The first thing you should know when using Audacity
This is a great free software multitrack recorder, but there's a rather important thing you must do in order to get along with the software properly.
I use a ZOOM R8 for multitrack recording. A huge reason why I use it instead of recording direct-to-PC is because it has zero audio latency, commonly known as lag.
Some people would rather just record direct to the computer via USB, and that's fine, but then you have to compensate for the lag. Why? Because audio over USB isn't latency-free, never has been, and never will be. It doesn't matter if you have USB 2.0 or 3.0 because the lag will always be there.
What happens when there's lag
Your recording will be out-of-time from one track to the next. If for example you set up a click track in Audacity and record without compensating for the lag first, what you play along with the click track won't match up.
How to compensate for lag in Audacity
- Edit
- Preferences (an additional window launches when you do this)
- Recording (on left side menu)
- Adjust latency.
What correction figure will work for you? You have to figure it out.
The easy way to determine latency correction for guitar players
Create a click track first:
- Generate
- Click Track
Use a tempo of 120 beats per minute, with the number of bars as 16. This will create a click track for you to follow.
After that, record a track with your guitar following the click track as best you can, then stop recording, listen to the playback and see if what you played matches up with the click track. If it doesn't, you'll need to adjust for the USB lag described above.
Again, it will take a few minutes for you to determine what the best setting is for your computer concerning latency correction. You will have to make a few test recordings to figure it out.
Once you've found the proper latency correction value to use, you should only have to set this one time. The only time you should ever have to change that value is if you physically switch over to another computer (meaning a different PC, laptop, etc.)
Living with the Casio CTK-6200
This is good, and I'm glad it's not expensive.
So I've owned my Casio CTK-6200 for a short period of time and I'm learning my way around it. In some ways it's stupidly easily while in others stupidly difficult. I'm not going to get into the details of that because it would take too long to explain. But what I will say is that this particular synth rides the fine line between "portable keyboard" and "synthesizer workstation". It's almost as if I can't decide what it wanted to be, so it decided to be both.
As a performance synth, the CTK-6200 is good. As a songwriting tool, also good. Its weak point however is the sequencer. It works but there are annoyances about it (such as not being able to preview the quantize of notes before actually executing the command.)
My favorite thing about the CTK-6200 is that this was a good reintroduction to the keys for me. I had been without a full-size keyboard for a while, and this one reminds me of what makes synths so cool to begin with.
Now that I've lived with the thing for a small while, would I recommend it? Yes, but only for one reason. It is the most synth you can get for the money. It's not the easiest nor the most straightforward. There is a bit of a learning curve with this thing. But again, you can't beat what you get for the price.
I'll put it another way. If all you want is something that makes cool noises, has no sequencing ability and is as cheap as it gets for something with full-size keys, get the Yamaha PSR-E362 bundle. However, if you want something with more synth stuff in it that's a better value for just 50 bucks more, then the CTK-6200 is the best thing going right now.
Older Garmin nuvi models worth getting
(Note: This was written in 2018, and an updated version is here.)
I'll be getting back to the guitar stuff soon, but just wanted to say a few things about older Garmin nuvi models. I know a bunch about them, and these are my picks for older models worth getting.
The Garmin nuvi model line of products had a 10-year run from 2005 to 2015; certain models are better than others.
These are the ones I consider okay to get:
4.3-inch
- 1300LM
- 2300LM
- 2455LM
- 40LM
- 42LM
- 44LM
5-inch
- 1450LM
- 2555LM
- 50LM
- 52LM
- 54LM
Why such a short list?
I have reasons which are as follows:
Traffic reporting is so-so at best
I don't list any models with LMT (meaning Lifetime Maps + Traffic) in the name for two reasons.
First, most older nuvi models with the traffic feature requires a special power cord that has a built-in traffic antenna, the GTM 25. That thing costs between $25 to $50 just for the cord depending on where you get it from.
Second, even if you have traffic reporting 100% working properly, the performance of it isn't that great, never has been and never will be.
The truth about traffic reporting is that whether you get it from a dedicated Garmin GPS or Google Maps on a smartphone, accuracy varies wildly. This means that the traffic reporting is, at best, only sometimes correct.
