Anderton

NEW MARK MUSIC!! I know you don't realize how good you are, but as always, I totally enjoyed listening to the songs. Your voice sounds really good. Any chance you could email the Studio One project to me for "Pull Yourself Together?" I think it's time for another cover. Keep us in the loop of your progress...

I'm more interested in the guitar pick jewelry. I think I'm making that up... Actually the combo has the potential to be very beneficial. I think reverb.com is spread in a lot of different directions, which is fine when you're growing. But past a certain point, you need to focus on what works, and jettison what doesn't. As a parallel example, Gibson may not be out of the woods yet, but it is having a resurgence because it has a narrower focus than it did prior to the bankruptcy.

That was a lie perpetrated by the recording industry. The resolution was way too low. Now hold on there a second...are you telling me that marketing departments don't tell the truth? I bet you don't believe in the Easter bunny, either. One of the biggest problems with early CDs wasn't the CDs, it was the converters in the players. A lot of consumer CD players used 12-bit converters. The main problem with digital is that distortion increases as the volume decreases, which goes against how we normally experience sound in the real world. If I have the math right, which certainly isn't guaranteed, with a 16-bit format you're listening with 12-bit resolution at -24 dB. Of course we're mostly recording at 24 bits in our home studios, but we still have the delivery medium issue. I agree that SACD indeed sounded better, and I'm not a wine-tasting, self-proclaimed "golden ears" guy when it comes to music. Whether it was because of the one-bit encoding technology or the ability to avoid brickwall output filters is a subject of debate. Also remember that a lot of SACD releases were redone to be optimized for the medium. So...yes, all forms of audio reproduction have their issues. It is what it is, and yes, ultimately the musical performance is what matters anyway

That's good to hear, I got the impression from some folks they weren't writing a lot of business. Then again, your "keyboard equivalent of ukulele" was a significant introduction...I wouldn't be surprised if you got some traction with that. That makes sense, it's good you feel it's important to connect with consumers. What are your thoughts on public day?

I'm online too much not to keep up with the security patches and such. Also, some of the updates are really useful, like the timeline feature. Saves me lots of time. I think I'll image 1809 since it's working, and follow MoodyBluesKeys' advice to use Upgrade Assistant to install 1903...and cross my fingers.

So... I had a hard time with W10 1809. It would update, but then Windows would do a subsequent patch, and blue screen the computer. So I went back to the pre-patch version, and delayed further updates until this month. When I did a quality/service update on 1809 yesterday, it succeeded. Everything is up to date and working right. But now, Windows says "Hey, all is well. Do you want to install 1903?" Well...do I?

And/or extremely time consuming. I've been away from my older MBP/Presonus SL1642/Digital Performer and other software/plugin recording system for a couple years and recently tried to rekindle that relationship. There's no point in even starting unless you've got several uninterrupted hours to get things updated, renew leases, restore/find old passwords let alone try to remember how the hardware and software operates! I have newer gear that I could/should be using but I'd been clinging onto that setup because it was the last 17" MBP and had the expresscard slot for the UAD Solo Laptop thingie. Apparently TASCAM's Model 24 is selling very well, better than expected. That might be a statement of its own.

I genuinely wonder how much of the attraction of Gearfest is the panels/exhibits, and how much is the discounts? Well, my workshops are always packed, and I'm not alone. The educational component gets a lot of traction.

The secret to making Windows as reliable as a Mac is this: treat it like a Mac. * Use a computer designed for music (PC Audio Labs, Studio Cat, Creation Station, etc.) * Use only software from mainstream companies. * Pay the extra bucks for lots of memory That's it

I'm so happy that the inmates are running the asylum. That's when MPN was always at its best.

I wonder what this means for Behringer doing an Oberheim clone...

Yes, the current regime at Gibson isn't planning on doing anything with the brand, so they did the right thing and gave Tom his name back. Kudos! If nothing else, that helps take the edge off that silly "you've been warned" video.

Oh, and speaking of GearFest: GearFest 2019 attendance: 17,000 NAMM Summer 2019 attendance: 16,000 What does that tell you?

