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ACID DJ 3.0 -
The story behind Sonic Foundry's revolutionary software for
Djs.
Producing the
loops for Acid Dj 3.0 really helped kick start my career. Fall of 1998 -
I got the job at Sonic Foundry. I tell Ray, my boss at
zZounds, the good/bad news and he took it quite well. I'll
never forget what he told me. He said it will be just like
sending one of his kids off to college. This made things so
much easier. Luckily I had been apartment sitting in Old
Town for a friend and did not have a lease. I also did not
own any furniture. In fact, all I had were some clothes, a
couple computers (Apple and Windows), and some JBL studio
monitors. Sadly I sold most of my studio equipment and
synthesizers moths before due to financial difficulties. I
sold my Tascam 688, my Roland JD 800, and my Ensoniq EPS
16+. Two weeks and it's off to Madison WI to find an
apartment and start my new job. I was really excited for
this new beginning as it was another step in the right
direction for my much desired career in music production. My
new boss Mike, from Sonic Foundry, calls and asks if I could
get my hands on some heavy Rock guitar loops and without
even thinking I said yes. I called my friend Pat Ogle who's
roommate at the time was William Tucker. Pat said he would
ask William. The gig paid so there were no worries there.
William was (he is no longer with us) a local guitars with
credits ranging from Ministry and Pigface all the way to the
Pi Soundtrack. He quickly recorded some loops to Dat and we
totally pulled through for Mike. The loops were to be used
on the Acid Rock version of Acid 2.0. There was also an Acid
Dj 2.0 and the loops for it were provided by New York
producer Doug Beck. There was also an ACID Country but sadly
that one failed miserably. There just wasn't enough demand
for it.
Welcome to
Madison WI - I stayed at the Holiday Inn the first couple of
days in Madison and edited William's Rock Guitars in the
hotel room so they would be ready for my first day. Sonic
Foundry paid for my moving costs and hotel stay. This made
me feel really awesome.
My first day
on the job was quite memorable. They didn't have an office,
desk, or a PC for me. I had to bring my own PC in to do my
work. They eventually set me up in a room with a long
folding table as a temporary solution. My tasks were editing
and acidizing the Loops For Acid product line. I worked a
long side of a temporary employee. I was not feeling so
awesome. Eventually I got my own office with a full blown
DAW which included a Yamaha 01V mixer and Event studio
monitors.
The next 1.8
years working at Sonic Foundry were amazing. They sent me to
NAMM and the WMC (twice) all expenses paid. They sent me to
Seattle to work a booth at Peter Gabriel's WOMAD tour. They
had me making demo songs and scoring radio advertisements. I
learned a lot real fast but as they say all good things must
come to an end and so they did. Christmas vacation 2000 I
lost my job along with 200 other employees due to
downsizing.
This is where
the ACID Dj 3.0 comes in. Thanks for reading this far!
Mike asked me if I would be up for some freelance work. It
paid more than what I was making when I was a real employee
so being jobless I said of course. He had me doing exactly
what I was doing but for more pay and I got to work from
home. Then he asked me if I would be down with producing
some loops for the next ACID Dj release and it paid quite
well. It was a buy out arrangement so that means I would get
a big fat check for about two month's worth of work. Like
anyone in my position I answered with a huge HECK YES! Acid
Dj 3.0 was available at every Best Buy and Circuit City in
the country.
Read on... next Chapter Peace Love Productions
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