Andre's diary...

In Tune Guitar Picks Endorsement

2008-05-02T00:30:00.002+02:00

00:30 I'm happy to announce that I have entered an endorsement relationship with In Tune Guitar Picks.

I have been in touch with Bert LeCato, the president of the company, for a while now and finally I can make this official. I am working on some cool designs for guitar picks, and they should become available within the next few weeks/months.

Can't wait to use them live!

Guest appearance tomorrow...

2008-02-29T11:48:00.002+01:00

11:49 I will be playing as a guest with the Fredy Fresquet band tomorrow here in Barcelona. I just found out about this... We'll play a couple of Clapton tunes, it seems.

I still don't know exactly where the place is. If I find out before tomorrow, i'll have it posted here and on the website for if you want to come out.

If you are there, come up and say hi.

2008-02-27T19:02:00.002+01:00

19:02 I know, I've been so terrible with my posts lately. I have been very busy recording the guitars for Power World Fantastic, and as always, I also had to attend to all kinds of different things related to the completion of the album, and the survival of my career as an instrumental guitarist :)...

Things are going well, my ATSG guitar will be back in my hands in a couple of days after an emergency fret change, and recording is progressing well. As I have announced on the website, I'm now endorsing Lava cables. They are truly amazing and solder-less. Still, the sound is phenomenal. New flight cases are also being shipped to my house from Germany, in preparation for live concerts whcih will be announced in the next month.

I have also been busy with another exciting project which will be discussed in due time.

More on all this (hopefully) soon...

Endorsement news

2008-01-19T02:52:00.000+01:00

2:34 A long day of back and forth with a truly creative gentleman regarding an endorsement that will be announced if and when this thing goes through. As long as there are no changes in the terms we have agreed on so far, I'll green light the project and will put it up on our website. Kind of a useless post, but... just letting you know what's up...

Alive!

2008-01-11T23:52:00.000+01:00

00:00 Sorry for the long silence. I have been very busy setting up the new studio, going on a short hoilday with my family, and setting up the guitar recording sessions for Power World Fantastic, which are set to begin very shortly.

There has been a short delay in the recording due to a silly accident I was involved with at home that put my left middle and ring finger out for about 2 weeks. Thank you for your kind messages I have received since the news of this wnet up on the official website. I am fine and this will have no consequence whatsoever on my playing. But it is annoying and made me lose some precious time. Here's a pic of my hand about a week ago:

It looks real bad but it was mainly for protecting the finger while skiing. Yes, I know, how can you go skiing like that? Well, I hurt myself the day before leaving to Switzerland and the options were to stay at the hotel for a week or to go out and try to be careful. I was a bit scared but I am glad to report that my hand is recovering well and I have been playing for the last few days, and the discomfort is diminishing daily.

So, thanks a lot for your concern and for reading this, I hope you enjoy the pics.

UnCaged

2007-12-06T19:15:00.000+01:00

19:16 Been busy on the record. This kind of work takes time, especially when doing everything yourself, but things are moving smoothly. It came to my attention today that there is a great new opportunity for all of us (whether you live in Europe or not), help make this planet a better place. And who can say no to that?

So just to be brief, the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research has started a petition to end all animal research in Europe and as always with this kind of things, the more signatures, the better.

In case you have your mind already made up about this, sign the petition here: http://www.endeuanimaltests.org/sign.php

For more info on the subject, find it here: http://www.endeuanimaltests.org

Deadline is 21 December. I know this has nothing to do with music, but it is something of historical proportions and if we can make the cause a bit better known, why not. This is a crucial step in the right direction, so sign, sign, sign...

New Website Goes Online!

2007-11-15T03:08:00.000+01:00

3:09 The all-new Official Website is now online. There are a few things needing to be fixed, but in general, you should be able to access most parts of the website.

Let me know what you think!

Ramos Guitars Inauguration

2007-11-02T17:11:00.000+01:00

17:12 I'm off to Barbera' for the inauguration of Jose Ramos' new shop. He has put together a great new place and today is his big day.

I'll try to post some pictures later...

It's Here...

2007-10-20T01:08:00.000+02:00

01:10 What a week. First of all, as you can see by the new website's front page, I finally got my hands on the very first model of the AT Signature Guitar. The guitar is amazing and everything I had in mind when I started designing it months ago. I really think something important has been achieved, which is a perfect balance between innovation, tradition, and creativity, all within the most comfortable instrument I have ever played. Very soon we'll announce the details for ordering the instrument. Also, look out for a video feature on the guitar to be released on the web in the next couple of weeks.

Anyway, the beautiful photo you see was shot during a session with Italian photographer Federico Janni. We flew him out to Barcelona and took tons of pictures, including some for the album cover (assuming there are no changes...). I'll see if I can dig up some pics of the studio setup.

In a few days the guitar will have to go through one last setup adjustment, and it will be ready for recording. More news as soon as I have 'em.

Almost There...

2007-10-06T01:22:00.000+02:00

01:25 Today was an exciting day, when I finally got a chance to see the guitar, or parts of it, in their final version. I had received pictures from the painter of the work in progress, but the real thing looks even better. There's always a little apprehension when something you have been waiting for and working on for a long time finally comes to fruition, but it just vanished as soon as Jose Ramos showed me the body of the guitar in all of its freshly painted beauty. See for yourselves:

The reason Jose came to see me today was to sign the headstock of the guitar. We had a long discussion on whether we should use some more mechanic methods such as printing the signature, or rather to sign it by hand. In the end we agreed that if the whole instrument is hand made, it would be a shame to spoil it with a "fake" signature. So he came over today for the seemingly simple task of signing the headstock. Well, I don't know if it was the surface, the marker, or just the pressure to for once in my life write something intelligible, but it took me ages and a thousand tries in order to get it right. Jose was at the ready with an alcohol soaked rag to clean after my messes the whole time! In the end, thanks to tons of perseverance and a bit of luck, I managed to scribble a decent enough signature.

The neck is now back with the painter as the headstock has yet to be polished. It will eventually look like the body of the guitar. Tho body is now in Jose's hands for assembly.

If it all goes according to plan, I will fnally get to play the thing Thursday or Friday, depending on our schedules. And that will be the trial by fire. Until then, I'll just look at the pictures and drool...

Random Pictures

2007-09-29T21:29:00.000+02:00

21:29 Well not really random. Just from a few things I've been doing lately. Not of this has distracted me from the album, and there should be plenty of pictures of the guitar in about 10 days when I finally get my guitar back from the painter. Meanwhile, I was invited to the final Copa Leon Series race in Montmelo, near Barcelona. Marcelo and his ST Racing team were fighting for the points but were struck by bad luck, with one black flag and the other driver finishing just outside the points.
Here's a few pics from the race, and at the main straights right before the red lights went off.

On that same day, there wee races from a bunch of other formulas, such as BMW, Formula3, Polo Cup, and the world famous DTM. Here's me with double Formula1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen after his morning tests with the Mercedes DTM teams.

Also this past week I hhave been studying to get my Nautical License, although it's hard to find the time amidst all the music stuff. Hopefully the gods of karma will assist me the day of the exam, I'll need it! In the meantime, I've been spending my weekend doing all the mandatory practical classes, which are a lot more fun that sitting in a classroom.

I'll post more info about the guitar as soon as I can. Also, I have almost completed all of the bass tracks for the record. More on that later...

Signature Guitar Update - Final Meeting

2007-09-16T00:37:00.000+02:00

00:40 Today (technically yesterday) Jose Ramos and I had our final meeting regarding the guitar. The lovely Miss Hidalgo came along and took some great pictures. This is a great one of... me!

The instrument is complete and in the next four or five days he will be polishing the body, mainly the contouring, based on the last directions I gave him today. In general, he had already done an amazing job, but a few things had to be changed in order to make it just right. And here, any small changes means taking file and sand paper and getting your hands dirty. I have to admit, when I saw him take this big file and start scrubbing it on MY instrument, I got scared.

My main concern today was getting the axis at which the forearm connects with the body of the guitar to be correct, and we spent plenty of time with that, as it is one of the key elements in an instrument.

One other extremely important thing was fretboard access, and some work needed to be done at the juncture of body and neck in order to make the higher frets easily accessible. I am feeling so very happy and priviledged with this beautiful instrument, I can;t wait to put it on tape for you to hear.

I have a meeting this Wednesday to make all final decisions regarding the electronics of the guitar, and probably next week we'll be meeting with the painter. Once he is done, I'll finally get to do something, adding the signature on the headstock! What would they do without me!

Monza 2007 Formula 1

2007-09-09T23:01:00.000+02:00

23:01 Finally getting some rest. Like last year, I was lucky enough to have invitations for the Italian Formula 1 Gran Prix and spent the last two days at Monza's circuit. Things didn't go too well for Ferrari but the weekend was tons of fun as always. I brought a couple of friends along with me and they were awestruck as it was the first time they access to the behind the scenes of motorsports.

And here's a picture for those of you who are in Spain, as you will no doubt recognize the two fine gentlemen here with me:

This is me with Antonio Lobato and Victor Seara. If you watch F1 in Spain, you'll be quite used to their colorful and passionate (especially Lobato's) live commentary of the races.

Just before flying to Italy I finished editing bass and drums for the first song of the record and it's sounding great. Starting tomorrow I will enter crunch mode for the album and might be a bit absent from these pages, but I'll try to keep those of you who are interested updated on the process.

