zeronyne

Selling to ad services is one avenue for revenue, and those services use that data plus the data it has collected from cookies to try to deliver relevant content. Where it gets nefarious, in my opinion, is when they sell to data aggregators that then link disparate datapoints that maybe you did not intend to link. Maybe you use a different email for LGBTQ+ friendly sites, but you used the same email or phone number or credit card as with your main identity. Now they are inexorably linked forever, and you Facebook ads may deliver ads you really don’t want associated with you. And your data is worth a lot of money, which is why so many drop shippers will offer loss leaders for the cost of shipping…and your email address, phone number, shipping address, and credit card number. I could almost clone you with just that info and a public record search.

I’ve attached two photos here. This has angered me beyond all reason because this is a phenomenon I’m intimately familiar with, and Fender took the low road. To make the “positive” choice of having Fender NOT sell my data, you have to turn the switch RED. And it defaults to selling your personal data. This is not a matter of style. I’ve been a UX designer for 23 years working with only Fortune 100s, high value brands, and government agencies. Not a single time has anyone suggested or proposed using red for the positive choice. This is clearly an attempt at deception. And defaulting to acceptance is a giant UX faux pas…the equivalent of farting in an elevator. So you can see in these images that they outsourced this page. Do you think the marketing manager should be held accountable for this choice? What about Fender? Or do you not care either way if they collect and sell. I’m genuinely curious. I’ve seen privacy discussions here before. What say you in 2023?

ROI is a dangerous metric for welfare. If you are using it to support more funding, you have to acknowledge the opposite. Would it have been cheaper for England to not provide any benefits and have higher infant mortality, thereby reducing the future need for welfare? Or like in the US, do we promote a lower economic class to do the shit jobs? Either way, if you want to use ROI, you have to remove the humanity from social services, otherwise, that KPI is not accurate.

I think some genres have an age limit built-in. Genres that have an added visual component, genres that have a lifestyle component, and genres that consider anyone under 30 to be a “prodigy” will have various restrictions of audience tolerance. I discovered the KPop industry in the last few years, and I am older than almost every single producer active in the genre. The biggest girl group right now in the industry besides BlackPink has only two of five members that could drink in the US, and only three could vote. But still, I’m powering ahead, hoping to maybe present my work THROUGH a younger producer or just being completely anonymous. I’m still learning music and learning FROM music every day, but like bungee jumping and crypto, I’ll leave some stuff that I like to younger hearts.

For those of us in particular genres, some nice additions to ESP's budget line. https://www.guitarworld.com/news/esp-ltd-bass-guitars-namm-2022

There are many situations where leasing and subscriptions make sense, but I'm trying to sort that out for myself right now. I have an Adobe subscription because I really need Photoshop, Illustrator, and AfterEffects all the time, but I need the rest of their suite on occasion. I have subscriptions to Figma and Miro because they are my daily drivers and they don't offer any other options. But for music, I've resisted the Reason+ subscription because I can go a month or two without using it, but that may also be poor logic on my part if I amortize the one-off update price. Ownership of software is not that important to me because I upgrade computers faster than I upgrade software, and sometimes a platform change will completely change my workflow. And I've certainly been burned buying software instruments that are no longer supported. As I said, I really need to do the math to see what the breakpoints are between purchase and subscription for my use cases.

I don't have anything specific in terms of trigger words, but I always cringe when I see someone describing an item and it's clear that they are not versed at ALL in music gear and how quickly it changes. They will go on and on about their (truly) mint condition M1 that "sounds exactly like a piano". Then they post a heartbreakingly earnest price. What's worse is when they are elderly. Especially in my area, which is as "rural" as you can get within 30 minutes of Chicago, there are a lot of abandoned guitars, drums, and keyboards that were probably a significant part of a family's budget when purchased for a kid that just had to have it. It all makes me cringe in empathy.

I REALLY dislike trackers and they way you sequence with the, (having grown up with it as the only option prior to getting into MIDI), but Polyend has taken their Eurorack module and made it standalone, and the YouTube elite are semi-raving about it.

