BeesNest Productions

The Ideal DJ Gig-Rig

I’ve got a few of DJ gigs coming up this summer… you know, folks getting married and all. I love wedding gigs. Everyone’s (usually) in a good mood, there’s free food, people all gussied up and ready to party. What’s not to like? Generally the only challenge is dealing with the gear. Our sound system has been built up around the idea of supporting a live band, not so much the DJ thing and it can be a little… hm… top-heavy for that kind of a gig.

I don’t mean top-heavy in an audio sense, but more in a gear sense. I don’t really want to lug along our Mackie 24 channel board with on-board effects just to plug in my MacBook and one mic. However, my little Behringer studio mixer doesn’t have the EQ capability I’m looking for either. My newest find is the Behringer FBQ1502 Ultragraph Dual 15-Band Equalizer.

$80, dual 15 band EQ in 1 rack space with a sub out. Now if I could just get some active PA speakers I could leave the amps at home too. That’s the way I roll.

Filed under: Gear by aaron
No Comments »

The Garage Studio: Every Suburban Rock-n-Roller’s Dream

So, as some of you know already, my family recently relocated to Seattle from Tacoma. I’d been commuting up here for my (now not so) new job for about 8 or 9 months before we finally made the leap. I’ll spare you the gory details of trying to simultaneously buy & sell in the current real estate market, but suffice it to say that the deed is done, we’re moved into our new place and loving it.

However….

Garage

There’s the small matter of the *ahem* garage (I mean, rickety shack at the end of our driveway that purports to be a garage while looking as though it may collapse at any second). The roof is moss-encrusted, the truss supports are, well, missing, and the front door is pretty much rotting from the ground up. It is, to say the least, in need of some MAJOR attention. The good news is that our new neighbor, who just happens to be a contractor, is in the midst of his own remodeling project and has offered to help rebuild ours as part of the process. We’ll pay him of course, and no doubt the renovation of our eye-sore of a backyard blemish will only help to improve value of his place too.

The question now is, what to build? He and I chatted a bit this morning and are coming to the conclusion that it would probably be easier and more efficient to actually just level the existing structure and start over. This of course means I have to know what I want before we start. Part of me just wants to go for full-on, no apologies studio / rehearsal space (parking be damned, that’s what the driveway is for) but I’m also aware of the need for practicality. Storage is probably a good idea, as is some type of work area. And, heaven forbid I have to start thinking about it already, but we may need to in fact SELL the place one of these days and a bona-fide 2 car garage is gonna serve us a lot better than middle-aged musician’s weekend warrior music studio.

So, what do you think? If you were rebuilding a detached 2 car garage from the ground up, what would YOU do with it?

Filed under: Personal by aaron
1 Comment »

A-gigging we will go!

Long time no write… I know, I’m a slacker.I just realized this week that we’re booked to play a show every single weekend in April! How did that happen? Sean is used to a full music calendar but I think I’m still in denial of the fact that my music habit has become more than just a hobby. Here’s the run down:

April 4th & 5th - Robin Moxey Band @ The Halftime Saloon, Gig Harbor
April 12th - Robin Moxey Band @ The Barn
April 18th - U277 @ Station 56, Tacoma
April 26th - The Bendickson Brothers @ Wedding gig, San Francisco
April 30th - Robin Moxey Band @ Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle (not technically a weekend, but still worth mentioning)

I’m particularly looking forward to the wedding in CA. Weddings are always fun and it’s a great excuse to get the family band back together and jam. We get to pay a bunch of fun tunes and everybody has a blast. Sarah and Joel will be coming along too, so it’ll be a mini family reunion. Anyway, if I don’t get around to posting for another couple months, at least this time I’ll have an excuse right!

Filed under: Gigs by aaron
No Comments »

Nashville Artist Megan Conner Joins Sean & the Brothers in Missoula

Megan Conner is the real deal. She has a powerhouse voice and some great songs. She has been living in Nashville, trying to make it all happen.

What’s even greater is that we all get a chance to work with her. Check out her space, listen to her tunes, and then make plans to come see us perform together in Missoula on February 22nd.