ramble on

Jomox M.Brane 11

2010-01-15T14:15:00.004-05:00

Following their hugely successful MBase 11, Jomox is set to release another earth shattering dedicated drum unit - The M.Brane 11. This time they're tackling the ever elusive membrane drums - Snares, Toms, Bongos, and the like. The unit can even offer up respectable Kicks and Hats, as the unit has a dedicated noise oscillator. Along with 2 of what Jomox calls T-Osc, or membrane oscillators, 2 analog envelopes, and an LFO with 8 waveshapes the unit is a percussionists dream. The unit has MIDI controls and has room for 110 patches.

A T-Bridge oscillator is actually something like a band pass filter which is working close to the resonant frequency. Because it becomes an actual sine oscillator at perfect tune-up, you call the deviation of ideal resonance dampen. In this case, the oscillator decays in form of an attenuated vibration if it's exited - similar to a single membrane that is hit.

You can read more about the M.Brane 11 and listen to a few audio demos on the M.Brane 11 page. This unit looks to be a perfect compliment to the MBase or a great intro to Jomox drum synths. I know I'll be there on day one to grab my hands on this little beauty.

Release date and price are TBA.

NAMM: Doepfer DIY analog synth

2010-01-15T13:58:00.004-05:00

If you've ever dreamed about building your own x0xb0x 303-clone but wanted a little more modularity, or more synth features, than Doepfer has the kit for you.

Doepfer,the minds behind the huge A-100 modular system, will be unveiling a new DIY analog synth kit at this year's NAMM conference. The kit ships with only a PCB board, so the user will have to supply a case and power supply as well as knobs, switches, and sockets. You can even combine two or more units to get extra VCOs, LFOs, VCFs, VCAs, etc.

VCO: sawtooth and rectangle output (with variable pulse width), several frequency CV inputs, several PW/PWM
CV inputs, linear FM input, hard sync input
VCF: multimode filter, lowp, highp and bandpass output (optional low-notch-highpass with external
potentiometer), 12dB/oct, several frequency CV inputs, several audio inputs, manual resonance control,
resonance up to self oscillation
VCA: exponential control scale, several CV inputs , several audio inputs , audio output
ADSR: connections for attack, decay, sustain and release controls, connections for range switch (3 ranges),
connections for LED display, ADSR output
LFO: triangle and rectangle outputs, connections for frequency control (optional different controls for up/down
time), connection for range switch (3 ranges), connections for LED display
Slew Limiter: connections for slew control, input, output
Inverter: input, output

The kit will begin shipping spring 2010 at a super low cost of 100 euros or about $140. You can read more about the kit in the PDF file on Doepfer's page.

I know I'll be all over this kit as soon as it's available stateside. I've been on the x0xb0x waiting list for a little over a year, so have yet to build my own synth. Yet I feel the desire to build my own musical instrument a huge driving force behind learning to solder building electronics. That, and I've wished the x0x had more expandability.

Too long

2010-01-15T04:16:00.003-05:00

So not much happening in the last, well damn, 4 days. Seems I'm failing on all fronts, once again. I just can't seem to do anything consistently, or with any purpose. I haven't really worked on any tracks this week, but I might be able to get one done.

I played Half-Life this week. I've been wanting to get into Half-Life 2 again, but decided to play through the first again. It's not really as great as I remember it being. Sure it was a genre defining game back in 98, and a fine GOTY, but it doesn't hold up as well as I remember it. In my opinion, Deus Ex, while not quite the same, has aged a little better. Not so much in graphics or gameplay, but in terms of storytelling.

I have fond memories of a semblance of a story from Black Mesa, but replaying it seems to crush those memories. There's no backstory, you get no depth, no character development. Whereas JC Denton goes through a immense transformation and comes out a changed man by the end of the game. Half-Life 2 has a much more fleshed out story. There's life in that game. There's just not as much in the original. You seem to make your own story in Half-Life, which isn't a bad thing by any means.

But now I'm playing through Opposing Force, and then Blue Shift. Gearbox seemed to give you a little more atmosphere - or maybe just giving the world more flesh. After all, in the intro you get to relive a few moments from HL1, and get to see a few memorable, key events through the other end of the spectrum. I especially enjoy playing a GOOD marine. Some guy was testing a scientist for information and wouldn't let him leave without it, so I killed him and let the scientist go. Well, he kinda sat there saying he was wounded, but in my head I let him escape.

And school is getting on my nerves. Scheduling is turning out to be a total pain in the ass. But I'll get into that tomorrow, hopefully with good news.

And some music...

Today was a good day

2010-01-11T00:57:00.004-05:00

Today started with me trying to organize my sample folder. I didn't get very far, but I put a few key sample packs into my main folder, and will be using them exclusively in my future projects. I decided to keep a Korg EMX drum sample pack that someone uploaded to IDMf a little while ago, as well as a pack of Quasimidi RaveOlution 309 drums and the pristine Deadmau5 Xfer sample pack. Those three give me a nice breadth of drums to work with and layer.

After that I loaded up my Live template and started jamming on Synth1. Then I started to look at a panel I never really dug into before - the effects panel. I never touched it as its parameters were never listed in the manual, so I was confused as to how it worked. Low and behold, a simple google search yielded the answers. Here's a write up of the parameters and what they do. Good stuff.

So I started to make some patches. I ended up with a few usable bits. Most of my time was spend noodling about with FM. I even managed to get a couple Crystal Method-esque sounds from Divided By Night. Which is a banging album by the way.

Oh yeah, Doepfer has some exciting news at NAMM this year. The two products I'm the most excited about are the DIY analog synth kit and the Dark Time sequencer. You can see more in this PDF file, on the main site. The concept of a DIY analog synth kit for under $150 is exciting. Granted, that's only for the PCB, but it's still a monster price for the following specs:

VCO: sawtooth and rectangle output (with variable pulse width), several frequency CV inputs, several PW/PWM
CV inputs, linear FM input, hard sync input
VCF: multimode filter, lowp, highp and bandpass output (optional low-notch-highpass with external
potentiometer), 12dB/oct, several frequency CV inputs, several audio inputs, manual resonance control,
resonance up to self oscillation
VCA: exponential control scale, several CV inputs , several audio inputs , audio output
ADSR: connections for attack, decay, sustain and release controls, connections for range switch (3 ranges),
connections for LED display, ADSR output
LFO: triangle and rectangle outputs, connections for frequency control (optional different controls for up/down
time), connection for range switch (3 ranges), connections for LED display
Slew Limiter: connections for slew control, input, output
Inverter: input, output

I've been tossing the idea of building a x0xb0x around for awhile, and have been on the waiting list for over a year. I never got around to trying and sourcing my own parts as I'd rather just buy a full fledged analog synth in the interim. I'd rather have modularity in my DIY kit, and boy does Doepfer know how to deliver on that front.

