Flashback: by the mid-’90s, multitrack recording gear was expensive but not out of reach, and the days of carrying a journal and a Sony Walkman to capture ideas were quickly becoming a thing of the past.

It was 1996. I’d recorded my first two CDs and was still looking for my sound as an artist. Some of my favorite albums were live recordings — The Song Remains the Same by Led Zeppelin, All the World’s a Stage by Rush, and Frampton Comes Alive! by Peter Frampton. I wanted to record a live CD, and thanks to a dear friend, Duane Adams, to whom I owe so much, I got my chance. Duane lived in Cincinnati and had a recording studio, and he was willing to disassemble it and set it up in the basement of Tommy’s on Main, a popular blues club in downtown Cincinnati. He pulled up with his car loaded down with gear — a pair of 8-track ADAT recorders, a 24-channel mixer, a rack full of effects, and a heavy road case filled with mics, stands, and cables.

Duane believed in the band. He had heart, and he wanted to capture the magic he felt when he heard us play.

The CD was titled Kelly Richey Band, Live at Tommy’s on Main, and it was a success. There are many stories behind the recording of that CD, but for now, I’ll sum things up by saying this first live CD was like looking into a mirror. In the studio, you can record until you get it right. Live recordings don’t lie. They show you who you are, and if you’re
lucky, they make you feel.

By the mid-2000s, I had a studio in my home and a live mobile rig that let me record the band live. I traveled with a laptop and an 8-space rack with preamp and mic splitters, capturing the band whenever the room felt right. And at home or in a hotel room, that same setup gave me the luxury to capture song ideas, record demos, and work on
guitar tracks and vocals whenever inspiration struck.

Yes, the days of saving your money for studio time — playing under pressure, knowing you had to capture all your hopes and dreams in whatever amount of time you could afford — were over. Now you could make a cup of coffee, walk into your basement or garage, flip a switch, and record. It felt like magic, and it was.

In part one of this series, I shared the process of building the perfect battery-powered acoustic guitar rig for live performance. In part two, my goal was to build the mobile recording studio that fits in a backpack — one that supports my signature sound and lets me capture the magic of live performances, with nature and open spaces as my muse.

I picture myself standing on a pristine mountain, overlooking untouched parts of the world, praying they remain the same until I arrive.

My setup must be tough enough to endure the elements — from a mountainside to the desert, a hotel room, a house concert, a yoga studio, a church, or a performance stage — and simple enough to capture the moment without complication.

This challenge is more than finding the right gear to fit in a box I can carry on my back. I feel called to travel again and explore places I’ve driven past but never had the time to stop and see. I want to take pictures, shoot video, write, play, and record music — even though I don’t like bugs, I’m unnerved by wildlife, I’ve never enjoyed hiking, I’m directionally challenged, afraid of the dark, and terrified of heights. But that’s okay — this is the kind of challenge that shows you who you are.

This isn’t just a recording rig — it’s the toolset for an artist who wants to create music and capture magic.

This blog walks through every part of my mobile recording studio, and why it matters.

Thank you for being part of this journey.