I like using drum machines to maintain time and dynamics when you play solo, but when playing there's no way with the drum systems I have of being able to transition from a verse to a chorus or to add fills or accents..I kinda do it a bit with my AdrenalinnIII using the SP section of my FCB1010 board but its haphazard and requires tap-dancing multitasking....so I'm not really very good at it.
What I wanted to find was something I remembered from my childhood...Old Bontempi organs or whatever they were used to have drum beats on them to play along to, and they had a fill button where you could play along hit the fill button and the drums would play a fill.. transitions were possible by just changing the beat or whatever.
But I've never seen anything like that on a guitar based drum system..you are basically stuck with the one rhythm track over and over and over again...a few accents might be possible but still the same beat...over and over and over... Which means jamming on your own can eventually just run out of steam no matter how good the other musical parts are, the drums get boring....until now
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/beatbuddy-the-first-guitar-pedal-drum-machine/x/5916944
What a fantastic thing.. I have immediately signed up for an early version of it, if it has half the abilities it says it has I should be able to have control over my drum systems and make much more effective rhythm backing tracks for my songs....well in theory :)
Thing is though this is such a great and frankly obvious idea that I will be amazed if the big makers don't suddenly start offering similar cheaper versions or ROM updates to their current units....but I suspect this one will be worth having.
Ahthankyew
Monday, 30 December 2013
And another year creaks to its ancient end
Soon be time to watch another Jools Holland Hootenanny, I like those shows.
ah 2013...you were a good year, as always a few downs, but overall lots of positives. Job has been going well, health seems fine aside from hitting 50 in the same way as hitting a brick wall while riding a bike in the freezing cold at 40kph...I do ache a lot more than I recall in 2012. But, back to plusses, a record low number of man flus, a new car giving much more mobility, distinct improvements in my guitar playing, some fantastic gigs, even some improvement in my singing, and of course lovely new relationship going along swimmingly.
Christmas was fun, we had friends over on Christmas eve, for a full Turkey dinner I made, which was lovely...though I need to practice my carving skills. got to see Brenda gloriously drunk and talking even more funny shit than I do which was funny as hell, though the poor girls Christmas day hangover from hell has sworn her off drinking for ever and ever...lol we'll see.
yup, been a good year 2013.
I'm tying to top it off with a video but this weekends efforts are not really good enough...getting there and maybe a few more days practice will see something develop, but at the moment I'm not happy with it, so won't be posting anything.
I plan to fit a bit of coding in during this holiday as well, PSM have finally allowed the Netherlands into the program which means I can get my dungeon crawler program on the store and selling...It won't make a lot and I've probably paid out more for the graphics than it will make, but it will be a good test bed to see what the process is like.. A few more weeks of work should see it up and running...
Ah well, coding and playing...a great way to spend an end of year holiday before returning to work on the 6. I am looking forward to 2014...I hope that's not going to be a case of misplaced enthusiasm. ;)
Ahthankyew
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Great end to the year
The NHTV Christmas party is usually a bit of a chore, a few drinks with people fom all depts. and some buffet..
But this year, it was held over at the Hotel and leisure dept at Sibieliuslaan and someone had the good sense to hire a great band...
STARRCASE were the headline act..
We had a nice stage
And somewhere for the audience to dance.
So off we went
Of course I forgot to smile.
I did my best Bill Wyman impression even when singing.
But I did play really well.
If the link works you can hear for yourself
Ahthankyew
Tuesday, 17 December 2013
Old old bones
Got a mini cold, that's being kept under control by my lovely UK cold meds, but I am still feeling a bit on the rough side....oh and its my Birthday....50.
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck
Never thought I 'd get this far.
Going to celebrate by buying sweets for everyone at work (strange Dutch thing, the birthday boy has to supply the treats) and then off to Final rehearsals for Thursdays NHTV Christmas party gig with Starrcase, not sure my voice will manage it though, I had to cancel my last singing lesson yesterday after my voice went during lectures..we will have to see.