A matte screen with bright backlight is the best kind
No matter how fancy a GPS or smartphone is, if the screen can't be read in the daylight while driving, it's worthless as a navigation device.
The two types of screens available are matte and glass. Those who have used GPSes a while know that when you've got a good matte screen unit, that's a gem worth keeping.
Examples from the above list that are known to have really good screens are the 40LM, 1450LM and 50LM. No harsh reflections, bright backlight, sunglasses-friendly. They just work.
How to make an older nuvi last as long as possible
Three things break Garmin GPSes more than anything else. Getting cooked, fingernails and dash dive.
When leaving the car, place a hand towel over the GPS so the sun doesn't cook it or the power cord. Or just take the unit and put in the glove box until needed again.
Never use fingernails on the touchscreen because that can and will scratch it all up. Use your knuckle instead. If that doesn't work, buy a touchscreen stylus (the one with the soft tip) and use that instead.
When dash dive happens (and it will) because the suction mount keeps falling off the windshield, switch to a friction mount a.k.a. bean bag mount instead. No more dash dive.
What about repurposing an old smartphone instead of getting an older Garmin nuvi?
This is a bad idea.
Doing the old-phone-as-GPS thing is tedious to set up as it requires rooting and a lot of programming, performs terribly as the GPS antenna on phones is very weak compared to dedicated GPS, is unreliable, and the glare from the glass screen makes it useless for day driving.
An older Garmin nuvi model with matte screen can be bought in very good condition for under 50 bucks, such as the 42LM and 52LM models.
Worth it? Yes. Get one.
THX 1138 is actually pretty darned good
It's funny that it took so long for me to watch this movie...
...but I'm glad I watched it now, because I'm pretty sure my 20s self wouldn't have appreciated it.
THX 1138 is George Lucas's first big Hollywood production and comes in two flavors. The original release and the 2004 Director's Cut.
Yes, this is the same George Lucas that did Star Wars.
1971
The fact this was released in '71 is what impresses me more than anything else. THX happened before Logan's Run and A Clockwork Orange.
Just to put this in further perspective, some other films released in '71 were Dirty Harry, Diamonds Are Forever and Le Mans. When THX was released, the closest thing to it was 2001: A Space Odyssey that happened 3 years earlier in '68.
Original theatrical release vs. Director's Cut
I purposely watched the original theatrical version first before Director's Cut. The difference between the two is that the original is what was put in theaters in 1971, and DC was the "enhanced" version released in 2004 that has a bunch of CG in it.
The dumbest thing about DC is the car chase scene, no question about it. It comes out of nowhere, doesn't fit at all and took me right out of the movie experience. But aside from that, most of the other changed stuff isn't all that bad. The best part of DC is obviously the cleaned up film. You can see a lot more in DC that you can't in OT.
Another thing about DC is that I got a better idea of what the story was about compared to OT. Granted, THX is not good on story, but I understood better what was going on with the DC version.
Actors that keep routinely showing up in movies I like
In both the 1954 BBC version and the 1956 full motion picture version of Nineteen Eighty-Four, David Pleasance was in it. He's in THX 1138 and was amazing as usual.
Robert Duvall is also in the movie as the lead character THX 1138. He's also three other movies I like, Network, Apocalypse Now and Thank You For Smoking.
Nineteen Eighty-Four heavy influence
I got a strong 1984 vibe from THX. And that's not a bad thing. It's more or less the same dystopian style future where everyone and everything is controlled by the state, except with a lot more futuristic stuff.
The two stories aren't the same. THX wasn't trying to be a carbon copy of 1984. But I could definitely tell it was strongly influenced by it.
Cops are cool in THX
Chrome Robots are the cops in THX, but the interesting thing is that they're almost cute and lovable at times. They're somewhat dopey, and the children in the movie aren't even afraid of them. Some of the lines they say are just outright funny. An example is when THX 1138 purposely locks them out of a room, and one of the robots says, "The door seems to be jammed. Please check the lock on your side."
