Having spent my birthday money on a few more items and a final fling with the acquisition of two electric guitars, the Home Music & Recording setup is, pretty much, complete.

List of equipment is as follows;

• Sonar X1 Studio Software plus a number of soft-synths and plug-ins.
• Cakewalk A-300 Pro Midi Controller Keyboard
• Yamaha A-S500 Natural Sound Amplifier running to Sony 100W Speakers
• Tascam US-122 MkII USB Audio Interface
• Tascam DP-008 8-Track Digital PocketStudio
• Tascam GT-R1 Handheld Recorder/Trainer
• Boss DR-880 Drum/Bass Machine
• Percussion: Roland SPD-30 Octapad, Roland HPD-10 Handpad
• Boss Stompbox FX:  BD-2 Blues Driver, CH-1 Super Chorus, DD-7 Digital Delay, VE-20 Vocal Processor, AD-8 Acoustic Guitar Processor
• Microphones: Shure SM58, AKG CS1000, AKG C214
• Marshall JMP-1 Guitar Pre-Amp
• Mackie PPM608 1K Powered Mixer running to Wharfedale Titan 8 150W Speakers
• Guitars: Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster, Fender Telecaster Acoustasonic, Taylor 814ce, Martin LXME
• and, of course, LOTS of cables.

There’s a very definite art and skill to sound recording which has been demonstrated by the improvement I’ve heard from the first to the last recordings I’ve done so far. One thing I’ve found is that it certainly helps you to learn songs and improve one’s musical skill and ability. It’s time consuming but, hey, it’s a lot more fun than watching Eastenders and it’s very rewarding when you can finally sit back, like what you’re listening to and think to yourself, “I did all that”.