Hurricane Dean

2007-08-22T22:20:00.001+02:00

15:20 Just a quick note regarding hurricane Dean. Thanks for the emails and the messages, we are fine and enjoying the beach and all the other beautiful things Mexico has to offer.

The hurricane was supposed to hit us right in the middle, but it deviated to the south about 20 hours before landing on the shores of Yucatan. We got away with strong winds and tons of rain. Hopefully all the people in the south are safe.

We´ll post more in about a week when I get back home.

The songs are great!

Back in 2 Weeks...

2007-08-10T16:11:00.000+02:00

16:11 Gettin gall the last minute things ready. The airport pickup is coming in 30 minutes, hopefully I won't forget anything crucial like the passport, or even worse the guitar. Here's the stuff I'll be traveling with:

Last night I got all the backig tracks ready for rehearsig the new songs, and I have to say that the album is sounding really good. It was the first time I heard all of thhe tracks together, in the order they will likely appear in the CD, and I liked it quite a bit. Anyway, I'll try to post from Mexico, but if I don't, I hope you all have a great two weeks. Do something fun every day!

Hasta pronto...

Bridge Is In - Drums Editing

2007-08-07T16:49:00.000+02:00

16:49 Just finished the final editing and pocketing of the drums for the title-track. I'll have to do this for every song, hopefully before leaving to Mexico this weekend. By then I should receive Gigi's bass tracks to take them with me for rehearsing.

The guitar should be ready not too long after my return, hopefully by early September. So I guess that instead of recording all the instruments and then editing them, I'll just get the drums and bass tracks ready to go and then start recording all the guitars for all the songs. Either way, this is hours and hours of work, but hopefully we won't have to delay the album from the scheduled October/November release date. The good news is that all the parts for the guitar are now in Mr. Ramos' hands, and considering the amount of misadventures that happened, that's no small feat!

Before leaving on Friday I will try to post a picture of my travelling setup, for those who are interested in keeping their chops up while globetrotting...

AT Guitar Neck

2007-07-29T23:26:00.000+02:00

23:27 Great news today as I received confirmation that the Lo-Pro bridge, the only missing piece we were still waiting for, should be in my hands early this week. I will be leaving to Mexico in a couple of weeks, so this is great news as Jose will be able to work on the instrument while I'm not here. Without the bridge, it is impossible to shape the body around it.

But Mr. Ramos has been hard at work on the neck of the guitar, which is now officially ready (minus the signature and the paint). He was kind enough to send me some pictures. As you can see, the work is top notch and as clean and precise as it is humanly possible!

Drums Editing Part II

2007-07-19T12:29:00.000+02:00

12:30 Yesterday we finished the recording of all drum tracks. I am now editing the last 4 songs, making minor adjustments, and ggetting a very rough mix into place for Gigi to record his bass parts.

Hopefully this week or the next I will recieve my Hohner guitar and the new pocket POD. With that, I'll be able to take all the rhythm tracks with me to Mexico, rehearse them, and record as soon as I come back in September. Hopefully the signature guitar will be ready by then. So, everything needs to fall into place, but I'm sure it will all work out in the end. I just want to get this thing out there and show it to you...

Oh by the way, sorry if any of you went out to El Chamuco following my advice last week. They changed their menu from delicious vegetarian to below average general cooking. We had the only vegetarian option they offered, and it was terrible. And the girls who ran the place are not there anymore, apparently.

Good News

2007-07-13T21:57:00.001+02:00

21:57 The bridge for the sigbature guitar should make its way here in a week or two, and we'll be finally able to get going with the body of the guitar. Things are looking bright. We still haven't decided on the wood. Could be basswood or mahogany. Jose Ramos is building a basswood prototype and we'll then decide which body to use.

Out to dinner now to El Chamuco, a small vegetarian mexiacn restaurant. It's great, and run by two mexican girls. The whole place is covered in artwork from the El Santo movies. If you think mexican wrestling is funny, you haven't seen anything until you see The Man in The Silver Mask: El Santo!

Anyway, great food and great people, if you are in Barcelona check it out.

Tomorrow we'll finally be able to record some ore drum tracks. More on that later...

Delays....

2007-07-10T23:30:00.000+02:00

11:30 There have been some delays with the recording. Eric had a previous commitment and couldn't make it to the studio as planed. But he's all mine next weekend, so we should be back on track very soon.

In the meanwhile, Gigi Modugno from Italy has already received all the demos and the first drums tracks to jam to. You will no doubt remember him from his previous collaborations with me. The guy is a genius, I have always said it and always will. I can't wait to see what he comes up with.

So amidst the delays and difficulties that are common in a self produced endeavour of this magnitude, things are progressing in a happy and artistic manner.

The only real problem we are facing is with the AT Signature guitar as one key piece to the construction process is missing. We have it on order but there seems to be no way to get it. I am now considering my options...

Drums Editing Part I

2007-07-02T13:51:00.000+02:00

13:51 Just finished editing the drums for the title track (soon to be announced). Eric came by yesterday and we were able to record two songs. He had never recorded with a V-drum, but was quickly able to adjust to it and we were up and running in no time. But I still had to go in today and fix some things, such as velocity and timing, probably caused by the machine itself. In the end, the tracks are sounding great, and have retained the human feel and Eric's style. Here's a picture of the very talented Mr. Drummer at work (checking out the ladies in the swimming pool, I guess):

Drums Sessions

2007-06-30T23:43:00.000+02:00

11:50 Just finished setting up the e-drums for tomorrow's session. We'll be using a Roland kit along with the finest drums program available , by the great guys over at Digidesign. It's kind of like having the most expensive kits, with the most expensive microphones, but at your house.

Eric is coming over tomorrow morning for the first recording session, which will hpefully be a productive one. I think we should be able to finish the drums over the next week or two.

More news tomorrow...

Back from Italy

2007-06-27T01:25:00.000+02:00

1:25 I was gone for a few days to see my family in Milan. Went out for dinner a few times, surrounded by non vegetarians. Restaurants in Italy are not quite the best choice if you don't eat meat or fish, but there's always pasta, focaccia, salads, and great fruit.

But more and more people stop looking at me like I'm some wierd person, and get interested in it, which is nice for a change. It helps that I do lots of sports and don't have the emaciated look that is usually (and wrongfully) associated with vegetarians.

Speaking of health, suggest all of you out there go see the new Michael Moore movie, Sicko. If you are in the States, you really need to watch it, and if you are anywhere else in the world, it will make you feel quite happy about where you live. Some people like Moore a lot and some really hate him, but I don't see how could anyone argue with what is presented in this movie.

Anyway, Saturday I will have a business lunch regarding a deal outside of music which should be interesting, and then spend the afternoon setting up the drums for the first recording session for the new album on Sunday...

Recording Schedule

2007-06-18T23:20:00.000+02:00

23:20 Talked to Eric last night about recording the drums for the new record. I will be gone this weekend, but before leaving I will be putting together a bunch of demos of the songs for the album and send them to him. We will be recording drums starting July 1, and for the whole week. If all goes well, we should have that done in three to four days.

The whole record will be produced and engineered here in my studio, but I have decided to not perform all the instruments myself. I might want to do it in the future and will most likely give myself some room on some songs, but I think this record will benefit from a more collective effort.

We will be filming the whole thing, too. I will be also mixing the album on my Pro Tools rig, but will leave the mastering into other hands. I believe you do need some fresh ears at least at one stage of the process. I have a good idea of who's going to do it, but nothing's for sure yet.

More news to come.

Signature Guitar first orders.....

2007-06-16T17:03:00.000+02:00

17:03 The first orders for the signature guitars have come in, which is really cool considering how the first instrument has not been finished yet. For those of you who are interested in getting one or finding out more about it can get in touch with me or with Jose Ramos.

As soon as the instrument is ready we will be making a special webpage for it, with pictures, specs, and I think a price too, but that is up to Mr Ramos. I was always very conscious durig the design stage that I did not want too much personalization on my part, as far as big signature and having my name engraved on every fret of the instrument. The idea was to make a great, comfortable guitar with great tone, and leave my personalization to that. I will have a signature on the headstock and nothing else. I understand people will be thrilled about owning a great hand-made guitar, and that would be enough.

Anyway, one more thing is that after some long talks with Ramos, we reached a great balancing point as far as the price goes. More details to come, but you won't be disappointed.

Inspiration Strkes Back (Thankfully...)

2007-05-29T02:08:00.000+02:00

2.08 The last week and a half has been one of those frustrating and depressing times when no matter how many hours you spend with your guitar, nothing good comes out of it. It is not the first time this has happened to me, but this time was a very prolonged lack of even the most remotely interesting idea...

I usually just get into it real heavy, with long sessions of writing. I write, write, write, until a good melody pops up and open the gates wide open. The idea is, keep playing and recording. I tried that this time and I kept writing what I considered very mediocre ideas, but the gates never opened. In 10 days, I started, developped, and abandoned 5 or 6 songs. It was hopeless.

But then tonight, out of nowhere, comes this magic, heavy, funky riff which is just perfect for the record and will fit in nicely within the concept of this album. A lush, cosmic, but straight rock guitar record. The level of exictement is high, but after putting all the good bits on tape, I am off to bed and tomorrow will pick it up again with fresh ears. I am just glad this inspirational drought is over, and I hope this serves as encouragement to all the composers out there.

