SynthStudio Has Moved To A New Web Host!
Update your links!
I have finally given in and bought some new webspace with Dreamhost via a recommendation from a friend who says they are good. My only hope, is that their claim of unlimited space is actually true. I looked at a lot of webhosts, and many claim to have unlimited storage, but always have a clause reguarding actual content that takes up space, like MP3’s in my case. I wasn’t able to pinpoint anything with dreamhost on that issue. So we’ll see!
Why did I do it? I’ve done this for a few reasons:
- First, It’s less maintenance for me and more secure in the backup/disaster recovery area.
- Second, I was running my site off a first generation Apple Mac Mini! LOL! That thing is slow, the new host is much more powerful.
- Third, because I was running the site out of my home, I was unable to host on the default TCP/IP Port 80. So this solves that long lasting issue for those of you that were not able to see my site.
So, what does this mean for you? My very few but faithful readers? The site will be better than ever moving forward!
Now, why not celebrate the new with somthing old? The following are some old recordings of mine that go back to the ‘FruityLoops 3.0‘ era:
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Download Links to tracks above, in playlist order.:
Just got a new mixer to help make my life easier. I didn’t want/need anything fancy, like automation, or stupid effects processing. I just wanted a real preamp for my microphone, and some extra inputs. I decided on the Yamaha MG102c. It was a toss up between the Yamaha MG102c, and a much more expensive Behringer Xenyx 1204FX.
The issue for me was that I would have liked the multiple outputs of the Behringer. Additionally the Behringer mic preamps are supposedly better than the ones in the Yamaha, but I’ll leave that to the real experts. On the negative side, the Behringer has the effects processor I don’t need and comes with an external USB sound card which also would not help me since I use my M-Audio Delta 1010 ASIO anyway. In case you don’t know you can only have one ASIO driver loaded in FL Studio or any other software as far as I know, its a limitation of the ASIO driver spec or something.
The big positive of the Yamaha MG102c on over the Behringer is that it has more inputs than the Behringer 1204! One more stereo pair to be precise. I really don’t see why they (Behringer) call that thing Xenyx 1204, it should be called 804, or 84. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t count as an input just because you have two kinds of plugs! This rant of coarse is directed at the fact that the Xenyx 1204 has both XLR and TRS plugs on its 1-4 inputs just like the Yamaha. Behringer counts it as 8 inputs, Yamaha is realistic and counts it as 4! What professional engineer would use both of those plugs at the same time? I don’t imagine they would. Moving on, the only drawback about the Yamaha? It has no mute buttons! That’s kind of a bummer but not in a way that really matters for me.
By now, I’m sure you are saying: “But comparing the Behringer Xenyx 1204FX to the Yamaha MG102c is unfair if you don’t want effects! Compare the MG102c to the Xenyx 1204 instead! It has no effects, which also brings its price down a bit!” Well, they didn’t have that model at the store, and the Yamaha still has more inputs, so I opted for the Yamaha. Additionally, the fact that I am relatively brand loyal also entered into it, as I am thrilled with my Yamaha HS80 monitors. I also have my old Yamaha PSR530 keyboard, and a fair amount of my dad’s old Yamaha Stereo equipment that has yet to break down in my lifetime. 🙂
So I bought the Yamaha MG102c and so far it works great! The sound quality is perfect near as I can tell. For $99, I don’t think there is anything better at the moment.
Here are a couple photos of it.
My Yamaha MG102c Mixer.
Close Up of my Yamaha MG102c Mixer.
Now, because he was in the room, here is a photo of my bird!
Herman, my pet cockatiel posing for the camera.
This guy is one of the most amazing MIDI composer’s I have ever heard. I’m not really clever enough to write a nice bunch of paragraphs about how good he is. So, I’ll leave you with some of his music. Skeptics please remember, what you are about to hear is simply a recording of “one of those crappy .mid-e files” played straight through one of my Roland Sound Canvas’.
Enjoy! Oh, make sure you use the ‘next’ and ‘back’ buttons in the player to listen to all 5 songs posted here. Each one is better than the last!
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Click “More»” for the MP3 downloads.
More »
Today I thought I’d record some of the on-board demos from some of my synths. I got my old Yamaha PSR-530 keyboard to work, I thought it was broken! It appears that the plug for the DC transformer on the keyboard is busted. I recall never trying to test it with batteries, I kind of forgot it had a battery compartment. Low and behold, I put in 6 D-size batteries and it powers right up! I’ll have to take it apart at some point and see if I can replace the DC-in plug and repair it. So for now, here are some synth demos. Enjoy!
Note: Don’t forget to use the ‘next’ and ‘previous’ buttons in the player! 🙂
Roland D-110 On-Board Demo Songs:
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Yamaha PSR-530 Demo Songs (Some on-board, some from cartridge)
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Korg X5DR On-Board Demo Songs
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Click “More»” for the MP3 downloads.
More messing around with the XV-5080.
I made a couple weird analog-ish patches using a few interesting techniques.
Have a listen:
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Download Link: WeirdPatch001
Here is how I did it.
One patch uses MFX #16 StepFlanger and Pan-Delay global Reverb. The percussive sounds are a side effect of the Step Flanger effect. Pretty cool, huh?
- Here is the first patch without effects enabled:
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- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel1_Dry
- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel1_Dry
- Here it is with effects enabled:
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- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel1_Wet
- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel1_Wet
The other patch uses MFX #45 Multi Tap Delay.
