Having a dual passion of photography/videography and music, means that I have two studios. One of them is located in my house – a bedroom music/video production space. This is my “musical playground.”
The other studio is found wherever I am with a camera. I love landscape and street photography and this can often be seen in the images that accompany my YouTube videos. It is not by accident that my YouTube channel name is @melodicimages.
My Photographic Equipment
My photographic journey started with a Kodak Pony 135, a camera as old as me. It was a great introduction to the basics of photography. You had to think about everything before you pressed the shutter release.
I then progressed to a series of Pentax 35mm cameras and at the urging of a client I switched to Nikon F3s. For school I hauled around a Burke and James 5×7 field camera and a Minolta twin lens medium format and for travel I carried a Contax T2.
I went digital in 2000 with an Olympus D40, followed by a Lumix G1. I then switched Fujifilm cameras. I loved the fact that they have shutter and aperture dials. Over the years I have had a variety of Fujifilm cameras: X10, E-X1, X100T, X-T3 and X-S10 along with five lenses. I also shoot with a Sony RX100, a Sanyo Xacti and an iPhone 8 and an iPhoneSE.
It Started With This
My Musical Playground!
My music “studio” started in a corner in the basement beside the furnace. It was noisy, but it was my space and it is where I could create my songs. Now, I have graduated to a small bedroom (9 1/2′ x 9 1/2′) that is much quieter and more conducive to song creation.
My Production Equipment
The list of stuff I use to create music is far too long and boring to post all of it. Basically it can be broken down into four parts.
Recording
I have a bunch of microphones including a Shure SM57, Aston Spirit, Rode M3, sE X1R, Lewitt 140 Air, etc., etc. I record either into a Tascam DR60D, or directly into my DAW on my PC.
Production
I use a PC and my DAW is Studio One. It is connected to an Allen&Heath ZEDi10 interface. I chose that interface because I can record four audio tracks at once with it. I have a million plug-ins from IKMultimedia, WAVES, iZotope, Native Instruments, Akai MPC, etc., etc., etc. I also have an API 500 Chassis with two SSL SixCh, a Drawmer MQ-2 and a Lindell 77x-500.
Guitar
I am a guitar player at heart. I have five guitars, one bass, two amps, two pedal boards, etc., etc. Except for my Fender Strat, I made all my other guitars (three electric and one acoustic).
Synths and Groove Boxes
Over the past couple of years I have been exploring electronic music. I have had a Roland MC-101 and SP404, a Novation MiniNova, and an IKMultimedia Uno Synth Pro and Uno Drum machine. Right now I have a Roland MC-707 Groovebox and a ASM Hydrasynth Desktop. I have really enjoyed playing around in the world of electronic music.