Speechless

2007-05-26T01:31:00.000+02:00

1:31 I had to post this as I am left speechless:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/24/arts/24crea.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

More posts coming this weekend, wiith some cool pictures and guitar updates. But this is too much...

Pictures

2007-05-09T01:30:00.000+02:00

1:30 Last Sunday I drove to Jose Ramos' for what was probably the most important meetin yet. The guitar was kind of put together, at a very raw level. So the idea this time was to provide Jose with enough information to transform two square chunks of wood into a playable instrument. This meant deciding what to lose and where, mainly, but also figuring out seemingly trivial solutions such as positions of the knobs and pickup selector, frets type and shape, and a bunch of other things.

Here you can see the body and its shape based on the 2d drawing. The left horn will lose quite a bit of wood. Also, both horns will be carved down a few millimeters. There were about 15 points on my list of things we need to change, so it wasquite an involved process.

Decisions were also made regarding the overal contoure of the body which will make it, at least in my ideal projections, the most comfortable guitar out there.

One last thing I was worried about was the bridge. I'm not sure the Original Floyd Rose we put in right now is the best choice, particularly because of its high profile. Sp right now I am considering other bridges and see what fits best.

Sorry for not posting for a while, but I was very busy editing the film from both sessions, and for some reason had huge problems with passing the video to the computer. It seems that everything is working now, and i'll be conducting an interview with Jose Ramos to use along with the footage. Also, I have finally figured out what to use as an inlay on the 12th fret, more on that later when it's confirmed as "possible"...

More to come soon and to those out there who might be checking this page for updates, I apologize for disappearing sometime. I will try to be more consistent in the future.

AT Guitar is real!

2007-05-02T20:27:00.000+02:00

8:27 As with most things we get very excited and involved about, there is always that feeling of "will this ever really happen", and "will it be worth all the time and energy?".

While I knew the answer to the first question, the second one was dependent on so many factors that you never really know. Well, yesterday I recevied the first picture of the Andre Tonelli Signature Guitar. Indulge me for writing my name there, but it makes me feel important...Just kidding. Anyway, Jose Ramos emailed the picture of the guitar in a somewhat primitive stage but... it is a guitar!

There are some minor adjustments we will need to make, but he will need me for that. We'll need to take out a cm, here, 2 there, but everything is looking just as I envisioned it when I drew it. I know, no pitcures, but there will be plenty of info on the guitar later on.

Late Night Updates...

2007-04-21T02:43:00.000+02:00

2:43 Going to bed, but here's some quick news:

1. The Signature Guitar has passed the first approval. The 2D drawing has been completed and we'll soon start cutting wood! Also, all the materials and pieces we need have been received, so things should go smoothly from now on.

2. Finally got around to ordering acoustic foam for my studio. Hopefully in a couple of weeks we'll have the whole thing ready. My studio is a small, cozy room with a beautiful view but... not so great acoustics. It's not really a problem for demoing the songs, but for recording and mixing, it won't do unless it is properly conditioned. I'll have photos of the setup once I get the foam for those out there who are putting together a studio.

Off to bed,,,

Andalucia

2007-04-14T01:05:00.000+02:00

1:05 Last week we spent a few days in Andalucia, one of the southern regions of Spain, and home of Flamenco music. Most of the country's famous luthiers are from here, and the classical and flamenco guitars of Cordoba and Granada are some of the most beautiful instruments in the world.

I am lucky to have a friend in Cordoba, a very respected master of guitar making by the name of Juan Montero Aguilera. We were spending a few days in Malaga and decided to take the train to Cordoba on Tuesday to visit Master Aguilera in his "taller". All my trips there are lots of fun, and full of anecdotes. He has made guitars for some of the greatest players, from Juan Serrano to Vicente Amigo, to Paco De Lucia. Soon you will be able to know him better as I have decided to make a web page for him. It just came out of my mouth during a conversation, and I just hope I can find the time to do it. We took lots of pictures, and he gave me some of his own to use for the website. Here's the two of us with a new guitar he is working on.

And here's a picture of Malaga's cathedral and one of Cordoba's famous patios. Cordoba and Granada (and Sevilla) alone are reason enough for a visit to Spain.

Hope this will spark some interest in you to discover the beauties of Spain. Oh, and lots of Flamenco here, too!

AT Signature Update

2007-04-07T00:08:00.000+02:00

12:08 Spent the afternoon at Mr Ramos'. After many meetings about planning, chosing, and imagining, today was the day the hands on process began. He had a 2D drawing of the guitar, based on all the sketches and ideas I had given him, and the purpose of tday's visit was to give a final shape to the instrument so that he can start working with the raw materials.

What was supposed to be a quick run-through with minor changes turned into a long and involved process. This seems to happen a lot to me, with everything I do. Fortunately, Jose Ramos is a very talented artist, and also very dedicated to his craft, so he didn't mind all the comments and changes I proposed. He took everything very seriously and could turn all my abstract inspirations into reality.

Everything was recorded and will eventually be edited into a more or less coherent video, along with the rest of the porcess we'll be able to document.

Here's a few pictures from today:

Shooting Begins...

2007-04-03T23:13:00.000+02:00

23:14 We have scheudled a trip over to Mr Ramos' home to start documenting the process of building the AT Signature model. He called today saying he had the 2D drawing ready for me to go over and point out all the changes I want to make. We'll be putting everyting on tape for a future release of a little Behind The Scenes featurette coinciding with the CD after the summer.

I haven't figured out yet how we'll be doing this, but here are some options:

1. Include a DVD in the CD package, with different extras such as the making of the guitar, the making of the album, maybe some live footage...;

2. Include the extras as CD content that you can read from the music disc itself by putting it into your computer;

3. Putting it on the website for people to download it and not making you buy a CD+DVD package.

Opinions are welcome.

Mr Luthier Revealed...

2007-03-23T16:38:00.000+01:00

13:37 Off to a "business lunch" with Mr Luthier to discuss further development of the guitar. HHopefully there will be god news to report... Last tiem we talked, he was going to work on a 2D drawing for the guitar, and get all the parts we need ordered from the repective manufacturers.

16:34 We discussed many thingns over lunch today, the main being the lutheir's secret identity issue. Well, here's his name: Jose Ramos. To those in the know, the name will ring familiar. Slowly, I will be updating more random information as I see fit on these pages. Officialy, we'll disclose all the info a bit later, coinciding with the recoridng of the record.

We also discussed the idea of documenting the whole manuufacturing process. We are working on that right now. So lots of interesting things to come in the near future....

Bass Practice

2007-03-21T13:20:00.000+01:00

13:20 I put myslef on a schedule for practicing bass: one hour every night before going to bed. As some of you know, I have often played bass on my own recordings and demos, although most of my releases feature a "real" bass player. I consider myself an under par bassist, and have decided to pursue a better level of musicianship on the instrument. Obviously, finger dexterity and knowledge of the instrument is a big advantage, and the technical part of learning the instrument comes very easy to me. What I am tryinng to focus on is the musical aspect of the instrument, its function, and of course some more advanced techniques.

The idea is to perform on at least a few of the songs for the new album. I will still call on a few friends to help me out on some tracks, and to add their own distinct voice to the recordings. This is another bonus of delaying the release of the record in order to use the long awaited (for me, at least!) AT signature guitar.

Pro Tools

2007-03-18T12:50:00.000+01:00

12:51 Spent all day yesterday trying to finish the new song, and things have definitely improved. The album is coming together nicely. The idea is to make a record of only strong material, rather than having 3 or 4 good songs and a bunch of guitar solos. I think the major obstacle is retaining objectivity, in the sense that sometimes you have a very good idea but kill it in its infancy through being overly critical and not giving it a chance to grow. So I've been trying to run with an idea a bit more, to see where it can go. This song is definitely a good example of this. On the other hand, you want to be careful and not waste a lot of time with something that is not really good in the first place. But how do you know?

For the recording geeks out there, here's a couple of pics from the Pro Tools demo session of the new song.

Record Delayed, Guitar News...

2007-03-15T16:07:00.002+01:00

16:07 As you can tell from the title, the release of the recrod has been delayed to September/Ocotber, 2007. The main reasons are that the guitar that is being built for me requires a certain amount of time. Even we rushed trhough the process (not wise anyway) it won't be ready for at least 3 months. That would mean putting the record out in July. July and August are probably the worst two months for releasing anything. The possibilities for promotion are almost null, and people are more intersted in going to the beach than in buying new instrumental guitar music! After a long internal debate, I decided that the guitar needs to be on the record, first of all because I want to play it, and second of all because I feel it is only fair to use the record to help promote the instrument. This will also give more time to polish the material, the artwork, and so on.

Yesterday I had a meeting over lunch with Mr Luthier, and we discussed things in further detail. The guitar is looking good. It is a complicated effort to create something original but valid. It has a somewhat classic shape, with a few adjustments that make it tailored to my exact needs. Anyway, a 2D drawing is being made now, and after my approval we'll be starting building the actual thing. More on this later...