As the decades roll by, I find myself more and more interested in good user experience. Part of it, of course, is because it's been my career since the 90s, but I'm realizing that my motivation in music wanes as things become tedious. And as a person who is into granular synthesis, tedious is the name of the game. Traditionally, I've carried around first a portable DAT recorder and then just my phone to record found sounds. Recently, I got one of those Zoom recorders with the built in XY-positioned mics. But the real problem is getting them into the various instruments I use. Morphagene and other Eurorack sample manipulators need microSD cards with files formatted just so. My Akai S5000 has a SCSI-emulating memory card reader with its own imaging rules, and the same applies to my Triton not to mention software. So despite the fact that it may seem like a waste of money, I'm thinking about getting a laptop specifically for handling all of my samples. I do it now with my DAW computer, but all of the little cards and cables and adaptors that I need to pull out when I'm working with sounds really adds to the aforementioned tedium. Has anyone divided up their music production workflow to separate, dedicated-function computers? This seems to be an Anderton-style thing, but I assume he's at NAMM and too busy to reply to this. So what say you? Any recommendations on compatibility or workflow? I'm equally Windows and OSX, so I can go with whatever...the software required works on both.

My daughters each bought one from Urban Outfitters. They are terrible, but I think they are just licensed from the cheapest Chinese Manufacturer they can find for this model line. I was surprised because I am aware of their historical standing.

Wally Malone, who is a member here of the highest regard, was married to Lady Bo (RIP). https://sheshreds.com/lady-bo-mother-of-rock-n-roll-dies-at-75-years-old/

Deputy Director of the Ministry of General Affairs. Click here

This is a Cort short scale Slammer (not to be confused with the Hamer of the same name). I bought it 38 years ago for 99.00. I was a poor college kid and that was my weed budget for a month. It was sobering in other ways as well. It was light as hell but also very neck heavy for obvious reasons. The G tuner slipped around freely, and about a month later, I gave up and went back to keyboards. right when I joined the Lowdown, I dyed the fretboard and set it way back in a storage room and forgot about it completely. Since then, I’ve raised two daughters to adulthood, and we are in the process of moving out of this relative gigantic house, and I found it. What do you think? Badass bridge, Hipshot Ultralites, and a Nordy P pickup?

Alesis Micron? A small full size key controller and a used microkorg? Avoid the Akai Timberwolf. And there should be a slew of older Romplers in that range...look for a Korg XD5 or the Ensoniq SQ series.

I asked this of ChatGPT: Should people who are just starting in modern music now join bands and play in bars, or will they have more of a chance of success with content creation and social media marketing? Both playing in bands and creating content and social media marketing can be effective strategies for success in modern music, and the right approach will depend on the individual's goals, skills, and interests. Joining a band and playing in bars can be a great way to gain experience performing live and developing your skills as a musician. It can also help you to build a local following and network with other musicians in your area. However, it may take some time before you start to see significant success, and the competition can be tough. On the other hand, creating content and social media marketing can offer a more direct path to building a fan base and getting your music out there. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram can provide a way to reach a large audience and build a following without necessarily needing to perform live. However, creating engaging and high-quality content can be time-consuming and requires a certain level of creativity and marketing savvy. Ultimately, the best approach may be a combination of both strategies. Playing live shows can help you connect with fans and build a local following, while creating content and social media marketing can help you to reach a wider audience and build a national or international fan base. ______________ Before commenting on this, keep in mind that ChatGPT is very very beta and has no inputs past 2020. It's probably why the answer is so generic.

There's been some more-than-thought experiments in this regard. One team algorithmically generated every possible combination of notes (within a restricted range, obviously) into melodies and copyrighted all of them. Adam Neely had a video about it years ago. I know that there are practical, political, and logistical challenges to that approach, but I think all of us can see what the point of that was. I think in the near term, this isn't going to be an issue. There will be a few misguided test cases that completely miss the point, but once there is money involved, they'll figure out something tolerable. There's too much money of the table for everyone to keep fighting about it.

I currently have two Apex stands...one from the early 90s and one from 10 years ago. I was never comfortable putting something big like a Triton Pro or 88 key Montage on it even with the superclamp. I'm still looking for a great stand solution for my studio...I just have one of the table leg-type heavy stands with a second tier. I miss Invisible Stands so much. They SUCKED to gig with, but they were the absolute best if you weren't going to move it. I'm surprised Teenage Engineering or Gibraltar don't come out with an ultra expensive beautiful stand. For how vital it is in our lives, we should be willing to pay a premium for the best version of a stand. It just doesn't exist for anyone. I know a lot of us use or have used an Apex. Does anyone think it's the best "they" can do?

