Writings Archive

For a while now I’ve been using Plaino’s Wimpy Player, which give me an audio button option for single tracks, and a player option for playlists. For the most part I like it because I can drag/drop audio into a folder and it just works (for existing players I’ve configured with some coding). For new players, there’s some light coding, but Word Press doesn’t always get along with it. The other major downside for me is that Wimpy requires Flash, so iPad and iPhone users can’t hear anything. Wimpy has lots of tracking capability that can be programmed, but since I hate programming, it is of little use to me.

When I recently maxed out my 1.5 GB of server space, I began studying SoundCloud. Many of the electro and DJ folks seem to like it. SoundCloud gives you 120 upload minutes (not GB). That’s enough to play with it and see that their player is superior. It runs on HTML5 and has some major tracking built in, but that requires a paid account. I’ve been seriously considering SoundCloud because I needed an faster, easier way to set up my players, and I also needed space.

One downside to SoundCloud is that the time it saves you in coding, you spend in identifying tracks with meta data. It seems to ignore all of the detailed info that I already have on file via ID3 tags.

SoundCloud may ultimately be the direction, but I’ve negotiated more space with my ISP (like 3x as much for no charge) because they are changing how their hosting plans are structured. Space has become very cheap, so it is no longer something my ISP can hold back on. So I now have more than enough space to host all of my radio shows, albums, etc, but now I’m back to the player situation, and the coding time.

The company that makes Wimpy also makes a Word Press plugin called Rave. It is very slick compared to my previous Wimpy experience, and integrates very well with WP. One main difference, because it works with WP, is that files aren’t just drag/dropped via FTP – they have to be uploaded as media into the WP database, then assigned to playlists from there. But since it requires zero coding, and works very well, I don’t mind. So the player you see at the top here is Rave:

http://www.shivasongster.com/category/electro/

It’s is “demo” mode because I don’t have a full license for it yet. Metadata is also stripped somewhat though I may be missing something and need to study it some more.

The players you see here are still Wimpy:

http://www.shivasongster.com/audio2/

Yet, Rave still requires Adobe Flash :-(. Doesn’t run on my iPod touch. So now it is a question of:

A) Sign up for a premium subscription model with SoundCloud to cover all bases:

http://soundcloud.com/premium?ref=top

B) Purchase Rave (one time $50) to at least make things easier for now. It comes down to whether or not I care if someone in Guam listened to “Ones & Zeroes”, or whether or not the Apple mobile crowd can hear anything. I mean, I do care, but there’s also only so much time in a day to do this stuff. SoundCloud’s space allotment increases with the various price points they offer, and it isn’t exactly cost effective. My radio shows are each an hour, so I’d eat up space on SoundCloud quickly. Besides, I keep thinking that – if I have my own server(s) and space – why should I pay for hosting AND functionality? I just want the functionality (a great, cross-platform player, with good tagging and ease of use.)

Suggestions for other solutions to this problem are welcome.

Taylor 314CE Limited

This is a tale of stupidity… guitar players read on and learn from my mistake.

My first very (very) good guitar was a Taylor 314CE Limited Edition (limited because it has Koa back and sides, a tropical wood that is becoming rare). I am also the owner of a Baby Taylor and a Taylor GS8. I am a big fan.* I even own a Taylor guitar stand, which doesn’t make this story any easier to relate.

In late December 2010, I was doing an online gig in Second Life. As the set wrapped up, I just wanted to get off of the headphones and away from the computer. Struggling to untangle myself from my plethora of cables, for a split second I did something very stupid.

My guitar stands were out of reach, so I set my Taylor 314 CE Limited in my swivel computer chair.

Yes, I even saw something bad happening in my mind’s eye, but did it anyway. Thinking the guitar would stay put for 10 seconds, I turned to do something. When I turned back, the guitar was already in motion, heading straight for the floor, neck first. It was headed – ironically – toward the open case in the middle of my rather crammed studio.

