I’ve been busy with university work lately, but there are a few things I need to mention.
The Portfolio has been updated with my latest piece, which was composed on a Gameboy. I’m happy with how it’s turned out.
My radio show, BiTcrush, goes out live every Thursday at 8pm GMT.
I am currently working on the website of Source Radio, the hosts of BiTcrush.
That’s all for now… more posting in June when my work is done.
I’m happy with how all these are looking. I’m getting some purple LEDs to do the same again to Ruth’s remote soon, along with some bulk stuff.
Why bulk? Well, my friend Burger has a car. It’s old, and knackered. He wants to sell it on. What would increase value like pretty LEDs sapping away at the battery? So he’s going to give me some money to go mad on LEDs, and then leave his car with me for a few days for me to put LEDs wherever I deem them necessary. I’m still thinking about how to get them into the wheels.
A little while ago, I bought a “Crazy Music Generator” from maplins, which is basically a stunted theremin. It generates a tone, and as your hand (or something metal) gets closer to the copper plate, the tone’s pitch rises.
This is all well and good, but on its own it’s a bit boring. So, I was thinking, how possible would it be to turn it into a guitar controller? This is my next project.
I’ve been playing with the circuit, using a spare LED to test joins and short between terminals, and I’ve isolated the bit that generates the tone (I think). Now, I need to work out how to wire a guitar in.
Also, if the person looking at my CV from GAME is looking at this page, I’d like to make clear that the below post isn’t complaining about Game and it’s preordering system, but Nintendo and its ridiculous handling of the SSBB release date. Thank you. Sorry.
From: customerservices[at]game.co.uk
To: bonzairob[at]hotmail.co.ukDear Mr Hayes
Thank you for the following order placed with GAME.
Order number(s):
02472852/PAs you may already be aware, the UK release date for Super Smash Bros. Brawl has changed to Jun-2008. Changes to release dates are relatively common in the videogames industry and are unfortunately beyond our control.
Don’t worry, your order is still live and will be despatched prior to its release date via your chosen method of delivery.
So basically, NOE is shafting us. STILL.
I, for one, have had enough! I’m a good natured person, and I rarely complain to companies I like, but the Smash Bros. release date has been eroding my respect for NOE. I did what I so rarely do, which is fire off a complaint. KABOOM! Or something. So stay tuned for the result, which will probably be them telling me to shut up and put up.
Today I put a hard drive in the freezer. My parents’ external HD had been acting up for a while, and now it makes a clicking noise as it winds up and won’t boot properly. TO THE FREEZER! I tried whacking it on my leg but that didn’t work… let’s hope I can salvage what’s on there.
I still have a screenplay to write ;_;
So I’d like to get into updating this daily. It’d be nice. Maybe I could flag up bigger posts somehow, but keep daily posts short.
Right now I’m working on a screenplay as part of my uni course, well, kind of; it’s a special module that we have to do, which is completely different to the rest of the course. So it’s that much to do with my course. After that I need to work on PF’s site, I think, but I’m also trying to get another radio show off the ground. Busy busy busy.
Anyway, PF’s site is looking pretty good, I’m happy with it. i need to think up a layout for the forums, I think after this I’ll go and look at forum layouts somewhere. Forum layouts can’t be as flexible and exciting as normal site layouts, though, since it’s basically a series of tables however you look at it. I still need to do more flexible and exciting layouts though :c I want a proper site again.
What I also really, really want to do is more hands-on projects. I realised that the hacking/modding stuff is basically me doing hands-on stuff, which I’ve always liked. I’m really looking forward to getting inside those wiimotes (the screwdriver finally arrived, but I need LEDs)
It’s not the idea of having glowy wiimotes that excites me, althoguh it is cool; it’s the prospect of screwing, soldering, and sticking. I’ve always loved making things since I was little and I want to do more.
Me and ruth had a vague plan that we were going to make ourselves steampunk costumes at one point. She’d make the actual clothes, an then I’d finish them off with funky things like cogs and LEDs. The idea’s kind of stalled, though, because now she has some bright Ikea fabric, Ruth is more interested in making real clothes (bah), and if I want to make something, I have neither the space to make nor store it.
Oh well. Tonight I shall dream of steam-driven rayguns.
Right now I’m working on a screenplay as part of my uni course, well, kind of; it’s a special module that we have to do, which is completely different to the rest of the course. So it’s that much to do with my course.
