No End to My Curiosity (Part II)

It started with a moment of nostalgia and a passing curiosity about the Stylophone, a quirky novelty from the sixties. However, my interest quickly evolved beyond a simple toy. I realized I was looking for a laboratory to explore sound design rather than a gadget to pass the time.

The Digital Foundation

The analog purist approach has its charm, but the logistical reality of maintaining an efficient workspace points firmly toward a digital workflow. I have officially taken the first step by purchasing and downloading Ableton Live 12 Intro to my laptop. This software will serve as the command center for what I plan to be a substantial two-way connection with a physical instrument.

The Hybrid Plan

That physical instrument will be the Roland S-1 Tweak Synth that is less than 7.5 inches wide. My plan is to utilize its functions as a class-compliant USB audio and MIDI interface. I intend to send data from my laptop to the synthesizer, let it shape the sound using its internal circuit behavior engine, and then route that audio directly back to the computer over a single cable.

Producer Over Performer

My approach is heavily influenced by my own skill set or lack thereof. I view myself as a producer rather than a performer, as I do not have the technical proficiency to play complex keyboard parts live. Therefore, instead of collecting traditional sheet music, which I really cannot read, I will be building an archive of MIDI files. These digital maps provide the exact notes and timing, which will allow me to focus my energy entirely on the sonic architecture.

The Final Output

The goal is to act as a sound designer while Ableton plays the MIDI sequences. I look forward to manipulating the physical knobs and sliders on the Roland S-1 to sculpt filters, resonance, and envelopes. I then plan to record these sessions as high-quality .wav and .mp3 files. It is an enticing prospect to transform this interest into a robust, practice-only, digital production hobby.

No End to My Curiosity (Part I)

I'd sort of been looking for something new to learn about that could become a new hobby. Just the other day, rather accidently, I noticed a documentary called, I Dream of Wires on tubi.com. I stopped and watched the entire one hour and thirty seven minutes. That started me on a short quest to see if I could find out about musical synthesizer toys which might make for a fun little device to have around the apartment. 

Sure enough, there's a retro device called the Pocket Stylophone, a toy that first hit the shelves in Britain in 1968. It was very popular in Europe. Interestingly, it didn't end up being a smash hit in North America. The reception changed slightly as we entered the early 70s. Once Space Oddity became a staple on Canadian radio, the "Bowie instrument" became a cult curiosity but never crossed into the mainstream public consciousness at the time.

Stylophones made a comeback in the 2007 through different ownership that still continues to evolve with fresh products, and even a notable new model making its debut this January. I nearly bought one that closely follows the original retro design on Amazon Canada for the equivalent of around $US 35 but, alas, then I started snooping around on the internet.

Oh my.  I have probably always been a bit interested in electronic music.  Can anyone reading this remember the song called, Popcorn from around 1972?   A complete decade later, when I was overseas as a young man in my 20s, I bought a pirated cassette tape.  It was electronic music by Kraftwerk, a German musical group. In the very early 80s, I was still intrigued by the science behind the manufactured sounds.  (At this very  moment, I'm listening to a 2009 remaster of  Kraftwerk's Pocket Calculator on my Onkyo receiver via Spotify.)  Of course electronically-synthesized sounds entered traditional pop music and have never left the building.

However, thanks to an Internet wormhole, I may be ready for something much more robust than a retro Stylophone.  I am tying to convince myself that I must own my own mini synthesizer.  Damn, it's like a large secret club has been meeting for decades that nobody told me about!

Perhaps a Behringer JT Mini?  Less hassle trying to import midi files from a laptop.  What about a Korg Volca?  Key or Modular?  

Damn, my little toy project has the potential to get out of control and I have yet to shape a single beep or boop at all!  I fear this might make for a hobby that demands a whole lot of equipment of increasing complexity and expenditures.  

A New Cube / Music's No Longer Round

Because we're so groovy, I bought a lava lamp from Amazon this week.  Unfortunately, in order to have sufficient space in the living room I needed to buy another IKEA Eket cube.  Back during COVID, we put together a bedroom full of furniture.  We didn't need the cube I'd bought for the dresser.  So it's been near the living room TV sitting directly on the carpeted floor.

