the Big World Blog

Are cracks in the neck pocket of the guitar structural?

2020-12-06T18:52:00.001+00:00

Are cracks in the neck pocket of the guitar structural?

Guitar cracks around a neck pocket. How to identify whether they are in the paint or are structural cracks. The short answer to this is sometimes.

if you can't see the video https://youtu.be/Btyac8BFvKg

If the guitar is held sideways by the neck, over time it is possible that the weight of the body can put strain on the edges of the guitar body neck joint and cause cracks. This was a problem on older cheaper guitars from the 70s and beyond due to wood quality, poor cutting or sometimes just the guitar having a hard life.

I have seen videos and forums that claim the damage is always structural but this is not always the case. Sometimes the issue is just in the paint layer with problems in the manufacturing process such as primer and sealer drying times. There can also be issues with how the wood shrinks over time.

There is only one sure way to find out.

Take the neck of and inspect the offending area. In this video the neck is taken off of a 2005 Fender USA made Telecaster and inspected and fixed. So if you are having this issue with your guitar have a look this problem might not be that hard to fix.

Boss Chorus CE5 pedal What does it actually do and what does it sound like

2020-02-15T09:30:00.000+00:00

A Chorus effect makes a single instrument sound like two, with one part playing slightly out of time with the other.

What is actually happening is the input signal is given a very small delay.

This can be altered by the effects rate and depth.

There are four knobs on the top of the Boss CE-5
From left to right they are:

Effect level
Controls the balance between the wet and dry sound.
Rate
This makes the wavering sound faster or slower.
Depth
This controls how much of the effect you get.
Filter
This is for controlling the tone. The Boss CE-5 has a split knob that can cut or boost the high and low frequencies.

The CE-5 chorus has a stereo output. Channel A is mono and mixed together

When both outputs are plugged in the stereo output puts the output of A as a wet signal and the output of B as the dry sound. This can create some interesting extra width when using two amps or stereo recording.

To hear more music - Paintwalk published music
https://www.paintwalk.com/p/contact.html

Or on Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt485gv5gmclIRg53Ejl5v0Tkdj5J5KsD

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Boss Chorus ensemble ce 5

The Prophet Digital Delay What it does and how it sounds

2020-02-10T21:17:00.001+00:00

The Prophet Digital Delay
What it does and how it sounds.

(All music recorded through the Prophet Digital Delay direct into Garage Band).

The TC electronic the profit Digital delay pedal has a surprisingly rugged construction. It can either be powered by a 9 V central negative centre power supply or a 9 V battery which is inserted by unscrewing the four screws at the side.
The rugged metal case has been nicely Sprayed with a design under the repeat button that looks boutique.

Digital delay pedals like the prophet are not the same as analogue style echo units.

Analog delay pedals
Usually rely on a bucket-brigade device (BBD)
chip that sends the analog signal through a series of capacitors.

Digital Delay pedals
Copy and print the original signal directly.

The repeats of analogue style delays tend to get a bit more diffuse (broken up) with each step, which imparts a very particular sonic signature.

With Digital delay pedals the repeats don’t break up because they are an exact copy of the original. This allows for more precise control of the colour and still allows for weird echo effects.

There are three knobs on the top of the Prophet Delay pedal
From left to right they are:

TIME:
This controls the speed
between the repeats.

MIX:
This controls how much of
the effect you get between
the wet and dry sound.

REPEATS:
This controls the number of repeats.
As this is a real Digitlal Delay the repeats don’t degrade
they just stop.

On the right side of the repeats knob there is a
3 position switch marked
1/16 1/8 and 3/8.
This refers to 3 separate delay time signatures that can be further altered using the 3 other controls.
The Pedal can be powered by a 9V battery or a 9V - centre PSU

Korg volca mix what does it actually do

2019-12-27T11:50:00.002+00:00

Korg volca mix tutorial basic setup and first steps. This is a quick Blog about the Korg Volca Mix and what it does.

The volca mix is a four-channel analog mixer with a simple interface that can control power and mix up to 3 volcas or korg synths with sync simultaneously.

There are two mono inputs and one stereo input, for connecting up to three volca units.

The jacks are mini-jacks, allowing you to make connections with just one stereo mini-cable from the headphone output of each Volca unit.

Channel volumes use vertical faders that allow for precise control.

The gain can be boosted to adjust the mix balance.

Mute buttons are also provided on all three channels.

