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| Akai MPC3000LE |
Setting up a studio is expensive work. What the fuck was I thinking? I barely have any time to myself as it is. Why did I reignite an old hobby, a yawning money pit. CS sent me the old 4-track Tascam 464 cassette recorder, which was very nice of him, though that unit looks like one more that I'll probably need to get repaired.
I discovered two failing buttons on my MPC300LE today. I had noticed that neither of them was as responsive as they should be, but I kept telling myself not to worry too much about it. Now that I know the machine will need to be repaired I'll need to go through every button and verify that they all work. The parts and repair will be expensive. The machines go for about $5k, used. I keep telling myself that it will all be worth it, but all these holdups keep me from doing with the machine what I hope to do. This is starting to feel a little bit too much like work. Losing this unit will simplify my life a little bit, for a little while, though.
I may need to remind myself from time to time that I made a fair amount of music without an MPC3000 at all. I have another sampler that is just as powerful (Akai S3000XL), though without an on-board sequencer. In fact, I only completed a few tracks with an MPC, but in my mind it has become the indispensable unit for electronic music. It is.
Side note about this machine: Questlove, the drummer for The Roots, is making a documentary about a producer - J Dilla - who was considered the preeminent genius bar none on this machine, sometimes referred to as the "Jimi Hendrix of samplers." He used this machine almost exclusively. His 3000LE is currently in the Smithsonian, where it belongs. I'm sure I've written all of this before.
Today I hunted down buzzes in the mixing board and found at least one brand new cable that was bad and had to be thrown out. This doesn't sound like much, but these things all eat up your time, and that eats up your chances of being creative. Eventually you find all the little quirks and problems and you fix them or you find workarounds for them. Each problem seems to compound the last and the next. Or, you find yourself eaten by them.
I know that I am just talking out loud to myself at this point. I stopped writing for an audience some time ago. I've mostly left social media, and only check Instagram because I like photography. I couldn't tell you if Donald Trump has legal problems or not. When I was more "connected" with the news I wanted him in prison. That's what keeping up with events will do to you.
I'd like to say I live more in peace now, but if you remember the first two easily forgettable paragraphs from this post you'll understand that I very much don't. I used to just lie in bed and play the acoustic guitar and read. Now, I have purchases to regret, time wasted, worries out there waiting for me in the future, lurking in the elongated shadows of morning.
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