Barnson.org

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I realized the other day that the equipment I now have at my disposal for music recording and gigging is rather dated. A Yamaha CVP-59S digital piano that’s useless for live performance because it weighs 100 lbs and is really bulky. And it only has 16-note polyphony. A very serviceable, nice Ibanez electric guitar that was $800 new that still works fine. I gave my only amplifier away to my neighbor because it was broken, and too small for performing anyway. My old faithful green acoustic guitar with a pickup I can install in the sound hole is still here, too, and other than needing a saddle and nut replacement it’s just fine.

I have an M-Audio 49-key USB controller I use for sequencing, but it’s inadequate by itself for performance use. Besides having to have it hooked up to some sort of tone generator, the small number of keys doesn’t allow for effective keyboard splits or the pitch range that I commonly use when playing. And the keys are kind of plastic-ey. They lack the feel I expect from a good keyboard. However, it might be a really useful secondary keyboard on a rack for when I have to do fast organ runs or something.

So here are my requirements in my next synth:

• Minimum 32-note polyphony. 64 is better. 128 or more is OMGWTFBBQ Drool Drool Drool.
• Onboard sequencing/recording, no matter how rudimentary, is required.
• A fantastic grand piano sample, or the ability to load one.
• Fast and easy patch switching. Even if it takes me a while to learn how to set it up, I want to hit just ONE button to load the patch set I’m using for a song or series of songs. Then to switch between patches within the set, I want to hit just one key. I can’t even do this on my old and venerable keyboards that have more than one patch per button, but it’s a nice dream…
• Weighted keys. I know that playing non-weighted keys can result in dramatic speed gains with less effort… but after 27 years of playing the piano, I have trouble shaking the preference.
• 88 keys preferred, but 60+ is OK too if the price difference is enormous. Given the trade, I’d prefer a lower-end synth to get 88 weighted keys, I think.
• A large display. Touchscreen optional.
• The ability to accept and send SysEx MIDI messages and at least 16-channel MIDI.
• Some way to back up your sample library to external media (whether computer over USB, CD, DVD, or Compact Flash etc.) is a big plus.
• Support at least two pedals.
• Pitch bend and mod wheel required.
• Aftertouch is negotiable. I have never really been that impressed with it.

I realized after looking at my list that really most high-end synths from 1996-2002 would work fine for me. Here are a few I’m considering. My budget is about $500-$1000 for this synth… low, I know, but whaddya’ do when you’re the sole wage-earner for a family of six?

1. Korg Triton Extreme
   • Pluses: Big on-board storage (160MB) for sounds, fast load times, industry standard, gobs of support
   • Minuses: Confusing UI, diminutive screen (if not the touch screen), rough learning curve, mod wheel & pitch bend are on the same joystick, weak default piano samples, getting rather dated at this point though still extremely popular.
2. Korg Oasys (also called M3): Ebbeh. Ebbeh. Yeah. That’s exactly what I’m talking about. No minuses except it weighs 71 lbs (probably 100 with a case), it uses that combo pitch/mod joystick thingy, and at $7000+ with a substantial discount it makes a nice “whoosh” noise as it blows past my budget. Darn. Its 61-key little brother, the M3-61, is only $2200, but that’s still more than twice the budget.
3. Alesis Fusion
   • Pluses: enormous hard disk storage capacity for a sampler, superb default sound library, 8-track audio with MIDI sync on-board, USB backup, nice display, nice stock piano sound if you download it.
   • Minuses: Slow sound load times. This can be worked around for live play, in that you can pre-load sounds while playing or just load up your most common synth set at the start of the gig, but it takes a bit more work to stay ahead of the load times. Alesis appears to have discontinued the unit with no plans for a successor. It weighs 56lbs, kind of middle-of-the-road for an 88-key synth.
4. Yamaha Motif: Out of my league, way too pricey even on eBay. Even the cheaper M08 clocks in at about $500 more than I’m willing to spend at the most.
5. Yamaha S08
   • Pluses: In my price league. Great piano samples. 700+ sounds. Rock-solid live performance, 88 weighted keys, easy sound navigation, and I already know I like Yamaha keyboards. Light weight compared to others in this category (44lbs). A basic keyboard that suits most live performance needs, and a decent tone generator in the studio.
   • Minuses: Not nearly as many features as the Fusion or Triton for similar price. Perhaps a bit too basic. Because Yamaha positioned this as their budget professional synthesizer, they left out a lot of pro features. It’s basically a portable version of the Yamaha CVP-59 I already own, but with upgraded samples and four times the polyphony. No “synthesizer” capability… as far as I can tell, it doesn’t even contain tone generators, but relies solely on a nice-sounding sample library.
6. Kurzweil SP2X
   • Pluses: Great piano, electric piano, and organ sounds. Nice leslie on the organs (a big plus vs. the weak leslie on the Korg & Alesis), separate pitch/mod wheels. Like the Yamaha, it weighs in at less than 50lbs. Also has a nice weighted action.
   • Minuses: Like the Yamaha, it’s not as full-featured as the Alesis and Korg offerings in this price range. It also has the most limited sample library of any of these keyboards.