Each channel is also equipped with a LO and HI CUT filter that lets you control the low and high frequency ranges with a single knob.

Natural-sounding filters give you complete control over the character of your sound.

Filters include :
Width,
Dynamics,
Speed,

Sync in, Sync out and Send out allow the volcas tempo and effects to be controlled by the volca mix. The send can be used to output to an aux or external effects bank.

There are Headphone and line outputs for mixing and recording.

A tempo speed control

volume and level indicator.

Play and mute buttons.

The power supply included allows the Volca mix to power up to 3 volca units at the same time, saving space on your work surface and power outlets.

To hear more music - Paintwalk published music

https://www.paintwalk.com/p/contact.html

Or on Youtube paintwalk

Korg Volca keys what is it

2019-10-17T10:20:00.001+01:00

Volca keys

The Volca keys has a simple structure that includes a delay and a sequencer. It is also a great synth engine that has all the main functions of a much more powerful analogue synth.

The Korg links with other Volcas or triggers via its in and out sync sockets and will take midi in from other instruments and sequencers. It can be powered by 6AA batteries (not included)

Korg Volca keys is an ideal choice as a first analog synth. It offers the rich expressive sounds that are distinctive of an analog synth, with a simple yet deep sound-creation engine.

Kimbara Acoustic Guitar 70s made in China Model 193

2019-07-08T10:35:00.004+01:00

Kimbara Acoustic Guitar 70s made in China, probably Taiwan
Kimbara guitars were initially made in Japan from 1968 to the late 70s. In later years they were made in Korea and finally China.

The name Kimbara was created by FCN (Fletcher Copock and Newman of London) who were the importers of these instruments.

Information on the factories that produced them is scant. But I own a “made in Japan” model with the same model number and there is very little difference I can find between the two

What woods and construction does the Kimbara 193/g use?

The Guitar has a Mahogany neck, back and sides with a rosewood fingerboard. the finger board has unusual and well placed diamond position markers. The guitar is bound with 6 ply binding on the sides and back. The back is a 3 piece construction made from wood.

The woods used are all traditional real woods, and this is immediately noticeable by picking it up as it is heavier than a lot of acoustic guitars made later. The mahogany neck features two, 3 in a line machine heads and has a rosewood board with oval inlays. The truss rod works so the guitar can be adjusted for set up.

There is a slight belly rise just behind the bridge and to compensate for this the bridge has been shaved down.

Some bumps and scrapes as shown in photos but the construction is solid and without any cracks.
This guitar can be played as it is and will sound good. If you spend a bit of time with it you could turn this into a good vintage player guitar.

Identifying the model number and country of origin?

The style of these guitars changed a lot over the years and although the woods remained much the same throughout the Japanese Kimbara range, the shape changed as well as the parts used. The best way to tell where and when the guitar was made is to check the name plate in the sound hole.

The text on this one reads "Kimbara specially made for FCN Music model No 193 6/G". This tells the viewer that the guitar was made in China somewhere between 1975 and 1985. By the fixtures and condition my best guess would be somewhere between 1977 and 1980.

The guitar has a few scratches and dings as shown in the photographs, but it is 35+ years old.

The sound quality is excellent suiting fingerpicking or a strumming style and there are no noticeable fret buzzes or or fret problems. Action is about

3mm at the 12th fret (low E string) and plays well.

For sale on ebay now

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Fostex 280 multi track cassette recorder overview.

2019-06-19T12:07:00.001+01:00

Fostex Four track cassette recorder for sale. it all works fine except for one problem with the transport mechanism. This is described in a video I have made using this unit and I advise you to take a look.

Fostex 280 multi tracker

The Fostex multi tracker 280 is a four track cassette recorder and mixer that allows for simultaneous live recording or individual tracks that can be overlayed separately.

Although the Fostex 280 is a four track recorder it has eight inputs. This means you can record up to 8 voices on each of the 4 tracks.

The mixer unit is very good and each of the four tracks features an effective 4 band EQ, pan, volume and 2 aux controls. The switches send the signal between tape, track post and mute.

The controls to the right control the aux send and receives for the outboard effects. There are also switches and knobs that send the entire signal to your chosen output. There are knobs for monitor and headphone volumes.

The tape transport controls are:

Arm track (4 selectors)

Reset

Memory buttons 2

3 auto find rewind forward buttons

Auto play

Auto rec

Punch in/out

Rewind

Forward

Rec

Play

Stop

Dolby select on/off

Pitch control (manual control that allows the tape to speed up or slow down).