I finally got my teeshirt...after a year and a half. :D though technically it was Geoffs :D
The pic was taken at the now legendary Brians Pre Birthday Partaaay last Saturday, which was a great success, mainly due to my awesome curries I supplied but also with performances from Starrcase and The Gadgeteers
Ahthankyew
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck
Never thought I 'd get this far.
Going to celebrate by buying sweets for everyone at work (strange Dutch thing, the birthday boy has to supply the treats) and then off to Final rehearsals for Thursdays NHTV Christmas party gig with Starrcase, not sure my voice will manage it though, I had to cancel my last singing lesson yesterday after my voice went during lectures..we will have to see.
I finally got my teeshirt...after a year and a half. :D though technically it was Geoffs :D
The pic was taken at the now legendary Brians Pre Birthday Partaaay last Saturday, which was a great success, mainly due to my awesome curries I supplied but also with performances from Starrcase and The Gadgeteers
It was a great night not too many musical mistakes and cool to see people up and dancing including Brenda, who was such a sweetheart last night she bought me a cake and managed to get loads of candles (as many as would fit) on the case without me even noticing before she switched off the lights and walked from the kitchen to surprised an oblivious me....sweet.
Oh well 50....Officially old....Father Abrahams is me....better get on with it.
Ahthankyew
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Looking for Somebody
This weekends messing about was quite nice though I am not yet fully adjusted to using the Voicelive2 in my board settings. But I'll get the hang of it.
Saturday, 30 November 2013
ouch,...but yeah...but ouch
The new board needs a few more things but it is functional, so I took it to band practice...it was BRILLIANT!! up and running in a minute :D Exactly what it was intended to do.. I was delighted with its functionality.
It is also FUCKING HEAVY AS A WHITE DWARF STAR!!
And I am literally aching in my shoulders from trying to pick it up..I mean trying, there was a lot of dragging and sliding but not a lot of actual picking up... I was at least able to put it on to a small trolly 3 inches high.....yeah....
No need for Gyms, just book a couple of rehearsals and load the car.
After an amazing semi controlled slide to get it down the stairs it has now taken up residence in the living room until such times as I have doubled my muscle mass and can bench press 200kg and stand any chance of getting it back up stairs on my own.
Ahthankyew
It is also FUCKING HEAVY AS A WHITE DWARF STAR!!
And I am literally aching in my shoulders from trying to pick it up..I mean trying, there was a lot of dragging and sliding but not a lot of actual picking up... I was at least able to put it on to a small trolly 3 inches high.....yeah....
No need for Gyms, just book a couple of rehearsals and load the car.
After an amazing semi controlled slide to get it down the stairs it has now taken up residence in the living room until such times as I have doubled my muscle mass and can bench press 200kg and stand any chance of getting it back up stairs on my own.
Ahthankyew
Friday, 29 November 2013
Portable....pedal board or gym
I am going to build up some muscles hauling this around..
My new pedal board is an absolute monster. Its a custom made box, as I could not find anything big enough on the market to hold the RC-300 and GR-55 side by side..also I can now put my Voice Live2 in the system, which was not really possible due to floor space and cable issues. But thanks to the equally custom made loop switch I can use it and the VLTouch I've been using.
It all looks a bit overkill but really its just due to the size of the 3 main pedals which are fooking huuuge. ;)
If anyone's interested its actually quite simple...My main guitar tones are produced by the Adrenalinn III , the little blue/black box on the left. Which among other tricks is a drum machine and rhythmic arpegiator, but mainly its an Amp/FX sim unit that lets me do everything from nice clean tones to monster metal screams...It is incidentally also hooked up to another slightly large thing, a MIDI FCB 1010 control board, not pictured above, but here below, but I can use it without.
That is supplemented and occasionally replaced when playing by the GR-55 Guitar synth, big blue thing, bottom right, which is ...a synth..so it can do mega loads of instruments and fx, like strings and keyboards, and most importantly bass which I play from time to time in one of my bands when we don' t have a bass player.. also oboes', flutes..its a great machine.
It also can do guitar fx and sounds, and I like to use it in combination with the ADIII for contrast and boost..