So what other choices are there in this space of “audio workstation/synth”? At this point, I’m leaning toward the Alesis Fusion 8HD. Having a hard disk is a concern, but I’ve already seen the tutorials on how to replace it, and being a computer geek I’m like “Yeah, OK, whatever, no biggie to fix it”. Plus it’s easily backed up over USB to a PC. That said, I think I really need to sit down with a Fusion next to a Triton and just spool through their samples to see which one I like better. I’m fairly certain that, regardless of my choice, I’ll be pleased with whatever I buy as it will be light-years better than what I used last when I was a professional musician twelve years ago.

This, of course, neglects the fact that I need a new electric guitar amp (well, almost certainly “used” is more my speed) of at least 80-100 watts, as well as an amp or monitor system for the keyboard…

What do you think? If you were newly getting into live gigging (again) on a keyboard with some guitar, what would you want as your reliable go-to instruments and accessories?

What do I want from my technology? What has been my vision of technology for fifteen years?

I want a wearable computer. One that can prompt me with the names of people that I encounter if I use a gesture to indicate I’ve forgotten the name. I want a HUD overlaid on my vision to indicate useful information about my surroundings, like ambient temperature, UV index, traffic jams nearby, news relevant to my location, personal GPS, and other features. I want to be able to identify others who are wearing similar technology so that we can interact in virtual space while interacting in real space. I’d like it to sense when I’m in my vehicle and display useful status information — like speed, road conditions, etc. — in a HUD while I’m driving.

But for now, I’d settle for an always-on visual that I can put on in the morning that tells me when I get an email and allows me to draw on a contact list with photos. That’s quite doable. Maybe a pair of glasses?

Or maybe the thing that got me posting about this topic today… maybe a pair of these contact lenses…

I ran across an insightful page regarding “Internet Mormons vs. Chapel Mormons”. There is a difference between Latter-Day Saints who discuss their faith in online message boards and those who don’t. I was absolutely a “Chapel Mormon” before leaving the church… although I participated in a huge variety of message boards in a variety of technical and hobby topics, religious discussions simply weren’t something I was interested in. Here’s a summary of a few major points (excerpted, the original is much longer):

• Internet Mormons believe that the words “Lamanite” and “Native American” refer to two entirely separate cultural and linguistic groups.  Chapel Mormons believe that the words “Lamanite” and “Native American” are interchangeable.
• Internet Mormons believe that Noah’s flood was a localized event, covering only a certain area.  Chapel Mormons usually believe that Noah’s flood was a global event, covering the entire world.
• Internet Mormons believe the Lehite colony landed in a New World filled with Asiatic inhabitants.  Chapel Mormons believe the Lehite colony landed in a New World devoid of inhabitants save, perhaps, for at least one remaining Jaredite.
• Internet Mormons believe that the scriptures supersede the living prophets.  Chapel Mormons believe that the living prophets supersede the scriptures.
• Chapel Mormons believe that a prophet is a foreordained man of the highest moral caliber.  Internet Mormons believe that a prophet is not necessarily any better than his societal average.

I thought the link at the bottom of the page was telling, where a mostly-average member made similar observations between “Elite” religion and “Common” religion: http://www.timesandseasons.org/archives/000739.html

Spoiler alert.

Here is the first hi-res pic of the Enterprise from the new STAR TREK movie. Click “1 attachment” right under this blog.

Folks, things are a little busy here at work today, but I wanted to at least explain what the current writer strike is all about. A primary concern of the writers’ guild is that contracts don’t account for royalties earned from episode programming reaped via digital channels. The legacy guild contracts were constructed on airwave and cable package programming through traditional TV sets. Do we really think that people will be paying to download episodes in the future, as the media propositions as an either/or outcome? Or are there other types of digital programming the writers are worried about?