Front panel
The front panel allows for 8 inputs, 2 headphone outputs and a punch in/out. I have never used this last socket and I have no idea whether it works or not.

The back panel is well featured with outputs including

4 separate track outs

Stereo out L/R

Monitor out L/R

2 aux sends

2 aux returns

power on/off

Serial port

Everything works well apart from the Stop button!!!

The fault on this unit is that when you press the stop button it causes the transport mechanism to stay engaged. Although this stops the tape rolling it does not disengage the roller and tape head. The counter then reads .E for error and sounds like cassette players do when the mechanics get stuck.

By gently pressing the transport Roller towards the tape counter the mechanism releases and allows the tape to be safely removed.

If the recorder is then switched off and powered back on again, it corrects itself and will continue to operate normally until you press the stop button again.

There is a fix for this because this is a common problem with these old Fostex recorders. I have put it in the video I have made explaining this problem more clearly.

https://youtu.be/NjU9y8b5awU

Although I really like the mixer and format of this device but I don’t want to take the lid off because I don’t really understand electronics and leave these jobs to those who are qualified or confident in these things.

Perhaps this unit would be more use to someone with confidence in repairing old are recording equipment. I have used it largely as a mixer and tape output device for years and found it a good workflow device especially its in and output options.

Ground hog day is Candlemass

2019-02-02T11:31:00.000+00:00

If today is February the 2nd take a look outside and check the weather.

Because by checking the weather you might be able to forecast the weather for the next month and a half!

"Candlemas" is a Christian holiday to celebrate the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, that celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus that occurs on February the 2nd.

Traditionally the Western term "Candlemas" (or Candle Mass) referred to the practice undertaken on February the 2nd when a priest would bless beeswax candles for use throughout the year.

In Pagan times the Romans had dedicated the month of February to the infernal gods. The time when Pluto stole Proserpine, and her mother Ceres sought her in the night with lighted candles that became the stars. At the beginning of February there were many processions where people walked about the Rome with lighted candles.

The 2nd has also become known as Groundhog Day, the day on which, according to the Germans, the Groundhog peeps out of his winter quarters and if he sees his shadow he pops back for another six weeks nap, but if the day be cloudy he remains out, as the weather is to be moderate.

In the United Kingdom, good weather at Candlemas is taken to indicate severe winter weather later:

"If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite".

"If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and will not come again".

There is some evidence for the latter poem. If the winter weather fronts from the east dominate then colder and brighter days will be experienced in the UK.

However if the Atlantic climate associated with spring weather is dominant then warmer and wetter days will be experienced.

The first week of February is about half way through winter so this dominance may well predict the weather for the rest of Winter.

Of course this is not an exact science and depends on your longitude and latitude but it's an interesting experiment to try for yourself and test if this superstition is true for yourself.

How to Predict the summer weather today

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The End of Christmas is today

2019-01-16T11:29:00.000+00:00

If you are wondering why wassailing took place on January 17 rather than January 5, it is because this was the date of the original Twelfth Night.

In 1752 Britain moved from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar. To make the shift, 11 days were removed from September that year, on the King's orders.

Some people - especially those in country areas - were very unhappy about this and stuck to the old calender.

Thus Old Christmas falls 12 days after December 25 and Old Twelfth Night falls on January 17.

It is custom to decorate trees with cider on this date.

The date is an obvious reference to Twelfth Night, which is now observed on January 5.

wassailing takes place as night falls in orchards throughout England. However, with the dwindling number of orchards, the ceremony takes place less and less.

"As darkness fell, we carried flaming torches amongst the trees, drank to their health and placed pieces of toast dipped in cider amongst the branches.

And we sang the wassail song and many other old songs too.

And just as we began to relax, and the cider take hold of us, guns were fired through the branches to scare off bad demons, bringing us back to our senses".

The orchard written about here has since been built upon and the tradition there lost.

The Wassail belief runs something like,

"If you sing to your tree or flock you will encourage its growth"!

First break a bread and dip it in the Cider.

Put the bread in the best tree and as the birds eat the bread they will begin to sing.

Next you chant the following:

Good apple tree we wassail thee,

that thou may bud,

and that thou may blow,

and that thou may bear apples a new,

hats full,

caps full,

three bushel barrels full,

hurrah!

All members of the wassail group chant "wassail, drink hail" and drink from the cup of cider.

