Monty Stark all the way on the far right.

I was saddened yesterday, when I logged on to my Facebook and saw this:

“To All Concerned. It is with great sadness that I inform you of Monty’s passing. Monty left us all in the early evening of Thanksgiving, November 26, 2009. Monty courageously battled Cancer on his own terms, seeking not to endure the pain of the usual therapy, but went his own way at Hospice of the Valley in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he lived out his last several weeks. I was honored to be his friend.”

Condolences were posted by Monty’s friend, Dennis Sexton, Phoenix, AZ.

I put a call into the Stones Throw publicists office, but got no return call. It was confirmed on Soul Strut later that afternoon. For those of you who didn’t know, Monty was part of a band called The Stark Reality with members Phil Morrison, John Abercrombie, and Vinnie Johnson. Beatheads and crate digger’s remember him as the kick ass vibes player sampled by Large Professor, J-Live, Madlib, Main Source and Black Eyed Peas. His music was rediscovered and brought back to life by Stones Throw Records in present times. I did not know Monty, but had seen many conversations with him on the Strut. From what I saw he was a kind man, who was happy to talk about the old days, sampling, and his music career. I was really sad, even though I was not close to him. He seemed like a guy who lived by his own rules and made everyone around him happy. Rest in Peace Monty Stark, may your music and legacy live on. Keep Diggin’!

I plan on doing a review of the Stark Reality in the very near future.

an awesome website for anyone interested in vintage keyboards.  Check it out!

http://www.synthfind.com/

… there are many like it but this one ’s mine. Your keyboard is probably the less expensive piece of hardware in your workstation. If you’ re a programmer and you’ re working with a cheap keyboard it’s because either you’ve never learned how to leverage its potential or you’ve never put your hands on a good one.
If you’re making heavy use of the mouse you should try this little experiment: start your IDE of choice, unplug your mouse and try to get something done. At first it will be impossible even to do the simplest task but, with time and practice, you will feel more and more comfortable. Coding without leaving your hands form the keyboard has a number of benefits you should keep into account:

• Speed boost – moving the mouse cursor around takes a whole lot of time. Even just getting the habit of accessing the menu bar with Alt+key will make you a lot faster.
• No loss of momentum – the lone fact that you have to move your main hand back and forth from the keyboard to accomplish the most trivial task makes concentration much more difficult to attain. Keeping both your hands on the keyboard makes everything smooth, to a point that you’re not even explicitly thinking about each single step of the task.
• It makes you look cool – (to other geeks). But hey, it surely shows that you’ve put some effort into improving your craft. That’s always a good thing.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I’ve got nothing against the mouse as a device. It’s just that i don’t think that coding is one of the activities that require the mouse the most, not at least as much as it is usually employed.
Take for instance first person shooters, as Quake or Unreal: I think they make a great use of the mouse. The problem with programming is that you need both of your hands on the keyboard. If we happened to have another hand free to use for the mouse it would have been a different story but, at the moment, the choice is between switching your hands between the keyboard and the mouse or abandon the mouse.

There are plenty of keyboards around to choose from. What is the best depends only from you and your preferences but I believe there are some attributes every good keyboard should have:

• Excellent feedback – to keep your writing fluid and without typos it essential that you are able to feel when a key gets pressed and released almost subconsciously. Buckling spring keyboards will give you the best tactile and audible feedback you can get, but they’re really loud. A good compromise is the scissor switch technology, nowadays the default for laptops, which will give you excellent feedback without being so annoying to your coworkers. Most of the keyboard you will find, also the vast majority from the more expensive ones, will have dome switches instead. They really suck and you should better avoid them.
• Standard layout – having all the keys in the places you expect them to be is crucial, especially after you get used to the layout. It is especially important that the end/home/ins/del keys are in fixed places, since those are the ones you will have to stretch the most to get to. You can get used to non-standard layouts, that’s for sure, but it will be a real pain when you don’t have your keyboard of choice at your disposal, or if you routinely switch between different keyboards (as is the case if you have, for example, a desktop and a laptop).

I recently bought a new laptop and I made the big mistake of not keeping the keyboard into account: it’s a good keyboard, it gives nice feedback, but the non-main keys are scrambled all over the place. I fortunately use a vim-like layout so the damage is minimized, but it’s still annoying.
Aside from my laptop’s keyboard, I currently use two other keyboards:
a Model-M IBM, a gift from a colleague (thanks Mirco!)

and a DasKeyboard.