So, after getting groceries this morning, we stopped at the Coquitlam IKEA as we drove past.  I couldn't find the inside shortcut through the display maze to get to the warehouse/checkout area.  Eventually, we picked up one. At home, I only needed a hammer to pound the pieces together as the dowels were already in place.  The last time, it took me much longer than it should have to put one together!  

Today, it took less than five minutes.  After I got it assembled, I realized that it was a size larger than the original one.  It took a while to figure out which way to make 'em work.  I guess they're fine back-to-back with the empty sides for junk perpendicular to the wall.  It probably looks better now from the couch.

Something weird?  I opened Spotify on my phone and transferred the sound to the TV and home theatre system. Rather than what'd been playing in the car, I typed in Al Green and selected his Greatest Hits album.  What an usual way to listen to music in 2025!  The songs were all by Mr. Green.  One after another, they played in a predictable order.  It felt like an odd (and a little boring) way to listen to music.

Happy New Ears!

I hadn't opened Spotify to listen to an entire song in a very long time.  I can tell that is about to change, though.  I am preparing to get back to pumping some sound directly into my ears.  

I have a fairly good pair of Sony headphones that I bought seven or eight years ago.  However, they've been gathering dust for very long time even if only their box got dusty.

Those black, extra-bass, over-the-ears were comfortable but I got them in the days when my cell phone had a mini jack.  So although Bluetooth headphones have been popular for a decade or two, I am late in joining the bandwagon. 

Yesterday, my new, lower-range set arrived in an Amazon box.  I snapped a photo. They were on sale and, for some reason, the white ones were 30% cheaper than the others.  Overstocked, I assume? The colour didn't matter to me. I guess white is supposed to be a sign of purity!  So, perhaps they will actually fit me to a tee.

I realized my Spotify playlists seem to place me squarely into the nursing-home demographic.  All those songs from the 70s (the decade not Fahrenheit) must have been what I was listening to the last time I was actively streaming.  I had to change that and I'll let me tell you how:

During our very first early-retirement winter, Jay and I stayed in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. It was a great introduction to a new lifestyle.  I got used to daily walks in the delightful weather when days hovered in the 70s (Fahrenheit not the decade). Back then, I refused to pay for mobile data and wound up pirating MP3s via our laptop, so I could curate my own playlists.  A song had to be residing on my phone if I were to listen to it.  When ambling around with even older headphones, I learned a lot about the 'current' music scene of those days.  I really enjoyed what I heard.  So today, I found a Spotify playlist that contains the same music.  It is called 'Summer 2014'.

My new headphones, lovingly named, SNOW WHITE, have primarily played music that's around one decade out-of-date. I guess even my favourite new music is pretty old.  Anyway, today's listening experience should increase my automatically-curated Spotify playlists by about four decades.

Have You Ever Taken an Accidental Picture?

My tablet (and my phone) usually sit on the coffee table when I'm in the living room. 

Somehow I managed to snap a photo when picking up my tablet yesterday. My immediate thought was to delete it, but upon looking at it, I thought it belonged with some of the rest of my life on Flickr. I uploaded it to the stream with another picture from my day.

 

Today, I noticed a comment by a fellow 'Flickr-er'.  I had to look up the particular song that was playing on Spotify at the moment the photo was snapped.

I do love both the access to a wealth of music for less than the price of a tape or CD per month and my inexpensive Onkyo HT-S5800.

Totally Worth Subscribing

Any of the devices in the apartment can play music on any speaker in the apartment. Music over the web, in my case Spotify, hasn't simply changed how I consume music, it has totally freed the way in which I listen to it. 

Although I have a copy of Spotify on my phone, I never listen on its speaker and seldom through connected headphones. However, I do use the phone as a remote to select and participate in the ongoing stream.  I like how every instance of Spotify that is running, is completely synced, the Win 10 app included.   I can even yell, "Hey Google, skip" or "Okay Google, favourite that!"  

