CAUGHT UP IN CRAZY

Traveling with Electronics : Caught Up In Crazy

complex systems maintained with an

increasingly chaotic methodology

Wasn't it just three months ago, back in January when I suggested it might be time to "simplify" - you know, take a breath - and here it is April...all caught up in crazy.

The "complex systems" in the opening statement could apply to our current political circus or Apple's latest iOS mess, or the never discussed, yet still hemorrhaging five years on, Fukushima nightmare - how do you sustain balance in a sea of madness.

Given that this Blog is essentially about using technology to create music in real-time situations, we'll just stay with trying to find some balance within the latest iOS mess. 

iOS 9.3 was just released, bringing with it another wave of mass anger & frustration (something Apple has really perfected), and it marks a borderline in the evolution of the iOS platform, with the phasing out of 32 bit iPads and the optimization of 64 bit.

An iPad 2 (7.1.2) continues to be a solid unit for music creation and is now immune from the upgrade cycles as most devs are setting 8.0 (or 8.3) as the new minimum.

Early reports suggest that iPad 3 and 4 running 8.2, 8.3, 8.4 will fair better (perhaps a little slower), on 9.3 as it fixes an audio bug that was introduced in iOS 8. Support for 32 bit is in exit mode : Obsolete : (which is Apple speak for buy a new 64 bit iPad) - and lest we forget.....iOS 10 is a mere six months away.....what wonders await.  

(my 2 is staying on 7.1.2 - considering updating my 4 to 9.3 - but not convinced yet) 

Getting to the Essence - can I really play this thing or is it another clip-launcher? 

It is so easy to get sucked into the crazy of app lust as new ones show up weekly, but the reality for me is that very few of them can actually be placed in a real-time performance situation and respond in the way that an acoustic instrument would.

Which brought me to the realization that I had 6 apps in my core set-up (3 in the foreground and 3 in the background), that I could always count on to be "playable".

They are sample based, so I can fill them with any soinc content I want and just play.

FOREGROUND: each with a great balance of real-time playing, looping and sequencing

                       SAMPLR                                DRUMJAM                              THUMBJAM

BACKGROUND: interconnection, mixing, processing, recording and file management

                           AUM                                      AUDIOBUS                           AUDIOSHARE

You only have to stop and take a mindful breath.....to go straight to the essence. 

***CONCERT ALERT***

My 12 piece Colorado Conduction Ensemble The FluxCrew will be performing in concert on Friday April 29th at Metro State University in Denver CO, as part of the IMMEDIATE MUSIC FESTIVAL (click for info)

* There will be workshops all day (I will be doing a Conduction Workshop)

* The workshops are open to all musicians & vocalists

* The concert - open to the public - will begin at 7:30 pm 

* The workshops and concert are - FREE - so please forward this information! 

THE FLUX CREW

Dino J.A. Deane - conductor, Todd Bilsborough - electric guitar, Mark Harris - alto sax/flute, Markus Hunt - contra bass, Farrell Lowe, electric guitar, Victoria Lundy - theremin, Evan Mazunik, electric keyboard, Shawn Medeiros - drums, Paul Mimlitsch - bass clarinet, Brian Mullins - zhonghu, Phil Norman - cello, Bruce Orr - bassoon, Matt Powelson - contra bass  

Since this will be our first concert performance I don't (yet) have any video of The FluxCrew, so I'm going to leave you this month with an excellent video of my New Mexico Conduction Ensemble OUT OF CONTEXT - killing it at HIGH MAYHEM!

until next month then.....safe travels.....dino