The first one is just the BEST keyboard I’ve ever tried. A clone of the original is still in production so you can easily get your hands over one of these jewels. The only drawback is that everything else you will use afterwards will seem cheesy and you will take a while to readjust.
The DasKeyboard has also great feedback, looks really slick and the ultimate version gives you a chance to show off how geeky you are

We’ve been going through the NIN touring and studio rigs and are getting rid of a large selection of gear and equipment the band is no longer in need of. It’s being listed on eBay here. We do not know which (if any) tour these items are from unless specified, nor can we get any items autographed, so please do not ask. Hundreds of items will be listed over the next several weeks such as guitars, keyboards, amplifiers, drums, staging, anvil cases, cables, rack/outboard gear, guitar effects, and pedal boards. Check the eBay page regularly for new listings, or follow @nineinchnails on Twitter for updates. More information can be found in the descriptions of each item.

We’ve also been gradually adding more inventory to the merch store, including t-shirts, books, and posters from recent tours. We’ll be continuing to add more items in the future, so check back regularly or follow @nineinchnails on Twitter for updates.

posted by nin pr at 12:10pm

discuss @ nin.com

Parking lot lights, busy gray bodies, and those polyester shoulders can’t mean anything to me anymore. It was a first, sure, but he didn’t know your name. He called you something else. So it shouldn’t mean anything. Not those shoulders, not that feeling. 

So what if it felt nice? So what if it made you so happy your heart could have danced with the stars? You have to put that picture down, or burn it so you won’t be tempted to put it up again. That way you can’t ever think that way again. 

He’s with her, she’s with him. They’re as happy as can be. And if I had only known that when it happened, I wouldn’t have leaned in that far, or let myself get too happy. If I had paid attention to how he had drawn me in closer, with my name–not my name, not my name–I wouldn’t have thought it to be that great. Not if I knew why he had been so happy. 

And if  I had paid any attention to his face, the other drummer. The way he reminded the first that my name was Rachel, the way he kept looking at me anxiously. If I had heeded any of his warnings, the memory wouldn’t have been soured. There wouldn’t have been a memory to begin with.

I can’t listen to it anymore, the song. And it was all yellow. Look at the stars, look how they shine for you. Not again. I just think of it when I hear it. The book is still open on my piano, waiting for me to finish the song. It’s over. I don’t want to play it ever again. My limbs just grow weary and sick and deceived. I have to get up. I can’t ever finish it. Such a shame. It was a beautiful song.

And the wristband that I tossed away in a box, a time capsule. Twenty years from now, I told myself that night, I’ll look back on this. I didn’t think about what a disaster it could turn out to be. Didn’t think it was anything but genuine. The wristband still sits there, alone, gathering dust. At least I won’t see it for a while. Until I’ve moved fully past it. Until I’ve reached another milestone.

You don’t care, you don’t care, I tell myself. And I know that much is true. I just care about how much of myself I put into that one memory, only to slam it against the wall. I just care about how happy I was and how I can’t remember it anymore without wanting to get sick. That is why I care.

I know that much to be true.

One of the most impressive demos I’ve seen in the last couple of years–although I’ve seen it only in the form of online video, not in person–is Swype, a form of QWERTY input for phones that was unveiled at last year’s TechCrunch50 conference. It lets you enter text by zigzagging your finger around an onscreen keyboard, and while it’s always dangerous to judge a product based on a demonstration by the guys who created it, it looks neat.

It’s well over a year later, and Swype is finally showing up on a handset: Samsung’s Omnia II from Verizon, which ships on December 2nd. If Swype is quite as revolutionary as it looks, I’m not sure why it’s taken this long for it to become available–and the Omnia, which runs Windows Mobile 6.5, doesn’t look like a very thrilling phone otherwise. But I plan to sneak into a Verizon store next week and see if I can get some hands-on time…

The Privia PX-330 keyboard from Casio combines professional sound quality and performance in a sleek, lightweight package.  A new grand piano sound introduced in the PX-330 is comprised of four dynamic layers of stereo piano samples.  The Keyboard is equipped with 128-polyphony and features a new Tri-Sensor 88-note scaled hammer action keyboard (which gives users the weight, feel and resistance of a grand piano but without sacrificing portability). MSRP $800.

It used to be black and now it’s white. M-Audio’s controller keyboard is back with a new look and on steroids…

The first thing you’ll notice as soon as you unpack the Axiom Pro is that it looks different compared to the standard Axiom. No black and gray sleek finish anymore, instead you now have a shiny white finish to emphasize the black controls with red and gray labeling. The color combination gives it an iPod Classic, 80’s revival look–it even has a chrome detail on the top of the encoders. Some might find it a bit too fancy but the contrast of colors will surely make it easier to use in dark environments, compared to the standard Axiom, be it on stage or in the badly-lit cellar you call home studio. M-Audio also used the occasion to add nice blue LEDs to 19 buttons and the keyboard’s LCD display.

