02024-03-06 | Computer, Culture, HuHeartDrive, Internet, Music
Good morning. This post might be a little longer and you might want to make yourself a bowl of tea or a cup of coffee. I’ll wait.
Let’s go in alphabetical order. AI first. I heard that WordPress has made a deal, or may be in the process of making a deal, to allow one or more AI companies to scrape all of the blogs and websites that use the WP platform at wordpress.com. I don’t know whether this is true or not but think it is quite likely, because money.
Much of my website runs on WordPress, but it’s wordpress.org and not wordpress.com. The former is open source software, the latter a for profit hosted platform using that software. That means whatever WP decides to do does not affect this site. However, since this here is an open and public blog it means that there is no barrier to stop AI from scraping it. No laws exist to stop AI from ingesting this blog that has entries going back 30 years.
I came up four possibilities:
- do nothing and let AI be trained
- archive the free diary (/latest), lock it up behind a password, and keep it to myself
- archive the free diary and make it only available to Backstage members
- archive the free diary and password protect it with something only a fan would know – example: what was the name of the studio the album Opium was recorded in
I sent these thoughts to Canton and asked “maybe there are more options that I can’t see?”
Canton and I have been working on this website for about 30 years, having started with Pandoras Box in 1995. He often dispenses valuable wisdom, as he did in his reply (I asked permission to quote from his email):
All depends on what your mission is! If your mission is to just not have anything to do with AI, then I’d do #1. Just ignore it. Don’t use it, and don’t be fussed that your public posts will be scraped by yet another system. (All your public stuff is already scraped multiple times per week by various services and systems.) The cat is out of the bag. The horse has left the barn. The robot has rolled off the assembly line.
If your mission is to bodily throw yourself on the gears of this machine and put energy into defeating AI then you might have to do something more active than erect barriers, like try to poison the AIs. Leverage the fact that your public website has a high search engine ranking and decades of content about your music. Rewrite every of your public posts so that flamenco appears to be a kind of custard similar to flan. Get a few other prominent guitarists to do the same and maybe Chat GPT version 4.5 will slightly confuse flamenco and flan. When asked how to make a good custard maybe future GPT will answer that it all starts with a good rasgueado…
Speaking more as your friend and less as your web hosting provider, what I really recommend is making peace with AI so that it doesn’t poison your own brain space. There’s so much superficial noise and clamor around AI I find it hard to keep a balanced view on (1) what is useful and amazing about AI, and (2) what is truly destructive and diminishing about AI, where we should apply the brakes.
Do you know or know of Josh Schrei, the young musician and Yoga practitioner who grew up in Santa Fe? More or less my age? He has this absolutely fantastic homemade podcast called “The Emerald” which I’ve been eating up. It’s a wide-ranging discourse on all sorts of topics through an animist mytho-poetic lens. Full of heart, nature, and wisdom: A really good balance for all the nerdy stuff I listen to.
Here’s his episode on AI, “So you want to be a sorcerer in the age of mythic powers…”
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/so-you-want-to-be-a-sorcerer-in-the-age-of/id1465445746?i=1000620936715
I think he does a good job to reframe AI in the context of millennia of human history, along with good precautions and insights.
That second paragraph is so very Canton. It’s one of the reasons why I enjoy his company so much.
So, the toothpaste has been squeezed out of the tube and can’t be put back. That’s fine. I can control what I can and that’s the path forward.
