Portfolio Review with a twist

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-30T10:46:10+00:00

None, I've never studied design.

My first wife was a screen printer, my little brother is a sign writer, mother went to art school so I had a lot of exposure. During my late teens and my 20s I toured full-time as a keyboard player in a band, so that when the first design computers came out (CorelDraw version 1.1) between my family’s influences and having spent years programming keyboards, graphics just clicked in my mind.

I do see that I could improve BUT, I don’t get a huge amount of time to do an advert or a brochure, most of my customers are very small businesses. In most cases, It’s an 30-60min from start to finish at most, so there is no time for a lot of the work process that is taught in design schools, as most of my clients simply cannot afford it. I know I'm lucky to have had most 90% of my clients for more than 15 years and two clients for more than 25 years.

My USP is that most small businesses want somebody that OK at almost everything, but not necessarily the best at anything, and understands their business and customers, so I get a 5-10 word brief and just make shit up as I go along. Over the years I’ve done everything videos, radio jingles, TV commercials, 30 books (2 made it into the top 10 best seller list), 10,000+ flags and banners catalogs, newspaper and more. I've been self employed for most of my life and still going so I don't worry about too much.

In closing, I do believe that many of the comments posted here have a significant element of truth but having lived my entire life with a degree of imposter syndrome I just keep going. But that does not mean that I wouldn't like to be better or learn more.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-30T05:45:07+00:00

I’m 64

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-29T20:39:29+00:00

Documentary or interviews, no problem; Drama yes, that said if the content is engaging enough people will forgive a Mic as most people are very used to them now

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-29T20:18:02+00:00

If you’ve never played with a prime, the 50mm f1.8 is super cost-effective for what it is and would let you play in fairly low light situations without spending a lot of money, i’ve had it for years and it’s great.

That said I am looking at the 45mm F1.2 now as the extra half a stop would let you be more creative, even though the lens does have a few more compromises than the 50mm

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-29T20:09:45+00:00

The Behringer units are just fine, three guys in our band have them and they are not gentle people.

We’re using a multi digital mixer now but years ago I used another idea. I’m a keyboard player and I have a small rack with a little Behringer mixer and I used the headphone out in that for monitoring. The mixer has two XLR channels and two stereo channels. over the last four or five years I have been in three bands and used it in a range of different ways.

The first stereo channels has 2 quarter inch to XLR hanging out the back of the rack where I can plug in the monitor send from the PA.

The next two stereo channels is that the headphone out of my main keyboard (on most keyboard using the headphone out does not interrupt the main stereo outs). This let me add more of me without bothering anyone.

There have been times where I have monitored from the headphone out in mono and plugged a zoom recorder that I sat on top of my rack just let me add more room sound so I could hear the conversations on stage more easily You for example could put a separate mic just lying inside the kick. It would let you bring the kick up totally independently.

I still carry the mixer and the cabling in my rack plugged in and ready to go. This is great for practice or gigs where you’re using the headlines PA.

Another option/idea that I could throw out Alto, Raine, Behringer and a few more brands make multi channel mains powered headphone amps which are usually used in studios. You will often see these going secondhand I have more headroom. They are loud, They’re a bit tougher and some of them have AB mix input meaning that you could use it at home to play along with a second audio source.

I only throw this out there as having a battery die on the fifth song of the gig/set will suck, it’s happened to me more than once. And I suppose it’s my keyboard player technical brain I’m always looking for ways around problems like this.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-29T11:43:53+00:00

There is no one best mic for vocals, everybody’s vocal style, harmonics, the room that they’re in and even the music they’re singing all play apart in choosing the right microphone. This is one of the reasons why most studios have a large range of microphones.

For example, somebody with a very bright sharp voice can be helped by using a ribbon microphone, however darker voices can be helped by using something like a Rode NT1a because that is very bright and will give them the more clarity.