One other major thing it can do is set up alternate tunings...so if I want an Eb acoustic guitar for the intro to Nobody's Wife..press a button and done...press another and I have the Eb overdriven Gibson Les Paul into a Marshal stack for the power chords...
Press another and I have a standard tuning 12 string acoustic for Like I do's intro (with a hint of strings and a choir behind it). Afterwards, switching back to a telecaster in drop D for a Rolling Stones number...and I never have to change guitars or retune...its amazing!
These 2 pedals are the main tone systems..so on the face of it I don't have as many pedals as most people do..and indeed my other guitar board has 6 pedals in it...and does not come close to ths number of variations and abilities. Its just the physical size of these puppies that make them a pain.
I play my Patrick Eggle Berlin (Margaret)into this system, as it has a midi pickup to control/trigger the synth..
I have added an older FX pedal to the mix, just because I could, there was space.. The Digitech FX Factory wah pedal has been added to the mix, with a foot controller pedal, but mainly for 1 particular sound, it does an awesome Rotary speaker fx, which the ADIII does not quite match. I don't know if I will use this much, but for now I'll see if its worth keeping on the board.
Ok so that's guitars;
The 1st is the TC Helicon Voice synth, which is there mainly to do Vocoder fx, for Daft Punk numbers and other things.... Most of the time its in simple bypass mode, and the mic goes to either the Voice Live 2 EE seen here, (the big blue box top right) or via the loop switch to a Voice Live Touch on my mic stand. I like the VLT for looping and changing harmonies on the fly, but the VL2 is in fact the more powerful bit of kit, I just need to learn use it better, which now its on the deck I can do.
Anyway..the VL units give tone and auto correction as well as echo, delay chorus, etc and harmony fx.. which are great.
Then we come to the RC-300 looper, which the guitar, synth and vocal signals are all sent to which I can mix a little, which allows me to loop them at will. the output from the RC's main output goes to the PA or Amp, usually PA... The sub output goes to a small transmitter under the plinth which sends the sound simultaneously to my in ear monitors.. That lets me hear what I play, which is surprisingly hard to do in a band when everyone is playing...
Also under the plinth is a wireless receiver which takes a signal from my wireless bug attached to a non midi guitar, (or if the battery is flat I can just plug in..but I hate cables) so I can use my normal guitars as well without the synth. :D I pick which system with a little A/B switch on the top right to maintain a signal to the vocal units.
At the moment the cabling is mish mash and untidy and I have to put a better power system under the plinth to power it all..but that's will be done next week, and all will be ready for the rehearsals for the run up to Birthday and Christmas Gigs...
I have to sell a guitar to pay for all this though... :( but I think it will be more than worth it in the end, tidy cable free floors are a joy to behold.
Ahthankyew
My new pedal board is an absolute monster. Its a custom made box, as I could not find anything big enough on the market to hold the RC-300 and GR-55 side by side..also I can now put my Voice Live2 in the system, which was not really possible due to floor space and cable issues. But thanks to the equally custom made loop switch I can use it and the VLTouch I've been using.
It all looks a bit overkill but really its just due to the size of the 3 main pedals which are fooking huuuge. ;)
If anyone's interested its actually quite simple...My main guitar tones are produced by the Adrenalinn III , the little blue/black box on the left. Which among other tricks is a drum machine and rhythmic arpegiator, but mainly its an Amp/FX sim unit that lets me do everything from nice clean tones to monster metal screams...It is incidentally also hooked up to another slightly large thing, a MIDI FCB 1010 control board, not pictured above, but here below, but I can use it without.
That is supplemented and occasionally replaced when playing by the GR-55 Guitar synth, big blue thing, bottom right, which is ...a synth..so it can do mega loads of instruments and fx, like strings and keyboards, and most importantly bass which I play from time to time in one of my bands when we don' t have a bass player.. also oboes', flutes..its a great machine.
It also can do guitar fx and sounds, and I like to use it in combination with the ADIII for contrast and boost..