White on Red

The controller’s layout will be familiar to people used to the first model. Apart from the look and the LEDs, the Axiom Pro has exactly the same controls in exactly the same place as the Axiom.

From right to left you’ll find eight velocity-sensitive pads, six transport controls for the sequencer, eight rotary encoders (which aren’t notched like on the old Axiom), nine sliders, nine buttons, eight global control buttons underneath the large backlit LCD display, a very convenient 12-key numeric keypad (which also includes letters, so maybe you can send an SMS with your Axiom…), two octave change buttons, and the essential pitch-bend and modulation wheels.

No big changes on the front panel… nor the rear: on/off switch, PSU connector, USB port (so you can power it via USB), MIDI input and output with 5-pin DIN connectors, and two 1/4″ jacks for sustain and expression pedals (not included). Nothing’s new under the sun. The real innovation is found on the most important element of any keyboard: the keyboard itself.

Thanks to the new TruTouch proprietary technology, the Axiom Pro provides a much more convincing playing feel than the Axiom. Even though the keys are still only semi-weighted keys with aftertouch, the keyboard feels heavier under your fingers and less cheap than its predecessor. Nice!  When it comes to MIDI, the keyboard works fine with a sequencer: velocity and aftertouch values match the velocity curve you set on the keyboard. On the other hand, we are less enthusiastic about the pads, whose response is not consistent throughout the whole surface. When you hit the side of the pad you record a much lower velocity than if you hit the center. In short, you’ll have to hit precisely in the center of the pad to avoid ugly surprises …

One last remark regarding mechanical parts: the sliders on the model we tested were a bit stiffer than the sliders on the old Axiom. It’s neither better nor worse, it’s just different. We’ll have to wait and see if it stays that way after long hours of use.

Now let’s take a closer look…

…

Conclusion

The Axiom was already a very good controller keyboard and it’s no surprise that the new Axiom Pro outdoes it with its improved keyboard, HyperControl technology, LEDs and ASCII message support. It will take you no time to learn it and its several sequencer mappings will allow you start working right away. Considering that it provides exactly the same control elements as its predecessor and that there is no 88 weighted key model, this Axiom is more like a Mark II than a Pro version. It’s an excellent choice for people looking for a high-quality, versatile keyboard but I’m not sure it makes sense for people who already own the previous model.

It is definitely worth the 30%-40% price increase compared with the older version, but it’s probably too high a price for Axiom users considering an upgrade. We regret that M-Audio didn’t seize the opportunity to add more new functions (more pads or an XY pad, like on competitor products). We can’t really complain about anything on this model except that it’s more like an Axiom II than an Axiom Pro…

Advantages:

• Look
• LEDs for dark environments
• Very pleasant feel
• Hyper-convenient HyperControl technology
• Control possibility via ASCII messages

Drawbacks:

• Still no 88-key version
• We expected more new functions
• No HyperControl presets for many sequencers

To read the full detailed article see:  M-Audio Axiom Pro49 Review

Check out this great interview that Ric’key Pageot gave to T.Bruce Witter for the Muzik ETC Magazine! Ric’key talks about Madonna, his studies & influences and his music projects, including working with his wife Dessy Di Lauro and Adam Lambert!

Ric’key: Madonna heard that the song “Miles Away” was my mother’s favorite on the current album. Madonna announced she was dedicating tonight’s performance of the song to my mother.

BW: Your keyboard sounds on the clip: they’re not stock sounds. When did you start getting deep into sound?
Ric’key: After I graduated and got into the Montreal funk thing. The guys I worked with pushed me to develop my sound. I dedicated a lot of time, from 2004 onwards, to crafting and bettering my own sounds. Playing with Cirque du Soleil gig and practicing my chops and sounds at night helped ready me for getting the gig with Madonna.

BW: And you’re now living in LA. You’re going to be hot on the session scene!
Ric’key: Well, I’m on the road a lot, which you have to do, but I do get a lot of sessions. I just did Adam Lambert’s album, the guy on American Idol – that was a big project. Monte Pittman, Madonna’s guitarist called me for the sessions. The drummer was Brian Frasier Moore, Madonna’s drummer.

Read the full interview here! Don’t forget to visit Ric’key’s myspace profile!

Lahat ng tao, may kanya-kanyang talento. Pero iilan lang sa mga yan yung masasabing ‘proud’ sa kaya nilang gawin. At may mga taong grabe magpahalaga sa isang bagay na nagsisilbing kasama nila sa paghinang nung talentong meron sila.

Magulo? Sorry. Nadedepress ako eh.

Dahil sa katangahan, nasira yung keyboards ko. Hindi ko alam. Ayaw nya na tumunog. Wala ng kwenta. Wala ng musika. Paano na `ko? Hindi ko alam.

