I have to agree that it is a great time to be a musician. The music
electronics industry has followed its own "Moore's Law" type progression,
quite possibly due to its dependance on microprocessor technology. Bottom
line is that you can get enormous quantities of sound generating horsepower
for peanuts now and even the analog components (like mixing consoles) have
plummetted in cost (All Hail Greg Mackie!) and increased in quality. It is
finally possible and cost effective for a single individual to compete
head-to-head with million dollar studios. I love this fact, because I
remember when it was very expensive to really get into professional audio
production. The last few years has been a real equalizer for musicians,
allowing the music industry to become a little more decentralized.
I am already planning (financially) my re-entry into the music scene. Music
is probably my only purely artistic talent, and I have regretted selling my
equipment every day since I sold it. Creating music was a superb outlet for
my brain that I have not been able to replace, and I have suffered for the
lack of it.
-James Rogers
jamesr@best.com