When is Friction Real and When is it Avoidance
Reality check. I’ve been stalled on finishing the song Everytime since April 1, and in two days it will be May 1. At first, I hit what felt like real friction with REAPER. Recording takes and dragging audio into EZDrummer didn’t behave as I expected. There were other challenges: the vocals were off, the rhythm guitar tracks weren’t tight, and the bass line and drums seemed busy. All of these were legitimate friction, but fixable. Then avoidance set in, and I reverted to familiar behavior, doing research and planning instead of doing the work. I’d recently used an AI platform to help me sort out my DAW, amp sim, and template issues. It helped me get focused and back on track. I released a demo I’d been sitting on for twenty-three years (yes, that’s not a typo, 23 years!), and I had a working system to start recording my first new song for release. Then I hit the problems I’d identified earlier.
I guess my mind figured that since one AI platform worked so well, why not engage two more to get the information I needed to resolve my current dilemma. More isn’t always better, and I quickly became overwhelmed, distracted, and stuck. I was so stuck I couldn’t even see that the three platforms were telling me the same thing (the exact same thing that had gotten me unstuck in the first place!). I needed to lock in a (ONE!) DAW, a template, and two- or three-amp tones.
If DAW switching had been my primary problem before, amp sims and tone-tweaking quickly became my new primary problem. I couldn’t decide between Amplitube, TONEX, Helix Native, UA Lion, Ruby 63, 55 Woodrow, or Dream ’65. And let’s not even talk about the Neural DSP rabbit hole I went down. Soldano, yes; Nolly, maybe; Tim Henson has an amp based on a JCM800, and I like Marshalls-that’s the ticket. But wait, Plini has an amp based on a Friedman BE-100, and Friedman builds a better Marshall than Marshall, so…
Tony Iommi recorded my favorite Black Sabbath records with a single guitar and a single amp tone. I can’t seem to finish a song, even with six guitars and multiple amp sims! Yes, this is avoidance. The only “real” friction is between my ears. The real kicker is that the tone I record with doesn’t really matter. As long as I record a healthy signal and a good performance, the tone can be adjusted later. Yes, I need a tone that inspires, as it directly correlates to performance, but good enough can be dialed in later to great.
Maybe real friction and avoidance are the same. Both interrupt progress and can stop it dead in its tracks if left unchecked. It may not matter whether the friction is real. Maybe all that matters is what I do next. Do I jump back in today after work and pick up where I left off? Pick up in a spot that’s not fun, where my vocals are off, my guitar playing is not up to my standards, and in an environment (REAPER) I have known issues with. It’s much more appealing to move my template to insert new DAW name here, download an amp sim trial, and dial it in because that will feel like progress. Fixing the mess that is my Everytime REAPER project seems hard. Easy or hard. Which path will I choose?
The path I choose is less important than the choice itself. The real problem is indecision, because the longer I wait, the easier it is to do nothing. If I do nothing, the friction wins.
After work, I’m going to open the REAPER project. I’m going to mute the existing guitar and bass tracks and play along with the drums and vocals. I’m going to play guitar because neglecting my playing contributed to this problem. Then I’m going to reevaluate the bass line and the two rhythm guitar tracks. If the performance is as bad as I think it is, they’re out. I’ll keep the best vocal take and use it as a scratch vocal. Tomorrow, I’ll figure out a take system for REAPER that I can live with, but most importantly, I’m setting a hard limit. If by Sunday, May 3, I’m still fighting REAPER, I’m moving the project to another DAW.