I was most concerned about what would happen to the neck, so I attempted to brace the fall as best I could. But it was already too late. The devilish guitar-falling-on-floor sound rang out, along with multiple strains of profanity in combinations my readers will have to imagine (insert Italian temper here).

I examined the instrument. The lighting was poor at the time, but I was surprised to see that the neck was actually OK. The guitar played fine, and other than an additional minor nick, I did not see anything worrisome. Thinking I had dodged a bullet, I put the guitar away. I then spent the next week rearranging the studio and installed an additional wall-mount guitar stand. I also vowed to never do something that stupid again.

It was about a week later, with very good sunlight coming in, that I found the true extent of the damage. A 7.5 mm crack in the finish in the lower bout, along with a “D” shaped ding nearby that is likely from the guitar case fastener. More profanity rang out. The crack goes with the grain, but does not appear to be in the wood. There was also another slight divot off to the side, barely perceivable unless you were looking for it.

This is my Taylor, on crack. Click for hi-res stupidity.

Now, I am a guitar player, not a collector. I believe guitars are meant to be played, not just hung on a wall for observation (which is actually bad for the guitar anyway). But guitars also aren’t meant to be destroyed. They deserve some respect, and I let it down this time. Too distracted by all the technology crap around me, forgetting fundamental etiquette and presence of mind.

I did not want the damage to get worse over time through temperature and humidity changes**. So after much consideration I decided to send it to the factory for repair. I had a box from an earlier pickup repair that was under warranty. Unfortunately, since this was due to my own stupidity, I have to cover all of the costs. The shipping is killer, but Taylor says they can probably restore it. So there is hope.

I know better. I take care of all my instruments and gear. How did this happen? After telling a fellow musician this story, he chalked it up to the way we sometimes have two brains, one which goes against all logic and just does crazy stuff. It must be kept in check. So I’m going to go find ways to punish myself now. Perhaps self-flagellation with a (Taylor) guitar strap is in order.

* I’m not a Taylor fan out of snobbery. Living in PA, everyone expects you to play a Martin. I like Taylor necks more than Martins, and have just never found a Martin that spoke to me much. I’ve been to their factory though, and would love to find that one Martin that fits my style. My other choice would be Froggy Bottom, but then we’re talking second mortgage. Not going to happen.

**Note to humidity Nazis – the damage we’re talking about here is not the result of humidity/dryness issues. I am very familiar with humidity requirements and use Dampits religiously. This was pure stupidity, and the guitar had no other environmental cracking.

PS: On a more humorous note, happenings like this are why guitarists need at least two good guitars. Readers may wish to share this story with their spouses. Hey, it is worth a try anyway, right?

My original site, MINDSPEAK.COM, was launched in 1998 as my central music and event site. Over the next 10 years, the site branched out considerably to incorporate everything from community events, essays, and travel journals to restaurant recommendations and CD/Book reviews. Eventually, more interactive web technologies such as blogs, RSS and wiki came along, making it almost impossible to keep up in a pure HTML-based environment. While I remained computer savvy over the years and have made a living as a software developer, the time to maintain my own site began to eclipse the time I was spending creating content (musical or otherwise).

From a technical standpoint, it was time for a redesign. A change was needed to take advantage of some of the newer time-saving and content-rich tools. I was not taking advantage of the many dynamic content technologies that became more prevalent in 2009-2010.

Thus the move to Word Press. Two years in the making, and two designers later, I finally came full circle to doing my own coding and design after realizing that absolutely no other options existed for executing my vision. Even high-paid programmers could not pull off even the most basic enhancements I wished to achieve. Or maybe they weren’t really that basic after all. Whatever the case, it was an expensive lesson. Anyone interested in learning more about the pros/cons of a Word Press installation, and why you should probably do it yourself, contact me.

But why Shivasongster?

For starters, the name Shivasongster is much more “musical.” That characteristic is something MINDSPEAK.COM lacked. Those that are familiar with the breadth of my work should “get” the reference to the many arms of Shiva, in a sense a reflection of the many hats I wear as a singer, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, etc.

