#recordingstudio | MidiMike

Posts Tagged ‘#recordingstudio’

A new home for the ‘toys’

Posted: October 24, 2025 in live Sound Reinforcement, Midi Series, My Tunes, technology
Tags: #localbands, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musicbusiness, #musicequipment, #musician, #personal, #recordingstudio, #songwriter

I know I talk about music and great artists I have worked and played with over the decades. During all that time I had my share of more-than full time jobs. I started with plastics and the injecting molding industry. I went from being a ‘hopper boy’ to a plant manager. Later I got into sales – service – and managing with a few other trades thrown in there.

I retired from work a bout 4 years ago. Now it is time I retired from the music business as well….

I have gathered all my recording gear. Packed up my vintage keyboards and guitars and have the drums all torn down and headed toward shipping boxes. I will keep my songwriting instruments and gear I can’t part with yet. I will list the rest of the gear for sale on Sweetwater’s Exchange platform.

If you know a musician give them the link below. They might thank you for it!

https://www.sweetwater.com/used/storefront/midimike

I will thank you now. lol

I have had the link up for one day and I have sold two items already. I will be adding more for a few weeks.

On the Sweetwater Exchange site, just search for the MIDIMike store!

So now I leave you with a musical joke. You can fill in the blank, but the joke works the same!

Q: What do you call a Drummer (guitar player, singer______) that broke up with his girlfriend?

A: Homeless!

MIDIMike

Lyrics for ‘First Move’

Posted: June 27, 2025 in #poetry, My Tunes
Tags: #acoustic, #beforethechase, #closerlook, #easysong, #firstmove, #folk, #localbands, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #msk, #music, #musician, #ovationguitars, #poem, #poetry, #progressivefolk, #recordingstudio, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #Soundengineer, #syncopps, #takeacloserlook, #thechase, #vocalist

For a bit of prospect work, I wrote lyrics to an old 12 sting guitar jam of mine. I released ‘First Move’ as an instrumental track on my cd ‘Before The Chase‘ on February 25th, 2016.

(As a side note, one of the great cover/original bands I performed with live was ‘The Chase’. I also released a title called ‘After The Chase‘ in 2017. In both cases, auto-spelling correction wants to make the title : Before the Chase and After the Chase. Some on-line distributors would not accept the capitalized version in their listing. The reference to my former band mates does not jump out if it has a lower case ‘t’ for the. Now, back to my previous train of thought).

I really like the way the tempo and the groove combine to make an interesting driving-sports-workout jam. I use open tuning for the guitar, and that allows me to get those really clear harmonics to stand out. The lyrics reference the many people in my life that are truly amazing. Dedicated, hard working, dependable friends and strangers in the background making the world a better place for others. Doing the right thing – for no real reward and little recognition. Heroes are all around, they just don’t make that much noise.

‘Take A Closer Look’

“Take a Closer Look” © MSK 6/25/2025 (First Move)

It’s difficult to get going
Usually, it’s too hard to stop.
Heroes rise up against the wind
In spite of the inevitable drop.

Everyone has their place in life
But can not see it most of the time.
Not all of us become astronauts
Or Sherlock with the unsolvable crime.

Take A Closer Look
And you will see.

They guard over you silently
Yet never seem to get in the way.
Easy not to see them at first
But they are always ready to play.

One of them might be an artist
Musicians you truly understand.
A friend who has never failed you
Or strangers that gave you a helping hand.

Take A Closer Look
Take A Closer Look and you will see.

MIDIMike

My first computer was an Atari 1040 STE

Posted: February 1, 2025 in My Tunes
Tags: # mixer, #audio, #bands, #cdbaby, #chords, #computer, #DAW, #digital, #drummer, #drums, #education, #equipment, #guitar, #Instrument, #keyboard, #keyboardplayers, #MerchantsofDeath, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #mixing board, #music, #musicequiptment, #musician, #Presonus, #recordingstudio, #salesperson, #singersongwriter, #SMPTE, #songwriter, #Soundengineer, dailyprompt, dailyprompt-1835, Michael S Kennedy

Write about your first computer.

Unlike other computers available at that time, it had built in MIDI ports! This allowed musicians to connect the computer to the new generation of MIDI keyboards, sequencers and drum machines. MIDI stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface.

Later I got a job at a music store selling musical equipment and was given the nickname MIDIMIKE!

I still have the Atari and my Yamaha DX7 MIDI keyboard.