Perseverance

2007-03-14T00:57:00.000+01:00

00:58 Just stopped working on the same new song (not so new anymore...). It is very rare for me to pursue an idea as far as I am pursuing this one. Usually, either I can pluck the song out of the air fairly easily and quickly, or I consider myself not ready for it and park it for a while. But this time I made a point of bettering myself through the writing of this record, and I believe this song is perfect for the album, so I went the opposite way. I couldn't get this piece of music together if my life depended on it, but through a lot of hours and disciplined effort, I am starting to learn a lot about myself as a guitarist, my preconcieved notions of what a melody should and should not do, and all the barriers that seem to fall into place when inspiration only strikes halfway. I know there's a good song in there, and I have pieces of it, but the rest is seemingly beyond my reach right now. So while most songs usually come to me pretty quickly and are later crafted into complete musical pieces, this time I am trying to do the opposite: pealing all the layers off a perfectly good song that I miopically am trying to turn into something that is not. The first little victory was to realize my mistake. And now lots of hard work and very frustrating moments await me... but the possible reward is worthless: honest, transparent, inspired creations. Isn't that the reason we're musicians in the first place? And getting skirt, of course...

New Songs, Guitar Update...

2007-03-11T11:34:00.000+01:00

11:34 Been working on a new song last night and this morning. I was just abou to drop it, since it sounded really good but didn't really have life, if you know what I mean. Then I figured I'd try and raise the tempo on ti and see what it would do. It worked out really well and the song is now back in the batch I'll record for the record. Sometimes you start recording at a tempo that seems appropriate and your ears kind of lock into that tempo, making it difficult to recognize the mistake later on. It was actually a quite casual adjustment and it worked perfectly. So there's some good news.

As for the guitar, I have designed a headstock and I think I am done with the body, too, pending approval from the nameless luthier who is building it for me. This week we are meeting to discuss the final decisions regarding the type of wood we will use. Right now, the decision is between basswood and mahogany for the body, while everything else has been sort of figured out. I had a very clear idea of all the characteristics the guitar should have, such as neck width, length, radius, pickups and their configuration, and so on. According to Mr X, basswood of the finest quality (the only way to go for a very high quality guitar) is difficult to find here in Europe and he will need to check out different distributors to see if he can find one. High quality mahogany is instead easier to find, so that's where we're at right now.

If you notice quite a bit of secrecy about all this, it's because there are written and oral contracts to respect, among all parties involved. Also, the idea behind the instrument is intellectual property, which has to be protected, and so on...

But I'll try my best to post interesting information for those out there who are interested.

Signature AT Guitar...

2007-03-05T15:10:00.000+01:00

15:10 After all the talk about an endorsement, the first big announcement I can make is that a famed Spanish luthier will hand build a guitar to my exact specifications. This is an endorsement I am absolutely proud of. Getting an artesan to trust you enough to commit to creating an instrument built around you is such a privilege, and opens all sorts of possibilities.

This also means there are plenty of ways to screw up in the design, but fortunately we will be developing the instrument through close collaboration...

Things to consider, beyond the obvious shape and color of the guitar, include the woods that are used, the characteristics of the neck, it's scale, width, radius, material, what bridge you need, tuning pegs, pickups and configuration, circuitry, and countless other things.

For contractual reasons, the name of the luthier can not be divulged at this moment, but you'll hear all about him soon enough. The process of building an instrument with this level of craftsmanship is a long one, and we are hoping to get a final version of it at the end of the summer. In the meantime, I will keep you posted regarding new developments and as much details as I am allowed.

Working on Sundays?

2007-03-03T20:06:00.000+01:00

20:06 Set up a meeting for tomorow afternoon concerning a very exciting collaboration, or partnership, with a very talented man. No details until the papers are signed, but this is some very interesting stuff. I all goes well, I will be able to talk about this soon enough, and hopefully detail the process on this page. A bit of a pointless post, I know.. but It'll be worth the wait!

Bat Out Of Hell

2007-03-02T11:08:00.000+01:00

11:09 Listening to Meat Loaf's Bat Out Hell 3, his latest album. If you like the style, you won't be disappointed. I have been exposed to a lot of disappointing records lately (won't name names) but this one is truly impressive. The integrity emanating from the tracks is undeniable. It is so artistically transparent... Guitar hero super extraordinaire (add more adjectives here) Brian May also plays on the record, along with other artists. Good stuff...

Toys...

2007-02-24T21:56:00.000+01:00

21:57 I've been playing around with some pedals and getting some good sounds for when I'll actually start recording these songs... Right now things sound a bit small for the complete lack of production, but the compositions (isn't that all that matters anyway?) are coming along nicely. Once that is complete, it will be a matter of finding the best way to record these songs, what sounds to use, what colours, and so on. It's a rewarding process and very creative. It can also easily get out of hand though...

So here's a little tech talk for those of you who are interested. The guitar goes into the wah pedal, than to the DS and then to the volume pedal. The volume pedal comes after the distortion in order not to lose the punch of the sound when at lower levels. Then it's the Whammy pedal, though I usually patch this in only when I think I'll use it. From here the signal travels to the a Pod Pro, or alternatively straight to the next stage, the Universal Audio preamp and compressor. It then travels to a DIGI002 rack unit, where it is converted into digital data at 24bit/96Khz (on demos I'll just use 44.1Khz). This of course changes for just about any song, new pedals get plugged in and others taken out...

Today I finally got a chance to hang my second screen right in front of me, on top of the Mac screen. It's much better for Pro Tools use and my neck will thank me.

Racing, Studio Update

2007-02-14T18:15:00.000+01:00

18:15 Sunday was the big day as I attended a Formula Renault Racing course. We went to the Formula1 Montmelo circuit at 2:30 and got ready for an intense experience. The cars are simple, but they are true racing vehicles. They weight in at only 350 kilos, which means they'll go 0-100 (0-60mph) in about 3 seconds and change. As expected, the grip is just unbelievable, and breaking pulls a lot of gravitational force on your body. If you ever get a chance to do something like this don't let it pass! We were lucky because thhe following day all the Formula1 teams were having a testing session at the circuit. The paddock was already setup but open to the public, so we spent some time hanging out and taking in the atmosphere. I'll post some nice pics of the paddock and pit lane when I find the time...

The studio is gettin gclose to completion in preparation for the recording of the album. The LA-610 has arrived and it sounds impressive to say the least... I'll have a few more weeks of demoing to really get to know the unit, after which, it will be on to recording. More on this later.

More Studio Stuff...

2007-02-11T10:18:00.000+01:00

10:19 Just when I thought the studio investment for the new record had finished, a new opportunity came up to acquire a piece of gear for a very very competitive price. I couldn't say no, so I am happy to report that my Pro Tools setup now includes a Digi002 Rack as well. For those who are not familiar with recording gear, this means I will be able to record the album at 96Khz and not at 44.1khz. This will hopefully result in a more present result, especially at high frequencies.

The only thing that is left at this point is to install the foam panels in the studio in order to condition the room and get rid of a persistent stationary waves problems.

In 4 hours I am due at the Circuit of Catalunya, home of the Spanish F1 GP, for a racing course with Formula Renault cars. They look a lot like F1 cars and go very. I'll definitely upload some pics in the next few days. If I don't kill myself, that is...

Studio Update

2007-02-07T13:45:00.000+01:00

13:45 Hard at work on the record. The opening track has been completed in demo form, along with two more songs. If all goes well, by mid March all demos should be complete and I'll move on to the recording stage. I have been updating some of the gear in my studio. The biggest one is certainly a Universal Audio 610 Pre and Compressor. This is the really high end stuff you'd find in the best studios around the world. Pricey, but definitely worth it. I should get it within a week and will let you know how it goes.

I have also been experimenting with the Sony Oxford plugins and I have to say these are some of the best sounding tools you'll find for your studio. Again, they are not cheap, but neither is your music...

With all this in place, thhe whole recording process will hopefully go pleasantly and smoothly from beginning to end. As you know, this wishful thinking, but at least I will be able to find refuge from the hardships of the studio in some beautiful tone.

This will be the first time I completely produce an album from beginning to end and perform on it. I am excited about it and maybe a bit nervous, too. But, it will be fun!

Anyway, I'll bring you more updates as time allows, and hope that these little insights will be useful too all the guitarists/home studio owners/producers in the making out there.

Work In Progress...

2007-02-02T11:55:00.000+01:00

11:55 I have been very busy working on the new album, and for the next few weeks I will only post randomly when time allows. I have started production on it which means a shift from a relaxed and casual attitude towards composing to a very focused effort that includes everything from concept, music, production, artwork, and the overall feel of the record. Things are looking bright, and the inspiration is flowing, but these things simply require a lot of hours to complete...

I think you won't be disappointed when it comes out.

Back!

2007-01-23T18:09:00.000+01:00

18:09 I couldn't log into my blogger account for the last week. They have been switching from one version to another for the last two months and every time I go on their page I don't know which username and password to use!

A friend told me I should write down all my passwords on a post-it and stick them to my computer. To which I replied: "then what's the point of having a password in the first place?". If you have a good annswer to that, please let me know.

Anyway, short post today but there will be more in the near future. I am working on a few songs and am in talks for a show/clinic in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. More on that later.

Readings...

2007-01-16T00:43:00.000+01:00

00:43 Off to bed after some work on a new very promising song.

Had a discussion today about the importance (or not, depending on the point of view) of respecting and harmonizing with the world we live in and the other cretaures that inhabit it. The discussion inevitably led to some research and the research as it very often happens, lead to grim observations.