A good boring
What prompted me to finally watch this movie is that I was hearing someone talk about it on a live stream, and he described THX as "a good boring"; he meant this in a complimentary way. Some movies are boring and bad, but said this movie was boring and good. And he was right.
I consider this a better watch than 2001, because that movie is a genuine chore to get through. THX is a good movie to kick back and relax to. And with the OT version I did get immersed in the world the movie presented to me. With the DC version, it's broken with all that CG garbage. But with OT, it's a genuinely good sci-fi movie. Pacing is a bit weird, and it can get boring. But it's a good boring.
Using a Garmin Drive standalone GPS in 2018
It's been a while since I've said anything about GPS, so I figure it's time for an update.
The model of satnav I use these days is the Garmin Drive 50LM; a 5-inch model from 2016 that I bought originally as a refurb. The 50LM is not all that different from the Drive 51LM, with the only real difference being the 51 has more smartphone-specific features in it.
Both the 50 and 51 5-inch versions (along with 60 and 61 6-inch versions) use matte screens which can be read easily even when wearing polarized sunglasses. Both of them also can be used in either horizontal "wide" or vertical "tall" orientation, albeit that setting has to be adjusted manually.
For the fancy schmancy multi-touch glass screen, you get that on the DriveLuxe 51 5-inch and DriveSmart 61 LMT-S 6-inch.
5-inch vs. 6-inch
The model with the largest screen area using the least physical space is the DriveSmart 61 LMT-S model with its 6.95" edge-to-edge display.
Whether to get a 6 or a 5 depends how close the screen is to your face when driving.
In large vehicles like a big SUV or RV, yeah you need the 6. For passenger cars however, no you don't. Whether you mount the satnav on the windshield, to a vent via a vent clip or via adhesive disc to the dashboard, the 5-inch is the best for the passenger car.
Where screen legibility is concerned, all Garmin Drive, DriveAssist, DriveSmart and DriveLuxe models have "themes" that allow for different color schemes with better contrast. In older models, all you had before was "day" and "night" modes for color choices, but now you get a bunch more that makes for easier reading.
Overview and goodies
Touchscreen is responsive, backlight is bright, everything is legible and readable, route calculations and recalculations are very fast, TTS (text-to-speech) voice is incredibly good now (nothing like the computery TTS voices on the older models.)
Even on the most "basic" Drive model, which mine is, you now get a Trip Planner (multiple waypoints can be set for a single route,) custom avoidances (you can set roads and/or areas to avoid,) and route choice (for most destinations, you're given the choice of which route you want to take instead of just one, and you can customize the route.) All this stuff was previously only available on very high-end Garmin units.
Things that matter
Is the routing good? Yes. For most destinations, the first route choice Drive gives you is usually the best one.
Easy to figure out? Yes. If you've ever used a smartphone or tablet (who hasn't?), anyone can learn this thing. Manual not required.
Is it reliable? Yes, very reliable. But I still carry a backup GPS. More on that in a moment.
Is it sturdy? Yes.
Can you hear it? Yes. The little speaker does well for something housed in a case that's only 2cm thick.
How is the battery life? Terrible as usual at just 1 hour. However, this is normal for all satnavs these days regardless of who makes it. And since everyone uses a satnav plugged in anyway, battery life really doesn't matter.
I still carry a backup GPS in the car
In the car's glove box I have my nuvi 40LM that I bought new in 2012. Still works fine. When I was using the 40LM as my main unit, the nuvi 200 was my backup. When I got the 50LM, the nuvi 200 was retired and now the 40LM is the backup.
I always use GPS when I drive, enough to the point where driving without it just feels weird.
It's been 12+ years since I started using GPS. In that time, I've only had one Garmin satnav (StreetPilot i3 model) crash so hard that it locked up the unit for a few minutes. And that was back in 2005. Since then, I've never had a Garmin exhibit a hard crash like that. But even so, satnavs are tech. Tech sometimes breaks unexpectedly for the weirdest of reasons, and that's why I carry the backup.
I may never use my 40LM except for checking it once every few months to make sure it still works. But if it ever happens that my 50LM fails, I will be very happy to have that backup.