They say constraints breed creativity, but this week was a genuine struggle. I’m trying to move past just “ticking the box” and actually find a spark each week. That spark finally came from a spring on my desk lamp.

I’ve been messing around with the Koala Sampler app (mostly making fart noises with my son), but for this track, I used it to sample the resonant “boing” of my desk lamp. With some heavy processing, it turned into a moody, radar-like signal that set the tone for the whole piece.

Gear used this week:

• Percussion/Atmosphere: Koala Sampler (Desktop mount spring sample)
• Synth Bass: TAL Noise-Maker (Played via PC keyboard!)
• Guitar: Squire Stratocaster
• Video: Multi-layer overdub performance

I’m currently at a crossroads—do I buy the Arturia Minilab 3, the Roland S1, or just give in and get both? If you have thoughts on which I should grab first, let me know in the comments!

Next week might be more Koala exploration, or I might go full “unplugged” with an acoustic guitar. We’ll see where the mood takes me.

See you next Friday!

Week 4 of my Sonic Experiments! 🎹

I’m officially on a roll—four weeks in a row of sitting down with zero plan and seeing what happens. I still haven’t pulled the trigger on a hardware synth or MIDI controller, so I’m still rocking the PC keyboard as a virtual controller.

There’s something liberating about the “no-plan” approach. I usually overthink everything I create, so these weekly sessions are my way of fighting perfectionism. Last week’s 2-hour limit was a total surprise, and while I didn’t set a hard timer today, the energy stayed fast and loose. These videos are all about exploring sound without overthinking the outcome.

​The Setup 🎸 

Software: Reaper

Instruments: PC Keyboard, Squire Strat, 

​Processing: EQ, Compression, Reverb, 

​Plugins: TAL Noise-Maker, Guitar Rig 5

Help me pick the next challenge!

• Should I try a specific genre? 
• Should I do a cover? (Stranger Things is calling my name…)
• Want to see me work under a specific limitation? (1 hour?!)