Back to the Egg:

That's the Paul McCartney album I've been listening to. I'm finding my own sound, and it is interesting because I used to think my sound was just the collection of junk that I used to record with. That's no longer true.

I've still got all the same instruments. They all have their own sound but where's mine? I always thought that I should play the guitar through all the effect pedals because I had them, and they are there. I discovered the headphone jack built into my guitar. It has an overdrive setting. I can use that most of the time, and forget all the stomp boxes. I have so many choices.

The thing with guitar is making yourself conform to the fret board. I think my guitar is set up properly. I don't have any issues with it musically. There are some rough spots in the construction. Some people try to fix all that, but for what it cost, I can learn to live with it. If I live long enough to learn how to play this guitar, maybe I would consider getting a nicer one, but for now I have this one.

 

I've been keeping journals since I was about 15. For some reason, my mind exploded about that time. At first it was a good thing, being bright and ambitious. But I think I was confused at that age about what I really wanted in life. Maybe I would have been better off going to a trade school, but I went to UGA instead. I did well for the first 2 years, and then I started losing touch with the reason I went there. It was a gradual thing at first but by the end of the 3rd year, I felt like I was in the wrong school and I dropped out for a while. I went on a Carribean cruise and that was like a reset for me. I lasted a short time more and the whole exercise seemed like meaningless struggles to me. I became a professional student. I made over $50,000 in one attempt at finishing a degree, but it also eventually became an irrellevant chore. 

 The Sun has been shining on me this week. 

Again with the afternoon rain showers. I like it except the high humidity and proclivity for insects. This is the deep south in August, so you pretty much know what to expect. I think I've had enough sun for a while as my wounds heal from fierce bugs that lay in wait outside. Only 2 of the cats we have, well 3 of the cats we hve want to be outside. The rest of them never even think about it, but I left the door open one night and  had 6 cats wander outside. They weren't curious enough when I started closing the door.

I'm moving my diary here because it is easier to read. I've been working with the synth rack that I call my Rack of Spam. I am involved in some issues setting the midi instrument number on some of the ones that I have. I can mostly play them independently, but the confounded things overlap and won't behave logically. No pun intended.

It's been a hard slog, but we did it. I mean I did. Nobody else helped me. I accomplished 3 things: I set all the MIDI in numbers on my rack's synthesizers. There are some issues with it. Technical support is right on it. They said they could rush it through in about two months. Updates follow.

I discovered that some of my older computers have some life in them as sequencers. If that's all they have to do, maybe there is enough CPU in there to do some song processing. It's like having your legs kicked out from under you when your hardware fails. There's only so much you can do but it's worth the effort to keep going. I wish everybody could get along and not cause so much stress and grief in the world. All you need is cash to keep things going and make your enemies stop sabotage and their reprehensible hatred.

But I digress. The sun has been out enough to catch some rays and it is rejuvanative to get the radiation and just cook for a few minutes. 20 minutes, maybe a half hour. If you get burnt though, it will ruin the whole thing, so stick to the limits of about 10-30 minutes, even if it is cloudy, those rays are still beating down from the sky.

I'm just afraid of insects now. Diet Mountain Dew, European. Room temperature. That will keep you from sucking down those cold ones. When that appeal is gone,  there you have it. No matter where you go, there you are.

Chatbot Weather

Breaking down the ORB and smaller parcels.

Rain soaked days and dark clouds overhead have kept me focused on my system for using AI to let a more advanced chatbot teach more simple models so that good information makes its way down to the smaller bots. It was accomplished by changing the format of the chat log file in microrb.class and then having a chat. This produced straight code that can be copy and pasted into the younger bot.

microrb is ORB without the graphical user interface. It just appears in the terminal. It has the database that learns from your chat. There is also a program called mic that is just the scripting language. There is no database or data mining. Only EARL script technically.
The database is very compact. 

 Redux Here There and Everywhere

This blog has been neglected for a long time. It will probably be neglected again at a future time. This is probably as good a place as any to start my "Captain's Log."

Captains Log:

It feels like things are starting over in many ways today. I will talk here about what is going on with me, I feel like I have some music to make, but waiting for the right mood to start working on it in earnest. There are things to do around the complex today, and I have chores that must be accomplished. But my ideas are flowing and I feel a good atmosphere for creating.

###

The Behringer rocks!

 Okay, well this is actually a picture of the Akai Professional MINIAK virtual MiniMoog that I play the Model D with. It has a good keyboard, and they sound good together. I have just begun to explore. Of course it is tempting to put a Moog on every song but I resist the temptation most of the time.

