Latest hobby.

I am a classical pianist @Retired. Love the old Masters, both dramatic, bold or emotionally charged. I really enjoy a decent melody.I started learning from a young age and ended up teaching piano when I was younger.

 

Hi,

Many thanks for the update @Songbird you must have put in considerable hours practicing; I admire such skills.

Here's something you might like; I've been watching lots of these videos;



I've been doing a bit of practicing using GIMP editing;


I've used GIMP for many years but not for adding text to music scores so it's been another learning curve but I'm slowly achieving what I want; I'll get better with practice but I can add this to memory stick and display it on the studio laptop; there might be easier ways but this is a start; I've all winter to play in.

For members wondering what the letters are I added under each note; the first letter is the string to play the second letter is the note. Strings on the violin are G; D; A & E. Four string violin.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Well done @Retired

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Logan.

My Boss Loop Station RC-2 pedal arrived yesterday; it's a bare unit without power supply but I have lots of power supplies including a large lab type power supply with adustable voltages.

Keen to try it out I took it into the studio then the fun started; is the middle pin on the socket positive or negative? there's no indication at all on the unit; I've got both types of 9v PSU's but connecting the wrong one could destroy the electronics unless diode protected? It does have a check LED needing a 9V battery but how I dislike batteries; I have two and both are old and discharged; new batteries are down in the workshop so I couldn't even check.

It was perishing cold outside so I didn't fancy a trip down to the workshop to collect the Lab psu so I'll collect it today. Last night I downloaded the instruction manual and find it's negative center pin so this morning I can try using one of the dedicated adaptors. Why oh why can't these connectors be standardized like 13A plugs; I've got so many different power supplies and a basket full of assorted recording cables all adding cost. I must have every type of instrument cable by now.

I've bought this psu through eBay;


It's very important to get the connections correct; here's the details on the psu I've now bought; please note the strange looking things directly under 0.25A the connector is wired for outer positive and center pin negative this isn't marked on the BOSS.

I'm waiting for the studio to warm up; I reduce the heating but not turn it off when I'm not present; I've now got four pedals and yesterday I started to achieve the organ sound I'm after whilst playing the violin; with lots of patience and practice I'll get there; it just takes time.

I've just collected the Laboratory PSU and DMM (Digital multi meter) from the workshop; now I'm cold again.


My lab power supply adustable to 30V needing a good clean having been under the bench also one of my DMM's this is a cheap one only costing about £10 but has a good range. I can now set the output and check it's the 9V I need. The red and black terminals on the PSU are the positive and negative; both are useful bits of kit. Well out of what's normal on a gardening forum but are involved on other forums I subscribe to.

The loop pedal allows a backing track to be added to a recording; I think this BOSS has a number of drum sounds built in as standard and any other backing track can be added and even overlaid; it's something totally new to me but I like learning.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi,

I decided to buy the correct power supply for the BOSS pedal through eBay at £8.99 delivered; it's too much hassle messing around in this cold wet weather up and down to the workshop soldering connections. I have a correct polarity 9V power supply but it's rated at 250mA and a 500mA is needed; things don't get any easier.

My flatbed scanner died and was taken for recycling so now I use my camera; I've just been taking digital images of assorted music scores then using the desktop computer transferred the images to memory stick; the heating's on in the studio so I'll now use my studio laptop to display the music score whilst practicing with the violin; I've not added note notation to the scores so it will encourage me to learn sight reading more; it's all so interesting to me and each tiny success drives me on.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi,

The new power supply for the BOSS is due to arrive today; however I've now bought a second looper pedal this time it's a DITTO Looper; it arrived yesterday and I already have a power supply of the correct polarity so I've been in the studio playing around with it; it's very easy to use unlike the more complicated BOSS and it's a fascinating bit of kit; ideal for a novice like me.

The BOSS has lots more features like assorted drums loaded; the DITTO is unloaded and simply records and plays back.



It's going to be interesting playing and comparing both loopers; I'm also practicing using the Tascam pocket studio for recording.



I export tracks to "Audacity" for editing; Audacity is a free download;



All such things look so easy but I find every one has a steep learning curve some more difficult than others.

I'm in for lots of fun this winter.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Looks very interesting Colin , i hope that you have a lot of fun with them.

 

Hi,

Thanks @Logan The BOSS doesn't work even though it's got the correct power supply; the BOSS was sold through eBay with no returns; now I know why. these things happen but the DITTO is brilliant to play around with; it's been so cold that even with the C/H and electric fan heater on in the studio I've felt too cold to linger but since then the weather has turned milder; the problem now is my right hand and arm ache from hours of weeding using a hand trowel. When I have spare days in future I'll heat the studio all day not just trying to heat whilst I'm in.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Hi Colin
Shame about the BOSS doesn't work.
But pleased about the DITTO.
It's turned milder here.

 

Hi,

Thanks @Logan

With rain all day today and being bitterly cold outside I turned the heating up in the studio very early this morning.

I've got lots of gear in the studio so now's the time to familarize myself with it all.

I'm very much a novice so I'm making it up as I go along; I started practicing playing a violin 4 years ago but not seriously spending hour after hour because my time was always needed elsewhere; now though on bad weather days I can spend more time in the studio as I did this morning.

The sequence I tried;
1 Yamaha YEV-104 electric violin.
2 Red Eye Pre amplifier.
3 Beringer UMC40 4HD Interface just for it's +48V phantom power
4 Rode NT2-a Condener microphone powered by the phantom power from the Beringer.
5 Tascam pocket studio.
6 POG2 Polyphonic Octave Generator.
7 Yamaha THR10 Amplifier.

I also have more pedals but this line up is plenty to tie myself in knots with.

