Coding Stick

Author: user

  • Android File Transfer – Magic Begone!

    I had installed the Android File Transfer app in order to make it easy to load music onto my Android phone. I didn’t realize that this app doesn’t behave like a typical Mac app. It includes an agent helper app, a daemon really, that gets started at login and monitors for Android USB connected devices. I was unaware of this for some time and generally it does not cause problems. However when I wanted to reflash my Nexus 7 tablet I ran into problems with the File Transfer Agent competing with the Android Platform Tools ADB program for control of the device.

    My preference for utilities on my Mac is for them to not run until I activate them explicitly. Yes it looks swell to have a program pop up when I plug in the USB device, but I would prefer to manually launch it. I don’t like magic… (more…)

  • Gems from the error logs…

    Periodically I check out the Apache error and access logs in order to find things that I can fix or improve with a little work. Today I noticed a few errors for bad URLs coming from unfamiliar IP addresses. The error I got is:

    (36)File name too long: [client xx.xx.xx.xx:xxxxx] AH00036: access to ….

    Looking at the filename, it is way too long but it is also very peculiar. It starts off with a valid WordPress folder name but appends a long string of folder names where the folder names are prefixed with an underscore and suffixed with a comma. I checked this against the actual folders and it matches existing paths in my WordPress instance. The garbled path ends in an actual file name. To make it even weirder, this garbled path name has a plus sign followed by another garbled path name, multiple times. All together it’s about 800 characters long. WTF?… (more…)

  • Double Dongle Saga

    Got a new MBP. You know, the one with USB-C only. Also, bought the USB-C to USB-A dongle (added charge) just to be safe.

    Then I got a Samsung T3 SSD which included a USB-C to USB-A connector. It turns out that the T3 is a USB 2.0 device that uses a USB-C connector, probably because it’s smaller and also because it means you’re hip.

    But there is no way to directly connect the new SSD to the new MBP with either of the cables I have… (more…)

  • Logic Pro: Use Cases for External MIDI

    There are several goals one has in mind when using external MIDI devices with Logic Pro. The developers of Logic Pro have had to anticipate all of these possibilities and implement the ones that they think are most needed by their customers.

    In software, like everything else in life, you can’t always get what you want. (more…)

  • Starting Out

    I am starting out writing about my recent experiences with Apple’s Logic Pro. Logic is one of many Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) products. A DAW is a software re-creation of a musician’s recording studio. It is a technical product aimed at artists and recording engineers. The modern DAW combines two forms of computer based recording techniques: MIDI sequencing and digital audio recording. A proper DAW supports a complete workflow of composing, recording, arranging and mixing to produce a professional level DVD quality (or better) recording. (more…)

  • My setup…

    I have a studio set up in my basement where I can create music from multiple tracks using both MIDI and audio. My main goals are to compose new pieces and study old ones. I play guitar and keyboards and have built a DAW based studio to record from those instruments. (more…)

  • Focusrite Scarlett 18i8

    What do I do with all these wires? I need to route MIDI from the computer to a synth module and route the audio it produces back into the computer. My first take was to draw a schematic. It turned out that an accurate physical depiction was still pretty confusing. Then I drew a logical depiction and it became a lot clearer. (more…)

  • When I started coding…

    I started coding back when the mainframes were all steam powered. To maintain productivity, we took turns shoveling coal into the furnace. This worked well enough in the mornings but afternoons there was always someone who had one drink too many for lunch and wound up shoveling the coal into the ash bucket. We’d be down for a half hour or so. We all learned to juggle (seriously) in order to preserve sanity in the down times. At one point a bunch of us group-ordered a set of custom made 2 pound juggling bags using lead shot for weight. They were awesome for blowing off steam. But these days, nothing ever goes down (lol). My how technology has changed! Do you know any programmers these days who juggle?

  • Kurzweil ME-1

    The Kurzweil ME-1 is a multitimbral synthesizer module that is a pure MIDI device. I bought it over ten years ago and it was not a new product back then. It harkens from a day when computers were an optional component in a studio. Nevertheless it works very well in a computer based studio as long as you plan the wiring carefully. (more…)