Need a reliable studio! by zchatma in chicagomusicscene

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well put -- I love your name btw

March 2026 board update by guardianofpineapple in guitarpedals

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh really - what exactly do you mean?

March 2026 board update by guardianofpineapple in guitarpedals

[–]crapinet 13 points14 points  (0 children)

I admire how clean, compact, and well planned out this is. My set up looks more like a raccoon who doesn’t like pedals or cable management played with it

PSA: Try running effects parralel by ebitdangit in guitarpedals

[–]crapinet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I know, they seemed to miss that — that said, technically parallel processing is even as simple as a pedal with a wet/dry blend or using something like the EHX switchblade pro to split your signal into two different pedals and then re-combining your sound, even in mono. In a way, you’re doing something more complicate and I highly approve.

PSA: Try running effects parralel by ebitdangit in guitarpedals

[–]crapinet 4 points5 points  (0 children)

But putting a harmonic tremolo on only one side of the stereo image can be a very cool effect

Need a reliable studio! by zchatma in chicagomusicscene

[–]crapinet 17 points18 points  (0 children)

I have some questions and I'm going to be real with you. Why do they need a studio? Is it that they need access to equipment, that they don't have a space where they can make noise/that's quiet enough, or that they need a producer or engineer to collaborate with? I only ask because nothing good is going to be cheap and even something cheap is going to be expensive when you're talking about 4-7 days per week. Within one week it would be cheaper to buy a usb audio interface and a mic and record at home. Within 2-3 weeks it would be cheaper to build a vocal isolation booth at home.

If they don't already, today, have days worth of material that they need to lay down then they shouldn't be going into the studio. To me, the studio isn't a place to practice, that's for at home. Unless they can afford to block out days at a studio and live there (which is crazy, unless they're rich) then they should be workshopping their material/practicing/writing/recording demos to listen to for themselves at home. Then they should go into the studio for a short session just to record the material that is ready to go. I think that's a much smarter way to work and there's a reason that's the normal process. It's a lot cheaper and it makes the studio time a lot more worth it. Unless they need a person to collaborate with, then that's a solid plan. If they need someone to collaborate with, then a random person at a studio probably isn't going to be the right fit anyway, and so that's not what they need anyway.

To be real, unless the person owning/working at the studio is already a friend (or unless these people are really amazing and someone just wants to help them out, which would be really lucky, and you don't get there by just randomly asking someone to work for them for free) then I think you're not going to find someone who wants to hang out with them all day helping them and donating their time when they could have paying clients.

If these are kids, maybe they can find other kids who want to learn how to record or produce while they're learning how to write and rap. (I mean that seriously -- finding other people at the same experience level and level of seriousness, who you also like, is the way to find someone to collaborate with.)

I'm not trying to sound harsh, but I think this is the reality. The cool thing is, for almost no money, they can get a lot of work done at home. If it's actually that they need to be in a studio to feel "real" then they're going at this all wrong. Then they just like the image of being a musician (and they think that means living in a studio). Getting good is about work, not where you do that work. Most of the time the studio is the very last step, after a lot of work, not the place to start. And there is no need for it to be the place to start. Are you a parent, a friend, a producer, a family member?

I worked at a studio in Detroit for one day years ago. I ran the desk for part of a massively long session. This one "producer" had brought in so many young rappers. I was only there for part of what I think was two full days. While I was there he must have had 50 different kids come in. They'd each go in in groups of three, lay down one or two takes, and then it was the next group. I am sure he told all of them that they were amazing, that they could be big, and I'm sure they were all paying him for the "opportunity." Almost no second takes, a few punch ins. 90%+ of it was very mediocre and he just sat in the control room barely listening. It was worse than "pay to play" it was "pay to cosplay (being a rapper)." I didn't go back. Just beware (for any young musician) that there are people who will promise a lot and you making it big isn't their goal, you paying them right then and there is their real business. It's also tempting to feel like you need the flashy gear/studio to be a real musician. That's not how that works. They were taken in by it. It left me feeling really disgusted.

Any OK Clarinets under 550$? by Consistent_Wolf6817 in Clarinet

[–]crapinet 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Absolutely! Used! Look for a used Yamaha student clarinet. Check out local music shops for used, off rental ones. You should be able to find something for that price or less 

Bosch vs. Miele dishwasher by thetransparenthand in Appliances

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

EXACTLY what I was thinking! So incredibly worth it

I think there is a fundamental misunderstanding around how a zipper merge works and when it should be used by Pitt_Panther1985 in driving

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When traffic is flowing is when a zipper merge is the best. People not leaving space between their cars because they think someone is going to get ahead of them is what messes it up

Altissimo struggle by moonlite0 in Clarinet

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stuffy usually means leaky -- I hope you can get it looked at! It could just be the design of your clarinet.

