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More spring cleaning has unearthed some very dusty music magazines and old photocopies of long since forgotten technical papers from the distant past. This one seemed too good to not share.
"We've all heard it said that being in the right place at the right time can make or break a career in music. Nowhere is this more important than in your musical performances. The difference between a great player and a good one can often be reduced to timing. Timing is what gives music that special funky flow that people want to groove to. The error might be as small as a few milliseconds, but those milliseconds determine whether people want to dance or even listen to your music.
When music is rhythmically right, it just feels good.
It's always been difficult to judge where your rhythms are placed relative to a mechanical click. Or at least for most of us…. Stories of Donald Fagen's ears perceiving millisecond differences and voicing his disillusionment with MIDI gear are well documented and are what legends are made of. Most producers and engineers I know would love a tool that would show players where they fall relative to the click.
MIDI's Murky Pathways
The desire for accuracy and the ability to measure it are also crucial in MIDI production. In a studio, there are countless causes of timing delays and errors that affect the music in small and large ways. We are falsely led to believe that when we play something and record it, we will hear that performance played back without rhythmic alteration. Admittedly, MIDI gear is a major perpetrator of these delays.
At the smallest level, MIDI itself can only communicate about one Note On per millisecond. A good sequencer can read the differences in your performance as closely as one millisecond per note.
Practically speaking, however, a serial cable is incapable of sending two notes at the exact same time: one note must follow the other by at least one millisecond. More often than not, you are sending multiple events in the hope that they will play simultaneously, but they don't. Plus, events scheduled for simultaneous playing will appear one tick apart, in random order. One way to solve the random-order problem is actually to spread simultaneous events by one tick in your sequencer.
So far, we know that the accuracy is hampered by the speed of the serial communication and the quantity of notes simultaneously played. This problem is compounded by other MIDI data communicated at the same time, further slowing this process and making playback even less consistent. Many of you have seen your computer slow down when burdened with many complicated activities. This same problem plagues some sequencers' metronomes when reproducing a complicated MIDI performance. This can be true for both computer sequencers and drum machines.
The problems don't stop with sequencers, however. Once our MIDI data has left the serial cables, they arrive at a MIDI interface. These interfaces can create more delays as they translate information from serial to MIDI.
Finally, the data arrives at the MIDI modules. Guess what? More delays! Not only do different modules differ in the speed at which they produce audio from your MIDI data, sounds within a module vary in the time it takes them to be produced.
What's a Few Milliseconds Between Brothers?
So what do we do about these millisecond differences? And how can we possibly guarantee that two MIDI notes will occur at the exact same time? Here's the product pitch: a tool that sent me scurrying to find all the faults with my own production studio.
Jeanius, a company in San Antonio, has provided the recording world with a tool to simplify the judgment and analysis of all these time errors. It is called the Russian Dragon (RD-R and RD-T), named for its ability to accurately perceive if your audio is "rushin'" ahead or "draggin'" behind a reference source you supply. The idea for the unit came from Audio Engineer/Designer Marius Perron and his drumming brother, who had always wished they had a mechanism to judge how closely he was playing to the sequenced tracks. Marius made the prototype to remove both guesswork from the sessions and tension from not knowing who was right. The unit gave honest feedback to the drummer, the engineer, and the producer.
Description: The Anatomy of the Russian Dragon
The Russian Dragon is available in a small rack-mount version (the RD-R) and a less expensive tabletop version (RD-T). I opted for the rack-mount model.
The RD-R is an uncomplicated single-space rack-mount unit with 1/4-inch inputs on the back and the front. The top input (channel 1) is used for the reference and the bottom input (channel 2) is used for the other audio event you will judge to be dragging (slow), rushing (fast), or dead on (what Jeanius calls "snake eyes") relative to the reference. The unit features an input level control and four LEDs for visual confirmation of audio and amplitude adjustment. A large row of 25 coloured LEDs indicates the timing differences from a tenth of a millisecond to 99 milliseconds. The LEDs are adjustable in 1-9 millisecond increments as set by a selector knob marked "ms per LED." A trigger LED indicates the presence and duration of the two signals. The duration is adjustable by a "Mask Control." By increasing the length of the Mask Control, you can eliminate accidental re-triggering of the timing LEDs. This allows the unit to ignore delay characteristics or extraneous sounds that would make analysis difficult.
