DAW Reaper 4.14 with Jamstix 3.30 VSTi

Finding out that Reaper 4.14 (whether 32-bit or x64-bit version) works with Jamstix 3.30 (another latest release) on Windows 7 64-bit, only completely when Run As Administrator is checked for Reaper.

Without Administrator privileges, Jamstix produced MIDI output, but was unable to load its own sound engine and stayed silent (though if routed to EZDrummer, you could hear the drums fine).

Still evaluating the merits of running 32-bit DAW’s (shown below – more VSTi’s recognized):

Versus 64-bit Reaper:

In both cases, I’m testing sending a 2nd MIDI stream from Jamstix to drive the EZDrummer track (to use the EZD sound kits).
Reaper is available at www.reaper.fm

Jamstix is available at www.rayzoon.com

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Air’s getting a little too dirty around here…

Seems like there’s a few too many dirt particles in this lil’ flake:

Technically they need at least one particle to form a flake, but these seem a bit more like our air needs more cleaning. Or perhaps, that what they’re doing?

Moving off of Microsoft Office Live Small Business (Website Hosting)

Microsoft is one of those “Great relationship while it lasted” kind of things. Missed in one of my live.com honeypot e-mail Inboxes was a missive about “At Microsoft we love you …but we’re discontinuing Office Live Small Business starting February 2012.

Read more on this OLSB blog while it’s still up: http://small-business.web.officelive.com/default.aspx#O365replaceOLSB 

Anyway, so I went about figuring out how to move this massively IIS-oriented site which leveraged tons of pre-built widgets in OLSB:

To somewhere else: https://sites.google.com/site/jhlui12/

Open the OLSB website in a browser. Save each page using File -> Save… [Webpage, complete]
This creates a copy of the base page, with a folder containing all of the images and CSS sheets in-use. (e.g. default.aspx.htm and [default.aspx_files])

Fix the References:
Using Firefox was more successful and IE8/9, which complained about being unable to save everything properly.

Open the HTML file (e.g. default.aspx.htm) in a text editor:
Search for jameslui.org -> replace with “.” (make current domain dynamic)
Search for .aspx” -> .aspx.htm” (change to HTML file reference)
Search for %_files/ -> images/ (migrated all *_files directories to a single images/ folder for ease of transport)

Needed to freeze the header as a banner.jpg for the time being until figuring out how to code the header.

Easiest so far seems to be to open the html version in another browser.

Set the new page layout to be sort of close to the original (Layout -> 1/2/3-column w/Left or Right sidebars).

Copy/paste from the html version frames to the new frame in Google Sites. Some images come over, but usually need to be re-uploaded into Google sites to get the references correct.

Forms are registered as data entry forms in Google Docs Spreadsheet Forms (which are spreadsheets with a single-row data entry page); Once re-created as a Spreadsheet Form, you can use Insert Spreadsheet Form to place it into the website.

Change Site Layout:

Horizontal navigation (checked) – have to add each page to go across the menu individually.

Sidebar (unchecked) – gets rid of the menu on the side.

Couldn’t really embed a WAV audio file. Can upload to Google Docs and create a Share link for it. Or attach files as Attachments to the page.

Sub-Tab/Sub-Menus
Layout Left-Sidebar to insert a Sub-page navigator that floats correctly.
Used 100 pixel width; no Title <leave blank>; Appearance: Traditional TOC

Fast text reformat – place “–” delimiters in proper paragraph break places. Replace ^p with <space>, Replace “–” with ^p^p, Replace ^p<space> with ^p

Forms are semi-editable. To Change Field Order, Open the Spreadsheet (SS), Open the Form Edit Window (but don’t close either one).
Return to the SS, Form -> Delete, Return to the Form Editor, change something, Save, the SS version should update accordingly and re-connect itself. Cannot do much about spacing or field width so far.

The Google Sites editor isn’t exactly WYSIWYG – getting those widgets and images to stay put where you want them can be a little daunting unless you crack open the raw HTML and disconnect the Themes and Templates from the site. But keep playing with Left/Right/Center Justification on an object, usually with Wrap ON and it will flow better.

One strength of Google Sites is that it is pre-built for designing Mobile-compatible sites. So the emphasis is NOT on making everything 800×600 pixel formatted automatically anymore. You should be able to re-size the browser and still be able to read the page regardless of browser window size. That’s a Mobile-ready configuration.

