I Focus On

Successful Endeavors

In a different light. Full spectrum florescent and flash. 8/6/10

I have been documenting the creation of a concert viola in a project that is designed to be experienced using an iPad. One of the important components of the 'book', are the images of the viola. Getting those images to "pop" on the high-resolution, 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS display of the iPad, is important to the overall experience of following the viola from kindling to concert.

So I experiment with lighting, exposure, ISO settings, focal lengths, different cameras, and other adjustments. I enjoy that I am able to do this. The results are encouraging.

In A different Light

These images are different settings on 2 different cameras. 8/6/10

I love this stuff. I have found what I was looking for, and know what settings will produce the desired results.

Just In Time

My order of Fender, medium, shell, classic celluloid picks arrive. 8/6/10

Monday night I ordered some guitar picks from Guitar Center. I have tried to get them from the three Redding music stores, but they don't carry the kind I use.

There is a little store in Anderson that had them, and last year I bought all that they had, except for 3, (in case someone else needed them).

I couldn't justify driving down there in the hopes that those 3 picks were still there, so I went ahead and ordered some on line.

The cost of shipping was about equal to the cost of the picks, so I figured I should get something else to justify the shipping charge.

So I got a USB mixer

I think this will improve the quality of my recordings. 8/6/10

Ever since I got my laptop, I have been discovering the advantages of recording digitally, using a USB port. I got a USB converter last year that works with 1 microphone. It works well. I wrote about it HERE. This eliminates a couple of signal conversions that can effect the quality of the recorded data.

I had been wanting to try one of the Alesis USB mixers, but I had been putting it off until the time was right.

The timing of events over the last few weeks, seemed to bring me to a cosmic crossroads. The Behringer analog mixer had developed a problem with the right channel. Recording with the Blue Icicle, using just one microphone was okay, but I know how much better the recordings should be. And, most importantly, I was out of guitar picks. So the time was right, and so was the price.

Alesis is world renowned for their sound processing equipment, and this little mixer was on sale. The Fender classic celluloid, medium shell, guitar picks arrived just in time for tomorrow night's gig at the Lakeshore Inn, and I get to road test the new USB mixer. Life is good.


Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;

Divine Order