If you're anything like me then besides being interested in great instruments you find yourself purchasing and trying a raft of other pieces of equipment and supporting paraphernalia that helps you make music, record it ... etc, etc. This thread is a bunch of rambling on things I've tried recently that I'm finding useful and/or just like. I thought we could compare notes. You may have found something that's the perfect solution to a problem I'm having (which I may not even be aware of yet
). So let's share experiences. As a lot of you know, I love trying out new picks.
This is for Hydro, my partner in the search for the perfect pick . I'm currently mostly using 2 types:- a TUSQ graphtech 1.0 - it's the same material that's used on a range of guitar saddles (including Taylor and Larrivee), a synthetic bone. It's got a nice rigidity to it, but it's still flexible and it sounds good.
- DAVA - these are a strange hybrid pick - there's a range of them, but mine are a rubber/gel and nylon mix (I think). I like them because the gel gives it a nice thickness and grip-iness and the tip is pointy and good for precision too. It is also more (or less) flexible depending on where you grip it. I'm liking it so far. They're more expensive that the normal pick, but... well if you're like me and like the journey of discovery then it might be worth a try for you too.
Tech support -
I'm using my iPad more and more for my music activities as I've described in a previous thread. As a consequence I've often got cables going in all directions coming out of the thing depending on what I'm doing; charging, cable from my bass or electric (via a Apogee Jam interface ) into the 30 pin socket (to connect with GarageBand), headphones. In fact, a few months ago I got tangled while trying to recording my bass and my poor iPad got pulled off my desk and hit the deck in a very sad way and ... the glass was beyond shattered... (it's all fixed now). Solution - when I'm plugged into my iPad I now have it on a stand that sits on my computer desk or the coffee table - it's a morphie powerstand. It's not cheap, but neither is iPad replacement. :huh: Mine was a present. It's heavy, allows me to charge it via the stand and it elevates the iPad and allows you to change the angle so I'm no longer hunched over trying to read music. You can't charge your iPad and your the Jam at the same time as they both use the 30 pin socket, but you can have headphones and the Jane/electric instrument cables attached and have the iPad elevated and secure. So thus far my set up is more stable and I hope to avoid future crashes. I've found it really useful.Mics - I'm currently using an Apogee MiC USB mic for capturing my acoustic guitar (and ukes) and vocals. I like that it goes straight into my iMac and then the signalis captured byGarageBand and/or iMovie. I probably need to get a more sophisticated setup so I can record vocals and instrument at the same time and separately, but... well let's face it I'm not recording an album here so simple and cheap is good for me for now. (BTW - I was using a Blue - Snowball when I had the sound issues while recording "Can't help falling in Love" - I suspect I'll abandon using it now.)
Electronic tuner - I normally tune my guitars and ukuleles with the tuner on my iPhone, Cleartune. It's great, but it's biggest downside is that it hears all sounds in the room. Ever tried to tune an ukulele with four little kids all talking very enthusiastically and a bunch of adults on Christmas Day in a small room?... Or I front of the tele with explosions and loud voices?... I recently got me a tuner that sits on the guitar head stock, like Neil uses. It's so tiny you can hardly see it ( it's in my latest video) and it's not effected by noise in the room because it uses the vibrations in the neck of the guitar. It's a Planet Waves - NS Mini HeadStock Tuner. It's very cool, easy to use and above all very discrete.
I'm in search of a new Mac-friendly video editing program. iMovie is too restrictive (or I'm too ignorant of it's features and how to access them). I find that two windows is the limit and I'd like to have three or four videos parts on the screen at the same time (or more eventually
). Has anyone used Final Cut? Do any Mac users have any better suggestions? OK they are my most recent finds. Hopefully you don't feel like I've just wasted 10 minutes of your life and you may have even have found a piece of this useful.
What piece of tech, accessory, software...have you found recently that you now can't be without?
Bring it on.
M
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and I had stolen it from my granddaughter, who had previously taken it from a jar of picks at the music store where we bought her her first guitar. That was my first, and only pick, I believe, for which I had such strong feelings. Sadly, it has been nowhere in sight forever.