Thread January 2, 2016 editorial: comments

New Year's Resolution Report Card

Happy New Year, everybody! Wow, 2015 went by fast, didn’t it? 

New Year’s resolutions are ubiquitous at this time of year. In fact, I offered up a list of them in my first editorial of 2015. So I figured rather than giving you a new list, I would look back and see how I did with last year's resolutions. So here goes:

I will completely redo my studio wiring so that everything is neatly laid out and no longer looks like spaghetti.

Grade:  B-minus

I didn’t “completely redo” the cables in my studio, but I did reorganize them behind my studio rack, and they’re definitely less of a tangled mess. Instead of spaghetti, I now have…fusilli.

I will complete those projects I’ve been working on for months but unable to declare as “finished.”

Grade: A

I actually did finish the two major projects I was working on, a 16-song mixing project for a client and my own 10-song instrumental album. 

I will be more patient with microphone placement, and try to always find the sweet spot before tracking.

Grade: A-minus

I have been more cognizant of trying to find optimal mic placement, and for the most part, was more patient when doing so. There still were times when my eagerness to start recording got the better of me, leading to rather hasty placement decisions.

I will learn more key commands in my DAW in order to work faster.

Grade: Incomplete

Why the incomplete? I spent a lot of time auditioning different DAWs in a fruitless attempt to find a good substitute for Pro Tools. I was inclined to switch because of Avid's introdution of a subscription model and annual upgrade fees. Because I was alternating between several different DAWs, my focus on key commands mostly involved trying to remember what the transport or zoom commands were for the particular program I was using at the moment. I often forgot, used the wrong commands, and got some strange results.

I will update to the latest versions of all my software, except possibly my operating system.

Grade: A

I updated wherever possible. I even took a chance and upgraded to Apple’s latest Mac OS, El Capitan, which, somewhat to my surprise, has worked out fine so far. 

I will be more systematic in the way I approach mixing.

Grade: A-minus

I mixed more songs this year than ever before, and by sheer repetition began to approach them more systematically. There’s nothing like doing a lot of mixing to help you develop your workflow.

I will sell all the gear that I don’t use anymore to raise money for new stuff.

Grade: A-minus

I sold a lot, but there’s still more to go. 

I will finally get a comfortable studio chair.

Grade: A

I bit the bullet and plunked down several hundred dollars to get a well-made chair. Money well spent.

I will take a break every hour or so when working in the studio, and take a walk or do some brief exercises or stretches so that my body doesn’t turn to jelly from constantly sitting.

Grade: B-minus

I was more conscious of exercising and stretching, but when immersed in a project would often go much longer than an hour without even standing up.

Overall, I think I did okay with my resolutions. So how did you do with yours?

In addition to resolutions, champagne and hangovers, something else synonomous with the new year  — for those of us in the music gear field, that is — is the approach of the NAMM show. NAMM, which takes place this year on January 21-24, is the Big Kahuna of music trade shows. I always look forward to it, as it kind of sets the agenda for the year in terms of what products we can look forward to seeing.

The NAMM folks have added something new for 2016, dedicating one of the showrooms upstairs at the Anaheim Convention Center entirely to software. Dubbed "Software.NAMM," it was created in conjunction with IMSTA, the Independent Music Software Trade Association (the folks who put on the IMSTA Festa shows every year). Software.NAMM will group a number of software companies together in one area, away from the noisy and chaotic show floor. The idea is to facilitate better product demos and more face time between software vendors and show attendees. Audiofanzine is one of the sponsors of Software.NAMM, and will have a presence in the lounge area of the upstairs exhibition room. It should be fun, and should make reporting on new software releases a lot easier.

Stay tuned for more info as we get closer to the show. Meanwhile, enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend!