The next installment of my new series documenting the process and progress of my next recording project called Break’s Over. If you missed the first part, you can find it here.

September 3, 2026

15:36

From where I sit, being able to record your own music, regardless of project size, is a privilege. You have to earn that chance to plug in, play well, and allow others to hear your efforts.

But first, you need to know what you’re doing. You have to do everything you can to ensure you know what you’re doing. In short, you need to learn how to record properly before you earn that recording privilege.

Snotty? Maybe. But it’s what I believe, and it’s a lesson I learned from failure.

I wasn’t ready to record Valley of Shadows. The proof is in the output. Everyone’s playing was adequate, but we could’ve been better. And a much longer education should’ve been undertaken before I tried to record and mix the music. My self-imposed deadlines were arbitrary and unnecessary. Nobody was awaiting our album. Next to no one even knew about it! What the hell was my rush? Sigh …

The result was a recording that led me to qualify the music to my friends by saying, “It’ll sound even better live.” But those gigs never came to pass. Valley of Shadows is the sole documentation from that time period.

Lesson learned.

That’s why Break’s Over will be created at a very slow pace. Not quite Peter Gabriel slow, but not lightning fast, either. I’ll release the material when it’s ready for release, and not a minute sooner.

For Valley of Shadows, I used a Roland VS-1680 digital recorder. A wonderful machine I was completely clueless about. Had I taken the time to learn about it, the music would’ve sounded 100 times better.

I seem to remember paying $1,500 for it. Just for fun, I went to eBay to see what they’re going for now. I can get one for $189. But that machine is completely obsolete.

The game has changed. Things have evolved. Everything is different for home recorders. It seems to be for the better. The machines are far more efficient now. You can do a lot more with less.

Im using all new recording gear, including a computer for the first time ever. I’m using all new instruments, including nine guitars, at least three basses, an African tongue (aka “slit”) drums, a small synthesizer, and a piano. It’s a whole new world.

How do I use all this stuff? Well, it’s time for a little education.

To be certain, I can learn a lot from YouTube. I’m aware of that. But this old school guy loves doing research. And research means books! But I don’t need anything too complex. Therefore, this seemed like a good place to start.

It feels like a nice way to get my feet wet and start to understand the new gear and how it’s supposed to work. One of the drags of being almost 60 is that I no longer have the sponge-like mindset of a child. It takes a little extra time to grasp things. It sucks, but that’s the way it is. But once I get the basics, I can move on to this, which also feels like a necessity.

Because I believe recording requires a certain … well, mindset, this feels like the logical place to turn. Once the books are finished, it’ll be time to learn all I can about GarageBand, the recording software that came with my Apple MacBook. Between all this info, I should obtain a decent sense of direction.

I hope.

#cirdecsongs

If you would like to have your music reviewed, contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com