Help Mike Keneally Make Music at Home

EDIT: THIS CAMPAIGN IS NOW FULLY FUNDED! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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Hello friends!

I'm Mike Keneally. If you don't already know me, I'm a musician, composer, producer and touring performer. Along with my band Beer For Dolphins and my solo work, I've played with Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and many others. If you do already know me, hi again!

I'm stuck at home right now, just like many of you probably are. I'd like to get to work making some recordings at home, and I could really use your help.

The primary source of my income has always been live work, followed by producing and playing on other peoples' albums. Right now, live shows are not a reliable option. The second half of the tour I was just on has been postponed, and the fate of any performances in the near future is uncertain.

I've been wanting to establish a home-recording setup for a long time. It's been over ten years since I could record at home. Now I think it's a necessity.

I love recording. I have a ton of lyrics, music, voice memos, etc., raring to be developed into finished tracks.

I'm looking into using Bandcamp and Patreon to present this new music, and hoping it can supplement my unreliable tour income.

In addition to working on my own stuff, I look forward to being able to work on other people's projects from home as well.

But first, I need some equipment. My 10-year-old MacBook can't handle this job, and I don't have current recording software or the necessary hardware. 

Here's what I'm looking at right now, although I’m open to suggestions about software and gear:

I've always worked with Pro Tools in the past ($600), but some friends have also recommended Logic Pro ($200). There are a couple of Pro Tools-based projects that I’ve been working on elsewhere, which would be easier to continue editing at home if I had Pro Tools.  Also, I could start recording new music more quickly with Pro Tools, since I know how to work with it already. So I’m leaning towards Pro Tools, but with the $400 difference, I definitely could learn to love Logic.

I'd like another MacBook, since my last one was really reliable and long-lasting. Depending on processor, RAM and storage, it'll be $2700-$3600 for a computer that can run the new recording software. (Pro Tools requires more computer oomph than Logic Pro.)

I'm not looking to start with the fanciest gear, just hoping to piece together a relatively low-cost rig that works. For the interface, I'm considering a Steinberg UR22mkII ($165). For monitors, I'm looking at PreSonus Eris E3.5 ($100).  I’ve already got a mic and good headphones.

So that's the gear I'm looking into. The total for all of it is $3171 to $4471, depending on the computer specs, and whether I'm able to get Pro Tools or Logic Pro. I'm setting this GoFundMe campaign to the high end of this range, in hopes of getting Pro Tools and the sturdiest of computers to handle it.

I'm very eager to get started writing and recording new stuff at home. Your help with this would be sincerely appreciated. I've been blessed to have really sweet friends and fans who are into my music…it's a wonderful community of people who've shown their support for me through the years, and I appreciate you all so much.

Take very good care of yourselves and thank you for reading!

Love,
Mike