The company I just joined last month is all in on AI. Even in those 30 days, we've seen super usable APIs appear out of thin air. ChatGPT can spit out webpage code and much more sophisticated back end code as well, and I've used it to suggest guitar pedal settings (although as they warn, the legit suggestions and obviously context-limited suggestions look the same) and I've used it to help me with my modular rig. A friend of mine and former coworker is testing a text-based adventure game he created that uses ChatGPT as the engine. It's a little slow because of the API, but it's non-repeating. http://infiniteadversaries.com As far as music goes, have you seen the short video that Marcus Brownlee released with samples from the Google music AI that's being tested? It's amazing. You can debate the morality and ethics of it all day long, but I don't think it will really affect any traditional western musicians in any way that isn't similar impact to something like drum machines or digital audio. Where you are going to want to be on the crest of this wave is if you are in the music technology space. By the way, I have figured out an absolutely ethical and non-cheating way for high school kids to use ChatGPT for their papers. It still requires work and critical thinking, but it changed writing papers for both of my kids dramatically. Message me if you want an overview (and no, I'm not selling anything).

This is one of those subjects like fretboard wood or high mass bridges or gold cables that is easily tested, but no one wants to really know. And I'm not talking about a binary hypothesis. I'm a little disappointed that one of the magazines never tried something like this: Get a nicely mixed reference track. Ask (pay) Bob Clearmountain to master it based on some repeatable requirements. A week later, ask him to master the same source track, but only using headphones. There doesn't need to be a value judgement at the end of which one is better. The more meaningful discovery would be how different they are. I would guess that if you didn't compare them one right after the other, you'd be hard pressed to even notice a difference on regular earbuds or sub $200 headphones. But I wish someone with the time, money, and inclination would prove me wrong (or right). How about it, Mix or TapeOp or SoS?

I swear, you guys are the best. The measured and thoughtful advice you all gave was totally on point, and I had moved on. And as things happen in my life, when I let negative thoughts go away, good fortune comes calling. The present owner of that company contacted me to offer me the same price for the same item. He explained that he has partnered with a much more skilled manufacturer to create the carbon fiber bodies, and can now offer custom finishes. He was very transparent about his issues and how he fixed them. So stay tuned until May when it should be delivered. and Ampy, you were right in a way. They were going to call it a day, but a famous musician infused them with cash. thanks to all of you for discussing this with me.

So is the ROM file readily available?

It would be interesting if they developed a chassis that could consolidate power and data connectivity. These look perfect as components for making a customized MIDI control surface, but there's no way I'm adding any more small THINGS to my studio. I don't have the table space. '

I'm going to change some of the words in my story to try to not cancel someone (I hate cancel culture more than just about anything else), but I have to ask you all what your perspective is on this. Of course, there is simply no way to prove that I am even trying to present the unbiased truth, so if you don't really know me, just assume this is all hypothetical. Last year, I became aware of a certain boutique manufacturer who was reviving a brand that, while not really famous, had a real soft spot in my heart. The MOMENT I saw that they were starting production, I reached out to them. It turns out it's actually someone new who bought the IP from the original creator and is making a go of it. I was hugely supportive and tried to help in a grassroots way in social media groups and my own communications. Because of my unbridled enthusiasm, I assume, they offered my a special NAMM early adopter price on one (40 off, so basically dealer cost), and I jumped at it. Through social media, I discovered another person in my area had ordered one, and we started to communicate regularly, both in groups and email, to help promote this brand. Months go by, and suddenly, there are a few people online who are grumbling about delays and non-communication. I found that puzzling and reached out to the company while simultaneously trying to be a conduit for communication. I've seen companies fail before launch due to bad press, and as I mentioned, that this brand really has an emotional hold on me. The company responded immediately and very transparently explained (with photos), the challenges they were having in manufacturing. I suggested being transparent with ALL of their backlogged orders, but I have no idea if they did. More time goes by, and again, they are very transparent with me about what is happening. Sorry for being so vague here, but TWO of their variants were being successfully manufactured, but the variant I wanted was failing consistently. I tell them I am happy to wait. A year goes by, and my friend and I get our money refunded unexpectedly. Remember that I paid 40% less than retail, as did my friend. I again wrote to the company expressing my empathy and wishing them luck. ONE WEEK later, they start heavily advertising that they are shipping, although I only really see the two variants in photos. And they are going heavy on the promotion, and of course the price is retail. My friend thinks the company went back on their commitment to us once the number of failures suddenly exceeded their margin on the preorders. He wants to put this on blast and name & shame, but as I stated at the beginning, that's not something I'm into. But I would REALLY like your opinions on this. Would you have been angry? In a legal sense, he met his obligation to me to remedy the situation by giving me a full refund. But how would you feel about the brand? Also, I know every other person here is MI...if you figured out who I'm talking about, please try to be subtle about it.

I use a beltpack that is a wireless receiver and plug my in ears into it. The transmitter is a little half rack with antennae, just like a gtr wireless. It was 100 something on Amazon. I’m sure more expensive ones are higher fidelity, but I only use it when I’m streaming.

Not looking for shortcuts. Looking for resources.