I am an optimist by nature, but it is sad to see how so many fellow humans do not understand how devastating and unrespectful we are towards our planet. I do have hope that the younger generations are smarter and better informed than the older ones. But we are also lazier, less committed, and more self-centered. What we need is a global awareness of the problems we are causing. If it means being a pain in the ass on my own blog once in a while and adding some links on my page, why not.

The internet, despite of its flaws, does put a lot of information at your disposal. We can google "vivisection" and see things that up until a couple of decades ago never made it out of the labs. You can look for "fur" and look for yourself what a coat means to dozens of animals.

My guitar hero Brian May, a man of science and of rare intelligence, has been very vocal on this subject, and so have many others. Whereas I believe artists should not use their exposure to preach, they can be vocal about subjects that need to be heard. And so should be anyone, regardless of their occupation. In other words, musician or doctor, actor or carpenter, if you can make a little difference, you should. It is not about joining a sect, making donations, wearing pins or bumper stickers. It is about living responsibly and with conscience.

End of rant. The next update will be more upbeat and musical. The new song is a very happy one and will make you dance!

Clinics?

2007-01-08T19:36:00.000+01:00

19:36 Talking on the phone with a few people to set up a couple of clinics in the near future. It's funny how I am doing more clinics now that I have basically stopped caring about endorsements. After a couple of offers I could only refuse, I figured unless you have a contract that specifies some benefits for you that go beyond the free instrument, an endorsement is not worth it.

I know some musicians who said yes to an endorsment agreement only because they had been dreaming about getting a free (or discounted) guitar since they were kids. I believe bad endorsement contracts are the most harmless in the whole music industry, but still, you shouldn't sign anything unless it produces some tangible (not only economical) results.

What good is it to have a free guitar that you might even not like, if the contract doesn't include a way for you to showcase it (and yourself)? Are clinics on the contract? If they are, who is getting paid for them? Why? I have received 3 offers so far and had to turned them all down for the simple fact that they implied 99% on my part and 1% on them. As you know, there are no free rides in the music business, but this should work for everyone.

To make a long story short, read what you sign, and if you don't like it, don't be blinded by your ego (wow, they offer me a guitar, I must be VERY good!) and pass. If you do like it, by all means, sign and get the guitar!!! There are some very good endorsement deals out there! I am in great terms with two hugely popular computer software (recording) companies and have enjoyed a long lasting relationship with them. But READ IT first!

On a modem connection...

2006-12-28T19:39:00.000+01:00

19:40 Finally some time to post a little update. Things are very cold here and there certainly is a tempting feeling of staying at home and do nothing all day. But... yours truly is a busy man and so I have also been taking care of business when possible.

First of all, I had a meeting regarding the possibility of a concert in the summer. It looks liek we'll have the go ahead in the next months. As always, you'll know when I know. Also, I have started preliminary work on a project that will make a lot of guitarists happy, though no news on that yet.

It's off to dinner in a while and then... you guessed it... karts!

Happy Holidays

2006-12-23T09:44:00.000+01:00

9:45 Hopping on a taxi in 30 minutes and flying to Italy to spend Christmas wiith my family.

I hope you get a lot of good presents, and that you give even better ones. I'll try to post from there, depending on connection and time.

Be well

Fame

2006-12-21T18:16:00.000+01:00

18:16 You know you've made it when you end up on this list:

http://www.happycow.net/famous_vegetarians.html

I was looking for a recipe and there I was. It surely made me smile. As you can see I am in very good company with Prince, Steve Vai, Eric Johnosn and... Pamela Anderson!!

Christmas Shopping...

2006-12-20T11:37:00.000+01:00

11:37 The week of skiing I was so intensely anticipating turned out to be 3 days of basically doing nothing at home as rain poured down all over the Alps. As you can see from the pictures below, there is not one single snow flake in sight:

Before leaving we went out karting and this time I got severley beaten. Hopefully there will be a rematch in a week, to see if I can regain my pride!

Anyway, musically I am currently finishing up all the projects I had started, and spending some days in relative relax before flying out to Italy again to spend time with my family. As most people, I have been running around shopping for presents, which I really enjoy. The trick is to do it during the week, before milions storm into the stores like a horde of locusts. I will have a Christmas dinner here in Spain on Friday, then two more in Italy on Saturday and Sunday... That should make for a fat Andre!

Italy

2006-12-02T02:15:00.000+01:00

2:16 Off to Italy tomorrow for some skiing in the Alps. Apparently, there hasn't been much snow yet, but there are reports of a storm coming in the next few hours. Hopefully I won't have to be walking around the mountains instead of skiing...

I'll be signing off for the week, as I will not take my computer with me. I hope you all have a pleasant week and will be back on the 10.

Time for some snow dance...

Impressions

2006-12-01T12:46:00.000+01:00

12:47 Blogger has been behaving erratically since they revamped its look a couple of weeks ago... Hopefully this message won't be lost in cyberspace like some others I have been ateempting to write this week...

The concert last night was apparently a success. The people who played before me were all very good musicians, and I was blown away by some of the sets that were played. I had to fight with a G string that just wouldn't keep in tune, but everything else came out well.

The jam was a lot of fun, we had the pleasure to share the stage with singer extraordinaire Luis Blanco and played Going Down and Smoke On The Water, to the relief of an audience desperately needing some vocals after my set!

There will be a lot of pics on the official page, here's a couple of outtakes...:

Rehearsing

2006-11-29T00:58:00.000+01:00

00:58 Late night rehearsing and changing the strings for the show on Thursday. Seems like all the songs are at a more than acceptable level, which gives me a slight feeling of optimism for the show. Of course, any performer with a bit of experience knows that you can only do so much to prepare for an event. There always seems to be something lurking in the shadow waiting to hit just as you go on stage. But, barring any technical problems, it should be a pleasant experience.

Off to bed now and tomorrow... more rehearsing, of course!

Luis Blanco - Backing Tracks

2006-11-26T00:31:00.000+01:00

12:26 Just hung up the phone with famed singer Luis Blanco, who has graciously accepted my invitation to perform on a couple of songs after my set this Thursday. I won't tell you what songs we'll be playing, but he has toured Europe many times in what was called the World's Best Deep Purple Tribute Band. He's a published author, accomplished teacher, and a good friend.

If you can make it to the show, stay and catch his appearance after my set. We'll be jamming...

Also, check out the comments in the previous post about a reader's enquiry on the possibility and availability of audio and video material from the show, and my answer.

Late Night Meetings...

2006-11-24T02:33:00.000+01:00

2:34 It's early morning and I have just returned from the Sala Vivaldi, where te Empty Stage Guitar Festival will take place next Thursday. What was supposed to be a short meeting became a pleasant but quite long affair. All sounds good from the organizational point of view, and the personal vibe is a positive one.

This next week will be one of intense recording and rehearsing. Hopefully there will be some time left to update thiese pages...

Tim Owens, Sampletank2...

2006-11-18T20:34:00.000+01:00

20:27 Recording some tracks for the show. I had a bunch of MIDi tracks done and needed some good samples. I use Sampletank 2, but there was no version for my new Intel Mac... until today. It was originally planned for January 2007, but when I logged on today out of desperation for not having the sounds I needed, I found out there was actually an update ready for download. That really saved the day, and I'm back on schedule.

Last night Tim "Ripper" Owens and his band Beyond Fear where in town and it was a great chance to get together and catch up. We spent almost two hours on the bus after the concert talking about all kinds of things and he remains one of the coolest guys I have ever met in this business. All the guys in his band are also great players and honest, wonderful people. Big thanks to all of them and I wish them all the best.

back to work now before a night out for dinner and movies. Borat opens this weekend and there's no way I'll miss it. Sacha Baron Cohen is a true modern genius.

Over practising...

2006-11-16T10:36:00.000+01:00

10:29 PLayed about 6 hours of a tapping extravaganza I want to perform at the concert on the 30th. I think I took it a bit too far. I now have a little blister on the tip of my index finger and probably shouldn't play the piece today. That'll teach me!

Chinese

2006-11-12T19:33:00.000+01:00

19:26 Tomorrow I will start studying the chinese language. I will try to do it by myself, with the help of a good method and later on movie and books.There a few reasons why I chose to learn another language. First of all the lovely Miss Hidalgo speaks fluently Spanish, French, and English, and is now in her second year of German. Considering how fast of a learner she is, before long she will be speaking 4 languages. I only speak 3 fluently. Nobody likes to beaten in his own home!!!

Seriously, one good reason is that for the last 2 or 3 years I have been gravitating with increasing intensity around the philosophies, arts, and sciencies of the east. These are treasures that for political and social reasons have been long precluded to the West and although they are available to some, the public at large has chosen to not investigate and embrace them.

Also I believe languages have a usefulness on the outside, and not only in terms of personal interest ad growth. With English and Spanish I can already travel to most places in the world and be understood and respectful of the people and their culture. My native language, Italian, is beautiful but of little use outside of Italy (although Italian communities are everywhere. And I mean everywhere!). Chinese is the single most spoken language in the world, and we all know China is only getting bigger.

I will let you know how it goes in a few months...

Recording day 2

2006-11-10T11:33:00.000+01:00

11:26 Recording the songs for the show on the 30th. Did bass last night, acoustic guitars this morning. Still missing some basic instruments and then it will be time for mixing and mastering.