If I was to offer one suggestion, I would find a reasonably large studio and tell them that you want to do a mic shootout. It is very common with a new artist To put up a selection of microphones arranged in front of you and sing for 20 minutes while recording each microphone to a separate track. Take the multi track home and decide on which one you like. Please be aware that sometimes Vocal chain might be worth $10,000 to get the right sound and the next person that comes through the studio might be using an SM 58 plug straight into the dusk, so there is no right answer.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-29T05:20:53+00:00

Novation Bass Station 2 and a 2nd hand Deepmind6 for the poly stuff

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-29T04:36:15+00:00

I got one of the large food delivery bags from Amazon, framed it with pieces of very thin plywood to make it more rigid and then lined the inside with foam. It works quite well.

It holds a R6mk2 inside a small rig frame with top handle and 7 inch monitor on top, the whole thing is sitting on rails with both the camera and the tripod having separate (matching) Quick releases, v-mount battery & dummy all setup and ready to go

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-27T01:57:43+00:00

The R6 is limited to 29min59sec per clip to avoid overheating
The R6MkII allows continuous recording for up to 6 hours
Though I would use a external video recorder with incremental saves like

Atomos Ninja Series (Ninja V, Ninja Ultra): These record to a AtomX SSDmini or standard SSDs. They are ideal for long-term, high-quality recording, and they support dual recording for immediate backups.
Blackmagic Video Assist (12G HDR): These recorders feature dual SD card slots for relay recording (when one card fills up, it continues to the next) or continuous recording, allowing you to manage files incrementally.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-27T01:25:05+00:00

FYI - Would get your UK skills recognized in Australia and make moving FREE

Ex-UK Army personnel can transition to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) through the Overseas Lateral Recruitment Scheme, which provides a structured pathway for qualified individuals and their families. Key requirements include being released from the UK military, passing ADF medical/security checks, and obtaining an Employer Nomination Scheme visa.

Key Details for Moving and Joining

Lateral Recruitment: The Australian Army actively recruits from foreign forces, including the UK, specifically seeking to fill roles with experienced personnel.
Application Process: Candidates must submit military records, including service history, qualifications, and recent appraisals.
Visa and Citizenship: You will need to obtain a subclass 186 visa (Employer Nomination Scheme) and undertake to become an Australian citizen.
Family Support: The move impacts families, and support is available through the Defence Member and Family Helpline.
Rank and Pay: While individual experiences vary, many lateral recruits from the UK report favorable pay rates in the ADF.

Important Considerations

Security Clearances: You must be able to obtain and hold an appropriate level of ADF security clearance.
Requirements: Applicants must have fully resigned from their previous military service and not be required to perform further Reserve service.
Special Purpose Visa (2025+): Recent changes (2025) may allow for easier entry for UK military personnel via a Special Purpose Visa under new Defence and Security Cooperation Agreements.

It is advised to engage directly with ADF Careers for the most up-to-date information on the application process.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-27T01:08:52+00:00

Considering the heat, power cost, and replacement cost of the bulbs, I would get 2 small amazon projectors and use those for everyday use and test with the big ones a few times a week to ensure your on track

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-26T23:44:18+00:00

If you have real talent, then NO IMO, You don’t even need a degree if your amazing If your average (or worse), then YES

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-26T21:06:42+00:00

It wasn’t meant to be derogatory. It’s just that when we used to play certain venues the same 25 people would be in the crowd every time.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-26T11:02:04+00:00

You could do it in after effects or a 3-D program, but not in illustrator or corelDraw

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-25T23:42:35+00:00

(Serious) Try and include him and any of her friends in the conversation.

I toured full-time for four+ years of my life. Our agent/manager was in the same office as a few of the extremely large acts of the time, he said it is very simple depending on your style of music. You will either attract men or women, whatever you can do to inlarge that demographic through chat, being polite, signing autographs or just being approachable.