I failed at my resolution of a song a week last week. But I WILL have a complete song by the end of this week and every week forward. School's coming up the week after next, but I'm dedicated now. The slack is off.

Controlling MIDI

2010-01-08T00:41:00.003-05:00

Browsing Matrixsynth today I stumbled upon a new controller that'll be appearing at NAMM this week. It's the 'You Rock Guitar'. It sounds pretty cheesy, but it's a pretty massive controller for the price ($180). I've been wanting to try out a Parker MIDI Fly, or better yet, a Moog Guitar. But both of them are waaay out of my price range - so I figured I'd never get my hands on a MIDI guitar. The You Rock might not be as functional as a Parker, but it's pretty much what I need.

The cool thing is that it interfaces with video games as well. So you can rip it out for Rock Band or Guitar Hero. Play strings instead of buttons, et cetra. I dig it's MIDI implementation though.

But even BETTER news was stumbling upon a program that adapts USB-equipped Guitar Hero X-plorer controllers to control MIDI. It's the Zeal Axis program, developed by a Mr. Robert Jarvis.

The buttons of the controller send note information while the D-pad changes key and chord progression. It also sends MIDI CC# for tilt and rotate, allowing expressive control. Using Windows 7 and Live I wasn't able to get the tilt/rotate to work, or, come to think of it, the whammy bar, but it'll be a great piece of live equipment once I do. Keep in mind you'll also need a software MIDI router, like LoopBe (freeware).

I'll have to play around more with the Axis and my X-plorer, but I'm already getting a lot of new ideas.

I've been thinking about what I really need, as opposed to just want, for my studio. I've decided a pad controller would be leagues better for programming drums and have decided on a Korg PadKontrol. I might switch over to an Akai MPD, but I really dig the X/Y pad the Korg offers, along with the footpedal input (for the kicks, ya know!). I also clearly need an audio interface, which I'm still up in the air with. I want to try and keep it under $300, hopefully less if I can get away with it - we'll see.
Other than those I want to get a few effects units. I'd love a Sherman Filterbank if I can afford one, along with a Roland RE-201 tape delay. Add a nice distortion unit (or will the Filterbank suffice?) and I should be set. I might think about adding a KP3 to the mix, but only if I ever advance to the stage where I'm doing live shows. I'd rather save up for a nice analog synth first though - still haven't decided what yet. Everything I think about is just expensive (Andromeda, et al).

Oh, and it was suppose to snow a bunch today, or so Kristina told me this morning. Now the weather report says we'll get 1-3 inches tonight. And here I was expecting around of foot of snow. :(

Where's my blizzard!?!

Another day

2010-01-05T22:27:00.006-05:00

Not much to talk about today. I listed a few textbooks along with a couple routers, a network switch and a dynamic microphone on Amazon today. I have a few other books I'm looking to put up as well. I have a ton of other books, a video card, and a couple computers I'll probably put up on Craigslist and NeoGAF's Buy/Sell/Trade thread. Hopefully I can make some more cash off of them as well.

I played a bunch of TF2 today. I snagged another Natascha and reached Demoman's Milestone 1 which scored me a Chargin' Targe. It's a pretty decent sidearm, although I haven't managed to score a kill with it yet. I've gotten leagues better with the Grenade Launcher and learned to detonate sticky bombs in the air. Even though I had over 20 hours as Demo I never really learned those two skills. So far I have 7 achievements on both Demo and Soldier. I'm hoping to reach 10 on both tomorrow.

Pretty boring blog posts, but at least I'm still posting once a day. Pushing onwards with my New Year's Resolution!

Textbooks

2010-01-04T22:32:00.002-05:00

Are hard to sell! I'm sitting on so many of them it's not funny. Sure, you buy them for $80-100 a pop each semester, but the bookstore neglects to tell you that you're buying an older version that won't be used by ANYONE come next semester. Not even online bookstores will buy the things back.

So I tried to sell some on Amazon. Most have 100+ used copies waiting to sell all around $2 or less, not even worth it. I have 2, out of 9 that are worth anything - one at $80 and the other at a whopping $100, which surprised me. Hopefully I can get them on Amazon and make a few bucks.

Which brings me to the process of selling things on Amazon. Most people, aside from my household, have phones. Amazon requires you to answer a call from them (why, I don't know) to validate your selling account. Now I have to wait around till someone I know comes over with a phone and hopefully I'll remember to validate my Amazon account. All to sell 2 textbooks...

At least it's money. I still have a couple computers I'm sitting on that need sold, a pair of routers, and a couple old, possibly broken game systems that are collecting dust and taking up space I don't have. Craigslist ahoy!

Why can't making money be as easy as it is in video games? I wouldn't mind going into some sewers and collecting rat hides for some gold. In fact I think I'd be pretty good at it with all the practice I've had. Someone needs to make a gameshow for people like me. I just want a way to make money that doesn't require me to sell my soul to some soulsucking company. I swear I'll find one someday. Until then I'll remain broke as fuck - it's the only way to live.

New Year

2010-01-03T18:43:00.003-05:00

New year, new blog - kind of. Well, at least I have a resolution this year: complete 1 song a week for the next year. So 52 songs by the year's end, hopefully more. Kind of channeling Deadmau5's Project 56. I'm going to try and blog once a day also, even if it's about nothing.

NeoGAF's next project will be an Ambient/Downtempo/Soundscapes release. I have a few textures I made when I was trying to replicate Deadmau5's 'Bored of Canada' that I'll probably use for that.

Today I started on a little Dubstep-type of thing for my weekly project. It's moving away from dubstep into some other plane, but we'll see what happens with it. Regardless, it's a song for the week and a stepping stone to better things.

I'll hopefully be sticking with, and learning, Ableton Live throughout these projects. I'm sick of FL Studio limiting me and not knowing any other programs. I'm also using Guru for this project, along with Arturia's Minimoog V and, of course, Synth1. I'll also have used TAL-Dub II far too much for this project, as it's got the dub vibe I'm going after. Maybe one of these days I can get my hands on a Roland RE-201 Space Echo. That would be mighty fine.

Trine PC demo now available

2009-06-27T20:15:00.004-04:00

Trine, a magical new gaming experience, is coming our way courtesy of Finnish developers Frozenbyte, makers of the acclaimed Shadowgrounds. In Trine, players take control of a band of adventures and guide them on a journey of soul-shaping proportions. In this co-op enabled experience you'll take control of Pontius the Knight, Zoya the Thief, and Amadeus the Wizard.

