Writing on the road?

[Dendrite]

So in the spirit of those who write/record ideas with a minimal setup, what have you found that works?

In my upcoming travels, I’m going to be limited to probably my laptop with presonus studio one, Audiobox iTwo interface, headphones, and my iPhone. Internet will be questionable. Probably no guitar or AX8.

How would you guys lay down tracks in that setup? I’m assuming the built ins in studio one will be it (though garage band may have a role to play). No keys means probably using the laptop keyboard for triggering. Bleh. Of course, not looking for high production quality here, just getting down ideas and developing them out some.

Just looking for approaches that I’ve not come up with... though I know I’m making it more complicated than it needs to be

 

[Rocket Brother]

I almost always travel with a paper block and a pen to scribble down ideas and fragments of lyrics that I might come up with, other times I'll just use the note app or the voice memo app in the iPhone.
Different approaches depending on mood, sometimes I'll sing (badly) lyric lines or melody into the voice memo app, sometimes I'll explain the mood, beat, other instrumentation and timber of an idea onto the memo app, so I can recall it.

I normally have a guitar with me and in a pinch I'll record ideas on the voice memo app on my iPhone.
Other times I'll get it onto Logic and do simple demo tracks of my ideas with guitar, baselines and drums (sometimes even keys within Logic).

EDIT: Baselines played on guitar, drums courtesy of Logic's drummer or Slate drums, keys from the VI in Logic

 

[ChainOfThought]

I’m about to buy a traveler guitar eg-1 and will run that into JamUp via an irig HD on my iPad. Gonna be using that for my Afghanistan travels coming up and then any subsequent business trips to California or back overseas. ...really hoping it works out well. I only have guitar to worry about though, maybe drums if I bring my laptop or find an effective iOS solution.

 

[Muad'zin]

Voice recorder app in my android phone. I need to hear the rhythm of how I play a riff or chord progression way more then noting down the actual chords or notes.

 

[henryrobinett]

I always write with pencil and paper. I carry manuscript paper, so I write my musical ideas down in notation, always. I prefer it that way. I'm not constantly regurgitating my quick musical performance. The idea is still malleable in my mind rather than in the physical universe, where it can dry out more quickly, for me. If it's a cool idea I tend to play it over and over too much until the inspiration is done before I'm had time to finish it. But that's me. I'm rare. I'm also pretty quick writing notation.

 

[Muad'zin]

I always write with pencil and paper. I carry manuscript paper, so I write my musical ideas down in notation, always. I prefer it that way. I'm not constantly regurgitating my quick musical performance. The idea is still malleable in my mind rather than in the physical universe, where it can dry out more quickly, for me. If it's a cool idea I tend to play it over and over too much until the inspiration is done before I'm had time to finish it. But that's me. I'm rare. I'm also pretty quick writing notation.

I reckon everyone is truly different in that regard. When I have an idea for a good riff and I don't record it, I'll probably remember the notes and what I played, that's easy, but when I forgot the rhythm, I might as well discard the idea because I no longer know how I played it. But I'll hear back a recording, how I played it, and what I played easily comes back to mind again.

 

[henryrobinett]

I reckon everyone is truly different in that regard. When I have an idea for a good riff and I don't record it, I'll probably remember the notes and what I played, that's easy, but when I forgot the rhythm, I might as well discard the idea because I no longer know how I played it. But I'll hear back a recording, how I played it, and what I played easily comes back to mind again.

That's the key. If you read and write notation you won't forget it. I write the rhythms pretty accurately. Rhythm is the most important thing in music, I think. Otherwise you're right. They're just a bunch of pitches.