How do you feel about me?
Truly think about your answer, and let me know.
...because I'm curious.
Love
AC
Monday, July 31, 2006
Saturday, July 22, 2006
ELPJ - Whatever...
A friend of mine sent me this link, as he was all excited that vinyl was going digital…
http://www.elpj.com/
…After carefully reading that bullshit, I replied:
Alas, another bittersweet moment in vinyl history...
For starters, the ELP appeals to the vinyl collector community -- it doesn't necessarily appeal to DJs. It doesn't play colored vinyl at all. You cannot manipulate the record the way a conventional turntable does, so forget about ever using it during a DJ set. After extensive reading, the ONLY true advantage that the ELP has (in my opinion) is that the laser doesn't damage the vinyl... That's it. Let me also bring up a couple other key points:
1. Laser = Digital. Period. Lasers do not transmit information -- they READ information. Much akin to the CD, which is marketed as a DIGITAL medium. The whole "analogue" sound is nothing more than a marketing ploy. The sound quality -- while slightly improved, is still dependent upon many factors: the age of the pressing, the thickness, the color, the coverall condition...
2. Vinyl mastering is completely different than CD mastering! You will NEVER be able to make a vinyl record that gives your more sound definition than a CD for THIS REASON alone! Vinyl is a very limiting medium in itself! The longer your side (of the record) is, the lower your overall vinyl volume will be. Depending on your bass levels, the grooves can only be "so wide" on a record. Thus, the more bass you have in your music (dance, hip hop, etc), the "shorter" your side has to be. Otherwise, your quality will suffer greatly. Do the research. Find an old "classical" record, or one of those "long playing" spoken word albums. Notice that you can fit nearly 22 minutes of music on one side. And this is at 33.3 RPM. The time is even less on a 45 RPM record – and we haven’t seen a 78 RPM record in decades, speaking of OBSOLETE!!! For those of you who are old enough to remember, there USED to be records made at 16 RPM. Hmmm… Ever wonder why we don’t have these records anymore? Now take one of the average 12-inch singles from today. Each side is roughly 12 minutes or less per side -- sometimes even less. People have one track per side for THIS REASON... And anyone who knows how to master vinyl ALREADY KNOWS that the treble response can only be “so high” on a record – which is much lower than the treble response on a CD. The record making process ADDS a certain amount of highs to the vinyl, just due to the machinery. Too much treble, the cutting head (the needle used to make the grooves) gets too hot and explodes. Furthermore, the closer you get to the center of the record, the more your highs have to be adjusted during mastering – again, it’s the limitation of the VINYL medium. Why do you think the most bass-heavy tracks are usually FIRST on the record?
3. The ELP is sold with a de-clicker, which by the way is a DIGITAL machine. Even if the ELP was truly analog, in order to fully rid yourself of the “clicks and pops,” you have to use their digital de-clicking machine.
4. A machine like this would force the entire vinyl record industry to change. Someone would have to create a new way to master vinyl, to erase the limitations. Colored records would be obsolete – and for those who can remember the odd shaped records, or the ones that play from the inside OUT – obsolete. DJs would have to find a new way to actually manipulate and mix with these machines. Forget about scratching and battle-style turntablism. It ain’t happening with these machines…
5. Last but not least, the $15,000 price tag. (Somebody’s been reading the Donald Trump MARKETING book, eh?) For less than $1000, I can buy a USB turntable, copy the vinyl to my computer, buy a music editing program like SoundForge, a couple of those vinyl restoration (de-clicker, noise-reduction) plug-ins, and burn the music to a CD – which by the way, lasts up to 100 years with proper handling and care. And at this price, I can even afford to make multiple backup copies of my discs – one for playing, one for storage, and one “just in case…”
Don’t get me wrong. The machine is cute. It’s nice to know that it won’t further damage my vinyl with multiple plays – but again, my CDs won’t get damaged after multiple plays either. I can buy a nice machine like the CDX or HDX, that lets me manipulate my music just like a vinyl 12-inch – they even come with the 12-inch turntable platter. By the way, if you REALLY want to be impressed with the evolution of vinyl, try checking out the Numark HYBRID turnbables.
http://www.numark.com/productoverviews/X2_overview.pdf …now THAT’S something to get excited about!!!