Watch the Trine trailer.

Each character has a distinct set of moves that enable them to solve puzzles and traverse the 2D landscape. Pontius is the master of combat, taking on the undead with a fury. Zoya is light and nimble while using a grapping hook to avoid spike filled chasms. Amadeus is able to conjour boxes and move platforms about with his levitation magic.

Trine has a marvelous sense of style and utilizes NVIDIA's PhysX technology for breathtaking detail. The world comes alive as you bound from platform to platform, break passages with battering rams, and take the high road using rotating floors.

You can check out the demo now available on PC. Trine will be available on PC and PSN and is now available to pre-purchase via Steam.

Trine PC Demo.

new track completed

2009-06-27T17:30:00.004-04:00

I've finished up a track I've been working on titled BeeLine (previously Ente Ente). It will be released on NeoGAF's upcoming GAME 5 summer album. I'll post an update as soon as the album is released.

As always comments and critiques are very much appreciated!

Pirahna1 - BeeLine by pirahna1

Review: Woodnote - Söppel EP

2009-06-09T20:10:00.006-04:00

Here's another free EP from a member of IDM Forums.

Woodnote - Söppel EP
Download EP here

MacAvity
I. Dig. This. My fiancee can't get over this song either :)
It MUST have been MacAvity. There's no one like MacAvity ;p
The vocals just fit, the little blippy synth makes me blush, just great all around. Perfect opener for the EP.

Frank's Pretty Colours
This girl is smooth. It's a warm summer day, going for a drive down by the beach. A sense a slight retro 60's vibe. Then those funky, funky keys drop in like molasses. Real syrupy, they staple that tempo down, cement the beat.

Dewdrop
What a fitting name. I want to say the intro reminds me of being in a cave, watching stalagtites drip onto the floor. This is a groovy little funker. That little blippy synth line just makes it (again). This one rolls off your tongue at the end.

Söppelfunk
It is funky - takes me back to the mid-90's. Smooth and buttery, great vibe.

Woodnote's got himself an amazing piece of work here. I can see myself putting this on constant rotation in my playlist, in fact I already have. Swaying my head side to side.

Download link: http://www.woodnote.bandcamp.com/

lately

2009-05-04T04:14:00.003-04:00

There's no point in having a blog if I never use it. Why discover new tricks and techniques and not discuss them - even if I'm the only one to read this? Repitition fosters learning, plus I can look up information I may lose in a torrent of bookmarks. My lastest sources for music techniques have been Nhomas' Guide To Mixing, RavenSpiral's Guide To Music Theory, and Sound On Sound's Synth Secrets. I've been pouring over all three of them and devouring the content inside.

Nhomas is a member of IDM forums and released a guide to mixing a few months ago. There's a wealth of knowledge in there. A lot of it I'll read but won't necessarily understand what to do with it until I see it in action at a later date.

Robert Babicz about mastering audio from David Star on Vimeo.

Today I stumbled upon this post talking about Rob Babicz's (aka Rob Acid) mastering process [video link] and some of his techniques. Apart from using one hell of a spring reverb he uses chains of compressors to develop his sound. One technique he talked about was something I had read earlier in the mixing guide but didn't grasp, parallel compression.

Parallel compression [video link] is pretty much just what it sounds like. You have a dry signal going to your master bus, but also to a send with a compressor on it. This compressor can be anything from a short attack/decay with massive gain and threashold for drums (so called 'New York Compression'), to a long attack, short decay and wicked compression for a pumping/throbbing sound. I tried both of these, putting my drum send to the NY Compression send and my bass to the 'throbbing' send. The bass really stood out in the mix and the drums had a nice decay once sent through the compressor. The beauty is being able to mix in the results to your taste. Most of the applications I found in parallel compression call for a low mix of compression with a high mix of dry signal, and it's a solid technique - one I think everyone should at least experiment with.

Sound on Sound's Synth Secrets is just that - a guide to getting the most out of synthesis. I'm only on part 10 (out of, what, 40?) and I've only touched the basics. I already knew a great deal about synthesis, but these are great articles with amazing information. It's very easy to read and I've already picked up a bunch of tips I wouldn't have discovered otherwise.

As for RavelSpiral's Guide To Music Theory, well, I have none of that. It's 93 pages of scales, chords, modes, etc. Most of the things you'd expect to find in a guide like this. The great thing? It's easy to read, free, and focused on electronic music. You'll learn that the blues scale is great for jazz bass (a given for the name, but something I never even knew about) and with the wholetone scale you can easily write fantastic acid lines. Not to mention it's full of wit and humor directed at the electronic scene (Drum & Bass jokes abound!).

So that's what I've been up to. I also have a new track I'm working on that I'm going to enter into GAME 5. The last few tracks have fallen short, but this one is turning into something special. I know I've said that before, but I really, truly dig this track. Once this track is completed I think my music will take me someplace more serene. I've been hit hard with inspiration via Boards Of Canada, and I can't wait to tackle a nice warm, silky, crackly, BoC-type track soon. I already have a vocal snippet I plan to eradicate for this project.

Mosiac Mosaic - Both Sides Of The Same Side EP

2009-05-03T17:53:00.005-04:00

A wonderful piece of work by a member of IDM forums. A must download. What follows are my feelings of each track.

Irresolution (Solution)
Guitars bouncing back and forth backed by a dirty industrial complex. A very relaxing piece. Silky smooth reverberations that pulse and evolve yet stop just sort of a fantastic breakdown.

Bird Rib
Lots of crackling, bleeps and blops fly around the sound-field. Beautiful acoustic guitars combine with broken fax machines and stutter to a close.

If I Had A Hi-Fi
More upbeat from the start. Stuttering beats and rhythms breath life into the track. The guitar scratches away from the silence in the middle of the song adding a subtle layer that isn't noticeable at first but adds a warmth to the soul of the song.

Mr. Owl
A piece most ethereal - speaking of wise old age and patience. Everything is smooth and soft yet glitchy and noisy. A very soothing piece, reminiscent of Boards of Canada. Fine craftsmanship polished into an imperfect perfection. My favorite piece in the EP.

Overall this EP is simply put, brilliant - excellent. It has a cohesiveness that is hard to find and brings the whole album together into a netting of warmth. I can't help but compare it to BoC - dirty, warm, soft, silky, bubbly, and glitchy.

Highly recommended.

