Element 119
Website and A/V production for a hard rock cover band I'm in.
The Challenge
The Problem
Our band needed a web presence and consistent A/V quality for promo materials, but we're all broke musicians.
Why I Took This On
I'm the tech guy in the band. Also, I wanted our stuff to look professional without paying professional prices.
Constraints
Zero budget beyond gear I already owned. Had to work around everyone's day job schedules.
The Process
Initial Approach
Built a simple site first, then started documenting shows with video and photos for content.
What Went Wrong
Early recordings sounded terrible—turns out live sound and recording are completely different disciplines.
Breakthroughs
Figured out a hybrid recording setup that captures the board mix plus room mics, which solved 90% of the audio quality issues.
What I Learned
Skills Gained
Unexpected Discoveries
Marketing a band is basically content marketing with louder guitars.
What I'd Do Differently
Would have set up proper recording from day one instead of trying to salvage phone videos.
Where It Stands Now
Current State
Site's live, we gig regularly, and I've built out a decent archive of show recordings.
What's Next
Working on a proper live recording setup for higher-quality releases.
The Bigger Picture
The production skills transfer directly to the venue work. Same tools, different scale.
The Impact
Personal Impact
Keeps my performance chops sharp and gives me a creative outlet outside of client work.
Still actively using this