Hey folks, Lad here, wanted to say hello! I've enjoyed lurking the forums so far, and so very thankful there is a place like this. I hope everyone is staying safe out there.
I'm Lad. Just some guy out in the PNW area. I'm obviously interested in (gnu)/Linux/free software, and music creation but let's get more specific since we're in good company.
I like to think of myself wearing hats... The musician hat, the "not really audio engineer but plays one on tv" hat, the system admin hat, and the classic dunce cap mostly.
[Insert banjo joke here]
So yeah, I'm your average guitar and keyboard dude. Picking it up as I go along, taking lessons when I can (shout out to wolftune for the lessons). Recently I've been exploring the grateful dead tunes (I know, where have I been?) and am really lucky to have a friend who 1. Plays six string bass and 2. Is a poutchouli sporting deadhead. Dude, good musical experiences man
On to the system admin hat...
I've got a laptop x220 (i5-2xxx)/16gbram on Debian buster using liquorix kernel. Seeing it's age but it works for my needs. It will soon be replaced by a thinkpad T480 though.
And a desktop/mixing workstation also on Debian buster, vanilla Linux kernel right now.
My daily driver for the last 7 years had been the admirable archlinux. We had good times mostly, but I realized I, personally, needed a more "static" OS... static meaning package updates are less frequent, pretty much. I learned a lot from archlinux though... Maybe just one VM image of it... No, no just leave it, leave it alone...
Finally the audio engineer hat:
It's easy to think you want things that you don't need, so I had to ask myself what the minimal setup would be for my "needs".
Laptop:
- goal is to have a simple "appliance". Turn it on and boom, ready to play. It should host the guitar and midi keyboard and a mic. Lightweight setup and teardown.
- Cadence/Claudia/Jack setup to auto start the studio on login
- bus powered USB 4 (2 xlr/inst Ins + 1 in built stereo mic) channel mixer (zoom h5) to host my and Microphone/or other inst. The zoom h5 has an in built stereo mic as well.
- guitarix for FX and amp sim
- Ardour for simple mixing and recordings
- Carla hosting Pianoteq and zynsubaddfx for the midi piano keyboard (Roland fp-30)
- Jamtaba for internet jamming
Desktop/Mixer:
- goal is to have stable "appliance" OS for recording and mixing, just turn it on and it's running what it needs to be running
- older gaming rig, can't remember specs
- 18 channel mixer (behringer x18). So far so good.
- Cadence/Claudia/Jack setup to auto start the studio on login
- Ardour for mixing
I am incredibly grateful and stunned for how much value I get from free software. Please remember to donate where you can to help support developers.
Whelp, that's that for now. Thanks for listening!
Hello Neighbors!
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- Michael Willis
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Re: Hello Neighbors!
Hi Lad! That behringer x18 looks like great fun, I wasn't aware of that model.
I also (kind of) have a banjo that I don't really know how to play. It's a long story, but the short is that the neighbors had a banjo in their basement that they inherited from the grandfather and their kids promptly broke. I offered to take it to my friend who repairs guitars, he told me it looked like a vintage collector's item. We ended up getting it repaired by a banjo specialist, and now it's sitting in my bedroom studio because the neighbors don't want their kids breaking it again... It's not really mine, but I occasionally putter around with it.
I also (kind of) have a banjo that I don't really know how to play. It's a long story, but the short is that the neighbors had a banjo in their basement that they inherited from the grandfather and their kids promptly broke. I offered to take it to my friend who repairs guitars, he told me it looked like a vintage collector's item. We ended up getting it repaired by a banjo specialist, and now it's sitting in my bedroom studio because the neighbors don't want their kids breaking it again... It's not really mine, but I occasionally putter around with it.
Last edited by Michael Willis on Mon May 04, 2020 6:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Hello Neighbors!
Hello lad!
Talking about banjos ...
What's the difference between a banjo and a trampoline ? -- You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline.
What's the difference between a banjo and a chainsaw ? -- A chainsaw has a more expressive dynamic range.
Talking about banjos ...
What's the difference between a banjo and a trampoline ? -- You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline.
What's the difference between a banjo and a chainsaw ? -- A chainsaw has a more expressive dynamic range.
- Michael Willis
- Established Member
- Posts: 1460
- Joined: Mon Oct 03, 2016 3:27 pm
- Location: Rocky Mountains, North America
- Has thanked: 71 times
- Been thanked: 169 times
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Re: Hello Neighbors!
That settles it. I'm challenging myself to do a music project with the tenor banjo. Lad, you're welcome to join me on this ill-advisable foolhardy endeavor if you wish.
Re: Hello Neighbors!
Ha, these days I'm actually seriously craving a (5 string) banjo. Been fantasizing about some kind of dissonant, psychedelic anti-bluegrass.