4 Tracks
Running time - 9:24
Download Link: http://www.idmforums.com/showthread.php?t=30960

coming along

2009-03-23T02:14:00.003-04:00

I've been working (mostly) on the song that I started on the 19th. I've gotten a nice progression so far. Along with what I had, I've switched up the bassline with a few breaks, and added a couple extra instruments.

3-19-09b by pirahna1

I've changed a few things since this upload. Mainly lowering the cutoff on the bassline (it was a little too rezzy) and upped the last synth line an octave.

Along with this song I came up with two other loops. One's an arpeggiated Cynthia VST line with some drums and the other is a house-y riff with some simple drums. I'm keeping those on the backburner until I finish this song - just adding to them when I get an idea in my head.

I also got some graph paper out today to map out song structures. I was stumpted as to how to advance on my tunes - they tend to end up too repetitve. So I went after 'Got Glint?' by The Chemical Brothers. I love how their songs are simple in structure, yet have so much going on. They're masters at tossing about little effects and sounds. I'm going after that in my current work - hopefully I can come somewhat close.

back on track

2009-03-19T03:29:00.002-04:00

After being lax on music for the last month I'm back in the groove. I went to revisit WiP 7 (out of 8) but ended up, as usual, starting a whole new track. It's really smooth and groovy - tastes like wine.

I was reading up on techniques, namely Breakbeats via Wikipedia. I knew the fundamentals thanks to The Chems, so I took a hand at creating a polyrhythm with a dash of syncopation for good measure. I came out with a funky little drum line. I planted a bassline on top of that and added some wispy pads on top. The result is a groovy little funker that I really dig. I only have 4 bars so far, but it's coming along nicely.

I also stumbled upon GOLD tonight. A persona by the name Kutiman takes youtube music clips and edits them together into entirely new songs. His project is called ThruYou and it's simply amazing. Not only is the music astounding, but the video editing is fascinating as well. At least listen to 'This is what I became' and 'Babylon Band', his style ranges from Jazz, to Hip-Hop, to Drum-and-Bass. It's just amazing the talent this man posseess. Great stuff, and very inspiring.

Working in progress

2009-03-18T03:13:00.004-04:00

A couple days ago I scored a new set of headphones. Granted, they're $20 Sony MDR-V150's, but I was using a shotty $5 pair of Coby headphones with ripped wires that emitted a constant buzz. Once I get the funds I'll be upgrading to a pair of AKG K240's, along with a new soundcard (did I mention my current one crackles constantly and has the latency of a dying elephant?).

Today I uploaded a set of works in progress to Soundcloud (embedded below) to try and get a feel of where I should be heading. GAME 5.0 is coming up (releasing in June) and Project 168 kicks off on Monday, April 13. I would like to have 2 songs for GAME 5, and another 3-4 songs, comprising an EP, for P-168. I've been slacking on music lately, so I'm going to have to kick it into high gear to churn out 6 unique songs in April.

Give these WiPs a listen and let me know which you'd like to hear turned into a choon. I'm thinking of making an Acid-House track along with a complimentary ambient/chill tune for my set of GAME 5 songs. The theme is Summer, so it shouldn't be too hard to get into the vibe.

8 works in progress by pirahna1

GAME 4 Released!

2009-03-05T00:06:00.009-05:00

GAME 4 has finally been released! You can visit the thread on NeoGAF or download the album directly from m0dus' website (that also includes the previous 3 GAME compilations).

GAME 3.1 will be released shortly, from what I understand. We're currently working on the theme for GAME 5, which will probably end up being a summer party themed album. We're looking at a June release date.

Time to get back in the studio!

I was abducted

2009-02-13T19:05:00.002-05:00

Not really though. I haven't been making much music lately, took a little hiatus. Although I did manage a work around on that MIDI CC issue in FL Studio. Seems FL Studio has a bunch of MIDI channels that it doesn't respond to. I re-mapped my nanoKontrol around most of them. Some of them still pop up from time to time but it's not a huge deal anymore.

As such I want to work on a couple songs. I just remembered the IDMF compilation, I really have to bust my ass to get in on that. And it seems GAME 4.0 is finished, it just needs to be packaged and uploaded. Hopefully the people working on it can finish it by the end of the week. Regardless I'll post links up here when it's finished.

I broked MIDI CC 66 :(

2009-02-02T06:27:00.003-05:00

So today in FL Studio I revisited an older project I was working on. It's a tight little acid line written on the TS 404. I wonder, is that v2 of the original stand-alone TS404 application? I wonder if Fruity bought them out? Anyways, I added a patch I had made in Synth1 called Ressosaurous. It's pretty acidic and thought it would mend well with my track.

So I go to set the arpeg gate to knob 9, scene 2 on my nanoKontrol (those black units look mighty fine) but I turn the knob a little too fast. Now, these knobs aren't the best in the world and are a tad flimsy. So when I do that FL totally bugs out and stops responding to that knob. At first I thought I broke the pot, but that knob worked fine on all other scenes. So I hop over to Ableton and that knob works fine on ALL scenes.

So here I'm stumped. I go into the Kontrol Editor and change the CC# on that knob/scene from 66 to 67 and viola! FL now recognizes that knob. So I turn on my Alesis QS6.1 and set slider D to CC 66 and guess what? Nothin' doin'. FL totally freaked out and now won't accept any form of CC 66. Not even after a reboot. I really don't want to reinstall FL yet again damnit.

So my music was cut short because I didn't feel like messing around with one less knob. It just totally ruined my workflow for the day. Hopefully I can find a solution, if not, here I come reinstall...

Vangelis

2009-02-01T06:26:00.004-05:00

Today wasn't very productive. I caught a piano riff during work and quickly recorded it. It was just a simple major chord that I played along to Boards of Canada's 'The Beach at Redpoint'. I had some trouble nailing down the tempo so I aborted to a later time. Then I messed about with some stock Impulse banks and came up with a couple groovy little drum lines.

Over at IDMF someone asked how to get the Vangelis arpeggiation in the intro to Blade Runner. I poked around youtube for a bit and found a nice demo on how to get the strings for the intro, but nothing on the arpeggiation. Then I found a video of some guy going to town on the outro theme with his Korg Radias, Trinity and Moog Little Phatty. So I grabbed the chords from the video and recorded the outro into FL Studio using my newly created VangelisRunner patch. I might elaborate on it later and try and pull off the entire outro. Once I figure out the intro arp I'll record that as well. This time I'm doing the entire song though, none of that half-assed 'oh I got the chords down time to quit' shit I did with Underworld yesterday.

