Song Orders (for albums or otherwise)

Sometimes you just get stumped trying to order songs. Sometimes, just for fun or for lack of time or patience, I just let the computer order them; that is, they are alphabetical. Sometimes it's just the order on my mp3 player. No matter the reason, every time I have gone with it, alphabetical order has worked really well.

If you ever find yourself stumped, try it out. Seriously, never let me down once. It's usually got just the right mix of the styles that I do or that I listen to that I am surprised and elated when a song changes. Key word here: surprised. A little surprise in terms of music is almost always a good thing.

So give it a whirl, on yr mp3 player. You can try it out with no casualties. And please, give me feedback; I really want to hear if this worked for you, and how. Or how it did not work out for you.

Here's a picture of Lucille Ball riding a blow-up horsie, hawking RC Cola!

Where's my Moon-Pie?!?

Hey Blogger!!!!!

Your banner ads are showing up twice on my dashboard! They cover exactly what I'm trying to look at. I thought it was because I'm using Firefox so I switched to Chrome. No change. What the hell, man?

You say I should try the help/support page, eh? What the hell is that?

My 2yr old nephew just enlightened me. Will do....

Leprechauns forever!!!!





!!!!!!!!!!

Stuff To Do Update, Mar. 22nd, 2013

 Still, mainly for my own use.... But, this is a good way to get a general idea of *some* of the things I'm trying to get done. I'm going to have to sit down soon and extend this list or I fear a good bit of important things may get forgotten or otherwise disappear in the fog of my ADD.

1. Focus
2. Finish official video for "Stuck Up"
3. Storyboard official video for "Fix Me"
4. Finish video for "We Live Majique" Update: Made some headway with this and I think this is what I'm going to do after typing this.
5. Make, test, edit, test, scrap, remake, test, edit and upload Twitter background while NOT being distracted by tweets   Update: this was actually supposed to be about not just the background but also the banner or header or whatever they call it on Twitter. That part, the header title thing, is done. I thought at first the image I used was going to be temporary. But I decided that I like it quite a bit. So, for now, it's staying. So, one thing out of two down....
6. Decide on a "featured" list of songs to be on all artist sites and which songs will be exclusive to which sites
7. Figure out how the hell to use Facebook "page" and how much it can be customized
8. Do taxes Update: Done! Doubt I'll get any of it though. I owe a TON on student loans and I think, this year, they'll finally keep it. Fingers slightly crossed though...
9. Write some blog posts that aren't lists of things for me to remember to do Update: Started getting kind of regular with this almost, sort of.
10. Finish "Burning City" series of paintings
11. Decide if my artist i.e. "fine artist" name is going to be the VERY common Keith Miller (or KA Miller, etc) or Bunny Prole. Or, maybe, El Blanco?
12. Research and choose art portfolio website to upload art to
13. Design watermark that is tasteful, functional, and unobtrusive (possible?)
14. Write artist statement (where do I even begin?)
15. Make Slaptogether video for "It's Alright Now" or "Chateau Nervoso"
16. Brainstorm new "Light" drawings
17. Look into pricing for prints of existing "Light" drawings
18. Research and purchase a good new printer
19. Create a Facebook "page" for my "fine" art
20. Start making scheduled "update" videos and 6sec videos (Twitter) linked to here and Facebook
21. Finish writing "A Million Lifetimes"
22. Screw up every single sound (minus drums) on every single electronic track I have ever written
23. Make at least 3 new Slaptogether videos for Mr. S (Quiet Time, Rainbows, Mr. S Theme, Theme from "Rock!", Third Drink, Morning Time, etc)
24. Lay out a calendar with target finish dates for major projects
25. Take a damn break
26. Finish lyrics for "Back To Work" Pseudo-Update: Got solid ideas to work with (playing russian roulette with Excel) Look up dangerous games; like chicken, russian roulette, etc and pair with office things.
27. Brainstorm projection video for Inner Party shows
28. Brainstorm ideas for and take new Inner Party pics
29. Make new designs for all IP web sites and implement
30. Scan all sketches of furniture designs
31. Design Mr. S shirts that can be made with Inkjet iron-ons and sell online, also posters Update: found out today that there are now iron-on sheets for injet printers that have a white layer so you can print on dark shirts. I hope HP makes some of those cos the brand I saw at WalMark today is one I have used (Avery) and they were horrible quality; they peel and crack and the color doesn't last. The HP iron-ons, on the other hand, have lasted surprisingly well. I have a shirt that I made around 2002 or 2003 that is still in perfectly good shape. Speaking of, I need to upload that graphic to Redbubble as a shirt design (Art Is For Sissies, muscle car thing) Regardless, this white layer iron-on thing is kind of a boon because all the designs that came to mind early on all would have had to be on black shirts and required white. So, maybe a win?
32. Design IP inkjet iron ons and print to sell at IP shows
33. Iron out all problems with Paypal so I can actually get paid for anything I might sell online
34. Find out if I can sell anything on that website Maryevelyn uses to sell stuff. Update: Found out and yes, I can. New #34: Scan Year of the Balloon Sketchbook and edit or create versions of all the sellable designs for shirts, phone cases (see #43), etc. Also, make account on that site.... Update:
Find or remake and upload "Art Is For Sissies" graphic to Redbubble as a shirt design (Art Is For Sissies, muscle car thing)
35. Songza, Rhapsody, Tunecore, Playlist, last.fm
36. "Unclog" Soundcloud and straighten out all art there Update: Did some of this last night, kind of willy-nilly. "That song? Screw it! Delete." But there was some actual direction taking shape so moving in the right direction.
37. Talk to Simon about possibly playing along with a drum machine. Update: Simon has never done this but is willing to give it a whirl. I need to make some files with some drum parts set up and set a time to go try it out with just me and him, see what happens
38. Get EVERYTHING registered on my ASCAP
39. Write a real Mr. S bio and distribute among music sites
40. Unify art design across all sites Additional: Use images from Maryevelyn photo shoot for this purpose.
41. Figure out how to cross-promote art-music-art
42. Scan ALL sketch books (weeks of work!)
43. Find anything in sketchbooks that can be used as-is for shirts, prints, etc
44. Digitize all old 4-track tapes and mine them for anything good
45. Get voice synthesizer sorted, start using heavily
46. Write new IP songs
47. Write new Mr. S songs
48. Take guitar amp to the shop and figure out how to pay for it's repairs Update: Amp goes to the shop tomorrow. I hope the guy at Blue Moon isn't backed up with repairs right now. Update: Amp has been to the shop and repaired. It turned out, of course, to be a LOT of stuff and to cost about twice what I thought it was going to. But, amp fixed; and sounding really good. So, Another one down!
49. Clean my room Update: Done! Already dirty again... Update: I suppose this one would have a nearly infinite number of update so, whatever. Already cleaned it again. The neverending story right?
50. Keep going to work every day to pay the bills and wear me out and keep me from being able to do number one on this list
51. Using voice synthesizer, make announcements/MC stuff for live show
52. Pick a Mr. S song to have a video that is nothing but a black screen with some really, really nice title and end-title screens. Then, pick another song to have what seems like the exact same video, except make, either, little intermittent flashes of things on key song points. Or, have a full frame video in B&W that is toned down to be almost black with gray as the 'white.'