This causes the evil to be scared away from the orchard for the following year.

The wassailing of fruit trees is one of the last customs in which country folk still like to stick to the old ways.

The Astronomical Christmas

In relation to the suns tracking from shortest day to to the 17th of Jan you find the sunrise is earlier each day consistently.

Between the 25th and 26th of December the sun rises at its latest time and remains at this time until the 6th - 7th January.

The last few weeks have seen the sun rising at about the same time each day and at around the 14th to 17th Jan the days start to be longer each day.

Both the the sunrise and sunset change, with earlier sunrises and later sunsets.

This is the part of the year (In most of the Northern hemisphere) that the days really start to get longer.

Happy New Year!

The End of Christmas

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The Lord of Misrule

2019-01-05T11:25:00.000+00:00

In medieval and Tudor England, the Twelfth Night marked the end of a winter festival that started on All Hallows Eve - now more commonly known as Halloween.

The Lord of Misrule symbolizes the world turning upside down. On this day the King and all those who were high would become the peasants and vice versa.

At the beginning of the Twelfth Night festival, a cake that contained a bean was eaten.

The person who found the bean would rule the feast.

Midnight signalled the end of his rule and the world would return to normal.

The common theme was that the normal order of things was reversed.

This Lord of Misrule tradition dates back to pre-Christian European festivals such as the Celtic festival of Samhain and the Ancient Roman festival of Saturnalia.

Food and drink are the centre of the celebrations in modern times, and all of the most traditional ones go back many centuries.

The punch called wassail is consumed especially on Twelfth Night, but throughout Christmas time, especially in the UK.

Around the world, special pastries, such as the tortell and king cake are baked on Twelfth Night, and eaten the following day for the Feast of the Epiphany celebrations.

In English and French custom, the Twelfth-cake was baked to contain a bean and a pea, so that those who received the slices containing them should be designated king and queen of the night's festivities.

In colonial America, a Christmas wreath was always left up on the front door of each home, and when taken down at the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, any edible portions would be consumed with the other foods of the feast.

The same held true in the 19th-20th centuries with fruits adorning Christmas trees.

Fresh fruits were hard to come by, and were therefore considered fine and proper gifts and decorations for the tree, wreaths, and home.

Again, the tree would be taken down on Twelfth Night, and such fruits, along with nuts and other local produce used, would then be consumed.

In the eastern Alps, a tradition called Perchtenlaufen exists.

Two to three hundred masked young men rush about the streets with whips and bells driving out evil spirits.

In Nuremberg until 1616, children frightened spirits away by running through the streets and knocking loudly at doors.

In some countries, and in the Catholic religion worldwide, the Twelfth Night and Epiphany marks the start of the Carnival season, which lasts through Mardi Gras Day.

Modern American Carnival traditions shine most brightly in New Orleans, where friends gather for weekly King Cake parties.

Whoever gets the slice with the "king", usually in the form of a miniature baby doll (symbolic of the Christ Child, "Christ the King"), hosts next week's party..

In parts of Kent, there is a tradition that an edible decoration would be the last part of Christmas to be removed in the Twelfth Night and shared amongst the family.

The Twelfth Night of Christmas is always on the evening of 5 January, but the Twelfth Day can either precede or follow the Twelfth Night according to which Christian tradition is followed.Twelfth Night is followed by the Feast of the Epiphany on 6 January. In some traditions, the first day of Epiphany (6 January) and the twelfth day of Christmas overlap.

The Astronomical Christmas

In relation to the suns tracking from shortest day to to the 6th of Jan the 5th night and 6th day mark the point at which both the sunrise is earlier and the sunset is later for the first time in the Northern hemisphere this year and marks the transition from winter to spring.

Interestingly the older 12th night was the 17th Jan. The sunrise is noted from around this date to be a minute or more earlier every day. This was also the older date for Wassail.

The Lord of Misrule and 12th Night

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The first day of the New Year has not always been January the first

2019-01-01T09:22:00.000+00:00

The first day of the New Year has not always been January the first.

This is sometimes dismissed in conversation as being due to the change from a Julian to a Gregorian Calendar.

But the date and calendar change was assigned by Pope Gregory XIII who also carried forward plans of converting Jews to Christianity and to torture them.

And although this established the new date of the New Year at Jan 1st in many places this date was ignored.

Julius Caesar first proposed January 1st as the beginning of each year in 46BC.

