How should I spend my $250?

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:37 pm

In a couple weeks I'll have $250 to spend and I'd like to use it on something music-related. Any suggestions? (please keep sarcasms to the minimum, I'd like actual suggestions.

Post by jb » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:45 pm

list your gear so we can tell you what you're missing.

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 1:58 pm

jb wrote:list your gear so we can tell you what you're missing.

Instruments, I have a Washburn acoustic and a Fender acoustic/electric guitar. I have a Squier Stratocaster and a Fender practice amp. I have a cheap, crappy keyboard (an old Casio I think...you can hear that on "Not Exactly Normal"). I have a TonePort UX2 for recording and a copy of FL Studio Express for drums.

Post by jb » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:01 pm

mics?

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:22 pm

jb wrote:mics?

Knew I was forgetting something...

An audio-tecnica something or other...I'm not at home so I can't tell you exactly, but I'd say it falls under the category of "decent". I'm not using the $15 computer mic anymore.

deshead · Post by **deshead** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:26 pm

Do you want something that's going to help you make better recordings in general? Or a toy?

If it's the latter, this could be fun: https://www.rolandus.com/products/produ ... jectId=818

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:31 pm

deshead wrote:Do you want something that's going to help you make better recordings in general? Or a toy?

If it's the latter, this could be fun: https://www.rolandus.com/products/produ ... jectId=818

That's pretty cool. Since I have a laptop and I have a USB recording device, I'I'm set for portable recording at the moment (dang, that is cool though). As far as the "better recordings or a toy" question goes, I guess I'm looking more for something in the form of an instrument of some kind. It can be a toy, if it'll make some cool sounds

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:36 pm

If I won the lottery I would go on a spending spree in Lark in the Morning. So many cool, weird instruments. (I want a ladybug ocarina

)

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 5:00 pm

Bjam wrote:If I won the lottery I would go on a spending spree in Lark in the Morning. So many cool, weird instruments. (I want a ladybug ocarina )

That's a pretty sweet site. That's a tasty looking concertina

. I'm also open to suggestions for basses or keyboards/pianos, etc.

Rabid Garfunkel · Post by **Rabid Garfunkel** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 9:44 pm

Musical Saw! Musical Saw! Musical Saw!

Oh wait, that's what *I* want, heh.

Maybe a used electric-acoustic bass for versatility's sake? Ovation's okay, I'm finding. You'd have to ask The Sober Irishman (he's the first axe authority that comes to mind) about Tacomas (is that a brand or a model?) and Deans and suchlike.

jack · Post by **jack** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:03 pm

Bjam wrote:If I won the lottery I would go on a spending spree in Lark in the Morning. So many cool, weird instruments. (I want a ladybug ocarina )

hey, did you go to the one at the cannery in san francisco while you were here? you must have!

anyways, i agree with you. awesome music shop, and for weird, ethnic instruments it rules. they have an awesome little catalog too.

also, they have toy accordians!

Bjam · Post by **Bjam** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:21 pm

jack wrote:
Bjam wrote:If I won the lottery I would go on a spending spree in Lark in the Morning. So many cool, weird instruments. (I want a ladybug ocarina )
hey, did you go to the one at the cannery in san francisco while you were here? you must have!

anyways, i agree with you. awesome music shop, and for weird, ethnic instruments it rules. they have an awesome little catalog too.

also, they have toy accordians!

We did! It was spectacular and I could gladly live in there.

anti-m · Post by **anti-m** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:38 pm

Rabid Garfunkel wrote:Musical Saw! Musical Saw! Musical Saw!

Ah yes. The "analog theremin."

Seriously, though... many wood saws at ye olde junke shoppe are musical. You just have to test 'em out for tone and range!

And don't be afraid of the rusty ones. The rust doesn't impact the sound.

To test a saw for "musicalness," brace the saw between your knees, teeth facing you. Form the saw into an 'S' shape and "plonk" the saw at the point where the 'S' curve bulges out. ("Plonk" it by flicking it with your finger...or a mallet...anything... you may have to experiment a little bit to find the sweet spot)

(I'm sure there are better diagrams out there, but here's one I whipped together...)

[edit: oops! This diagram would be for someone bowing with his/her left hand! If you're right handed, bend the saw with your left hand, hold the bow in your right.]

My current saw, which has pretty decent tone and range cost me a buck!

Now, bows on the other hand, are expensive. I recommend a cello bow. Rabid, since you're a fellow Stumptowner I recommend Artichoke music. They've got used ones.

Happy warbling!

pegor · Post by **pegor** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:42 pm

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ ... sku=150173
Lots of fun .........

Albatross · Post by **Albatross** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:46 pm

I've been eyeing that chromatic set of jaw harps at Lark in the Morning for a while now.

Post by **Lunkhead** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:59 pm

Wow, Lark in the Morning rules. I had no idea melodicas were so cheap. I vote for a "chord harp".

bz£ · Post by **bz£** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 2:17 am

I vote you save your money and buy nothing. While this may not qualify as an "actual" suggestion, I'm not being sarcastic. If you don't have a clear idea of what you want, you will probably end up buying something that you don't really need and will soon end up in a closet, forgotten.

