What’s Under My Tree

The Reason Interface

I’m really easy when it comes to gifts, all I ever ask for are books.  But this year I’m asking for something more interesting, but I’m also being pretty specific about what I want.

So just to make sure, I’m buying it all for myself.

Besides work, I need to fill what free time I do have with something constructive.  For 13 years I’d been filling that time with some serious training for football.  But a few months ago I decided that I no longer needed to bench 360, run a 4.5 forty yard dash and make sure my weight didn’t drop below 225.  (ex-Football players are like that, they keep eating and training like they’re still playing long after they leave the game, we’re just like that).

So I’m going to go trade the dumbbells for a complete Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) and transform my home office into a ‘I think I know what I’m doing’ home studio.  I’m a hack, I know that, but I’m going keep hacking away at it.

Ableton Live Suite – $900
Loop-based music sequencer, a tool for composing and arranging.

Propellerhead Reason – $800
Emulates hardware synthesizers, samplers, signal processors, sequences and mixers.

Novation ReMOTE 25 SL with Automap Universal – $600
MIDI control and control over sequencers and plug-ins.

ECLER ECH602 Headphones – $200
Foldable, close-back headphones with reduced magnetic field emissions.

Once everything is said and done, my DAW will set me back over $2,500.  I’m looking forward to getting it all set up once I get back from Montreal.

And in that spirit, check out the track from Mylo below (the girl the video is super cute – what can I say, I’ve got a thing for bandanas).