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Xuebing Du
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
izzy's playlists!
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2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
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Keni
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EXPECTATIONS
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$LAYYYTER
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@pfrields
The hell of Windows.
Having now spent a couple days with Windows 11, I can fairly say it’s the absolute worst for musicians. Save yourself the trouble — just get a Mac and avoid Windows hell. I’ve been working on assembling a live, hybrid electronic rig. My aim is to use both hardware synths and Chapman Stick for live performance. I’m not precious about so-called “DAW-less setups” since a DAW can efficiently solve…
End of a period, not an era.
Today, a Friday, I finished work and it was a little bit of a special event. If plans hold, today I finished working a full-time job for… well, for the rest of my life, I guess. But I’m not retiring. Next week I’m on PTO. When I return the following Monday, I’ll be on a part-time schedule. I’ll be doing the same as for the last year: larger-scale change management and improving our practices and…
UVI Falcon and Torso T-1
I’ve been a big fan and ardent user of UVI Falcon for quite a few years. (Actually since before it was called that!) It’s hands down the most flexible, modular, limitless sound design tool available for general use. It’s all over my album (and plenty of other tracks) in various guises. Just recently I got a Torso T-1 sequencer for use with my Elektron boxes but I had a feeling UVI Falcon and…
Promises, schmomises.
As readers would gather from previous posts, I’m a fan of Elektron hardware. Yesterday I ran across this Synth Anatomy article talking about new corporate ownership of Elektron. The article included this statement: “They promise that for customers, partners, and the wider Elektron community, day-to-day operations continue as usual.” When will amateur journalists learn that public company…
I just ordered a CME H12MIDIpro during the customer loyalty presale. It looks like it might solve several issues with my studio's MIDI routing -- so I look forward to receiving it and trying it out! More about it on my blog (link in bio where applicable).
I now have a Patreon site to offer tools, toys, and tips to the music community. Strategy's still WIP but this blog mentions what's to come.
Full stop on multiple Elektron boxes.
For several months, I’ve enjoyed using my Elektron synths. I have a Digitakt II (DT2) and a Digitone II (DN2). These grooveboxes help me create new songs and tracks quickly in the studio without the computer. That helps maximize my focus and creativity. But it was difficult to make full stop on multiple Elektron boxes work perfectly. Why does it matter? The Elektron interface lets you hit STOP…
Holiday in retrospect.
Welcome to 2026. As many do, I took an extended break over the holiday. My last day at work was December 12th and I just returned yesterday as of this writing, i.e. January 5th. I definitely got a good recharge in during that time. But that isn’t to say I stayed still. We did so many activities this break! The day after my final 2025 work day, my wife and I traveled up to Reston. We had dinner…
Using AI in the studio.
Obviously AI hype is everywhere these days, including in music and creative pursuits. When people talk about using AI in the studio they most often think about using AI to make or modify tracks and songs. However, there’s a key usage that I see often overlooked. AI Large Language Models (LLMs) are becoming very good at digesting information and answering questions about it. This is especially…
Inspired by the hardware.
Like a lot of musicians I do love geeking out over new gear. But it’s rare to obtain something that creates a deep obsession to learn and try new and different things. That has really happened with one of my latest acquisitions, the Elektron Digitakt II. I’ve been so inspired by the hardware that when I’m not using it, I’m often thinking about it. I find myself learning more about it through…
Leg Sleeve vs. Cone of Shame
A common injury in active dogs, especially certain breeds, is tearing of the cranial cruciate ligament (CCL), analogous to the human ACL. During recovery it’s critical to keep your dog from licking surgical wounds. That can introduce bacteria, and surgical dressing often isn’t enough protection. That’s where the leg sleeve comes in. When comparing leg sleeve vs. cone of shame, it’s clear why this…
Portability for Elektron.
I’m a recent migrant to the Elektron ecosystem — my Digitakt II and Digitone II have inspired me to make music since I got them. While they don’t replace my DAW or other hardware, they’re a great addition. I love that they can be self-contained, using either unit or both to completely sketch out a track. However, portability for Elektron systems makes them even more compelling. Like many creators…
Moving Mastodon accounts.
Unfortunately my previous Mastodon server, lor.sh, is shutting down soon. Today I moved it to a new home on musicians.today. Fortunately moving Mastodon accounts turned out to be very easy. I admit, I flailed for a bit because I got confused by the menu diving between accounts. I also read some documentation to figure things out. However, I found multiple references to account aliases that…
Digitakt II and Pro Tools Studio.
I recently got a great deal on a barely-used demo Elektron Digitakt II (hereinafter DT2) and it’s been a lot of fun to learn. It’s been a while since I was so obsessed with a new piece of gear — probably since I got my first software synthesizer. (That obviously started the whole descent into madness.) Elektron also makes an amazing software utility called Overbridge, which works with their…
Social media game weak.
Lately I’ve become dissatisfied with the way my social media is organized. Back in the day I made a point of separating my music making persona — at least the one that I use for most of my current creations — from my “conventional” life. At the time I thought this made sense. Who would want to listen to tracks made by someone named “Paul Frields”? Ugggh. My old nom de plume Stickster wasn’t great…
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Adventures with in-ear monitors.
With our recent move to a Soundcraft Ui24R digital mixer, we also expanded our ability for monitor mixes. Previously we had four mixes available. Now we have eight available monitor mixes, so everyone can enjoy their own. This opened the door for us to start using in-ear monitors. Most modern acts have been using in-ear monitors (IEMs) for years, but I had yet to take the step as a local act.…
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New album finished.
Back in March of 2022, I started to mull over making an album of music. Continue reading Untitled
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