I whole heartedly agree. These are all just tools and it will always be the talent behind the tools that produces the great music. An important point we should never forget. Check out my blog from December 26th, 2007, “It’s Not Just the Gear”, and you’ll know that I preach the same message.
http://erikhawkins.berkleemusicblogs.com/

At the same time, I am thrilled by today’s technology and the power that you can buy for pennies on the dollar of what a comparable device would have cost you back in 1980. It’s really quite amazing! I know first hand, having spent tens of thousands of dollars on my first MIDI studio in 1986, racking up huge credit card bills in my twenties, and I still didn’t have any motorized faders The fact that you can purchase and be working with a motorized fader for under $200 is just too cool to ignore. If you don’t have the thousand plus dollars to purchase a full fledged, 8 motorized fader control surface right now, these inexpensive tools are an excellent way to improve you system for less than the price of a couple nights on the town.

-Hawk

I’m always a little uncomfortable when I read a blog entry like this. On one level, of course, you’re absolutely right. Having a fader _is_ better than using the mouse, and the small footprint of these two units makes them very suitable for home studios. But there are two other things to think about.

First, are you pushing gear to people who don’t really need it to get where they’re going? Probably. Musicians have always been poor, and in today’s economy, I’d suggest, the best advice is probably, “Figure out how little you can spend,” not, “Rush out and buy more gear.” Calling their reluctance “excuses” is just plain insulting.

Second, will a hardware fader turn a turkey into a swan? No, of course not. Given a reasonable basic mix, the quality of the music is the ONLY important factor in how people will respond to the track. Suggesting to people that their problem is needing better hardware is disingenuous, because it ignores the fact that they need to concentrate on playing, arranging, and composing, not on whether the vocal has a little help from real-time automation.

Listen to some bad Beatles mixes sometime. The music is what makes it.

Hope you don’t mind a second opinion from the old curmudgeon himself!

–Jim Aikin

I will be using all of this stuff, when I have time this Fall.

I wanted to Take 101 in the Fall But my time was running out so I am here in the busy part of summer.

I want to devote all my time to pro tools !

Best,Roger

That’s pretty much all you should be hearing. It’s just a drum kit groove, and you make adjustments to the snare to hear the compression.

-Hawk

Thanks for the post!
I’m trying this with reason, but all I’m getting is a high hat and kick. No snare? Any ideas?

Thanks!

Yeah I’m just now getting into real time automation moves and I find it fairly difficult. I mean I’m not sure “how many” dbs up or down is “too” much. I know you go by what sounds right but I find it hard to go over or under 3db. Seems like TOO much of a dynamic range. Of course you can always compress it afterwards but still.

Cool blog. Still check out a few of my teachers blogs from time to time to learn extra stuff. Goodluck man!

K