Someone gave me a Moog Prodigy many years ago because it had some broken keys, and they thought it was broken internally. I replaced the keyboard and it has been a lot of fun to play. The Prodigy is a simple 2-Oscillator synth and it definitely sounds like a Moog but the Behringer isn't a bonafide Moog either and having that 3rd Oscillator is great. It also has overdrive which is brilliant. It gives the synth some meat. If you follow my music you'll be hearing more of it later.

Behringer Model D evaluation

 We’re testing a MiniMoog boutique synth that just sits on the end of my Launchkey midi controller. It sounds righteous. Much better build quality than my Moog Prodigy. 

However, I'm starting to understand the great value of the Moog Prodigy. It has some hidden features, and some design choices that lend to the great oscillators and filters. It's a great companion to the Model D, and my prodigy has the CV jacks on the back so can take advantage of the MIDI to cv converter in the Behringer instrument. All around great value to me and my style of music if you can call it music.

I call it music, and I'm looking forward to a great day's novel writing ahead.

Distributed Digital Audio Recording

This is the first distributed music recording setup I’ve seen. The computer on the left (Dell XPS 13), with the 3 screens is the “tape deck” and the “conductor of the music.” The computer on the right (mac mini) converts my keyboard on the far left into MIDI signals and plays them on the mac, so they can be recorded on the “tape deck.”  I can do things like playing a track using Sam’s rack of spam with no plugging or unplugging of wires. That’s the take away from it I guess. My mixer converts the audio from the mac and rack into digital streams that I am recording on the “tape deck.” In some ways, this is very similar in function to the Fairlight computers that Kate Bush and Thomas Dolby used in the 1980’s to record their successful record albums. They used computers that cost $100,000 in 1980. My computers are far more advanced, because they are from the 21st century, and my system is modular, so that there are almost limitless possibilities for me to use as my “sound pallet” to paint my primordial “folk art” portraits of what my mind hears as music. I can literally transfer my feelings as a “song” that is more or less exactly the way I want it to be witnessed by any person who is willing to view my paintings as it were.There will be grapes and cheese plates with much rejoicing.

Synth voices and the knobs and buttons that make them go. 

 The great synth programmer, Zaa Phaphalene once said, "Do not ask why me? Rather, ask yourself, "Why not me?" And so we did. We both learned to program the great machines from their consoles, tedious and grueling to finish. But now, we've got the Hypersynth Miniak patch editor to finally get something nice out of that Akai Professional virtual analog that is not getting any younger. 

And neither am I. I like having the controls working on their amazing machine. Having a way to access this thing takes if from a nearly wasted eBay grab to a fantastic resource writhing and raring to go. It's like something I could imagine, but the Miniak is such a rare bird, and not many were produced I'm guessing. But I found this one guy in the world who can make an editor/librarian for it that actually works. It's a little squirely in some respects, but well worth the effort. So with a long day of novel writing ahead, let's go to the studio.

The Grand Tour: CyberMecha

There's a history of electronic music in Northwest Georgia. I can name a few that have contributed their own interpretations of their heroes and heroines of new wave, post punk, electro, and whatever the hell else you'd like to throw in there. Sam Hancock was not easy to get along with. He was a task master who knew how to use electronics for the greater good. Sam and I both played in bars and auditoriums, with very little enthusiasm from locals who just wandered in. It would turn out that the Internet has given us listeners and fans from around the world who would rather listen to us play than to have their eye poked out with a sharp stick. 

Here's a rack that Sam put together, and IMS inherited from him.

There are 3 E-Mu Systems ROMplers that I love here, the Proteus/2's and Ultra Proteus. Then below, 2 of the TX81Z FM synths that we started with over 30 years ago. I can play them from a single keyboard, or I can divide them up and use the computer to play them individually or in groups or any combination. I like to play them from the DX-21:

The DX-21 is from the era from whence the TX81Z's came out, so they can talk to each other. Together they can give me 18 individual instruments, or work together as one giant digital instrument. Another nice thing is that the DX-21 is not velocity sensitive, so it uses what they call "synthesizer keys." It means that I can play all the notes in with the same loudness, and then process that later once they've been played into the computer's recording system.

Here's my main workstation:

This is a Novation Launchkey 61 key MIDI controller. I can use this to play various instruments from the local network, on one keyboard interface. It has controls and pads for various things that I record and play live in the studio at IMS. 

 Our corporation operates an independent record label called Institute of Mimetic Sciences, Inc. It is doing research in human-computer communications, and artful intelligence. Visit us at https://FluxOersted.com

Following is one more photo I can show you related to IMS studio that we call CyberMecha. This is the main mixer for my lab/studio:

It's a 12 channel mixer with a computer interface. You can see part of a little Behringer 4-channel sub mixer that we use to handle the analog synths and the Miniak. We've covered some peripheral items in the past. We're more of a real instrument band here locally, but when you can mix fact with fiction, why settle for less than optimal in whatev
er it is that you're doing?

