Monthly Archives: September 2021

Music as Property

Posted on September 22, 2021 by midiguru

In most parts of the world, and in European/American culture until about 200 years ago, music was not something that could be owned. Musical traditions were freely shared among musicians. If you heard a troubadour play a particular tune, and … Continue reading →

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The X

Posted on September 20, 2021 by midiguru

Few things in life are as much fun as exploring the features of a new synthesizer. Assuming the feature set is deep, of course. I’ve seen pretty much everything, so I sometimes measure out my excitement with coffee spoons, if … Continue reading →

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Stop the World, I Want to Get Off…

Posted on September 19, 2021 by midiguru

The story was behind a paywall, so I didn’t read it, but the headline got me thinking. Apparently a professor in the music department at some university in England has resigned in protest at the retooling of the music curriculum … Continue reading →

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The Host with the Most

Posted on September 19, 2021 by midiguru

Most software synthesizers can operate stand-alone, but I seldom even bother installing the stand-alone. For practical purposes, these instruments are meant to live inside a DAW. I hate that acronym, by the way, but we’re stuck with it. For those … Continue reading →

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Floater

Posted on September 17, 2021 by midiguru

You may not enjoy this type of thing, but I find it oddly relaxing. This is a fairly simple patch in VCV Rack. Three FM-type sine oscillators are playing a convoluted pattern in a subset of 19-note equal temperament. You’ll … Continue reading →

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What’s Old Is New Again

Posted on September 17, 2021 by midiguru

Unless you’re a certified Old Guy, you probably don’t remember the Ensoniq SQ-80. I had one in my home studio for a while, on loan to Keyboard from Ensoniq. Long-term loans of hardware to the magazine were pretty common in … Continue reading →

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1 + 1 + 1 = 27

Posted on September 16, 2021 by midiguru

I’m a bit of a modular synthesizer addict. A synth with a great sound is of course a wonderful thing, even if it has only a few knobs and switches — but I like nothing better than to connect signal … Continue reading →

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Happily Ever After

Posted on September 15, 2021 by midiguru

Truth-telling time: I’m kind of burnt out on fiction. Both reading it and writing it. The thrill is gone. As a reader, I’m too much a writer. When I read, I notice the holes in the plot, the atmospheric digressions … Continue reading →

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Hubble Trouble

Posted on September 12, 2021 by midiguru

For some years now I’ve been poking at some basic questions. There might seem to be little connection between the theory of evolution and the twin disciplines of physics and cosmology, but I’m fascinated by both. The physiology of the … Continue reading →

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Intensity

Posted on September 1, 2021 by midiguru

Conflict: It’s what makes a plot a plot, right? Well, maybe. Just about every how-to-write book ever penned will drill you on the importance of conflict. And indeed, what you’re told is not wrong. But today I want to look … Continue reading →

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