It seems like you have at least cheap approximations of everything you really need, so you might well want to upgrade something. Say you decide to replace the Squier with a decent guitar. You could get a nicer electric with the money (and don't count on reselling your old guitar, it probably has close to no significant value) but it ain't gonna be all that much nicer. You might well be happier in the long run if you save that $250 until you come across another windfall and can afford the upgrade to something in the $500-$700 price range. Or the $1000-$1200 range, or whatever.

If anything, I think I'd save up for a keyboard. The jump from Casio toys to pro equipment is ridiculous. You can't appreciate it until you have a few days to sit around with a nice synth, but there really isn't anything I'd recommend that you can get for $250. At least, not anything new-- you never know what used gear will turn up for sale. You can easily live without a bass guitar at all; a keyboard (even your current one) and the low strings on your current guitars ought to be good enough for quite a while. (On the other hand, you can easily live without a good keyboard, too, especially if you're down with midi. It's up to you.)

Finally, you've listed your gear; you might also want to be clearer about what your future goals are, music-wise. If you intend to start playing in live settings, for example, you are gonna need a bigger amp. Heck, you might even decide that the best place to spend your money is on education. Voice lessons, maybe a few theory books, something like that.

obscurity · Post by **obscurity** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 2:30 am

bzl wrote: If anything, I think I'd save up for a keyboard. The jump from Casio toys to pro equipment is ridiculous. You can't appreciate it until you have a few days to sit around with a nice synth, but there really isn't anything I'd recommend that you can get for $250.

Well, one possibility is to pick up a decent midi controller keyboard and start exploring the world of softsynths. Although you need a reasonably decent soundcard or the latency will kill you.

Kill Me Sarah · Post by **Kill Me Sarah** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 5:47 am

Actually a MIDI controller does intrigue me, if anyone has suggestions. bzl, I do appreciate the "logical" approach and the idea had occurred to me that I wouldn't mind holding out and saving for at least a mexican Strat. The bass appeals to me because my wife has expressed interest in learning it (although she's been trying to talk me into one of those Daisy Rock ones

). MIDI appeals to me since it, less expensively, seems to open up a lot of sonic possibilities. As far as my musical aspirations...for the moment it's home recording. I doubt I will be playing in a live setting anytime soon, it certainly isn't something I'm planning for right now.[/i]

obscurity · Post by **obscurity** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 6:31 am

kill_me_sarah wrote:Actually a MIDI controller does intrigue me, if anyone has suggestions.

Given the $250 price range you quoted, I'd go for this, although if you possibly can, I'd recommend scraping up an extra $49 and going for the 61-key version (which is what I have). The selling points on these for me is that they're built like a tank, have a decent keyboard feel (this is, of course, subjective), and have aftertouch. I'm certainly very happy with mine.

ken · Post by **ken** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:13 am

I'd spend a little of that to upgrade the pickups on your Squire, but only if you like the feel of it. If not, buy a new guitar. Check out these pre-wired pickguards from Guitarfetish.com:

http://store.guitarfetish.com/wipi.html

I like the Toneport, but maybe you need some new plug ins for better mixes. Here are two I couldn't live without anymore:

1. PSP Vintage Warmer. $149 Compresser/EX: It makes guitars and bass sound awesome!
http://www.pspaudioware.com/

2. Voxengo Elephant. $70 Mastering Compresser/Limiter: It makes your mixes sound awesome.
http://www.voxengo.com/product/elephant/

You could also buy some acoustic panels to improve your recording environment.

$150 for a pair of GIK panels. Put these in the front corners of your room and you will hear a big improvement.
http://www.gikacoustics.com/product_info.html

Ken

king_arthur · Post by **king_arthur** » Mon Aug 28, 2006 10:54 am

I was thinking "bass" as well, although I think you got a useable bass sound on "I Don't Want to Be Your Friend" with whatever you used there... if you were thinking to get involved in playing live with other people, a bass opens up some new ways to get into the band, too... (though that might speak against the Daisy bass...).

In terms of MIDI opening up sonic possibilities, I guess that depends on what sort of sound sources you'd have available if you went for just the MIDI controller (i.e., something you can feed MIDI to the computer, but which does not have its own ability to generate sounds from MIDI). I didn't see anything in your posts which indicate you have mad keyboarding skillz, so you might find more value in something that gives you better sounds and then just program the playing on top of your drum programs... the old Alesis Nanosynth was kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel, but they're available used for under $100 and they'd give you some okay-ish GM sounds that would be an audible step up from the casio... as with any of this cheap MIDI gear, you have to figure out what sounds good on it and then stick to that...

I don't think you mentioned what you're "mixing on" (speakers, headphones), but if you're in a situation where you have to mix on headphones and are currently using some very lo quality ones, you might consider upgrading those...

Charles (KA)