January was named after Janus the God of doors and gates.

Janus was depicted as a two headed God that could see both forwards and backwards at the same time, so he could also oversee transitions from the past to the future.

In Roman times the New Years Celebrations were bloody and drunken affairs, so the more things change the more they stay the same.

According to the Catholic tradition January 1st is the day when Jesus was given his name at his circumcision eight days after his birth.

William the bastard, The Duke of Normandy and also known as William the Conqueror decreed January the first to be New Year.

This would coincidently match his coronation in England with the circumcision of Jesus.

This lasted for a while but the new years date was far from standardised.

The Christian world started the New Year on March 25th.

Annunciation Day or Lady Day was the day marked when Mary was told by the Angel Gabriel that she would give birth to the son of God.

Astronomically this makes more sense as the beginning of the new year because it is very close to the spring equinox in the northern hemisphere.

The signs of new life are beginning to show in nature and the day length has reached a balance in day light and night time hours.

This was so popular that until 1751 the new year started on March 25th or Lady Day.

The date was changed back again to January 1st in England, Wales and the British Dominions in 1751.

New years Day is a national holiday in many parts of the world now however the reasons are not all that clear.

It could just as easily be March the 21st the spring equinox, so the New Year would relate to the first days of spring rather than the first days of winter.

January the first has little astronomical significance the day length reaches a minute longer than the shortest day, but it does not relate to religious festivals like the 21st, 24th, 25th December of the 6th January.

So I suppose it’s a need to get as much light into your life as possible in the darker days of the year.

New is a moveable feast and can be celebrated whenever its good, so whenever you choose to celebrate a new Year I hope you have a good one.

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The New year problem explained

The Lord of the Dance and the Winter Solstice

2018-12-22T11:20:00.000+00:00

I danced in the morning when the world was begun

I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun;

I was called from the darkness by the song of the earth,

I joined in the singing and she gave me birth.

(chorus, repeat after each verse)

Dance, then, wherever you may be!

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he,

And I'll lead you on, wherever you may be, I will lead you all in the Dance, said he!

I sleep in the kernel and I dance in the rain,

I dance in the wind, and through the waving grain,

And when you cut me down, I care nothing for the pain --

In Spring I'll be Lord of the Dance again!

I see the maidens laughing as they dance in the sun,

I count the fruits of the of the harvest, one by one;

I know the storm is coming, but the grain is all stored,

So I sing of the dance of the Lady and the Lord.

We dance ever slower as the leaves fall and spin

And the sound of the Horn is the wailing of the wind;

The Earth is wrapped in stillness and we move in a trance,

but we hold on fast to our faith in the dance.

The sun is in the south and the days lengthen fast,

And soon we'll sing for the winter that is past,

Now we light the candles and rejoice as they burn,

and Dance the dance of the sun's return.

They cut me down, but I leap up high!

I am life that will never, never die.

I'll live in you and you'll live in me --

I am the Lord of the Dance, said he!

The moon in her phases and the tides of the sea,

the movement of Earth, and the seasons that will be

Are rhythm for the dancing and a promise through the years --

The Dance goes on through joy and tears.

The Midwinter Solstice

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I am the Lord of the Dance

Those long dark nights

2018-12-15T11:16:00.000+00:00

Why do the nights seem longer before the shortest day?

It's the 15th December 2018.

It is getting dark earlier and the shortest day seems like a day of redemption when the darkness of Winter reaches it's summit and is the beginning of a brighter future!

But if you check the sunrise and sunset tables you will find that the sun is already setting later each evening. The sun sets in the northern hemisphere later tonight by a few seconds than it did last night.

Today is the 15th be of good cheer for today the sun sets at 17:04 rather than 17:03 and to us Christmas pagans this is the first sign that the dark spirits are in decline. This is when we start to rejoice as the dark days are finally coming to an end.

So the 15th December is indeed a time for us to celebrate and raise a glass to the lord of the light wishing him welcome at sunset. In Medieval times the new calendar day always started at sunset.

I don’t mean to trash the religious and spiritual meaning of Christmas because it has an important influence on us that should be understood, but most of the stuff you hear about Christmas is to placate the children and the gullible. I have no desire to spoil the fun for them but the celebration is old, full of meaning and astronomically a fantastic time of year.

Did you know that the sunset gets later each night well before the winter solstice?

By the 21st December or the shortest day the sunset has become later by about a minute each night.

In Northern Europe the sunset is nearly 4 minutes later than it was on December 15th.

