All posts by cemego

CHOB, Cool stuff, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, WMOM

(Over modulated) Jamola Number 3

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jamola3

Well…..

I wanted to take this rainy, do nothing, Saturday and have a little jam session with myself. I made a 14:30 whopper. The object was to get the Electribe synced with the set up. I got it synced in the chain and it’s TOO MUCH FUN. Here’s the geek details.

Kaossilator pro is the master clock (still). The master clock (tempo) MIDI signal is split and fed down 2 chains.

Chain #1: Sets the tempo for the Volca Bass to the Volca Keys and then to the Electribe.
Chain #2: Sets the tempo for the MicroKorg whose audio is output through the Mini KP (red box for effects… mostly heavy delay) where the tempo is set manually (matching BPM to the master clock, Kaossilator Pro).

My levels are really bad. For this I am sorry and hang my head in shame. It seems these bad levels are coming from my mini mixer that couples the Electribe and the 3 Volcas. I have since adjusted this and will make sure next time this doesn’t happen. This was so much fun I may take another shot with a different spin.

Most of the drums come from the Electribe however there’s a little bit of a conga loop in there from the Kaossilator pro. There’s a small bass and key sequence from the Volca bass and keys respectively that I drop in and out. I didn’t use the Volca Beats on this as there are enough drum devices working on this thing already (and you will find it gets mighty busy).

In the words of Todd Rundgren, “Yer gonna wanna get yer headphones out… Cuz they’re really gonna help you on this one…”

This is done in the “Key of Yo Momma” in the “Scale of my Ass”. Time=14:23. Filesize=13.5megs. Hope you enjoy as much I did making it.

CHOB, Cool stuff, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, Polls, WMOM

Automation Eludes Me, So I’m Out of Sync & Out of Time

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cat psychedelic 6 keyboard

Two slapped together bits.

The first experiment uses a repeated note on the Volca bass then the LFO rates and intervals are tweaked manually.  It creates a skippy bass pattern that I noodle with using the Cutoff knob.  The Volca beats is playing some random pattern in one of the 8 memory slots.  It’s a bit Out of Sync although everything is at 97bpm.  Once again the Kaossilator Pro is the timekeeper and does some little loops.  The MicroKorg does solo arpeggio notesy padsy crap on top of the whole mess.


The second experiment messes with the MicroKorg patched through the Mini KP (red box) to add a third hand in holding notes/arpeggios.  Problem here is ANYTIME I use the tape delay effect on the red box (which I love) things, level wise, get really out of hand.  They literally run away from me.  With the levels getting so high, as they run away from me, I sometimes fall Out of Time on the track (also 97bpm).

So here we are… Experimenting again.  Reason?  Because it’s fun!

And for interactivity sake, which do you prefer?

Out of Sync or Out of Time?

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Cool stuff, Grinds My Gears, Political, Polls, silly

New $20 Ideas

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Here are some fresh “inclusive” ideas for the screwing over of Andrew Jackson and our history. Vote for one below.

20 snoop
Spend a Twizzle my Nizzle
JJ 20
This 20 is DYNO-MIYEEET!
20 george jefferson
WEEZY!! Who spendin my 20?!?
20 marion barry
20 dolla will keep it weel for Ward 8! That bitch set him up!

Which should be the new $20

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BREAKING NEWS:

Candidates considered as an afterthought:

  1. Rerun from Whats Happening
  2. Shirley Q. Liquor
  3. The complex and multitalented Miss Latoya Jackson.
  4. The “Aint nobody got time for that! I got bronchitis” lady.
  5. Nell Carter
  6. Oprah

If you can think of anymore, leave them in the comments.  I may get to them and start a whole new round of polling.  I could make a whole separate poll for the ladies.  We could nearly consider this to be the “primary”.