Here is what I have in mind. In terms of writing, this /latest blog will become more of an announcement blog. News of a tour, news of a review, a new album finished, and so on. Everything else will happen on Backstage. I understand that everyone (including me) is tired of subscriptions. (Ha, that’s why I call it a membership!) Like all of you I have to juggle subscriptions. My rule is super simple. Does something delight me? Does it make me smile? For that reason I subscribe to a search engine! I use Kage.com because I enjoy not having to wade through the ads on Google and DuckDuckGo, I enjoy getting more relevant answers, more quickly. Much more quickly! I stopped using Evernote, which I had subscribed to since 2009, when they doubled their price. I switched to open source Joplin, which may not be quite as polished as Evernote but does nearly everything I need. Subscriptions have to be tended to every year. Some need to be pruned, others become more necessary. It’s an orchard of subscriptions! :-)
Before I move on to my second topic I am going to take a moment to make this announcement:
In April the digital distribution deal for HuHeartDrive is up for renewal. After Higher Octave 1990-1992, Sony/Epic Records 1992-2001, SSRI 2001-2018, HHD is my fourth label and the only one where I have 100% control over the distribution. HHD released Fete in 2019, two versions of vision 2020, Bare Wood 2, several Dance 4 Me remix singles, guitar + pipe (from the video I made for the Dallas Museum of Art) and all of this music is currently available from all digital distributors and streaming platforms. I intend to end the distribution deal in April, which means that while the music will continue to be available from Bandcamp it will disappear from Spotify and Apple Music and all other such platforms. This move could very well mean that I will earn less money. I think that a lot of people are in the habit of listening to playlists–either their own or their stream provider’s–and they may not even notice that my new music is no longer part of that rotation. This is fine. What I am doing is what I want to do. I feel it in my bones.
My second topic is Bamboo, the album I am currently working on. I am have five pieces in different stages. I enjoyed creating shorter pieces for Rain Poems, which Culture Court called Audio Haikus in this piece that imagines a long conversation about the subject:
Short tracks. Beautiful, atmospheric pieces that celebrate the sound of water like audio haiku verses.
I am planning on carrying on like that for this new Bamboo project: mostly shorter pieces. But, looking ahead, I’d like to do an album of longer pieces next, after Bamboo. I love how the guitars shift on African Rain because I play around with shifting accents. That I would like to dive deeper into. Cool rhythms that shift subtly, arpeggios and melodies that change shape through changing accents… like flowing water or a murmuration of starlings.
Yesterday I read Gioia’s new post regarding the dopamine culture. (Ted Gioia is another subscription that I am happy to pay for.) Last month he started with The State of the Culture, 2024, which was followed by 13 Observations on Ritual and the latest post is How to Break Free from Dopamine Culture. These three articles are full of gold and I think most of them can be accessed by non-subscribers.
Here is a quote from the newest of the three posts:
Even before this scroll-and-swipe mania, I was telling people they should listen to longer music tracks—at least ten minutes in duration.
I originally got this idea from researching the practices of shamans around the world. I noticed that it typically took 10-15 minutes of drumming or singing before the shaman entered an altered mindstate. I later gathered scientific evidence from other fields (neuroscience, biology, etc.) that also suggested a ten minute threshold.
That fits nicely with my intention of creating longer pieces. I imagine pieces that are about 9-11 minutes each but will see how it feels and what the muses command.
Gioia mentioned the 42 minute orchestral composition Become Ocean, by John Luther Adams, in his piece: link to Wikipedia entry about the music, link to a recording on Apple Music. I would love to hear that performed live someday.
Pro Tools is the last topic. I saw this post by Tim Prebble, who recorded all of the rain sounds on Rain Poems. He wrote:
AvidLink, which I have zero use for, is using 96.6% of my Macs CPU!
I Force Quit it and my Mac becomes responsive again…
My next thought: can I delete AvidLink? What use is it?
“Avid Link is a free app for anyone looking to find, connect, and collaborate with other creatives, promote your work, stream video, purchase and manage products—all in one interface”
No thanks.
But rather than delete it, for now I’ll follow this advice of how to stop it auto-launching Stop Avid Link from starting at boot
There you have it, some good advice for any of you using Pro Tools.
That’s it, end of post. I hope you will enjoy a very fine day.