The Best Mamgu Ever

2009-01-31T03:13:00.002-05:00

Today I decided to revisit my attempt at scoring Underworld's 'Best Mamgu Ever'. I had figured out a bit of the bassline a couple weeks ago so I gave it another go today. Man, does working with MIDI suck when you have a shit-ass sound card. I can audition the MIDI through my QS6.1 just fine, but as soon as I try and capture its audio I get a mess of noise. My motherboard is a piece of shit, I'll tell you what.

Anyway, I got the piano bit down after slowing the song down in Audacity. Now I just have to figure out the thousands of variations on the bassline they used. I have the opening two minutes out of a total of nine minutes. I'm going to be pulling an all-nighter and get this song layed down. From what I can tell there's not much going on, a pad in the background, some piano, and a solid bassline.

After this I might have a go at some more complex pieces, probably something from Nobuo Uematsu. I figure the best way, at least for me, to learn how to properly compose a song is to learn by doing. I'll figure out what key pieces are written in by re-composing them, how to transform from one line/riff to another, and how to play on chords throughout a song. Of course I'm still going to supplement all this with further reading.

Back to work!

A Drop in the Bucket

2009-01-30T04:46:00.002-05:00

I actually worked on music today, how awesome is that? I picked up a nice arpeg in Synth1 and made a simple beat for it. Kick into claps into rolling hats into snares, just basic but building. Then I decided to toss a filter onto the arp and rise it through the intro. It's a nice effect and sounds good so far.

I was listening to some other works on Soundcloud and thought to myself that I should start recording some non-synthetic sounds from my QS. But I was in FL Studio, so I couldn't record from my non-shit soundcard (that's reserved for Ableton!). So I decided to load up my newly acquired E-Mu Proteus VX synth. I had a hell of a time trying to load the presets from that thing, a bad case of read the fucking manual. But once I did get the presets loaded I found another problem. Whenever I press the button to go to the next patch it skips two patches. So it's a complete pain in the ass to audition sounds. I eventually gave up and decided to export the song to Ableton as MIDI. Too bad that didn't work either...

So I got a nice little part going in FL, kinda stuck there at the moment. I went to add a bassline and all my inspiration was apparently gone and it just sounded like ass. I really need to read up on key signitures, harmony and chords. I've heard that dropping a bassline in the key of C sounds like ass when looped over a lead in the key of G or whatever. I'm really not sure what any of that means, even though I have a pretty strong background in music. I was never really taught chords or anything like that in band. Good old monophonic trumpets can't be bothered with that much theory apparently.

So now my task is to read up on music theory. Along with my previous task of organizing my damn sample library. Hopefully I can accomplish something bigger tomorrow. I know I keep saying that, but it's gotta happen one of these days!

My Day Off

2009-01-29T00:35:00.003-05:00

So I did a whole lot of nothing today. Figures, eh? I played some TF2 and put my old HD in my PC. It has a bunch of old songs and some remix material on it, and a bunch of pictures I've been wanting to go through. So I guess I did something productive today.

I really need to get back on my music though. I've been concentrating so much on that one damn loop that I've burned myself out on it. I really want to re-organize my samples. But before I do that I'll have to make copies of all the current samples I'm using and stuff them into the appropriate project folder. From here on out all my samples get organized first, instead of just tossed into a massive folder. I figure it's better to get it over with now, instead of having more songs using up samples that'll just end up getting moved.

So looks like that's on for tomorrow. Hopefully I can start writing again after that!

Desks and Tricks

2009-01-28T00:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday and today I spent designing my future desk. I stumbled upon a site called IKEA hacker and this desk in particular. I love how vast it is, and just had to have it. Too bad it's $330 from IKEA :( So I decided to just rip off the legs ($10 a pop) and build my own top for it. I figure it'll be around 65" long and 36" deep. I'll then have another piece for the top that doubles as 2 2U racks side by side and will hold my monitors on top. That piece will be about 5" high, 50" long and 12" deep. Once I clean up my blueprint I'll be sure to post it, or sculpt it via Google SketchUp. Something along those lines.

Yesterday I figured out how to chop audio in Ableton (figures it was easy as pie) and a few other nifty tricks. The audio chopping is simple. Drop the audio in Arrangement mode, then slice it up and drop the slice into new channels. The problem I was having was that I totally forgot about the snap feature. Idiotic.

Another trick I found via tutorials is to make a new instrument rack and then drop your samples into there. Once you assign them to a MIDI note you can draw out a pattern. After that, go into the sample and turn on 'Loop', assign a controller to the 'Length' and go to town! This will retrigger the sample at your leisure and create some great glitch effects. Start messing with the filter and you got yourself an instrument! I really dig this trick and I'm sure I'll be using it alot in the future.

Hopefully tomorrow I'll work on my song. I have to finish one before March for IDMF and I want to finish at least two more for GAF. Although that's a few months away yet.

Learning the ropes

2009-01-24T23:01:00.000-05:00

So I did a couple more tutorials in Ableton today, nothing much as I had a slow day today. I messed around trying to get my VSTis imported then tried to record some MIDI and failed at it. Took the tutorial and managed to pass! At first I was missing FL's piano roll, and I think I still might a little. Even Deadmau5 praises FL's piano roll and I can see why. I think it might just be my favorite part of FL. Oh, and I do love it's mixer. Being about to send to any of its 64 channels is miraculous.

But only time will tell how much Ableton has to offer me. I really dig the live mode and can see myself writing patterns then playing them live to compose the final song. I've always been a fan of jamming out, since I started using Rebirth way back in highschool.

So yea, I think I'm going to take a break for the night and see what happens tomorrow. I'll probably go through a few more lessons and hopefully figure out how to glitch up my loop. Right now I'm heading off to play some Left4Dead and finish off this Vodka and Kool-Aid!

Able in Ableton

2009-01-24T02:46:00.001-05:00

Wednesday I decided to copy the drums from It Doesn't Matter to see how they were constructed. I managed a ruff outline and then decided to glitch them up a bit. After looking at some tutorials I figured it out. I spent the rest of the day trying to program triplets in FL Studio and Audacity to no avail. Yesterday was spent furthering the loop into my own creation, and it's a hot loop, but I still wasn't able to get any glitch to it.

So today I said fuck it. There's no way FL is making this possible without me wanting to kill myself. So I downloaded the Ableton Live demo to see what it had to offer. I was blown the fuck away. The 'Live' portion of it is simply amazing and perfect for my workflow. I can't believe I was missing out on so much all this time!

Now that I'm working more heavily in audio as opposed to FL's loop style I needed more options and Ableton gives them to me. I'm so pleased with it that I'll soon be making the switch. Today was spent going through a couple intro tutorials inside Ableton and learning what it had to offer.