My go-to home speakers are the ones in my Onkyo ATMOS Home Theater System.  I usually start via the app on my Nvidia Shield.  I could continue on any of the Nest speakers scattered around different rooms here, or through Android Auto in my car.  I would love to try joint-listening sessions with friends via the Internet, but I don't have any Spotify friends.  😕

   

It's a great time for listening to what feels like an unlimited selection of music over wifi or mobile data almost anywhere.  It's totally like music that is unchained!

A Replacement Nest Speaker

I've been playing with Google Home products for nearly three years. For example, it's now second nature to say, "Good Morning," to the Google Hub clock on my bedside table. This causes the 'do-not-disturb' on my Android devices to end, turns off the night lights, stops the white-noise fake fan, and depending on the time of year, turns on a few lights around the apartment. It also prompts the device to tell me the day's weather and any of the day's activities I have in my Google calendar.  I'm never ready at this point to listen to the radio or turn on the TV.  I need to get a coffee in my hand first.

During the day, I frequently ask questions of the speakers around the apartment. They're great for US to metric conversions or odd questions about something we see on TV.  When I want a copy of something from the wifi printer, I yell to turn it on. If I want to print something on the 3D printer, I do the same. Anytime I want to play Spotify or our local 24/7 news radio, I ask a speaker to play on the appropriate device, or set of devices. 'Couch' plays on the Hub and the Google Mini in the living room. The kitchen has a Mini on the fridge. Even the hallway closet has a spare mini.  They were so cheap,  they became impulse buys.

Towards evening, I control almost all the lights in the apartment and on the balcony by voice command. 'Turn on the living room lights' activates four different bulbs in the room.

 

As soon as I was assured of our arrival date in BC this spring, I ordered a new phone from the Canadian Google Store.  I popped a Pixel 5 into the basket.  Then, I noticed that the newly-designed Nest Speakers were available in the same colour as my phone.  Something called 'sage' is really just a light green but appears to the hot this year.

I noticed Nest speakers were on sale if two were purchased.  I'd always wanted to test the stereo capabilities of my smart speakers.  Two can be configured to work together as left and right channels.  At nearly $US 75 each, they weren't an impulse purchase.  But, hey, I figured I'm worth it.  I have so few costly bad habits that I can splurge on tech once in a while.

My phone and speakers came by UPS in a very big box.  I enjoyed changing over the phone and left the speakers for a while.  When I did get to them, I could make only one connect to wifi.  I'm no novice at setting up Home devices and I knew I'd received a defective item.  I had to print out the RMA and shipping label.  As soon as it arrived back at Google in Ontario, they credited me a full price on the speaker as a replacement would no longer be on sale.  Yet, I found one online store still offering to sell to me for $US 75.  I jumped.   So, I think that means I got a better deal than just the regular discounts.  Higher math functions such as addition and subtraction are not my forte though!  

Today, I picked up my speaker at THE SOURCE up at the mall as I had them sent it to the shop rather than the apartment.  THE SOURCE used to be the Canadian Radio Shack before they bit the dust a decade ago.  I have my two green speakers set up as 'Nest Stereo' in my app.  Spotify sounds great playing on the bedroom dresser.

One New Year's Resolution

Last week, I paid for a Spotify subscription. Was it because that lady kept suggesting that I didn't know what an 8-track tape looked like? I'd rather think it was the trial two free months offered me.

   

Of course, I used Spotify as my default music provider on the speakers in my Google Home setup. Thankfully, I packed a Mini in my bag for this winter as it's pretty difficult for me to live without asking a few daily questions for my assistant. The original little speaker sounds a great deal better than my phone or tablet in a large room. Finally, as our studio apartment isn't enormous, it can hear my requests, even from the bathroom! 

So over the past few days, I've been letting the music website get to know me. The more one plays and interacts, the better the algorithms are at providing suitable music. 

One problem is that I have pretty eclectic musical tastes. Already, I'm getting six varied Daily Mixes. I've vowed to really get into this and create shared playlists. If you know me and are a power Spotify listener, let's share our experiences.

Two Ears Can Hear in 3D

Paying a bit more to Netflix every month provides us with 4K HDR and a bit better sound quality. The majority of new series are streamed with a clearly better picture and in the newer Dolby ATMOS format.