02020-04-30 | Computer, Music, Recording, Studio
Yesterday I went to my studio to work on a new piece. At 86 beats per minute it is the slowest piece, so far, and quite romantic, I find. It took me about fifteen or twenty minutes to get the old G4 Mac to start up. I hate that startup button on the old Mac towers, always have. There is no positive feedback as to what’s happening… I pushed the button and nothing happened, then I had to move around the dust-free box the computer is housed in, open the back door, and remove the power cable from the back. That resets the power button. Replug the cable, close the door, open the front, push the power button… repeat…
After a while the computer finally started up. I am coaxing life, and indeed music album after music album, out of a classic old piece of computing hardware. 2004!! That’s ancient! Then again I am becoming a classic, or vintage, myself…
Perhaps the failure to start up is related to the internal battery, which is there to keep time while the computer is turned off, having no power left. Each time the computer does start up I have to enter the current time and date, as the computer defaults to some date in the last century… I ordered a new battery, which is supposed to arrive tomorrow, so I’ll wait to panic until after I install the new battery. Perhaps the start up issue will be resolved with a new battery. I don’t know what I can do if it doesn’t…
I worked on the piece and hummed a few melodies to myself. I find humming is often a great way to find a melody, as opposed to playing the guitar right away. This way I can usually discover melodies that are simpler and more memorable.
In the recording room I played the melody on my guitar, then played a second, different, melody that seemed to materialize. Back in the control room I listened to the first melody, then the second. I wasn’t in love with either option, though. After a while an idea came to me, the possibility of using both melodies. I set up a separate track for the second melody and panned the two guitar melodies, one slightly to the left and the other slightly to the right. Now it might become a dialog. I removed sections from each melody so that the melody switched back and forth between the guitars. Now there was something. I listened to it for a long time, enjoying the new melody.
This afternoon I will go back to the studio to hear whether the melody/melodies hold up. To be continued…
02019-06-25 | Recording
Today I was asked about the gear I use to record my guitar and I wondered whether it would be of interest to leave that information here as well…
I have already recently mentioned that I use a 2002 Macintosh G4 computer. That 2002 computer runs at the awesome speed of 1,25 Ghz!! For comparison, my 2018 phone runs at 2,5 GHz! Ha! The latest version of the Pro Tools recording software that can run on this Mac is PT 6.9.1. I believe PT is up to version 12 by now. My computer is very stable and PT 6.9.1 is very stable, and I have no desire to upgrade.
In the studio I use a Neumann M149 microphone, which I have had since sometime around 1997. Around that time I also acquired a Martech MSS-10 microphone preamp, after testing and comparing a dozen different preamps. All in the room immediately knew that the MSS-10 was the best of the bunch, certainly for my guitar.
I think microphone and preamp are far more important than the recording device. One has to start out with the best possible signal.
For concerts I have the Earthworks SR40. I have used this microphone for a few years now and absolutely love it. Great sound, great feedback rejection, and plenty of gain.
02010-02-01 | Uncategorized
Günter commented on February 1st, 2010 at 06:06:
Sorry to bother you with a stupid question, but since you offer not only the 320 kbps downloads but also the lossless version and since you plan to release your next album also in a 24/96 version, how can I make those play on a MacBook or ipod. I’ve tried but failed. Thanks for any help on this!
Not a stupid question at all Günter. High end digital audio is a relatively new subject and there is a lot of bad information out there on the interwebs. Here are the basics:
A 2 bit recording has a resolution of 4.
A 4 bit recording has a resolution of 16.
A 8 bit recording has a resolution of 256.
A 16 bit (((e.g. CD and mp3s))) recording has a resolution of 65,536.
A 24 bit recording has a resolution of 16,777,216.
A 32 bit recording has a resolution of 4,294,967,296.
As you see the dynamic range of a 24 bit recording is dramatically larger than a 16 bit recording, 256 times larger to be exact. Think of these numbers as something similar to the amount of colors or shades or pixels in an image or video. The higher the resolution the more detail and the bigger the palette. Lots of shades of color instead of a line-drawing.