I bring to you the following, which was just delivered to me as a beta release no more than 30 minutes ago: http://www.fancast.com/full_episodes

Now, I ask you, did you think that, decades ago, the writers ever imagined their witty and classic ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’ episode in which the tornado hits Cincinnati would ever be distributed for free across something called the internet?

http://www.fancast.com/tv/WKRP-in-Cincinnati/92679/564170069/Tornado/videos

Did you think the producers from ‘Major Dad’ ever imagined their heartwarming episode, in which Mac and Polly get married, would ever be distributed for free across something called the internet?

http://www.fancast.com/tv/Major-Dad/90612/611252455/The-Wedding/videos

Did you think that the composer of the greatest TV theme of all time ever imagined his mechanical composition would be distributed for free across something called the internet?

http://www.fancast.com/tv/The-A-Team/4957/563890501/Black-Day-at-Bad-Rock/videos

(Editorial aside: WHERE IS ‘THE GREATEST AMERICAN HERO’???)

(Editorial aside #2: I’m likely busy for the next 2 years. They’ve got Alfred F*****G Hitchcock. Torrenting this stuff takes forever. So I’m told. By a friend who torrents. Not me.)

Do you think the writers, producers, line techs, composers, etc. are getting paid for any of this? I don’t.

And you’re welcome.

Ralph Becker made a promise in the 2007 Salt Lake City mayoral race. He promised to attempt to create a domestic partner registry. This would allow unmarried couples to do things like visit a partner in the hospital when hospitalized cannot indicate consent, automatically inherit goods upon death in the absence of a will, and full access to city facilities similar to that granted to a spouse.

This has, as you can guess, aroused a great deal of controversy in this overwhelmingly right-wing, straight-laced state.

One interesting side-effect of this legislation, though, is the promise from right-wing pundits that it runs afoul of Utah’s Constitutional Amendment 3, which bans marriage or anything like marriage between anything other than two opposite-sex partners. It was an express move to prevent “civil unions” between gay people.

The side I land on is that this move finally allows those who share resources and are dependents upon one another to share the benefits of their employment and city residency. My employer already has really good domestic-partner benefits, and it’s nice to see a move toward this in Utah’s capitol. Not only would it be good for gay people, it would be good for those who conscientiously object to state sanctioning of religious marriage, and to those who rely on one another’s income but are not in a sexual relationship, like a daughter who works for the city and her disabled mother.

Yet it has aroused considerable concern. Here are a few of them, excerpted (fair use with comments) from the Deseret Morning News commentary on the article:

• Homosexuality is a bad thing. God lives and he condemns this and all other sin. Whether people choose to obey him or not does not change the fact that it is wrong and should be stopped by the individual…Homosexuality is evil. The good thing is that people can abandon homosexuality, and through Jesus Christ become clean from this act.

You are a glowing representative of your religion. Tell you what: why don’t you abandon your supposed heterosexuality?

• I always knew that Becker was a gay man, now he shows it. It was the gays who voted for him and now he pays them back. What a sick society.

That’s charitable. Divorced with two sons and one daughter, lives up to his campaign promises, and that makes him gay. OK.

• The LDS Church website has wonderful resources to help anyone struggling with same-gender attraction.

I used to really struggle with opposite-gender attraction. I strived mightily trying to get dates with pretty girls. I eventually settled into a long-term, committed relationship with a beautiful girl, and now it’s not such a struggle anymore. I have a regular straight date on Friday or Saturday nights, and she’s a great time. Can the LDS Church web site help gay people get gay dates on Friday or Saturday nights? I think that would really help their struggle a lot. Maybe you’re available? Anyway, the LDS church’s “wonderful resources” at one time included genital shock-treatment for homosexuals at BYU. Ouch!

• The Proclamation on the Family should put all arguments to rest once and for all that the LDS Church does not involve itself in politics.

Right. The Church absolutely, positively involves itself in politics all the time, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars of tithing money every year. It doesn’t endorse specific candidates because it’s forbidden to do so as a 501(c)3 corporation, but it does lobby heavily to have resolutions and amendments passed which favor its religious interpretations. That’s their right… and it’s my right to oppose religious interference in secular government.

• What about the rights of a child to have a Mother and a Father?

