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GMC Forum _ CHILL OUT _ A Major Source Of Recording Frustration Cured!

Posted by: NoSkill Nov 8 2009, 05:39 PM

Most that know me, know that if the little red light is on, I lose my mind. I could forget how to play Mary Had a Little Lamb, and at very least, have serious timing issues if I recorded it.

I've been looking for the perfect setup. I want someplace that I can sit, where I can just grab my guitar, arms length away. So I took the arms off my chair. I don't want anything touching me and I need to sit at the keyboard as I'm a 400 take wonder, not a 1 take wonder. I finally got my chair setup nice!

I moved my keyboard so I can type a bit, or change things without either putting my guitar down, or dropping it. Problem solved.

I made an island off my desk for my mouse. This way, I don't have to lean forward to control my DAW. I can keep my guitar on my lap and be comfy.

I got expensive monitors and sound setup so I don't have to wear a headset because headsets DRIVE ME NUTS! Anyway, I have a volume issue. I want it a little louder than my family can stand to hear me play. Can't fault them for that. You guys have heard me when I submit. It's ear numbing while I go through the process....anyway, self deprecation aside...

So, back to the headset. The chord gets caught on everything man! Everything. It gets wound up in my guitar cable. It gets caught on my guitar stand. Annoying yes, but not a real big problem. The problem comes in it getting stuck under my guitar, hooked on my strap lock, looped and touching my left hand, looped and in my view if I look at my guitar. I move my head and it gets pulled sideways because it's caught on something. At this point, as we approach take 400, I'm ready to jump out the window. But I get so enraged by this annoyance I want to SMASH something. Everything in front of me is expensive and treasured. So I grind my teeth, shake like Beavis and sometimes let out a blood curdling scream!

So, this morning, I put my headset on while I was standing up. I turned and sat and played. My chord was behind my back. I was relaxed. Nothing bothered me. Nothing got caught. I could throw my head back in full Ace Frehley wail and my headset didn't get yanked off my head. I was in Heaven!

Now, big discovery, right? I'm a drummer. I use a headset a lot! I put the chord behind my back so it doesn't get in the way. I have, apparently, known this little trick for about FOREVER! Oh the humility. Oh the frustration. Oh the humanity. Oh the number of uncontrolled RAGES I could have saved had I behaved like someone older than 5.

Just love to share these discoveries of my weakness in character, intellect and inability to solve simple problems.

Cheers!

Tom in Canada

Posted by: MickeM Nov 8 2009, 05:47 PM

Me too get annoyed by cords, especially the headset cord. Have tried wireless headset but it loses a lot of sound on the way (for the price I paied which = descent cord headset, appearantly weay too little payed)

Glad to hear of your simple solution It's a good feeling when things just fall into place

Posted by: UncleSkillet Nov 8 2009, 05:47 PM

I have been there also

Glad you got it worked out and didn't smash any of your gear

Posted by: Ivan Milenkovic Nov 8 2009, 06:40 PM

The cords are alive, and really like to tie together! They like each other

Posted by: Santiago Diaz Garces Nov 9 2009, 01:09 AM

Hahahah!. That's what I got a Wireless headset!

Posted by: kahall Nov 9 2009, 04:41 AM

My problem with headsets besides the cord getting tangled and ran over my my also armless chair is they start hurting my ears after an hour or so. I have even went as far as putting pillows around my monitors to direct the sound away from up the stairs so I can take them off. They get a little warm but that is the price I am going to pay for not wanting to wear headphones I guess.

Posted by: Keilnoth Nov 9 2009, 11:27 AM

Hey NoSkill, you are not alone with those problems. Sometimes I just feel like I will smash my guitar on my computer screen.

It's nice you share those feelings. I am sure we are not alone with all those issues !

About my headset, I put the cord behind my guitar but sometimes, when I move my head, I loose them and then, it's the end of the world, hell and Mordor in my room, the air becomes dry and the sky covers by clouds and thunder.

I always remove the cord from the guitar and the recording device so I am sure it doesn't get stuck in the guitar stander.

I removed the arms of my chair as well because they drove me nuts.

I still have a problem of space around the place where I sit. My desk make a corner so sometimes I hit the desk on my left. Very very bad for the mood !

But I have a small drawers on wheels so I think I am going to put my keyboard and my mouse on it so I can play further from my computer and still command it.

Still miss the good monitors (I don't have any family and neighbors around) but they are on the shopping list.

Posted by: jdriver Nov 10 2009, 05:57 AM

I like to use Westone in-ear monitors. They sound great and it's easy to pin the cord out of the way. Expensive though, $300.

They're great for gigging also, because they also protect your ears from excessive loudness. (ask Pete Townsend about that. )

http://www.westone.com/content/22.html

Posted by: Bogdan Radovic Nov 10 2009, 01:15 PM

Glad you solved it in the end Tom! I hate cables and especially headphones cable (which is often too short for what I need it for). I'm thinking of switching slowly to wireless solutions (guitar jacks and headphones/monitors).

Posted by: Daniel Realpe Nov 17 2009, 01:50 PM

I sometimes rehearse in a place where all have to wear headphones with an electronic drumkit,

It was a nightmare sometimes to have the freaking chord there when trying to move a little,

For recording I prefer the sound in the air. Fortunately there's no one to complain about it most of the times,