Image from www.dollsofindia.com

On a deeper level, Shiva has the role of the destroyer in Hinduism, but also the transformer. Shiva dances upon Maya, the demon of ignorance , something I personally think that art can do, and something my musical work continues to do whether people “get it” or not. Shiva is also depicted as both an ascetic yogi – he is known as the great yogi (maha yogin) - and as a householder – roles which are mutually exclusive in Hindu society, but have become integrated in my own life. I have constantly walked the fine line between a complete material existence and a less materially-attached life of spiritual study.

Let me be clear – I am not comparing myself to a Hindu god. I am not a yogi. I am not Hindu. However, I am using the imagery and symbolism within Shiva as apt representations for the many directions that my creativity has taken over the years. I’m also heavily influenced by the work of Joseph Campbell and have thought about this carefully, so to those Hindus out there reading this, please understand this reference is being used with highest respect to Hinduism in general.

The Graphics
The graphic design for Shivasongster.com was done by Adam Lunger and Crazy Ant Studio of Elysburg, PA. He’s done a great job turning my vision into reality.

What’s happening to MINDSPEAK.COM?
MINDSPEAK.COM has undergone a complete overhaul, also in Word Press. It has been repurposed for my non-musical, rhetorical and socio-political content. I felt the time was right to make this available, but it was necessary to separate those interests from my musical persona. Very often I am interested in topics that have little to nothing to do with my music and I didn’t want people to be confused about this any longer. The fact is that music is a great medium, and still a large part of my life, but it is not always the best medium to tackle certain subjects. It’s difficult to bring music out of its exploitive history and into a pure form of dialog. Many people see it as mere entertainment, and do not take it seriously. In many ways, I can’t blame them.

So at first, MINDSPEAK.COM will house my own commentaries on several topics that I am passionate about: Education, technology, spirituality, small business, and community. Eventually I will open this up for others to comment. Then we will see how things go from there.

So enjoy the new sites!

Recently picked up the blonde version of Fender’s Super Champ XD, a combo amp. You can click the image at left for the Fender specs.

Lots of tones to choose from. I first played one at Guitar Center with an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus Top Electric Guitar in Harrisburg. This is a bit unusual because I am more of a Strat guy, but I can see the allure of the Les Paul sustain.

Despite the noise of everyone else trying out guitars there, this amp really impressed me. The tremolo alone is worth the purchase price, reminding me of some great tones on recent Dan Lanois and Robert Plant recordings. I would have bought one right there, but I knew sales were coming for the holidays, and I have a general policy to not buy anything full price at chain stores (if at all). So I waited and got one a week later in Scranton, and am so glad I did.

Even though I have a Fender Blues Junior that has similar tones and is approaching vintage in its own right (12 yrs old and flawless), the Super Champ is a great two channel amp (which the Blues Junior is not). So there’s a clean channel, and then a lead/overdrive channel as needed. Only thing is that GC recommended a stupid Livewire footswitch (against my better judgement) that ended up not working, so I am going back this weekend to get the Fender-approved switch (which they threw in free for my trouble). As much as I hate these big retailers, I make it work my while.*

Except for a bit of tube rattle from the 12AX7 preamp tube (which is  normal for stock tubes, and will get replaced with EHX or some other better brand), this amp is awesome. Highly recommended, possibly with EHX tubes or whatever your favorite is. Tons of tonal options here, and really great for recording. I’m not an electric player overall, but this might change that. It is likely this amp will be showcased in my upcoming material for the play Dog Assassin and a so-far-unrecorded blues album that I am contemplating (with support from some local blues talents).

* Yeah, yeah, I know, buy local… but this was a GC special, not offered by smaller dealers. Believe me, I tried. As noted, I rarely pay full price at these stores. And can I just say how annoying it is to go into a Guitar Center and hear people playing “Iron Man” and “Crazy Train” when I’m trying to auditioning amps with more subtle blues material? I like Black Sabbath just as much as the next guy, but can we guitar players please find some better riffs to use?