Oh, for more hours in the day… I’ve just wrapped up a Microsoft Visual Web Developer class. While I can say that I’ve learned a thing or two, in some respects it was like drinking out of a fire hose. Once one topic was done it was on to something else. Such is the nature of standardized instruction. Now the long-awaited opportunity to attempt some practical application of these newfound skills is here. First off, some redesign of this site, probably featuring jQuery here and there. The window is also here to roll out the redesigned STATUS site (www.statususer.org). Then it’s on to a truly ASP.NET site.
The new podcast hasn’t happened yet. The reason behind that is twofold: 1. I haven’t been home much. 2. I’m still fighting audio issues. I’m thinking now that it’s an IRQ issue with the USB port. The port works and audio goes back and forth but there are pops. Maybe a dedicated card would help, maybe not. This may have to wait until the fall. They say that for everything there’s a season. We’ll see. Maybe the season for this is fall/winter? In any event, it’s not dead, just resting.
Change may be inevitable but nobody said that it would be easy.
Much has been going on. Lately, I’ve been working on ASP.NET but the majority of my free time has been spent on the “Pod Studio”. In December I assembled a new PC for audio and media production. This time I decided to go with the small form factor of a Shuttle. Although the outside may be small, it’s got plenty of horsepower on the inside. Just last week I added a new video card and a second monitor.
Since it’s going to be used for audio production I have installed Sonar X1 Producer by Cakewalk as my digital audio workstation (DAW) software. The mixer might be software but it’s still easier to work with physical faders and transport controls. The Mackie Control Universal Pro would have been the ideal MIDI control surface but budget considerations led me to the Behringer BCF2000. It may not be perfect but it’s tried and true and should get the job done.
Behringer BCF2000
The control surface controls the mix but I also needed an audio interface. For that, I chose the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R. All microphones, guitar, bass, and keyboard audio feed into it. It will also serve as a MIDI instrument source. It feeds the PC via USB. Digital audio from the PC comes back through the USB for monitors. It took me awhile working out issues with crackling and distortion on playback but a new driver for the Fast Track took care of it and now I’m ready to start recording.
M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R
For monitoring I’ve set up an old JVC JA-S31 amplifier that’s been gathering dust for at least 5 years. It drives a pair of new Sony bookshelf speakers. There’s also plenty of cleanup and rearranging of the room so this project will be ongoing for some time. More pictures to follow as things progress.
The target date for the new podcast is Memorial Day.
Dave
I think that I’m starting to get the hang of RSS feeds. My first success was getting a feed up for my first podcast–Music Stuff. Beyond the aspect of seeing if I could do it, the purpose of the podcast is to share my music tastes with family and friends. It’s also to help educate my kids with the music that I’ve had a lifetime to enjoy. To subscribe just paste this URL into iTunes or your podcast aggregator: http://feeds.feedburner.com/daveparnin/MusicStuff
I plan to add a second podcast in the not too distant future that will be aimed more at the general population. Stay tuned.
Dave
Hey there, hi there, ho there!
The revised site is up. So far things are working as expected. There may be some fixed-width pages that should be converted to percentages. I want to add more variety to the header images that change based on the subject of the page.
The good news is that:
- There is a lot more detail regarding my skills and accomplishments.
- The DHTML/CSS/JavaScript menus make it easier to add/modify menu content.
- The new menus should make browsing easier.
- It looks way cooler now.
Next up will be some more Flash, JavaScript, and graphics. Database projects coming as time permits.
Dave
Site updates coming soon! (Really!)
- More Flash
- More JavaScript
- More Detail
Stay tuned…
Dave
www.nopracticenoproblem.com is up but not complete. Working on getting the forum running. It’s getting there.
November 17th, 2010
admin
At last, DaveParnin.com has a new home. On Monday I got the new site hosting set up and the blog created. It’s a new home with new challenges, new fun, and at some point, a new look. It looks like self-hosting will have some advantages. There are still some issues to work out with the migration of the site but it’s coming together. There will be some design changes coming too. I’m planning on the blog to take some of the more dynamic pieces of the site. Right now the plan is to get the old site up and running with some minor modifications. The major changes may not come until after the holidays.
Ho… Ho… Ho…
November 16th, 2010
admin
(Originally Posted November 10)
“Never go to bed angry. Stay up and fight.”
– Phyllis Diller
November 16th, 2010
admin
(Originally Posted November 2)
Have you ever considered that electing the officials who run our government is like inviting guests to a party? Some surprise, some disappoint. Some make you glad that they came. Some, you can’t wait until they leave. Still others make you wonder who invited them in the first place. No matter who they are, they eat your food and the next round of guests think that they have to clean up for their predecessors. …but they never do. Vote early and vote often. It might have it’s faults but it’s the best around.