Apartment Living in DC Metro Area, CHOB, Cool stuff, Grinds My Gears, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, WMOM

CeMeGo Ambient 1: Volca Breath

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stars

An “ambient” thing I did with Volca Keys, Volca Bass, and Microkorg. The Microkorg is running through the Korg MiniKP (red box). I know it’s glitchy and out of tune in places, but I’m not a musician and I thought it sounded cool either way. It’s at a 40.8 bmp in the key of “whatever”. It’s 7 minutes and 37 seconds of a 2 chord breathing type of thing. Actually this is probably the fastest I’ve ever made anything on an electronic device. All recorded in one take. No editing other than fading the open and close.

I wanted to post it right away but my internet went down AGAIN. Just like the intermittent electricity here, it’s a problem with the ghetto ass’d infrastructure down here in the shittiest place on earth, the DC metro area. I don’t even want to begin explaining how much this area sucks. You pay and pay and get SHIT. That summarizes it. Worst place I’ve ever lived EVER.

CHOB, Cool stuff, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, WMOM

First MIDI Exploitation (Yer Gonna Have To Get It Right)

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Here we are. Finally after a lot of dough, a lot of youtube tutorials, and plenty of loneliness, I have finally dove into working with MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface). For those who dont know, MIDI is a way for digital musical instruments to talk to each other. It took two weeks for the MIDI interface cables to come in from Amazon. I needed a bunch. The magic table of devices looks like a spaghetti disaster. I’m starting to learn the magic is how you have things wired. This makes all the difference.

latest rig

In this case, the Kaossilator pro is set up as the “master clock” meaning, this device holds the tempo. I’ve also found a way to use the sequencing/looping aspect of the Kaossilator pro to make things a bit simpler. It’s really interesting to speed things up on the Kaosilator and watch all the device’s blinking tempo lights speed up at the same time. It gives me a bit of a power rush. So this means the Kaossilator’s Master Clock is running the tempo of the MicroKorg (including arpeggios) and the Volca Beats. A MIDI Solutions Quadra Thru box is used to handle and divvy up the MIDI signal from one device and handing it out to 4 others (in this case only 2, the volca beats and the microkorg).  Also there’s the Rolls Mini Mixer in there to handle the audio signal cables flying around (1/8″ stereo jacks).  Here’s a crappy power point explaining.
midi mess

Annnnd after hours of goofing around and filtering MIDI signals making sure that changing the settings on one device wasn’t changing the settings on another, I made a recording.  I used the vocoder on the MicroKorg so don’t laugh at my singing, “Yer gonna have to get it right”.

This was time consuming but was quite fun.  I think there is a lot of room for me to improve.  Should go a lot faster the more I do it.  In summary, WOW, WHAT POWER (and was really a load of fun)!  I plan to make another really soon! 🙂

For now enjoy the track “First MIDI Exploitation (Yer Gonna Have To Get It Right)”

Special thanks go out to Todd Smith’s Synthesizer YouTube Channel. This guy is inspiring because it looks like he just has a good time doing what he does and he teaches stuff too! He’s awesome!!

CHOB, Cool stuff, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, WMOM

Just Because…

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microvolcakorg

Another quicky slapped together moment for everyone’s enjoyment (or loathing).

CHOB, Cool stuff, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, WMOM

Arpeggiate Your Ass Off

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With the Korg MicroKorg Synthesizer Vocoder

microkorg

That’s right.  Got a Korg MicroKorg for a steal (I hope it aint hot) off of craigslist.  Picked it up from a guy at the Tenleytown metro stop in a garbage bag, no manual, and no AC adapter.  Seems a bit shady, but the thing works like a charm.  I got a lot of learning to do but this thing is an arpeggiating monster.  Listen to this shit!

This second one has more “verve”.

CHOB, Cool stuff, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, WMOM

Woke Up Early and Hit The Desk

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beachrig

Gladys stomped on my gut at 7am and I couldn’t go back to sleep so I made this!  It’s all Volca.  I KNOW  I KNOW I KNOW its the same bass line as the desk piece but its slower and there are 2 additional oscillator sequences on top.  So DIFFERENT (extended middle finger).

Apartment Living in DC Metro Area, CHOB, Cool stuff, Hozpitality, Music Sound Noise Audio, WMOM

NEW DESK, DAMMIT!

