Monthly Archives: December 2013

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Posted on December 31, 2013 by midiguru

Now that I’ve spent a fairly ridiculous amount of money on a modular synthesizer, I’m challenging myself to figure out what to do with it. The challenge is this: My whole life has been spent listening to, playing, and composing … Continue reading →

Posted in modular, music | 6 Comments

Modular Mojo: More About Pitch

Posted on December 29, 2013 by midiguru

After struggling a bit earlier today (see the previous post) with intonation in my modular synth, I felt I should do a few more tests. There’s some good news to report, and some bad news. Bad news first: The output … Continue reading →

Posted in microtonal, modular, music, technology | Leave a comment

Modular Mojo: Tuning & Melody

Posted on December 29, 2013 by midiguru

We will begin with a brief digression. Yesterday a friend brought his hurdy-gurdy over to my house and let me play a bit on it. The hurdy-gurdy, for the benefit of those among my readers who don’t attend outdoor strolling … Continue reading →

Posted in modular, music, technology | 3 Comments

The Perils of Freedom

Posted on December 22, 2013 by midiguru

Now and again I run into people who feel convinced that government regulation is a Bad Thing. They seem to believe quite firmly that freedom, and by extension a free market economy, is the most desirable state of affairs. Knowing … Continue reading →

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Modular Mojo: Integration

Posted on December 21, 2013 by midiguru

Modular synthesizer hardware is a wonderful thing. I love being able to reach out and grab a knob. I love being able to plug in a cable and hear the results instantly. And some of the newer modules in the … Continue reading →

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Keeping the Plates Spinning

Posted on December 17, 2013 by midiguru

Back in the 1950s, when I was but a wee sprat, entertainers who had survived the days of vaudeville would show up on The Ed Sullivan Show and do their stuff for a national TV audience. Bob Hope, Jack Benny, … Continue reading →

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Modular Mojo: The Diary

Posted on December 15, 2013 by midiguru

One of the plusses about a euro-rack modular synth is that it’s almost endlessly reconfigurable. That’s also one of the minuses, because reconfiguring can all too easily eat a hole through the bottom of your wallet. In trying to solve … Continue reading →

Posted in modular, music, technology | 1 Comment

The Patch Cord Jungle

Posted on December 13, 2013 by midiguru

Maybe a modular synthesizer is never a finished instrument. Some mad scientist can always develop a new module that you just have to add to your system. Nonetheless, I feel I’m making progress. Most of the modules I’ve bought are … Continue reading →

Posted in modular, music, technology | 1 Comment

Special Pleading

Posted on December 11, 2013 by midiguru

A friend on Facebook posted a link to a HuffPost blog piece on religion. My friend introduced the link by saying, “I have been arguing for years that it is not religion, but the misuse of religion, that causes evil….” … Continue reading →

Posted in random musings, religion, society & culture | 1 Comment