This is because the time of sunset varies throughout the year, and is determined by where on earth you are timing.

It comes down to your position on the Earth, and can be determined by your longitude, latitude, and elevation.

There are other factors that make tiny daily changes and more noticeable semi-annual changes in the timing of sunsets and taken together these can determine precise tables of future day length times.

During winter and spring, the days get longer and sunsets occur later every day until the day of the latest sunset, which occurs after the summer solstice.

The earliest sunset does not occur on the winter solstice, but rather about two weeks earlier, again depending on the viewer's latitude.

In the Northern Hemisphere, it occurs in early December or late November (influenced by the Earth's faster movement as it gets closer to the sun which occurs around January 3).

The same thing happens in the Southern Hemisphere, but with the reverse dates.

The earliest sunsets occurring some time before June 21 in winter,and latest sunsets occurring some time after December 21 in summer.

The events of the days lengthening takes about a month to complete and with a little research it is easy to find corresponding celebrations in both religious and pagan societies.

The observances of these are still celebrated with Christmas, New years eve and 12th night for example.

An Astronomical Christmas Guide

But the idea of wearing a crown and becoming a king for the night ,or wassailing are deeply embedded in these astronomical event.

What is a Wassail?

How to make Wassail Punch

And if the Mayan Calendar is right on the 21st of December 2012 the world will end due to a planetary alignment or something like that.

While the the alignment is a fact we will probably still have a planet on the 22nd December but is poinint that this event occurs at a time when people have always considered this time of year as a spiritual event.

The Dark days are over

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Swapping my laptop life for a iPad pro

2018-11-17T11:10:00.002+00:00

Is it possible to swap my laptop computer and the work I do with it for an iPad Pro? I use my laptop for image editing, writing, drawing, music creation and occasional videos. I have to have a portable system for travel and the slim size and speed of the iPad Pro makes it a possible solution.

So I’ve been trying to move over from my laptop to an iPad recently to find the pros and cons and whether this is possible. This is what I have experienced so far.

Recently my old Dell laptop keyboard began to play up. It was a windows PC purchased in 2010 and has been my go to computer since then. Its had a hard time and although capable it now has dead pixels that don’t display and the shift key and 1 key no longer work. I have also become more frustrated with Windows ability to easily become corrupted and the way it seems to bloat with every other update.

Alrights I thinks ... I'll buy a MacBook. I would have to buy all the software again but I had started using Macs in the late 80's and although those were simpler times (no internet, video, social media et al) I had found them to be pretty reliable and excellent for the illustrations and graphics that I was employed to do at the time.

Fast forward to now and I start to see articles and videos popping up about people who are swapping out their laptops for an iPad Pro. Understand this, eventually there will come a point where there will be more people who learned computer skills on a touch screen than keyboards and a mouse. If you know what a floppy disk looks like then you are already in the previous age of computer technology.

What do I need an iPad to do?

I use my laptop for image editing, word, illustrating, blogging and making the occasional video. First of all I need a keyboard because I find that whonking great software thing that apple iPads and iPhones use that cover half the screen are awful.

I use keyboard shortcuts a lot so this is another reason for a hardware keyboard. I purchased the one above for about £50 and i really like it. The keyboard is light and protects the screen well when closed and also has the advantage of being easily able to set the screen at any angle with the ability to swivel at 360 degrees.

I also needed a replacement for the mouse. The screen real estate on the iPad is still pretty small and although the resolution is excellent there is not room for my great daubing fingers when i need near pixel accuracy for some editing tasks.

The solution seems to be a pen which although calls for a slightly different technique than a mouse is not really that difficult to make the change. I have an old adonit jot pro pen that works fine for now and has the advantage of not needing to be connected by bluetooth or having to be recharged as it requires no power.

So far the change is not difficult and with the iPads already proven ability for browsing and watching videos this seems like a possible alternative to buying another laptop.

The next part will be harder and that will be using the iPad Pro to replace programs that I use for work.

DigiTech Digidelay digital delay pedal X-Series FX Pedal

2018-10-01T12:35:00.000+01:00

DigiTech Digidelay digital delay pedal X-Series FX Pedal - Loop, Reverse, Modulation

The Boss Stereo DigiTech delay pedal has a lot of possibilities with its seven modes for exploring delay effects and is equally at home on the floor, on a pedal board or as part of a home studio.
These pedals are starting to get recognized as minor classics because of their small footprint coupled with their rugged design and modal variations.