On my new Onkyo system, the front two speakers, which up-fire towards the ceiling, do not provide a noticeable 3D environment. I suppose the extra enclosed speakers do help to produce better overall sound. After reading about ATMOS, I'm convinced that sound mixing for movies and TV will continue to improve acoustically in order to keep up with this advancing technology.

The bigger question: In 2020, why does the music industry still downmix to a mere two channels?

Spotifying Queen Classics on 'Studio-Mix'

Perhaps it's because I saw trailers for Bohemian Rhapsody on the TV, for I really needed to hear some Queen. I could crank up the volume as Jay's at the gym and our downstairs neighbour is probably at work.



The thing is, the remote for my receiver seemed as though it was a bit unresponsive. I knew it was time to recharge the NiMH batteries so I plugged those in for some juice. I hardly ever adjust the home theatre audio on the device itself. I had to get down on my stomach and wedge myself between the coffee table and the component stand. A little dusty here, I thought outloud. Okay, I will change DSP from 'movie' to 'studio-mix'. Which button is that? There were quite a few. When pressing I found something I'd never seen: the 5.1 crossover frequency setting. I had to do a quick Internet search. All right, my speakers are pretty large, so I'll stick to the default 80Hz rather than increasing it.

Live and learn. I have had my Onkyo HT-R500 for fifteen years!

Yup, It's Summer!

It was hot today; well, it was hot for BC today.

It was also the weekend of the Surrey Fusion Festival in Holland Park. It's hard to believe, but this is the 11th time the event has occurred. We have pretty much been to all of them. Jay even popped in for a visit yesterday! It's a quick ride on the SkyTrain from our building to either of the last to stations on the Expo Line.

We went late in order to see a Sri Lankan band called The Islanders. There were playing on one of the smaller stages which as nicely located near a stand of trees. That offered some shade for the dance floor.

Love It. Love It. Love It!

Jay generally goes to the gym on Mondays and I take that time for four or five-kilometer walks around home.



Going uptown via Fourth Street lets me check in on Tipperary Park, near City Hall. That is truly an oasis as is the whole heritage neighbourhood on the other side of Royal Street. It is an especially satisfying climb when the weather is like this.

After a trip to the municipal library, I chose to walk down the busier Sixth Street. There is little shade so I got a full dose of the sunshine. The eastern end of downtown is surely growing as new residential towers rise in my neighbourhood.



I admit to having my big, over-the-ear headphones on. I was blasting current music as I use walks as a time to keep up on contemporary pop music. I've got a special library of 100 tunes featuring current artists. It's good to not simply fall into a rut of listening to just music with which I grew up. I submit for your consideration that people can stay younger if they act younger.

A Starr Before Ringo

---

Someday, history may note my lifetime as an era in which the world moved from analog to digital. My generation has walked that line and, quite frankly, those on either side of the divide are a little clueless. We have insights which folks of other ages simply cannot grasp.

Luckily from this side, it is now possible to get glimpses from then. Hell, it's even easy to go back before one's own existence.

I was catching up on 2018 pop on a music streaming service. There is some damn fine music being created nowadays.

Then, on just a lark, I decided to peek at some songs which accompanied World War II. So, it was today, in my online meandering, that I sort of fell in love with Kay Starr.

Buying Bread and The Floppotron

On Saturdays, we generally do grocery shopping. It was a bit rainy. By comparison, it was much nicer earlier this week. I feel sorry for workers who must keep a normal work week. Actually, I feel pity for people who have to work, period.

The trip to Coquitlam and back was uneventful as nothing out of the ordinary occurred. This morning was nothing to write home about, nor blog about either. I never let that deter me from posting something here in my eJournal and images.


So I'll leave you with this bit of the Floppotron. The real version of this song is an immense guilty pleasure for me. This version was uploaded just yesterday. Of course, you might have caught some of Paweł Zadrożniak's previous brilliant work. Take a look at his YouTube channel by clicking his name. Which is your fav? Shall we put in a request?

Ensuring Flexibility

I make a conscious effort. It's too easy, when getting older, to stick with things one already knows. Unfortunately, that absolutely ensures that one turns old. I can see this in small ways taking place in friends by their reluctance to embrace different ways of doing things. Those 'stuck in their ways' get left behind.