I used Air B&B for last Winter's NAMM show, well with it at $80/night, a mile from the convention center. But you have to be careful, because sometimes people realize they could get more...so they cancel your reservation and re-list for a higher price. That happened to me when I got an Air B&B for GearFest, and the owner realized there was going to be an influx of people competing for rooms.

I gotta say, I discovered a couple years ago how cool ukuleles can be. I used ukulele a lot on my Simplicity album, and people assume it's some kind of crazy ethnic instrument or something. They're not used to hearing it be played in a less traditional way, with the type of processing used for guitars. I've even used it in some EDM songs. Just remember..."ukuleles don't kill music, people do." Check out the album, about half the songs use ukulele in one way or another. It can add some interesting textures. And people will think you're using some strange ethnic instrument [video:youtube]

Well, a couple things. First, I learn a huge amount about myself every time I record a song, it's like a Rorschach. Even if I was told no one else on the planet would hear my music, I'd still do it. Second, my music does get out in the world, so it's a way to communicate with people. Granted it's mostly a one-way communication, but so is writing an article. Most importantly, collaboration is where I get the most satisfaction from music, and I don't think I'm alone...that feedback loop among performing musicians or songwriters is incredible. But, you can't collaborate until you have some level of chops. Those "kids in the bedrooms" are developing chops and an understanding of music. It's not that different from the way guitar players used to woodshed (and I guess some still do) to improve their chops.

I admit it, I didn't go Saturday. I wasn't covering the show for anyone, and have enough work that I didn't need to pitch any manufacturers. As always, it was great to see people in the industry and say hi, but the flip side was that meant they weren't having substantive discussions with dealers about selling gear and distribution. I'm not sure how much business was getting done. Also, there seemed to be fewer of the little companies with weird ideas. Perhaps it's gotten just too expensive. I also can't help but wonder if GearFest is cutting into Summer NAMM. Winter NAMM is where all the business gets written, and even though Summer NAMM has a public day, it's not surprising if a 100% consumer-oriented show like GearFest would siphon off all those people. If you went to Summer NAMM...what did you think about it?

I think we're entering the golden age of personal music. The barrier to entry is low, and the quality of instruments is high. The record industry in the 70s and 80s was a blip. We've had the ability to freeze-dry sound for later listening only during the past 130 years or so. Before then, music was always ephemeral and transitory. If you missed seeing Beethoven's 3rd...tough. To borrow a phrase from BMD, music had a sell-by date - which was the second the last note was played. People played music for enjoyment. Think back to the 20th century, before record players existed. A lot of homes had pianos, and learning an instrument was a given. If you wanted to hear music, you learned how to play. This may sound silly, but I learned guitar back when I was 8 because I wanted to be able to hear "Greensleeves" any time, in the style I wanted to hear it. When music became something you could consume in non-real-time, that was a really cool thing. You didn't need to learn an instrument any more, and when the Walkman came out, you could take the music anywhere you wanted. BUT... Listening to music is not the same as making music. Making music is about personal discovery and creative enjoyment, which listening to music can't provide at the same level. So now we have "musicians" dissing "those kids in their bedrooms with Ableton Live." Those kids are discovering how cool it is to make music, and they're getting hooked. They're going to be supporting the music industry in the decades ahead. I've met a lot of these people from doing seminars, and they are on their way to becoming lifers. They love the idea of making music. When the old guard says "that's ridiculous, they'll never make any money," that's missing the point and framing music as a business. You don't make money fishing, or bowling, or going to the movies...you do those things because they're fulfilling. So it is with music. I think it's awesome someone can put their music on YouTube, and get 50 or 100 subscribers. Sure, it's not millions. Who cares? Those are 50 or 100 people who do care, and you never know what will happen...sometimes things take off. And what's going to happen to the pros? It was never easy to make a really good living in music, and that won't change. But instead of the top 10% being bands like Led Zeppelin, we'll be going back to the days when the songwriters were the ones who cleaned up. Licensing will be the province of the pros - you get Disney or Apple or whoever to license your music, and you've got real money in the real world....just like the way commercial music used to have the church, the king, or the court as sponsors. The only thing that's missing from this "golden age" scenario is more places to play live. Not arenas, just small venues where people can gather. I bet if I put together a live act and let out the word via social media, at least 20 or 30 people would show up. The problem is I don't know where I'd have them show up. But I think that as more people play music, suitable venues will sprout up in time. So what do you think? Is the music business righting itself by music going back, in many ways, to what it always was - personal?