Midimike

Music for ‘It Only Takes One’

Posted: January 24, 2025 in My Tunes
Tags: #audio, #guitar, #guitarist, #korgnautilus, #lyrics, #Martinguitars, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #ovationguitars, #personal, #poetry, #recordingstudio, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #studio, #Studio1+, #studioengineer

I posted lyrics earlier for this new song and I have a mix of the music ready for “It Only Takes One“

I am working on the vocals now and will have some ‘filler’ tracks to add at some point. I used drum loops (edited and a bit tortured at times!) for the rhythm tracks. I play all the guitar tracks and added a MIDI bass guitar part from my keyboards ……. until the band can make it in for a session.

But for now, here is the instrumental version.

Happy New Year!

Just an Idea MSK 1981

Posted: February 27, 2024 in Poetry
Tags: #audio, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound

Clearly that is what this was, an idea, but I love the first verse in that it sets up the rest of the mood for the song. I also have a lot of driving references in my songs over the years. Easy analogies, and I am an analogy king. The line about putting away your toys is another question that pops up in my themes about musical equipment and my home studio. I am not sure how long I will continue to write and record original songs and local bands. I am not sure when but I cannot stop now so I have not written my last song yet.

It’s Easy to Die MSK 1990

Posted: February 20, 2024 in Poetry
Tags: #12string, #audio, #Cakewalk, #death, #lyrics, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #ovationguitars, #personal, #poetry, #recording, #recordingstudio, #reeltoreel, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound

Back with the morbid themes. A how to guide when the end of your life is here. A lesson from the wise and experienced. Dyeing is the easiest part. Once you are gone though, your story can be told by others. So be kind!

Is there Anything? MSK 2004

Posted: January 30, 2024 in Poetry
Tags: #audio, #Cakewalk, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #mididrums, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #singer, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound

Bucket lists have been a recurring thing now and then. In the earlier days I would think about crossing off something on the list before I die. Now my list has a bunch of things to do before someone else like the artist or performer dies! Back to the song, it is trying to inspire us to think of life as short for some but death happens to all of us as they say. What would you like to do? One of those was just to finish something to be proud of. To actually accomplish something good. But whatever it is, I want to take you with me when I do it.

If there is a Heaven MSK 2007

Posted: January 23, 2024 in Poetry
Tags: #audio, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #relationships, #religion, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound

I read these lyrics and know this is a compilation of feelings about my direct family. Many have suffered a bit over the years. I am sure most of it went untold and unshared. We are just like that. Back to the topic of heaven and death with this song. Great people are not forgotten. Good people give me reason to think of a heaven where I will indeed see them again. We have a strange way of dealing with extreme pain toward the end of life. We treat it like it is the last test or challenge you need to complete before you pass on.

I Gave it Back MSK 1980

Posted: January 16, 2024 in Poetry
Tags: #audio, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #reeltoreel, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound

I don’t remember a time when these lyrics and the music were separate. It has always been a slow groovin’ piece I usually played when no one was around and I was just jamming. Learning how to play sing with more power, but controlled. I must like juxtaposition and odd perspective observations but the thought that someone would give you their love that you would give it back. It can be taken both ways. Is giving their love back in addition to yours or does the word ‘but’ in the Chorus mean it is a rejection and you are refusing their love or a meaningless phrase? You can be the decider on that one.

In the Middle of the Day MSK 2005

Posted: January 9, 2024 in Poetry
Tags: #12string, #Cakewalk, #lyrics, #michaelskennedy, #Midi, #midicontroller, #midimike, #midimike.com, #music, #musician, #ovationguitars, #personal, #poem, #poet, #poetry, #poetrypod, #recording, #recordingstudio, #singersongwriter, #songwriter, #sound, #vocalist, #Yamaha DX7

I remember writing this when I was at work managing the call center at CMI. Everyone joked you could tell when it was a full moon – even in an underground bunker – just by listening to the calls we would get. People are just nuts sometimes and many times it is predictable. You can talk plainly and truthfully and make sense and they act as if you are torturing their grandparents or something. So coming back to work from lunch I notice there is a full moon.

MidiMike

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MSK original Songs

Posts Tagged ‘#recordingstudio’

A new home for the ‘toys’

Lyrics for ‘First Move’

My first computer was an Atari 1040 STE

Music for ‘It Only Takes One’

Just an Idea MSK 1981

It’s Easy to Die MSK 1990

Is there Anything? MSK 2004

If there is a Heaven MSK 2007

I Gave it Back MSK 1980

In the Middle of the Day MSK 2005

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Available on iTunes and CD Baby

Social Media

MSK original Songs

Posts Tagged ‘#recordingstudio’

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