This first picture was taken in January 1983. It’s my first “studio.” The previous Fall I had blown all of the cash I earned in the summer on a brand new Korg Mono/Poly, Roland TR-606 Drumatix, and a used Teac144 4-track cassette deck. It meant working a couple of different part-time jobs that year at school to get by.
Party like its 1983
I remember when I bought the 606. The sales guy tried also to sell me a TB-303. (I think this was at the dawn of MIDI so these two may have synced up via a proprietary Roland connector.) I wasn’t interested. I figured: 1) I could maybe create those sounds on the monopoly via this thing called “synthesis” (whatever that was); 2) I was inspired to buy this stuff by my love for Brian Eno’s Music for Films, (and at the time) Klaus Schulze, Kitaro, and Jean Michele Jarre. What do I need something called a “bassline” for…?
*Sigh* That’s right up there with (years later) giving away my TR808 to a friend so he could trade it in for a Korg DW-8000 keyboard. (I’ve gotten better on my judgement calls, believe me.)
Complete with instant (red) mood lighting too.
In addition to the obligatory college milk crate furniture, there were always a gazillion often unlabeled cassette tapes scattered about. I managed to hold on to a few of these. (The tapes that is, not the crates.) I have no idea whatever happened to the 606. The Teac was passed on to a friend, and I think it was still in use into the mid to late 90s. I sold the Monopoly in late 2005 or 2006. (No regrets as I think the KORG Mono/Poly VI sounds just as good if not better. It certainly is a damn sight more convenient to use.)
So now fast forward to 2008. Here is the most recent picture I have of my set-up. Most of my stuff is pictured.
Things have been updated considerably! Goes without saying the capabilities have increased exponentially.
(Now if only I could get my creativity and keyboard skills to follow suit….)
I really enjoyed reading this post and looking at your before and after pictures. I only wish I still had around a picture of my old garage band (literal, not the software) set up 20 years ago. If I could even call it a set up. Thanks for this. Peace
Hey Thanks!
I’m lucky to still have those photos as I don’t any others from back then.
Take care and please feel free to leave a link to your music.
I agree with you that turning in the 808 was a bad move. I was just thinking about this last week. Hopefully the pieces we’ve developed since then somehow made up for it. However, like you, I suppose I still grieve over it. It was such a fun machine to work with.
Ha! Ian Wis!
I chuckle more than grieve. And I wouldn’t change a thing.
I remember distinctly thinking that sample-based drum machines were going to “forever replace old technology like the 808″ so I didn’t care about parting with it. Besides, by that time (1987 or ’88?) we had used it for what, 2 or 3 years? We were sick of it if I remember correctly…
Good to hear from you buddy.