Tomorrow I plan on going through some more tutorials and figuring out how to glitch beats inside Live. I might end up keeping the loop non-glitched, as it has a really nice house vibe. I've been wanting to compose a house song for some time and feel this is the perfect groove. I still want to experiment with glitching however, and will probably recycle the loop into an IDM style song as well.

Here's hoping I pick up Live quickly!

Another song down!

2009-01-21T02:35:00.001-05:00

I finally finished 'Modulations'! [Hear it here!]

Modulations by pirahna1

This song was made entirely out of a single sample. It's short and sweet. I didn't have a super long time for arranging, so it's only about two and a half minutes long, about the same length as my previous tracks. Pretty much completed in one day, aside from chopping up the original sample and getting some vibes from it. In total I'd say it took my about three days worth of work.

Enjoy and comment (on my soundcloud or here) if you enjoyed it!

Today was a long day

2009-01-19T23:33:00.000-05:00

So I managed to find a copy of Modulations (link to trailer) and watched it this morning. It's about the beginnings of electronic music and the art of sound. If you can find a copy I recommend watching it. Truely great stuff. Plus it has interviews with a ton of artists and the late Robert Moog himself!

It really motivated and inspired me to work on my current project. Evelon from the IDM forums started a post to see what we could all do with only one sample. I chopped it up a couple days ago but didn't get very far past that stage. Today I managed to get a nice groove and most of the parts written. It's very noisy and crunchy - just how I like 'em. I'll be submitting it for NeoGAF's upcoming GAME 4.0 Chiptune s release. I have one more day to finish my track, hopefully I can pull it off.

I decided to call this track 'Modulations' in honor of the documentary. This track brings me to three completed songs. I've been getting some praise on 'The Colors Are Bleeding' which really pushed me to work harder on my craft. Hopefully I can have an EP ready for summer release. Plus I have another compilation I want to enter in, which deadlines in March for IDMF.

In other news, it seems like I won't be majoring in the Audio-Video Recording track at Bloomsburg. They require you to be 'proficient' in an orchestral instrument, attend ensembles, and generally do things that I never wanted to do. That was the reason I dropped out of band in high school. I want to further my knowledge, but not at the expense of my identity. There's still a chance I'll minor at Bloom, but I'm currently looking for alternative options. The music department had the nerve to tell me to attend Full Sail instead. Yes, I'll pay out of state tution (which amounts to something like $40 grand a semester), and move to Florida. I'll get right on that. Hah... Furthering my contempt for this system of ours. I don't want a technical education. I want hands-on learning with a solid UNIVERSITY education. There has to be a path for me somewhere at some school. Hopefully I can find it soon, deadlines for enrollment are coming up fast...

Second song information

2009-01-18T10:28:00.000-05:00

So I completed this song about 2 months ago, but it was never officially released as NeoGAF's G.A.M.E 3.1 bonus album was put on hold for awhile. I figured I'd share the track however, as I enjoy it immensely.

The Colors Are Bleeding

The Colors Are Bleeding by pirahna1

I recommend downloading the song as Soundcloud runs everything at 128kbps and my song's volume is rather low. Pump it up for full effect!

Comments are very much appreciated. Whether bad or good, send them my way! And I'll be sure to link everyone to GAME 3.1 once it's released. At the moment we are working on GAME 4.0 a chiptunes release. Due within the week!

First song completed

2008-10-15T22:27:00.001-04:00

Finally finished my first song for my project album and also for the NeoGAF G.A.M.E 3.0 Wipeout HD album - Trepidation.

Here's the link: http://soundcloud.com/pirahna1/trepidation-1

Trepidation by pirahna1

edit: Download for best sound quality.

It's my first completed song in quite a while and I'm proud of it. I'm not 100% happy with it, I might remix it in the future. But for now, it's completed. You have to draw the line somewhere. You'll never be completely satisfied with anything you do, there's always more you can add or something you can change. But if you keep at it that way, you'll never finish anything.

Please offer any comment, critiques, or priase for the track. I'd love to here from anyone and everyone. I hope to have another track completed by the end of this week or next week. And be sure to check out the rest of the G.A.M.E 3.0 album here: http://modusproductions.com/neogaf/game/site/index.htm. You can also download GAME 1 and 2 there. Right now my track isn't on 3.0, we'll be releasing a few bonus editions in the coming weeks, 3.1, 3.2, and possibly 3.3. I'll be sure to post info on them as they arise. 3.1 should be out around October 25, 2008.

Clearin' out my backlog

2008-09-22T15:48:00.000-04:00

I just finished up Crysis and Crysis Warhead the other day. I think I'm going to go back through Warhead again, it was one of the better games I've played recently. I'll try to write some kind of review / impression while I'm going through it.

I picked up Condemned: Criminal Origins again. I was about a third of the way through when I stopped. I should have it finished up today or tomorrow. Once again I'll try to write some kind of impression for it.

What's next... I should work on my backlog, which is freakin' huge. I was thinking about finishing up Fable, about 85% complete I'd say, then Blazing Angels, about 80% complete. That'll put a dent in my Xbox backlog. I still have Blinx, and KotOR 1&2 though.

I've been scrobbling my playlist with Last.FM. I really dig the service. I keep Winamp on random, with my library it's almost a necessity. However I found this neat little app that ... well I'll show you rather than tell you.

It makes an awesome randomized search cloud type of picture using your Last.FM. I really dig it. It's called 'Wordling'. Just visit this page to make your own. I love it <3

FEIST

2008-09-17T23:59:00.000-04:00

Just watch. I can't put down words for this game - it intrigues me. Unfortunately the beta is mac only at the moment. I can't wait for the retail game!

Link: http://gd08.ch/FEIST/

The Force

2007-12-29T19:13:00.000-05:00

If anything truely catches what I believe life to be, it is the Force. Star Wars tells us all about the force, and how it truely lives within everything. You can call it the Force if you like, or maybe the Lifestream. In the Final Fantasy VII universe, the Lifestream was very much akin to the Force, but the Lifestream was a tangible thing, a river of life embedded in the planet. The Force is so much more than that, it is the all powerful energy that guides us all. It bends and twists the universe, making everything equal and balanced. That's why the Jedi were so adamant about finding the chosen one and bringing balance to the force. A time of true peach and serenty, when everything is equal.

I also love how they do not mourn death. It is a joyous occasion where one becomes one with the Force and enters back into the ever present current of life. The cycle has come full circle.

