Yeah, a preamp would be very helpful. That's been a consideration for me, too. Thanks for the link, I bookmarked it. Maybe someday. I'd like to get back into the production side of things officially, at least through collaboration. It was a positive thing for me. I guess I'm a natural born performer, I get a great deal out of sharing my offerings and having them enjoyed. I write complete songs (various genres) in my head but with the gap between the finished product in my head, and my lack of knowledge of how to translate those elements into the DAW, it gets too frustrating for me and I find it ridiculously impossible to cope with learning the DAW step by step, it's like, I _need_ to get this entire song out, nowww before it's lost. It's almost like channelling, Lol. That's why collaborations with people who have ability with DAWs works a lot better for me. That's the prison of ADHD.
The practice tune I've been working on lately is actually Radiohead's 'There There', as it works really nicely for my range and I can torch song the hell out of it. It's fun. : D
Maybe try to keep things simple. The thing with DAWs seems to be that the immense amount of editing options can easily trigger a perfect loop of indecisiveness. If you're just trying to get that idea down on track you kinda want to be able to press record and go. If your strong point is performing, try to mimic somewhat of a live setting, and worry about (post)-production later. Use a basic set-up and keep it as much the same as possible, so you have something familiar to fall back on when the spirit comes a-knockin'. Fewer options aren't always a bad thing.
Or maybe not. I mean, I might be projecting a little much here. I'm still very much looking for a set up that works myself. Right now I've set things up to go into the computer, because it's handier when it comes to learning and playing along with things. But for recording or looking for ideas I'd rather have the signal go into my Portastudio, with the output of that being recorded on the computer or maybe even the old iphone. That way there's only a limited amount of buttons to push and knobs to turn, and no big computer screens to distract me.
A couple years ago I read an interview with John Frusciante on how he struggled with one album (can't recall the name) he recorded digitally, in a regular studio, because there were too many things to try. All the possibilities made it too enticing to keep searching how to make it better, how to weed out all the little mistakes and such, instead of just playing. Sort of what Radiohead experienced during the recording for Kid A and Amnesiac, but for them that ability to experiment aimlessly turned out to be a necessity.
Basically, for channeling, you need a channel. Dug and ready. Preferably as straight on as possible, with the fewest amount of locks possible. So when that inspiration comes along, it doesn't have to have to go into uncharted territory, but can sail right through. Easy breezy. It's somewhat off topic but I'm finding more and more importance in that principle. Having my typewriter in the open and always having a sheet of paper in it, makes me write more, because it's just there, ready to be used. The same with my woodworking tools, or the paint. Ideally I'd have a specific stand alone set up for every kind of task, but I'm not there yet. I used to rearrange all my furniture every few weeks. Now I'm sort of down to a summer and winter set-up, but it still itches. Anyway, as I said, somewhat off topic. Merely therapeutic.
Edit:
Not the article I intended, but same story. The album was Shadows Collide With People.
(Impossible not to tell me since I record with those tricks quite often.)