And that's it for this To-Do Update, Mar. 22nd, 2013

Now, time to get to work on "We Live Majique."

"The Story Of My Life" (Demography)

So, just now, I was watching John Linnell of They Might Be Giants, in an interview talking about how they changed from young friends, with an interest in recording, to what they are today. And I thought about how nothing I've ever recorded, on my own, my stuff, has really ever been put out as a chronological collection. There was a collection that I put together just for friends that I called "Demography," (Demo-Biography, I didn't know the term at the time) which I 'released' years ago, but it wasn't chronological, and it was put out when I thought I had a long history of writing music, but not in a time anywhere similar to now, when I have a really long history of writing.

So, I think it's time to have a real collection of my demos. I think it's time for a real 'Demography,' that's chronological (as far as I can remember) and all the earliest versions of songs I've written.

I was thinking of calling it, in a nod to Hal David and Burt Bacharach, "The Story of My Life," which seems really fitting because music is the only real thing I have done with my life. Therefore, "The Story of..."

But, "Demography" seems more appropriate. And I think, right now, that I will be going with that name. Or, maybe a compromise: "Demography (The Story of My Life.)"

Any opinions?

Didn't think so.

Regardless, maybe you will find yourself in possession of "Demography..." and I hope, for you, the absolute best! And, while you're at it, I hope a song may creep into your brain from that collection, and color a moment of your life.

So, thanks for the one-way psychiatric session. And thanks for helping me, not at all, decide the name of my whole 2013 life-work marker.

"What A Wonderful World."

...All Songs Considered...

Are all songs really considered, NPR?

