The Way Forward

This all feels eerily familiar. Personal alarm bells starting ringing when I read Steve Jobs overheard saying the iPad "will be the most important thing I've ever done."

I remember when the Macintosh was the fresh new thing at Apple. At that time, the entire company was built on the back of the Apple //. The Macintosh was just getting off the ground and accounted for only a small part of the total revenue. Even so, it was clear the Mac was the future.

The iPhone and iPad represent huge chunks of Apple's revenue and this did not exist three years ago. In fact, they pretty much represent all of Apple's growth in that time. Apple knows mobile computing is the way forward. Do you know it too?

Here are some more clues. The Apple Design Awards? Mobile only. The WWDC? A curiously mobile-centric focus. Sensing a trend here?

The nature of computing is changing. It used to be we used computers to crunch numbers and make spreadsheets. This is Microsoft's turf. Now we use computers to do other things like manage photos, make movies, music, and communicate. Even before the advent of mobile computing, Apple understood this, and this is where iLife came from.

Facebook is an application that helps manage personal relationships. That sounds incredibly stupid. Why would you use a computer to help you deal with people? Except… it works. This is the reality of how normal people use computers today, and this kind of stuff is what iPhones and iPads are all about.

MacOS and Windows are in their twilight.

AHNE 2010 video

AHNE (analog heaven northeast) is the annual gathering of analog synthesizer enthusiasts around the Boston area. The event is a unique opportunity to touch and hear many unique, rare and beautiful instruments.

This video was captured using a Canon 5DmkII with the 100mm f/2.8 macro and 50mm f/1.4 lenses. Edited using After Effects.

The music is a short section from my as-yet-unreleased long-form modular composition. This section of music has not yet been previewed before. Other bits of this project can be found here and here. This segment is 100% modular. No soft synths, no drums, nothing. Just modular.

I've heard some people, especially on youtube, complain that all they hear from modular synthesizer demos are BEEP BOOP BEEP or squarnly noise-type things. While these efforts are, IMO, perfectly valid uses of a modular (and something I myself do), it was my hope to create a single piece of music that would fill 'an album side'. While there is still a long way to go, I hope you enjoy this preview.

AHNE 2010 Flickr Set

AHNE 2010 Flickr Set. Shown below is Randel Osborne's Enabler for the Arp Chroma, which was the highlight of the event for me. The Enabler unlocks the extremely powerful synthesizer lurking beyond the pinhole view provided by existing Chroma user interface.

Youtube's music attribution robot FAIL

As a musician, I went though tons and tons of tape. In 1991, the Audio Home Recording Act enabled taxation of digital recording gear at 2% and blank media at 3%. The collected money got funneled back into the recording industry because, obviously you were pirating music. So, the simple act of recording my own music and honing my craft helped fund the big record companies, and, ultimately, the RIAA itself.

Today, I noticed youtube rolled out a new feature where the music you've used in your video is automatically attributed. Helpful links are also added to find and buy more of this artist's music. Unfortunately for me, in nearly all cases, the attribution is mistakenly assigned to someone else.

Some examples:

pareidolia falsely attributed to Foetus

feignroom falsely attributed to Just Live

where abundance lies falsely attributed to Johnny Trash

coalescence and luxation falsely attributed to T.I.M.E.

I'm understandably horked off about this. Most of my music I've licesned quite liberally with a creative commons 3.0 attribution license. Basically, I'm giving it away, including commercial use. The only thing you have to do, THE ONLY THING is get the damn attribution correct.

If you're a musician, you should check your videos, too. It seems to get music available for sale mostly correct, as reported by a number of people. This is because the algorhithm has something to match against. For example, they got Dissociative Fugue correct. However, if you're giving music away, bend over.

I'm sick of getting squeezed to death in the ongoing battle between big media conglomerates and piracy. Now, using RIAA tactics, what are the damages for such action? $80,000 per track, isn't it? Isn't the U.S. Government the intellectual property enforment arm of the entertainment industry? Where are my rights? Unleash the hounds!

Z8000 Overview

The TipTop Audio Z8000 sequencer uses an open design, with tons of jacks exposing the clocking, direction and reset inputs for 10 different ways of addressing the bank of 16 knobs. If you're interested in a truly unique take in the analog step sequencer, give this beast a spin.

How much money do you make playing live?

Man, I'm getting tired of this. If you haven't come across the entertainment industry's intellectual property enforcement joint strategic plan, it is some crazy shit. In a nutshell, they (the RIAA and MPAA) are looking for anti-infringement spyware for home computers, copyright filtering at ISPs and copyright enforcement on the nation's borders. The EFF breaks it down for you.

Navneet Alang's editorial response at Techi is equally interesting. He's basically saying that there has been a cultural shift for people to expect their media to be free, so the industry has to adapt to a model based on selling stuff for nothing. Wait, what?

Clearly, there is a gulf between these two positions.