One other major thing it can do is set up alternate tunings...so if I want an Eb acoustic guitar for the intro to Nobody's Wife..press a button and done...press another and I have the Eb overdriven Gibson Les Paul into a Marshal stack for the power chords...
Press another and I have a standard tuning 12 string acoustic for Like I do's intro (with a hint of strings and a choir behind it). Afterwards, switching back to a telecaster in drop D for a Rolling Stones number...and I never have to change guitars or retune...its amazing!
These 2 pedals are the main tone systems..so on the face of it I don't have as many pedals as most people do..and indeed my other guitar board has 6 pedals in it...and does not come close to ths number of variations and abilities. Its just the physical size of these puppies that make them a pain.
I play my Patrick Eggle Berlin (Margaret)into this system, as it has a midi pickup to control/trigger the synth..
I have added an older FX pedal to the mix, just because I could, there was space.. The Digitech FX Factory wah pedal has been added to the mix, with a foot controller pedal, but mainly for 1 particular sound, it does an awesome Rotary speaker fx, which the ADIII does not quite match. I don't know if I will use this much, but for now I'll see if its worth keeping on the board.
Ok so that's guitars;
----------------------------------
Vocally, I need a lot of help with my vocals, so I have on this board 2 main toys. both of which need signals from guitars to generate harmonies, tuning or FX, which is why they are on the board.The 1st is the TC Helicon Voice synth, which is there mainly to do Vocoder fx, for Daft Punk numbers and other things.... Most of the time its in simple bypass mode, and the mic goes to either the Voice Live 2 EE seen here, (the big blue box top right) or via the loop switch to a Voice Live Touch on my mic stand. I like the VLT for looping and changing harmonies on the fly, but the VL2 is in fact the more powerful bit of kit, I just need to learn use it better, which now its on the deck I can do.
Anyway..the VL units give tone and auto correction as well as echo, delay chorus, etc and harmony fx.. which are great.
Then we come to the RC-300 looper, which the guitar, synth and vocal signals are all sent to which I can mix a little, which allows me to loop them at will. the output from the RC's main output goes to the PA or Amp, usually PA... The sub output goes to a small transmitter under the plinth which sends the sound simultaneously to my in ear monitors.. That lets me hear what I play, which is surprisingly hard to do in a band when everyone is playing...
Also under the plinth is a wireless receiver which takes a signal from my wireless bug attached to a non midi guitar, (or if the battery is flat I can just plug in..but I hate cables) so I can use my normal guitars as well without the synth. :D I pick which system with a little A/B switch on the top right to maintain a signal to the vocal units.
At the moment the cabling is mish mash and untidy and I have to put a better power system under the plinth to power it all..but that's will be done next week, and all will be ready for the rehearsals for the run up to Birthday and Christmas Gigs...
I have to sell a guitar to pay for all this though... :( but I think it will be more than worth it in the end, tidy cable free floors are a joy to behold.
Ahthankyew
Tuesday, 26 November 2013
Off Limits to students
I can't really stop students finding this, after all it is a blog, but really its not going to be that much interest to those I know as students, aside from moaning about work load, and marking, there's not much work related stuff. Its quite a personal blog I post for a range of different reasons...
I've become more and more concerned about my private blog being available to students who decide to do a bit of a google..moreso since googling my name brings this up as no1 answer...the price of fame.
But I don't really want to close down this blog as it gives me something to look back on and review life events and good and bad times...which we all have...though I find posting them for everyone to read strangely cathartic..
So unless someone actually abuses the info I put on here, I will take it on the chin and keep posoting.
If your looking for some help with coding issues....check the links on the right...
If you want to know why I was grumpy in class....then I might post here ;)
otherwise...get back to work..and research the physics of Pang...you'll regret it later if you don't
Ahthankyew
I've become more and more concerned about my private blog being available to students who decide to do a bit of a google..moreso since googling my name brings this up as no1 answer...the price of fame.
But I don't really want to close down this blog as it gives me something to look back on and review life events and good and bad times...which we all have...though I find posting them for everyone to read strangely cathartic..
So unless someone actually abuses the info I put on here, I will take it on the chin and keep posoting.
