hmmm there are ways

Sometimes the old blogger editor comes up...no complaints....very strange

Hot sticky night here in Breda, very uncomfortable, but time to get to bed, got a class and a meeting to attend.

Ahthankyew

on advice recieved

I made some changes since I can't sleep anyway, Martin said the noodles were overpowering, so thought I might as well play with production...this annoyingly is better without the noodles...hey ho.


OnlyYou2

Ahthankyew

OnlyYou

Watching Top of the pops 2 and the flying pickets came up with their version of this classic....kinda apt at the moment, but just thought it was a nice song to have a go at.

Don't play this...play the other version...OnlyYou

Ahthankyew

hello hun

Danni has said she checks out my blog from time to time, which is nice, though I doubt she checks it that often, c'mon leavde a message.

she did tell me today that mum makes her listen to my recorded warbles when she visits...Mum..really if you want her to continue to visit I don't think its fair the poor child has to listen to her dad's terrible musical musings.


Get on Facebook Danni, then nana and I can all keep track of you and you can tell nana that you already heard whichever cringing sining thing she wants you to listen to.

xx

Ahthankyew

bloody pc, but double wages and Utrecht jollies.

Since I am able to post on my laptop which also has IE9 I haved to conclude the problem seems to be my copy of IE9, I tried to do an update but it said I had the latest version and refused.

Yet Youtube also bitched that it was using IE7 and thats no longer being supported..I suspect there is some issue with the registration...maybe I'll remove it and re-install.

Anyway..had a fun time in Utrecht window shopping in a windowless guitar shop, I was hoping they'd make me a decent offer on my Ovation but they didn't..never mind I got to play a lot of axes and had a small impromptu jam with other customers...which was a lot of fun,  then on to a blues bar where I saw a very strange act ...still not quite sure if it worked or not....not probably but...who knows.
Shame its so far away, Utrecht, but there's a new blues bar opened in Breda, only problem is like a lot of smaller pubs here they allow smoking inside which I really would rather not have to put up with....I'll watch that space though..not sure if they're going to have bands on or not..we'll see.

Been scorching hot today as summer finally hits Breda, and of course with the change in seasons I seem to have a new cold to deal with, sore throat and cough already started...bahhh..

I had totally forgotton about our summer holiday bonus, which came in this months pay packet, in my head it was due in June or July but boom there it was this Month of May. This basically is one of the real perks of my job, twice a year I get double wages...

This time it really could not come at a better time, Bina's leaving is going to mean a lot of financial restructuring which is bound to cost a fortune along the line, new mortgage, seperating our credit account, new insurance policies and so on, these things will probably involve some legal stuff too, so its' going to cost. So despite the tempation to go buy a Les Paul Custom, I'll hang on to the cash.

It was going into the joint credit account which we'd used to buy the holiday in Croatia we had planned, but thats all off now too, at least with me, she's taking Jodie.

So best hang on to the reserve and see what expenses come round. We'll split the credit account based on usage and Ill see about killing it when all expenses are done..

I really don't like being in debt these days. Ever since my company failed and I was banktupted in 2003 I've been quite good about not having debt I could not pay back with a months wages, but the credit account keeps creeping up with holidays and other expenses. I'm not likely to want to go on quite so many holidays on my own so it can get cut back and used for its true emergency or very large purchase purpose.

I am having a holiday by myself anyway this year, another guitar break in sunny France, this time for electric so its not as if I'm not going to get any holidays this year....still...bit dissapointing. If possible I might book a last minute deal to the canaries or something.....though tbh holidays on my own are not much fun...probably best to do a bit of expoloring round holland...this could be the point where my mid life Harley makes an appearence....or maybe just get the pushbike services again...whatever's cheapest.

Of course things would be a lot easier if my cash card for my own account had not got broken
somehow, no cash machines can read it, yet the scrambler for internet seems quite happy. Added to that I got a new credit card sent to me a few months back, but I forgot to activate it, and now my old card has been stopped and the new one can't be acticated...grrrr...I use that for most of my larger purchases and pay it off each month so this is a bit of a pain...1 more thing to sort out at the bank I suppose.

Long weekend this week too, which is nice, I like a quiet Monday, though I do have to get a lecture ready and finish a shit load of marking still I'll try to clear it all tomorrow and get that sorted ASAP.

onward and upward



Ahthankyew

wtf???

