Oy! It's been a over a week since I last updated the site simply because I haven't been online for the past week. Instead of mucking about with stylesheets and php code, I took some time to reorganize our studio. I'll have some pictures of the new arrangement up as soon as I take some but I'd like to highlight one big change: we have dual computers/monitors! Now this isn't yer granddads dual monitor setup. Instead of two monitors plugged into one computer, we have two computers, each with their own monitor. Before you dismiss this as old hat, let me add that one computer is a PC running XP Pro and the other is an Apple runnning 10.3 and the mouse and keyboard is seamlessly shared between them! What this means is that as you move the mouse cursor off the edge of the left-hand monitor (the PC), it appears on the monitor on the right (which is a Mac!) and you carry about your business as usual. This is made possible with the use of a nifty program called Synergy

Synergy is a kind-of poor man's KVM switch. Instead of pressing a button to switch the display and peripherals from one computer to another, Synergy employs some VLC-like trickery to accomplish much the same effect. The monitor does not change however, so it's really more of a virtual KV switch. Still, the effect is awesome and anyone who works with multiple computer systems frequently should hop on the bandwagon if you haven't already

done so.

Why would we want to use two computers together, you may ask? Basically the PC is much faster and can handle large stacks of Combinators in Reason. The Mac, while choking on heavy processing tasks, is much more reliable when it comes to recording with ProTools. For now, this hybrid setup is the best of both worlds. Of course, a dual-monitor KVM or even better, a new core-duo mac, would be better but hey--you work with what you got!

I'll add more songs and new features in the next few days. Since we don't have internet access at the house it looks like updates will be a little sporadic for the short term. Bear with me . . .

The new issue of Southeast Performer Magazine is out and I've got an interview with Atlanta-based hip-hop head Mojo Swagger. (a coupla cd reviews too . . .)

TapeOp is the best free recording advice you're likely to find. To tell the truth, I haven't really used their web site much. It's the free magazine that I really look forward to.  Every two months, I get a collection of knowledgeable gear reviews, interesting interviews, hardware hacks and recording techniques. Best of all, it's free. You can sign up for a subscription here.  I cannot stress how useful this magazine is. It's run by people who love music. That love shines through in the care and attention put into the layout and editing. Even the advertising is generally useful. If you're interested in the art and science of recording, treat yourself and subscribe now. I'll elaborate on TapeOp in future posts. For now though, I just wanted to throw this nugget up here. Every page I've read in the latest issue has been great. Ok, back to the mag. >

I have spent many hours adjusting the code on this site so it would display properly on Firefox and Internet Explorer. Everything that had worked so perfectly in Firefox was horribly munged by Microsoft's market-leading browser. I tried to correct the situation with little CSS tweaks but ended up scratching everything and starting over. As a result, I had to make a few compromises on the design which I will try to remedy in the next few weeks. For now, things display OK and that's fine with me.

If you are still using Internet Explorer to browse the web, do yourself and everyone else on the Internet a favor and use Firefox instead. For those who aren't aware, Internet Explorer horribly misinterprets the basic standards established to maintain consistent display across all browsers. This makes the process of web design much more annoying than it should be. Not only that, Internet Explorer is notorious for its lax security. This means that by using it, you open yourself up to all kinds of attacks, with the potential to completely wreck your computer.

Firefox is a free alternative to Internet Explorer that adheres to web standards and is much more secure. As if that wasn't enough, Firefox's functionality can be extended through the use of extensions. There are over a thousand extensions and I have used dozens of them. Over the next few days, I will highlight the ones I have found most useful. To say they are useful is an understatement. I have grown to rely on some of these extensions so much that it's disappointing when I have to use a browser without them.

To start with, since some of you may have followed my bulletin on Myspace, is the Myspace toolbar. The toolbar makes it easy to check whether you have messages without logging in to the site. You can also set it up to automatically log in when you visit Myspace. Best of all, there's a simple little button on the bottom of the status bar that toggles the toolbar visibility. That way, you don't have to have the toolbar always taking up space on your screen. Nifty, huh? If you're already using Firefox, you can simply click on the following link and drag it to the location bar of the browser (where you type web sites in): Install myspace toolbar.