03.17.10
Posted in Instruments at 8:23 pm by Administrator
This was the secret weapon…..slightly larger than a Melodica with a power supply that weighed as much as the keyboard, this little beat rocked the high and low end. It was great for bells and chimey stuff but it really earned its stripes on the bottom end..it was a bass machine. Of course,you’d never know it from the presets.. the usual suspects of “demo” sounds that made you think..”oh,yeah, Casio..the digital watch makers..”. But with a little time programming,you could get really deep and amazingly percussive bass sounds (wicked fast pitch envelopes). The keys on the keyboard were only sightly larger than Chicklet gum so you had to use a MIDI connection to play it. Response time through MIDI was laser quick and it was a pretty roadworthy piece, considering that it was probably 100% plastic. I think that there were 16 user memory slots and you could save your own sounds via SYSEX (computer).
I’m not sure if the CZ-101 qualify as “vintage” (yet)..but I’m sure that it’s only a matter of time before eBay bidding goes through the roof.
I later “traded up” for the CZ1…same voice architecture but with full sized keys,velocity,more memory…but the “fun factor” was missing.
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02.05.10
Posted in Logic 8/9, What's New at 8:32 pm by Administrator
…Free Sounds!!!..in EXS24 Sampler format.
The first ones are samples of the Roland Juno 106 (courtesy of Super Engineer/King of the A Room Roy Matthews) and I’m not sure how long they will stay up,as I want to make this an ongoing project.
I chose the Logic EXS24 format because everyone who owns Logic has the EXS built in..and there are some interesting keyboards around here that I think could benefit from the sampling process, as not everyone has access to a Juno 106.
As soon as I figure out how to host the sounds, I’ll re post the “key command” post with a better explanation of WHY those commands are valuable to me and also put in a link so that you can download and import the “key command” set into your own rig if you want.
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02.03.10
Posted in Logic 8/9 at 8:33 pm by Administrator
I know quite a few people who have had Logic over the years and have never…shall we say…loved it.
Any computer program that does so much does require a learning curve..but what I’ve discovered is that most people don’t take advantage of the ability to map out the key commands in a way that makes their “workflow” (is that real word now?) go faster.
Basically,this means that you can assign a key on your QWERTY keyboard to correspond to most of the actions in Logic that require you to grab the mouse.
Obviously, assigning TOO many key commands will result in brain overload (“Now was {Option/Shift/A} the command for “Assign all notes to a random order of reverse events except on Friday” or…?)….so just keep it basic to start with.
You get to the “Key Command” area by holding down the mouse over “Logic Pro” (upper Left) and looking under “Preferences”. One of the funny things you see here is that there is a key command..for opening up the key commands (Option-K).
Most of the key commands are “pre-assigned” by Apple but you can easily overwrite them. The most important commands for me are the transport controls..if I have to grab a mouse every time that I want to get around, I’ll put a gun to my head.
Here are mine….I’ll paste the set soon so that you can “Import” to your Logic 9 if you like them.
( If you go to your Mac “System Prefs>Keyboard..and check off the box “Use all the F1 etc as standard function keys” AND disable them in the “Expose” part of System Prefs, the Function Keys are WAY faster to use as key commands..see below in the revised first section).
——– Global Commands ——–
F 1 Go to Previous Marker
F 2 Go to Next Marker
F 3 Backward by 8 Bars
F 4 Forward by 8 Bars
F5 Mute Track
F6 Solo Track
F 7 Rewind
F 9 Forward
F 11 Record OR ⌘˽ (that’s a spacebar symbol next to the Apple)
F 12 •Capture as Recording
˽ Stop or Play From Last Position (spacebar again)
⌃→ Forward by Transient
⌃← Rewind by Transient
, Rewind by Division Value
. Forward by Division Value
↩ •Play from Beginning
⌃L Go to Left Locator
⌃R Go to Right Locator
0 Go to Last Locate Position
G •Go to Position…
⌘L Set Left Locator numerically…
⌘R Set Right Locator numerically…
B •Set Rounded Locators and Cycle Play
\ Create Marker
⌃M Open Marker List
⌥T Open Marker Text
⌃C Set Locators by Marker and Enable Cycle
C Cycle Mode On/Off
⌥S •Set Solo Lock Mode
Y Sync intern/extern
⌃T •Tap Tempo
→ •Set Next Higher Division
← •Set Next Lower Division
K MIDI/Monitor Metronome Click
⇧L Lock/Unlock Current Screenset
1 Recall Screenset 1
2 Recall Screenset 2
3 Recall Screenset 3
4 Recall Screenset 4
P Region Inspector Float
⇧S Open Synchronization Project Settings…
⌥P Open Preferences…..
