Written by Robert Scucci | Published
Tired of every single piece of media looking and sounding the same? Netflix Light. Over-processed bass lines and drum beats in your favorite songs. That kind of stuff. Have you ever noticed that movies you thought looked bad 15 years ago suddenly look amazing compared to the slop we see coming out today? It’s not a coincidence. The problem we face is that everyone is using the same innovations, with the same presets, and getting the same results.
Now don’t get me wrong. I love my new technology. I recently bought a new computer that allows me to work more efficiently. I have a smartphone like everyone else, and having a camera in my pocket whenever my kids do something funny is amazing. New technology is great because it provides convenience and allows you to organize daily activities in ways that were previously unimaginable.
However, there is one problem, and this is a big one: all our photos look the same. Every new TV show looks the same. All our music sounds the same. We gain simplicity but lose humanity in the process, which is why I truly believe that relying on old technology will eventually lead to the creative renaissance we’ve all been waiting for.
Don’t Be A Vintage Snob
As a musician who mostly uses equipment that is at least 20 years old, I technically use vintage gear. The case I’m making here is not to argue that vintage gear is better than modern gear. Most of the stages have gone quiet, everyone is using amp modelers aimed at front of house PA systems. Good. You can roll into a small space without lugging a ton of heavy equipment, drive your ton, and let it rip. The mixer is powered by iPads, and it’s very easy to lock into a room. What I have noticed, however, is that everyone is using the same kind of technology now, presets and all. Because of this, everyone starts to sound the same.
I’m not talking about genre or blocked art by any means here. Great songwriters and musicians are still there in abundance. They all just play the same way, new stuff most of the time, and you can hear it it.
So much so that when I pull out my beat up speaker cabinet and the old power amplifier that powers it, combined with an electronic instrument inside that’s made differently than the instruments made today, I get compliments on my tone. Here’s the thing. My tone is nothing special or punchy. In some cases, it’s probably too basic. It’s just different in a world that wants to be the same, and people forget how easy it is to achieve that. I have no secret sauce here. I just put together the components I could afford, played around with them for a while to get them to work well together, and got what I got.
My gear is vintage, but I’m not going to tell you that vintage gear is better and modern gear is worse. I still use modern plugins when I record at home to be efficient, but what I use in a live setting is considered a surprise, simply because it’s out of the ordinary.
Necessity is the Mother of Invention
Lately, I’ve been looking for old camcorders. You know, the kind my parents had when I was in high school and my friends and I were trying to recreate our interests Jackass. Most of these devices, I have found, are extremely proprietary. Which means you can’t just plug a decades-old Sony Handycam into your MacBook Pro and start editing. You will need a lot of adapters and patience to convert the recording to work in a modern workplace. In some cases, you’ll even need to convert the tape to digital just to watch the video on a modern display.
But that’s where the magic happens.
That old device you used to connect to your TV using AV cables can now be edited using modern applications like CapCut and DaVinci Resolve. That character beauty you’ve been looking for is real instead of created with preset filters. Congratulations. You put in some work, and now you have something different compared to your peers.
The reason The Hateful Eight it looks so amazing because Quentin Tarantino wanted vintage Ultra Panavision 70 lenses, which are very rare today. Due to the extra effort put into the production, which requires extensive preparation, such as adapting to extreme weather conditions and difficult light conditions, the 2015 film looks like an old road show from the 60s.
Out with the New, In with the Old
We live in an age where technology is changing faster than we can keep up with it. It’s fun, sure, but it’s also incredibly easy to fall into a set trap that makes it impossible to stand out. As I sit here writing this, I am very happy that I have a word processor and a mechanical keyboard that allows me to work quickly and meet deadlines. But the antique typewriter sitting in the other room opens up a completely different mental space when I need to think about a project deliberately.
My typewriter is louder than the last game Dunkirkand I can take it out if I know I won’t upset my family with it. When I intended to start blasting out words with machine-gun fire and reckless abandon, I suddenly realized I had to be more careful. The item does not have a valid backspace key. The keys sit in a raised position, which makes it brutal on the wrists for long periods of time. Hammers get stuck when I type too fast. I’m forced to lower my roll and type on purpose because of those limitations, and sometimes that’s all you need to get the perfect word for the page. Those words may never be published again, but there’s something to be said about working with old technology to create something new.
Maybe those typed pages are scanned, drawn, rendered in Photoshop, and used long after the ink is dry. It may not be high art, but it is allowed to exist on its own terms.
The moral of the story is that we need to set up. We need to be curious and think beyond what is set. Modern technology is not going away, nor should it. But when you stop and think about how to use something with its own unique set of limitations, the world opens up. Even better, when you learn to combine these things, the sky is the limit.
