1
Fixing my drum machine loop with a bent paperclip
My old Alesis SR16 kept skipping on beat 3 of my track and I spent 3 hours trying to solder new wires. I bent a paperclip to hold a loose contact inside while I recorded and it actually worked perfect for that one take. Has anyone else found a random household item that saved a recording session?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
jones.grace7d ago
It really does feel like half of music making is just MacGyvering stuff together at the last minute. @eric_johnson nailed it with that clothespin trick, I've done similar with binder clips on cables that were about to give up. It's funny how life works that way, the best solutions are usually the ones you stumble into when you've got zero time and a deadline breathing down your neck.
5
eric_johnson8d ago
That paperclip trick is brilliant. I have a similar story. An old Fostex 4-track I picked up at a garage sale had this really flaky headphone jack. I was trying to lay down a bass part late one night and the signal kept cutting in and out. Ended up using a wooden clothespin to clamp the cable plug at just the right angle into the jack. Held it there for the whole recording and it worked like a charm. Sometimes the simple stuff beats spending money on parts you don't actually need right then.
3