FCB1010 Ableton Setup Update (Yr Dying to Know)

So, bloody hell, I've finally got the FCB to start doing some of the things I bought it for. It's a bleeding miracle! Thanks to ceekghic over on the Ableton forums, I've been able to switch guitar effects and synth sounds (coming from my G2M) as well as control the volume of the synths with the expression pedals. [refer to post "Control VST's with a Guitar-type Pedalboard: Update" for link to ceekghic's post]

Next on the list: set up pedals to fire loops, if possible set up one pedal to set tap tempo, and set expression pedals to control effects parameters without changing presets.

Here's a picture of squirrel getting ready to bowl:

Mapping Out FCB1010 Pt 2 (Duck Roll Call)

I've realized that it would be pointless to start programming the FCB1010 without figuring out all of the sounds that I need. So, I haven't touched the thing since yesterday and, instead, I've been mentally mapping out what I need with a few extras thrown in, in the utterly unheardof chance that the basics go really smoothly and fast. There is no chance so, pretty much, ignore anything that says "Sample," "maybe," or "try..."

Tuesday - None
                 Delay +Buzzy or Numan01 (Vol Right Pedal)

Student Loans - None

Chateau Nervoso - Ld +LowNuman01 (Vol Left Pedal) +Discovery Buzzy (V Right Pedal)
                               Ld +Dly +LowNuman01 (Vol Left Pedal) +Discovery Buzzy (V Right Pedal)

World of Douchebags - Dly
                                      Sample - Bck Vox on Chorus (both notes)
                                      Sample - Bck Vox Phrases (all three)

Souvenirs - None
                   Quiet
                   Chorus +Reverb (Level on Right Pedal?)
                   Sample - Delayed "solo"

Used Parts - Bit Crusher
                    Bit Crusher +Lead +Dly

Minimum Wage - None (or HiG)
                             None (or HiG) +Loud Dly (on Right Pedal, could that be a send? so the delays
                             continue after mute?)

Untouchable - Fuzz or HiGain (HiG)
                        HiG +Lead +Dly
                        HiG +GuitarRig3 "synthy effect"? (on Pedal)
                        or, HiG +Numan01 (or Pro-53 sound) with pitch control set on both pedals, i.e. Left
                        Pedal 0 to +12, Right Pedal 0 to an additional +12

Spome - HiG
               HiG +Lead
               HiG +Lead +Delay
               Sample - Sample of guitar intro hits
               Sample - Low "E"

It's Alright Now - None
                             Lead
                             Sample - Drum Noise

Sample - Create Mr. S Handclaps sample and trigger in 8th note pairs with a pedal? (Spome, Untouchable)

Here's a picture of a grasshopper eating. It reminds me of the pics I've taken for the official "Stuck Up" video.

Notes for Mapping Out My FCB1010 for Ableton

So, read this if you want to be bored or, if you are in The Inner Party and want to know what the hell I'm up to. It's just a web-accessible document for me to figure out how to set up my FCB1010. I decided to keep it public. Why the hell not?

Current Set:

Tuesday: A quiet setting, Delay, Maybe a high synth (CP_Numan01)

Student Loans: Nothing

Chateau Nervoso: Lead setting, Delay, Synth sounds (Minimoog Numan01 Low, and Discovery "Buzz" up an octave volume set on the second expression pedal, delay on the MM, Reverb on the Disc.)

World of Douchebags: Backing vocal samples triggered by pedals from an audio track, Maybe a high synth of some kind (Buzzy?) from G2M. Really want vocal effects too on this track. Maybe I'll try that on a later version of this setting.

Souvenirs: Quiet setting, Modulation and Reverb for "walkdown" parts (set reverb level to Expression Pedal 1 to nothing but reverb and try to emulate old Bunny Prole version?)

Used Parts: Bit Crusher or something similar, Make sample of keyboard noise from old IP setts and set up in Simpler hopefully controlled by G2M.

Minimum Wage: Really heavy delay (with mod?) for octave down parts in verses

Untouchable: Lead setting, Delay, Chorus on Ending?, High gain dist or fuzz maybe, Tryout that synthy sounding effect in GuitRig3 on last chorus, or Tryout high Numan01, or Pro-53 sound, on ending and break between verses and see how it reacts to chords (set to expression pedal for pitch, LPed bend +12, RPed bend another +12)

Spome: Normal volume setting, Lead setting, High gain dist or fuzz if it sounds good on my amp, Delay, Sample of guitar playing low E and the intro/outro "hits", Vocal effects would also be great on this song but we'll save that for a later incarnation

It's Alright Now: Lead setting for last verse on, Trigger sample of the drums from the original demo of the song on the ending.


