Never been one to let the carrier drop

Audio haikus

Oh, dear, now I’m using my livejournal as a scratchpad. Ah well..

Echo Layla, $350 minimum bid, $20 S/H

8 1/4″ balanced TRS inputs, 8 1/4″ balanced TRS outputs – turn your computer into a audio octopus!
In my 2+ years of HDD recording, this is the only part of my PC that didn’t ever screw up. The Laylas are rock solid 24 bit 96 khz A/D – works great with Sonar, Pro Tools, or any other audio software – you can even run four copies of WinAmp aimed at the four different outputs. In addition, if you happen to have a ADAT or any other Alesis gear that uses the ADAT ports lying around, you can in fact do 8 channels of ADAT and 8 channels of analog at the same time. I’ve done it – on a P-II – and it works just fine. (better on a P-III of course)

As a bonus, Echo even threw in a MIDI interface. This is a great way to start a real project studio. Upgrade from that Creative Labs monstrosity to something with enough channels that you can record a whole drum kit at once!

You can easily use more than one Layla at once just by connecting a word clock cable between them.

These units are prime – only minor wear and tear from being racked once. They’ve been reliable little performers for me – and I’m sure they will be for you as well. I hate to sell them – but I got utterly sick of the PC that they went in after it ate several weeks worth of recording work (Windows 2000 issues, nothing to do with the audio interface), and I chose to replace it with a laptop. But, if you have a desktop – Mac or PC – here’s your audio interface.

You get the interface box, the PCI card, a 15′ hookup cable, a power cord, and a CD of the latest drivers.

Read more about the Layla at www.echoaudio.com.

Roland SC-880 – Minimum bid $200, $30 S/H (because it’s huge and heavy)

Do you want that famous Roland drum sound, but don’t want to pay through the nose? Here’s a sound module for you! 64-voice polyphany, a wide variety of samples, onboard effects, and some really kickin’ drum kits! Balanced 1/4″ TRS sends and built in mac MIDI interface – and, it won’t take up another stereo pair on your mixer because it has a line in with a trim pot for cascading with another sound module. Manual and power cable incl.

Midiman Midisport 8×8 – Minimum bid $150, $10 S/H

There’s really not too much to say about this. If you need a 8×8 MIDI interface, this is a pretty good one. I’m trading up to something that also does word clock – but this unit has been a good little performer for me, and I’m sure it’ll do just great in your project studio as well. It even supports SMPTE striping, in case you need to sync with a outboard analog tape deck or movie reels. You can read more about it at www.midiman.com And it’s neon green.. Updated driver disk included for Win95/98/2k

Cool resource:

C++ Libraries

S.

Truly disturbing news story here. Particularly disturbing line:

Remember, Optimus Prime will always be there for you ... no matter the cost, because freedom is the right of all sentient beings. Autobots! Transform and roll out!

[thoughts directed in the general direction of the author:]

You know, I’m glad that freedom is the right of all sentient beings.

I hope you don’t keep dogs.

No, seriously, doesn’t that include the freedom to be alive? I’m guessing, since your son just changed his name to a transformer doll and is off to perform acts of random violence in iraq, you’re for the war. It’s just a guess. I might be wrong.

So Optimus is off to kill a lot of innocent people in order to protect us from weapons of mass destruction that Scott Ritter, a ex-marine and cheif U.N. weapons inspector, says those people don’t have.

Yah, this is really great. I mean, I think Optimus might be a bit dissillusioned when he realizes he’s been had. I know I would. You sign up to help protect the american way of life, and it turns out the way we do that these days is by killing innocent people over weapons that don’t exist.

I’m sorry, Optimus. We didn’t fight hard enough to keep King George’s hands off you.

Welcome back to the dark ages, folks. Only these are gonna be digital dark ages. Fight hard for peace.

Yah, that’s a phrase that really works.

This leaves us with the uncomfortable position of not being able to do anything violent. But we can’t give up, either..

I know there are many web communities discussing this right now..

Hope someone comes up with something good. 😉

My dog, Daisy.. well, my parents’ dog, really, but the dog I grew up with, and the dog who comes to mind immediately when canine ideals of perfection are discussed, is dying. She has perhaps six months to live.

I remember bringing her home in a laundry basket when she was a little tiny puppy – it’s hard to believe her entire life has come and gone.

I mean, it’s been a good one. She’s been happy, healthy, and boisterous her entire life. Even now, from what I hear, she still acts perky and healthy – it’s only the blood tests which say her canine days are numbered.

My mother says she looks at each day of the short time remaining to Daisy Wogdog as a gift. I suppose all of our days and hours and minutes of life are to be looked at that way. But still..

Why must everything die?

S.

if this story is true – and I have no reason to beleive that it is or it isn’t – even Bush Sr. is not all gung-ho for the war. Perhaps he’s beginning to realize the error of his son’s ways?

Actually, they weren’t wrong, they were just written in a way to present completely the opposite meaning into the mind of one such as I of the one they meant.

I’m just not very bright.

Especially lately.

S.

Every once in a while, a particular peice of ineptness and/or cluelessness comes close to pushing me over the edge.

Today’s story comes from the neighborhood radio shack.

I decide that I want to give wire-wrapping a try. I mean, what the hell, it’s quicker than soldering and you don’t burn your fingers as much, right?

So I go down to radio shack and buy some wire wrap and a wire wrap tool. I’ve never wire wrapped anything before in my life, so I look at the instructions on the back of the tool and try to follow them.

What I end up with is a broken stub of wire and a horrid mess.

I keep trying, though, and eventually I get to where i can wrap the wire around a pin, but it ends up wrapped around the tool..

At some point, I start getting a touch, um, suspicious, and instead of reading the directions, I follow common sense and do everything exactly the opposite of what the directions say.. and lo and behold, beautiful wire-wrapped joints result, every time, spin the tool, thank you, drive through.

THE DIRECTIONS WERE BACKWARDS IN EVERY SINGLE REGARD!

You do NOT turn the tool clockwise! You do NOT stick the wire in from the back, you stick it in from the frount!

HOW COULD THEY DO THIS?

I mean, the directions were written in good english and all, they were just completely, utterly, totally wrong.

Is this radio shack’s idea of a joke?

Or do they maybe not want us to build anything?

My IQ is 127, according to a cheesy online IQ test that I just took.

I think that’s not even sufficient to get me into MENSA.

I think I’m going to interpret this as proof that IQ isn’t everything, since the few people I know who were in MENSA couldn’t have done half the things I did today if their lives depended on it. 😉

Anyone who is for a war in iraq should also listen to this Interview with Scott Ritter, the cheif UN inspector and a former marine.