Wala akong pera pambili ng panibago. Matagal ko nang gusto palitan yun, pero masyadong imposible. Ngayon pa kaya? Nakakaiyak. Sobrang importante nun sa`kin eh. Dun ko natutunan yung mga alam kong piyesa ngayon. Dun ko tinutugtog yung SORRY, SORRY at NEORAGO. Kamusta naman…

Yung keyboards na yun ang naging takbuhan ko sa mga panahong gusto kong masabi sa sarili ko na may kaya akong gawin. Yung keyboards na yung ang tinatakbuhan ko sa tuwing nabubuo yung duda ko sa sarili ko. Ang mga tiklado at ang musikang nalilikha ko doon ang constant reminder ko na may silbi ako dito sa mundo, at may maipagmamalaki ako.

Nawala na yung isang kaligayahan ko simula pagkabata. Paano na ko ngayon?

Sinisisi ko yung sarili ko kung bakit nasira yun. Dapat naging maingat ako eh. Dapat hindi ko binasta-basta. Dapat hindi ko pinilit baguhin yung natural na volume.

Una, yung MP3… Ngayon yung keyboards… Tsk. Kailangan ko pag-ingatan ng husto yung camera ko at itong PC. Inuunti-unti ako eh.

Aisssh. Paano ko tatakasan yung mga ala-alang ayokong balikan kung lahat ng katulong ko sa paglimot, nawawala na sa`kin isa-isa…

Keyboards ko… Mamimiss kita…

Okay, this post probably qualifies as controversial.  It’s just a little observation I’m making, and is not intended as criticism of anyone.

I think many, perhaps most, current computer users are handicapped by the mouse.

That’s it.  That’s the opinion, and it’s mine.

Therefore, I propose a new computer term: “mouse-dicapped.”  (With no apologies to the Disney people at all.)

Not “mouse-challenged” which implies inability to use the mouse, or “keyboard-challenged” since people still use keyboards for typing text.

Mouse-dicapped.  (Okay, it sounds like a mouse lost it’s head, but bear with me.)

Lemme ’splain that:

I started out way back when computing meant connecting a dumb terminal to a mainframe (hey, I even trained a little in library school using punch cards!).  No GUI (Graphic User Interface).  Just type.  You know, with a keyboard?  The same thing we still have attached to the computer (or phone, or whatever) in some form, or showing up on the screen, or appearing on buttons?  That thing.

Today, I still have the ability to swiftly do things like hold down two keys at once to copy (CTRL-C), and to paste (CTRL-V) and stuff like that.  I do that, and it’s finished before mouse users can right-click to open up the edit menu, select copy or paste, and do it.  In fact, I can copy AND paste before they get through with the copy using the mouse, a lot of the time.

This is not rocket surgery or brain science, it’s just being able to remember a few basic key combinations that let you do certain frequent actions easily and quickly, but I keep seeing people who cannot handle anything that does not offer a menu they can use with a mouse.  I step through the two-key combination, and they admire it, and seem to understand the concept behind it — but they’d rather not use it.  They want to stick with their mouse and the drop-down menus and the slower step-by-step.

This is not an “age” thing, as I see older people than myself still dependent on the mouse.  It’s more of a “who started out with a GUI and a mouse, and who started out with just a keyboard” thing.

It seems to be the fault of learning one way to do things, and sticking to that even when a more efficient method is available (and yes, I most certainly can use a mouse to copy and paste — I demonstrate it sometimes for the mouse-dicapped users here).  I just find it faster to use the two-key combos, when I have a choice.

Now, if an ergonomic keyboard throws somebody, or they have trouble with a trackball, I can empathize (I use a split-arranged ergonomic keyboard myself, but find a trackball’s learning curve steeper than I want to climb).  Sometimes it can be hard to adapt to different interfaces.

But if you know how to use a keyboard, and you know how to use a mouse, why use the less efficient one to accomplish a simple task?

Apparently, because it doesn’t involve remembering a two-key combination.

This, even from a generation that can remember to write “c u l8r” because it is a faster way to type “see you later” by 6 characters.

It seems that it’s just what we originally started with in a given bit of technology.  There seems to be no better reason that I can discern.  And it’s not a big deal — I just point it out as a limitation in human thinking that might explain why some technical developments are accepted, especially in human interfaces, and others are not.

Maybe we’re all mouse-dicapped with something or other, myself included.  And having said that, I now have to look around and see what I’m doing less efficiently than I could.

What’s your mouse-dicap?

Monkey Toasted: Who drinks the profits?

Disclaimer: If you are offended by articles criticizing the Toronto comedy community then now would be the time to stop reading. On the other hand, if you are interested in how artists are taken advantage of in our community then you should definitely keep reading.

