style it and try to match that instrumentally and percussive. So, I would say that it is neither me nor my instruments that make good music. It is the inner radio that feeds me musical compositions daily. That radio thing? Whatever you want to call it is the one calling the shots and showing me the way. I only interpret what I hear through my instruments. So this thing I am talking about, some would call it inspiration and others would say it is a gift. All I know is that in a closed room with no outside sounds to cloud my hearing, I have great insights into some wonderful jam sessions going on in my head. My wife says that when i am sleep at knight I bob my head and pat my feet like I am listening to music. But I am actually dreaming about future songs and when I wake up I always grab my hand held recorder and start to hum the songs I am dreaming about . I do this because I know that if I don't get that recorded right away it will be lost forever. Then, when I replay the melody I hummed into the recorder all of the other instrumental parts seem to come right back to me. Other times I can be just sitting around talking to my wife and a song starts to play in my head. I go straight to the studio and record the main parts instrumentally. Then, I come back later and make it sound more polished. Don't know what I would do if not for that radio playing in my head. Some days it is so loud that I cannot think and other days it is so soft that it makes me drowsy. but it is always there. The music, I love it!

Much Respect
Stoneman

Much Respect,
Stoneman

2/6/2017 3:51:36 PM

Stoneman , you are a radio station, Stoneman radio presents. blessed you are with such a gift

2/6/2017 4:03:45 PM

ok here is most of my "gear"


ARP SOLINA STRINGS synth circa 1974

ROLAND JX 8P SYNTH 1985

ROLAND RHODES edition MK 80 digital piano 1989 heavy brute

ROLAND FANTOM XR FANTOM MODULE 2004

YAMAHA RX 11 digital rhythm programmer 1984

MACKIE MICRO SERIES 1202 12 channel mixer 1992

TASCAM PORTA STUDIO 07 4 track cassette recorder early 90's ?

YAMAHA DIGITAL PIANO 88 2007 light weight for carrying to gigs, 25 pounds

BERGINGER KEYBOARD AMP 180 WATT

couple old guitars that I mess with one is a Japanese guitar Z hollow body model from the 60's my wife's dads-really light ,had some damage and the neck is been repaired. does not work that great lol

newer
GODIN SEAGULL PERFORMER CW Guitar ( that I mess around with on occasion, was doing ok but been awhile ,so really need to get back at it)

like this one, has a lovely tone and feel.
http://img.audiofanzine.com/images/u/product/normal/seagull-performer-cw-cedar-gt-qi-68746.jpg

really old mics. from like the 70's that have been dropped dented repaired.
that's it

2/6/2017 4:38:05 PM

There is thou, the love affair one can have with a particular instrument. I do like vintage acoustics. I know there are newer and better in many peoples minds. But for me, creating on the tone of 70 year old wood brings me new Idea's. It's like the song has been trapped in her for all that time. Then , she sings to me.
I am not a gear snob by any means. I love new tech.
But for me magic happens when I play my "Ol' Lady".


Peace, Bruce

2/6/2017 4:41:29 PM

Having quality gear doesn't make you a snob... especially if you're in a working situation.... fact it's borderline must.

Now if you get carried away with it you're either a pro like Joe Bonamassa, a collector like Richard Gere or some rich cat with a love for the history of guitars or whatever particular instrument you're collecting and see it as an investment.

Cheap gits and gear break and are just not dependable.
I'm not saying there are no good budget instruments but they won't hold up long if you're working musician.
Like anything else as a consumer there are some good deals from time to time but quality does matter with an instrument.

As for a song or the ability of the player that goes without saying... can't put lipstick on a pig. Well you can but you aint foolin no one.
ok...
Maybe someone on that Farmers only.com site
;-)

2/6/2017 5:01:18 PM

All that stuff though I have set up in my studio and hardly ever break it down. as for gigs I use a lighter Yamaha piano digital, that Rhodes piano is a bear, I did have to lug around a 150 lb yamaha double keyboard organ as well, stacked keys on a rack above it.

most times i find a place to gig for acoustic piano people have at their cafes / restaurants or clubs bars. got some calls in from wineries and special events this year .

stuff like that. easy no fuss walk right in sit right down, have a tip jar too and little bit of pay

2/6/2017 6:13:03 PM

Bob, I think you mainly have that impression because of me, but folks here are into gear as much as the next artist, of course not as much as that other lame forum we know of. :)

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