My rendition on this is that once you enter the Force, your energy and being stay intact, giving your traits to all that it touches. Maybe your energy will be so strong that it becomes another form of life, an old soul some may call it. I especially love how Anakin was immaculatly concieved. Everything happened for a reason at the exact right time. C-3PO and R2-D2 were sent to Tatooine and the Force guided them to Luke. The force sent Luke on the path destiny had chosen for him. Finding Obi-Wan, becoming the hero of the rebel alliance. The same with his father. Being found by Qui-Gon at just the right time. Becoming the chosen one, the hero that would lead the galaxy into a fortold time of peace. The story is just so good, so organic, so perfect. Everything just works, everything flows with everything else.

Damn them shits was good. I just want to rewatch them over and over. I can't wait till the original trilogy is re-released on high-def format with all the deleted scenes and touched up. I want to like them, but they just arn't as compelling as the first three movies. Anakin's story is just so much better, so much grander. Lucas should make more stories about Anakin, even though it will mess up the numbers. Tell the stories between the stories. So much happened with Anakin and Obi-Wan that we never get to see, it's quite a shame. The universe of Star Wars deserves more than six movies, I don't think I could ever be satisfied no matter how many movies they make. There's just so much potential, so much that's left untouched and yet so remarkable.

Although I don't think any Jedi outside the ones we already know would be as compelling. Maybe something on Yoda, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, but no one else really. They're the only ones who are really great in my book. But like I said, Anakin has the most evolved story.

He was the one who was concieved by the Force, he found love, forbade the Jedi code, yet become the most powerful of them all. He was the best starpilot in the galaxy, a prodigy since he was born. So many struggles he had to overcome, so many hardships that changed his soul and destiny. What if he could have saved his mother and never slayed the Tusken encampment? Would he have killed the Jedi children? It's just such a great story! :)

Here comes another one

2007-12-29T18:31:00.000-05:00

I really like the Star Wars universe. The whole idealogy of the people are just perfect. The prequel trilogy more-so than the original. The worlds are just so much more vivid. The atmosphere more serene. The fights are grander in scale and just plain magical. And the force; the force is what makes Star Wars. The chosen one's struggle against himself. The betrayels he faced, the lies he was told, the power he had. Throughout the movies I wanted him to see what he was doing to himself. I wanted him to just fall before Obi-Wan, or anyone for that matter, and repent for the evils he caused. To just submit his will to the light and be rid of the dark side.

Even as Emporer Palpatine was fighting with Mace, I wanted Anakin to just slice off that devil's head. Even after Windu was murdered, he could have stopped at any time. All for the promise to keep his love eternally. I only wish he knew that power was outside the grasp of the dark side. If only he knew Qui-Gon had learned what he was fighting so hard for. The story of Anakin Skywalker is one of the most tragic I've ever heard.

Immaculatly conceived, the chosen one, the one to bring balance to the force. What time of peace could he have brought to the galaxy? He could have had the power he wanted, while staying on the light side. If only he wasn't a scared little boy, if only he wasn't so rash.

---

I think I'm going to start writing short stories and just go with whatever style suits me when I start. Maybe I'll write a few in a japanese setting, a few in the star wars universe, maybe some from a futuristic landscape and some from an age long past. Each story can be whatever length makes it work. Maybe I'll write a one page story to bring a certain setting to light. Maybe later I'll use that setting to write a longer piece. Just record fragments as they come to me and let them be free no matter what they are. If I copy an entire story from another longer piece, it will be my portrayel of how I perceived it, as well as allowing me to practice my form on a familiar piece. Almost like how we had to write papers for book in high school, only this time I rewrite the story in my own words instead of talking about how the story moved me.

Future Presents

2007-12-26T14:49:00.000-05:00

I was just thinking about how I can't wait till we have children and they get to open their christmas presents. Kids are always so happy for christmas especially when they have tons of presents under the tree. But the problem with them getting all these new toys is the fact that they have so many toys already. So I was thinking of having our kids go through their old toys and picking what they won't play with and have them give them to the salvation army or something like that. You'll be getting rid of older toys that they no longer play with, you'll be giving children who have nothing something, even though they're just old toys, and you'll be teaching your children a solid life lesson: to give what you have an excess of and won't use to people less fortunate than yourself. What better way to kill three birds with one stone, it's a win-win-win.

It's kinda like recycling, only with more heart and better turnouts! Instead of giving just your children a happy christmas, you'll be giving many children a happy christmas. Hurray for giving!

My English Final

2007-12-21T15:01:00.000-05:00

So for my English 111 final we had to choose a topic and write a one page paper on it. The topics were Describe the Ideal World, Define the Ideal Parent, and Argue in Favor of or Against Final Exams. I chose to describe the ideal world.

When I started to write I imagined a neon-light filled city that towered high above the clouds. Flying cars racing back and forth, transferring happy citizens to and fro. Whenever I imagine such a futuristic city I always imagine the citizens to be devoid of any personality and blankly stare into the night thinking of nothing in particular. I think it may be my exposure to such works as Fahrenheit 451, where individuality was abolished and considered a felony. These worlds are always dark and gray, bleak and cold. But I tried to envision a world full of lush, green foliage and brought that into my second paragraph.

Leading on, my mind wandered. Once I hit the third paragraph my brain was stewing with negativity. This world just couldn't be perfect, it had to have some sort of underlying agenda. Some wicked person to act as the steam that drove the turbines of this happy, little world. That's when the dichotomy started to show in my writing. This evil brought forth a sense of urgency to this society, a reason for them to band together and overcome its onslaught. That's when it was realized that no world can be perfect, for no man is perfect. Everyone has a sense of wickedness about them. And thus that's how I filled my final body paragraph.

Once I reached the end of my paper I couldn't find a suitable way to conclude. I summed up the main parts but it just didn't feel like it had a solid ending. The first version ended on "...this world of infinite dreams can become real in everyone's heart." But that was just too easy. Why should this paper end on a positive note when the last half dealt with the doppelganger of human nature? I struggled a bit to find a suitable end note, and found it when I thought back to my previous paper I handed in. The paper was on the Mars Direct program and how we, as human beings, need to come together and explore the desolate red planet. That's when it hit me - This city of Escape was a planet-city. A city in the scope of HUEG (liek Xbox). And this city was what Earth had to become, because Earth was no more. Earth had become what we feared the most, a dead planet devoid of any sign of life. A planet heated to mind-boggling extremes and baked to a hard crust. All thanks to the mindlessness of humans.

However, I feel this story brings about a sense of hope. For if the society of Escape had learned to deal with their inner demons, they could bring about a time of true peace. And perhaps, one day, we as human beings can bring forth this same time, without sacrificing our planet in the process.

