Equalization

Recently I purchased one of the above items. It's an Optimus 310-2025 10 band graphic equalizer. What exactly does that mean, you ask? What does it do?

Well for starters, it allows you to fine tune the stereophonics of your music on ten frequencies. It allows you to increase your IMX output and expand it. Additionally it aids in the dubbing and recording of tapes.

So basically, I don't know what the hell it does. In all reality, as I fumble around with the different sliders and buttons, I'm probably subliminally making everything sound worse. Actually, sometimes I for sure make it sound worse, as this strange hissing noise emanating from the left speaker sort of makes me want to put my head through the nearest wall. Were it not for one important feature, it would most likely (at this stage of my audio equipment knowledge), be completely and utterly worthless. A bane upon my existence.

Thankfully, it also has a spectrum analyzer, which is maybe one of the simplest pleasures known to man. Whenever I walk my dog, I typically wish I could be entertained as easily as he, smelling other dogs' piss or rolling in the grass. Compared to that, my entertainment needs are quite complex. I usually need to go do something, mostly involving spending money on some various sort of beverage or ticket. Well, it turns out, I can be cheaply and easily entertained for hours watching the little colored bars on my stereo go up and down.



Remember the Bud Powell CD from the last post which I should not have purchased? Well, I bought it, and put it on last night after getting home from a baseball game. That's when it really hit me, how mesmerizing this damn machine can be, given the correct material. I think the undulating lines of bebop might be ideal, especially on a relatively soft instrument like piano. It's like I couldn't tear my eyes away from the thing, I was sucked into it. Like a vortex (great word, I love that word). Sharp spikes when he hit a chord, the constant up down of the walking bass, little random tinkerings in the upper frequencies as a Charlie Parker line was blazed out. The literal visual representation of music making at its best, it was intense. It's kind of like if an artist were to attempt to paint, I don't know, Beethoven as he was composing. What would it be like, the artist at the moment of creation? Obviously, this is not the same, but it's kind of crazy to not only hear, but also "see" amazing art. Or maybe I'm just really easily impressed, like a five year old. But really, if anyone ever comes over, I'm playing this, and seeing if they don't freak right out. There's definitely a certain poetry to it, a nimble dance over the keys captured in green, yellow, and red.

In other news... what other news? I'm thinking of purchasing one of the new iPhones when they come out, I luckily already have AT&T. Not only do I think it will be useful in my new capacity as a law student, but it would be sort of invigorating to have the cool gadget for a while. Of course, that doesn't say much, when any of my friends get a "cool gadget," I usually look at it with nonchalance. I do like the idea of having an iPod, a phone, and a computer in one though.

Went to the ballgame last night with some people. Twins won, which is always a good thing. I tallied up my expences, and thanks to student night, I got down to the dome, got a ticket, and two hot dogs all for less than $10. A very good deal. The catch is, you're going on student night, which means you get stuck sitting in general admission, which means you're sitting in bro hell. I mean, shit, where the hell do these people come from? First I almost had two black girls have a bitch-fight in the row immediately behind me, then I was next to a bunch of people who were wearing Jack Daniel's baseball jerseys and had brought their own private stash of Busch Light, then I was next to a bunch of drunk frat boys who were being complete fucktards. I must admit thought, it was pretty hilarious to watch some other guys try to get their girlfriend out of the stands and down the stairs, who just happened to be completely pissed (trashed, for you non Britspeakers). I've never seen anyone fall horizontally into a line of Metrodome seats before. I hate that place, can't wait for the new park in two years.

Yesterday I also checked out Lifetime fitness as a guest of my member mom's. That's a whole other story.

I'm heading out of town tomorrow for 10 days on a choir tour, so don't hold your breath for any new updates. I'm fairly nonchalant about the whole thing, my vigor for the purpose of it probably faded when I graduated from high school. But my mom directs it, and she likes me to go, so I go. Plus, I mean, it's always nice to play. But I think this is the last time. In an effort to make the tour non-lame, I'm going to be giving a series of informative history lectures on the revolutionary era. I realize that sounds like the epitome of lameness, but I'm hoping my style of presentation and the fact that I'm going to be talking about REAL HISTORY, not the soft ass shit they teach in high school, will enlighten and entertain some people. In any case, I'd encourage my vast readership to consider attending either one of three performances. Saturday, June 28th at 7:00 PM in Waterloo, Sunday, June 29th at 9:30 AM in Waverly, or Sunday, June 29th at 7:00 PM at my church in Apple Valley. It's my mom's pride and joy, and I have a couple cool trombone licks. Come if you can, get the details here.


That's it for now. I have to chauffeur my dog to my dad's place in St. Paul, then probably go hang at the Electric Fetus for a while. Big night.