Looks like the show will be about 5 songs, plus two songs in a jam with other musicians. All will play a shorter set than usual to leave enough time for the jam.

Also a good friend from my Cleveland years is touring Spain this next week, and it seems that we'll be able to meet and catch up when they stop in Barcelona. We share a lot of common friends in music, and it will be great to see him.

Off to some more recording. Later...

Nails

2006-11-06T09:59:00.000+01:00

9:52 After years of searching I have finally found the right shape and size for my fingernails. I used to have longer nails for playing Flamenco guitar, and got a bit frustrated because they seemed to get in the way of some other techniques I use on the electric (tapping especially). So I filed them real short, only to find out that I can now play the classical guitar much better. Did some research and discovered that most modern Flamenco players (De Lucia, Amigo, Tomatito...) file them much shorter than the older generations (Serano, Sabicas...).

Ktty 2

2006-10-31T13:26:00.000+01:00

13:20 After long discussions it has been decided that the cat we found last week should be taken care of by professionals with the means and the time to devote to her.

Unfortunately, the frequent trips I take make it impossible to do more for her than it's already been done. The Protectora de Barcelona (www.protectorabcn.com) will take care of her from now on with our help and hopefully when she recovers she will find a home.

The good news in all this is that the vet told us she was going to die in the street, so at least she gets a second chance. If you live in and around Barcelona please check out their pages and see if there is anything you can do to help them.

Kitty

2006-10-29T10:52:00.001+01:00

On the way back from the gym in Barcelona we ran into an abandoned black cat. It was so thin and weak that we had to take it home or it would have died. My expert veterinarian assessment was a young male, maybe one year old, and I called him Homer. The next day the vet told me the cat is a she and probably over 10 years old. D'oh!

Anyway, apparently she was abandoned when she got old and probably sick and the owners thought they'd rather abandon her than take care of her.

So now we are trying to take care of her the best we can and at least alleviate some of the problems (malnutrition, fleas, bad liver and kidneys, and on and on). If she only has a little time left she can spend it at home while being taken care of...

Practice, surrealism, rain...

2006-10-18T21:07:00.000+02:00

21:01 The whole city is suspended inside a cloud. It's raining and thundering, yet there's no wind at all. Dense water and gravity at its best.

One new song has almost been completed and soon it will be time to move on to new and better ones. This last trip to Cadaques has obviously been rich in inspiration. The town is so impregnated with Dali and its genius, that if you go there and not get inspired, you kind of feel cheated...

Now some rest and then evening practice after dinner, hopefully with this spectacle of rain as background.

Concert Confusion

2006-10-16T19:17:00.001+02:00

19:14 Out to the park for an evening jog and stretching. Just learnt that I was given wrong incorrect information regarding the upcoming show in Barcelona. The date is actually Nov 30, 2006. Will ocrrect the Official Website asap.

20:30 Back from the park and with plenty of work to do. This past weekend I spent with the lovely Miss Hidalgoin Cadaques has been documented with some nice pictures I will upload when I get a chance for those who are interested. On the way there I ran into a karting circuit, too. Needless to say, I quickly parked the car on the side of the road and went in for a flying lap on a very, very fast machine.

PETA and Other Links

2006-10-09T16:14:00.000+02:00

15:43 From an email I received a couple of days ago from NY (edited for space considerations):

Why do you link to websites that have nothing to do with music such as Peta and Furisdead? Not complaining though. [...] I am not vegetarian but looked into it for a while.

As a fan of your music (I love Lords Of Time! :)) I'd like to know your take on these things.

Answer:

I believe in keeping the music and any kind of personal belief separate. That is why you will not find any reference to my private conduct and choices on the official website. It is also true that this page (the Diaries) do give me a chance to be more open with people who either share interest in my music or in other aspects of life.

At the same time, while l do not get into arguments about why I decide to not eat animals I also don't make it a secret. As for the links above, it is just something that is important to me and at the very least a valid place for information for everyone else. The links are there but it doesn't mean you have to click them. If something interests me, it ends up there.

As for my own personal point of view, killing animals to wear them is disgusting and should make people ashamed of themselves. It is also beyond me how would anyone sponsor a conduct that they themselves would never act upon (anybody feeling like anally electrocuting or drowning a fox? Or how about smashing a baby seal's head with a baton?).

I applaude people and companies who decide to operate in harmony with the other inhabitants of this planet and simply avoid things that are to me unnecessary evils.

So here's another use for the links: as these might seem rants of a spoiled musician with too much time on his hands, get on those pages and read about it for yourself. You'll walk away from your desk knowing a bit more about things. It mighht change your perspective, or maybe it won't. But it certainly won't hurt you.

I hope you won't mind if I publish your email on the diary.

Best,

Andre

Ole'!

2006-09-23T23:24:00.000+02:00

23:21 Rainy day wth high temperatures today. The lovely Miss Hidalgo and I have just returned from a nice dinner and might check out the local scene as this weekend kicks off a week of celebrations in the city with concerts, fiestas, and so on.

Alll is good on the music side although there might be an announcement to make regarding the line up of the band. More on this later...

I have just received some new methods on Flamenco guitar by mmanuel Granados. They are a goldmine of incredible music and ideas. The only problem is still being able to find the time to devote to it.

Races, races, races...

2006-09-12T22:56:00.000+02:00

22:55 Got back yesterday for a weekend in Italy to attend the F1 Gran Prix in Monza. It all started on Saturday morning: after a couple fo kart sessions in Barcelona that lasted until about 2am, I went home to catch 3 hours of sleep before going to the airport for a 7:45 flight to Milan MXP. After checking in and reaching the gate, I was notified that the flight was going to be delayed.... by 7 hours! 7 hours in an airport, while suffering from sleep deprivation is a very long time, and I finally boarded at 2 pm. Upon landing in Milan, I spent a few hours in the center with my parents before going home for a quick dinner and then it was off to, you guessed it, some more kart racing. In the picture below, I am chasing Paul, my best friend and a very good racer. Not good enough that day though, as yours truly took the fastest lap of the evening!

Sunday morning at 9, I was yet again in an airport, this time to catch the helicopter that would take me and my father to the Monza circuit. I have never been on a helicopter, and the experience is quite intense. These things look like toys and are a bit scary to be honest... Below, seconds before landing at the heliport at the circuit. You can see the paddock areas right behind the trees, and then me, just happy to be alive!

As we got there, GP2 was about to finish, and the it was time for some Porsche SuperCup action. Right at this time I was walking around the guest area and walked right into Michael Schumacher and a couple of Ferrari people, on their way to the Ferrari guest house. Here's a picture of the Supercup from the "VIP" balcony. It's a lot like backstage at a concert, but the food is much better...:

Then it was off to the Pit Lane for a walk thpilots get ready and then the rough the various teams' boxes, where mechanics were putting the final touches on the setups and cars just before the race. It was an amazing experience, and the scale and detail of everything was just amazing.

After going back to our area, we watched the pilots get ready on the grid, and then it was off for a very nice race considering Schumacher and Ferrari won, opening up the World Championship considerably. The perfect day ended on a sad but inevitable note: Michael Schumacher announced his retirement from F1 racing at the end of this season.

At the end of the races the helicopter brought us back to Milan. The next day it was yet another trip to the airport to catch my flight back to Barcelona. All in all, it was an unforgettable experience, and I hope you enjoyed this brief chronicle...

Monza GP

2006-09-08T16:29:00.001+02:00

16:28 Packing a light suuitcase for a weekend in Italy. Thanks to a very generous man, I will be attending the Monza GP as a true VIP. I will report all the details on Monday upon returning home. For a Ferrari and racing enthusiast, there is almost nothing in the world that can compare to the Monza Formula1 GP, especially this year.
Til Monday...

Also we just confirmed a Kart session tonight at around 2! And then it's off to the airport directly for the flight to Milan... Crazy Italians!

Warm-up Show in October

2006-09-03T02:13:00.000+02:00

2:07 Looks like there will be a concert at the end of October in
Badalona, few miles from Barcelona. The show will be in a very
intimate setting, and should be a great way to kick off more dates
towards the end of the year and into 2007. More details to come...

Flying Post

2006-09-01T14:54:00.000+02:00

14:52 Very quick post. Work in the studio is progressing well.

4 songs are on their way to completion and a few more are works in progress. Back to work for now, more news to come...

A Day at The Races

2006-08-26T13:11:00.000+02:00

13:04 Putting the final touches to a new demo for the album. Things are moving quite smoothly now and if all goes well I might be able to put the record out by the end of the year. But in the mysterious world of self production and promotion, things can change at any time...

Last night it was off to the race track for some serious karting. A great time was had by all, and I am happy to report that I could set a new personal record! Luckily enough, Barcelona has one of the best circuits in Europe, and I can get there in about 15 minutes. I have always enjoyed karts, but I think it is slowly becoming an addiction. So if the record never gets released, you'll know where I've been hanging out...

Home Again...

2006-08-21T23:46:00.000+02:00

23:44 Finally a couple of free minutes after returning from 8 days in Italy. It was a nice week of resting, thinking, enjoying the sun and doing some great sightseeing.

Also, as the new record is starting to shape up, I had some time to think about the direction it should take, and that requires a lot of searching and discovering. But back to more mundane things. Most of the time was spent in this house on the coast between Rome and Naples.

