If I wanted to hear it hummed, I listen to somebody hum it. I listen to that part because it’s something that the instrument (and likely, that soloist) is singularly capable of performing.

So I go into this theory with a little trepidation, precisely because the tools are capable of doing more than what has been done previously. But at the same time, not everything can or should be boundary-pushing. I want to hear what is possible, but I also want to hear the Hold Steady, too. Comfort listening, if you will.

Drawing notes is boring, time-consuming, and a little lifeless, really. But it’s a tool to get to where you need to go, and I’m guessing that you probably tried to play it through once before giving up and drawing it in. If you’ve got a little skill on an instrument, it’s easier to give that a whack and modify it from there.

But before it’s set in stone, I think I’d like to play with the envelopes or settings just a bit. Just in case making it an un-hummable part makes it better. We have the tools, after all, and that guy from Blind Melon probably isn’t going to ever hear it anyway.

Only $150! Get on it!

I also want to see how they notate Albert Ayler and Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music.

We’ve already tackled the computer in the amp earlier this week. Now, it’s the computerized guitar, done DIY-style. What’s the difference between this and a keytar? Aside from the difference in sound, your DIY cred deflects any potential abuse you might take for playing a keytar. Because really, haven’t we finally moved beyond even the ironic keytar?

How is it different than modeling-based-software amps like Line 6? Uh, you can play games on it? How is it different than a regular Orange amp? Uh, it’s got absolutely no traditional amp guts in it, beyond the case and branding?

Vintage Orange fans probably gave up on this new product line awhile ago (“It’s just not the same, man!”), but it’s an interesting idea. Until your amp gets the Blue Screen of Death in the middle of your solo.

Photo from CNET by Scott Ferrara/EMG

For a mainstream tech site like CNET to take notice of a bassist’s instrument, something must be wacky, geeky, or in the possession of somebody famous. The custom instrument John Paul Jones is using on the Them Crooked Vultures certainly qualifies on all counts – it’s a custom Hugh Manson lap steel with bass strings worn over-the-shoulder. Then, toss in a touchpad to control some stage lights as part of the show. ‘Cause, you know, he’s not busy enough as it is. I guess when you’re JPJ, you get control over whatever you want. It’d be an experience to hear what he’d do with this whilst collaborating with Diamanda Galas.

The laptop may not be making as many appearances onstage as it used to with the Psychonauts, but I’m intrigued by this Mobius looping software. Super easy to install and set up, and it’s free to boot. Between it and the new patches Peff provided for Reason+Record, I’ve got a ton of options for live performances from the bass and the laptop. Now I just have to find a place to work it in.

40% of UK folks surveyed can’t name a legal music download site. The tagline about only knowing about Amazon and iTunes doesn’t bother me too much – people have resources to get on those services with little effort, so your recordings can be in the same store as the big boys. But almost have of the surveyed can’t even get that far?

If they can’t name it, they aren’t using it. And that doesn’t translate into purchased physical copies, either. Change is inevitable, I suppose, but would a little haste be such a bad thing?

The fans can connect directly with artists now – hell, how hard would it be to just ASK where the music is available for purchase? I’m sure they’d be more than happy to let the fans know?

Sure, I’m still not recording anything longer than your average ringtone, but it’s a little easier. Plus, I’ve got a patch that turns my bass and a random mic into a nice vocoder. And it’s better than listening to the new version of “We Are The World.”

This has been tried already, of course, by mp3.com. The results were brutal lawsuits and a shutdown of the “music locker” service. But times have changed, different companies have felt financial downturns that make this seem like a better option, and now the possibility is there to make it happen. Like Spotify and MOG have already made it happen. Although not as well as they could have – Spotify is Europe-only at this point, and I personally let my subscription to MOG lapse because I was a little frustrated by incomplete listing of albums (although the overall selection was pretty good).

So it’s not like Apple is breaking any ground here. It’s just that the ground has shifted under the music industry and the technology has finally caught up. If they’re going to back up my entire library and make it available to me, wonderful. How much is it going to cost, and what will you do with the tracks I ripped from CD? Otherwise, there’s Simplify. The task here isn’t breaking new ground – it’s making what’s available work easily.

I do like what’s available for indie artists now, though. Tunecore + iTunes streaming = trackable plays and maybe some royalties out of the whole thing. Very streamlined and effective. I wonder what the cut will be?