————————————————————————————————————————

Actors, improvisers and musicians will do just about anything to get stage time in Toronto, and usually they are taken advantage of in one way or another. I was involved with Monkey Toasted, the improvised talk show for many years, occasionally as an improviser but mostly as a music director. The show is very popular around town, it has had top notch guests and it has won Canadian Comedy Awards. In fact, the producer brags that the show’s members have collectively been nominated for 98 Canadian Comedy Awards (some of those are mine). I’m not sure what this proves other than you can collectively be nominated for 98 awards and still no one can pay the rent or get paid for their craft.

I had personal and political reasons for being involved with the troupe. For one, I love to improvise and the producer and I had made a deal that if I music directed the show that I could also play on stage on occasion. Normally I would have to be paid to be a music director. I knew they didn’t really have piles of money to pay, but I believed in the troupe. My own problems with the more “corporate” improv troupe in the city (lets call it Melonville) were troubling. Racism was rampant with the new American, male-dominated regime of Melonville. As well, the politics of someone’s personal relationship in the workplace finally killed my paying job there.

Monkey Toasted was a bit of a safe haven. I overlooked certain problems with the troupe. I hoped to make it successful. I did a free corporate gig so that Reader’s Digest could write a story about how we do corporate gigs, even though we weren’t doing any corporate gigs. But we had to look like we were.

At the end of every show these performers, some of whom are very well known actors, are reduced to scavenging loose change from the audience. When the bowls of money are returned the money is apparently split up 50/50. The show would get fifty percent for promotion and the actors and musician (me) would split the rest between us. This would amount to, on a good night, maybe fifteen dollars for three hours of my work. The basic going rate for a music director in an improv show starts at $50.00 an hour. One night I overheard the producer say that he actually used his fifty percent to buy his dinner at a chinese food restaurant next door, and the rest went to buy some of his “smoke” – if you catch my natural mystic. So much for show promotion.

Actors will do this kind of non-union show (even if they are members of Actor’s Equity) simply because they love improv. It is different as a music director. Music directors are not given the same kind of glory. They are expected to sit there and not have an opinion and when it is time for awards they are swept unceremoniously under a rug. Even if you also happen to be a performer, a producer and a director – as well as a piano player – there is still this weird opinion that you should be subservient. You have to carry a lot of equipment so financial compensation is usually a given. Not with this show.

The last time I performed on stage as an actor in the show I kissed a man. I’m not saying the producer is homophobic (ahem…knowing glance) but that was the last time I was allowed to be on the stage. He doesn’t want to offend his mother or something. I was still expected to play the piano week after week for very little pay, even though that was not the original arrangement.

Fool me once, I can hear some of you say (if anyone is reading this). My anger at Melonville drove me to stay with Monkey Toasted, to try and make it work. The producer constantly dangled the carrot of a television show in front of me. But I never thought it would ever be a good telelvision show. Improv rarely translates to the boob tube. But he would constantly threaten to use another music director for the imaginary television show.

One time the head of CBC came to be the guest. This was supposed to be an important show. I was asked to bring my big heavy keyboard to make the show work. This was our chance. I was excited because the guest also happened to be a movie producer of some of my favourite films. I played the intro and they sat down for the interview. The producer of Monkey Toasted  glared at me and said “That sounds really weird. Can you turn that down?” Then during the interview he fumbled a question and couldn’t recover. I knew our chances of being on TV were instantly down the toilet. Afterward I overheard the CBC/film producer tell him that the music was the best part of the show. I’m not bragging here. Just sticking up for myself. I’m not sure Monkey Toasted ever appreciated what they had.

He doesn’t really appreciate the actors either. One time at the Fringe he told the improvisers, in front of an audience, that they had performed the worst scene ever (nice). The guests he interviews were told night after night, before the show, that they weren’t allowed to be funny. Moreover,  during the intermission he gives the improvisers a lecture and chastises them for any off-colour choices they might have made. This coming from a guy who couldn’t improvise his way out of a paper bag. Not surprisingly a lot of players leave, but they are always replaced by whoever leaves the Melonville stage, which unfortunately brings the politics of that insane asylum directly into Monkey Toasted.

The two people who had ruined my job with their stupid affair in the workplace insisted that they had a right to be in Monkey Toasted. Then they were caught red-handed in a lie and the Monkey Toasted producer told me he wouldn’t be able to work with them for at least a year. For a moment it seemed like the clouds opened up and the sun shined on me. Finally justice! But they eventually changed the producer’s mind with some arm-twisting and more lies. He then simply insisted that I should work with these people – for free – even though they had ruined my paying job at Melonville. So in the summer of 2007 I left Monkey Toasted. When it was nominated for best improv troupe he left my name off of the list of troupe members. And thankfully my own troupe won that year anyway. IN YOUR FACE MOFO!