What the hell has google done to Blogger... I have IE9 on my pc and today as I was going to put up a post it refused, saying my browser was no longer supported...I mean really...is this a bug or have google lost their mind and gone all "use my software or else.."

I certainly hope not...I don't doubt that chrome and firefox are fine browsers but I rather like my IE and don't want to be forced to change it...I may instead look for another home for my blog...or use it less often with my MAC

Google...get it fixed!!




Ahthankyew

And thats that then

New starts and new horizons, but being older, might take a bit longer to get to the end of it all.

I hope there is still the remotest possiblity that I can find someone out there who actually wants to be with me...not enhanced  me, or changed me, or optimised just me.

Probably not.
We'll have to wait a while, think I'd rather be on my own for a bit.

Ahthankyew

Bugger

Well it seems my comments below on Complimentary Alternative Medicine  (CAM) have been taken as personal attacks...let me be clear, they are not personal.
I have no doubt the people involved in CAM, especially in my family circle, utterly and sincerely believe in holistic medicine




I do not.


Belief is not proof. Belief is faith and faith is based on denial of proof.
I can prove it does not work


You can not prove it does.


Does that not say something that even remotely makes you pause for thought?

If I am wrong, and someone tells me I'm wrong, I take time, usually, to pause for thought and consider my viewpoint...if the person telling me I'm wrong is someone I trust I will take more pause. If the person can in fact prove I'm wrong I will listen and if the proof is great enough I will change my viewpoint often taking the time to study my view and theirs to reach a conclusion...every single time.  And I'm apparently quite a difficult know all type of person with lots of "opinions" on many things but I'm always open to hear evidence which will change those "opinons"

.


Believers in CAM do not...faith is something which needs to resist concepts like proof and most importantly to remove opposing viewpoints from earshot but refusing to take that time to pause for thought.


I've taken a lot of time over the years to research CAM, mainly because my partner Bina is so overwhelmingly in favour if it, and time and again I've found the evidence is overwhelming in its condemnation.


My conclusion and that of the people conducting trials on these therapies is still the same, its fake! A persons faith in something is not proof of its efficacy and the very very simple fact is there is not one jot of independent proof that it works is something any logical thinking person needs to take on board.
There needs to be a pause for thought.


In any scientific research,  when attempts to prove a theory or hypothesis consistently fail, the theory is abandoned and shown publicly to be wrong. Science does not invent new conditions that may then  work but can't be replicated, science does not rely on ignoring the facts because it wants the theory to work.


If it is shown to fail it fails


Every single clinical trial on alternative medicine has failed...every single one.


Again, does that not even remotely make you pause for thought, even for a second...




Its not the people I'm attacking, simply the belief, and indeed that's all it is a belief there's no science involved in homoeopathy, or crystal therapy, or various massage practises, or spiritual/energy balance therapies and there's many more..all delusions based on a desire make healing some kind of personal journey.

Acupuncture has an interesting effect on pain relief according to various trials, but its not due to chi or other energy flow such alternative pseudo science idea.

In fact...note that word FACT, trials have shown sticking needles in someone without benefit of any formal training or understanding of acupuncture and telling the patient they are getting treatment has exactly the same effect......eh?  So the acupuncture part is actually irrelevant...it's nothing more than simple hands on stimulation of placebo effect.


WE ALL feel better when someone is paying us physical attention, physical contact is a powerful aid to healing. Anyone who's ever had a foot massage when they are feeling down, or their forehead gently stroked when they have a headache, is fully aware of the way it makes you feel better, albeit for a short time.


If your medicine revolves around unproven concepts of energy, chi, humours, altered blood flow, toxins or imbalances of any kind you need to take a step back and ask where is the proof that any of this exists outside of the community of people who practise it.


Consider a tangible example of false belief we can see in practice.
Chinese medicine extols the healing properties of powdered Rhino horn, not as many in the west believe as an aphrodisiac, but as a "cure" for fever and convulsions. It is still unfortunately widely used as a premium medicine with guaranteed effects


Its true that people given this wonder drug recover, its also true that people not given this wonder drug, also recover...in fact most people suffering from fevers and convulsions if they are fit and healthy recover....some don't...even when given Rhino horn...
So does it work or not....nope...clinical trials show no effect whatsoever beyond placebo...fake horn given without patient or practitioner knowledge (double blind) had exactly the same efficacy.