So, I need:
1. A basic dry average volume setting.
2. A quiet setting.
3. A lead setting.
4. General delay.
5. Numan01 Low
6. Numan01 High, volume controlled by exp pedal.
7. Discovery "Buzzy" space sound, controlled by exp pedal.
8. Chorus
9. High-gain distortion or a good fuzz.
10. Chorus
11. Bit Crusher
12. Vocal samples for Douchebags
13. Ending drum sample for Alright.
14. Guitar low E sample and intro/outro "hits"

Got to think about this....

Here's a romance novel cover...

Control VST's with a Guitar-type Pedalboard: Update

So, I've been spending a LOT of time the past two days googling my ass off. I finally got one thing to work yesterday. I got the FCB1010 to control Ableton.

Two things you should know if you want to control Ableton's interface with a FCB1010, both really simple but easy to overlook:

1. Make sure that in Prefs>MIDI/Sync>MIDI Ports you have the "Remote" enabled for your        MIDI input device. This very simple thing eluded me for hours.
2. Make sure you have your FCB1010 pedals set to use only CC#'s between 22-31 and 84-90.

Using these two bits of info, I finally got the FCB1010 to turn channels off and on and can control the volume of channels with the expression pedals. I was also able to control an effect rack chain with the expression pedals; both using the standard MIDI mapping function in Ableton.

I think using some undecided-upon, and seemingly complex, Ableton-FCB1010 setup, I will be able to control both my guitar's effects and the VSTi's I'll be controlling with my G2M. I definitely will still be working on this for days to come. But, I did find this post which was helpful for some things and, so far, is the only thing I've found helpful searching for "Ableton as live guitar effects."

Ableton as live guitar effects

I hope somebody will find this little bit of info useful. It's wasted hours of my time to try and find it on my own.

Here's a picture of a chicken that will kick your ass at Tic-Tac-Toe.

Control VSTi's With A Guitar-type Pedalboard?

I've been trying for a while now to figure out how to get some external midi gear to control things in Cubase 5 and Ableton. Part of the problem is that I'm using a Behringer FCB1010 midi foot controller, which apparently, can do most of what I need. But, programming it is a freaking bitch!
Here's what I'm trying to get control of. I have Sonuus G2M ver2 that I've been using to control VSTi's in Cubase. I want to have multiple instruments that can be played alone or as a stack along with the guitar; all at once. I want to be able to turn them off and on via footswitch.

Cubase is not designed for live uses, but I personally think it sounds better and I also know it much better than Ableton. I have used it in live situations in the past with success as my guitar effects rig but that was being controlled by Cubase internally by automation. This was possible because, at the time, the band was playing with a drum machine, also in Cubase.

It also can be controlled by outboard gear for recording purposes. Which would lead me to assume I could mute/unmute channels, control channel volume, etc. Which could be my solution. But I can't for the life of me figure out how, at least with the FCB1010. I also have a midi controller keyboard with programmable sliders that I think I can set to at least control track volume. That I haven't tried yet as it would be only a partial solution; I can't be playing guitar and simultaneously moving sliders on a keyboard.

I have had some minor success in Ableton switching things on and off with the FCB1010 but I emphasize the word 'minor.' One problem with that is that the FCB1010 can be set to turn a channel off and on but there is no feedback, i.e. there is no light that shows if it's active or not. The most success I had controlling Ableton was with a computer keyboard that I modified and then programmed Ableton to make the necessary changes when certain keys are stomped. Yes, i used a computer keyboard as a foot controller (I'll post on that setup sometime soon, as it worked well for some things and was a very very cheap solution.) All of the dedicated gear I have seen for Ableton seems specifically designed for DJs, not something I can control with my feet.

All the gear to control music software is made specifically for DJ's, guitarists, or recording engineers. I'm kind of stuck in the middle of them, wanting some of each.

Are there any dedicated Ableton controllers that are footswitches? Footswitches that aren't specifically designed to control guitar amp emulators? Am I overlooking something in Cubase? I've been wracking my brain here. So if anyone has had success with something similar to what I'm describing, your help would be greatly appreciated!


P.S.- I thought also about using two or more G2Ms along with A/B switches sent on different midi channels but the G2M only outputs to channel one. If anyone knows of a cheap hardware device that can take input data and output the same data to a different channel, that would be very useful too. I've been googling that for the past hour or so with no success.

New Pics (Collaboration with Maryevelyn)

So, today, Maryevelyn, of Schmary-Schmevelyn and the Schmashters of the Schmuniverse fame, kindly came over with her fancy-pants camera and took some pics of me. It was a good idea. Here's some quickly chosen and very raw examples: