Art Gillespie

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBM854BTGL0&rel=1]

I was stunned by Pro Tools 7.4’s new Elastic Audio feature when I tried it out last month, not only because it’s implemented in such an awesome, easy to use way but because it sounds absolutely *amazing*. I swear, it sounds as good as iZotope Radius, which I wouldn’t have believed possible.

Oh, wait. It *is* iZotope Radius.

Radius *included* with Ableton Live-like ease of use integrated in a DAW? Sold. Sorry Digital Performer. I’ve always balked at the Digidesign upgrade path and the LE limitations, but when I really think about it, I haven’t worked on a project with more than 32 tracks since… well, since we slaved two 2″ 24-tracks together back in the 90’s and regretted it. Muchly. And as far as HD goes, well, I guess if you need it it’s worth it, and if you don’t need it then why do you care?

In any case, if you’re not familiar with Elastic Audio watch Emagic’s, er, Apple’s, er, Digidesign’s Phil Jackson explain it here. Niiice!

It’s official!

Is Obama a Mac and Clinton a PC?

WTF is wrong with Microsoft?

MSDN Events and Webcasts: Source Fource

So, like, we put out free developer content, but nobody watches it, so um, to incent[1] them to watch it, we’ll give them a Windows Vista Sensei and Office Master superhero action figure. Cause, uh, programmers like action figures.

No.

Dear Microsoft developer relations people: just because you’d sit through a BASIC/Cobol/VBA triple-header to get your hands on a Boba Fett action figure circa 1979 (who wouldn’t?) doesn’t mean any sane person would sit through a *porn version of The Third Man starring Keira Knightley and Natalie Portman* to get a Microsoft action figure. Are you crazy?

Hint: to attract developers, build a platform and tools people want to develop for/with in their spare time, when they’re not stuck developing for your platform. Successful implementations of this strategy might look suspiciously like–I know you’re sick of hearing this–Apple.

[1] You *know* they’d use that word.

Chris Randall of AudioDamage is off on Apple and Audio Units (again) in his inimitable style:

May I Hate On AudioUnits Some More?

Now I almost always agree with Chris’ rants on analogindustries, and I’ve definitely had my run-ins with Audio Units (or more specifically, auval) to the point that I went off on an ill-advised and nonsensical rant on the coreaudio-api list last year. There’s no doubt that sometimes developing audio software for the Mac seems harder than it needs to be. But you know, if I shipped a plug-in without testing sample rates other than 44.1k in the two most popular hosts on a platform, well, I’d be inclined to feel a little sheepish, not shake my fist at Apple.

I’m just saying.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEqZkglTVYE&rel=1]

The other day a friend told me I had 36 days to grow up (34 as of today). I submit this video as evidence that not only am I not required to grow up, but that now I’ll have an excellent excuse to do stuff I would have been too self-conscious to do before.

You wonder why I don’t do music for TV or commercials anymore? Because no one calls! But also because it’s insanely frustrating. A good friend is working on some TV stuff right now and has had the following ‘feedback’ in the past week: ‘It needs more soar’, ‘More blue’ and ‘Too sci-fi’.

Of course, in my experience each one of these phrases translates roughly to ‘just copy the effing temp track, okay?’.

 Today I saw something I’d never seen before:  a fortune taco!  Like a fortune cookie, but you know, at a mexican restaurant.  In spanish.  Mine said ‘new car, empty stomach’.  Sage advice, young man.