#composers & arrangers are truly going thru it this week

[sour-peach-cider]

The old and storied kingdom of Finale has fallen. The neighboring lordships (Sibelius and Dorico) each seek to claim the wealth and lands of the fallen realm. Among the peasantry, there are whispers of a revolution (working to update Musescore to professional quality) but is the citizenry ready to accept a fledgling democracy?

The druids of the forest (Lilypond users) have much knowledge. They can guide you to power if you seek it, but the price is high (you must learn to code).

[sangennaro]

How did it go?

Well, I was kinda so nervous it was hard to tell exactly. But people said really nice things afterwards. I set up my tower of machines off to the side of the stage so that there could be minimal set-up time before I went on, but this also meant I was pretty much officiating pre-Vatican II style with the audience mostly over my shoulder, so I was seeing more knobs than I was people. Between the long interval off stages, a new all-hardware setup, and a set of (7) songs that were only about 5-6 weeks of age, I felt a little like walking back into the Homicide unit again for the first time after a year of PT following a stroke.. The main goal was kinda just not to fall on my ass. And I didn't fall on my ass (ie, no TDs + didn't clear the floor) so now I'm really very much itching to play again with slightly higher expectations for myself, a better view of the crowd, and maaaybe a stereo PA lol.

It was good, can't wait to do more. That's the tldr. I whole-heartedly recommend not reading any more of this post.

IF you want serious talk shop, tho, the biggest takeaway for me was about using 2 sequencers live. I've done all-hardware sets before, but this time was unique in that I had all the melodic parts (give or take) sequenced on the MC909 and all the drums/voices/basslines (give or take) sequenced on the Digitakt.

I did this primarily because the Digitakt cannot switch between "Projects" without halting audio output while the new Project loads-- which means if you want to play a seamless live set, you have to import every song (assuming you've made each song a separate Project file, as I imagine anyone who isn't a lunatic would) into a single Project file, which I can assure you is not an easy process even when aided by the (absolutely vital imo) elk-herd software developed by a beneficent third-party to aid in Digitakt sample management. AND, even if you do import every song into a single Project file, transitions between them are either going to be either abrupt or so pre-arranged as to preclude truly spontaneous improvisation. So instead of having dead air while loading up the next track in the 'takt, I could keep a sequence from the previous track going on the 909 and bring in the new song's drums/voice/basslines gradually, then transition to the new song's 909 sequence, etc.

This, as you may gather from the convoluted attempt at a description, is a messy and one-hand-tied-behind-the-back way of achieving what is the simplest, most basic aspect of DJing dance music-- blending one song into the next. Ideally, I want to be able to make the call in-the-moment as to which song comes up next, based on the audience's energy and my own caprice. A few posts ago I was talking about the insidious allure of a double-Digitakt setup-- any kind of natural continuously-mixed set really wants all the songs on 2 takts, like a DJ with two turntables (Although it seems like there's probably also got to be an external Midiclock in front of both takts and a box (or cable?) summing both MIDI thrus behind them, but we'll cross this bridge when we come to it.)

So anyway, I adore composing on the (mc)909, and it has a lot of really handy dedicated sliders for live manipulation of synth patches, but it's SO big physically that I feel a little "sucked in" when I'm staring at it while on stage. Even though I make use of the majority of those sliders/buttons/knobs at some point in the set, I still feel a bit annoyed when there are ANY that I'm not going to use taking up physical and visual real estate. It's like ground-loop hum for the eyes. That's not such an issue when it's the only sequencer in front of me, but when I've also got things to trigger and alter on the Digitakt-- which is small and modern and employs an entirely different logic/workflow, it kind of felt like I was having to translate half my thoughts to Swedish and half to Japanese. My mind was really craving some symmetry... Having 1 song spread across 2 very differently-organized sequencers makes ideas take a second or two longer to go from my head to my hands to the speakers, you know what I mean? Everything would be so much less think-y if it were two identical sequencers that both have all the parts of all the songs on them.

I'm not sure if that makes any sense, but I guess that mixing and messing with electronic music songs live (for me, at least) is a balancing act: You need to have enough control over enough aspects of the song to be able to make brand new, spontaneous decisions in the moment, like "oh they are digging this part, it's been going for a second tho, let's see what happens when I suddenly peel it back to just the bassline, kick, and vocal sample, then drop in the handclaps... ok, ok, is it horns time yet? Not quite-- well maybe I'll just unmute on the first beat of the bar before going all-in on the horns riff.. ack, no, horns are too much now, what about the strings instead? Oh shit, they're liking those strings, time to wiggle the filter for a bit while this rides..." etc etc. Like, the song has to be as dissectable as possible, its various pieces accessible and reshapable. But each knob/fader/button that exerts control over the sounds is, in a way, a separate tool. And the more different kinds of tools are on the table, the more you have to think about which one you're grabbing. Of course, enough experience/practicing/road-testing can make using a large number of tools more instinctual, but that's going to be a much smoother process if I'm starting streamlined, with an eye to later expansion, innit?