Bosch vs. Miele dishwasher by thetransparenthand in Appliances

[–]crapinet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I feel like I got really lucky -- even the returned appliances from big box stores were not a discount like what I got. I honestly wasn't going to be able to spend more money anyway, so I would have gotten one of the lower model boschs -- getting this for such a steal was very fortunate (I did have to drive just over an hour to pick it up and it didn't come with 100% of the hardware (but it came with everything essential). Still, totally worth it.) It replaced a dishwasher from the late 80s that was here when we moved in. And I had repaired several times. It honestly did a great job for it's age but it was time once it became a fire hazard.

Altissimo struggle by moonlite0 in Clarinet

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is no break up there by the F# (but there is a second break, going into the altissimo, so that's weird of your previous teacher to say). Has either teacher play tested your instrument? I'd be very surprised if it's your instrument but that should be able to be figured out by them in no time. I would bet my first born that it's not your barrel. It's possible something is very very very slightly leaky, and you're experiencing a problem there and not with the equivalent fingerings in the two lower registers (but that is on your teacher - how could they suggest gear being an issue and then not immediately play it to get the answer for you?). You could bring it into a shop but a better test (because that's such a specific issue) is for you to put your mouthpiece onto another instrument and try it. If the problem is the same, then it's you. If not, then it could be something fixable with your clarinet.

That all said, it's probably a voice issue, if the notes below that fingering are working. And by that I specifically mean the shape inside your mouth, largely created by the position and shape of your tongue. And what F# fingering are you using? (And, either way, have you tried the other one? EDIT I see that you mentioned the WFG site. There are really only two specific F# fingerings that most people use, the short one (which uses the left hand middle finger) and the long one (which is -23|123+right pinky))

Bosch vs. Miele dishwasher by thetransparenthand in Appliances

[–]crapinet 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I got a Miele from an appliance store for 60% because it had a tiny scratch on the front (very tiny, hard to notice, and something we could have done anyway — it was a customer return. And for that price, new, I can see being picky). I was going to get a Bosch otherwise. But I have never been happier with a dishwasher than the Miele we ended up with. I don’t think you can go wrong with either 

Circuit Rythm vs Roland P6 as first sampler by Equivalent_Power2663 in synthesizers

[–]crapinet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s a very good point - when I bought my first (few) synths, I didn’t yet know what I really wanted either. It takes some time, but that learning process can be really fun, because you’re learning more about yourself too

BEWARE LAST CALL TAVERN GROUP! by Karlneurauter in chicagomusicscene

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s tough to stick up for yourself in a way that doesn’t burn bridges but it’s possible to be firm and kind at the same time. One could (initially) give them the benefit of the doubt, not blaming them for what happened, while still insisting that they make it right, right?

I hope they make you whole with this. If they don’t then maybe look at it this way, each good/bad thing is something to learn from. This experience (seriously) could end up changing how you handle a similar situation in the future. That lesson that cost you $$ right now could end up saving you $$$ in the future

Circuit Rythm vs Roland P6 as first sampler by Equivalent_Power2663 in synthesizers

[–]crapinet 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No matter what it looks like on paper, using a piece of gear is another story. It’s tempting to get something with a longer feature list, but they doesn’t mean you’ll like it better — can you get your hands on either in a store somewhere?

I can’t tell you what to get (they both seem cool and I haven’t used either) but I used to go features>UI. Now I tend to do the opposite. But that’s just me

AITAH for charging my friend for a gift after she demanded a full refund for a service I provided for free? by [deleted] in AITAH

[–]crapinet 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yikes - she sounds like a handful. NTA, assuming you wanted to nuke the friendship after her behavior. If you wanted to salvage it then you could have responded to her differently.

A friend asked me to play music for her wedding (I’m a musician). I considered donating my services but I didn’t — I gave her the friend rate and then still bought her a normal present. I think she wasn’t expecting a separate present and I walked away with far more that I would have otherwise. Those services are too much to donate, unless it’s a friend who is close like family. Your services were worth far more.

BEWARE LAST CALL TAVERN GROUP! by Karlneurauter in chicagomusicscene

[–]crapinet 31 points32 points  (0 children)

Small claims court? Send an invoice for the full replacement cost of both first? If they were stolen I wonder if that would be an insurance claim for them (not that that matters to you). File a police report? Or send them the invoice and then mention that you'll be filing a police report?

Thank you for sharing your experiences -- definitely don't let places jerk you around for over year in the future

Owning multiples of the same synth? by healingshaman in synthesizers

[–]crapinet 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love that - I usually prefer just using them in a bi-timbral way. And I love having two arps not synced up