Doing a lot with a small studio
I sit at the intersection of fully digital and old school recording artist. This helps me get the most out of a small home studio. The pictures show my current setup.
Actually playing the instruments is important to me, but sometimes it's impractical. I sold the drum set a few years ago and use loops and samples now for most percussion. But of course I shake the tambourine and maracas as needed.
I love how having everything already set up makes it easy to capture musical ideas when they arise. There's nothing that stops the music flow more than an instrument in the closet. Of course I keep a few of my lesser used instruments in the closet and make sure the keys and guitars are always at hand.
The best part of digital is how easy it is to collaborate with people anywhere in the world. These online communities have made it possible for me to record tunes with people all across North America, Europe, and over in Japan. My younger self would never have believed that.
This is my fifth home studio. I have had everything from a four-track, to a full band room with drums, amps and Conn organ; to my current setup that's very lean but powerful.
I record under a few names, Doctor Coffee, B3ND3R, Famous Coffee, and The Latenighters are the most recent.
Tell me why you love your home studio or how it has evolved over the years. Share pics if you can.