If your looking for some help with coding issues....check the links on the right...
If you want to know why I was grumpy in class....then I might post here ;)
otherwise...get back to work..and research the physics of Pang...you'll regret it later if you don't
Ahthankyew
Monday, 18 November 2013
Margaret is resting and recovering well after her surgery
I did my first ever bit of guitar surgery tonight, mainly to stop myself going mad from Marking..
I permanently fitted my Roland GK-3 Split MIDI pickup to Margaret, my favourite Guitar (Patrick Eggle Berlin).
The previous stick on version was prone to slippage and occasional problems on the 2nd string due to poor adjustment....So I got out the 'gulp' drill and made a couple of scary pilot holes....of course one was ever so slightly off...But I managed to correct it.
So Margaret now has her pick up properly fitted and properly spaced/adjusted and sounding much better.
She still needs a proper set up though, she buzzes a little high up the neck and intonation is a little bit off...Will take her to Dijkmans when I get paid for a bit of love...she's earned it.
Still no vids, too busy marking and getting lectures ready..but I have been messing about with a famous Jacques Brel song everyone knows.. I dunno if I can get the "passion" needed into a torch song but its a nice song and I think my arrangement is fairly solid apart from 1 key change spot....next week hopefully I'll be back to video and recording mode.
Its Zwarte Piet season here in the Netherlands...a bizarre time when the dutch don't quite seem to get why people can be offended by the sight of a white man in blackface....no matter how I put it, or what I say, it just turns into a brick wall defence of we're not racist...which I never suggested...but the depiction of Zwarte Peit is deeply uncomfortable....for many.
oh well...I'll let the rants on Facebook go for now.....better get to bed... early class tomorrow.
Ahthankyew
I permanently fitted my Roland GK-3 Split MIDI pickup to Margaret, my favourite Guitar (Patrick Eggle Berlin).
The previous stick on version was prone to slippage and occasional problems on the 2nd string due to poor adjustment....So I got out the 'gulp' drill and made a couple of scary pilot holes....of course one was ever so slightly off...But I managed to correct it.
So Margaret now has her pick up properly fitted and properly spaced/adjusted and sounding much better.
She still needs a proper set up though, she buzzes a little high up the neck and intonation is a little bit off...Will take her to Dijkmans when I get paid for a bit of love...she's earned it.
Still no vids, too busy marking and getting lectures ready..but I have been messing about with a famous Jacques Brel song everyone knows.. I dunno if I can get the "passion" needed into a torch song but its a nice song and I think my arrangement is fairly solid apart from 1 key change spot....next week hopefully I'll be back to video and recording mode.
Its Zwarte Piet season here in the Netherlands...a bizarre time when the dutch don't quite seem to get why people can be offended by the sight of a white man in blackface....no matter how I put it, or what I say, it just turns into a brick wall defence of we're not racist...which I never suggested...but the depiction of Zwarte Peit is deeply uncomfortable....for many.
oh well...I'll let the rants on Facebook go for now.....better get to bed... early class tomorrow.
Ahthankyew
Friday, 15 November 2013
I hate marking and I have guitars to sell.
Still not quite done, but I have gamelab tomorrow so hopefully I can finish it then still a bunch of PR1's and a shed load of AGT5's....oh well.
No guitar playing this week, aside from some normal practice but a realisation has occurred ...I need to sell some of the guitars... yes folks its time to face up to the fact that my GAS has resulted in far too many guitars, and a collection of bills means its time to sort it out.
Someone is interested in Sarge, my SG so if he makes me a decent offer I will take it...I will also put a few of the others up for offers.... I don't want to sell, I really don't, I love them all, but I have settled down to play just 3 or 4 guitars now, and the rest are basically not being used...its time to face up to things....the collection needs thinning. Its fine to have a few vanity guitars, but I really don't need so many. I will try to thin it down and cash them in over the next year or 2, ebay is too costly but I will try to sell locally.