F Toggle Event Float
⌥O Open Tempo List…
⌥K Open Key Commands…
⌥C Open Color Palette…
⌥M Open Movie…
⌥G Toggle Group Clutch
⌘W Close Window
↑ •Select Previous Track
↓ •Select Next Track
⌘N New…
⌘S Save
⌘E Export Track as Audio File…
⌘B Bounce…
⌘Q Quit
⌘Z Undo
⇧⌘Z Redo
⌘X Cut
⌘C Copy
⌘V Paste
Delete
⌘A Select All
I Import Audio File…
= Next Plug-in Setting or EXS Instrument
- Previous Plug-in Setting or EXS Instrument
- Previous Channel Strip Setting of selected Track
⌘= Next Channel Strip or Plug-in Setting or EXS Instrument
L Learn new Controller Assignment
——– Various Windows ——–
⎋ •Set Next Tool
R Zoom Horizontal Out
T Zoom Horizontal In
⌃↑ Zoom Vertical Out
⌃↓ Zoom Vertical In
⌃⇧↑ Page Up
⌃⇧↓ Page Down
⌃⇧← Page Left
⌃⇧→ Page Right
I Hide/Show Inspector
M Mute Notes/Regions/Folders on/off
+ •Increase Last Clicked Parameter by 1
- •Decrease Last Clicked Parameter by 1
——– Arrange and Various Editors ——–
⇧⌘A Deselect All
⇧T Invert Selection
⇧F Select All Following
⇧I Select Inside Locators
⇧U Select Empty Regions
⇧← •Toggle Previous Region/Event, or Set Marquee Start to Previous Transient
⇧→ •Toggle Next Region/Event, or Set Marquee Start to Next Transient
Q Quantize Selected Events
⌥R Repeat Regions/Events…
⌘M Merge Regions/Notes
/ Split Regions/Events by Playhead Position
⌃P •Pickup Clock (Move Event to Playhead Position)
⌥→ •Nudge Region/Event Position Right by Division
⌥← •Nudge Region/Event Position Left by Division
——– Arrange Window ——–
← •Select Previous Region on Selected Track
→ •Select Next Region on Selected Track
⌥N Create Two Nodes at Region Borders
⌃↩ New Track with Same Channel Strip/Instrument
N New Tracks…
⌃N Create Trackname
⌃⌫ Delete Trackname
⌃R Convert Regions to New Regions
⌃F Convert Regions to New Audio Files
O Set Optimal Region Sizes Rounded by Bar
V Hide/Show Track Automation
⌥⇧C Color Regions by Channel Strips/Instruments
⌃⌥N Name Regions by Tracks/Channel Strips
⌥L Hide/Show Lists Area
⌥M Hide/Show Media Area
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Posted in Instruments at 7:56 pm by Administrator
…so the age of modern (somewhat affordable) synths was upon us…and I had to have one. The choices in the early 80′s were pretty slim at the lower range..but after some research, I settled on the venerable Roland Juno-106. This was basically a Juno with Midi..I think that they left off some modulation (Pulse Width maybe) but it was otherwise pretty much the same..although purists would argue that it was “thinner” sounding (was this the start of the use of the word “warm” as a sonic description?). Anyway…it was easily programmable and you could save your own sounds to a data cassette tape. It lacked any velocity sensing (ie. every note was the same volume, no matter how hard you banged it) which was a major drawback for me. However, it interfaced nicely with the Roland MSQ-700 Midi Sequencer..8 tracks of Midi recording. The auto correcting of note timing (quantization) was so miserable on this unit that you had to manually enter each note into it..very tedious.