In other words, it does not work......Clinical trials prove it....Science proves it.


In the west we can accept that proof quite easily, even many CAM believers will scoff at the idea that horn can do anything for a sick person. We in the west are not culturally exposed to this idea, and therefore there is no Communal re-inforcement of this thinking here in the west...We will examine this claim of a cure for fever with a rational and clear mind and almost all of us will conclude that the trials are accurate and correct.


But nearly 1Billion Chinese who use traditional medicines (TCM) are adamant it cures fevers and convulsions because when they or someone they know (usually) was given it and their fever was cured.......no thought given to the fact it may just have run its course, as indeed all fevers do.
They all think it works so they take it as fact..and resist or ignore any facts or trial that proves otherwise..Communal re-inforcement at work.
In fact they just got better, perhaps with a little bit of a mental boost because someone was looking after them and they were getting the best medicine for their condition (and money)....at least they thought that.


So for the sake of provable 0(zero) medicinal benefits, Rhino's have been hunted to near extinction...and despite proof of its lack of effectiveness its still used......though thankfully due to scarceness and conservation attempts, many are using now substitute versions of Kerotine( thats hair for anyone interested...what Rhino horn is entirely made off)...while moaning about the reduced efficacy.
Sad thing is...Asprin (derived from the bark of a willow originally) is actually considerably and measurable more effective and widely available....more so than Rhino horn (well thats not hard!).
Willow bark is a prescribed budget TCM cure for. guess. what!!! yup, fever, pain and rheumatics...the same thing we give asprin for


Of course SOME Chinese medicines have benefits, herbal medicines are the very basis of current pharmacological science...those that did have an effect were turned into medicines...those that didn't still get "prescribed" by Trad Chinese "doctors"...including powdered Rhino horn


1Billion people can't be wrong though can they? Of course they can...the choice you have to make though is to tell them..how many will listen. Are you then a heretic for explaining the "facts" to them? Should you be cast out of the family for voicing what is a clearly accurate and factual statement.




Alternative medicine is the same, only unlike a small portion of TCM it has absolutely 0 efficacy, 200 years of tests and trials have shown that.
2000+ years of tests on TCM show that some herbs have effects...those herbs have been examined distilled purified and turned into
DRUGS.


Which of course gives rise to the saying.


Q.What do they call Alternative medicine that is proven to work.
A.Medicine!!!

"Thats just your opinion though"..is a phrase thats been fired at me a lot this last week....somewhat infuriatingly and inaccurately.

A clearly accurate and provable factual statement that goes against belief is not an opinion...its is in fact a statement of fact.


An opinion is formed without fact..so dismissing information you don't want to hear as opinion is once again, denial of proof....and we're back to belief and the human desire to protect our beliefs against all attack.


There's no harm in believing it though is there......tell that to the Rhino's?


CAM is harmless mostly, and a deep massage on a painful joint or muscle can be a welcome respite from mild short term problems which can help promote the placebo effect to heal..this is when belief has merit...prayer has the same effect....
Its provably ineffective, yet there's always claims of miracle cures. Lets ignore the fact that all cultures with various gods and even lack of gods can lay claim to "miracle" cures...the real miracle is the human ability to recover from seemingly deathly diseases....its just not a very high percentage..hence why they are considered miracles.
CAM also makes claims for cures....at about the same percentages as the miracles....go figure (or at least take time to pause for thought)


But when CAM really becomes something you put all your faith into you're essentially placing your health in the hands of people who have absolutely 0 ability to do anything beyond make you feel like you've been treated.
If you want to know how far that faith can be badly misplaced you only need to read this tragic and deluded woman's letter to her "therapist".


http://www.abc.net.au/austory/content/2011/s3260776.htm
And there are many other horror stories.


There is great harm in accepting as fact something which is provably false, when your faith overwhelms your rational ability to make the best choice for your health care you risk causing yourself terrible harm. Regardless of the genuinely well intentioned beliefs of the practitioners involved.


I'm sorry if people I know are offended, as I say its not personal, and I know they hold these views dearly and unshakably, but its nonsense! CAM is a modern day snake oil, and the sincerity of the people who be live in it does not sway the cold hard undeniable fact that its bunkum.