One page/sub-page at a time, some easier than others, and eventually it’s done!  Have patience!

Another example, here’s the migrated version of the Southwest Regional Oracle Applications Users Group (SROAUG) site:

http://www.sroaug.org

versus the OLSB version:

http://southwestregionaloracleapplicationsusergroup.tech.officelive.com

Defining a “Cloud” or is it “Fog”?

When did a personal Storage Area Network (SAN) device become a “Cloud”, much less a “Personal Cloud?”

The Cloud concept originally was that instead of having dedicated physical devices upon which to store all of your “stuff” (professionally, that would be databases, application code, software, files, et.al.), you would have potentially an Application Service Provider (ASP or hosting company) give you <x> amount of storage for <y> price and you wouldn’t worry about how much physical hardware went into the result.  You pay to store.

Because it was a “cloud” you could “see” your storage from a number of different places and thus it would be more accessible.

Then came “Private Clouds” — the concept of actually owning the storage hardware and bringing it inside of your firewall so it was more secure and only internally visible, and perhaps you could cut out the added cost of a provider’s overhead.

In this example, YuuWaa Software is technically a cloud backup solution (for which you would normally pay “x” for “y” price to store your stuff.)  But once you point the software back to a single external hard drive sitting in your closet, prone to whatever failures arise, it is not “cloud-like” in any way. This is akin to making “a mountain out of a mole-hill.”  It’s just a remote backup. Unless you have a backup, for your backup system, it probably isn’t as reliable as you’d think.

Clouds can be beautiful and puffy, or they can contain unforeseen dangers. So, know your “Clouds.”

Logitech Drums (Wii/PS3/XBox) with MIDI (finally)

History:

I bought one of these to have more fun with a Nintendo Wii during RockBand, Guitar Hero, Band Hero, etc.:  Logitech Wireless Drums

Lots of people stared at the back of the control unit and thought

(Hey, it’s got MIDI! see right-side of unit photo below) But alas, no, it was for “future expansion” as a MIDI In (?…more triggers?)

So…we wait for technology to finally catch up and listen to all the complaints about lack of cross-talk adjustment, velocity curves, gain adjustment.

And then Alesis delivers it with their Trigger|iO unit – street-priced around $130, it can handle 10 dual-zone triggers. plus hi-hat pedal and dual-footswitch (for changing kits and patches and such).

With a handful of 1/8 to 1/4 stereo adapters (the little black thing next to the original Logitech drum plug), you convert the Logitech triggers into the right plug size for the standard Trigger|iO MIDI unit.

Out goes MIDI to what have you (or just use USB to your computer and play using the built in sound-card, if that’s what you have). For Windows, you could use Sekaiju, or for Linux perhaps QTractor.  I use both since there are great analog and digital kits in my keyboard arranger, but having real samples works well, too.  Trigger|iO also comes with a free-Lite version of EZDrummer from ToonTrack.com which has a few nice sampled kits in it.

Anyway, with the Trigger|iO you can adjust all the velocity curves and various settings to tune the rather stoic Logitech triggers into very playable surfaces, and get 2 things back out of your original purchase.  Or… an electronic drum kit for about $300 that actually sounds decent and a lot more playable than a Pyle or ION kit (and still controls RockBand, Guitar Hero, Band Hero…etc.)

MTC’s Christmas Variety Show Extravaganza

 

MTC’s Christmas Variety Show Extravaganza!!!

Metamorphosis Theatre Company’s biggest and brightest stars take the stage to bring you a holiday show that is so much fun, you’ll want to share it with the whole family! You can’t miss this holiday extravaganza! Dec. 14 – 17, 2011 at 7:00 pm at the Fremont Centre Theatre!

LA Times – Lodging and Resort Industry Supporting Bees

Lodging Industry gets on Bee Bandwagon (LA Times 11/20/2011)

Nice article on hotels and resorts adding local beehives so support everything from spa ingredients to cocktail enhancements (as well as having lots more flowers and happy plants).

Oracle 12c (for Cloud) launches WebLogic everywhere

http://www.oracle.com/us/products/middleware/application-server/weblogic-suite/index.html – Oracle 12c middleware is all WebLogic, includes auto-recognition of middleware clustering (ala RAC), and deploys as standalone, or included in various packaging, including the new Oracle Enterprise Manager 12c.

EBS R12 certification forthcoming.

And “no installation required – unzip and launch” – a different concept for Oracle; wondering what happens to the OraInventory now?