Always,
Aaron-Carl
http://www.elpj.com/
…After carefully reading that bullshit, I replied:
Alas, another bittersweet moment in vinyl history...
For starters, the ELP appeals to the vinyl collector community -- it doesn't necessarily appeal to DJs. It doesn't play colored vinyl at all. You cannot manipulate the record the way a conventional turntable does, so forget about ever using it during a DJ set. After extensive reading, the ONLY true advantage that the ELP has (in my opinion) is that the laser doesn't damage the vinyl... That's it. Let me also bring up a couple other key points:
1. Laser = Digital. Period. Lasers do not transmit information -- they READ information. Much akin to the CD, which is marketed as a DIGITAL medium. The whole "analogue" sound is nothing more than a marketing ploy. The sound quality -- while slightly improved, is still dependent upon many factors: the age of the pressing, the thickness, the color, the coverall condition...
2. Vinyl mastering is completely different than CD mastering! You will NEVER be able to make a vinyl record that gives your more sound definition than a CD for THIS REASON alone! Vinyl is a very limiting medium in itself! The longer your side (of the record) is, the lower your overall vinyl volume will be. Depending on your bass levels, the grooves can only be "so wide" on a record. Thus, the more bass you have in your music (dance, hip hop, etc), the "shorter" your side has to be. Otherwise, your quality will suffer greatly. Do the research. Find an old "classical" record, or one of those "long playing" spoken word albums. Notice that you can fit nearly 22 minutes of music on one side. And this is at 33.3 RPM. The time is even less on a 45 RPM record – and we haven’t seen a 78 RPM record in decades, speaking of OBSOLETE!!! For those of you who are old enough to remember, there USED to be records made at 16 RPM. Hmmm… Ever wonder why we don’t have these records anymore? Now take one of the average 12-inch singles from today. Each side is roughly 12 minutes or less per side -- sometimes even less. People have one track per side for THIS REASON... And anyone who knows how to master vinyl ALREADY KNOWS that the treble response can only be “so high” on a record – which is much lower than the treble response on a CD. The record making process ADDS a certain amount of highs to the vinyl, just due to the machinery. Too much treble, the cutting head (the needle used to make the grooves) gets too hot and explodes. Furthermore, the closer you get to the center of the record, the more your highs have to be adjusted during mastering – again, it’s the limitation of the VINYL medium. Why do you think the most bass-heavy tracks are usually FIRST on the record?
3. The ELP is sold with a de-clicker, which by the way is a DIGITAL machine. Even if the ELP was truly analog, in order to fully rid yourself of the “clicks and pops,” you have to use their digital de-clicking machine.
4. A machine like this would force the entire vinyl record industry to change. Someone would have to create a new way to master vinyl, to erase the limitations. Colored records would be obsolete – and for those who can remember the odd shaped records, or the ones that play from the inside OUT – obsolete. DJs would have to find a new way to actually manipulate and mix with these machines. Forget about scratching and battle-style turntablism. It ain’t happening with these machines…
5. Last but not least, the $15,000 price tag. (Somebody’s been reading the Donald Trump MARKETING book, eh?) For less than $1000, I can buy a USB turntable, copy the vinyl to my computer, buy a music editing program like SoundForge, a couple of those vinyl restoration (de-clicker, noise-reduction) plug-ins, and burn the music to a CD – which by the way, lasts up to 100 years with proper handling and care. And at this price, I can even afford to make multiple backup copies of my discs – one for playing, one for storage, and one “just in case…”
Don’t get me wrong. The machine is cute. It’s nice to know that it won’t further damage my vinyl with multiple plays – but again, my CDs won’t get damaged after multiple plays either. I can buy a nice machine like the CDX or HDX, that lets me manipulate my music just like a vinyl 12-inch – they even come with the 12-inch turntable platter. By the way, if you REALLY want to be impressed with the evolution of vinyl, try checking out the Numark HYBRID turnbables.
http://www.numark.com/productoverviews/X2_overview.pdf …now THAT’S something to get excited about!!!