On the other hand, if we embrace new things, we exercise our minds and broaden our outlooks. If there's one thing that the majority of humanity, regardless of age, needs to do, it is to broaden collective outlooks.

This applies to music as well. Of course, not everyone deliberately listens to music. For some, it's just part of the background noise of life. I do however enjoy wearing headphones occasionally. Thanks to streaming, vast quantities of sonic experience are available and generally free. My playlists are very eclectic. There are indeed ones filled with oldies from my youth. Yet, I try to keep up on some of the sounds being produced nowadays. Much of what I hear is quite amazing.

MDR-XB950AP

It's funny what things we suddenly decide we need.

My old Sony headphones were getting a bit ratty. The paper-thin, plastic, foam-pad covering was flaking off. I had little black bits of plastic stuck to my face or neck after listening to them. Also, they no longer fit tightly, meaning I could hear too much outside noise.

(See, this purchase did qualify as a needed replacement.)

I ordered them the other night on amazon.ca because I could pick them for $11 less than at the uptown Walmart. The package arrived by Amazon's own delivery service. I like it when things ship directly through their contracted driver as they get here fast. Oh, and if I buzz those guys in, they'll come up and deliver directly to my door on the tenth floor.

I like these headphones a lot. They are a bit heavy, but the bass really is awesome. I found that I can use much more generic equalizer settings in Google Play Music.

Ice Ice Baby

View this image in a larger format by clicking it now.
The ice kept flowing on the Fraser all day today. That's rare. After our upcoming weekend, a Pineapple Express will be blowing into town. That should bring some welcomed, more-normal temperatures to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Oh, ... and a lot of rain.

Organized Noise

Earbuds are for babies. I love my fairly cheap, on-the-ear headphones. My current Sony pair were never cool looking but I think they were money well spent. I walk around New Westminster wearing them. My phone is how I explore and keep up with music. I don't feel as though I need to be inconspicuous; I've never minded standing out (by looking like a douche) in a crowd. One of the only products I ever returned was a Skullcandy set which sounded absolutely terrible. I bought the Sony MDR-XB400s right after that error and have had them for about 3 years. These trusty headphones even spent winters in Mexico and Egypt with me. They still work well but are getting a little tattered looking.


I decided to see what a new pair would cost. It seems as if the newer ones are called the XB450. I thought to snap a picture while uptown in the store. I have time to compare prices and check online too. I probably don't need the hands-free phone mic as I never get calls. While online, I noticed a few coloured ones were for sale. I like the classy blue.

Better'n Shag Carpet

I know maintaining green grass is not really considered environmentally friendly in this day and age. Yet, a manicured patch of green is a great place to lie about. I mean people, who'd never think of sitting in the dirt or on rocks, think nothing of reclining on a well-maintained lawn.

This area is built over the Fraser River on piers. I really like the idea of such an elaborate structure for holding grass. I like it even more as it about five minutes from this chair, but it is maintained by the city. I haven't mown a lawn since I lived in Wendell.


After seeing my doctor for a prescription refill early in the morning, I donned my Sony headphones in a daring attempt to keep up with a little popular music. I was on my belly here for at least a half hour. Olly Murs and Neon Trees?

Nearly No Signal Loss - Day 157

A ceiling fan in the living room creates a whirling vortex of air.

This is probably the hottest day we've seen this year. The web forecasts state that it'll hit 42C (107F) during the afternoon. The windows and door have screens and they're open. Strangely, as long as we stay inside, we hardly notice. The apartment doesn't get too warm. In fact, we've never used the bedroom air conditioner here. In fairness, it should be added that I've done nothing today to work up a sweat.


When looking for a TuneIn station for music today, I happened upon CISL 650. Oh no! I've graduated to boomer easy listening. When looking up information about the Vancouver based music station, I saw that it was still broadcasting in AM. I generally think of AM radio as mostly consisting of talk, sports, or news. Of course actual broadcasting becomes irrelevant when it's arriving over IP.

I really enjoyed reading the Wikipedia entry on the subject.

AM Broadcasting