Here is a look inside Daft Punk’s insane Pyramid. It would be fun to have in the spare bedroom.
Emusictips.com has some good somewhat Reason focused somewhat dancy tips.
Here is a cool story of an unusual Itzhak Perlman performance. Would have loved to see it.
HRC has a lot of recording info.
Vinyl Tourist has this article on making your own instrument cables.
Yea!
Feedburner seems to be working again kind of. My subscribers fell to zero instantly. Other people had the problem also. It is good to know people are reading this. The number showing now still seem to be a little funny. The subscribe numbers have been weird lately. Strange fluctuations. I nice to know this is getting out there and I just wish I could trust the numbers more. It hard when they disappear. I hope everything is still working.
GetLoFi just recently had a nice interview with Ivo Ivano the brains behind glitchmachines. His stuff is amazing. Normal bent stuff tends to look like props from a Mad Max rip off. I tend to like that. glitchmachines are much different. The look like they were originally manufactured like that. Normal you don’t here “craftsmanship” were defiling cheap consumer music gadgets but it applies in this case. You can find stuff on sale or items sold here.
If you are wondering, “OK, that is kind of cool but why is in a blog about DIY music and audio.” First of all I am not that focused and don’t believe I should be so rigid to leave out something cool and useful. Secondly this is kind of DIY and oh, yeah you can add pages formatted for guitar tab or traditional music notation. That’s great if inspiration strikes you on the run or a jam session at your buddy’s. You can jot down a riff quick. They can be easy to forget. It will also remind you to pick up a gallon of milk at the store and pay the light bill.
Maker: Boss
Type: OD/Distortion
Years: Currently in production.
Fame: One of the more famous “blues” type OD’s or tube screamer clones.
Mojo Factor: Not much.
Price: Reasonable. $79
General Sound Description:
Everybody has heard a tube screamer. This is very close.
Who it’s for:
It an affordable and durable OD for those that like the TS kind of sound. It also lends it self to modding if you like to tinker.
Manufacturer’s Sales Pitch:
The BD-2 delivers the creamy, slightly crunchy sound associated with great blues guitar. This popular pedal provides instant access to the kind of warm overdrive and emotive distortion usually reserved for 30-year-old tube amps.
Info:
Users of Note:
Larry Carlton
I was checking out GarageSpin and found the Oodle BandTracker. It seems like a good idea. I can’t stand to listening to local radio and for some reason always forget to pick up a free paper and check out the concert listings. I always tend to find out about things to late.
The idea of the BandTracker is that it sends you an email to say when a band will becoming to your area. It say there 300,000 something bands listed. I didn’t stump it. But did let me track The Beatles. I am keeping my fingers crossed for an email announcing one of there shows in my area.
Maker: VZEX
Type: Wah
Years: Currently in production.
Fame: Of of the biggest names in boutique pedals.
Mojo Factor: Not only has mojo but crazy mojo.
Price: Expensive but can you put a price on a thermin/wah $289
General Sound Description:
It is a Wah like no other.
Who it’s for:
If your absolute love wah’s and thermins this would be the best thing ever made. If not it still could be some fun.
Manufacturer’s Sales Pitch:
How it works:
The probe circuit generates a small (one or two inches high) “bubble” of RF energy at about a million cycles per second above the copper plate. As your foot or hand (or any wet or metallic object, for that matter) approaches the copper plate, the RF field is disturbed and the circuit reacts by increasing the brightness of an LED, which drives a photoresistive cell and controls the Z. Vex wah circuit. The wah circuit is actually the Seek-Wah sound circuit without the sequencer control. It’s also the same wah circuit as the one in The Drip guitar that I make. The only difference is the boost circuit in this Wah Probe model.
Adjustments:
The simplest one of these is the volume level of the “drive” knob… just set it so that when you kick on the wah it’s doing its stuff at the right intensity. It goes from slightly lower than the normal guitar volume to completely bonkers when turned up all the way. I personally don’t think it’s necessary to turn it up all the way, in fact, it seems to pretty much obliterate the wah sound, but, to each his own. Abuse those transistors, please!
The next adjustment is the RF field screwdriver adjustment on the bottom of the pedal. If you turn it in the direction of the arrow (usually to the left for that one) it will make the probe circuit more sensitive and set the “bottom” setting of the wah higher and higher. It’s best to hold the pedal completely upside down so that the cords are dangling away from the antenna, with your hand and arm completely away from the antenna, and strum your guitar’s open strings (you probably have to have it on a stand or strapped on) thru the Wah Probe. Gently adjust the RF pot with a tiny screwdriver in the direction of the arrow until you hear the wah get to the level you’d like it to be when you are not putting your foot near it. There’s a region where the sound of the guitar is kind of “muffled” and the wah kicks in after your foot gets near the pedal, which is how i ship the unit. If you like the wah to be partway cocked into the lower wah region just park the adjustment right where you like it. As you get closer to the unit, it will wah higher.
The other adjustment isn’t too intense… it’s the LED current control. You can usually leave this one at exactly halfway. That’s how I usually ship the unit. If you think the wah is too bright when your foot is all the way on it, just turn this control to the left to make it a little duller at the top end. I ship it so that with a pair of heavy Doc Martins (the rock and roll shoe of choice for many musicians) my foot will make it go from muffled to very bright.
The unit works well with any kind of nine-volt battery. Naturally, a nice alkaline cell will last quite a bit longer than a carbon-zinc one, but some people are completely sold on the sound of the higher voltage output from a carbon-zinc unit when it is brand new. To change the battery, unscrew the four screws on the underside of the painted box. Carefully lift out the old battery and replace it with a new one exactly as it was installed, with the clip toward the right as you look at the bottom when the plastic footpedal part is aiming toward you and the painted box is further away. Does that make sense? ENJOY! If you have any problems be sure to contact me.
Info:
Video
Another Song About Mexico or 7 Nights of the Iguana
Living here in The Desert things start be no fun this time of year. A dry heat they say but 65% humidity is exactly dry. It never cools down. Triple digits at midnight and 95 at 8 am. It is hot for along months and it gets humid before the end of the oppressive heat. People are cranky all the time. It is a bad vibe. I get to the point were it is harder to be motivated it harder to do anything other than stay air conditioned.
It has been a damn busy summer anyway so it is time for a break. I am off to a beach in Mexico and I am going to do as little as possible. I have by light beach reading and iPOD(working again apparently opening up the case and flick the hard drive works miracles) filled with light listening when i get lots of cocktails when I get there it will be perfect.
My hope is that when I return I will be refreshed and ready to tackle my projects with renewed rigor. I believe it will happen. So, this is my advice for your creative endeavours for today. Take a break go somewhere relax for a while an just enjoy. Don’t take the laptop or the cell phone. Unplug for a while. We all probably need it.