Always,
Aaron-Carl
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Sky Remix EP
So much has happened with the preparation of this record... I'm trying my best to have it released by my birthday, August 19th... SKY has been reconstructed by none other than Pirahnahead -- so you know it's going to be a musical journey like no other. Terrence Parker offers a spiritually uplifting remix of his own. ...and you KNOW there's a new version from yours truly, thank you very much!
Definitely a Wallshaker Music release... And like I said, you'll find it on white vinyl (at least the limited edition). I can't wait to offer this record to the world. It's one of my most intimate, personal and SOULFUL songs I've ever made.
That's it for now... I just wanted to let you know what was coming very soon.
Much respect,
AC
Definitely a Wallshaker Music release... And like I said, you'll find it on white vinyl (at least the limited edition). I can't wait to offer this record to the world. It's one of my most intimate, personal and SOULFUL songs I've ever made.
That's it for now... I just wanted to let you know what was coming very soon.
Much respect,
AC
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
That Feeling...
As Chante’ Moore sings in the background, “who’s gonna love me… Will you?” I feel her words. That’s the question I seem to have been asking all my life… Mel left today. And I’m not talking about storming out in an argument… I mean, he literally packed up his shit and LEFT. No more riding the fence. No more wondering “should I leave him and move on?” He’s gone. I’m free. 100%, bona fide, FREE…
… and I don’t know how I feel about that.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about MEL at all! I know for a fact that he doesn’t deserve me. And Lord knows that I deserve someone who will love me THE WAY I NEED TO BE LOVED… Now, where the fuck IS he?
I’m so afraid to start over. Well, I take that back. I’m not AFRAID… I’m TIRED of starting over – but given yesterday’s “scare,” I guess I’m glad I’m still alive to be ABLE to start over! LOL…
I LOVE being in love… I LOVE being held in someone’s arms. I LOVE being kissed… I LOVE “that feeling…” Y’all know what I mean. THAT feeling… The feeling you get when he looks at you that certain way… That INNER GLOW. Mel and I lost that a LONG LONG LONG time ago, which is why I’m not really mourning that loss. I’m just accepting the reality that he IS now truly gone… And while I’m not expecting someone else to just come in and take his place, I admit… I want a boyfriend. I want all the benefits of having a boyfriend… I want that special someone, to make ME feel special too.
Fuck it… I’m just gonna put it out there. Special one, wherever you are, I’m HERE…
Good night y’all… I’m hungry and tired, but I just had to get this off my chest…
LOVE
AC
… and I don’t know how I feel about that.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about MEL at all! I know for a fact that he doesn’t deserve me. And Lord knows that I deserve someone who will love me THE WAY I NEED TO BE LOVED… Now, where the fuck IS he?
I’m so afraid to start over. Well, I take that back. I’m not AFRAID… I’m TIRED of starting over – but given yesterday’s “scare,” I guess I’m glad I’m still alive to be ABLE to start over! LOL…
I LOVE being in love… I LOVE being held in someone’s arms. I LOVE being kissed… I LOVE “that feeling…” Y’all know what I mean. THAT feeling… The feeling you get when he looks at you that certain way… That INNER GLOW. Mel and I lost that a LONG LONG LONG time ago, which is why I’m not really mourning that loss. I’m just accepting the reality that he IS now truly gone… And while I’m not expecting someone else to just come in and take his place, I admit… I want a boyfriend. I want all the benefits of having a boyfriend… I want that special someone, to make ME feel special too.
Fuck it… I’m just gonna put it out there. Special one, wherever you are, I’m HERE…
Good night y’all… I’m hungry and tired, but I just had to get this off my chest…
LOVE
AC
Monday, June 26, 2006
I'm Still Here...
To Whom It May Concern:
While I have gone through some unfortunate and crazy circumstances these past few days, I am not dead. Early this morning (at around 5:30 a.m.), after ending my 5-year relationship (those who know me, know why…), I got into a car accident. Fortunately, my car suffered more than I did. Because of this accident, coupled with the fact that nobody could reach me, my friends assumed the worst…
After dealing with insurance companies, etc. for most of the day, I returned to my home to find people engaged in what I called “the funeral party.” One of my best friends (a total drama queen) had logged into my Messenger accounts earlier today (my passwords were saved) and proceeded to tell the people on my list that I’d been killed in the accident.