A polarity check button for each input ensures that the shape of the transient wave forms start with positive (above the zero crossing point) sections. Polarity is checked for two reasons. First, the sensor that reads the beginning of the audio event is triggered when the signal goes above the zero threshold. So, a signal with a rarefaction at its entrance would not trigger until later in the wave form, when it moved above the zero crossing. Second, two out-of-phase drums, with similar transients, combined and aligned by this unit would produce a cancellation or thinning phase effect, which is probably contrary to the Mother-of-God drum sound you were looking for when you aligned six snare samples.
Testing: Let's See Who's Been Naughty or Nice
The minute I took the RD-R out of its box, I wanted to test the delays present in my studio system. It's as if your ears have been bionically upgraded to distinguish millisecond differences.
Not all of the equipment in my eight-track MIDI studio is spanking new. But since good used gear is widely available, the Russian Dragon is especially valuable because it can measure the accuracy of used as well as new equipment. There is little documentation of MIDI delays in my older pieces (some of which create classic sounds which I still consider vital). Adaptable and precise, the Russian Dragon measures reaction times, consistency, and sync ability in software and hardware sequencers, metronomes, sync boxes, digital delays, and MIDI modules.
What's the MIDI Module Delay Time?
I wanted to know how long it takes for audio to come out of my MIDI modules when they were programmed to play fully quantized quarter notes in sync with the Macintosh click. You'll see that the delays range from 1 to 5 milliseconds. Keep in mind these are ideal circumstances – the units are only playing monophonic quarter notes and nothing further is being asked of the sequencer or the MIDI unit. Hardly a realistic challenge, but still there are measurable differences. The differences themselves are inconsistent. I've indicated where it varied from note to note by as much as 2 milliseconds. Again, these may seem like small amounts of time. But when added together, they are perceivable and they change randomly.
Device vs. Device Mode Output Drag (ms)
Mac spkr Akai S1000 sample mode mix out 4-5
Mac spkr Akai S1000 program mode mix out 5-6
Mac spkr Akai S900 sample mode mix out 3
Mac spkr Akai S900 program mode mix out 2-3
Mac spkr Yamaha RX-5 pattern mode mono out 5
Mac spkr Yamaha RX-5 pattern mode rim out 4-5
Mac spkr Roland TR808 NA main out 2
Mac spkr Roland TR808 NA rim out 1-2
Mac spkr Emu SP-12 Turbo sequence mode mix out 2-4
Mac spkr Emu SP-12 Turbo sequence mode rim out 3-4
Hardware and software-based sequencers were the next subject for analysis. All I really tested was the consistency of the metronomic pulse put out by these units. Given more time I'd test start inconsistencies and sync influences.
These units also exhibited inconsistencies in their start-up time.We found that the tempo that each called 160 BPM varied — as well as the consistency between quarter notes. As a drummer, I've always wondered why some metronomes seemed easier to follow than others. I often attributed it to how I felt on a given day or the sound of these units. With the Russian Dragon, I learned that metronomes can be as moody as I am. To this end, I tested a more complicated sequence as well as just a quarter note pulse.
The findings are validating for the drummer in me . . . but upsetting for the producer in me. There was an 8.4 millisecond difference between the RX5's 160 BPM and the SP12's 160 BPM. The quarter note test showed fairly stable tenth of a millisecond resolutions among the SP12, TR808, and RX5 sequencers. The surprises were the David and Goliath performances of the Macintosh SE/30 with Performer 4.2 and the Boss Dr. Beat metronome. The Macintosh was inconsistent 1 millisecond, and the Dr. Beat held "snake eyes" at better than tenth of a millisecond stability for minutes on end. The Mac and all of the drum machines suffered when many drum parts were added to the playback.
The TR808, an analog drum machine, could not be measured for tempo accuracy because it has no digital readout. Strangely, it was not less consistent when parts were added. But its tempo did slow down. Its determination to be consistent might be attributable to the 16-note resolution capacity of its sequencer.
Conclusion: Everything is Not always on the One
Notable Productions' timing is kept by Daniel C. Cantor and Mark Weltner, whose mission is to seek out new timing errors and remove them. We'd like to thank Marius Perron at Jeanius for creating the Russian Dragon and providing us with the unit and information. Thanks also to fellow time delay sleuth Robert Poor at Opcode R&D Systems for his box of info and his enthusiasm. Finally Notable owes Kathy Wolff a heap of thanks for her split-second editing.


