Daz is a frequenter of the Korg and Karma Labs Forums, and if karma is in Daz's favor, Daz might just be the first Gearwire MVP. Check out what sonic tools and sonic advice Daz has for anyone looking for some good musical or recording tips and tricks.

What is your background?

I come from a software engineering background.

How did you get started in music and what advice would you give to someone who just started?

I got started with the guitar when I was 16, teaching myself by playing along with music that I enjoyed. I moved to electronic musical instruments later on. The advice I would give anyone just getting started is to not give up too quickly. It's a lot of hard work at first to get quality results, but if you truly are passionate about making music you will get there in the end.

Who are your musical influences and what genre do you listen to most?

The influences vary continuously, but right now Klute, Hybrid, and Snow Patrol all dominate my iPod and influence my music making.

What's your inspiration?

Self expression and fun ;-)

What's your motivation for helping people out on forums?

I am putting in what I got out. I got a lot of help from people on forums when I first got started (and still do) so it feels right to put something back in.

What's your favorite piece of gear and why? What gear do you use?

My Korg Oasys is definitely my favorite instrument. It just sounds gorgeous and is a very creative tool sonically and musically. My setup is Mac/Logic centered, and I have a handful of hardware synths and guitars.

What are your favorite sources for gear-related information?

Magazines like Sound On Sound and Music Tech but increasingly the media rich sites Gearwire and SonicState are becoming the best place for more in depth information and, of course, audio!

What's the best music related advice you've ever given?

Practice using the music technology you record with before diving into making music with it. Most people practice playing their chosen instrument between recording/jamming sessions, but it seems people don't apply the same philosophy to their chosen recording technology. It's really important to be able to use your recording technology fluidly when recording so that you don't lose the creative vibe solving technical problems during a recording session.

What's the best music related advice you've ever received?

I used to have a big problem with the arranging my pieces. I thought there was something I didn't know about arranging, some magical formula that others knew. Fortunately a good friend disabused me of this notion and encouraged me to listen and feel a little more how things should flow.

What's the best and worst thing about being a musician?

The best thing has to be when you get in the vibe of a piece music and you're really in that creative head space. The worst thing is that sometimes it can just take up too much of your time and energy ... it's addictive ;-)

What is the best and worst thing about online forums?

The best thing is getting to exchange ideas with other people who are all learning the craft too. There is so much to learn, making and recording music is very much a multi-discipline activity, so a kind of team approach works great. The worst thing is dealing with spammers who find these large communities very attractive venues for spreading their garbage. It's a constant battle for anyone running a forum to keep these guys out.

What music-related topic do you think is most neglected on forums?

I think that sometimes there is a little too much focus on technical topics and not enough on the creative/artistic side of music making.

What are the 5 forum posts/threads where you are most proud of your contributions? (Give actual URLs)

It would be very difficult to pick out 5 posts from 8600 posts over the last sevem years. I think I've made lots of small contributions over time, rather than a small number of big contributions that stand out on their own.

Anything else you would like voters to know? Any interesting music related stories?

Just a word of thanks to all the people that post on the various forums and share their knowledge and passion for music making. I've learned so much from reading thousands of thoughts and opinions from people around the world.