The controls from left to right are as follows:

LEVEL: Effect output
REPEATS: Slap back echo to almost infinite vintage delay overload.
TIME: Variable speed return control for echo.
MODE: 7 types of delay switchable with control knob.
1. 10 – 250ms delay.
2. 250ms to 1 second delay.
3. 1 – 4 second delay.
4. Tape echo (vintage delay)
5. Mod delay (chorus and flange effects good with synths)
6. Reverse the echo comes back reversed so the original is played back straight followed by a reverse recording.
7. Looping is a sample effect that records and plays back a loop until the footswitch is pressed again.

Useful as a studio delay processor if you are on a tight budget, the DigiDelay pedal gives you 7 different types of delay to choose from which include tape, modulated, reverse, and a looper that will allow for an infinite amount of 4 second layers.
This rugged metal chassis will stand the test of time and offers further options like dual mono and stereo outputs as well as switchable cabinet modeling.

Requires a 9Volt battery or Standard 9 volt PSU (not supplied)

Green, incredibly alcoholic mind-altering - Absinthe a Solstice drink

2018-06-21T06:30:00.000+01:00

It’s green, strong and possibly hallucinogenic. Nicknamed, "the green fairy" the drink Absinthe is to be made legal again in France.

The French drink of the impressionist painters and writers of the late 19th century is to be made available in France once more. The Green fairy was seen as a magical source of inspiration.

France banned the drink in 1915 because it was thought it had very harmful effects. It is still true that when people hear the name Absinthe they think of poison.

Absinthe is made from wormwood which contains levels of "thujone" a supposed hallucinogenic.

Absinthe is drunk mixed with water and sipped because of its strength. At the height of its popularity in the late 19th Century it would have been plentiful because its other use was as industrial alcohol.

Although many countries banned Absinthe they have all since lifted the ban and started to produce their own versions of this mysterious drink. Recipes have beenrevived and new versions have been made all around the world.

The law was also eased in France allowing the drink to be made in France again but not to be labelled Absinthe but "Absint".

Now again it is legal.

Absinthe drinker “Clement Arnoux” hopes that many more bars and shops will start to sell absinthe now.

"We have forgotten almost everything about it, and are re-learning it from foreigners," he laments.

"That part is sad."

Still Spirits Top Shelf Absinthe Essence

Mixing Instructions: Add this beverage flavouring essence to 2.25 Liters (2.3QT) of 40% distilled spirit or vodka. Makes three 750ml (26 fl. oz.) bottles. Shake well before use.

Green, incredibly alcoholic and some say mind-altering - Absinthe

Gibson 2016 SG Special

2018-04-20T10:29:00.000+01:00

This is a 2016 Gibson SG special priced at £430

This design has been made by Gibson guitars since 1960/61 and originally carried the Les Paul signature.

Later the signature was removed and it became the Gibson SG guitar. SG was an abbreviation for Standard Guitar.

Overall condition is very good with some scratches minor scratches in the pick guard.

Other than that the guitar is pretty much ding free so please take a look at the pictures to make up your own mind.

It has good control over the tone and volume knobs which despite their small size are remarkably easy to use.

The pickups are growly at high volume but if you take the volume output down the guitar responds in kind giving a good easy mellow sound.

The neck is great with a good action and I like the satin finish that dont have the stickiness of some SGs I have played.

This one includes the spec tags, truss rod adjuster and a Gibson gig bag.

Specs

    Tuners: Traditional tuners
    Neck width: Historic original 1 11/16" neck width
    Nut: Graph Tech nut
    Body: Carved from solid mahogany
    Carrying case: Padded gigbag
    Inlays: Dot fingerboard inlays
    Pickups: 490R and 490T humbuckers
    Fingerboard: Thicker one-piece rosewood fingerboard
    Setup: Comprehensive hand-finished setup
    Finish: Worn satin nitro finish

Boss DS 330 Dr Synth and what it does

2018-04-11T12:41:00.002+01:00

The DS-330 dates back to 1994, and is an almost like a cut down version of the Sound Canvas.

The intersting thing about this module is the 90s sounds it contains after all that was when it was made. That said it is a versatile midi unit that has a wealth of functions and includes its own Reverb and chorus controls.

The unit is about 8.5 inches wide and 6.5 inches deep that sits flat with the display, buttons and volume control on the top,

The DS-330 has a subset of about 128 + tones.The user interface has two m ajor modes: single play mode and multi mode. Multi mode is for sequencing and for live there is a single play mode.

