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Long time gone…

So… yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve posted here. A lot has changed in my life, as well. The big one is that my daughter was born, which – cliches be damned – changed everything. And now, my family is still experiencing the upheaval of a move to (what should be) our final homestead. The new digs are only about 5 miles from our old house, and the new home has everything we have ever wanted, and more, including…

…an awesome place for my home studio.

Yes, Digital Din has moved once again; this new home marks the sixth place that my studio has resided, in one form or another. From its humble beginnings in the small front bedroom of my townhouse, through a divorce, many moves, a very brief stop in a duplex on a lake, and the most recent basement location, it’s been a pretty wild ride. My studio has primarily been for my own projects, but I’ve also recorded songs for a singer-songwriter, a young band, a comedian/singer, a small choral group, and a couple of other small-scale projects.

The new place is, thankfully, not subterranean – it’s over the oversized garage, and even features a kitchenette, a full bathroom, its own climate control system, and a separate entrance. I’m mostly moved in, but it still looks like a tornado hit. 

The hope is, now that the studio will be instantly accessible, not dreary, and able to be used most anytime I need to, that my musical output will increase substantially. My main musical goals are for three separate projects:

  1. Complete writing and recording the new Din Within album
  2. Complete the re-mixing, mastering, etc. of the never-released Second Story album
  3. A special vanity “cover” project that I’m not yet releasing details on

So, a quick partial tour of the evolution of Digital Din over the years seems in order. Photos of the new studio coming soon…

Mark I – Blackwood. Humble beginnings. (1999-2004). The desk stayed with me through every setup until the current one; it’s finally been replaced. It isn’t a music desk, but it works very well as one; rack gear fit into the opening perfectly, once I installed the rails. Also note the cheap keyboard controller, my longtime Behringer 2642 Grey-face mixer (also on the chopping block now) and the old Fostex 8-track digital recorder. That behemoth of a computer is a 486/33…

Mark II – Williamstown (2004-2007) – Where most of the Din Within album was recorded. The arrangement changed over time, but this was where I started getting more serious about learning how to record better tracks. Traded out the stereo speakers for a pair of “real” (Alesis Monitor One) studio monitors, and had a lot more room, being in the basement (which was carpeted but not finished.) Captured some very good tracks here!

Got a real drum kit, too! This is a classic 80’s Pearl Export kit; it was owned since new by a close friend. He sold it to my drummer in Second Story, who used it in our practice space for a long time. I bought it from him. It’s now a 7-piece kit, with all matching black satin heads, tuned up and sounds awesome.

Got a nicer keyboard, too. My piano-action Alesis… Note the all-important bottle of Wild Turkey… 😉

Mark III – Williamstown pt. II (2007) I had a pretty sweet setup at my bachelor pad – Didn’t stay there very long though. But I had the entire back bedroom, plus a separate room I could use for iso/drums/vocals/whatever. After going through all the trouble to move and set up, I only lived in this house for about 3 months. Shortly after buying, I moved in with my fiancee (now wife) and eventually moved the heart of the studio to her house, where I mastered the Din Within album. I recorded the last of the Din Within vocal tracks here, though.

I have very few photos of the studio in its most recent location, my house in Glassboro for the last 6 years. But lots of cool recordings have been done here, and I’ve really got the gear standard up to a professional level; some very cool microphones, nice outboard gear, updated (and fully legal) software, kick-ass computer, several guitar and bass amps, all the gear to record the drums, and more. It never ends, though. And it just meant there was that much more to move…
So, that’s the story so far. Looking forward to filling you in on the details at the new location. Thanks for reading!
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