A great time was had by all, although finding vegetarian options in a small sea town is as difficult as it sounds. Not only that, but whereas in most cities being vegetarian is nothing strange, here they still looked at us in kind of a weird way...

When not relaxing at the beach by the house, it was off to some truly unique spots. First was Pompeii, the famous Roman city devastated and covered in ashes in AD 79. It took 5 hours to see the whole thing. The whole time I was keeping an eye on Mount Vesuvius, just in case...

Then it was off to the Island of Ponza, only an hour by ferry from the house. The island is a Mediterranean paradise. Ancient Romans, as always, figured it out very soon and built their mansions there, including incredible caves where they'd go bathe, swim, and perform rituals. The island is now a vibrant tourist center but seems very well preserved.

Last but not least, Rome. We were joined by my parents for this trip and they showed us around the whole city in less than a day!

And then it was off to the airport and the usual series of delayed flights, late night taxi rides, and all the stuff that makes traveling the adventure it is.

Soon more details on the new record...

New Album and Stuff

2006-08-06T16:33:00.001+02:00

16:32 Songs for the new album are starting to take shape and some have even been completed (or close to it). The idea is to get the record out by the end of the year.

Also, concerts should be scheduled for the end of the summer, and I had a few things that needed fixing in my live rig. So we got a new pedal board from which to control the pre amps and effect loops, as well as all other pedals. I have been messing around a bit, though the bulk of the work will begin in a week or two. The idea is to get each sound with one press of a button and nothing more.

As for the songs, musical creation is a blessing and a priviledge, and I am fully enjoying it. We might have a little video of the writing and recording, but more on that at the official website when things are ready.

Paco...

2006-07-28T17:53:00.000+02:00

17:51 Finally had a chance to download my pictures from the Paco De Lucia show last week. What an incredible artist. if you are not familiar with his work, make yourself a favor and go buy his records. All of them.

Tomorrow and Sunday I will be producing and recording a song with the Director of the Barcelona Orchestra. It's his composition, rearranged by the group Anabasis. It should make for an interesting weekend...

Too good to be true...

2006-07-24T12:15:00.000+02:00

12:11 I am taking back everything good that I had to say about my internet company... Today I received their router. While on the phone they told me I was going to receive a 4 port router, I only got a 1 port. So I called to tell them and the guy told me, yeah, here it shows the 4 port router is the one you should have received. But since you got the one with 1 port, you should just go to a Wanadoo store and buy one! Of course nobody knows anybody and there apparently is no boss to speak to. What can you do? Take them to court over a modem? Anyway, the company is Wanadoo.

On the bright side the connection is the fastest I have ever seen, and I will be able to use my IMac as a wireless router and from there connect all the rest of my toys. Still, I feel a bit abused...

Internet!?!

2006-07-22T19:13:00.000+02:00

19:11 Who would have guessed it? The internet company hooked me up to their servers before I even got their package in themail. And they will let me use it without charging me until I do get the stuff.

Is it possible? An internet company that actually does something for their customers? Wait and see... As a happy side note, i won't have to be moving around the house with my laptop in my hands to steal the neighbors signal.

Studio Update Part I

2006-07-16T12:50:00.000+02:00

12:48 Although internet is still an elusive commodity, I am, for lack of a better word, been stealing the connection from an unsuspecting neighbor...

Work the studio is almost complete, and in Part II I will post more recent pictures. We still need to apply sound control materials (foams, bass traps...) and buy some guitar stands but things look pretty good and the new shiny Sapphire Studio is open for business. Quite literally, since in a couple of weeks I will be producing a project with the director of the Barcelona Orchestra.

Anyway, after painting the studio (see previous posts) I took care of the electrical side of things. I mounted this lamp below for a touch of modernism, and while doing so I almost killed myself falling from the ladder...

Once all the boxes had been taken into the studio, some serious cabling began, and I can tell you I am glad it is done. As you can see, the desk was still a big mess.

The plan of having a desk built didn't quite work out, so I went out to the local Home Depot and bought some wood to build the rack supports for the guitar and bass pre's and the other effects.

Finally I assembled the main desk and voilat, a complete workstation with a nice view of the swimming pool. Still, there's a lot of work to be done, and as you can see things still look unfinished. But give me some time and check back for updates...

Still Waiting...

2006-07-11T13:56:00.000+02:00

13:54 Just finished some preliminary work on a new song. Built a nice tempo map for it and recorded some guide tracks. Unfortunately, the bass has some kind of grounding problems and it's making a bunch of noise. Will have to open it up and operate...

The internet company has not sent me anything yet, have they forgotten about me? I think a mildly irritated phone call to customer service is in order. No matter where you go, there is always a huge difference in the treatment you get when you call to subscribe to something and when you call for anything else. Usually options 1 from their ecorded menus are the ones that will give you the best response. By the time you get to 4 you're at customer service and will be treated like a nuisance, if anyone actually picks up the phone. I found a direct relation between how high the number you have to select is and how long you will wait for somebody to pick up the phone.

Anyway, thanks for hanging on, studio report still coming soon...

Quick Update

2006-07-05T13:17:00.000+02:00

After a disastrous attempt to make my local DSL company to behave professionally, I ended up changing internet provider. I will be on a modem until the new DSL is hooked up in about 20 days. Until then I will try to post as often as possible, though loading pictures will be a bit problematic. Soon a detailed studio report... Things are going well...

Days off...

2006-06-23T00:17:00.000+02:00

00:13 In a few days we will be moving permanently into the new house,
and the telephone company is coming tomorrow to move the line over
there, so I might be singing off for a few days, maybe more, until my
internet provider hooks me up again.

See you in a while...

Back From Milan

2006-06-18T21:53:00.000+02:00

21:21 Finally got home. Flying was upsetting as always when you stop
to think what you are doing up there with a bunch of other people in
a vehicle that weighs a few tons...
Thursday night we landed and went out with the groom, my best friend
Paul. We met when we were 2 years old and grew up together until the
beginning of my travels about 8 years ago.
Friday night we were lucky enough to be invited to the La Scala
theater in Milan, considered by many the most prestigious in the world:

Saturday was the big day for Paul and for me as his witness. Picked
him up in the morning and drove him to Borgarello, a small town
outside Milan. There, he and Francesca said yes and then it was off
to lunch. Supposedly, nobody had told them we were vegetarian, so we
had to improvise a bit. In the end, even after skipping a couple of
courses, I was so full I thought I would explode. I am still full
today...

This morning I could finally get some extra sleep and then off to the
airport and to Barcelona. Tomorrow... back to painting the house.

For the wedding, I was asked to record a guitar version of the
Wedding March. I recorded Mendehlson's and Wagner marches with about 40
electric guitars. These might be made available on the website for
download shortly. Off to dinner now...

Painting

2006-06-13T23:23:00.000+02:00

23:12 Third day of painting the new house. On Sunday, Francisco and I spent the morning mixing colors and he gave me the run down of how to paint a whole house. Two days later, i am happy to report that I am actually starting to learn how to do it. Here's a little artistic moment amidst the many hours of hard work...:

Work in the studio has not begun yet. Hopefully in a couple of days I will be able to start painting the room and then start moving in all the stuff. The plans for the studio desk are completed, but we are still looking around for wood and construction. Soon everything should be up and running. More studio stuff soon. One quick suggestion for all those out there thinking about setting up a studio, get this book: Building a Recording Studio, by Jeff Cooper.

Packing Up...

2006-06-07T21:17:00.000+02:00

21:09 I've been putting most of my guitar and studio things in boxes
and getting ready to move. The new house is literally next to the old
one, yet the amount of work required to move all the stuff is the
same as if it were a thousand mile away... Here's what my living room
is starting to look like:

More than ever I am happy of the great band I got. My rhythm guitar
player is a professional painter and he's coming this Sunday to teach
me how to paint the whole house and make it look nice. My drummer's
father is helping with the studio and my bass player let me borrow a
cart he uses to load his gear. I need all the help I can get. Coming
up, pictures of me making a fool of myself trying to paint the studio...

New House

2006-06-02T19:38:00.000+02:00

16:49 After eight years of renting houses around the world, I will
finally have my own place. By the beach, close to the center of
Barcelona, and with enough room to set up a nice studio for the many
new projects that have been coming up lately. Besides now being
broke :(, it feels good to not have to be paying for somebody else's
holidays and trips to the spa.

Anyway, artistic decisions will have to be made regarding the
decoration, painting, furniture, and other such things. That is all
very exciting, but what I really can't wait to get started on is the
studio. For those of you who are interested I will be posting
pictures starting next week (that's when we get the keys), detailing
the whole process, from painting the room, building the desk, setting
up all the connections, the lights, and so on. This might be
beneficial to those of you who are setting up their own project
studios and don't have a lot of expertise.

The idea is to set up a comfortable, small project studio, equipped
for smaller productions but also for professional needs.

News

2006-06-01T20:51:00.000+02:00

20:44 Winding down after a long day of running around and doing work in the studio. Soon, work will be done on the studio, and all around it. But more on that tomorrow when things will be official. Also checking and signing a couple of contracts for some music related things. Still trying to figure out when we'll do the Italian interview and how. Internet? Phone? In person? The easiest things sometimes become most complicated. Anyway, these are all professionals and they'll take good care of me...

