This is my latest toy. I’m using it as a MIDI controller for AudioMulch (with the help of Ross Bencina’s P5 Glove MIDI software and Jamie O’Connell’s MIDI Yoke).
The thumb and each finger can send a separate Continuous Controller value (using custom flex sensors) as can each of the X, Y and Z axes in relation to the infrared receptor.
It’s fun but somewhat difficult to control. Partly it’s a matter of learning to use it, like any instrument, but also my hands are a bit bigger than it’s designed for. I’m not sure how practical it’ll be for gigging, but it makes a nice change to be able to do more obviously gestural performance (compared to using a mouse or a fader/knob box).
This news has been everywhere today. It has implications for (the ongoing saga of) my next laptop choice. I reckon the Macbook Pro is now edging ahead again – especially w/ the educational discount – although I’d be much happier if it had Firewire 800 and 4xUSB 2 ports…
As bandwidth and storage have steadily increased, we’ve gone from 128kb mp3s being acceptable several years ago to 192kb now being the standard quality. I’ve recently been encoding new mp3s at 320kb, which is the highest quality possible for the codec. But it’s still lossy compression, so I’ve started looking for alternatives. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) looks like the best option. It’s like zip/rar for audio, maintaining the original (eg CD) sound quality, and can include metadata such as artist and track names. Support for it is sporadic at this stage: VLC, Winamp (with a plugin) and Songbird can all play it, but iTunes doesn’t, nor do most current portable devices.
But I have a strong feeling that FLAC is the way to go for the medium term, so I’m going to make Alias Frequencies releases available in this format.
It seems to me that ‘desktop’ computers will soon be obsolete, other than for high-end facilties (with server racks & render farms) or cheap, low-end situations. Laptops (with external hard drives for extra storage/backups) are taking over the middle ground.
I’m trying to decide whether to put any more money into upgrading my desktop PC (which I’ve been doing regularly since the mid-90s) or forget about it and concentrate on getting another laptop (which I need anyway since my current laptop is still broken and will be difficult to repair).
Will my studio in five years time have no desktops but two or three laptops and a pile of external hard drives? Would I be missing anything by not having a desktop? (In practice I’ll probably keep it as a server until the processor/mobo falls over.)
I have a Korg Wavestation AD, a classic synthesizer module from the early 90s, heard on countless soundtracks and electronica albums. I bought it a few years ago, but have hardly used it. I mainly make music with software these days, and there’s now a software version of the Wavestation available. Still, hardware is useful (this synth also has built-in FX, and can operate as a standalone FX processor) and it would be attractive to someone out there.
My dilemma is whether or not to sell it. It’s worth about AUD500, which is an awkward amount – it’d make a dent in my current debts, but it’s not enough $ to make a major difference to my life. So it’s tempting to hang on to it.
I also tend to regret selling things, or throwing them away. Most notably a ghetto blaster that I used for my early cassette cutups, which I threw out a couple of years ago. I still have nightmares about that – it was broken and useless, but had sentimental value.
This Wavestation doesn’t have quite as much sentimental value, although it belonged to Boxcar, an Australian synthpop band of which I was quite fond. And John Watermann used a (different) Wavestation AD on some of his recordings, so owning one makes me feel a bit closer to him.
But if I can sell it for $500 then I think I will…
Now that I’m a student at UoW, I have a 90 minute (each way) train journey from Sydney. And as part of my current health & fitness regimen, I also go for a long (at least 40 min) walk every day.
It has been ages since I last owned a walkman, but the time has come. I’ve been looking at iPods but *fukc* they’re expensive. And they’re a bit lacking in features.
Ideally I want something that has:
at least 20GB storage
can play mp3/aac/wav
can store other file types
includes an AM/FM radio (AM is particularly important, for Radio National/NewsRadio/Cricket).
Ability to record audio would be very nice but is not essential.
Colour screen/video (esp. xvid) playback – nice but not important.
Price should be well under AUD500
I want to get something a.s.a.p. but there are so many products out there, and I’ve yet to find one that meets my requirements, so any suggestions (including stores) would be much appreciated. TIA.
Bugger.
When I opened my laptop today, I had to use more force than usual, and the hinge at the bottom of the screen snapped at its base. The hinge itself has jammed. It’s metal and it just won’t budge (I’ve tried various tools). Even if I could get it to move again, I’d still need to reattach the broken metal base somehow. I can’t see this being easily repaired (and of course it’s long out of warranty). Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, how did you deal with it? Is there anyone who specializes in these sort of repairs?
For now I’ve managed to wedge it in an open position, so it’s usable, but it can’t be easily moved without cracking the plastic case or damaging the screen. So it’s no longer portable, which means no more laptop gigs for the Time Being. I’d actually been considering taking a break from gigs this year, but I didn’t expect the decision to be made for me.
The laptop is a four year old Dell Inspiron 8200. It was top of the line when I bought it and had given me no problems until now (apart from the hard drive dying last year, but given what I put it through, that wasn’t a complete surprise).
I was hoping to get at least another year out of it before replacing it with something smaller and more capable of doing live video. Not that I’ll be able to afford it for some time (I need to pay off the credit cards before running them up again  ) but what’s the best brand of PC laptop for live music/video these days? Dell was the shiz back in 2002, but appears to have lost its lustre…
‘normal’ blogging will hopefully resume soon. in the mean time, yet more links…
Elevayta
Feed on Feeds
GTG Synths
Highway Bridges and Feasts: Heidegger and Borgmann on How to Affirm Technology
Pop, art, and and Zizek
Progress Audio
Tiny Tiny RSS
victime de mode
vul3jp6
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