I'm not retracting my comments ...unless of course someone cares to post a link to an independently conducted double blind trial that shows that any alternative therapy works. Just 1?


Feel free...hit the button down there, I'll print a full retraction and run up and down the high street naked so I can be arrested as a nutter for having the slightest doubt in CAM.
Just remember that independently conducted double blind trail...the kind science uses to prove something works or does not.


To help here's a useful site that will give some info on how Homoeopath works


http://www.howdoeshomeopathywork.com/


Two final thoughts for those who suggest that the efficacy of Homoeopathy et al is hidden by big Pharma and industry to increase profit...can you imagine how much more profit they would make if they only ever sold sugar pills...
Big Pharma pumps billions of $ into research...suger pills need $0
Big Pharma pumps millions into trials... sugar pills need $0 their effects is already documented
Big Pharma pumps millions into production. Sugar pills are cheap and easy to make
Big Pharma makes limited returns on drugs.. Sugar pills are a blank check for profits.


Don't you think if they could make absurdly cheap homoeopathic "drugs", at practically 0 cost and massive profit.. they would?

2nd thought... who do you think actually makes the homoeopathic drugs? look into it. They may not be BIG Pharam, but they're certainly making big profits.

In the meantime, James Randi, the well known skeptic has several videos on the subject of homoeopathy, his dismissive tone will not impress the believers but the reality of his factual statistics and explanation of the actual thinking behind homoeopathy is enlightening...though of course it will take more than pesky facts to alter some minds.



Ahthankyew

Irrational

ir·ra·tion·al (-rsh-nl)

adj.

1.

a. Not endowed with reason.

b. Affected by loss of usual or normal mental clarity; incoherent, as from shock.

c. Marked by a lack of accord with reason or sound judgment: an irrational dislike.

I'm sick to fucking death of irattional people making irrational descions that affect my life.







Ahthankyew

Last one

Could not get to sleep, so came up to do a bit more work on this recording. I redid everything except the guitar scratch which is on the RC300

I used the R24's built in mics to do a holding vocal track, no effects or tuning...and its better than I did all day so left it.

I have to say the results are very very good, I mixed it to the R24 itself, adding a little reverb to the vocal track as it mixed  (at least I think I did...can't really hear it..) and that was it...it came out brilliantly, and when I hooked up the Mac to teh R24 there it was ready to upload.

Brilliant result I think....I was going to put in some thunder crashes and howling wind, but nahh...finally tied now so will head to bed.




Ahthankyew

The recording part is easy...

Its the bloody singing that I can't get right...though I also am not too happy with this mix, which was pumped into GB then mastered...but it has the vocals way to up front for my liking (and indeed any music lover)

I know the timing is odd, I kinda wanted that...its running with a loop as the percussion rhythm so some changes to timings were needed..my lack of vocal expression doesn't really bring out what I wanted to do...but hey ho its just a learning track.

So mixing down is a bit problematic, mainly cos I'm still doing in GB, I really should be sending the tracks individually to CuBase or something which the R24 can talk to and using the mixers to control pan as well as volume..Still, a good learning curve, I got 3 inputs into my R24 and kept everything nice and separate so the recording and track re-takes were easy to do...though I have yet to work out how to do the vtracks on the R24...which allows short  phrase retakes.

Ah I found the panning features...doh! was a button.....oh well, I messed about and this time sent it clean to GB and mastered with minimum processsing....seems a lot better also trying it on Soundcloud this time for a change...seems easier to handle than soundclick at least while its free.




Ahthankyew

Sick species that we are

Something deeply worrying about the idea of Facebook being worth $100B and it seems being easily able to get people to pay that.

In a time of deep worldwide recession, it seems people are greedy enough to give a handful of people chunks of their money in an effort to make profits....

$100B......3.3 times the estimate of what it would take to solve world hunger.

Imagine if they'd given that money to a cancer charity, or elderly care homes, or african development programs, or any number of things that would have enhanced our or others lives.

Instead a bunch of geeks get to become billionaires, and 10'000's of already rich people (rich enough to afford $24 a share) will expect to get richer so they can put more money in their banks.

I'm not against having wealth and enjoying the things money can bring...but there's a limit.....there has to be and we seem to have forgotton that in a world with a finite amount of wealth we just keep giving it to the 0.01% who horde it but somehow expecting them to make us richer....I mean....really?

