Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
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- jamusix
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- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:22 am
- Gender: Male
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Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Hello everyone!
I've been a TAXI member for almost a year, but I'm just now getting started on the forum. My wife & I quit our corporate jobs in January to hit the road full-time in a truck and travel trailer, so that we could spend more time with our new daughter and travel around the country. With COVID, you can imagine it's been a mixed success.
That said, I don't have a lot of physical space, budget, or time for music gear.
The 3,000+ sq ft house we used to own in Savage, MN had a large basement room that I had turned into my studio, which included both acoustic & electric drum recording setups. I still have most of that gear in a tiny storage unit in MN.
But here's what I'm using now. Almost 100% of the music I've had forwarded by TAXI in the past year was produced exclusively with this setup:
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (2019) w/ 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5 and 8GB RAM
- KORG microKEY Air 37-key MIDI controller
- Logic Pro
- A handful of Native Instruments plugins
- Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones
It's completely battery-powered and wireless, so I can work on music outdoors when the weather is nice and I have access to a table.
Here's a quick link to my public profile: https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
I'm definitely interested in collaborating, particularly with lyricist/vocalist types.
I've been a TAXI member for almost a year, but I'm just now getting started on the forum. My wife & I quit our corporate jobs in January to hit the road full-time in a truck and travel trailer, so that we could spend more time with our new daughter and travel around the country. With COVID, you can imagine it's been a mixed success.
That said, I don't have a lot of physical space, budget, or time for music gear.
The 3,000+ sq ft house we used to own in Savage, MN had a large basement room that I had turned into my studio, which included both acoustic & electric drum recording setups. I still have most of that gear in a tiny storage unit in MN.
But here's what I'm using now. Almost 100% of the music I've had forwarded by TAXI in the past year was produced exclusively with this setup:
- 13-inch MacBook Pro (2019) w/ 1.4 GHz Intel Core i5 and 8GB RAM
- KORG microKEY Air 37-key MIDI controller
- Logic Pro
- A handful of Native Instruments plugins
- Sennheiser HD 280 Pro headphones
It's completely battery-powered and wireless, so I can work on music outdoors when the weather is nice and I have access to a table.
Here's a quick link to my public profile: https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
I'm definitely interested in collaborating, particularly with lyricist/vocalist types.
Full-time father & full-time RVer with background in mechanical engineering, music performance, and modern dance accompaniment.
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
- maryshaw
- Getting Busy
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- Joined: Thu Sep 02, 2010 10:43 am
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Wow, that is really cool! Gives a whole new meaning to studio tan
Hope you and your family are staying healthy and safe!
Hope you and your family are staying healthy and safe!
It's never too late to follow your bliss!
https://www.maryshawmusic.com
https://www.maryshawmusic.com
- PDebik
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- Location: Berlin, Germany
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
I wonder how you manage to create something useful with the small notebook screen. I normally use a 24" and was thinking about getting one of these super-extra-wider Samsung screens, because I am so tired of having to scroll all the time for sliders and tracks. It's so costly (in time). Was also thinking about getting a wide keyboard with at least 88 keys, better one octave more, because its also time ineffecient to having to switch octaves in the software. But on a notebook screen - I think I could not do that.
- jamusix
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- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:22 am
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Thank you! Same to you!
Full-time father & full-time RVer with background in mechanical engineering, music performance, and modern dance accompaniment.
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
- jamusix
- Active
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:22 am
- Gender: Male
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Yes, I got annoyed by it for a while. Honestly, though, I've been making music on laptop screens for years because having the DAW be portable has come in handy so many times. I had an 88-key controller for a long time; that was probably the hardest part of my previous setup to give up. But it was just too big to be practical in a small space that requires tearing down every time I stop making music for the day.PDebik wrote: ↑Mon Nov 09, 2020 7:27 amI wonder how you manage to create something useful with the small notebook screen. I normally use a 24" and was thinking about getting one of these super-extra-wider Samsung screens, because I am so tired of having to scroll all the time for sliders and tracks. It's so costly (in time). Was also thinking about getting a wide keyboard with at least 88 keys, better one octave more, because its also time ineffecient to having to switch octaves in the software. But on a notebook screen - I think I could not do that.
Full-time father & full-time RVer with background in mechanical engineering, music performance, and modern dance accompaniment.
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
- cosmicdolphin
- Serious Musician
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Very cool !
I think I might also struggle with a smaller screen than the 2 x 24" I have !
I think I might also struggle with a smaller screen than the 2 x 24" I have !
Buy me coffee https://ko-fi.com/cosmicdolphin78382
- BuzzReed
- Getting Busy
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- Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2020 12:12 am
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- Location: Victoria BC Canada
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Just goes to show it's the talent not the gear. Well done!
- jamusix
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Thank you. I hope you're right!
Full-time father & full-time RVer with background in mechanical engineering, music performance, and modern dance accompaniment.
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
- jamusix
- Active
- Posts: 33
- Joined: Sat Jul 04, 2020 9:22 am
- Gender: Male
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
Update for anyone who is interested, since this thread is now 6 months old:
After about a year working roughly 2 hrs per day with this setup, 40 of my submissions have been forwarded and I'm now signed to 2 different music libraries. Don't know if this is normal progress or not, but thought I'd throw that out there.
Thanks everyone for the comments!
After about a year working roughly 2 hrs per day with this setup, 40 of my submissions have been forwarded and I'm now signed to 2 different music libraries. Don't know if this is normal progress or not, but thought I'd throw that out there.
Thanks everyone for the comments!
Full-time father & full-time RVer with background in mechanical engineering, music performance, and modern dance accompaniment.
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
MacBook Pro 2019 - Logic Pro X - Korg Microkey Air - Sennheiser HD280 Pro
https://www.taxi.com/members/jamusix
- Paulie
- Serious Musician
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- Location: San Antonio, TX
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Re: Ultra-portable, ultra-minimalist music factory!
That's excellent! 40 forwards is great, how many submissions have you done? You are certainly on the right track!
Paul "yo paulie!" Croteau
"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." Beethoven
http://www.yopauliemusic.com | https://www.taxi.com/members/paulcroteau | https://youtube.com/@yopauliemusic
"Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy." Beethoven
http://www.yopauliemusic.com | https://www.taxi.com/members/paulcroteau | https://youtube.com/@yopauliemusic
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