Interviews

2006-05-25T21:09:00.000+02:00

13.02 Unpacking my new toys for the studio that I have just received
from Germany! You'd be hard pressed to find a more professional and
rigorous people in the world. Now, I don't know if I'd live there,
but as long as they are sending me such masterfully engineered
packages, they're my friends! Also waiting for a call from Italy at 2
to setup an interview with an important music website and magazine on
my next trip there.

On Working and things...

2006-05-23T21:07:00.000+02:00

11:30 Just completed a transcription for a song by a spanish writer I
will be producing in the near future. The copyright office in Spain,
as opposite to the US one, requires a score to accompany the music
when you register your work with them. All my music is registered in
the United States, though. No way I am going to sit down and
transcribe all those notes for some guy in an office who will never
even read it! But this is a songwriter's project and a lead sheet
with chords and melody will suffice.

16:45 Progressing with a new instrumental. Really catchy melody but
lacking structure. If you compose music it might have happened to you
that you realize your new song only lasts about 1 minute and 15
seconds, and now you have to figure out a way to give it some space
to grow. I found that what usually works best is to let it sit for a
day or two and then take it from there. Will let you know if it works
this time...

20:00 More production work. I sometimes think that if I were to put
all these hours into something I didn't like, I'd be dead by now. At
27! I have tons of respect for everyone with a more "traditional" job
who might not necessarily like what they do. Statistics say that most
people do not particularly enjoy their jobs. I guess if when you wake
up in the morning, you'd rather be somewhere else, you should
consider finding something that you really like. But then there are
responsibilities and all that... One thing is for sure though, all
those out there hoping to get into music so they don't have to work,
you better reconsider your position! I have yet to meet a successful
musician who does not work his ass off, almost 24/7. The good thing
is if you can set it up in a way that suits you, you'll have fun
doing it. End of rant...

Studio Work...

2006-05-21T22:53:00.000+02:00

21:41 Coinciding with a new change that will be disclosed soon
enough, I have been redesigning my studio. It all begins with a new
workstation. After a long trial and error process, i think I have a
winner design. You can see some of the early ideas in the picture
below.

I have already drawn the final desk, with all the specifics,
measures, inclinations, and so on. Far from being revolutionary, I
think the desk will some simple but quite original features. I just
hope the final result will come out as good as my idea of it... Time
to go buy some tools!

Adding to the intimidating building work, there will also be several
additions on the equipment side of things. I have finally ordered a
patch bay. I have spent years trying to figure out why would anyone
spend money on one of them (here's a pick of a patch bay).

Then one
day I did a bit of research and have wanted to get one for a while,
but the amount of equipment in my studio simply didn't require one.
With the new additions, I finally have an excuse to get one. I bought
a Behringer, which is a brand most people will avoid (including me),
but in this case it was the best option. When no computing, routing,
processing, etc is involved, Behringer offers good quality. Price was
not an issue. As many of you know, patch bays are inexpensive. So I
went for the one with all the features I needed, and it happened to
be that one. I have since talked to some very trustworthy people in
the recording business who have assured me I did the right thing.
Let's see when it gets here.

By Behringer is also a Bass pre amp. When I record bass I use an amp
and a mic, but i find that too complicated when composing or demoing
a song. I wanted something with a lot of sounds and easy to set up.
If you are familiar with the Line6 Pod, this unit is very similar but
for bass.

Also coming are a compressor by FMR, called RNC (Really Nice
Compressor), and new headphones. The RNC is a little unit that is
becoming a new standard in many professional studios, and i can't
wait to get it to plug it into my rig and never take it out. As for
the headphones, they are AKG's of course. The Studio model you'll
find in virtually every studio around the world.

Contacts...

2006-05-16T20:41:00.000+02:00

19:00 In this last week my popularity in Spain must have somehow
augmented. I have received many offers as a musician and producer to
the point where I will not be able to accept all the ones I like.
Strange how things always seem to happen at once, either good or bad.
Through the years I have learned to go through these phases without
too much content nor too much worry. After all you can only be
responsible for doing what you do the best you can, and that's plenty
to be worrying about already. Anyhow, off to some pressing matters,
then some rest...

Paco De Lucia

2006-05-12T22:08:00.000+02:00

10:36 In case you are wondering who is the best guitar player of all
times, here it is:

I know, I say that of many players. It's just that some artists have
such power that when you listen to them, you get sucked in and
totally involved. And you kind of forget about last week's best
guitar player ever. For those reading this outside of Spain and who
might not be familiar with Paco, do yourself a favor and get a copy
of one of his records. Siroco is a good place to start. For technical
superhumanness check out La Fabulosa Guitarra de Paco De Lucia.

Ouch!

2006-05-09T22:00:00.000+02:00

21:59 Very very long day. Finally relaxing and cooking dinner. I have been in talks for a production-arranging-engineering project involving a Spanish songwriter which promises to be very interesting. It should materialize after the summer, and will certainly be a worthwhile experience.
Also today after a short walk I went straight to my guitar and wrote a very catchy yet technically challenging riff and main melody for a new song. This one should be done shortly and will add up to the growing number of songs I am preparing for the new album.
Off to some well deserved rest...

Montmelo

2006-05-07T18:52:00.000+02:00

9:45 Our bass player has disappeared for the last couple of days.
Today's rehearsal had to be rescheduled because it is impossible to
contact him. We are all afraid he lost his cell phone along with all
of our numbers. And he doesn't have a home phone. Mission for the
week: recovering our beloved Fredy.

17:38 Schumacher and Ferrari are finally back to their finest form.
Today's race in Germany had me glued to the screen. All tickets are
gone for next week's GP in Montmelo, near Barcelona. Last year a good
friend who works at Renault was kind enough to invite us to the
circuit. The seats were with the Renault people, and I was the only
one cheering for Ferrari in a sea of Alonso fans wearing their yellow
and blue shirts. Unfortunately, last year wasn't the best to go see
Ferrari... Through some contacts, I'm trying to snatch a nice seat
for Italy's Gran Premio in September. We'll see. Below is a picture I
took at last year's race.

19:30 Finished a brief but good session of practice. Getting ready to
record a new demo for a new song now that the post production project
from Monterey has been successfully completed.

Beach... I wish

2006-05-03T23:15:00.000+02:00

23:03 The sun was shining this morning and the city looked something
like this:

Unfortunately, this is an old picture from my little photo archives,
since i have spent the whole day locked up in my home working. I am
glad to say the 3-Dead demos are done. I just finished work on them
and will concede myself the privilege of a night of sleep and will
return to them tomorrow with fresh ears to find any rough spots. I'm
sure the guys from the band won't be mad at me for saying this
publicly, but the tracks weren't very well recorded (they are
musicians, not engineers!) and it made the whole process more
complicated. And also very interesting. I will send a copy out to
them this week and see what they have to say about it. Producing is
slowly becoming my second occupation.

3-Dead

2006-05-01T22:08:00.000+02:00

2:08 Back from the beach on this international holiday when nobody
works. Except for me... The group 3-Dead from Monterey, CA has asked
me to mix and master two songs. So today and tomorrow most of the
time will be spent in front of my Mac editing and mixing. If you live
in the Monterey area, you can check them out in one of the local
clubs they often play. Their drummer Ray is a good friend of mine and
also plays guitar in another group called Turn. I don't know if they
are still playing though. Anyway, I have been contemplating the
beauty of the internet and the way music production (not to speak of
the distribution!) has changed because of it. Just a few years ago it
would have been unthinkable to mix a song for a group who lives
thousands of miles away. Now it is so simple I don't even have to get
up from my desk.

Noche en la Feria

2006-04-30T13:02:00.000+02:00

1:01 Last night we went to the yearly April Fair, which is a big deal all over Spain. In Sevilla, an average sized city for most part of the year, the population more than doubles during the week of the Feria.
In Barcelona things are somewhat smaller in scale, but definitely interesting. The panoramic wheel in the picture is just one of the many attractions, alongside stands and booths with all kinds of games and assorted creative ways to get you to part with 3 or 5 euros in order to win something you will never buy in a store for half the price. But it's all fun.
Anyway, back to the wheel. We went on it and soon regretted it. This is no Cedar Point, nor Disneyland or any other amusement park. These things are here today and gone in a week. As sure as I am that things are done properly and safely, it reminded me a lot of the first scene of Final Destination...

5:12 Just back from a birthday party. The vegetarian options were limited but tasty. The best was the cake! Check it out...

Practice...

2006-04-29T21:45:00.000+02:00

10.40 A good 2 hours of practice this morning... My hands are in good
shape, which is good news for tomorrow's rehearsal. Although it is
not possible to practice 8 or 9 hours a day anymore because of
commitments, responsibilities, etc, I can still squeeze in a lot of
quality time with the guitar. To be honest, I doubt all those hours
would be of real benefit at this point. Spending anywhere between 7
and 10 hours a day with the instrument recording, writing, teaching,
and practicing like I do is probably more beneficial at this stage
than the teenage technical obsession would be. As a matter of fact,
my technique gets better constantly by virtue of the other skills I
am working on in my every day life (focus, concentration,
patience...). Piece of advice to all young players, though: take
advantage of the hours you can put in now, because this is the time
to do it. Then when the circumstances of adulthood take time away
from your guitar, you'll be reaping the rewards. Plus, practice is fun!