Music

   This morning, I spent some time with the emulator and the Csound and CsoundAV software.    I had forgotten much of what I had to do to get the setup working. This was almost a new beginning for me.    What I found was that some of the older program aids I had used were now antiquated and would not work in the Windows 10 operating system. Eventually, I found a similar software that was compatible with the current version of Windows. Still there was much to do.    The B3 emulator is a program that consists of a list of parameters and commands, including some for the GUI(Graphical User Interface) (emulated knobs and switches on a control panel). I had to tweak the command line options, known as 'switches', to get the thing to run in CsoundAV. The command line options can be, and are in this case, included at the top of the instrument/score file. The command line I ended up using is: -+q0 +p1  -m0 -+O -+K -b400 -+P    There ...

   Several years ago I began studying the potentials of computers in relation to music. I explored midi file composition using several software programs. As mentioned before, I used  the computer to record organ compositions on my 1968 Hammond H-182. When I discovered Gabriel Maldonado's CsoundAV for real time performance, I had no way to input note data to the computer software. I discovered a couple of pieces of software that would, together, allow me to do that.    This introduced me to the use of a computer keyboard as a musical instrument. After some time, I began to dwell on the differences between instruments and the nature of the physical possibilities and limitations in playing them.    One of the advantages of a computer keyboard over the standard 88s is the small physical space of the keyboard corresponds to a greater musical space. For example, octaves are mush easier to play on a computer keyboard than the 88. A guitar can only be playe...

   In 2006, I was making my rounds of the thrift and collectibles shops. I entered a branch of the Salvation Army thrift store chain and spied an old organ near the entrance. I knew immediately, I wanted the organ. I had watched desirable potential purchases disappear overnight because I hesitated. This time, I bargained to purchase the organ and pick it up within a week.    I built a platform for transporting the organ from one inch thick plywood, four three inch casters, two with locks, and some tie down, rachet controlled, straps. I found later the organ with bench and pedals weighs over 425 pounds.    After I managed to get the thing home, I replaced a cracking power cord with a new one. I opened the back and found a long tube of the manufacturer's original lubricating oil in a position on the inside side wall. I got on the web and spent some time googling for data. Eventually, I found a handful of invaluable sites that left me with a full ...