the cost of things

What started out as a small project is now steadily morphing into something... that costs quite a bit of money. What is a lot of money to you? What's your threshold? I have to admit when I started this project, I didn't have a budget. I was just figuring out how to deal with the silence. I would be reaching an age that many consider a milestone. What did I have to show for it? I had a part-time job that didn't pay a lot of money but when I started it, it was convenient. My second grader and I went to school together and we went home together. There was virtually no overhead because these were things I would do anyway. Fast forward to 2025 and she's in sixth grade. Working in the Middle School doesn't bring me a lot of joy and working with the younger children in the elementary school was no longer convenient. I decided that a break was in order, but instead of feeling relaxed and refreshed, I found myself with a hole that needed filling. Now I had time but no purpose. I always joke that the project is my midlife crisis endeavor. Someone said to me, it was in fact, living my best life. If pursuing unrealized fantasies of things I could have done but never did is called living my best life, I think I'll take it. 

The crazy thing is, nobody has ever actually laughed at me. I expected incredulity, but unless that's just something that nobody wants to tell me to my face, the response of people who know me well enough is typically, pretty good. Like, nobody is surprised and many are encouraging. I have to take that as a sign that I am going in the right direction. I need a support system though and I think I need to really sit down and figure out the financial aspect of it. When does the spending stop? What's in front of me right now, expense-wise, are lessons, and a new guitar. As I've decided that acoustic-electric is where I want to go, then I have to add an amp and some cables. But maybe that's it. I've certainly bought everything else. It starts with like one mouse, one stool, one microphone, cables, mic stands, and then an interface, an acoustic shield, another mic, more cables, computer upgrades and peripherals. My bedroom is littered with the equipment now. Eventually, my bedroom is going to look like a studio, minus the acoustic treatment. 

Have you ever encountered the story of this company that dared people to sleep in a totally sound-proofed room? I think the prize was a million dollars or something if you could spend the night in there. But as the story goes, when there is utter silence, you actually start to hear your own blood pumping. If hearing only your bodily functions is not enough to trouble you, your mind starts to create illusions because it doesn't make sense that you're not hearing anything. Some person lasted over an hour, maybe close to two but ultimately, nobody could complete the challenge. It does make me wonder if in the vacuum of space, that's what it sounds like. If the instantaneous death brought about by the lack of oxygen or the extreme pressure isn't enough, there's always insanity by silence. 

In my bedroom/studio, I've turned off the music to concentrate on writing but also to hear what sounds I'm really up against when I record. The condenser mic has the best pick up but also gets a lot of those noises recorded. Switching to the dynamic makes me turn up the gain and it still picks it all up. During my demo lesson in recording, the teacher said I should record in the closet. Oh, how many times have I heard that advice before? It's not always the best. He also advised me to get the acoustic shield. Let me show you.

Just add cable to hook up the mic

Is this thing going to help? My thinking is, maybe not so much, if at all. But you know what, I'm going to try it... in the closet. My understanding of room acoustics is basic at best, just pure logic, and what I'd hoped to do was work with the room acoustics to create a particular sound for my record. However, what I'm faced with, is noise. Even now, I'm hearing the highway. The steady hum of cars moving at 80mph. The occasional fart can. Just a droning whoosh not unlike what I imagine babies hear inside the mom's belly. Maybe I should record in the closet. It's actually far less audible in there. <sigh> I think it might be good for vocals.

Playlist Recommendation: You Found Me, The Fray