Next I exported the track from the Tascam to my computer as a WAVE file.
Using AVC which I subscribe to the WAVE file was formatted to MP3 file making it easier to play around with.

Now I wanted to edit the file and loaded it to "Audacity" a free editing program removing unwanted parts; unfortunately I ended up spending quite a bit of time with Audacity because there wasn't any audio play back.

Finally I had now created a rough practice in MP3. I'm unable to add the recording to the forum; after all it's a gardening forum although I'll have a go now at adding it to YouTube then it can play on here; it's been a successful and interesting morning with years more interest and practice ahead of me; I've now got the basics with more pedals still to add.

Kind regards, Col.

 

Well done Colin, I'll look forward to seeing and hearing your video.

 

I've just read through and enjoyed your thread here Colin. You've certainly got some patience, choosing probably, one of the most difficult instruments to learn, let alone all the technological gear you've added to your studio along the way. Well done and keep going, you're an inspiration to others.

Reading our fellow members posts too, certainly shows there's a lot of talent amongst our friends here on GC. I wish I could say the same. From a young age I could punch out a tune by ear on a few woodwind instruments but lost interest. There's music in my blood I suppose. Both my father and uncle (his brother) learnt to play accordions by ear at a young age. My favourite genre is rock/blues music and it follows that guitars would be my go to if I I ever learnt to play - unlikely though. A video for you to watch below that's pretty much raw guitar if you can get beyond the singing. Jake Kiszka (American) and Chris Turpin (British) have got together to play, for want of a better word - duets, and have recently formed a four piece band.



The video you posted of Europe playing Final Countdown brought back memories for me. I worked for a few years on scenery at the Earls Court Arena in London for the Royal Tournament performances in the late 80's. On one occasion an organist, no doubt practicing on the arena's organ, blasted his way through it. It was amazing, filling the arena completely with sound.

 

Hi,

Many thanks @Sheal for your kind comments and for adding the video; I enjoyed the guitar playing on the video but why did they perform in the dark; I played it full length on YouTube; the singing was OK but the guitar playing was much better; I hope the four piece band does well.

Yes; the violin is recognized as the hardest stringed instrument to play and I'm definitely finding it difficult but it comes down to perserverance and not quitting; I wish I had a friend nearby who can play the violin then I could learn much quicker; I won't take lessons but am using YouTube videos and receiving encouragement from two stringed instrument forums.

A few days ago I played a practice track using my Yamaha YEV-104 electric violin through a preamp and POG2 to give an organ type sound then into my Yamaha THR10 amp. Recording was done on a Tascam pocket studio with RODE NT2a. microphone. I knew it would be out of tune because I was playing from memory not sight reading from a score but it was worth it to check the procedure; now I can work and improve on it. I've tried uploading the track but it's too large although I'll spend time and add it to YouTube then I can post the link. I'm grounded today due to heavy rain. I'm finding getting used to all my new gear challenging but highly interesting; watching YouTube videos it all looks so simple and easy but with many knobs and buttons to adjust it's as difficult as a child learning the alphabet; so many though give up finding playing a musical instrument to be more difficult than they expected which is a shame.

Yes indeed there are many talented members on this forum not just highly skillful in gardening; I'm always interested in what hobbies members enjoy.

It's taken me about 44 years from first seeing a violin I'd have liked to buy but couldn't even ask how much it cost until 4 years ago when Bron bought me my first ever violin set so it's not too late for you @Sheal to pick up a guitar with a bit of encouragement although I'd prefer you to pick up a violin then we can struggle learning together; an acoustic guitar can be bought cheaply as can a violin.

I bought a "Rainbow" violin through Gumtree with case; bow; rosin and music booklets for £25 and the seller kindly delivered on his way home from work. This violin was green and I gave it as a present to one of Bron's carers when Bron was in palliative care at home. The Rainbow Violin Company appear to have ceased trading their last accounts were in 2011?

What a nice story of you being in the Earls Court Arena fortunate enough to hear "The Final Countdown" blasting out on the organ; I bet it made a lasting lifelong impression on you; such moments remain in the mind forever. The Final Countdown is a tune I want to learn playing on the violin; it will be a huge challenge and won't be easy but well worth doing my best with. I need the violin score to practice from.

Search result for 'the final countdown solo violin' | Free sheet music | Download PDF or print on Musescore.com

I browse Musescore at the link above and cheekily take a digital image of the first page of a score as seen below;

Final Countdown (Arr. Dario Argentesi) - Europe (Violin Solo)

If I like it then I buy the full score; I've bought a number of scores from this comany and never been disppointed; their prices are reasonable.

Enough for now though; I'm catching up having been spending a lot of time and energy in the garden over the last few days. Thanks again @Sheal.

Kind regards, Col.

 

It was an old church and I think they wanted the effect of the acoustics there.

44 years is some good while to wait for your first violin. It may not be too late for a guitar but devoting the time to it and arthritic fingers would be a frustration.

Keep up the work on The Final Countdown and when you've mastered it perhaps we can hear it here on GC. Yes, it was amazing hearing it at the arena and I can still hear it now all these years later. I couldn't see the organist so he was probably tucked away in the 'Gods' somewhere above us.

 

Hi,

Thanks @Sheal.



I've spent the morning adding my first violin track onto YouTube as seen at the link above; not The final countdown though; not yet. It's been quite a journey from my violin to posting on YouTube but lots can be achieved with patience and determination. This was just an experiment to play around with some of my studio gear; played from memory but not too bad considering I had such problems remembering three notes from a violin score when I first started. Now I need to practice more with violin playing and I also have other gear to experiment with; I'll never be bored. After dinner I'll do more work in the garden.

Kind regards, Col.