The massive gas bill, 3800euros has been sorted and reduced to normal but its still adjusted to a 670 euro bill due to excessive use of electricity...I can guess what that is, I tend to leave all my gadgets on all the time, but still a bad practice.. its still a big bill though so time to cash in the assests I have and get into a reasonable cash flow.
sigh....
Ahthankyew
No guitar playing this week, aside from some normal practice but a realisation has occurred ...I need to sell some of the guitars... yes folks its time to face up to the fact that my GAS has resulted in far too many guitars, and a collection of bills means its time to sort it out.
Someone is interested in Sarge, my SG so if he makes me a decent offer I will take it...I will also put a few of the others up for offers.... I don't want to sell, I really don't, I love them all, but I have settled down to play just 3 or 4 guitars now, and the rest are basically not being used...its time to face up to things....the collection needs thinning. Its fine to have a few vanity guitars, but I really don't need so many. I will try to thin it down and cash them in over the next year or 2, ebay is too costly but I will try to sell locally.
The massive gas bill, 3800euros has been sorted and reduced to normal but its still adjusted to a 670 euro bill due to excessive use of electricity...I can guess what that is, I tend to leave all my gadgets on all the time, but still a bad practice.. its still a big bill though so time to cash in the assests I have and get into a reasonable cash flow.
sigh....
Ahthankyew
Friday, 1 November 2013
I'm a hit
Well here's 2 things I am incredibly proud of today
1st I am now a no.1 recording artist. My version of Tower of Song got to no.1 in the Soundclick.com charts blues...cover... fat blokes nearing 50.. section.
I think that's pretty good even if it only needs 5-10 listens to get there...I have a screen shot to prove it and I'm happy as fuck about it.
The other thing I am incredibly proud of is the new music room I set up at work for students (and staff) to play in. It was a fair bit of hassle and I donated some of my own kit to get it going but the result has been amazing. IGAD and IMEM students have been streaming in to try it out and slowly students are forming small groups and jamming away...as intended. It was so cool to watch this grow and the comments back from students have been incredibly uplifting.
Can't wait to hear the 1st performances from them. I'm hoping to arrange a couple of showcase nights each year so they can get up in front of people and perform. Job Done!
Ahthankyew
1st I am now a no.1 recording artist. My version of Tower of Song got to no.1 in the Soundclick.com charts blues...cover... fat blokes nearing 50.. section.
I think that's pretty good even if it only needs 5-10 listens to get there...I have a screen shot to prove it and I'm happy as fuck about it.
The other thing I am incredibly proud of is the new music room I set up at work for students (and staff) to play in. It was a fair bit of hassle and I donated some of my own kit to get it going but the result has been amazing. IGAD and IMEM students have been streaming in to try it out and slowly students are forming small groups and jamming away...as intended. It was so cool to watch this grow and the comments back from students have been incredibly uplifting.
Can't wait to hear the 1st performances from them. I'm hoping to arrange a couple of showcase nights each year so they can get up in front of people and perform. Job Done!
Ahthankyew
Monday, 21 October 2013
Getting a bit better
Tried to make this a bit darker....singing as usual is a bit off at times but overall am pleased with this effort
Ahthankyew
Ahthankyew
Saturday, 19 October 2013
Guitar day
Nice thing about holidays, I had time to play guitar, and managed to knock out a passable version of one of my favourite BB King songs, though more in the style of Damon Fowlers version of the song.. Since I can't do key changes on a looper :D
a few mistakes but nice groove. We've been trying to do this in the band for a long time but that groove is hard to hit..
Ahthankyew
a few mistakes but nice groove. We've been trying to do this in the band for a long time but that groove is hard to hit..
Ahthankyew
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
Holidays are great
Am on Autumn holiday this week, a chance to sleep in , catch up with work and do nothing....
though I have been in the office both days so far trying to download the SDK for the PS4 which has taken ages...
Finally I have it on my laptop and can install it, but won't be able to use it till I ....yup get back to the office.
oh well I do like the new office and at least no "having" to be there makes if feel less worklike.
in other news, just got a massive bill from the power company for nearly 4K..fuuuuuuuuckkkkk
Its a mistake of course..not quite sure how but it is....will get it sorted tomorrow.
