Wednesday, June 30, 2004
Monday, June 28, 2004
Do you ever have those DUH! moments when you suddenly realise what a muppet you are? I get them all the time which is scary for an alleged genius. I don't think that IT helps with it. After all it's not like it can tell you when you're doing something stupid (unless there are REALLY good error messages for every eventuality) it just does it; well OK, only if you're "really sure?", but let's be honest we see those boxes so often you click through them before your brain has processed why you're being asked, right? I know I've had those panic moments just as the finger begins the ascent from the pressed mouse button.
Given our woeful abilities does technology help? No. After all we know our brains are slower than a CPU - that's why we have 'em - but does software compensate for this? No, it even gives you the option to automatically hover the mouse over the button leaving our brain even less time to catch up with our excellent motor reflexes (which are faster than even computers in calculating 3D positions and motion - ever see a robot try catching a ball?).
Not that my two latest DUH! moments were reflex responses - they were just general stupidity on my part (OK, combined with a little bit of Badly Written Manual - a band name there perhaps?).
The first was the case of the non-thru MIDI in cubase. My symptoms were as described, I had tried everything suggested to no avail, and then I read Martin Walker's excellent series of trouble-shooting docs on the "Sound On Sound" website. Lo and behold one of the things he suggested, that no-one else had considered, was "is there a remote control device setup as this will grab a MIDI input and not forward the stream?" Ah, I had to hang my head and admit that yes, there was and turning it off solved the problem. Thank you Martin (and everyone else that tried to help) and not to the manual that didn't have a decent trouble-shooting section (I'm not even sure that it is mentioned in the remotes section).
The second one was more work related, to be brief it involved some Cisco routers, an ACL and loopback ports. Would the ACL I knew was right work? No. Why not? Because, I eventually realised, that data originating from the loopback was still coming from the router and would not be filtered by any ACL on that router. DUH! Still it all works now :)
Stay happy!
Given our woeful abilities does technology help? No. After all we know our brains are slower than a CPU - that's why we have 'em - but does software compensate for this? No, it even gives you the option to automatically hover the mouse over the button leaving our brain even less time to catch up with our excellent motor reflexes (which are faster than even computers in calculating 3D positions and motion - ever see a robot try catching a ball?).
Not that my two latest DUH! moments were reflex responses - they were just general stupidity on my part (OK, combined with a little bit of Badly Written Manual - a band name there perhaps?).
The first was the case of the non-thru MIDI in cubase. My symptoms were as described, I had tried everything suggested to no avail, and then I read Martin Walker's excellent series of trouble-shooting docs on the "Sound On Sound" website. Lo and behold one of the things he suggested, that no-one else had considered, was "is there a remote control device setup as this will grab a MIDI input and not forward the stream?" Ah, I had to hang my head and admit that yes, there was and turning it off solved the problem. Thank you Martin (and everyone else that tried to help) and not to the manual that didn't have a decent trouble-shooting section (I'm not even sure that it is mentioned in the remotes section).
The second one was more work related, to be brief it involved some Cisco routers, an ACL and loopback ports. Would the ACL I knew was right work? No. Why not? Because, I eventually realised, that data originating from the loopback was still coming from the router and would not be filtered by any ACL on that router. DUH! Still it all works now :)
Stay happy!
Wednesday, June 23, 2004
Broadband arrived yesterday! After months of waiting for telewest to upgrade us to digital services we now have super-duper 750 Kbps connectivity. Lovely, just what the doctor ordered. It also appears to be performing near to spec - after loading it with half a dozen weighty downloads last night I looked at the bytes/second coming through the NIC and was getting around 700 Kbps average.
Installation was fun and games - after checking every piece of coax between the distribution box and the cable modem it was finally discovered that the service was out across the city. Duh. Still it all started working about 10 minutes after the engineer left in disgust.
So we now have the ability to upload band music and such between each other and to websites without paying a fortune and taking forever. That could be especially relevant with Jon going to Canada sometime soon.
Installation was fun and games - after checking every piece of coax between the distribution box and the cable modem it was finally discovered that the service was out across the city. Duh. Still it all started working about 10 minutes after the engineer left in disgust.
So we now have the ability to upload band music and such between each other and to websites without paying a fortune and taking forever. That could be especially relevant with Jon going to Canada sometime soon.
Friday, June 18, 2004
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Friday, June 11, 2004
Forums
I like forums. After pulling my hair out over the whole MIDI thru issue in the free copy of Cubase VST 5 with the Emulator X it was good to have a chat with other users that have had problems and found solutions. It's also good to know that there are people, like Maxim, that are just willing to offer their advice and potential solutions for nothing.
Thank The Goddess for the internet - sure there are some not so great things out there in the Blue Nowhere (Jeffery Deaver) - but mostly the plain usefullness of it shines through what grime and garbage there is.
Sweet.
I like forums. After pulling my hair out over the whole MIDI thru issue in the free copy of Cubase VST 5 with the Emulator X it was good to have a chat with other users that have had problems and found solutions. It's also good to know that there are people, like Maxim, that are just willing to offer their advice and potential solutions for nothing.
Thank The Goddess for the internet - sure there are some not so great things out there in the Blue Nowhere (Jeffery Deaver) - but mostly the plain usefullness of it shines through what grime and garbage there is.
Sweet.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Emulator X
Wow, got a shiney new Emulator X Studio to record the band before our current guitarist leaves for pastures new.
Had a few teething troubles - aparently Creative Professional/E-MU managed to send out a whole load of boxes without the CDs in them. The guys at the store (Digital Village)eventually tracked down all the CDs I needed and got them to me post haste; thanks guys although the initial advice that I could download drivers from the web to get me going was incorrect - E-MU only provide driver updates. Why? Who's going to pirate drivers for hardware they don't own????
