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MIGUEL ESCUETA FEATURED ARTIST
Interviewed By Paolo Toledo
essentially the same way, and basically only differ in their workflow and graphic interface. You simply have to try them out and find one that best suits your needs. Now that you've got your audio interface and your recording software, you're going to need a microphone at some point. A great budget-friendly way to start is by picking up the classic Shure SM58, since it is an excellent balance of price and quality, and would be a great first purchase. While it might not possess the transient clarity of condenser microphones, it definitely has a rugged quality and unique tone that will do the job well. If, however, you decide to first acquire a condenser microphone, the Rode NT1 is a popular choice, and would serve your needs while still weighing light on your pocket. Down the road of your expedition into audio recording, the last piece of gear you will need to get are studio monitors. These help immensely during the mixing process, as they produce a flat sound that can help you pick out problems in your mix Some great budget monitors would be M-Audio's BX5a, KRK Rokit and Behringer's Truth series, which have generally received positive feedback from users. Monitors cost quite a bit, and might probably be one of the last elements to add to your studio—although it doesn't diminish
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its importance in any way. You might also be wondering about soundproofing or acoustically treating your room, but this is guaranteed to run you quite a bit of money. A great alternative to room treatment would be to hang thick comforters in specific areas, which can reduce any latent feedback or unwanted reverb. Also a great way to soundproof would be to put up thick mattresses against the walls, because their thick mass can effectively prevent sound from escaping your project studio. While these suggestions might not be aesthetically pleasing, they are effective and relatively cheap in comparison. As you can see, setting up a simple home studio is not that difficult at all. You can upgrade your gadgets later on, but always remember that in the end, it doesn't really matter what equipment you use, but how you use it.
With two full-length albums, one EP, a slew of gigs & videos all over the airwaves, and a budding career all at his fingertips, Miguel Escueta is poised to make his own mark in the local pop-rock scene of this generation. Anyone who would see him perform, or even those that get to meet him personally, can attest to this artist’s joy and undeniable passion for what he does. But as we reveal in this piece, there is a lot more to the music and to the man. Time to get real with M.E., his new album, and his gadgets. You described your latest full album as “Organic, real and fresh.” How has your music grown in this direction coming from I AM M.E.? The music in “I AM M.E.” and the music in the new album are at both ends of the spectrum. “I AM M.E.” was really a raw album—a compilation of songs I had already written and recorded in an acoustic manner before official album recording and then transformed into full band versions. It was pretty much straightforward. The new originals that we’ve come up with have had the time to grow through time and in the studio. Some of them we even played LIVE in gigs before recording, so the material was already enhanced and we already knew what to do once we went into the studio. The band and I spend
a lot of time in the rehearsal studio arranging music before going into the official album recording phase. The songs on “I AM M.E.” were songs written and arranged in a span of three to four months while most songs on the new album had almost over a year being produced. I feel that I’ve grown so much as an artist since then and really can’t wait to share this new album with everyone. And more than anything, I feel the band and I have found our sound. “Organic, real and fresh” because I believe this is the most honest songwriting I’ve done. I feel I said in the way it had to be said.
Why is the album titled ‘Now It Starts’? Now It Starts is actually one of the original tracks on the album and I’m very proud of it. It portrays the alterative rock enthusiast that I am while still being mainstream—