Ahthankyew
though I have been in the office both days so far trying to download the SDK for the PS4 which has taken ages...
Finally I have it on my laptop and can install it, but won't be able to use it till I ....yup get back to the office.
oh well I do like the new office and at least no "having" to be there makes if feel less worklike.
in other news, just got a massive bill from the power company for nearly 4K..fuuuuuuuuckkkkk
Its a mistake of course..not quite sure how but it is....will get it sorted tomorrow.
Ahthankyew
Sunday, 6 October 2013
Monday, 30 September 2013
I'm a mess
Fucking hate insomnia....6am and I have an 11am lecture....with almost certainly no hot water to have a decent wake up shower due to the boiler not being especially willing to work.
this just sucks big cheesy balls.
I've prepped my lecture and updated it while I struggle to sleep, and am going to set my alarm to 10 and hope I get to sleep and wake up in time to go deliver it.
Ahthankyew
this just sucks big cheesy balls.
I've prepped my lecture and updated it while I struggle to sleep, and am going to set my alarm to 10 and hope I get to sleep and wake up in time to go deliver it.
Ahthankyew
Saturday, 28 September 2013
Not quite the musical genius I thought
I was going to work on Abbas SOS this weekend, I've been practicing it for a few weeks and think I've got the right sound and tempo for it, but not quite worked out a decent way to loop it..so was practicing some live playing/singing. It wasn't right but it was coming..
Events this week though have left me identifying too much with the lyrics ...that and the cold cracking my now sexy husky but totally useless for singing voice.. I'll leave it a few weeks.
Will just focus on practicing some band stuff, we were getting close to a cracking version of Man with the child in his eyes last week, I will try to get those chords in my fingers, the timing needs a singer though.
I also have to look forward to some nice cold showers as my flaming boiler has decided to give and sends an error to the display every time now, where a reset would fix it, now it refuses to reset...I think it just needs a service and bleeding out the air but its apparently no longer covered by the people who used to do it, so time to sort out a contract.
Ahthankyew
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
dammit cold, bugger off
Aside from the gut wrenching pain of a break up, which is occupying my mind, my insomnia is being seriously fuelled by the snotty cold from hell, with accompanying raw chest...I am so exhausted from lack of sleep and hacking cough, but here I am at 4.07am trying to keep myself amused and away from endless repeats of Graham Norton on The Comedy Channel.
I've looked at a few student projects who have asked for help, and have a few more I'll do tomorrow but I don't want to do any coding and have my mind racing for no good reason
Lucky I don't have class till the afternoon, and my colleagues will cover for me in game lab if I can't make it in at 9...which at this point seems pretty unlikely.
Beechams are helping though...It'd be full on man flu without them I fear.
oh well lets go see who's on Grahams sofa and try to drop off.
Ahthankyew
I've looked at a few student projects who have asked for help, and have a few more I'll do tomorrow but I don't want to do any coding and have my mind racing for no good reason
Lucky I don't have class till the afternoon, and my colleagues will cover for me in game lab if I can't make it in at 9...which at this point seems pretty unlikely.
Beechams are helping though...It'd be full on man flu without them I fear.
oh well lets go see who's on Grahams sofa and try to drop off.
Ahthankyew
Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Single again...bugger
Well, what can you do...it seems fate or whatever cosmic entity responsible for kicking me squarely in the nuts at the point of extreme happiness has struck again.
After finally realizing there was something to look forward to in the future, I now discover its a lie. Amazingly it really wasn't my fault this time, or the result of growing apart or any of those other things I can pinpoint that caused the end of past relationships.. I had to end it when the basic trust of the relationship was smashed apart.
ho hum, better get used to a life time of utter disappointment and Lord of the Rings marathons.
Oh and I have another cold, which has kept me up all night....life certainly can suck sometimes.
Mum, please don't bother me with this...its done, I am fine, I will get over this but I really don't want to talk about this for some considerable time.