The following is my paper in its entirety:

Escape to Home

The sounds of harmonious cacophony fill the air in the city of Escape. Neon hues fill the skyline and beam forth images of hope and peace. Injustice abolished, giving way to love and dreams. In this world of plenty every man, woman and child are free to truly become what their destiny holds in front of them. Pain and suffering; words unknown to this immaculate society. The ideal world is a world of infinite possibilities, a world where all is sacred.

Inside their homes, the citizens of this planet decorate with a rather unique, yet impossibly familiar decor. The outside follows them in, the inside becomes out and yet everything makes perfect sense. These acolytes are at home in the world that weaned them, entwined in the vines of patience and maturity. The serene vista that is the rain forest, minus the pests of course, becomes a baby's playpen. The denizens here are truly at home in their home, the hospice of everyone's one true mother.

The mother that gives also knows when to take. She can see the future, for she is the future. A being of no words, yet feared for her mighty tone. The hope of all mankind lies solely in her hands and justice is redeemed only by her wrath. The world of Escape knows of its boundaries which lay bluntly in sight, yet ghostly and unseen. This world appreciates the gift of life and would do everything to protect and nourish such a splendid gift. Yet inside all this love there lies one true demon.

For you see, there can be no perfect world. Corruption and lies, deceit and trickery are always on the tip of the serpent's forked tongue. His mother brought him life yet he is so quietly poisoning her very core. This gift of hope imbued in all of us is but a teardrop in a sea of broken dreams that were corrupted by the devil himself. Only after realizing the nature of this horrid beast can Escape become free and pure. Oh, what dichotomy! What a perplexing tale this mother has written! For they must expunge this evil from the land, without becoming evil thyselves.

The ideal world, free of harm and hate. The world of Escape, full of love and kindness. How can a world of perfection become so impure? One foul act can only lead to another and spiral out of control. But if hope is held and kept pure at heart, this world of infinite dreams can become real in everyone's heart. Possibilities abound and perfection holds true all by the grace of this perfect little sphere, floating in a mire of inky darkness. This perfect little world called Escape, the perfect little sister to which all of Earth had to become.

On EA's franchise system

2007-12-19T19:17:00.001-05:00

I long for the day EA will return the Need For Speed franchise to its roots proper. I still feel that Hot Pursuit 2 was the pinnacle game in the franchise. Not that the newer games have been bad, I ADORED Most Wanted, but they just don’t feel like NFS games anymore. The series has gone from driving exotic cars on rural back-roads to tuning import and muscle cars and dragging them in city/track settings. Boy do I miss tearing through tree-lined tracks in a Ferrari being chased by no less than 8 police.

I’ve started to notice a pattern in the franchise however. It seems each game design gets two games to its credit. There have been 2 Hot Pursuit games, 2 games for Underground, 2 based off of Most Wanted, and 1 and 2 being in the same vein. The only exceptions I could really find have been High Stakes, which could be tossed in with the hot pursuit games, and Porsche Unleashed, which is its own entirely. With that in mind I expect we’ll see a ProStreet 2 sometime in 2009. I’m just curious as to what EA wants to do with NFS after this incarnation, especially after seeing what they have planned with Burnout Paradise. It’s Burnout infused with the Most Wanted/Carbon free-roam aspect, which should be undeniably awesome.

However, I just heard from the grapevine that EA plans on releasing a NFS game once a year. They’re supposed to toggle between a sim-like experience and arcade experience every other year. So bearing that, we should see a Hot Pursuit style game next year and another ProStreet in 2009, as I predicted. Let’s see what they have in store for this beloved franchise!

Need for Speed: ProStreet Pt. 1 - The Bad

2007-12-19T19:01:00.000-05:00

Tiny faults abound in ProStreet. During drift sessions I often found my car sporting different colored wheels from my normally chrome setup. One instance had me in blue rims the first heat, red the next and gold for the last! You'll oftentimes notice our car has no driver as well. During one cutscene a rival driver pulled up next to me and the car had no driver. Ghost ride the whip!

Another glaring oversight can be found in the sector shootout mode, which is often impossible to beat due to its bad design. The first racer to post a score in any sector gets those points and keeps them for the race. However, when you post a score you only get the points if you beat the previous racer's score, thereby giving the car that starts in the lead an artificial head start.

Lastly, a thing that irked me about ProStreet is its total lack of a quick race option. You can organize a race day to challenge your friends, but the only cars available are your career mode cars and a selection of pre-made bonus cars. Unlike previous incarnations in the NFS franchise, there's no option of building cars outside career mode. So, if like me, you only used a few cars in career and your friend wants to drive something you didn't buy you're out of luck. That is unless you have the cash to modify another car in career mode. This is one NFS my fiance won't be enjoying with me. :(

However, these tiny faults aside, there's much to love about ProStreet. From a huge selection of cars and design possibilities to a varied and satisfying career mode to an awesome soundtrack, this game is made to please.

This is my PC

2007-12-12T23:34:00.000-05:00

Well, this is my first post and I figure, since I'm going to be blogging about games and I do most of my gaming on my PC (at least until I get a Wii after Xmas!!!) I would post my PC specs. I bought this PC in September '07 from newegg.com. I could have saved some cash here and there, but for the price I paid it's a rock solid machine.

Case: 34.99 Logisys Area 51 CS51WSL mid-tower w/ 480 watt PSU
Mobo: 69.99 Biostar NF4UAM2G NVidia nForce4 Ultra
CPU: 169.99 AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ Windsor 3.0GHz Dual-Core
GPU: 114.99 MSI NX8600GT-T2D56E GeForce 8600GT 256MB 128-bit
RAM: 107.00 Corsair XMS2 2GB DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel
HD: 79.99 Seagate Barracuda 320GB 7200 RPM

With a few other odds and ends this rig cost me right around $620, not bad at all for my first build. I'm very happy with it and its performance.

Just for an example I can run Call of Duty 4 at 1280x720 2xAA with med-high settings and get an average of 25-45 FPS depending on the activity. I can run Crysis at 1280x720 2xAA with medium settings and get the same framerate. I was really surprised how well my rig tears apart Crysis.

I'm currently looking at a new widescreen LCD monitor and contemplating a new video card. NVidia released their new 8800GT at a nice 250$ price point. I'll probably hop on that in a year when I need an upgrade. I'll have to get a new mobo then as well, mine only has a single 16x PCI-E. But like I said it suits me fine for now.

Well you can expect me to (hopefully) update at least on a weekly basis. I hope to post my ventures throughout my current games and other information I have to share about my life and my college experiences. So yea, there ya go!

~J