- Here is the second patch without effects enabled:
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- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel2_Dry
- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel2_Dry
- Here it is with effects enabled:
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- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel2_Wet
- Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Channel2_Wet
The pitch bends are done manually. I may try to program it into an LFO later on.
Here is the whole mix with all effects disabled:
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Download Link: WeirdPatch001_Dry
Now, you may ask: “Where is the phasing effect coming from?”
The answer is, I am emulating “Pitch Drift” of the classic analog synthesizer using LFOs on the waveform level. I used a technique derived from this great article from Sound On Sound magazine.
…And now for something completely different. For my friend Arfy, here is a little remix from an old Casio toy keyboard. I don’t remember the model at the moment. Other then the arrangement of the loops and the fact that I layer them sometimes, they are exactly as you would hear from the instrument itself.
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Download Link: CasioToyFun
Screwing around with the Guitar Amp Simulator…
Wrote this little metal ditty last night using the XV-5080 with SC-8850 on drums. The first half is original, or maybe it’s based on something I’ve heard that’s stuck in my head. Either way I’d like to elaborate on it some more. The second half of the recording is a surprise. Comments?
EDIT: Updated version:
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Download: NewMetalTestXV2
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Download: NewMetalTestXV
Got a new Camera Lens and ToMI:Episode 2 is out! YAY
Brief update:
I got a new lens for my camera, a wide angle. I’ll post some new photos taken with it soon..
In other news. The second episode of Tales of Monkey Island is out! YAY! Perhaps I’ll write a little something about it when I complete it.
Nantucket Vacation: Day 7
Belated post…
Day 7. Mostly just the trip back home. Took a lot of photos at the docks for the ferry, on the ferry leaving Nantucket, and approaching the mainland. Enjoy.
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- View from the Steamship Authority in Nantucket
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- Incoming ferry, the Eagle, took this one going home.
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- Back of the Steamship Authority, clearly visible from arriving ferrys.
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- The Eagle.
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- Another side of the ferry.
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- Front of the building.
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- Front of the building.
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- View from the ferry, waiting to leave.
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- View from the ferry, waiting to leave.
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- View from the ferry, waiting to leave.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- View from the ferry, leaving Nantucket.
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- Amazing sailboat. Looks like a 75 footer!
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- View of the ocean.
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- View of the ocean.
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- View of the ocean.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- That’s a big place! Comes with it’s own lighthouse!
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Huge house…
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Approaching Cape Cod from the ferry.
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- Ferry leaving for Nantucket, the one I took also.
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- Approaching the mainland…
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- It’s big!
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- Approaching the mainland…
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- I like the view of this peninsula.
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- Still approaching the mainland…
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- Still approaching the mainland…
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- Still approaching the mainland…
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- Still approaching the mainland…
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- Still approaching the mainland…
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- Another nice view.
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- See gull?
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- There gull!
Belated post…
As I was going over the photos from these days, we had a big power outage. Supposedly over 200 homes had no electricity. Power went out around 10:45pm and came back on sometime after 1:ooam! Sadly, my laptop was not fully charged…
Anyway, below are some photos taken in the Nantucket Whaling Museum, the observatory floor of the museum, the “children’s beach” where there is a small lighthouse, and some plants around the house. Also, there was this really weird full moon one night. It was bright orange!
Check out the photos below:
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- Sperm Whale Skull
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- An Oil Press
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- Top of a Lighthouse
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- Plaque about an old clock tower.
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- The mechanicals of the clock.
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- View of Nantucket from the Whaling Museum Observatory.
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- View of Nantucket from the Whaling Museum Observatory.
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- View of Nantucket from the Whaling Museum Observatory.
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- View of Nantucket from the Whaling Museum Observatory.
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- View of Nantucket from the Whaling Museum Observatory.
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- View of Nantucket from the Whaling Museum Observatory.
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- Some boats… There’s lots of these!
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- View from the “Children’s Beach”.
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- A lighthouse from one of the many corners of the island.
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- View from the “Children’s Beach”.
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- This plant is everywhere on the island.
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- Fruit from the same plant. I believe people make tea with it.
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- Flowers.
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- More flowers.
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- Even more flowers.
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- …and some more flowers.
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- The moon one night. It was pumpkin orange earlier. Exposure time: 13 seconds.
Nantucket Vacation: Day’s 3 & 4
Yesterday was a pretty relaxing day. We went to the beach, saw some more of the island, and I took a few photos of that.
Today we went out on a charter fishing boat. It was a blast. We caught a total of 20 Bluefish and I caught one Stripped Bass! We kept the striper, three of the blues, and threw the rest back in the ocean. It was a bit rainy so I did not get too many photos during the fishing trip. I reeled in the bass, which apparently made me the champion of the day, because they are more rare of a catch than other fish I guess. I thought about getting it preserved and mounted as a gift for my friend’s grandparent’s, who’s house we’re staying at this week, but it was simply too expensive to do sadly. I’ll have to think of something else in that department. Very fun day though!
Check out some of my photos from the previous two days below:
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- Bird on the beach.
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- Dog playing fetch on the beach.
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- Dog playing fetch on the beach.
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- Some houses facing a lake on the island.
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- Lot’s of boats!
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- More boats!
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- More boats and a ferry.
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- One of the many peninsulas of the island
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- One of the many peninsulas of the island
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- Out on a charter boat.
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- Sailboat in the sound.
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- More boats in the sound.
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- Large houses on the edge of the island.
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- More large houses around the coast of the island.
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- AHH! More houses…
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- This basically sums up the visuals of Nantucket Island.
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- Fish!
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