Ahthankyew
After finally realizing there was something to look forward to in the future, I now discover its a lie. Amazingly it really wasn't my fault this time, or the result of growing apart or any of those other things I can pinpoint that caused the end of past relationships.. I had to end it when the basic trust of the relationship was smashed apart.
ho hum, better get used to a life time of utter disappointment and Lord of the Rings marathons.
Oh and I have another cold, which has kept me up all night....life certainly can suck sometimes.
Mum, please don't bother me with this...its done, I am fine, I will get over this but I really don't want to talk about this for some considerable time.
Ahthankyew
Saturday, 21 September 2013
Oh go on then,
I suppose I should post something, its been quite a while, but that's only due to being quite busy in the 1st few weeks uni with students. Lots of time sucking issues prepping classes and adapting to the new premises.
I am enjoying the new offices though, the space is nice and the programmers office has an air of calm around it which we never really had at Pakhuis.
My new Sony room is taking shape too, though I am short some monitors...but no worries we're expecting great things to happen here soon ;)
This years batch of 1st years are proving to be a lot of fun, as always a few are like rabbits in headlights with no idea what they are doing but they are starting to ask questions and not expecting knowledge to suddenly be poured into their brains.
I have an exciting though a little time sucking project to handle which has proven to be much more interesting than I originally thought.
As regular reader(s) will know I have an interest in string noise makers, and our Dean is aware of that shocking affliction.
She asked me to take charge of a room at the IGAD wing which is our dedicated music room. Its an expansion of our piano and guitar play area at Pakhuis. Its a fair sized room plenty of space for people to come in, pick up a guitar or twiddle on the keys, on their own.....
But I wanted to make it a bit more, with more students in the building, we are now also in the same building as our sister faculty IMEM, there's a chance for those of a musical bent to get together and play, perhaps forming some cool new groups..
But its pretty hard to play as a band in an office area....unless of course you have a JamHub, like I do :D
It will allow a group to play in the room with only the singers causing any major noise issues...
I plan to put a JamHub in there, with the fantastic help and support of the people at JamHub who are helping us get the kit together.
I also got donations of instruments and other gear from various sources, especially students.
Budgets are stretched though so we need to source kit as cheap as possible, which certainly makes the project a challenge
But it looks like we're going to get there...I will document the progress, and hopefully get the room up and running after our Autumn holidays...stay tuned who knows we might see an IGAD/IMEM band in Hollands Got Talent soon as a result ;)
Ahthankyew
I am enjoying the new offices though, the space is nice and the programmers office has an air of calm around it which we never really had at Pakhuis.
My new Sony room is taking shape too, though I am short some monitors...but no worries we're expecting great things to happen here soon ;)
This years batch of 1st years are proving to be a lot of fun, as always a few are like rabbits in headlights with no idea what they are doing but they are starting to ask questions and not expecting knowledge to suddenly be poured into their brains.
I have an exciting though a little time sucking project to handle which has proven to be much more interesting than I originally thought.
As regular reader(s) will know I have an interest in string noise makers, and our Dean is aware of that shocking affliction.
She asked me to take charge of a room at the IGAD wing which is our dedicated music room. Its an expansion of our piano and guitar play area at Pakhuis. Its a fair sized room plenty of space for people to come in, pick up a guitar or twiddle on the keys, on their own.....
But I wanted to make it a bit more, with more students in the building, we are now also in the same building as our sister faculty IMEM, there's a chance for those of a musical bent to get together and play, perhaps forming some cool new groups..
But its pretty hard to play as a band in an office area....unless of course you have a JamHub, like I do :D
It will allow a group to play in the room with only the singers causing any major noise issues...
I plan to put a JamHub in there, with the fantastic help and support of the people at JamHub who are helping us get the kit together.
I also got donations of instruments and other gear from various sources, especially students.
Budgets are stretched though so we need to source kit as cheap as possible, which certainly makes the project a challenge
But it looks like we're going to get there...I will document the progress, and hopefully get the room up and running after our Autumn holidays...stay tuned who knows we might see an IGAD/IMEM band in Hollands Got Talent soon as a result ;)
Ahthankyew
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