Expressed in dB it looks like this: 24-bit digital audio has a theoretical maximum dynamic range of 144 dB, compared to 96 dB for 16-bit. An increase of 3dB is roughly a doubling of power, meaning that 144 dB doubles the dynamic range of 96 dB 16 times. And that means a gentle plucking of guitar-strings can be reproduced in true contrast to a hard attack…
By the way the new album will be released in 24/88.2 and not 24/96. Why? Well, we still need a 16/44.1 version of the audio for CD and for the mp3s that are sold by the LL, iTunes, amazon and so on. That means my studio computer has to downsample the audio from 96,000 to 44,100. If we divide 96,000 by 44,100, the result is 2.17687074829932…… and so on, an infinite number. If we divide 88,200 by 44,100, the result is 2. Well, the software does a good job of downsampling 96,000, but because of the nature of the infinite number there has to be a change here and there – whether that is audible or not I do not know. But the difference between 88,200 and 96,000 is so minute, that I’d rather divide 88,200 by 2 than 96,000 by 2.17687074829932… Anyway we will record the new album at 24/88.2.
What you need to listen to HD (((High Definition) audio files:
1. Software
2. a Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) that plays back 24bit and 48-96 or even 192k files
3. an amplifier and loudspeakers or a headphone amp and headphones.
Without an external DAC, iTunes will play back an HD AIFF file, but will automatically dither and downsample to 16/44.1. There is no computer on the market that has a built-in DAC that is better than 16/44.1!! That means you will need an external DAC to play back a 24/88.2 files at its full resolution!
To my knowledge none of the iPods or iPhones play back any files that are 24 bit and 48k or higher, whether they be AIFF, WAV or AppleLossless. There are quite a number of external DACs for iPods available, like this one by Wadia for example. (((I haven’t heard these and just saw it while searching))) A larger, dedicated, external DAC will of course sound better than the miniaturized chip inside a small iPod, but the iPod still can’t play HD files, which means you are still stuck at 16/44.1.
Have I confused you yet?
We’ll get back to DA-converters later, let’s start with the playback software.
1. the Software:
For playback I use Peak Pro, Songbird or iTunes:
Peak Pro is made by Bias and is a very nice app, for playback, editing, processing and mastering, with lots of features. Unless you want to edit music files, create fades or crossfades, change the EQ etc., this will be overkill for you. Peak is also useless at cataloging music, something iTunes does very well. I don’t mind his limitation, because I don’t have a huge catalog of HD files yet and also because I don’t mind looking for the file and loading one piece of music at a time. I like the care that goes into listening like that. I make it a point to really listen to HD files, I don’t play them as background music while I do the dishes or at a party.
Another app I use handles cataloging quite ably, is open source and is free!
Songbird – Open Source Music Player
Songbird is an open-source customizable music player that’s under active development.
We’re working on creating a non-proprietary, cross platform, extensible tool that will help enable new ways to playback, manage, and discover music. There are lots of ways to contribute your time to the project. We’d love your help!
Songbird is a free open source application that is available for Mac, Linux and Windows. It plays back a bunch of different file formats including FLAC files in 16 and 24 bit, from 44.1 to 96kHz. Very nice.
I use iTunes for my main music library, which contains the music from my 1,500+ CDs, ripped as AppleLossless (((Apple Lossless Audio Codec or ALAC))) files. iTunes does a great job with large catalogs. Sadly iTunes does not play FLAC files, which means one has to use one of these free apps to convert the FLAC file to an .AIFF or .WAV file, which one can then import into iTunes and convert to ALAC. I use an older iMac which sends the digital signal via my home-network to an Apple Airport Express. The Airport Express in turn is hooked up to an external DAC, which creates the analog signal that goes into the stereo amplifier and speakers.
The Amarra Plugin for iTunes, made by highly respected SonicStudio looks good, but it’s $995 (((for a plugin!))), although there is also a mini-version for $295. Weiss in fact recommends Amarra on their website.
I haven’t gone that route yet. The Amarra-iTunes combination together with a nice external DAC would work very well if the computer is located near the stereo system and can be wired in, but, and I haven’t researched this well enough, I don’t think the iMac sends full HD over a network. So, the computer would once again downsample to 16/44.1 automatically…
2. the DAC:
My Digital-to-Analog Converter, is the Weiss DAC2, which I mentioned (here and here) already. The Weiss DAC2 D/A Converter is made in Switzerland. Look at it, it recalls Helvetica, speaks of handmade precision… and looks expensive in that small edition audiophile way.
