Being a former analog guy, the various formats of digital recording I found all sounded very “crispy.” Nothing that I tried along the way seemed to have the feel or capture the resonance, the bass—just the warmth. It was lacking. And everyone knew that. It wasn't a big secret.

Then one day I was working with Chuck Ainlay, one of my favorite engineers. We recorded some tracks on analog and wanted to do some overdubs, so he put it onto Nuendo. As he was transferring it, I couldn't hear the difference, for the first time. He looked up and said, “It's unbelievable, isn't it?” I mean, he was working with a PC! But we were having stability problems and speed issues [with the particular computer we were using].

Then I started to work with the AMD system. Everything worked so much quicker and it was so much more stable. It's ferociously fast. I have never had a situation where it crashed or anything like that. So I am totally in awe of this new system.

I'm just very lucky to be at the forefront of it. Call me a space monkey or whatever, but I love it. As long as I've got that speed, it can only get better from here. It's just pretty phenomenal. It enables me to get to what I really want to do, which is create the music, quicker.

 

Playing live is the payoff for me. I write the song. I record the song. But there's nothing quite as exhilarating as being out there on stage after all that work is done. As soon as I've put a foot on that stage, I'm in total control. There's no take two, basically. It's take one every night, with a different audience. So I find it a very freeing part of what I do.


An idea can be here today and gone later today, within a few seconds. The key is to capture it in the quickest possible way, and that's what this is all about for me: the speed. And the technology not getting in the way of the creative process is essential.

When you can do something like this [Steinberg/AMD64/Yamaha setup] in your hotel room with headphones and small speakers, it's pretty phenomenal. And then I can take the files immediately off of this hard drive and put them on my system at home. Everything is standard.

I'm looking forward to taking a system on the road, as well. We can capture any little nuance or idea or whatever we come up with—a soundcheck or a great number that comes up live. I don't have to decide when I want to do anything live anymore. It'll always be there. By the time I leave the stage, we've got it.


www.peterframpton.com
 

Steinberg Software

Steinberg creates tools that put creativity first, and this is why Peter chooses Steinberg software. Steinberg has a complete line of software applications and plug-ins with something for every application and budget. Whether you are scoring a blockbuster film, sweetening a TV show, remixing the next dancefloor classic, recording a live album or just making music for fun, Steinberg has the tools that are just right for you and your budget.

Nuendo is our top-of-the-line professional recording and post-production product, featuring unlimited tracks, amazing MIDI and surround-sound implementation, extensive audio-for-video post-production features, and phenomenal sound quality. Perhaps that’s why Nuendo is used by the world’s greatest producers, recording artists (like Peter), and film and video post companies.

Steinberg’s Cubase line of digital audio workstation software covers a whole range of budgets, from our affordable Cubase SE, our powerful and highly capable Cubase SL (which can also be found in the Cubase System 4 bundle; a complete package that includes our high-performance USB-powered audio interface—ideal for use with a laptop!) and our top-of-the-line Cubase SX3. Cubase SX3 is our flagship MIDI and recording program that offers dozens of cutting-edge features that allow you towork quickly and efficiently, making it the choice of top producers, engineers, remixers and musicians everywhere.


When you are done with your mix, Steinberg also offers WaveLab 5, a multichannel editing and mastering program that allows you to master and burn CDs and DVD-A discs.

In addition to Nuendo, Cubase and Wave-Lab, Steinberg also invented the VST (Virtual Studio Technology) standard that revolutionized the world of computer-based music production. Steinberg makes a complete range of VST plug-ins, including the amazing Halion3 software sampler, the Hypersonic synth/sample player, The Grand sampled grand piano, as well as the amazing songwriting and performing tools Virtual Guitarist and Groove Agent.

Steinberg makes a complete range of audio and music production tools, so no matter what kind of music you make, Steinberg has a software package that is just right for you.