So these photos rearrange themselves as we step back in time. We don't play outside the studio any more, but in these confines, we are the masters of our own reality.

There's certainly a bit of nostalgia being around the sort of gear that I would have been ecstatic to have when it was the current instruments to have. I may be the only person who gets what I do from hearing them in my recording creations. It's what I do, so I'll get to it then.

So this is the end of 2024.

What happened? I learned that much of my life is like a Seinfeld episode. My problems are mostly first world problems. I'd rather listen to a Joe Jackson song, and persevere. Let's move on, and forget about the incredible isolation that I feel. If you are reading this, I'd be surprised.

Today, on Fun with Synths. We go back to the before time and employ a Korg MS-10 Synthesizer to create a nice mono lead instrument with the help of 2 stomp boxes.

This is my most vintage piece of equipment, next to my Peavey guitar amp. It's been around the block a few times, but still hanging in there as a sort of haunting lead instrument, thanks to two stomp boxes. The MXR phase 99 dual shifter feeds a Boss DD-8 delay pedal. I used to also put first a Boss chorus pedal, but I found that it really just muddied the waters. I think the chorus goes well as an input to my Boss hm-2 Heavy Metal pedal for guitar. I play a Peavey Rockmaster which has one humbucker pickup and it really get's heavier than any instrument that I play. James Alton said so, and I tend to agree with him on that. Now, my heavy keyboard is split between Moog Model D in overdrive, and GForce Oddity3 in similar settings.

There's a lot to be said for simplicity in this setup. I've got other effects that could have come into play, but these two stand apart from the built-in effects on my mixer, and I wouldn't say this is overkill for what would have been an unemployed single oscillator synth, the ubiquitous Korg MS-10.

Here's my guitar in case you forgot.

This guitar fits just where I need it. I can play most chords long enough to get a sample. I don't need to be a virtuoso. My college synthesizer pal, Fred Delveccio, once said that, "Thomas Dolby knows how to use a guitar." And that sort of comes back when I think about all the times I stayed up later than anyone else, and played their guitars when they left them in supposed safety. I once broke one of Jim's strings. He said, "YOU BROKE A STRING?!!" And I gave him a set of new strings naturally when he'd probably been playing the one I broke for at least 10 years.

Well Feck.

Moog released the Mini Moog App for Mac 2 years ago. Why am I the last to find out these things? Do you have any idea what I've spent on Mini Moog emulators? It's not funny. That was my birthday money. Nice job. It sounds great and has some really good features. 

There was even a Sound On Sound article about it. It cuts through a mix better than most plugins. It's got overdrive and some built-in effects. Quite amazing. Let's recap: I probably have about $300 invested in tone sources like a Mini Moog, not counting Reason or Refills. I'm sad that Moog is out of business and probably won't be supporting this software. How many OS upgrades before my Mac is obsolete? The current state of software subscriptions really sucks. It's hard to beat a one-time $15 for a real Moog for feck's sake.

As much as I like the Moog Prodigy . , ,

it is based on the MiniMoog, and has a very similar sound. Perhaps the Arturia MINI V rev 3 is among the best of the traditionalist appearance, and functionality. However, even this model of Mini has a modulation matrix, effects, and a dedicated LFO hidden away in a secret panel that you can open and close when needed. Altogether, the nice rendering hides a real powerhouse of possibilities in sounds.

However, there are digital instruments that have the same kinds of layout and produce very close imitations of that original MiniMoog 3 oscillator synthesizer. Here's one of my favorites:

The Minimonsta 2 is based on the old Mini layout but has some modern additions. Being software, the cost is almost arbitrary, and there used to be some limitations related to the computer resources in your home computer. Nowadays a notebook computer can handle many of them simultaneously. Rather than trying to duplicate the 1970's synth legend, the task is to find instruments that can keep up with your tastes as a musician, and give room to grow.

GForce Software wrote the Minimosta 2, and they have some other synths that I like. Arturia makes a Mini V virtual Mini that is very true to the real thing. I have that, but sometimes this one works because it is one of the better sounding ones that can be made to sound like the original Mini, but has the means to go beyond those sounds. 

It has more knobs than will fit on one screen. It has multiple built-in effects, and a modulation matrix. The envelope generators are full ADSR types instead of ADS ones on the MiniMoog. 

My favorite synths are now available in the DAW's that I use. Primarily Logic and Reason. Roland Cloud makes some very authentic Juno 60, and Jupiter 8 instruments, and GForce also makes the Oddity3 ARP Odyssey that goes beyond the original. Sonic Projects makes the OP-X Oberheim emulators. Great sounding synths by any standards. Google some of these terms and you'll find plenty of information about them.

