Hello Harpscapes community!
Over the Christmas holiday, I gifted myself a new audio interface. This is the device that takes the music I play through my harp pickup and converts the signal, so I can edit and produce the music on my computer. My old audio interface that I bought back in 2018 never worked properly, and last year, I finally decided to stop battling with the constant humming, hissing, and static sounds. That means, for almost a year, I have been using a digital portable recorder instead of an audio interface. This is the device I use when I'm playing outside the studio, like in my Harp Therapy in Nature videos.
Does the portable recorder get the job done? Yes. But it takes about 5x more time and effort because I cannot hear the converted signal real-time. This means that whenever I ran my harp through an effects pedal, I needed to first plug everything into an amp, listen to the effect, disconnect the amp, plug in my recorder, and record without hearing the pedal effects. This also meant I wouldn't be able to hear real-time if the technology glitched, often leading to a need to re-record my music.
I tell this story as an example of why it's so important to support independent musicians. What is heard by the audience is only a small part of the story. Behind the scenes, we are working tirelessly to share our art with you in the best ways possible, often with little financial means to do so.
At the end of each year, I total up the donation/membership money that I've received from my dear supporters, and then I decide what I can spend and how I can best use that money. This year, that money went towards this new audio interface, and it's already made a huge difference in my studio setup, as well as the quality of the music I'm able to publish. So thank you to all my members and those who donated!
I like to share these stories once in a while because I think it's important to show where your money goes. When I say that it goes right back into the Harpscapes project, I mean it. The money helps to fund my instrument maintenance, the project's web platforms, and as you've seen here, the purchasing of new equipment, so that I can continue bringing you the best, most healing music possible.
If you want to support Harpscapes with a donation, click here and find the "support" tab on the right side.
If you wish to become a member or upgrade your membership, see your options by clicking here.
If you become a member during the month of January, you will get TWO sign-up bonuses, Best of Harpscapes 2022 and Best of Harpscapes 2023! These are long-format videos with over an hour of continuous Harpscapes each.
As always, thank you for being here and helping Harpscapes grow. Together, we can bring musical self-care to the masses, one note at a time.
~Nicole