Philosonia

For the love of sound.


Decco Goes Ubu-Crazy

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

Not so long ago I wrote an article about my new tube pre-amp, the Decco.  It’s from this company called Peachtree Audio.  They make a new version called the Nova which is even cooler.  How I wish I was being paid for my talents…

Anyway, I really like the Decco.  The only thing is I was having some trouble figuring out how to get my Ubuntu systems to send the signal to the Decco via USB.  Until now.

Open the PulseAudio Volume Control (located at Applications —> Sound & Video).  Navigate to the Output Devices tab.  I had two entries here: Internal Audio and 0000 Analog Stereo.  I’m not clear why it’s called analog, but the 0000 is the one we are after.

Navigate to the Configuration tab.  Under Internal Audio change the Profile: drop-down to Off.  Make sure 0000 shows as stereo.

You’re done.

Rock out.

(If you are having troubles with PulseAudio in Ubuntu, you will want to take a look at this wonderful post.  If you are experiencing other audio/video issues in Ubuntu, here is an excellent and comprehensive post.)

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The King of Poop is Dead

Thursday, July 9th, 2009

And it couldn’t have happened to a nicer guy.  His heart exploded—during the opening song for Sesame Street.

Oh, that’s misdirected. It implies that I detest him for being a Creepy Uncle. I would like to emphasize that my judgement is one based upon my experience of his music.

The world of music has not diminished one iota with the death of Michael Jackson.  I know a lot of folks actually liked this mad-hatter, but even his best work—that with the Jackson Five—was quite pale compared with something like Sly and the Family Stone (take special note of Fresh).

He certainly made a lot of money for folks who already had a lot, but this in and of itself is not a very interesting accomplishment.  Even Amazon.com remarks on, “His incalculable musical legacy” (on their home page).  Well, duh.  My musical legacy is incalculable.  A musical legacy is not something subject to calculation.  True by default is hardly impressive.

I’m a little sad only because the prediction of the sagacious South Paw Jones (in his work “The Last Remaining Beatle”) did not come to pass:

Please don’t think me callous for speaking ill of a dead man.  My criticisms of his music were much more caustic while he was alive.

Remember: never trust a fishmonger with warm hands (where has he been keeping them?).

Later.  Sly Stone is calling me.

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Music in the Now

Sunday, May 31st, 2009

I went out last night with a group of friends to see the premiere of a much anticipated documentary on music.  Of course, when one goes out to such an event, one has certain expectations.  Well, I had my first lecture in Unexpected 101.

When the bill says “documentary”, you can expect to be informed and educated on the subject at hand.  And surely there will be a well-formed argument supported by evidence bringing the viewer toward the philosophical position asserted by the thesis of the film-maker.  Who could doubt this?

Yet Icons Among Us delivers something which is so much more—and so much more powerful—than expected that one must feel an urge to liberate it from the constraints of that word, documentary: it is too small a cage for this size of bird.

I have been watching the progress of this release for some time now.  (I think it was seven years in the making.)  The final product has been divided up, so we consumers will have a few options for getting our feet wet.

There is a wealth of information on their official Web site.  In short, what I watched was a theatrical version of the work (coming in just under two hours).  There is also a four part (about four hours in total) series which is being aired at various dates on the Documentary Channel.  (If you visit their site I am told you can sign up to be notified about a DVD release which I imagine would contain both versions.  I have not yet confirmed this with a link.)

Icons Among Us is a philosophical coup de grâce putting into our minds the questions What is music?, What does it mean to be a musician?, and Who am I?  The philosophically weak-of-heart should consult a PhD before seeing this film due to the increased risk of metaphysical myocardial infarctions.  Everyone else, be prepared to enjoy some excellent music during the show, and know that you will want to have scheduled some musical listening after the show: a known side effect is increased musical hunger.  Good medicine.

This is exactly what my friends and I did.

Which brings us to part two of this review.  After the premiere (and after some noodles) we made our way over to Neumos for a show.  (I should take a moment to mention that Icons Among Us was shown as part of SIFF at the Egyptian thanks to various sponsors including DonQ‘s yummy rum.)

I’m really not sure how to talk about the daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra.  Do I describe them as an orchestra which incorporates hip-hop components (such as rappers and scratch), or are they more an MC/DJ combo backed by a full orchestra and a rhythm section?

I swear to you, I have never seen a more exuberant and at the same time technically exquisite violin solo.  Nor would I have been able to guess that an audience could respond to violin work with such powerful vocalizations.  Put plainly, this show (juxtaposed as it was with the documentary) was musical magic.

Ok, so go find a way to watch Icons Among Us and check out the daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra.

Life just keeps getting better.

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Audio-Video Never Tasted So Good

Sunday, December 14th, 2008

So, a short while back I bought a new pre-amp for myself: Peachtree Audio’s Decco.  I bought the black one because it goes with anything and, well, black is the new black.  Nice little bit of gear.  Sounds great.  It will also act as an integrated amplifier if necessary.  And it has a great USB input and its own NOS DAC to go with it.

There was a problem with the first unit I took home, but the guys at the store were very quick to get me a replacement and that one has worked perfectly ever since.  (Not a significant problem mind you.  The volume knob wasn’t responding to the remote, probably the servo was offline or somesuch.  Nothing wrong with the functionality of the electronics themselves.)

At any rate, I was really happy with the service and the store where I bought the Decco and wanted to take a moment to talk about them.

