Interview with Don Cherry

To start out the new year, I have a special guest on the podcast, a man by the name of Don Cherry. Don founded the ministry "Strings With Wings", and in this episode he gives the back story of how it all got started. I also tell my story about how I met Don and how I eventually became a help to him.  I have included some pictures below that correspond with this episode! I hope you all had an awesome New Year's! God Bless! (Don't have iTunes? then try this link: http://bit.ly/Interview_With_Don)

My first time at Don's house back in 2011. This is the Guitar Room!

So many choices. Here I am reaching for the Sakura acoustic.

Don showing me more options.

This was the Washburn and the little girl I gave it to.

Our first lesson!

In the picture above I am holding the Fender Strat that belonged to the church, this was before it was stolen. Man! I really miss that guitar!

Here's the Sakura.

It eventually was planted into good hands!

Years later and I am helping get instruments planted with Don!

In this picture I am holding a gift that Don gave me, a Tele style Indiana guitar! It was his way of saying thank you! Behind us are the instruments that will be refurbished and given away to those who are in need. Poor Don had put in a full days work and then a full day of Jamming. I am sure he liked the latter more than the former though. What a journey, what a blessing, and what a great God we serve!

If you'd like to contact Don, his email is cherry8856@att.net

Five Things Every Home Studio Needs

    There are few things that the Home Studio hobbyist doesn't want in their arsenal. However, if we had our way we'd be over stocked and packed into a tiny corner surrounded by gear. Yet, of all the things we want, there are truly only a handful of things we truly need. I am a big fan of lists, and a huge fan of simple. So, I have compiled a list below of things that every Home Studio, regardless of their genre or size, really needs. Also, if you have listened to the podcast at all, you would know that I recently made a confession. That being, I am a "cheap-skate". I love FREE but cheap is my second favorite. So included in the list are links to good products at a cheap price!

1) Pop Filter

If you have ever heard a recording without one, you remember it, but it's not a good memory. The plosives are annoying, unprofessional, and unable to be removed from a recording. Whether your artist is male or female, if they are laying down a vocal take, this is a must! Click this pic below to get a great pop filter at an amazing price!

2) A Good Set of Headphones

When it comes to hearing the nuances of the acoustic, and making informed EQ decisions, I love to reach for my headphones! In fact, I even do quite a bit of mixing in my headphones! Yes, I said that. In fact I covered this in a previous post here on the site. (Mixing With Headphones) I personally use the Audio Technica Art Monitor Headphones but am really wanting to get my hands on these!

3) An Audio Interface

Getting your music into a digital format has never been easier for the Home Studio hobbyist. There are so many options, and most are very reasonably priced. I personally use the BOSS BR-800 as it has so many options and is loaded with extras, but there are cheaper alternatives. If you are only recording yourself, this item should suffice.

4) Good Cables

When it comes to creating a good signal chain, your cables are key. You don't have to go broke getting them however! There are some really "good" cables out there, and there are some REALLY "bad" cables. I have bought both and can honestly say that the best bang for your buck, in my opinion, are the Hosa Brand Cables. They are of commendable quality and rugged, as well as cheap. (I love cheap!)

5) A Good Condenser Mic

Now I have been rather partial about this mic, but I am just so sold on the quality and versatility that this mic brings to the Home Studio that I can't quit plugging it. It is cheap, it sounds great on a wide variety of sources and it is USB. When your first starting out, this mic will get you up and running quickly! Four polar patterns, excellent sound quality, gain and volume knobs, and latency free headphone monitoring are just a few things to name. I highly recommend this mic!

In fact, I used this mic to record all of the vocals and all of the acoustic guitar on my first album! I hope this helps! If you'd like more great tips like this and videos related to the Home Studio please sign up below for my bi-weekly email list!

Subscribe to our mailing list

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name *

Last Name

Blue Yeti Review

I recently covered this topic on a podcast. But I wante to revisit it because I have a confession to make. Are you ready?! I love this microphone! Not only is the Blue Microphones Yeti USB  Microphone very versatile, but it is very cheap as well! I used this mic exclusively on my first full length album with great results. Now, as I have upgraded a little (or so I thought) I decided to use the modified  MXL 990 I spoke of in another podcast.

Well... Guess what?! I went back to the Blue Yeti after only the first song. Why? Well, for me the Blue Yeti just seemed to work better on that particular song. Now granted, I may go back to the MXL at some point, but as of now I am loving the sound of the USB  Mic over the other. If you have something that is working why do something else right?

If you are in the market for a good sounding, affordable microphone, you will not be let down with the Yeti! For more info on it, including an in depth review, checkout the HSS podcast episode 003. Here's to happy recordings, simplified!

HSS Screencast 002-Adding Feeling to Your Songs

So what are you doing to add feeling and depth to your songs?

5 Tips For A Killer Recording

No this is not the definitive guide, nor does it even scratch the surface, but settle down for a moment we will get to that point.

1) Above all other things within the Home Studio, regardless of what instrument you are recording, or even how you are recording it, in order to achieve the best recording possible you have to make sure that everything leading up to the source is in good working order. Your cables, your preamp if you're using one, your strings, and even something as simple as the pick you are using can all affect your recordings. In fact, a great take can be ruined by the littlest of overlooked issues. 

2) Remove anything from your tracking room that could present extra noise. A chair can be the bane of a good take, when it decides to squeak at that moment you are trying to alleviate your ( eh hem) backside. A computer fan is ridiculously louder when you're trying to get a clean recording as well. One way to decrease the noise of that Boeing B-17 under your desk is to point your microphone in the opposite direction and hope for the best. In the winter an oil heater can crackle and pop its way into your recordings if you have one in the room. I usually just take mine out of the room when I am recording, as I expel enough hot air to  defrost our freezer. Do your recordings at night, or plan them around your spouses schedule if possible.

3) Make sure your levels are hot enough to be heard but not so hot that they clip when you get excited. In fact regardless of popular opinion, you really don't need anything above -12db's to get a good signal. There are ways to limit yourself and still feel like you're cranking it. Headphones with exclusive volume control is one way, another is to zoom in on the waveforms in your DAW. This makes them appear bigger, hotter, and bolder, without losing any headroom. Let's face it, a really big portion of our performance is based in psychology. 

4) Don't  play as if you had another chance to record. Play like you were paying for it! Set yourself a timer and a set number of takes to "nail it". This will force you to play better and increase your productivity.

5) When recording anything with a microphone, take the time to get the placement right. You would not believe how much time you will save in mixing when you take a little extra placing that mic where it wants to be. Put on a set of headphones and move it around to at the least three places and vary your distances. Remember to that what may have worked yesterday, may just be a waste of time today. Although it is ok to go back to that spot as a reference, don't get married to it either or you will have dull lifeless tracks that have no edge when placed next to each other.

Hope these have helped in some way! Let me know if they have. Send me an email, or comment below. Looking forward to growing together with you in our Home Studio journey!

Have a blessed day! 

HSS Screencast 001-Side-Chain Compression/Podcast Tips

In this screencast I cover a quick tip to get a professional, quality podcast intro. Join me as I discuss plug-ins used and an old broadcasting trick that keeps your fingers off the faders so you can focus on other things. If you enjoy this, let me know by leaving a comment below or sharing with a fellow podcast owner.