Fox River Forge Studio

I think it's high time for an overhaul. After a few years of dormancy, I have begun efforts to get my little home studio back into working order. I'll try to post updates as we progress.

Ben is recording an intro for an upcoming episode of Plot Points!

This is was a recording session via Skype looks like!

Currently recording a Skype interview with Patrick Rothfuss for HyperCulture!

Well, finally got started on some long overdue maintenance around the studio in order to get ready to begin recording with 50 Breaks. I started with a change in software. Previously, I had been using Cubase LE4 which came with the hardware I use. After attending some lectures at
UW YouTube I decided to begin making the change to Reaper. It has gotten great reviews, appears to go a little easier on my CPU and seems like a real solid choice.

Next, I started work on getting my drum kit back into some reasonable state of repair. I ended up replacing some hardware components and a cymbal. I began replacing the heads on my toms which were pretty worn. I also discovered one of the brackets that hold one of the heads on was broken so I will have to fab something up since a visit to the music store and a good deal of Internetting couldn't locate a replacement. Maybe the guy over at Fox River Forge can help with that;) Overall, a good day!

As you may or may not know I have been a musician for most of my life. I've played guitar for almost 30 years and I am currently playing bass and guitar in a folk band and drums in a punk band. After a terrible experience with a private studio, I began creating my own recording studio. I was using whatever equipment I could scrounge up and keep running starting with two cassette players for overdubs, through a cassette 4-track and eventually into the world of digital audio workstations. Early last year, I was planning on doing a major overhaul of the studio which I had been saving for months to do. The computer I was using was geriatric and there were specific processes I needed to do that I just could B.S, my way around. It was time!

In late February of last year, however, my transmission went out....

I had to use all my studio money plus a small private loan to get it fixed. Whatever, that's how life goes was my attitude. I fixed my truck and began saving again for the upgrade. Fast forward to our annual Zombie Squad camping trip in April. Everything is going fine and that Saturday night my buddy Bryan called me over in front of the campfire and everyone else and presented me with, not only the money to rebuild my studio computer, but also a synthesizer I have been wanting to buy. Evidently, when my friend Margot heard about the transmission she called our ZS family and some of my other friend to see if they could raise money to help me out. The response was epic.

When they presented this to me I was so stunned I didn't know what to say, which for me is quite unusual. I stumbled through a thank you and ran off to my truck to get my emotions under control. Even now, writing this, I'm a little watery and choked up. It’s difficult to explain and I don’t know if I have the words to convey my gratitude. My friends and family both locally and within ZS made one of my dreams come true.

As I was stammering for something to say, I made mention that I wanted to write a Zombie Squad theme song.

So I did.

I figured out the chorus pattern in Bryan's jeep last year on the way back from range day while camping in Missouri with ZS. It's been gestating for several months and I finally captured it. I wrote and performed all the instruments and lead vocals. I had fellow Zombie Squad members Cliff, Tracy and Joe come to the studio after our chapter meeting and help with the backing vocals. I'm very excited to share it with you.

There is little left to say beyond thank you. I hope you enjoy this little tribute.

https://soundcloud.com/rainbird-studio/zombie-squad-clubhouse

Zombie Squad Clubhouse This is a "Theme Song i wrote for Zombie Squad. Learn more about this awesome organization at www.zombiehunters.org Zombie Squad Clubhouse By Chris Koterba (Based on the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Theme

A little bit of a tease from an upcoming post.

Ben from Plot Points is on NPR!

Listener Dangerous Idea on Mythmaking Ben Riggs' Dangerous Idea?  Role-Playing Games represent the most significant development in the history of myth in perhaps centuries.

Not only recording a new podcast with Ben, we have Skyped in a guest speaker! An interesting challenge.

I'd like to throw a huge shout out to my buddy and 50 Breaks bandmate Matt. We experienced a "blue screen of death" and suffered the loss of over an hour of content. I called Matt and he made some suggestions, did some research and was able to help prevent this from happening in the future. When he came over to help unload gear from the gig last night, he spent even more of his time diagnosing and troubleshooting. We are now confidently back at green light status.

Matt works in I.T. and spends all week keeping things running in the computer world and like many, many others he regularly gets questioned by friends and family about their equipment. Those of us with friends like this should regularly show our appreciation to those www.wizards that keep us afloat in this sea of technology. Buy them a beer, give them a hug or more appropriately, leave them the hell alone on the weekend!

Thanks again!

This is a wonderful and inspiring article. There are point here I like to think I live by and a couple challenges I'm going to try. Please take a moment and read it. What do you think

Are You a Freelance Listener? An article about listening with an open mind and finding inspiration in everything.

Had a great day working with Brian Drow recording some demo's. 7 songs recorded with overdubs, mixed and burned to CD in 5 hours. Plus I had the awesome experience of capturing an electric guitar solo using an acoustic guitar and the smallest full stack I've ever seen. It was a great time.