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BENEFITING: Living Water International
Tamara Meeks
Four teams from Red Rocks Church will partner with Living Water International (LWI) this summer and fall to drill wells ...and teach hygiene in Haiti, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Please join the Mission teams at a Fundraiser on May 10th at the American Mountaineering Museum. This incredible evening will include great food, drinks, live music by 3 Star Monday, raffle items and a fantastic silent auction, with things like classes, massages, sports memorabilia, art and more. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door for adults. Children under 5 are free. All funds raised will go to support the four mission teams and the sustainability programs of LWI in the 4 countries served. Please come out for a fun night with your friends in support of LWI's mission to provide a cup of water in Jesus' name.
The Team: $0 TOTAL RAISED SO FARJOIN THE TEAM
Want to help Fundraise or Volunteer for this amazing Fundraiser? Join the Team

subset: commoncrawl


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The atmosphere will continue to produce thunderstorm complexes that travel quickly and over vast distances in parts of the Plains, Midwest and East through nearly the end of July.
Even though a push of dry air will temporarily turn off the thunderstorm machine in parts of the Midwest and East, the lull is not likely to last. The atmosphere is already reloading over the Plains.
People from the central and northern Plains to parts of the Midwest and East should be prepared for more rounds of storms, severe weather and the risk of flash flooding for the rest of the month.
A nearly stationary area of high pressure has taken up position over the South Central states. Since the high is so strong, most storms must go around the system and the heat it is producing.
Since the high will more or less hold its ground to the latter part of July, the thunderstorm complexes with an occasional long-tracking squall line will continue to occur on the northern edge of the high. However, the storm complexes will shift their track at times.
According to AccuWeather Chief Long Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, "As the shape and position of the high pressure area changes, it will affect the track of the thunderstorm complexes."
Some of the storm complexes will travel hundreds of miles and will produce incidents of damaging winds, frequent lightning and flash flooding.
One complex of storms is forecast to track from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes during the latter part of this week.
Instead of storms traveling southeastward from the northern Plains to the southern Appalachians, the complexes of storms will travel in a more west to east fashion for a time, AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams stated.
"As heat and humidity return to the Northeast this weekend, so will the chance of thunderstorms," Abrams said.
The storms may end up being a more frequent visitor to New York City and Boston, as opposed to Nashville and Atlanta for the next week or so. Frequent storms are likely to continue in Minneapolis, Cincinnati and Chicago.
Pastelok is concerned about a significant thunderstorm complex hitting Chicago around July 19 or so, but timing the storms and their exact track out beyond a couple of days is challenging in such a fast-moving pattern.
"Even though the complexes will tend to move from west to east in the coming days, segments of the storms can still turn toward the south on occasion, just not as far into the South as has recently occurred," Pastelok said.
Later in the month, the storms may resume the northwest to southeast path, similar to what occurred around July 12-14.
This spring, the pattern produced areas of heavy rain and flooding centered on the Plains and Midwest. Some locations in Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri were bombarded with a foot of rain in less than a month's time.
This summer, however, the pattern has evolved to produce large complexes of storms that move along, rather than hang around. However, in addition to the severe weather, flooding episodes have continued and expanded to new territory.
While the wet weather has been shorter in duration, it has still been intense with several inches of rain falling.
The ongoing storm train will renew flooding and severe weather in some locations of the Plains and Midwest and bring both beneficial rain, the risk of flooding and severe weather to parts of the Northeast, where little has occurred thus far.


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PARIS (Reuters) - France's far-right National Front (FN) knocked out left-wing rivals and won twice as many votes as the center-right UMP in the first round of a local election in southern France, a sign of growing popularity for the anti-immigrant party.
Results tallied late on Sunday showed FN candidate Laurent Lopez took 40.4 percent of the vote in the canton of Brignoles, near Toulon, in Sunday's vote, versus 20.7 percent for the UMP candidate and 14.6 percent for the Communist.
The National Front's strong showing amounts to a challenge to President Francois Hollande's Socialist Party for mayoral posts in municipal and European elections next year.
"This result is a very serious warning for the left, showing that the National Front is very strong and that we cannot afford to be divided," Socialist Party head Harlem Desir told France Info radio.
"Obviously, I am urging voters to block the National Front in the second round, as I have always done, without any hesitation," he added, an implicit call for voters to back the UMP candidate.
The Socialist Party did not field a candidate, choosing instead to support the Communists. The election's second round, on Oct 13, will be contested by the top two candidates from the first round: the National Front and the UMP.
While Hollande's popularity has sunk, National Front leader Marine Le Pen is winning supporters from both the Socialist Party and the divided center-right UMP as voters rally to her tough positions on crime and illegal Roma encampments.
A TNS-Sofres poll for Le Figaro daily showed her rated as one of the country's most promising politicians, on a par with Francois Fillon, a former UMP prime minister, but well below tough-talking Interior Minister Manuel Valls.
An LH2 poll found that one out of four voters said they would probably or definitely choose the National Front in municipal elections in March. A third of those polled said they do not view the party as "extreme".
In addition to the National Front's 40.4 percent, a far-right independent candidate received 8 percent of the votes in Brignoles, a wealthy Provencal town of some 15,000 inhabitants.
(Reporting by Gerard Bon and Nicholas Vinocur; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)


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As I blog, I express
Stefany, 23 years old fashion blogger, multimedia design and communications graduate and media enthusiast based in Århus. Moved to Denmark from Latvia five years ago and have been loving it ever since. Started Black Irony blog around 6 years ago because of the passion and love for writing, publishing and fashion. This place gives freedom to do all of those things at one. The blog used to be called Stefany Strange, but on June 30, 2014 the name was changed to Black Irony. The reason behind that is simple – the previous domain expired and I had had this feeling that something needs to be changed. So Black Irony was born. In year 2012 Stefany started a collaboration with PolhemPR Latvia and H&M which was something exciting and unexpected. The thought of writing and sharing content that so many of you, wonderful readers, enjoy is what motivates and gives a drive to keep doing what has been started and make it better with each post. That is Black Irony. A place that never stops growing.