This is a big load of whining I know. Why do I dwell on it? I suppose it is because I still have to hear about how great Monkey Toast is constantly. It’s all over my Facebook. I’m still friends with a lot of the improvisers on the show. But there were so many slaps in the face that I realize this will be a never-ending rant if I really mentioned every little humiliation I suffered at the hands of this awful producer. If there is a lesson in all this rubbish it is this: Anytime anyone asks you to do any work for free, or for a pittance of your usual wage, then simply don’t do it. That is when you will be treated the worst and you will leave feeling burned…

Come on. Eat your shitty toast and smile.

Brussels duo Soldout get Tronified

Today Mr. Apron wrote about the piano we are hopefully about to acquire, a relic from the days when people just had pianos as pieces of furniture.  Did they have them in hopes someone in the family would play, or because someone inevitably already did?  Were piano lessons a given, a rite of passage much as SAT tutoring is today?  Did Mr. Apron’s grandfather really buy the piano to match the window treatments?  We began to discuss these pressing issues after Mr. Apron let me read his blogpost.  I recalled an interview I heard on NPR about a singer-songwriter named Alice Peacock who has begun rescuing old pianos from Craiglist and homes where they are unwanted and housing them in her barn.  Where did this spate of unwanted pianos come from?  Well, we reasoned, people of our grandparents’ generation, if not already dead (as our 8 collective grandparents are), have downsized into condos and townhomes and have decidedly not taken their pianos with them, either into Shady Acres or to the grave.  And their children no longer view having a piano, or playing a piano, as a necessity, as they’re saving their money for SAT tutoring, or spending it on unlimited data plans for their family’s smartphones.  Those who do want pianos, and want a smaller, or cheaper alternative to the $50K it costs for a gently used living-room-sized 7′ Steinway, aren’t buying the spinet/upright/console pianos that Mr. Apron’s grandfather, and my paternal grandmother bought back in the heyday of such pianos.  The spinet we’re hopefully acquiring is from then as well.  No one wants to play the tinny sound that comes from a spinet piano, nor to move the 300lb weight, nor to tune the cramped innards.  People these days who want an affordable option for a child to learn on choose electronic keyboards. 

A few years ago, living on my own for the first time, I discovered I missed being able to sit down and play piano recreationally.  My brother had long surpassed me in technical ability, and I had no designs on going anywhere with it, but I found that, when I would go visit my family, I spent downtime between insanities in the living room, playing the familiar keys.  And so I made the mistake of asking for a keyboard.  I was, I think, specific.  I knew I wanted 88 keys, the same number as a real piano, and that I wanted the keys to be touch-sensitive, so that when you banged harder, you’d get a louder note, as on a real piano.  I forget what this feature is called in the world of keyboards, but it’s not important. 

I referenced in my last post (“OMG”) the gifts my family often lavishes upon us.  I have also mentioned in my birthday posts the danger of asking for gifts from my family.  This was no exception.  What arrived (with beaming smiles on my father’s and brother’s faces [for it was the latter's idea]) can be accurately described as a MIDI-input device.  What arrived, in my mind is an ivory elephant.  This is a keyboard which must be plugged into a computer to work.  It is only keys, same as the keyboard I’m typing on now, and requires a computer to process and generate output from the information.  The computer of course needs software (something called Cakewalk, which they generously provided), a sound card, and speakers, to play.  The computer I had did not have the ability to make the monstrosity play.  So my parents bought me a brand-spanking new computer, from which I now type, which also did not possess the necessary requirements in the way of sound cards, patches, and all the other bullshit.  So they then delivered a computer hailing from circa 1995 which had succeeded at home in the initial test-run of the keyboard.  And left me, with 2 computers (my former computer had just bitten the dust), and a gigantic piece of inert plastic with black and white keys.  Mute.  For I, too, was speechless. 

We set it up in our last apartment, and all I needed to do to play my new keyboard was boot up the dinosaur, turn on the minute speakers, open the Cakewalk program, fiddle around to tell it I wanted piano, not violin, drum kit, or full orchestra.  And then play.  Why, oh why?  Why couldn’t I have a self-contained machine?   I assume the idea was that, with Cakewalk, I could compose music, play any instrument I wanted, save and playback my creations.  Ideally, I’d upgrade the sound with bigger speakers, and have a hoedown on my MIDI toy.  Whose dream do you suppose that was?  I’ll give you 3 guesses, the first 2 don’t count.  My brother is a born tinkerer, one who soups up cars, stereos, skateboards, even trashcans.  Once he fitted a shoebox to the top of his trashcan so it was at the same height as his bed and he could pitch his Mountain Dew cans and Dorito wrappers with minimal effort. 