And lets be 100% clear about what happens when people start switching off facebook when the adverts needed to make the profits, become all pervasive and the share price tanks....or when Myarsebook comes out and takes over the mantle of being the premier social network for free!
These people will be pissed off and upset and apparently justified in being so.

We live in a crazy world....when is it going to change?

Ahthankyew

hmm lost out on that

All ebay items are away, though I almost screwed up the postage, I put the wrong labels on the packet to Italy and Belfast...only spotted it at the last minute as I was paying for the 49euro postage (for 3 packages)
phew.

so all told I ended up paying near 150 in postage and 20-30 on ebay and paypal fees....on items that made below expectations and sold only at base price....so I lost a packet effectively...not going to make that mistake again...Buy it now prices  and buyer arranges postage in future..I think ebay from NL simply isn't worth the finanaical risk.
But since the bank balance has been a little light the last few months, the cash injection is welcome.

Anyway, great jazz festival on in Breda this weekend, losts of bands, not all jazz, some soul, funk and blues bands taking to free stages around the city. The weather today was good but its gone a bit cloudy so I've stayed in execting it to piss down...it didn't so I'm missing out but will certainly be going for some blues tomorrow/sunday

Poker tonight, seems its my turn to host, better go shopping and get some snackes. Hpefully I'll recoup some of those ebay losses tonight.....not likely though given my last several efforts to win, which but some strange kind of voodoo turned out to be losess...hmmm



Ahthankyew

Ebay fail

I took the guitars off the sale, afraid of the possible postage cost, but still no sale on my 100quid base MRS-8. These go for 150quid on average and though it had wtchers, there was no bidders...
Oh well it will get some use as a portable recording unit for the band when we use the Mezz. I'll set up the R24 at home as a semi perm work station.

I suspect the Netherlands location is putting people off....even with free postage!! Which as I pointed out before hurts me more than I realised. When people are happy to buy it now for 150 and 10quid postage but not willing to bid 100quid and free postage on the same item you need to examine the differences...and location is the biggie.

So the great cull ends in moderate dissapointment, 1 guitar , 1 old rarely used pedal and 2 great pedals gone and a fraction of their value realised after fees and postage.

I'll have to find a better way to sell things, time to check out ebay.nl and Marktplaats.nl

Ebay.co.uk as a selling medium is dead to me now.


Ahthankyew

ouch but yeah, but hmm

Ouch, my clever ploy...hey wait a minute...whats going on with blogger, they've reverted back to the old style editor....Anyway....

My clever ploy to provide free P&P on the guitars sold on ebay has backfired somewhat on finding out that shipping a guitar in case and boxed up cost me the best part of 95euros..I would'nt mind if I'd made a decent price on it, but with all the last minute 1 pound bids it only made 225quid...I'm well down on the price I paid.. So I've pulled the other guitars from ebay, I mean if the Roberts sold for its base price I'd make less than 50quid on it.

I can't understand why its possible to ship a guitar from the UK to Holland for 30-40 but the other way is double that...even using the same parcel2go.com agent.

I'll try listing the Ovation and Roberts on Marktplats or ebay.nl and buyer collects or arranges pickup...95 x3 would be too big a hit I'm afraid.

 

 

Yeah :D... is due to me getting the R24 hooked up to my Jamhub and then into my mac giving me a way to record up to 8 inputs and stillbe able to play silently with headphones for each band member, though we lose a bit of individual mixing ability while recording...and also doing 1 takes to GB..or reworking nearly perfect takes by overdubbing the faulty bits... A proper recording system in the attic.

Hmmm is more serious, had a big row with Bina over her unrelenting and blind acceptance of holistic "medicine"...I use that term lightly.,..

It have no time for it, none whatsoever mainly due to the single simple provable fact that it does not actually work beyond promoting a sense of well being in the recipiant. You might as well wave your hands over a person lying down and hum at them to get them better...oh wait...they do that, isn't that Rieki or aura clensing, or chakra unclogging or some other rubbish...it has the same outcome, though I understand its MUCH more effective if you use the right crystals as well to drain the negative energy man!!

Some of Bina's family are all deeply into various forms of holistic medicine, fair enough, each to their own,  but its normally something I ignore and avoid conflict and let them get on with it but its come up in several conversations again recently.

