You know that old, cheap, piece of trash gear you bought a long time ago when you were first getting into recording? That useless piece of junk that you threw in the back of the closet because it’s so awful that it’s not even worth the effort or expense to list on ebay? Use it.

Pull that thing out from under all the other junk you’re embarrassed to admit that you own, and make it the featured sound on your next recording or mix project. Not only will you find an exciting new sound that can be the center element to craft a unique mix around, but I bet you will find a whole new excitement about that old piece of garbage.

I did this a while back on a project I played guitar on. It was the perfect quirky element that allowed me to craft a space in the mix specifically for the guitar. Not only am I thrilled that I didn’t sell this piece of junk, now I proudly display it on the shelf next to all the other guitar toys I’ve collected.

Creating music is all about the story. The story within the song itself, and the underlying story of how the song was written, produced, and recorded. Not only does that old piece of garbage allow you to find new creativity, but it also becomes a part of your story as a record maker.

“What kind of keyboard is making that weird sound at the end of the chorus?”

“That’s not a keyboard. That’s actually a guitar run through this old piece of junk I had laying around.”

Photo by tombola2004. Licensed under a Creative Commons license.