This set up was ideal for the heavily sequenced music of the time and Kevin and I churned out quite a few 12″ records for various NY Dance labels..you can see them on the “Discogs” website.
Coming next…the mini keyboard with the killer bass..the Casio CZ-101 (really).
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01.20.10
Posted in Instruments at 2:41 am by Administrator
..a move to New York spells the end of stringed instruments for a while..with one final trade (for the time being). Arriving in the Empire state with a Wurlitzer piano,the P Bass (and the $ 29.95 Gianini nylon string guitar from Joyce “The Guitar Lady” LaMotta, it was time to get a real electric guitar. Luckily, my buddy Kevin was looking to get a Wurly and offered me his white Fender Strat in trade. But this was clearly the “Dawn of The Synth”..and drum machine. I was recording demos in an 8 track studio on 38th street and 5th avenue with some of the most amazing musicians…Ray Gomez, Fernando Saunders,Andy Newmark, Steve Ferrone, Tinker Barfield,Steve Skinner,Chieli Minucci, Michael Shrieve,David Frank,Mic Murphy,Fred McFarland..to name just a few. So I got to see the cool new synths as they were coming out and hear some ridiculous players.The crew from “Change” and “The BBQ Band” left behind an Oberheim OBX at the studio and someone else let us use their Linn Drum..and I was hooked.
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Posted in Logic 8/9 at 2:28 am by Administrator
..the deafening “white noise” blast that came unexpectedly out of Logic…I hope they fix this bug soon…any musician with headphones on would have been on the floor crying.
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01.18.10
Posted in Logic 8/9 at 10:10 pm by Administrator
It’s a whole new decade…and with it, a new Mac (iMac,that is…souped up with lots of power and RAM),a Duet Audio Interface and Logic 9.
It’s pretty great..all of it..and the audio stuff that you can do is amazing. The changeover from my G5 PPC Mac Tower took some doing but the software manufacturers were all amazingly helpful..except for MOTU..still waiting to hear why “ETHNO” isn’t working.
I’ll pass along any rants and raves as soon as I get to using it a bit more..so far, it’s stable and running like a racehorse.
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Posted in Instruments at 9:42 pm by Administrator
So why no post in so long? As you can see, I was waiting to get the PERFECT pic of my P Bass..and no, I wasn’t drunk when I took it. It turns out that the resolution on my digital camera was set on high, so all you would have been able to see was the neck.So…it’s back to the camera phone.
What you CAN see in the pic is that the original owner painted the pickguard white, put in a new bridge and got rid of the original knobs. What you CAN”T see are the various “Initial” signatures that he carved in a few places..and the huge hole that he drilled in the underside to accommodate an XLR jack.
The sad thing is that this bass sat in its case from 1965 until 1978 IN PERFECT CONDITION until this “creative” 15 year old decided to “customize” it….oh well..bottom line is that it plays and sounds great…just needs some new strings.
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10.25.09
Posted in Instruments at 6:40 pm by Administrator
…a friend of mine sent me this photo….
That is,left to right, Guy singing on the Silvertone Amp,Sarah playing the Silvertone Jazzmaster copy (Guy’s guitar,I think),Rob on my Dad’s Ludwig Drums (check out the size of the bass drum..and the tom had the skin riveted on so the only way to tune it was by moving a flame over it) and me on the Lafayette. My other sister Wendy would join us a little later…Sarah would wind up on keyboards,Rob would switch to guitar,Wendy took over on guitar from me and I wound up on bass..with the amazing Steve White holding down the drums.
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10.18.09
Posted in Instruments at 7:13 pm by Administrator
We started working with a great Metro D.C. area drummer named Dodi.He was a true rock star..100% attitude but with the talent to back it up. And like most rock stars,he had a passion for all things in the lifestyle…and he loved guitars;he would buy and sell and trade them. Because of this hobby,we wound up having some interesting guitars on stage…I had two alternate basses from his collection,one of which was the Dan Armstrong clear body:
The other bass was an 8 string bass made by Hamer:
There was also a Fender 12 String Coronado that Roy or Mike played:
The other guitars were fairly standard_Rob:Black Les Paul (left handed),Mike:Telecaster,Roy:Strat.
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