Jodie needs some medical treatment for Scoliosis, a condition she'll have to cope with for life which may eventually result in surgery (though thats extreme).. But the family are promoting a range of idiotic therapies to treat her..

No..sorry, believe all the bollox you want for yourself, but when the kids need to have a calm and measured response to provide care with a view to long term relief, lets keep the hokum out of it. I've made it clear I'm not paying for any unproven holistic medicine and I'm sticking to that.

Bina does not approve...not surprising.. my "opinion" that its nonsense is just my opinion! Easy to ignore and defend against by sticking your metaphorical fingers in your ears and going blah blah blah

But its not an opinion, there have been hundreds of clinical trials run to try to show it is effective, independant, proper trials, some funded by goverments looking for new treatments some by holistic and homepathich bodies looking for confirmation of their claims.

Hundreds... but not one has shown a provable positive result. It clearly and provabley does not work...thats not opinion, that fact!

Its sad that someone I love, care for and deeply respect and know to be a smart intelligent person is so utterly blind to simple rational facts...It does not work, its bunk, its snake oil, and the proof....as I said, there is not one clinical trial that proves that any holistic/homepathic therapy works.

Even though they wanted it ...Sure there's case studies and "interpretations" of the trials which are carefully worded to suggest that the trials were flawed or that the wrong type of patient was used.

All these trials prove conclusively that holistic therapies provide no benefit beyond placebo effect... ie if we think we're getting treated we improve our healing response a little...

Ahhhhh but thats becuase....and the arguements about no evidence is not proof of effectiveness, big pharma conspiracies and so on start.....

Christ, this really really fucking amazes me, it really does, how can anyone genuinely believe that healing is about balancing energies in your body, or removing toxins, or taking pills so diluted that you might as well throw an asprin in the sea and cure everyones headache due to the power of water memory....or or...the list is endless, with hair brained concepts of health and energy...

The latest nonsense here at home is grounding...it seems its a good idea to sleep with a mat under you plugged into the power system to ensure your excess enery is allowed to escape your normally rubber insulted body to earth and promote better blood flow.. I mean...seriously....SERIOUSLY

HOW CAN ANYONE FALL FOR THIS BULLSHIT!!! Oh there's proof...hmm Thermal imaging of a group of patients who all wanted to cure various compalins and needed to protect themselves from EMF

oh ffs....Bad science is bad science, its easy to disprove...if you are willing to listen.

But its easier to just stick your fingers in your ears and go blah blah

Amazingly science can even explain why people believe this and other incredible bits of nonsense...its a psychological phenomena called Collective Reinforcement...ie if enough people say its true then a belief becomes fact regardless of any facts to the contrary...

Easy to demonstrate this in action, easy to understand, and we're all of us prone to it in some form...its the root of our ability to form social groups of like minded people, but it can be dangerous, especially when allied to another phenomena called Confirmation bias...where you only see confirmation of your belief from those who share them.

Sound familiar at all? Religion, cults, stereotyping, bigotry, fanatasicim, conspiracy theories, covens, cliques, closed minds and holistic medicine.....all examples of beliefs becoming fact by the power of others...

And heres' another fact

The Misconception: When your beliefs are challenged with facts, you alter
your opinions and incorporate the new information into your thinking.

The Truth: When your deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory
evidence, your beliefs get stronger.

And thats what's happening here...my "opinion" is a direct challenge to her indoor's beliefs..

Normally I'd laugh all this off as just a simple case of some daft ideas Bina has in her head...as we all do from time to time, we all love our partners and family members little ways....Im sure I drive her nuts with my serial obsessions, life is like that.

But no, enough, its too close to reality now...this isn't just harmless ideas that are worth a try, this is belief in the absurd, the unprovable , the rediculous and worst of all its a belief thats so steeped in confirmation bias that its apparently enough to threaten end our reltionship for challenging these views.

Really?? I mean....really?

I'm not buying it...our relationship is stronger than that.

I will change my opinion, happily and willingly, when someone can show me clinical trials that prove the efficacy of any holistic practice.....just 1.

Until then, I would honestly suggest any one with a rational mind questions anyone who says they have found something amazing to lifes ills, thats so powerful it can't actually be proven to work, but others are trying to hide the truth and that they should only ever listen to those who share the same belief.