U.S. divorce rates took care of that one a long time ago. There’s no such right. I would lobby in favor of some sort of “right to parents” for the children in Social Services, though. Every kid should have a role model… and guess what? If the kid is straight and has gay parents, chances are he’s still gonna be straight as an adult.

• HEY SUBURBS! We are a liberal city with liberal values and will always elect liberal leaders. Get used to it.

No, you’re an eclectic city full of individuals who vote all over the map on issues, with a particularly strong variance based upon residency on the east side of the city vs. the west side.

• GOD CALLED IT ABOMINABLE BEHAVIOR. We can not support such behavior or anything like unto it. This nation will tremble and crumble some day and the lack of morality in all faucets of life will be one of the reasons why we will be thus smitten. All you of you who doubt will believe when you see the misery of which I speak.

Yeah, your posts certainly are abominable behavior. I don’t support them. On a side note, when do your life’s faucets turn on?

• How would it be to belong to a movement or a society that the vary nature of it is in a self-destruct mode. If we all became homosexuals and didn’t reproduce we would eventually become extinct.

Right, that’s why, according to very conservative estimates, at least 3% of the mammal population — including humans — tends to be homosexual. It’s done a great job of wiping us out up to this point. Your rhetorical technique here is called “reducto ad absurdium”. Read up on why it’s called a “logical fallacy”.

• History, nature, and the design of the human body suggest that homosexuality is not the way to go for survival into the future.

History and nature also suggest that brutally killing our neighboring tribes is the best way to ensure our ability to guarantee expansion territory to our progeny. I don’t support that method. And the “design” of the human body is pretty severely flawed… the lack of redundant systems alone is a killer.

• They said that Becker was the only one that wouldn’t be controlled by the LDS church, but which candidates won’t be controlled by the ACLU?

Well, luckily the ACLU wasn’t involved in his decision. And the fact is, the ACLU is the only organization I’ve encountered which defends all of the provisions of the Bill of Rights… and not just #2.

I’m done.

Ran across an article this morning on How To Recognize a Good Programmer. I think his points are very interesting, particularly his “positives” and “negatives” columns:

Positive indicators:

* Passionate about technology * Programs as a hobby * Will talk your ear off on a technical subject if encouraged * Significant (and often numerous) personal side-projects over the years * Learns new technologies on his/her own * Opinionated about which technologies are better for various usages * Very uncomfortable about the idea of working with a technology he doesn’t believe to be “right” * Clearly smart, can have great conversations on a variety of topics * Started programming long before university/work * Has some hidden “icebergs”, large personal projects under the CV radar * Knowledge of a large variety of unrelated technologies (may not be on CV)

Negative indicators:

* Programming is a day job * Don’t really want to “talk shop”, even when encouraged to * Learns new technologies in company-sponsored courses * Happy to work with whatever technology you’ve picked, “all technologies are good” * Doesn’t seem too smart * Started programming at university * All programming experience is on the CV * Focused mainly on one or two technology stacks (e.g. everything to do with developing a java application), with no experience outside of it.

This jives with my experience. I’m not a programmer, because I don’t enjoy programming full-time, but I am a sysadmin. I look at when I started monkeying with hardware and operating systems… I was eleven, and wanted my connection to LINDA, a local bulletin board system, to work better. I began taking apart our old “Portable” PC (a fifty-pound behemoth with a teeny, tiny green screen) in hopes of finding a way to improve performance.

Side sysadminning projects? I run this web site, and a few dozen others for friends and non-profits. I am passionate about adminning systems, to the point that sometimes I get obsessive and don’t know when to leave well enough alone. I do it for fun, and a hobby sometimes.

I think the principles laid out above have relevance to far more than programming. To find someone passionate about their job, you look for someone who’s passion extends beyond the workplace, regardless of their field of endeavor.

A friend emailed me details on the Firefly-themed Neverwinter Nights 2 module available on NWVault, entitled “Hero of Canton: Introductory Firefly Adventure”.

I love fan-fiction, particularly geeky video-game-based stuff. On that note, I finally own a computer that can run NWN2… maybe it’s time I bought it?

So I’ve played the Soul Calibur series only once or twice. I found it enjoyable, yet it didn’t grab me.

Regardless, I must admit that this particular trailer for the newest installment grabbed my attention, for reasons that will need no explanation if the trailer is watched to its conclusion.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/29535.html