GIGS (updated 1/16/24)
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES Hi folks! Yikes, it’s been over a year since I last posted any updates about upcoming gigs. I just entered the various gigs through to present day– just for information purposes. There is one upcoming gig in May. *** May 24 2023*** !!! Rubber Souls plays at the Buffalo Rose in […]
Read more...Zoom B2 Four: An In-Depth Review (2/14/24)
I’ve been getting acquainted with Zoom’s B2 Four for bass guitar. Though I have a couple higher-end multi-fx with modeling, I wanted a simpler device for some gigs. Also, there is something intriguing about these budget units that throw out some fun & quirky surprises. I couldn’t find a detailed review, so I offer these […]
Read more...Tags: b2 four, detailed, review, zoom
Choosing a Capo 1/16/24
Let us celebrate a clever little invention that makes it so easy to transpose to different keys that it feels like cheating. You clamp it on a fret, pretend the capo’ed fret is the new nut, and you’ve instantly raised every note, chord, shape, and idiom by that number of frets/half-steps. As uncomplicated as a […]
Read more...Tags: buyer's guide, buying guide, capo
Nektar GXP61 Review 1/16/24
The overall build quality is good for this price (I paid $230, minus 1 cent). It’s hard to say how durable it is without opening it up, stress-testing, etc., but it feels sturdy, FWIW. The spring-tension, key-mass, and throw-length all feel proper for a semi-weighted action. The landing at the bottom of the key travel […]
Read more...Tags: GXP, GXP61, Nektar, review
Actually, it was my robot… 6/22/21
In the art world, there will always be some degree of virtuoso worship. We view important figures as having achieved a high level of brilliance, which is expressed through their work. We ourselves, as artists, may find the idea of being respected by (or even impressive to) our peers as a powerful source of motivation […]
Read more...G-Stomper Producer: Review
Music Making App for Android Breaks New Ground A review from rhythm enthusiast, Jon Stubbs In early 2019, I emailed the developer, requesting a few new features. He said a new app was about to be released, and though my requests wouldn’t make it into the initial release, he’d add them to the list. I […]
Read more...MUSIC THEORY: The Creative Process
Jon Stubbs- July 15, 2018 When we listen to amazing music, there’s almost a magical element to it. We know that the artists (composers and/or performers) have knowledge and skills to make that magic happen, but is there something extra? Inspiration? Creative freedom? As music creators we tap into a combination of: experience, comfort level, […]
Read more...MUSIC TECH: All About the Scan Rates
Scan rates are important in two contexts- digital synthesis and MIDI controllers. With synths, it usually refers to how often the synth engine calculates modulation changes. The result of high scan rates is smoother LFO modulations– especially with fast LFOs, and snappier envelopes, (as well as other stuff). I really appreciate with developers mention their […]
Read more...MUSIC TECH: MIDI 2.0
The release of MIDI 2.0 promises to bring a host of ground-breaking features, along with backward-compatibility, and it even promises to bring some improvements to MIDI 1.0. However, we must admit that many of the most powerful features included in the original MIDI spec went untouched both by MIDI controller makers and by synth developers. […]
Read more...TUNING SYSTEMS: Starting from Scratch
Before we get to Melody and Harmony, we have to start with the pitch tuning system, which gives us a super-set of notes from which to choose. From those pitches, we choose a scale; and then we choose (mostly) scale notes for melodies and chords. I think sometimes the terms tuning system and scale are […]
Read more...