I also use some real life rack mounted ROMplers, namely the E-Mu Systems Proteus modules and some Yamaha TX-81Z's that provide an FM synth that rounds out my mix. The sounds I like tend to have a certain gravitas and contribute a depth to the music on their own that affects the overall piece in a positive way. I'll write about some of them here, but will not get too technical about it. Yeah really.

 Merry Christmas. It's Christmas Eve and 

I'm thinking fondly of some synthesizers I've played or programmed. Here's one that has to be my all time favorite economy synthesizer.

Also used by The Prodigy, Howard Jones, and Greg Ruddell. It was not designed by Bob Moog, but was based on the MiniMoog by engineers, "engineer Rich Walborn and the late, great Tony Marchese" Moog Foundation

I've used mine quite a bit as a bass instrument in my own music. Only 11,000 of them were built during the span of 1981-1984. I got mine as quite a bargain, perhaps in another story.

I've got Moog Miniesque synth plugins that I use sometimes in sequencer music, but they don't quite capture the lush sound that comes from an analog synth, even a simplified MiniMoog. 

I find that the sounds made by the Prodigy are much more pleasing to the ear than say, my Akai Professional MINIAK! So I make a distinction between the three kinds of music I play. Those are: recorded and edited, played live with assistance, and playing without a net - just analog synths and maybe a drum machine.

It's here! The album you've all been waiting for.

A brief pause at post mortoween.

It is practically Christmas, and if you practice, maybe they will name you Chancellor some day.  Just remember to hire some Dutchman to set fire to Lord Snowden.

"Liberal rubish! Klaus, what do you want with your jugged fish?"

Okay, instead of halibut, let's go to something completely different.

 

Once Upon a Time, in Esom Hill, there was a farmer who followed the Lord. In the first book of the Bible, it says "God granted mankind dominion over the green herb bearing seed. To you it shall be as meat." A contractual language, God doesn't say what he wants in return. But it is clear that mankind thinks they know better than God over what should be legal for the brothers of mankind. Believe if you want to but get it right!  Mistakes cost time and money, and this will be no exception. Don't dawdle.

 Fall Risk: A new direction in musical entertainment.

That name keeps coming back. I think I might expire of natural causes before that happens though. We'll see how it goes. There's no good reason to think medical care could improve even more that is, if we don't find ourselves living in the dark ages. 

It's not all gloom and doom. I enjoy moments in every day, but I must admit that most of my time is wasted doing tasks that I'm not well suited for. I'm working on that problem too, but I can only offer what I have to give. I can only give back what I can create. It's a sad football Charlie Brown.

Don't forget to disable autocorrect whenever and wherever possible. Don't let those people tell you what to do. You should be free to express yourself in the language of your own choosing. That should be recognized as a God given right. Fut Autocorrect would tell you otherwise. Actually, you won't notice that they've mangled your text until after you hit enter and look back on your work that you see Autocorrectx has made you look like a sloppy fool. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Shoddy workmanship should be abandoned in favor of things that are well made. That's my argument against China. They make such fragile crap out of plastic that is probably contaminated with poison that they think we are too fat and happy to notice.

Okay, tea break over. Back on your heads!

 

Happy Halloween!

Pulsar 232 just had their album re-released in stores and Spotify, etc. It's called Interstellar Paradise. Check it out!

This is the Wizard Deluxe model. It is a fictional character in a real story that began so long ago. Sometimes people want to look inside it to see how it works. Some people are curious like that. It doesn't have anything inside it. There used to be batteries and circuitry. It was the command module for a 6 wheeled robot. I took a toy from radio shack and connected its motor output to a diode bridge with 4 small DPDT relays. It worked perfectly and was so powerful it was scary. It had a remote control and it had a switch so the robot would come to you or follow you. Very cool, you should try it some time. Just find the control cable to the motors on the wheels.

I've got some progress to report on the Grey project. It is going well to say that I was able to find and place the java SQLite software on my Mac, so now everything is working. I've discovered things that JFRED could do that I didn't realize. I'm impressed with Paco Nathans work on it. That one package has given me more of an education than the brick and mortar universities failed miserably at. I'm sure there are good schools somewhere but we don't have them in Georgia, unless maybe Georgia Tech can do it. I've had to educate myself despite having about 200 credit hours of  college in Georgia. That's a story for another time.

On the music front, I think my next album will drop on 08/23/2024. It's called Georgia Jungle. It doesn't mean anything and the name was an accident where my working title got glommed into the upload stream and I just left that. Sometimes things write themselves.

I am no longer using Distrokid or Tunecore. They owe me money, but they become bitter when you stop using their product. It will save me some money.