Single play mode has a DRUM submode. When in this mode, the 16 buttons are now pads that play drum sounds from the selected kit.

A Full manual is available for download at http://www.emismusic.co.uk/Boss DS-330 Dr Synth.pdf

There is a short video of this very unit playing its demo song https://youtu.be/Nis0kpW_x0Y the cat mieow at 0:31 not included!

Features:
A set of high quality sounds and drum sets
A single sound mode or 16 part multi-timbral making it useful for external midi sequencers.
Easy tone editing
Reverb and Chorus effects
1/4 mono jackplugs for left and right sound
3.5mm stereo headphone output
midi in - out - thru
power switch
12v power supply included

Boss DS 330 Dr Synth and what it does

Candlemas or groundhog day?

2018-02-02T09:44:00.000+00:00

How to Predict the summer weather today

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When christmas is over

2018-01-16T09:46:00.000+00:00

"If you sing to your tree or flock you will encourage its growth"!

First break a bread and dip it in the Cider.

Put the bread in the best tree and as the birds eat the bread they will begin to sing.

Next you chant the following:

Good apple tree we wassail thee,

that thou may bud,

and that thou may blow,

and that thou may bear apples a new,

hats full,

caps full,

three bushel barrels full,

hurrah!

Happy New Year!

The End of Christmas

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The Lord of Misrule

2018-01-05T09:47:00.000+00:00

Interestingly the older 12th night was the 17th Jan. The sunrise is noted from around this date to be a minute or more earlier every day. This was also the older date for Wassail.

The Lord of Misrule and 12th Night

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New Years Day is on the incorrect date

2018-01-01T09:50:00.000+00:00

The Christian world started the New Year on March 25th.

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The New year problem explained

The Mid Winter Sun

2017-12-22T09:52:00.000+00:00

The Midwinter Solstice

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I am the Lord of the Dance

The Dark Nights are Changing

2017-12-15T09:53:00.000+00:00

Why do the nights seem longer before the shortest day?

It's the 15th December 2016.

It is getting dark earlier and the shortest day seems like a day of redemption when the darkness of Winter reaches it's summit and is the beginning of a brighter future!

But if you check the sunrise and sunset tables you will find that the sun is already setting later each evening. The sun sets in the northern hemisphere later tonight by a few seconds than it did last night.

Today is the 15th be of good cheer for today the sun sets at 17:04 rather than 17:03 and to us Christmas pagans this is the first sign that the dark spirits are in decline. This is when we start to rejoice as the dark days are finally coming to an end.

So the 15th December is indeed a time for us to celebrate and raise a glass to the lord of the light wishing him welcome at sunset. In Medieval times the new calendar day always started at sunset.

I don’t mean to trash the religious and spiritual meaning of Christmas because it has an important influence on us that should be understood, but most of the stuff you hear about Christmas is to placate the children and the gullible. I have no desire to spoil the fun for them but the celebration is old, full of meaning and astronomically a fantastic time of year.

Did you know that the sunset gets later each night well before the winter solstice?

The observances of these are still celebrated with Christmas, New years eve and 12th night for example.

The Dark days are over

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Yamaha FG 403MS Acoustic guitar with brown hard case

2017-12-03T10:25:00.000+00:00

Yamaha 403MS
Yamaha FG-403MS acoustic guitar with a dreadnought-style body. They were made from 2002 to 2004/5.
The Yamaha FG range is one of Yamaha's longest running acoustic guitar series.
Started in 1967 and still made today there is a bewildering number of models.

The guitar is in very good condition apart from a ding on the headstock shown in the pictures above.

The Yamaha FG - 403 MS is an all wood guitar that has a solid spruce top with Nato back and sides.

The sound hole has a multi ringed rosette with black pick guard and edged body binding. The bridge is made from rosewood.

The neck is also Nato with a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays.

The headstock has a mahogany overlay with an inlaid logo and plume design. the tuners are 3 a side individual machine heads.

There is a video of Jimmy Page playing one here if you wonder what it sounds like.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EODgi-m5fCU

I like the matt finish on this guitar that seems to have been built well. I haven't owned this from new but the condition apart from the ding in the headstock seems almost unplayed. Excellent sound and supplied with a brown hard case which has a few scuffs but has its keys and all locks and clasps are in good condition.