Worth the wait

Nearly 10 months, maybe longer, and way past its original April target date..My BeatBuddy has arrived, with the added bonus of not being asked to pay customs, despite a waybill on the packet that suggests I probably should have...I am sure I'll get a reminder if I have to pay something.

I've played with it for 2 minutes, and I can immediately tell you this thing is genius, utter utter genius, easy to use, easy to set up, fantastic, just fantastic to play along to.

Being able to transition to chorus/verse and add high hat or other accents (depending on the track) is just such a simple obvious idea....yet no one did it..until now.

I always like to play along to a rhythm track but that sensation of being locked into the same groove eventually kills the pleasure...it may keep you in time but it does not give much of a dynamic, especially for transitions in the song.

Now every solo musician can have a drummer.....

flipping brilliant.

Now I just need the software, which is also delayed but, I know more than most how that is....I will wait and master my BB in the meantime.


Ahthankyew

Beat Buddy on the way

After being stuck in Hong Kong for a week, my Beat Buddy is finally on its way
http://mybeatbuddy.com/

I've been waiting over 9 months for this little beauty to come, it started out as a crowdfunding idea
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/beatbuddy-the-first-guitar-pedal-drum-machine

Way back in December and I immediately knew this was a great gadget to have, and signed up,  I still worry that the bigger companies will realise the awesomeness of this, but no matter. The team at BeatBuddy have managed to see this through, and despite a hiccup at the customs in Hong Kong its finally on its way. Wonderful to see that something which was so passionately put forward, has actually become a reality.

I just hope that it plays nice with my RC-300, traditionally RC's don't like to midi sync with other units, but that's kinda essential....but if doesn't I do have other loop systems I can use.

It should be here next week, as soon as I get it I will be trying it out on my loops, and see how it does..

Vids will follow.



Ahthankyew

StarrCase Rocking

We did a birthday party at the Clarenbeek a few weeks ago, here's some vids

Ahthankyew

91Kg

No I don't know how either

but still 3kg in a month is good....its all so far down to just not shoveling pies down my face, no snacks, cutting out sugar and avoiding treats... I still eat normal lunch and dinner meals, just choosing healthy when possible, also we were pretty broke after GC so we ate a lot of cheap veg...it was not always exciting to eat but it filled a hole and clearly helped.

I have not been to the gym yet (lol) but I do have a genuine reason.

Stop laughing, I do.

As I noted in a previous post, I've got some nerve damage in my arm, maybe neck surgery related  or a strain, but either way I have brachial neuralgia, which is basically sciatica in your arm which gives a fairly constant level of discomfort at points on my arm and a weakening...I can't even open a jar of pickles any more....the ignominy of asking Brenda to do it will never leave me :(

I've been hoping it would settle down and go away but it got a lot worse, and I had a couple of very severe pain attacks from my neck down to my little finger that left me speechless with pain.

So had to go see the doc..she was very helpful.
Got some pills, been taking them.
Not noticed a massive difference, in the levels on constant pain, though the "arggh please cut my arm off now", kind of pains have not re-occurred so maybe it is working.. So the oxycontin the doc gave me just in case, has not been needed....yes...oxycontin...morphine...it was THAT bad.

I will go back to the docs next week to follow up, and possibly go see the sadist Chinese massage woman in town who did my feet, to see if she can loosen up the neck and shoulder muscles..while gleefully watching me cry like a baby no doubt.




Ahthankyew

Neightbours DIY starts at 8, prevents drowning of sorrows sleep

So we moved to the back room of the house to reduce our disturbance from the roadworks from hell, and surprisingly it worked very well, we were not woken up at 7am.
But it seems there is also an 8 in the morning as well, which I have discovered because a neighbor a few doors down has decided that's a good time to start using power tools on the wall, I assume a sander.
A few doors down shouldn't matter but since it vibrates right through the structure, we get it a nice loud buzz at 8am.

thanks neighbor, thanks a lot

I sold None More Black yesterday, to a nice Chinese guy who's into Metal....she's gone to a good home, but I will miss her.
I spent a few hours  cleaning her up and giving her a good wax...as well as putting some funny black strings on her and couldn't resist a post clean noodle...ah the strings were strange but she sounded great...why oh why had I not spent more time with her. 
He didn't want the strap though, as he had plenty, so I'm left with a sad reminder of a great guitar that I never really spent enough time with...a few drinks were had in her memory last night. sob.

But on the plus side, the dire financial situation we found ourselves in after the GC holiday has been significantly reduced so we can buy steak again...hurrah.
I will however be continuing the guitar cull, there's still a few guitars that need to go, but no rush.


Ahthankyew

7 in the morning.....they have a 7 in the morning

Arrghh
I know this because they are busy ripping up my street with massive big machines which are big, and as a result of being big, are also very noisy....which coupled with the annoying fact they laid down a temp roadway of metal plates for cars to travel down the middle of my street meant it was well after 1am before cars stopped going clank clank clank down my street.


And then they started work, at the afore mentioned 7am with their big machines.

7am


No amount of coffee is going to prepare me for today.



Ahthankyew