Measure once, measure twice, draw a plan, revise the plan (again), make cuts and more cuts. The redesign and partial replacement of the studio “desk” is taking shape. Last Saturday I spent most of the day at my friend Robert’s place as he and I used the old Craftsman table saw he inherited from his father. Robert and I have been friends since college (that’s a few days – er multiple decades ago) and I knew his family quite well. As Robert said, “If my dad is looking down today, he’d think it’s pretty cool we’re using his saw to make something for your studio.” The saw may be dated, but quality always has lasting value and function, and I will be warmly reminded when I’m sitting there from here on. Most of the parts and pieces are now cut and ready for assembly to house the new 500 Series rack, the eight + new and new-to-me mic preamps, and also one of the digital input units for the Behringer X32 rackmount console and various other interconnect.

Although this rebuild won’t be nearly completed by then, there’s an added incentive to keep it moving. I met with a new client this past Friday over lunch and there’s an exciting and significant project intended to launch this week at Tesco Productions. I’m not going to reveal anymore about it right now, but what’s to be unveiled promises to be interesting, encouraging, challenging and a true story from his heart and life. Just a hint – twenty years ago I spent several days in a neighboring country (see that story here).

So here we are at the end of the first month in 2023. It seems time keeps flying by and sometimes I wonder what I have to show for it. In reality a good amount of progress has been made on the computer side of the update with a majority of the 3rd party software being loaded. The core DAW software has been running for several months and in use, but additional add-ons and supplemental elements can be many (likely too many) and quite time consuming to put in place. Those software toys have been years in the accumulation and so getting them loaded takes time at getting the latest version, establishing the new authorizations, then testing that each component functions and in some cases deciding I really don’t need some feature and again removing it. I’m probably about 80% finished with that phase and the larger element remaining will be to re-establish the sound libraries for keyboard, guitar and other music production. Most of the those sounds are already on the system – just need to make the connection on the new computer to their associated players.

In the meantime I’ve also spent time redesigning the patchbays and seeing how many I can eliminate altogether. Also there’s been the ongoing myriad of ideas bantered and tested for the best placement of the computer monitors. This element is complicated by the planned addition of a 2nd set of audio monitors. You can’t hear properly if you can’t fully see the speaker. I think a solution is in the works, but only a final in-place layout will decide if that idea gets the final stamp of approval. Onward and forward.

Well another year has flown by. Did it go faster or am I just realizing more how a minute passed is never retrieved and there’s less of them ahead of me than behind? Whatever the case, we’re at a new year.

On any number of fronts it was an escalating year of chaos and fluctuation. War and strife, money markets, health and food sources, and weather seemed to be front and center most every day. These issues were most often on the negative side of our concerns and news reports – and not without cause and importance. If we focused on just those issues we should have had cause to be greatly affected by them.

But, those topics are only part of the overall picture. Life is continuing on. We’re getting together with people again after the long 2 years of limited interaction. There are neighbors, families and longtime friends who are still there and welcome a visit or conversation. Longtime and past clients welcome us to their homes for a meal and relationship. Babies are being born and the cycle of living continues. The spirit of life and purpose our Creator placed within us is not being squelched (although many would like it to be).

So I hope we continue on with what is on each of our plates. We can’t fix everything, and I often find I’m not that good at distinguishing between all the needs around calling for attention and what’s my individual (and family) responsibility. But one thing is certain, I will only be accountable for what was given to me – not for the assets or actions of someone else. May I be able to look back another year from now and see progress in running the race well – and a part of that being that I’m well on my way with the studio upgrades. (Why do I keep hearing a rolling can?)