Yes, but you won’t need a CD-player!! The Weiss DAC2 is a Digital-to-Analog converter that connects to your computer via FireWire and turns zeros-and-ones into delicious analog sound, parsing anything from 16/44.1 to 24/192. Your audiophile super system will only consist of a computer with FireWire output, the Weiss DAC2, and whatever amplification you choose, that is, a nice headphone amp and cans (((studio slang for headphones))) or pre-amp, power-amp (((or one that combines the two))) and a pair of loudspeakers.
What I find most attractive about this setup is that one can have a very high-end sound system using only three or four relatively portable components: a laptop, the Weiss DAC2 and a headphone amp + headphones. Nice!
There are many different DACs out there. The price range is enormous! Most of them are hooked up via FireWire, but there are also USB-connected ones. Google “DAC audio converter” or something like that. Or visit a dealer – it’s always good to listen first. You might bring your laptop with a few HD files you know and like so you can compare. (((Songbird or iTunes will not switch a DAC to the desired resolution automatically, but iTunes with the Amarra plugin, or Peak will. So, if you use Songbird to play back a 24/96 file, you must switch the DAC to that resolution manually… otherwise, if the DAC is set to 16/44.1, the computer will once again downsample the file and you will listen to 16/44.1)))
If you want something small that allows you to listen to HD audio on headphones and doesn’t break the bank, you might want to check out this:
CEntrance -> DACport
– Audiophile-grade D/A converter plays 24-bit/96 kHz HD music natively, with bit-for-bit accuracy.
– Headphone amp, designed for hours of listening without fatigue offers clarity, soundstage and detail.
– No drivers needed. Plug ‘n play operation with most laptops, nettops and music servers.
– No power adapter needed. DACport uses USB power and works anywhere you take your laptop.
– Stereo, 1/4-inch headphone jack, perfect for the most advanced headphones on the market.
The DACport might be perfect solution for people who want to listen to audiophile HD music files, but want something mobil. Pair the above DAC with a good set of headphones and you are ready to go – anywhere you carry your laptop. Cost: $500 for the above DAC plus the price of a set of headphones.
3. Amps, loudspeakers and headphones:
This is a very personal decision. I don’t want to recommend any loudspeakers because they all sound so different. Since a external DAC outputs an analog signal, that signal can be amplified by any old amplifier/loudspeaker combination you want to hook up.
I use the STAX SRS-4040II Signature System II for $1,775, which includes Ear-speakers and a wonderful vacuum-tube-low-noise-Class-A-DC-amplifier. I listened to STAX for the first time in Köln in the early Eighties, while visiting my parents. I bought my first STAX system around 1997, I think, and have used it on every mix since.
I also own a pair of Ultrasone PRO 900, which I found on Amazon for $130 off. These headphones sound great with some music and not so great with other music. You should try them before buying, if possible.
(((I modified my Pro 900s, because they come with two cables – both unfortunately with 1/4″ plugs – and a 1/4 to 3.5 mini plug converter that is HUGE. I am very careful about inserting the giant converter into my iPhone, but it seems like trouble waiting to happen. That’s why I replaced one of the 1/4′ plugs with a gold-plated Neutrik NTP3RC-B Plug 3.5mm Right Angle for $6. Now I can use one cable for 1/4″ plugs and the other one for mini plugs, which are on all portable players and computers.)))
Then there are these Sony Headphones ($70), a true workhorse. And, for something more discreet, for walking around for example or or for the stage – this is what we wear during our concerts – there are the Shure SCL5CL earphones ($350).
Find an audio store and test-drive a bunch of headphones. Price and quality both vary enormously.
One last thing about headphones. Our ears are all different and since the shape of the ears is so instrumental in creating what we hear, headphones are not for everyone, and not every set of headphones works with every set of ears. If you had, say, large ears that stand out quite a bit, you might find that some headphones force your ears back and that might not sound good to you or could be uncomfortable. Your ears are meant for loudspeakers, maybe, or a different headphone design.
I have always enjoyed headphones. Headphones are as introverted as a boombox on one’s shoulder in the Eighties was extroverted…
I hope this helps. Feel free to ask questions or add information in the comments.