Anyways! There is this other issue, though-- polyphony. Digitakt has 8 midi tracks and each can only play 4 notes at a time. In days of yore, I might not have even noticed that limitation, but in days of now, the new stuff I'm making makes extensive use of Smooth Jazz Chords, which simply cannot be reduced to 4 notes. There's a workaround: split the chord across 2+ MIDI tracks assigned to the same channel. It reduces the amount of instruments you can have going at the same time--- but this, this I think would be helpful to me. Without a lot of intentional discipline, I sprawl. I shove a sound in every empty space. I've tried many things to cure myself of this tendency, but it seems the Enabling Constraints provided by stubborn hardware is really the only effective remedy for me.

So this coming week the plan is thus: transfer all the melodic MIDI data for each song from the 909 to Ableton where it will be re-organized for the 8x4 limitations of the Digitakt. Then I'll stick that data into the free MIDI tracks of each song's takt Project, then set up a complimentary program file on the XV-5050 rack synth (in lieu of the internal synth sounds being triggered on the 909) and then, theoretically, I should be able to play these new Smoothjazzalicious 2step jams exclusively in Swedish.

And THEN, theoretically, with little more than a second takt, a second 5050, a midiclock, some kind of MIDI-summing cable-- viola, ideal conditions for completely spontaneous decisions about what order the songs come in and the length and character of transitions between them...

There's another relevant limitation on the takt, though--particularly jarring, I think, to those of us who have used the gloriously little MPC1000 live-- and that is the absence of extra outputs. Good gods how nice it would be to have a sub-out so I could separate the kick drum from the rest of the mix! It would mean sacrificing another one of the 8 MIDI tracks per pattern (1 of which is already going to the TX81Z for the basslines, likely alongside another triggering a silent kick-drum fed to a compressor's sidechain input) but I think I foresee scrounging up an old Akai S2000 rack (the first sampler I ever used, instrument for drums/percussion on all pre-TD&H Cex songs) and making one Drum Map that's nothing but Kick drums... But that's another bridge down the ways a bit...

At this point you might ask-- jeez, why use the takt at all? It's a good question. I like the physical size of it, I like that there are no superfluous (for my use) knobs or buttons on it, I like the conditional triggers that are unique (as far as I know?) to Elektron sequencers, but I think the most important consideration is that its unique suite of enabling constraints are just constrainy enough to be a real challenge without being full-on dealbreakers.

Also sorry that none of this is the least bit coherent. I was hoping putting all this into words would clear things up for me, but I think I really gotta put it all into tunes before sense appears. Next show will be in August, I think. Wait, August? No that's too far. In July. Also I'm gonna do a DJ set at No Land Beyond in June.

[meltcalories]

Parkinson`s Law and Bodybuilding | Break The Rules To Grow and Get Stronger

I'm a supporter of association of ideas. It's freely specified as, 'apart from' traditional, step-by-step techniques'. I look for methods to use concepts from unconnected areas into my troubles. A modification of perspective could usually lead to insight.

I'm an amateur biohacker, however without the obsessive data collection. I examine exactly how every little thing I do and consume communicates in order to help my mind and body feature efficiently, or successfully toward a health/fitness objective. I 'd been battling with my habit of arranging a strength exercise around a specific number of collections and reps, something I 'd been doing for decades. I wondered if the parameters were approximate and also for that reason, not ideal.

While this concern stewed in my cranial cauldron, I check out short articles about how the brain functions, cognitive prejudices and behavioral patterns. They led me through numerous rabbit holes and also at some point, to eponymous legislations then, Northcote Parkinson.

He published Parkinson's Law in 1957 to clarify exactly how administrations grow unreasonably huge. His necessary lament: rather compared to reduce the number of employees in an administration, the work increases to fill up the days of the added personnel.

Parkinson's Regulation described the inherent ineffectiveness of civil solution growth as well as the self-perpetuating cycle of bloat, where the number of individuals offered to execute a collection of tasks in not needed, however the system will certainly create gratuitous task to occupy their time.

Do predetermined reps limit our strength gains?

Then it struck me. I questioned if the principle of work expanding to fill up a structure could describe exactly how we restrict our strength gains by training within pre-specified representative limits, working just hard sufficient to meet the temporary goal.

My minute of quality had everything to do with initiative and nothing to do with Parkinson. I discovered there were days I felt I could do even more, also as I place the weight to rest for the next collection. Why was I limiting myself? The inquiry developed, do we actually work to complete ability or do we unsuspectingly create just adequate effort to satisfy the demand of the routine?