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Got a new desk today.  Bought it at Target.  It was called a “writing desk”.  The guy at the check out counter said, “New writing desk eh?  Doing some writing?”

I said, “Nope!  Proppin’ up some synthesizers.”

He said, “Oh!  Musician?”

I said, “Where?!”

FUN!
Korg Volca’s (3) Beats, Bass, and Keys with the Electribe Sampler.

Got it all set up, wired everything into the little black 4 channel rolls powered mixer (in the upper right) and marveled at how much living room space I have reclaimed because of the new desk.

FUN!
Yay! More living room space and more toys actively connected!

I connected the sync cables for the 3 volca’s.  I have not synced them to the electribe YET.  Just for giggles to test them out, I hit play on the pattern on the Beats, then play on the pattern on the Bass and was amazed at how the 2, completely independently created Beats and Bass sequences, magically worked together, now that they were sync’d for the first time.  I did a corny key’s diddle on top just for fun’zys.  Check it out!  It’s called Ode To A New Desk.

Like they used to say on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, More to Come!!!!

MORE TO COME!!!
MORE TO COME!!!

 

Angry Hot Dog, Apartment Living in DC Metro Area, Chronicles of the Absurd, Grinds My Gears, Political

Another example how DC, Maryland and Virginia is the ground zero of stupidity

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Well, here we go folks.  The ignorant powers that be, think the Landover Maryland Redskins need yet ANOTHER FOOTBALL STADIUM.  That’s right.  Now MD, VA, and DC are all fighting to get this stadium put in their region….

Read the ignorance

Here’s some more ignorance

scared_imageDC Sucks!

This whole idea is so stupid it makes my head explode.  Is this the freakin twilight zone?

I could not take it.  I left a comment:

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?! REALLY?! This area and the NFL (the rape artistes of ignorant fans) need another stadium?? OF ALL THE THINGS THIS AREA NEEDS… we’re going to have ANOTHER STADIUM? This just reinforces the fact that this is the STUPIDEST area in which I have ever lived.

The traffic is so bad here, the taxes are too high, the team sucks (and yes, poorly named, just admit it already), the metro is crumbling and poorly managed, AND WE NEED ANOTHER FOOTBALL STADIUM? Are you people high or is there some secret Kool-Aid you are all drinking that makes this seem charming or even acceptable? (Head in hands). This is truly the absolute STUPIDEST thing I’ve ever heard of for the DC metro region.

Watch. Knowing how ignorant the priorities and planning seem to be here in the DMV, they will put this atrocity (whatever it looks like, another football stadium is an ugly idea) in an area that cant support the traffic and there will be no reasonable public transit near it. And what do we do with fedex field and RFK? How many more useless stadiums need to dot the already messed up landscape of nightmarish sprawl around here?

Folks, this whole idea of ANOTHER football stadium in this area PROVES that this is the dumbest place in the freaking developed world. What next? A public shooting range on the national mall?!? Ahh the DMV… land of entitled and rewarded INCOMPETENCE AND IGNORANCE!!!!

Just look how stupid this thing is. It looks like a stupid noodle bowl. And yes folks, that IS A MOAT around the thing. Can you imagine how that stagnant water would look and smell?
dc stadium0

And even worse, look how delusional this architect views the weather in DC for football. Imagine laying on a fake “moat beach” while a tsunami comes in.  Imagine all the drunk football fans rappelling down the side of the stadium during football games, while drunk fans in roller blades wearing booty shorts and tank tops skate around the stadium in December!  All they need now are aqua-unicorns dancing in the moat.  Was this done by a 5 year old with photo shop?  Clearly SOMEBODY is high on SOMETHING!!!
dc stadium

They should show the above ground metro rail behind it (like down at RFK stadium) whizzing by in flames with people screaming out the windows in agony! That would be more appropriate!  Too late, I did it myself!  HA!

dc stadium1

My GOD this town is a freaking joke!  I can’t believe these images were seriously posted to the Washington Post and CBS.  It’s like an alternate reality of stupidity!