That's because they are! Software companies beat themselves up that they don't make it easier for beginners, but I tell them the main user-hostile element is the computer, more than the software. When I was consulting for Sony years ago, I was asked if I could write up a simple process for getting files from Acid on to one of their MP3 players. "It should only take you about three steps, you should be able to knock it off in an afternoon." I turned in a document with 23 steps, and they were NOT happy. "We told you to keep it simple!" I asked which steps could be removed, and said I'd remove them. None of the steps could be removed, and most of them dealt with things you had to do in Windows (like how to navigate to where you wanted to export the file). At NAMM, I was talking to a music store owner who bemoaned the fact that people would buy interfaces from him, but they'd sit in the closet because people found computers too daunting. TASCAM tried to solve the learning hump with their Track Factory, which had a Windows computer pre-configured for music, and dedicated to only that task, with SONAR pre-loaded on it. Unfortunately, this was just before Cakewalk went under, so we'll never know whether the concept was valid or not.

That does sound pretty damn cool for hardcore beats I want to try it in parallel with bass, I like the way the guitar slides sound on the demo! The sound also reminds me a bit of the Ultra-Fuzz (project #6 in Electronic Projects for Musicians). I think it might be possible to get close to this sound with some of the modules in the Helix...gonna give it a try, $1,499 is a bit much for me. Well, I know what I'll be playing with tonight.

Good question, never really thought about it before. I guess it's half and half. I think most gear is interchangeable. If the guitar I currently use the most disappeared, I'd use a different one and get on with things. However, there are three ways to look at the inseparable angle: practical, sentimental, and "chemistry." Practical would be like J. Dan's example above. He loses the Kronos, he's hosed. Sentimental would be like my Minimoog that Bob Moog signed when he was staying over at my house for a few days. I've been offered significant money for it, but it means a lot...especially because of what he wrote. Chemistry would be a particular instrument that just feels right. My PRS Signature Series guitar is a special guitar, so is my Les Paul HP Blueberry Burst. For synths, I don't know why I like the Korg M3 or Kawai K3 so much, but I do. Sure, I can use other guitars and synths, but I'm very attracted to those, and love playing them.

IOS is really only the only choice for music apps. Android is too scattered, too incompatible, and to be slow to do the job right. There are a few exceptions, but they are few and far between. I do not think the situation will change long-term.

I've never really considered Ableton Live as a DAW, I consider it more a musical instrument disguised as software. I am very much into the right tool for the right job, and I would not use anything other than Ableton Live for live performance. In the studio, when Studio One switched over to version 4, I felt it had such compelling features for songwriting that it was worth switching. When I talk with many people about using more than one DAW, often the reaction is "but I really don't want to have to learn another program." I remind them that because they've been using a DAW, they know how to do 90% of what a DAW does. All they really have to learn are the differences. I don't find it that difficult to switch among DAWs, but the caveat is that you need to use them consistently.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/florida-city-playing-baby-shark-raining-tacos-loop-drive-homeless-n1030971 We've all heard about the healing power of music...well, let's take a look at the flip side. Yes, a town in Florida has started playing the "Baby Shark" song and "It's Raining Tacos" to drive the homeless out of a public place. This is either clever, or truly diabolical. Or both. Which got me thinking...what would be YOUR choice for a song so annoying it would cause people to flee in horror after hearing it for the 100th time at top volume? I nominate "Barbie Girl" by Aqua. [video:youtube]

I've been going through some older gear that was in storage, and ran across quite a few where the backup battery for patch memory and such had leaked. Most of the time, the leakage didn't make it to the circuit board because I caught the battery in time, but some gear wasn't so fortunate. So if you have some older gear lying around and you haven't opened it up to check the battery status...it's probably a good idea to do so! This has been a public service announcement