Once you put a little age under your belt, you begin to be able to take notice of how the world has really changed. Time goes on, and new reality takes hold. It is a simple as that.
 
For someone who has been around awhile, (some would say quite a while), I have watched as the world went from an analogue reality onto this current digital reality. And, who know where it will go next???
 
I have watched how things like photography and filmmaking went from the necessity of using film, to film being virtually completely rejected. It’s unnecessary, complicated, expensive, and time consuming. 
 
This is the same with audio recording. Once upon time, I was so happy when four-track reel-to-reel tape recorders were first released to the prosumer marketplace and, someone like me, could actually do multi-track recording in their bedroom. I purchased one of the first units to be released onto the market. And, it changed my life! Then, came the four-track cassette recorders. I picked one of the first ones to be released up in Tokyo, the Tascam Porta One. It was revolutionary. I loved it!
 
But, in that world of analogue, things were still complicated. It took a lot of work to get the tracks perfectly synced up. And, if you had to do retakes over retakes, it took time and focus.
 
Then, the digital age slowly emerged upon us. It was not perfect, but it got better and better, until today where you can record literally hundreds of tracks, redo, retake, change up, all with relative ease. I love it! …As, for those of you who know me or know of me, you know I record a lot of music.
 
But, then there are those who wish to go back to the way back. They somehow believe there was something better back then. I guess this is the way it has always been. People believe that there was something more pure and more perfect way back in the way back when. But, was there? I question that.  
 
I know, for example, my nephew, he’s only fourteen and he has already recorded a bunch of his own music and gotten it out there. All entirely on his own. That’s incredible! I am so impressed. At first he was just using a piano. I asked him, and he did want a synthesizer. So, I bought him one. A really nice production synthesizer. One of the models that I use.  But, then, he wanted a synth, as he put it, “With a lot of knobs.” He wanted to go back into the old school, believing that it was somehow better. So, I gave him one of mine. Instantly, he realized how much harder it was to use and you had to remember every setting if you ever hoped to get that sound that you got once upon a time. Meaning, at least by my definition, today is better. Yes, the past had a vibe, but the past is the past.
 
It's like recording… I know some people believe that music recorded on tape was somehow better, the sound more pure, or something like that. I have a friend recording their new album hoping to use that old technology. Hell, all she had to do was ask and I could have pulled my eight-track reel-to-reel out of the storage unit. I would have given it to her. Instead, she is indigogoing it. Like I say, all that kind of stuff costs way more money. And ultimately, for what? What does that equal? The average individual does not even possess the refined hearing to notice the difference.
 
But, was that sound actually better? Or, was it just different? Not to mention, in today’s audio technology, chick a button, activate an effect, and you can get that ambiance without all the hassle of recording on tape.
 
So, this is just something to think about. …Think about when you are trying to grab something from the past. Yes, maybe it was different. But, different does not necessarily make it better. At most, it just makes it harder to accomplish.