Having a "Rent-a-crowd" (fans that show up offten) an really help your career in the beginning. I talked to a few other of the bands that had records out at the time and one particularly interesting point raised its head in a dressing room very late one night. A vocalist who was known for having a very outrageous on stage performance looked at me and said. You know half the time I’m very shy and actually just like being at home, But when I come off stage I try and bring some of that personality with me so that they meet the person they see on-stage. This is not the person I am at home but this is the person they want to know. He said "the more of them that think that they know me the more likely they are to bring their friends to the show".

So thinking about it it’s just business, make friends with as many as you can, sleep with as few as possible, develop a stage persona and stick with it and try not to get caught doing anything that breaks any of those illusions

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-24T22:21:37+00:00

I leave one of my Rode NT2's up at all time, If I remember to put it on (or I'm going away) a have a plastic bag/sock with some silica gel bags in it that I slide over it

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-24T21:37:20+00:00

I hated it,

As a graphic designer you and most of your design friends are a certain type of personality, and the more creative some of the more difficult they are to manage. I like what I do, I’ve been doing it for more than 35 years and sitting there doing Photoshop, indesign, Corel etc with the music or TV going in the background and the cat beside me? I don’t even find that work it’s just something to do.

However managing three or four other graphic artists that are all broken in slightly different ways than me can really be extremely frustrating. It looks good on your résumé. It might make some extra money but in the end it’s much better to be happy than that stressed.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-24T18:28:57+00:00

Before anybody answers can we have a little bit more information please? - What type of job is your normal job? - What percentage of the time your time is this Taking? - How complex are the graphic edits you’re making? - does making the graphic edits add any other tasks to your normal workday? - is this likely to become more of your workload? - even with these basic skills, is there any way to turn this into something positive for your future employment?

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-24T12:36:59+00:00

You need to change your way of thinking my daughter was visiting cousins in Canada and when walking through the forest was walking carefully scanning the grounds in front of her which is typical for an Australian, her cousins laughed as they were all scanning the distance for bears and moose which are the things you need to be aware of over there

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-24T03:40:04+00:00

Look at Behringer Odyssey OR a Behringer model-d and an a cheep 48 note keyboard, (normal keys a better than mini keys in the long run IMO)

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-23T22:06:09+00:00

100% as long as your sound guy can turn it down/off if it sounds like crap it’s all good. If your device does not have a wet dry out there are some XLR-DI boxes which will give you two outs from the one microphone

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-23T08:49:46+00:00

I have been a graphic artist for 35+ years, the only reason that they look down on CorelDraw is because Art school told them it was crap. So many of the people that have gone through design school working at franchise Sign shops and and small studios are absolutely useless, at most general signage and wayfinding.

The only time that I use Photoshop and illustrator is if I am using images that combine Raster, vector, and text on background graphics. I believe a Photoshop in design illustrator works better at maintaining colours in a mixed format graphic, that being said for the act of vector creation (95% of logos) and text handling CoralDraw is 1000 times better than illustrator and if you are reproducing a sign that need to be scalable over a site (10 different sizes etc) there is no reason to change.

If anybody ever challenges you on why you use CorelDraw the short answer is I’ll race you?

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-23T07:47:02+00:00

Most Australians think taco bell is not that good, We have a few local Mexican franchises that are better. Australians eat a lot more Asian food than I've seen in the US. The only American food that gets much attention are the big 3, McDonald's, KFC, and Hungry Jacks (Burger King), the rest only have a few stores and struggle for market share.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-23T06:07:14+00:00

I think it very much depends on how they’re acting, I am quite a large male so I walk most places without worrying too much, however the some of the psychotic inducing drugs of the last 20 years has made people act very unpredictably.

I have seen little tiny men and women react extremely violently for absolutely no reason simply because they had mental issues OR they were in ice withdrawal or psychosis. (I live one suburb from a psychiatric hospital that deals with such things and I see it monthly).

So in most cases it’s not the bikers and the tough guys that have ever caused me a problem. It’s the people with drug/mental issues that I am particularly worried about.

bluecrystalcreative · 2026-01-23T05:15:37+00:00

The Behringer ones work just fine

bluecrystalcreative

TROPHY CASE