First things first...

[johnhampt]

I kind of jumped on this board and starting posting around without introducing myself. I have been a musician for all my life and writing songs as well. However, my real songwriting quality has not been until recent. Something just clicked. I guess divorce can generate the creative juices.My ambitions are to write country songs even though I am an old rocker. I write and record my own songs myself. I use drum loops but record all the instruments and sing myself. Well, the violins you hear are also loops. I really appreciate all of your feedback and help along the way. I am still awaiting my first responses back from listings I have placed over the last month. I am curious as to what the experts will reply back with. Please take a moment to listen to what I have at www.myspace.com/jwhampton and I really appreciate feedback. It helps me tremendously to hear from people like you all. I mean, according to my mother and girlfriend I write the best songs in the world Thanks again and I am glad to be part of the fam here!!!!

[woods]

Hello JohnI'm pretty new around the Taxi world myself. I listened to your work on My Space and it's good stuff. well done production. Are those drums really loops. I mean I can hear some of it is. But other times its pretty realistic. What are you using to do those loops? Also what are you using to create the fiddle stuff?CheersWoods

[johnhampt]

I use Acid Studio 7.0 I am quite meticulous when making my loops. I usually end up using about 7 or 8 audio tracks to make my drums. A couple tracks that are stereo drum loops then one shots to get precisely what I want. Violins are just loops that I have to chop up to get them to do what I want. If you listen to to You Had Your Chance, the closing violin riff took well over an hour (maybe 2) to make. That 4 second riff is about 4 different loops cut up all to hell, lengthend and shortened to get it just right. Fun stuff!!!

[dgolding]

Hi John, I had a listen to your songs on Myspace. Very impressive. your voice seems ideally suited to the genre, and the harmonies are very well done. I hear stuff of this kind all the time on the radio here in South Carolia, (if wifey gets to the radio 1st), and yours wouldn't sound out of place.As for that kickstart to your creative juices, it seems a tad drastic, but it sure seems to have you producing fine music.

[squidlips]

Hey John!!Okay, remind me again......are you singing? and who's playing the fiddle?I really like this! And yep, it's radio worthy to me.

[johnhampt]

Hey Squid. As I mentioned, the violin are loops. So are the drums. Loops are prerecorded snippets of music. They are usually only a few seconds in length. I have several hundred loops to choose from and simply find ones that are close to what I am looking for and then edit them to fit my song. Think of them as a large collection of beads. By themelves, they are not very pretty of useful. Link these beads together to form a neclace and then you have something. That's the best analogy I can come up with. Yes, I write, record, sing and play instruments on my songs. That's not entirely true. I have a few friends that help from time to time because I am quite a mediocre guitarist. Thanks for the kind words. I hope you are indicative of the general population in liking my songs.

[johnhampt]

Hey Squid. As I mentioned, the violin are loops. So are the drums. Loops are prerecorded snippets of music. They are usually only a few seconds in length. I have several hundred loops to choose from and simply find ones that are close to what I am looking for and then edit them to fit my song. Think of them as a large collection of beads. By themelves, they are not very pretty of useful. Link these beads together to form a neclace and then you have something. That's the best analogy I can come up with. Yes, I write, record, sing and play instruments on my songs. That's not entirely true. I have a few friends that help from time to time because I am quite a mediocre guitarist. Thanks for the kind words. I hope you are indicative of the general population in liking my songs.