Its a rocky road...all it takes for this nonsense ot take hold is to say nothing...I've said nothing for too long.

I'll quote a fantastic section from Tim Minchins amazing comedy poem Storm

Science adjusts its beliefs based on what's observed

Faith is the denial of observation so that Belief can be preserved.

If you show me that, say, homeopathy works. Then I will change my mind

I'll spin on a fucking dime I'll be embarrassed as hell. But I will run through the
streets yelling It's a miracle!

Take physics and bin it! Water has memory!

And while it's memory of a long lost drop of onion juice is infinite

It somehow forgets all the poo it's had in it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujUQn0HhGEk

Also this is brilliant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0

Ahthankyew

Learning Curves

The ZoomR24 arrived today and am delighted to say despite being a refurb and 150quid cheaper than new, it arrived in pristine,complete and apparent unused condition. Brilliant

But it is a complex bit of kit, and has taken many hours of manual reading to get some drums playing while recording, discovered one or 2 minor issues (can't have different fx on different tracks but not a problem for the purpose I have in mind where tracks will have fx before going in)

It also has a problem I've had many times before  with EU two prong power systems...ground noise. It goes give out a fair bit of hum unless you are grounding the signal by touching something metal in the chain, or as I did plugging in a unused cable and holding it with my toes so I act as the ground.

Not really a huge issue just a bit annoying as long as one of the inputs is grounded it'll be fine, and of course I'll ensure that happens when its set up to run. I'll try and find my 3 prong uk power unit and use that which should eliminate the hum.

Its good though records clean and clear and once i work out all the features will be a great band asset as a decent budget method of getting all band members to plug in and record their individual tracks as we play together, ...while also plumming it into a PC and the Jamhub so that everone gets headphones (though the jammans mixing functions will be bypassed when recording) and a chance to rework their tracks if everyone else is going well.

Hopefully this will resolve some of the sound mixing/balancing issues I've been having with the jamhub output to the mixer/ We either get Brittas voice buiried in bass and guitar or its all mushed together preventing us from doing anything with the samples. Essentially we only get 1 chance to set levels before the signal goes to the pc, hard to be sure while also playing. The R24 however stores all inputs and allows me to change the balances  after playing and when doing a final mix to the master track or PC.

if it all works, its a cool way to get a way to monitor and record tracks on a busdget well below the many thousands a proper recording desk would cost.

I will try this out next time we get together.




Ahthankyew

Slow starters?

Still not a lot of bids, with only a few hours gone only 2 items are going so far, the loopers, have a total of 4 bids, LOTS of interest in the Les paul but eveyrone is waiting till the death to bid..I hate sniping, especially like this when lack of healthy bidding will result in a compressed and incomplete bidding frenzy that won't really get the best return.

oh well....only 2 hours to go....
Still think the LP will go, just hoping some of the other stuff goes too but not at base prices, otherwise I might as well bin things.

edit
well the Ovation didn't go despite 2 watchers

the Les Paul has gone but only on the strength of 2 last minute bids which raised its price a whole £5, neither of the bidders where the ones who asked for extra pics, there were 24 watchers

Roberts Skeleton, no sale...5 watchers...tbh, not to upset, I am rather attached to the odd beast.

MRS-8...wow..no sale...amazing, these things have been flying out of ebay steadily for a couple of months...mine was below the usual 150 price and free postage, 3 watchers, maybe the lack of PSU put people off, I'll see if I can find its PSU, I know I still have it, just not sure where, then will relist.

JamMan went for 137,  10 bids, so that went for the expected amount, though agian all bidding in the last few minutes
The RC3 has 1 bid and 10 mins left so it will go but hoping the price will rise if the 17 watchers convert to bidders.

Oh man!! Only 2 quid added to the start price on the RC3 2 bids, the final one being a last minute snipe


Exe OD10 overdrive has got a bid in the last  few mins so its going...gone for its base price thought its been bought by an Italian bidder, which is a problem since I stated I would only accept bank transfers from italians...since there's a lot of postage scams that occur on things sent to italy..will see what he says, he has goodd 700+ feedback so maybe I'll risk it for 20quid.

So..with only the old Zoom 607 and 6 guitar stand to go, with no watchers I'm not expecting them to sell.  I've found the whole sellinge experience, something I've not done for a very long time, to be quite frustrating...last minute bidding resulting in base level prices....oh well, its sill space and cash to pay for new toys in future.