His dream, my white elephant.  I’ve tried to sell it on Craigslist, but all I got for the keyboard were offers from the usual Craiglist whackos offering half of what I asked for, pressuring me into selling that night in a back-alley, paying in “genuwine” gems in exchange for my toy.  My $200 (retail) toy, which is now useless to us, as we donated the computer it used to work with when we moved.  I hadn’t played it in months anyway, having cannibalized the mouse from that computer when the optical mouse on our functional computer rolled over and died one day. 

Does anyone want a MIDI input keyboard?  Retail value $200.  Worked perfectly last time it was plugged into the only computer on the planet it’s compatible with.  I’ll even throw in the stool and a free music stand.  And if you act now, I’ll throw in a fresh plate of hot brownies to sweeten the deal.  Please?!?

The last evening I spent in Iceland was simply magical. We ended the trip with a show from the band SEABEAR at the Grand Rock  venue in Reykjavik. We were lucky enough to catch the band as they were unloading their gear for the sound check and plan a last minute interview with them.  Here are the photos!

sindri, vocals and guitar. check out his solo project at www.myspace.com/sinfangbous

örn ingi, the mean guitar.

guggý, the violin.

sóley, keys   www.myspace.com/solkottur

Kjartan Bjarnason, drums.

Iceland is one of the rare places where you can meet the band members when purchasing tickets at the door…

The performance was fantastic.

Please check em out at www.myspace.com/seabear

You should listen to Sindri’s solo album under the name of  Sin Fang Bous,  www.myspace.com/sinfangbous

]]> http://thenoisingmachine.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/laconic-oration-october/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:18:01 +0000 Scott http://thenoisingmachine.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/laconic-oration-october/

September’s edition was such a success, I guess I’ll continue the monthly image post!!

Here are 15 images from Laconic Oration, during the month of October:

via Laconic Oration

scott

The main question regarding the Das Keyboard Professional Model “S” should not be whether it’s a very nice keyboard: it is. The keys are precise and smooth, and the amount of force necessary to generate a letter is far more appropriate than the standard keyboards shipped with most computers. Rather, the main question should be: is the Das Keyboard substantively better than the Unicomp Customizer and Space Saver, both of which use the time-tested IBM Model M design and manufacturing equipment? The answer is probably “no,” especially when one considers their relative cost: as of this writing, the Unicomp keyboards are $69 and made in the United States, while Das Keyboards are $129 and made in Taiwan.*

First impressions

The slim keyboard and its housing:

As shown, the Das Keyboard is black and unadorned by anything save a “daskeyboard” logo in the upper right. The keys themselves are matte black with white letters etched in by laser, while the borders are glossy and probably prone to fingerprints and smudging over time. The attractive minimalist design makes the keyboard look like part of a set when placed next an iMac and Aeron, as though it were designed to complement them.

The chief drawback aesthetically and practically is the split USB cord:

Not surprisingly, a picture like this doesn’t appear on the Das Keyboard website. It’s reminiscent of the Matias Tactile Pro 2, and not in a good way.

But the Das Keyboard does have two USB ports on the side, which is a useful feature the Customizer lacks. To me it doesn’t make much of a difference: I taped a four-port, powered USB hub to the bottom of my desk, and that’s where I plug in peripherals, my printer, and an iPhone cord. The hub cost $10, like the one at the link, although I bought mine elsewhere.

The keys

Each stroke brings a satisfying but muted clack, and I like typing on the Das Keyboard. Its keys don’t travel quite as far as the Customizer or Space Saver’s; it’s also easier to bottom out because one doesn’t have the curious resistance that a buckling spring provides, as described here:

The most widely produced buckling-spring keyswitch keyboard is the IBM model M keyboard. When pressing an individual key, the operator is physically applying increasing force (approximately 60-70 grams of force) against a coiled spring. The spring provides slight resistance, so that you can rest your fingers on the keyboard and not cause an accidental or inadvertent key press. Once the key travels a particular distance (approx. 2.5 – 3.5mm), the spring reaches the “catastrophic buckling” point and produces an audible click at the same exact instance that the computer records the keystroke.

With the Das Keyboard, you can still rest your fingers on the keys, but when typing you won’t have the catastrophic buckling that prevents bottoming out. Consequently, the Das Keyboard has a slightly harsher feel than the Customizer or Space Saver. It seems to take approximately the same amount of force to generate a keystroke, but that’s based solely on feel rather than on testing. There might be an objective difference between the two, but if so, it’s not great.

