Monthly Archives: July 2009

Digging It

Posted on July 30, 2009 by midiguru

Archaeology is how we come to understand who we are. The traces that remain of the distant past are being obliterated across the globe — submerged behind new dams, bulldozed to make way for freeways and high-rises — and that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in evolution, random musings | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Down in the Trenches

Posted on July 30, 2009 by midiguru

The trouble with free software is, sometimes you get what you pay for. Today I’ve been trying to get Csound to read real-time MIDI input (from a physical keyboard) and play notes or respond to slider moves. No luck whatever. … Continue reading →

Posted in music, technology | Leave a comment

When Failure Is Not an Option

Posted on July 29, 2009 by midiguru

I’m not at all sure what I’d like to do until the gravedigger comes, but I’d like to be doing something. So I did what any good 21st century geek would do: I googled “setting personal goals.” Most of the … Continue reading →

Posted in random musings | Tagged | 1 Comment

Nailing Down Jello

Posted on July 28, 2009 by midiguru

Having dropped out of college in the Sixties (long story…) I have a recurring fascination with the idea of returning to school to finally get my B.A. Maybe even a Master’s. Why not? The main reason why not: It would … Continue reading →

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What’s Old Is Made New

Posted on July 26, 2009 by midiguru

Many years ago, I owned a Serge Modular synthesizer. It was an amazing beast, and I wish I still had it. Purely for nostalgia and sex appeal; I doubt it would still be in working order, and even if it … Continue reading →

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Score for Games

Posted on July 24, 2009 by midiguru

Text-based games are not, by their very nature, multimedia-rich experiences. The developers of various game authoring systems have added, over the years, a few limited bits of media support. Authors can, for instance, clear the screen and show a still … Continue reading →

Posted in Interactive Fiction, music, technology | Tagged | 2 Comments

Super Collision

Posted on July 23, 2009 by midiguru

Being at loose ends this week, I decided to take a close look at SuperCollider. I’ve spoken to musicians who love it and use it extensively. These are experimental musicians, you understand, most of them working in university environments. Even … Continue reading →

Posted in music, technology | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Cloak & Dagger

Posted on July 19, 2009 by midiguru

I became a 9/11 conspiracy nut when I watched the video. [But see the response from Marco, below.] Okay, there are some facts that don’t add up, but in the real world there are always facts that don’t add up. … Continue reading →

Posted in politics | Tagged | 6 Comments

Who’s on First?

Posted on July 18, 2009 by midiguru

A guy I know took one of those stupid Facebook polls, the question being, “Would you support Sarah Palin for President in 2012?” He said yes, he would. So I asked him to tell me why. Here’s his response, in … Continue reading →

Posted in politics | Tagged | 1 Comment

Bibliophilia

Posted on July 18, 2009 by midiguru

I wish I had a lot more time to read. I own hundreds and hundreds of books, some of which I’ve been carting around for 30 or 40 years. Don’t remember a thing about some of them except that I … Continue reading →

Posted in science fiction, writing | Tagged , | Leave a comment