Anyway I'm glad I spent the extra £70 on the Emulator X Studio over the Desktop Studio 1820M. I wasn't convinced that I needed a sampler, albeit one from the E-MU stable, but the studio grand piano that ships with it must be worth the extra cost, not to mention all the Proteus 2000 samples.
The box also includes Cubase VST 5.1 so I've been scouring the web for VST effects & VSTi's; there is some truely weird stuff out there I can tell you, especially if your aim is to create strange sounds and to mangle audio beyond recognition - the Trubia synths stand out for oddness as do those from Krakli. Check out the links!
The bad news is that there is some definite oddness about VST 5.1 with regard to internal MIDI through - hence the links to the various Cubase Forums. The 1820M has two MIDI interfaces with the second input being replaced by the synchronisation card when SMPTE is being used. However a controller keyboard plugged into MIDI in 1 sends MIDI to Cubase fine, but Cubase WILL NOT route the MIDI stream thru to any VSTi or external MIDI out, but will send it to MROS?! MIDI in 2 works fine (but can't be used if sync is being used!) After scouring the forums (lots of useful ideas) and trying the various suggestions to no avail except to confirm that everything was set up as it should be I mad a discovery. If the MIDI ports are set up in SetupMME so that the second port is at the top of the list tada MIDI in 1 is passed thru. Midi in 2, however then stops being passed through. Still that shouldn't be an issue, but it's frustrating that only one of the MIDI ins can be used properly at once in Cubase. I should point out that this is DEFINITELY a Cubase issue - Emulator X and other standalone software works fine.
Wow, got a shiney new Emulator X Studio to record the band before our current guitarist leaves for pastures new.
Had a few teething troubles - aparently Creative Professional/E-MU managed to send out a whole load of boxes without the CDs in them. The guys at the store (Digital Village)eventually tracked down all the CDs I needed and got them to me post haste; thanks guys although the initial advice that I could download drivers from the web to get me going was incorrect - E-MU only provide driver updates. Why? Who's going to pirate drivers for hardware they don't own????
Anyway I'm glad I spent the extra £70 on the Emulator X Studio over the Desktop Studio 1820M. I wasn't convinced that I needed a sampler, albeit one from the E-MU stable, but the studio grand piano that ships with it must be worth the extra cost, not to mention all the Proteus 2000 samples.
The box also includes Cubase VST 5.1 so I've been scouring the web for VST effects & VSTi's; there is some truely weird stuff out there I can tell you, especially if your aim is to create strange sounds and to mangle audio beyond recognition - the Trubia synths stand out for oddness as do those from Krakli. Check out the links!
The bad news is that there is some definite oddness about VST 5.1 with regard to internal MIDI through - hence the links to the various Cubase Forums. The 1820M has two MIDI interfaces with the second input being replaced by the synchronisation card when SMPTE is being used. However a controller keyboard plugged into MIDI in 1 sends MIDI to Cubase fine, but Cubase WILL NOT route the MIDI stream thru to any VSTi or external MIDI out, but will send it to MROS?! MIDI in 2 works fine (but can't be used if sync is being used!) After scouring the forums (lots of useful ideas) and trying the various suggestions to no avail except to confirm that everything was set up as it should be I mad a discovery. If the MIDI ports are set up in SetupMME so that the second port is at the top of the list tada MIDI in 1 is passed thru. Midi in 2, however then stops being passed through. Still that shouldn't be an issue, but it's frustrating that only one of the MIDI ins can be used properly at once in Cubase. I should point out that this is DEFINITELY a Cubase issue - Emulator X and other standalone software works fine.
Wednesday, June 09, 2004
Monday, June 07, 2004
Friday, June 04, 2004
Well I got this thing to work :) Hurrah. Now I have a blog. Just what I wanted.
Now, what am I going to do with it?
OK introductions: I'm Zakala - I've been variously described as a boffin, a geek, a witch, a loony, a muppet, a fool, a visionary, a nerd, a technotiger, a muso, a technomancer, a technogeek and, occasionally, Zak. You choose.
I live with Jay who is almost perfect and Sabre the dog.
I co-run a semi-dormant recording studio and record label Anewmusic.co.uk.
I like life, the hours are good, but some of the actual moments are pretty lousy.
I somewhat dislike (most) politicians, certain ones in particular and think that generally the world could be a wonderful place if not for all the people.
Now, what am I going to do with it?
OK introductions: I'm Zakala - I've been variously described as a boffin, a geek, a witch, a loony, a muppet, a fool, a visionary, a nerd, a technotiger, a muso, a technomancer, a technogeek and, occasionally, Zak. You choose.
I live with Jay who is almost perfect and Sabre the dog.
I co-run a semi-dormant recording studio and record label Anewmusic.co.uk.
I like life, the hours are good, but some of the actual moments are pretty lousy.
I somewhat dislike (most) politicians, certain ones in particular and think that generally the world could be a wonderful place if not for all the people.
About Me
-
- Name: Zakala
- Location: Birmingham, Midlands, United Kingdom
Technomancer
Links
- Zakala's Website
- Anewmusic Website
- Anewmusic Weblog
- Constructive comments are welcome.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.
Previous Posts
- I won another router!
- And the winner is...
- Where's my wallet?
- Media gurus see user content as top threat - silic...
- New colours, new look, new content.
- Zakala's Pics
- Zakala's nearly ready to launch
- Better lessons would improve behaviour, says Ofste...
- Teachers want ban on cyber-bully pupils
- 'Stop treating iPod users like criminals' - silico...
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