Microphones... $@!%&*#
Thursday I went to the Best Buy where I had gotten my USB condenser mic. I returned the $!*#&$ thing because the recordings were coming out distorted. I attempted the tech support thing and was getting nowhere, so it went back to the store. I couldn't get my money back. They gave me store credit. I bought the one other USB condenser mic that they sell there. It's a Samson. It came with Cakewalk Sonar LE. It seems to be working.
What I'm disappointed about, however, is that the Sessions software that had come with M-Audio mic that I returned had had some nice presets for reverb and compression -- two things that I cannot figure out which way to dial the nobs for to get the sound I want. Which is why I liked the presets in Sessions. The presets in the new software are not so great. I'll have to play around with them (which sucks because I just don't have the amount of time I'd like to have to be able to fool around with things that I don't really know what I'm doing with anyway...). Still, I hope to be able to do some recording soon-ish... *sigh*
This past Thursday at open mic was pretty amazing. The list of performers was just insane -- not in length, but in sheer quality of the skill level of the musicians. I felt embarrassed to be mixed in that list. I don't think I belong among such talent. However, having one the best performers I've ever heard go before me, made me need to step things up and play my absolute best. I sort of did and that makes me a little bit proud. It was also incredibly humbling to have that amazingly wonderful musician say that he liked my performance. I should have bowed before his amazing wonderfulness and begged for him to impart some of his talent upon me.
I played a new version of Rainy Day. This, technically, will be my third version of the song and hopefully one that will stick. I mean, I really like it now, but will I like it forever? I also played Free Fallin' by Tom Petty and had some sing-alongers, which is always cool.
For Inside the Open Mic, I interviewed Forrest Jenkins. He is a talented player and singer to say the least. And I found out that he is an avid chess player. He said that we will have to play some time, but I told him it sounded like he would probably kick my butt. I'm good against some players, but many avid players usually beat me.
Last night, I played Rock Band and I will probably have the chance to do that again tonight at a St. Patrick's Day gathering. Or I will just sit (except when getting up to get food), and *gasp* socialize.
Socializing is awkward. Most times that I am involved in a conversation that includes more than one other person, the other two people talk back and forth so fast that I can't come up with ideas quick enough to interject them in to the fray. Often, I'll think of something interesting that I'd like to add so late that the conversation has moved on to something different. Which is why I often say, "Going back to what we were talking about earlier..." And that disrupts the whole flow of the conversation at the point that it has now come to.
Which is why I like playing guitar and singing songs that I've written. I can say my piece without getting interrupted or interrupting others.
If I were to write a song about my side of conversations, it would be an instrumental. Ba-dump-chi...
[Edited to Add: last night I achieved a feat that I have not reached in many years. It should be noted that on 3/13/09, James Frederick ate an entire pizza (medium) all himself. In case you were wondering, the topings were pepperoni and black olives.]
What I'm disappointed about, however, is that the Sessions software that had come with M-Audio mic that I returned had had some nice presets for reverb and compression -- two things that I cannot figure out which way to dial the nobs for to get the sound I want. Which is why I liked the presets in Sessions. The presets in the new software are not so great. I'll have to play around with them (which sucks because I just don't have the amount of time I'd like to have to be able to fool around with things that I don't really know what I'm doing with anyway...). Still, I hope to be able to do some recording soon-ish... *sigh*
This past Thursday at open mic was pretty amazing. The list of performers was just insane -- not in length, but in sheer quality of the skill level of the musicians. I felt embarrassed to be mixed in that list. I don't think I belong among such talent. However, having one the best performers I've ever heard go before me, made me need to step things up and play my absolute best. I sort of did and that makes me a little bit proud. It was also incredibly humbling to have that amazingly wonderful musician say that he liked my performance. I should have bowed before his amazing wonderfulness and begged for him to impart some of his talent upon me.
I played a new version of Rainy Day. This, technically, will be my third version of the song and hopefully one that will stick. I mean, I really like it now, but will I like it forever? I also played Free Fallin' by Tom Petty and had some sing-alongers, which is always cool.
For Inside the Open Mic, I interviewed Forrest Jenkins. He is a talented player and singer to say the least. And I found out that he is an avid chess player. He said that we will have to play some time, but I told him it sounded like he would probably kick my butt. I'm good against some players, but many avid players usually beat me.
Last night, I played Rock Band and I will probably have the chance to do that again tonight at a St. Patrick's Day gathering. Or I will just sit (except when getting up to get food), and *gasp* socialize.
Socializing is awkward. Most times that I am involved in a conversation that includes more than one other person, the other two people talk back and forth so fast that I can't come up with ideas quick enough to interject them in to the fray. Often, I'll think of something interesting that I'd like to add so late that the conversation has moved on to something different. Which is why I often say, "Going back to what we were talking about earlier..." And that disrupts the whole flow of the conversation at the point that it has now come to.
Which is why I like playing guitar and singing songs that I've written. I can say my piece without getting interrupted or interrupting others.
If I were to write a song about my side of conversations, it would be an instrumental. Ba-dump-chi...
[Edited to Add: last night I achieved a feat that I have not reached in many years. It should be noted that on 3/13/09, James Frederick ate an entire pizza (medium) all himself. In case you were wondering, the topings were pepperoni and black olives.]