Having watched the $300 challenge videos, I totally agree with both Graham and Ian. Equipment does not make good music. Talent and practice are the vital components.
I've been distracted with much outside of music lately but the things that have improved my work (hopefully to be put on show soon) has been getting some vocal lessons, settling on one piece of DAW software and getting my working environment comfortable.
My next published work will be recorded and mixed pretty much on that $300 system. The exceptions being, the mic is more expensive and I'll be mixing through a hi-fi system rather than headphones. The huge bonus is that now I'm not going to be chasing the next "solve all my issues" plugin or hardware. Just down to my talent, practising the parts until I can play them confidently and putting heart and soul into what should be emotional expression rather than hoping a new toy can make it all better.
I'd recommend anyone here struggling with getting their songs passed that "demo" stage to watch these videos. Alternatively, wait.... check out my next issue, compare it to my previous stuff and decide for yourself
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