| Author | Message | ||
     Mark Walsen (markwa) Notation Software Developer Username: markwa Post Number: 3692 Registered: 7-2003 |
To Friends, Just so you don't think I was cheating and going on a vacation in Hawaii instead of attending the NAMM show, here's photographic proof that I'm here working.  Well, ok, maybe it isn't all work at NAMM. Cheers -- Mark | ||
| Sherry Crann (sherry) Product Designer Username: sherry Post Number: 1777 Registered: 1-2004 |
Howdy, Nice shot - ain't PhotoShop grand? ;) I'm sure you're getting lots of work stuff done in there, too. At least I presume that's why you're carrying a laptop  Do have some fun, and spread some Notation News too! ttfn, Sherry | ||
| Mark Walsen (markwa) Notation Software Developer Username: markwa Post Number: 3694 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hello, Here's some more proof that I'm at NAMM:  Celeste and I haven't had a chance to walk much of NAMM yet, but we intend to. One of my missions at NAMM is to spot the most interesting musical "thing" of the year and report it back to friends. In our little sub-industry of MIDI, notation, and software, the best I found so far was a MIDI accordion. I know, that's sort of old news. But it was a fun to think about performing some heavy metal bass from a quaint looking accordion. Cheers -- Mark | ||
| Sherry Crann (sherry) Product Designer Username: sherry Post Number: 1779 Registered: 1-2004 |
Howdy Mark, I bet the accordions don't come in all those nice colors, though ;) Please do play around with some of this stuff and tell us all about it! ttfn, Sherry | ||
| M G Jacobs (mgj32) Senior Forum User Username: mgj32 Post Number: 812 Registered: 7-2005 |
Hi Mark, In earlier days when I had occasions to travel on expense account, I always thought a picture provided good support for a lot of receipts. Unfortunately, in most of them I looked like I was having pure fun, so I never turned any in. You look suitably business like, without being unduly oppressed by it. Indeed, that is not Hawaii behind you, but it does appear warm, and on an evening with the expectation of wind chills of 15 below zero, that sparks a bit of envy. Enjoy! mgj | ||
| Mark Walsen (markwa) Notation Software Developer Username: markwa Post Number: 3695 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hi Sherry, You were just setting me up, weren't you?  Cheers -- Mark | ||
| David Jacklin (dj) Senior Forum User Username: dj Post Number: 616 Registered: 4-2003 |
Hi, all: Many years ago, I used to rent keyboards from a local shop, owned by a guy who played accordion in a hard rock band. Now this was LONG before MIDI, so he had modified his accordion with control voltage and gate outputs, separate for the bass section and keyboard. He played ARP Odyssey and String Machine through it. In fact, I bought his ARP Odyssey and still use it. David | ||
| David Jacklin (dj) Senior Forum User Username: dj Post Number: 617 Registered: 4-2003 |
By the way, Mark, it's nice to finally have a face to go with the software! David | ||
| Sherry Crann (sherry) Product Designer Username: sherry Post Number: 1781 Registered: 1-2004 |
Howdy, Mark, re. the NAMM accordion, I didn't know Elvis played one ;) That _has_ to be his.... David, that had to be a hoot, hearing and seeing this guy playing his accordion. My personal Sweetwater sales rep has informed me about a new(ish) MIDI pickup system for guitar/bass that allows you to split the fretboard _and_ separate strings, to have different instrument patches for the different areas of each string. You can be the band, all from your fretboard. One of these days... ttfn, Sherry | ||
| Mark Walsen (markwa) Notation Software Developer Username: markwa Post Number: 3696 Registered: 7-2003 |
Hi David, It's almost always surprising to see a photo of someone you've been talking with over the Internet for years, and sometimes disappointing. It's not disappointing because the guy looks better or worst than one imagined, but disappointing just because he looks different than one imagined. It's like the disappointment of seeing characters in a movie version of a book which pictures in your mind you were attached to. It was totally different, though, actually meeting in person at NAMM the people I've been chatting with via email and over the last year. It was, by far, my favorite experience in general at NAMM. There's a good chance that I'll be hitting the road in the next year or two, giving talks and doing demos here and there. If so, it will definitely be part of that plan to meet Composer users in their local areas, and hand out T-shirts or mugs or something stupid like that. Cheers -- Mark | ||
| Mark Walsen (markwa) Notation Software Developer Username: markwa Post Number: 3697 Registered: 7-2003 |
... Continuing on the accordion topic... My favorite new music gadget this year wasn't shown at NAMM. It's not a gadget, it's a MIDI instrument, named Thummer, by Thumtronics (www.thumtronics.com). Jim Plamondon, a fellow I know from about 15 years ago at Microsoft, invented the Thummer, borrowing and improving on keyboard layouts that have been explored over more than 100 years. The Thummer keyboard is very roughly analogous to the Dvorak typing keyboard. Here's what a pair of Thummer keyboards look like, that would be used by the left and right hands:  You can play just one Thummer or two of them. You might bind two Thummers back to back to play them sort of like a two-side accordion. Here's what the Thummer keyboard layout looks like:  Study the layout some. See how you'd play a C major scale. Then see how you'd play a D major scale. The fingering is exactly the same for any major scale-- only your hand position changes. The same thing is true for chords. See how you'd play a C major chord with 3 fingers. The same finger pattern plays a D major-- only in a different position of the keyboard. The Thummer keyboard layout is perfect, musically. Cheers -- Mark | ||
| Sherry Crann (sherry) Product Designer Username: sherry Post Number: 1782 Registered: 1-2004 |
Howdy, Very cool! Now the secret of all bassists is out - you can play in any key using the same fingering patterns (barring open strings) in a similar fasion to the Thummer. I might even be able to learn to play one of those. My brain, for some reason (lack of practice being a big one, probably) still hasn't advanced much on the traditional keyboard layout. I was looking around a bit, and it doesn't seem to be on the market yet. Is this years NAMM the big breakout? ttfn, Sherry | ||
| Sherry Crann (sherry) Product Designer Username: sherry Post Number: 1783 Registered: 1-2004 |
(slapping forehead) Sherry, he just said it wasn't at NAMM.... | ||
| JimPlamondon Unregistered Guest |
Thanks, Mark! You are most kind. The Thummer is not yet commercially available. I'm looking to raise the money needed to finish its engineering (e.g., make the buttons work better, because they are nearly unplayable as currently designed), manufacture the first production run, and start selling them online. If you happen to have some spare shekels looking for a good home, check out Thumtronics' business overview: www.thummer.com/Business_Overview.pdf Jim Plamondon CEO, Thumtronics Austin, Texas www.thummer.com |