Of course, I didn’t discover this until HOURS later when I got home, checked my e-mails and received a number of CONDOLENCES!!! The message had already spread like wildfire, and while I’m touched by the number of people who showed concern, I’m a bit freaked out because I’m looking at MY name next to “Rest in Peace.” Long story short, I’m a little bruised, a bit shaken up, but I’m alive.
I don’t know exactly how to react to all of this, but I will say, since it’s at the front of my mind: To those who expressed love, respect and concern for me while I was “dead,” please continue to express these same feelings while I’m still ALIVE. (As my mother used to say when SHE was alive, “love me while I’m HERE!”)
On behalf of my drama queen best friend, I apologize for the misinformation… I’m still here, and I’m so thankful things didn’t end up “the OTHER way…”
Alive and grateful,
Aaron-Carl
While I have gone through some unfortunate and crazy circumstances these past few days, I am not dead. Early this morning (at around 5:30 a.m.), after ending my 5-year relationship (those who know me, know why…), I got into a car accident. Fortunately, my car suffered more than I did. Because of this accident, coupled with the fact that nobody could reach me, my friends assumed the worst…
After dealing with insurance companies, etc. for most of the day, I returned to my home to find people engaged in what I called “the funeral party.” One of my best friends (a total drama queen) had logged into my Messenger accounts earlier today (my passwords were saved) and proceeded to tell the people on my list that I’d been killed in the accident.
Of course, I didn’t discover this until HOURS later when I got home, checked my e-mails and received a number of CONDOLENCES!!! The message had already spread like wildfire, and while I’m touched by the number of people who showed concern, I’m a bit freaked out because I’m looking at MY name next to “Rest in Peace.” Long story short, I’m a little bruised, a bit shaken up, but I’m alive.
I don’t know exactly how to react to all of this, but I will say, since it’s at the front of my mind: To those who expressed love, respect and concern for me while I was “dead,” please continue to express these same feelings while I’m still ALIVE. (As my mother used to say when SHE was alive, “love me while I’m HERE!”)
On behalf of my drama queen best friend, I apologize for the misinformation… I’m still here, and I’m so thankful things didn’t end up “the OTHER way…”
Alive and grateful,
Aaron-Carl
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Awake...
I lie awake tonight;
hands waiting to be held,
shoulders begging to be massaged,
a body, longing to be close.
I lay awake tonight,
hoping tomorrow changes your mind,
and you finally notice...
I'm waiting for you.
The days keep going by
and I'm here waiting for you.
One day, you said...
You'll come to me.
One day..
But tonight, awake I lie,
holding onto the scent of you;
the desire burning within me
as we hugged goodbye...
hands waiting to be held,
shoulders begging to be massaged,
a body, longing to be close.
I lay awake tonight,
hoping tomorrow changes your mind,
and you finally notice...
I'm waiting for you.
The days keep going by
and I'm here waiting for you.
One day, you said...
You'll come to me.
One day..
But tonight, awake I lie,
holding onto the scent of you;
the desire burning within me
as we hugged goodbye...
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
For Your Ears Only
Well, I told you I'd let you hear some of what I was doing, didn't I? Alright, here goes...
1. Beautiful (unreleased as of now, but possibly for a new AC album?)
2. Betta Not (also unreleased -- can u believe I wrote and recorded BOTH these songs in the same day?!)
3. Detsitti Theme Song (1 of a couple versions -- there's also a House mix, which I adore -- but this one should be the one they use in their advertising...)
4. ICAN - Tribute to Cesar Chavez (AC Mix) (coming out this summer...)
Feel free to comment and such...
Love
AC
1. Beautiful (unreleased as of now, but possibly for a new AC album?)
2. Betta Not (also unreleased -- can u believe I wrote and recorded BOTH these songs in the same day?!)
3. Detsitti Theme Song (1 of a couple versions -- there's also a House mix, which I adore -- but this one should be the one they use in their advertising...)
4. ICAN - Tribute to Cesar Chavez (AC Mix) (coming out this summer...)
Feel free to comment and such...
Love
AC
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