A press reporter once asked Muhammed Ali how numerous sit-ups he might do. Ali responded,' I have no idea. I do not begin counting till it injures.' This is where we should be.

That's not to say we shouldn't make use of standards to evaluate our progress. I'm stating the day-to-day set/rep restrictions may be approximate, as well as consequently not accurately reflective of our real potential.

One of things I such as about CrossFit and Tabata is the associates are not counted. You do as several representatives as you can within a block of time, then relocate on to the following workout. Yet this type of training, though excellent, does not test maximum reps possible with a specific weight. That's not the point of those programs.

What I'm referring to is our type of stuck-in-the-80s technique of intending our workouts.

Average Joe

I realized years ago I am exceptionally average (if that's possible). You may believe that's self-effacing or self-defeating however it's actually favorable. It implies if I have a suggestion, it's likely other individuals possess had a comparable concept or experience. It was a discovery that provided me the confidence to compose more.

I'm thinking numerous of you worthy bodybuilders are still preparing your programs around collections as well as reps. Just how do you recognize the number of associates you can really do? Exactly how do you know when to go up in weight? Is there a much better method to measure progress?

Parkinson's Legislation states, 'It is manifest there need be little or no relationship in between the work to be done as well as the size of the team to which it could be assigned.' Hefferon's Law states, 'There need be little or no partnership in between the variety of associates picked and the capacities of the trainee'. (Hefferon's Law? I recognize, arrogant American)

Parkinson also claimed job is, 'produced by the mere fact of these officials' presence.' Hefferon's Legislation states the variety of reps picked is arbitrary so we will exhaust just enough effort to complete the set. In various other words, the effort is developed by the existence of the rep limits.

The capabilities of the human body are remarkable. The more I discover the mind/body link, instinct, self-regulation, quick cognition and so forth, the much more I'm persuaded we subconsciously realise specifically just how much initiative to put out, to make sure that we deceive ourselves right into believing we possess gotten to failure in time with the final associate in the set. Why do I think this? Due to the fact that, the concept that we coincidentally accomplish failure just as we hit that last representative in our predetermined limitation, irritates the rational side of my mind like a pokey collar tag.

I've explore this. When I release associate limitations, I get even more reps. Things is, it doesn't feel like quitting when I function to a pre-programmed limit. It feels as if I'm pressing to failure. Am I truly invested, or am I functioning to the end of the set?

I'm pressing out the optimum effort, yet no even more compared to is essential. I could really feel good concerning my exercise because I believe I went all out, although the fact is I did not work as tough as I might have.

If I am indeed ordinary Joe, I'm not the only one doing this. I'm additionally not the initial individual to advertise fewer sets to failure. But this is the very first time I've taken in an unexposed restriction on getting to full potential. By setting representative limits, we unknowingly deprive ourselves of faster gains.

What can you do today?

Experiment. Dare. Arnold Schwarzenegger supported breaking the regulations, 'not the regulation, however the regulations.'

It excels to stun your muscles. The following time you train, do your best not to count reps. It will be tough, since the habit will exist, but press thru it. If you locate yourself counting, repeat the number up until you shed count.

Check your rep varies regularly as well as adjust appropriately. How do you know if you've enhanced if you aren't counting reps? Find a standard. Pick a workout it's hard to rip off on, like incline pinhead presses. Pick a weight with which you could obtain 10-12 representatives, after that go all out. Get as lots of as you can for one collection. If you're at 14-15 associates, raise the weight and also use that weight for a few weeks. If that 12th rep almost cost you a blood vessel, then stick with it. We're not developing choppers here. It's training. Job difficult but enjoy with it.

Remember, for constructing muscle mass, the majority of pros agree it's time under stress and also raised work lots that will gather the very best outcomes. Take into consideration those truths as you plan and educate. By functioning to failing your muscle mass will certainly remain under stress much longer. The quicker you can boost the tons, the more powerful you'll get.

Don't enforce fabricated restrictions. You could do even more reps compared to you offer yourself credit for.

Testing is crucial for finding out what jobs best for you. Don't adhere to a regular for life. A rut is a grave with no ends. Modification is great. The mind and body react well to novelty.

Remind yourself, press to failure, not to rep count.

Take-Home Message

I'm not asserting to have changed the physical fitness world right here, but if you are still developing training programs with endpoint associates and collections, you may be shortchanging your development. By violating Hefferon's Law, you will enhance both time under tension and also lots, which requires muscle to expand, our best goal. Parkinson was fed up with the ineffectiveness of ever-expanding administration. Why lose time with inefficient regimens? Our goal in the fitness center need to be to obtain the optimum results in the fastest period of time. Live optimally.

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