The key switches themselves appear to Cherry MX Blues, which are explained in greater detail at the link and in this Hot Hardware essay. You can see them in the Das Keyboard here:

These switches are louder, though not enormously so, than the Cherry MX “Brown” switches found in the Kinesis Advantage Ergonomic Keyboard, which I reviewed at the link, or the Majestouch Tenkeyless Keyboard. You could use the Kinesis Advantage or Majestouch Tenkeyless keyboard in a dorm or office without offending those in the same room, but the Das Keyboard is probably too loud for those environments. I assume the “silent” version uses Cherry MX “Brown” switches that are quieter and also appropriate for group settings. To get a sense of how loud each keyboard is, check out this video, which compares the Advantage, Customizer, and Das Keyboard:

What do all these models mean?

If you’ve visited the Das Keyboard website, you’re probably aware that you can buy four models: the “Original Das Keyboard Professional, “Das Keyboard Model “S” Professional,” which I am reviewing, the “Das Keyboard Model “S” Professional Silent,” and the “Das Keyboard Model “S” Ultimate.”

Here’s how the somewhat confusing nomenclature and model numbers work: A Das Keyboard “Professional” means there are letters on the keyboard, like mine; not having any letters doesn’t seem to confer any benefit aside from sheer geek street cred, about which I care less than practicality. A Das Keyboard “Ultimate” is identical to the “Professional” except that it’s blank. The Das Keyboard “Silent” is quieter, presumably due to using Cherry MX “Brown” switches like those mentioned above.

The Original Das Keyboard Professional lacks media function keys, has only a single USB connector, isn’t compatible with KVM switches, and doesn’t have “Full n-key rollover,” which means that if you mash, say, six keys at once, the keyboard might not register all of them. The last feature is apparently useful for gaming. The short version is that the differences between the “Original” and “Model S” are marginal and not very important. Given the choice, I’d probably take the original.

Mac support

The Das Keyboard supports OS X and Linux as well as Windows. You can buy a set of Mac- and Linux-friendly keycaps for $14.95, which is comparable to Unicomp’s cost for OS-specific keys. You’ll have to swap the Option and Command key in OS X’s system preferences, as described here.

A strange problem

Edit Nov. 12 2009: Thomas Aitchison of Das Keyboard sent me an e-mail saying that the problem I described below is a known bug and that the company is recalling the keyboards in the affected serial number range, so this probably no longer applies.

Every couple hours, a key would stop working. The first time it was the “e:” I typed “swt” instead of “sweet” in TextMate. The same thing happened in Word and Mellel. But when I plugged the keyboard into my MacBook, the “e” was back, and switching back to my iMac also solved the problem. The same thing happened a few hours later with the “control” key. Unplugging the keyboard and plugging it back in did the trick. It happened again with the “p” key, and presumably with others that I hadn’t noticed because I didn’t use them.

In addition, the remapped “option” key doesn’t function properly. In OS X, option-shift-hyphen generates an em dash, like this: —. But I had to remap the caps lock key to option to generate that dash. I have no idea why. This hasn’t happened with any of the other keyboards I’ve used with this computer: the Matias Tactile Pro, the Customizer, the Advantage, or the Apple Aluminum Keyboards. I assume this is a problem unique to this particular Das Keyboard or to this Das Keyboard with my iMac; if this happened with a purchased computer, the company promises “For repair and exchange: no waiting, no hassle. We will ship you a replacement as soon as we receive your shipment.”

A second opinion

My girlfriend used the Das Keyboard for a day and didn’t like it as much as I did: she said she heard a high-pitched squeak from it. Of the keyboards I’ve tried recently, she likes the Kinesis Advantage best. In comparison to the Unicomp Customizer, she wrote, “WAY better than the daskeyboard. [...] It takes a little more effort, and maybe I’ll find at the end of the day my muscles aren’t a fan of it, but for now, it’s definitely better. Feels more solid.”

Conclusion

Even Das Keyboard’s website says that “Das Keyboard compares to the legendary IBM model M. Its best-in-class mechanical gold-plated key switches provide a tactile and audio click that makes typing a pure joy.” They’re right: it does compare to the Model M. Either keyboard is an good choice. If I had to make it, I’d take the Model M. Its durability is proven, the key travel is slightly better, and it sounds slightly more like a typewriter and slightly less “plasticky” to my ears. In addition, it’s about $50 cheaper after shipping. The only drawback is the lack of USB ports, which seems minor in comparison to how the keyboard feels.

* Note: The review unit was provided by Das Keyboard and returned to the manufacturer after this review was written.

The band:

Alex Gonzalez

Keith Billik

Mark King

Mike Lang

Tom Beller

The Legendary Gil Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson & the Midnight Band released an incredible album in 1975 on Arista Records, entitled The First Minute of a New Day.

Offering

Ain’t No Such Thing As a Superman

Must Be Something

Pardon Our Analysis

Alluswe

The Liberation Song

Winter In America

PURCHASE ALBUM HERE