They are called Resolution Audio : Video and they are located in Ballard (Seattle).  I get the privilege of walking down from time to time and listening the highest of highend gear.  Something very nice about listening to a set of speakers which are worth as much as a new car.  Surreal.

At any rate, as you can surmise from the Decco they also sell highend gear for normal people.  Don’t feel as though you ought to be selling your VW to buy a set of sweet speakers—though if you do, please invite me over for a listen.  They have a lot of contemporary gadgety gear as well, like iPod docks for audio purists—or folks like me who use uncompressed wav files on their iPods and mp3 players.

They are, in the spirit of the season (read: recession), having a sale to encourage we consumers to do our parts for the economy.  This is not something they normally do (have a sale).  Let’s get booming.

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Parks Produces, Plays

Saturday, November 8th, 2008

Well, my good friend and music producer Ian Parks (from An American Starlet) is back in the studio again—returning as a musician, singer, and songwriter.  He has put together a little tune of very large proportions.

Girl from Washington

What first strikes me in listening to this new song, called Girl from Washington, is the profound influence of Thin Lizzy.

(Here is an old interview of Ian and Jared Matt Greenberg.  They have changed quite a bit since then, but it’s a nice history of the band and their music.)

I’m not sure whether Ian will publish this song as An American Starlet or seek out a new identity.  It clearly represents a movement along a continuum, a progression in style.  What remains to be seen is whether he will work to make a break from the previous album releases (Sweet Country Lullabies From An American Starlet and The Duchess of Hazard are currently listed on Amazon).

By contrast, it is very apparent that Ian has not lost any of his songwriting shine.  He plays all the instruments on this track.  Wrote it, played it, and produced it.  I hope you enjoy listening to it.

Do you have an Starlet story?  Let’s hear about it.

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String Theory

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

People often ask me about my String Theory of Musical Decline.

Okay, here it is in a nutshell. When a band adds strings to their music it is a kind of death knell. A band can be doing just fine all on their own but then at some point they feel whatever need must be fulfilled and they add some strings to their music.  Take a look at Zeppelin’s worst album: In Through the Out Door.  Now, saying Zeppelin’s worst album is rather like saying “Oh, I pillaged but all I came back with was the Aztec’s worst gold”.  Cry me a river.  But, it is their worst and it’s filled with pseudo-strings.

So, I’ve been articulating this theory for years and what should show up in my collection a while back but a new Diana Krall album, “When I Look in Your Eyes”. Really, not such a bad album. Not nearly as good as the previous stuff she had done, and nothing since has been either. I guess that’s my point. This album marked the end of the classic era for Diana Krall. Unless she has a renaissance, you will want to concentrate on albums prior to that album.

Here’s the rub. The record label placed over the cellophane a small sticker. On that sticker it read “Now with strings”. I shit you not. They stated it in no uncertain terms. As though this is what we’d all been waiting on.

Oh, that Diana Krall, what a performer. But she could use a little more cowbell.

I don’t pretend to understand the cryptic idiocy of the masses. Nor do I claim to fathom the corporate drones who place stickers on CD cellophane. I guess I should be thankful they didn’t place the sticker under the cellophane.

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Music to Sample and Ponder

Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

You may have already seen my review of the upcoming album by Dr. Joseph Anderson called ‘Epiphanie Sequence’.  Well, they sent me a little sample of the music which I might post here:

Mpinga

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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Epiphanie Sequence’s Sounds Abound

Sunday, June 1st, 2008

If you’ve known me for long and at all well, you know that my musical collection contains some odd gems.  I make no bones about this.  I actively seek out musical compositions which challenge the boundries of sound itself.  And in this I have made yet another wonderful discovery–so how’s about a little music review?

There is an album on its way into the world by Dr. Joseph Anderson called ‘Epiphanie Sequence’ and it should arrive at Sargasso on 23 June 2008.  The album contains three longish tracks:

  1. Kyai Pranaja (19:45)
  2. Mpingo – Matt Ingalls, bass clarinet(23:30)
  3. Pacific Slope (26:20)

Probably about a month ago I was listening to KBCS in my living room when I heard Mpingo and was immediately fascinated by what I heard and what I knew to be the source of the sounds.  This music is part of the genre known as Sound Sculpture.  According to Sargasso:

Rather than following traditional musical structures of harmony, melody and rhythm, many composers today are using electronic methods to ‘sculpt’ sound. Using natural sound sources such as acoustic instruments or everyday noises as starting points, they proceed to manipulate them to create new sonic materials. This process, although evolving in time, is perceived more as a tactile 3D object than as linear music. These compositions therefore are like audio-sculptures occupying a place in the listening space as well as in time.

Imagine you have a sound and it’s more like a piece of clay than a fixed piece of noise.  You can then mold that sound into multiple pliable entities.  This is a good model for what is happening here.  In Mpingo, Anderson begins with the simple breath’ing of Matt Ingalls bass clarinet and transforms those (otherwise) meager pre-musical sounds into vast soundscapes with striking musicallity and emotive deapth.

I am looking forward to hearing the other two tracks.  If they have been given the same sensitivity and attention as Mpingo then this trio will sit nicely in any room where speakers live.

I have pre-ordered a copy for myself.  I have asked Sargasso for a link to the album and when I have that I will update this post.  If you do drop by Sargasso and decide to get something, mention my little blog so they know how important we’ve become.

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