Ahthankyew

The Suspense

I'm not entierely sure what the point of 5 or 7 day listings is on ebay...you certainly gather a few watchers but of my 9 items currently listed only 1 has an actual bid...hmmm lots of watchers on them all though, over 70 so far and quite a few questions.

Mostly regarding the JamMan which has the bid, and people asking for closeups of the Les Paul copy,, which is also garnering a good number of watchers, but so far no bids. I wonder how many will think they may have stumbled on a real Custom and a stupid seller who does not know what he's got...lol I do..its a genuine fake :D. Unlike others though I am clearly stating that and pointing out the clues so no one gets any ideas about it. Its just a really nice chinese made Les Paul copy that wants to be a real gibson so bad it grew an inlay on its headstock.

Today is last day, when they will finally start appearing on the 1st or 2nd page of the search list, that should finally start them bidding so they'll either be sold or not and relisted till they do sell.


Oh wait, another bid, this time on the RC3...cool. That means the R24 cost is almost covered, though ebay/paypal and postage will take a chunk, at least it lessens the damage. I fully expect the Les Paul to go though which will certainly cover my costs and put a few bob in the bank to pay for July's guitar workshop among other frivolities due to be paid for.


Ahthankyew

Mummy, will it hurt?

My 1st cull is underway.
3 guitars,

Ovation Standard Elite

Chinese Les Paul Custom, one of the better fakes I've seen, though you can spot the rosewood fretboard a mile off which is kinda daft to make everything else look right and not even attempt a dark eboy board!!!

Roberts Skeleton, odd beast and quite fun, but redundant since I got my VXT Hybrid

and various Gadgets on ebay. get them while you can ?
My impuse buy RC3...does everthing my Jamman does but in a more compact form, and with batteries so ideal as a more portable looper, but since getting the RC300 I've not used it...so.

Ahh bye bye MRS8 you were awesome

This really is the best single channel looper out there...the RC3 has more memory and a few more features but for sheer awesomeness the JamMan is king

Wish I could remember where I got this and how much, its a nice overdrive pedal though, lots of range but I have a Tubescreamer copy now which is more the tone I want.

Good old 607, never let me down, if it don't sell I won't be stressed, its always done its job really well.

Ahthankyew

Clear out begins

By buying something new????

I have an MRS-8 the precursor to this beast, which is fantastic and got a lot more use before I used Garageband and was going to be used for portable recording of band practice though it has limited inputs, but this came up on ebay at silly BIN price so had to have it, its a refurb but I don't mind, saving 150quid is worth a tatty box and a few scratches, but this now means I NEED to sell the extra gadgets to make some cash to cover it.
So the MRS-8 goes to be replaced by the new beast more suited to band based recording

Digitech Jamman goes, the RC300 just does everything it does and I found syncing vocals seperatly was near impossible.

The hardly used but much loved RC3 which I have no use for now with the RC300 (a classic example of the need to buy the best 1st time 'cos you'll just upgrade if you like it)

The Zoom 607, so I can replace with a newer model

The EXE OD10 an nice enough overdrive pedal but not used since I got my Tube Screamer.

The Ebow (I really never use it, even though I like it its pointless keeping it)

Also the 6 guitar stand, great thing and at the time a great idea, but the vault makes it useless. I'll keep the 3 way one though since I may need it if we ever gig!

Working up the courage to put a few guitars on too, The Roberts Silent (redundant since I got my Ovation VXT), my Ovation Acoustic and Gibson Custom copy should get a decent return. Postage would be such a bitch if it were bought by someone in the UK.....

hmmm guess I need to do it sometime I don't like the Ovation Acoustic much so its never going to get the use it deserves and the Gibson Custom stands out like a sore thumb next to my real Gibsons.

That should raise a few bob though...so might as well, its time for my 1st cull..I probably should get rid of the cheaper classical too but no way would Ebay give a good price. I'll root about and see what else I don't need or use any more.

I'm holding off on the Zoom GX2.1u though, I know I don't use it much, but that and the Zoom A2 are good workhorse multi pedals that can be used anywhere, unlike my FCB/AD3 and RC300 setup. which does everything but needs 2 big bags to cart around.


Ahthankyew