Everyone likes to talk about scarcity as the core issue because we still think of music, books and movies as a physical asset. It isn't. It is about utility. It is about what you get out of experiencing that media. If you listen to a song on an iPod while you're exercising or in your car, you're using it. That is the value. It doesn't matter if you encoded a CD for a file, or downloaded it for free, or if there are a billion other copies of the song out there. The fact that you've chosen to experience it indicates there is some inherent value.

Clearly, musicians are not making a living selling recorded music, as illustrated at information is beautiful. Here is another source. If you're Lady Gaga, you earned $167 from spotify for a million streams. Woo?



Navneet is a realist, and that is really the point he's trying to make. But he doesn't have any answers beyond the 'artists should make money playing live' thing that everyone constantly spouts. So, I'm curious. How is that working out for you?

If you're a musician that plays mostly (51% or more) original music live, please take part in this poll, and let us know the extent of your success for the whole of last year. You just did your 2009 taxes, right?

Versions

The Ethicist in The New York Times answers answers an interesting question about e-book piracy. The scenario goes something like this: if I buy the hard cover, is it ok to download the pirated ebook to my e-reader?

In the response, the first thing that is pointed out is out is an illegal download is illegal. I'm making special note of this because some people lack the mental elasticity to acknowledge the legal basis without agreeing with it. OK? OK.

Then, he says this scenario is illegal, but not unethical, which I feel is fair. He likens the practice to buying a CD and loading the file on your iPod, which, again, I agree is ethical. This is pretty easy to understand... or is it? Where, exactly, does your ethical right of use end?

New Line released a Blu Ray box set of The Lord of the Rings - theatrical version.

The Lord of the Rings) [Blu-ray]

Check out the reviews. The overwhelming majority of reviews are one star. Why? Because fans are upset the extended version isn't also included in the box set. Clearly, the studio considers the extended version a different release, and intends to issue this at some point in the future. I'd say most of the people complaining about this bought movie tickets, purchased the first DVD release, then the extended DVD release, and feel entitled to the Blu Ray version.

Obviously, no one is forcing anyone to buy this version. Fans should simply sit on their credit cards until the extended version comes out and buy that. Problem solved. Vote with your money.

What is the difference between this and the ebook example? I'd say the ebook example is about data portability and the freedom to enjoy of the same content, regardless of format. The second example is about different content. The theatrical and extended versions are very different content. Does it suck that you have to buy both if you want both? Yes. Are you entitled to both? No. Would it be nice for loyal fans to benefit from a free resolution upgrade? Sure. Are you entitled to something that didn't exist when you bought the first version? No.

So, yes the studios are greedy (gasp!), but the air of entitlement of the public is also unsettling.

five twelve unboxing

Personally, I think unboxing videos are fairly ridiculous. But, so is the five twelve. Since there are only 10 of these things, and it wasn't a big deal to set up a camera, I decided to share this. Don't expect a music demo - this is just a first impression and plug in so you can get a feel for the build.



In my opinion, the five twelve the most beautiful thing brian and kelli have created. It isn't as big and heavy as I was expecting. It is solid though. I should take a picture of it paired with my dell mini 9.

As much as I would adore playing with this right now, I have deadlines. So, I'm in the same boat as you; can't really touch it.

On the horizon

My monome five twelve is en route and I should receive it tomorrow. I really wanted to do some patching ahead of time so I could demonstrate what could be done with something that size upon reception, but I've involved myself in other projects. I'm afraid a five twelve video from me will be some time coming. I'll take some photos, though. The package weight is reported to be 16 pounds, yikes! The completely hollowed plywood prototype enclosure threw me. When I saw the production walnut CNC result, I knew it would be heavy, but in a good way.

I still owe a Z8000 video. I actually got pretty close to done and then realized my real time voiceover was distorted and needs to be re-recorded. I could redo the video entirely or overdub. Either prospect fills me with the opposite of enthusiasm.

The main project I'm involved in is the long form analog modular thing. It takes about a week per minute of mostly-finished audio, so at this rate, without any interruption or preemption, you're looking at a release some time in the Fall. Hrmmm.

Theoretically, I should be seeing a Piston Honda at some point. This will include the ROM expander and my Bosch Gardens ROM. These are in stock at analoguehaven. I miss my miniwave, but this should be even more fun.

Speaking of The Harvestman, by dumb luck I managed to purchase a used Hertz Donut off the muffwiggler forum. This will arrive on Monday, and I plan to immediately use it in the piece I'm currently working on.

It is looking like I may have a new Oberheim SEM to play with for a short time. I'm sure I'll find a use for it in the modular piece, but I'll definitely make a Volta+SEM video. I'm intensely curious about what could be accomplished with the combo. I'm guessing it'll sound very analog. Just a guess.

The school year is ending, and with it, any window to record piano in the morning. I've advised my wife to get the piano tuned. If/when that happens, a ambient piano project will take precedence.