After that I need to work on PF’s site, I think, but I’m also trying to get another radio show off the ground.
Busy busy busy.
Anyway, PF’s site is looking pretty good, I’m happy with it. i need to think up a layout for the forums, I think after this I’ll go and look at forum layouts somewhere. Forum layouts can’t be as flexible and exciting as normal site layouts, though, since it’s basically a series of tables however you look at it. I still need to do more flexible and exciting layouts though :c I want a proper site again.
What I also really, really want to do is more hands-on projects. I realised that the hacking/modding stuff is basically me doing hands-on stuff, which I’ve always liked. I’m really looking forward to getting inside those wiimotes (the screwdriver finally arrived, but I need LEDs).
It’s fun. I wish I could do more but most of my hacking is online… oh well. I’ll try to think of some things to do that’ll be interesting enough to post.
I’ve been interested by hacking in general for a good long time, but actively only more recently. I did some tutorials at hackthissite.org, and looked at a lot of viral marketing (which, if not hacking, at least comes from the same mindset), and now I’m looking into mods
One that caught my eye was this. After looking at ways to make my wiimotes glow (which I’m also doing as soon as my tri-wing screwdriver arrives), I saw a link to the tutorial, and thought, “I could do that.”
And so I did.
Yes, I now have a working “multimedia” projector. Quoted because at the moment it will only display Ruth’s computer’s output, because I need moar adaptors. It was fun and simple to do, and I’d recommend it to anyone. So far it’s cost me £22, a lot better than the £400 or so required for a real projector. Bizarrely both the monitor and projector cost £10.99 each; 99p for the monitor with £10 postage, and £10.99 for the projector which we had to pick up. Then what you do is, you gut the monitor and put the seethrough pixelly bit on top of the projector with some corks to leave a gap for air twixt the two.
The tough thing about this sort of activity is being brave enough to take something to bits. Of course, the triangular, lightning-bolt warnings don’t help, although what they don’t mention is that modern electronics have bleeder circuits to take away any charge left in capacitors in an hour or less. If you can get over the fear of damaging a product by simply taking the case off, which is unlikely, the world is a mollusc’s excretion of which you are the proud owner.
I’ll try to remember to post some pictures of the projector this evening, when the night is better. I’ll post again when I’ve made my wiimotes pretty.
The move is complete, and our new flat has a working, fast internet connection.
I’m not really sure what to update now.. me and Ruth have been having some health problems lately, we’re pretty sure it was stress from the move. Just stuff like colds and fevers. It seems to be settling down now.
Ruth says I need a proper portfolio for my music… I suppose a page on here doesn’t really show off my talents particularly well. I’ll keep it for now and work on another one. I want something cool and professional in Flash. Anyway, there’s a new piece on the portfolio page here.
That and I’d like to record an album of some sort. But I wouldn’t really know what to put on it. I just need to mess around with instruments more, I think, and get stuff down and done. I’d like to get my name out there.
Excuse the writing style, I’m sleepy. I must go to bed soon. Shine on, you crazy diamonds..!
I’m back at my parents’ house again. We still have no phone line in our flat; apparently an engineer needs to come out, have a look at the line, flip a switch on the street terminal, tut under his breath, and then charge us whatever he feels like. Great.
But oh well. I’ll try to get that done next week. For now, I’m downloading myriad things to my new 2GB flash drive. It’s made by a company called Corsair, so of course it now has pirate icons all over it
I don’t have much else to say for now, except that I’m a little disappointed in one of the projects I’m working on. It’s had a history of not really progressing much, but now it actually is, we’re losing members faster than ever… What can I do..?
So much for more cello stuff. I’ve spent today doing moving-housey things: talking to estate agents, making fun of ridiculous legalese (I take pride in my vocabulary, I don’t think these documents were written by very erudite lawyers), packing a car with my belongings. Well, actually, a 7-seater people-carrier. With 4 seats out. Up to the roof.
And my computer still to go.
So now, with heavy heart and aching back, I must take my leave of absence from teh internetz. We’ve bought this flat, but have no internet or, apparently, phone line. I’ll probably use the time to practice drawing and fiddling with my CV, so I can actually get a job of some sort. I’m going to need it; if the landlord has actually physically disconnected the phoneline it’ll cost £124 to put it back. Even if we don’t have to pay that, it’ll be £12ish a month for line rental, then £18ish for broadband on top of all that. And £395 rent. And water/electricity. *sigh*
Well, assuming anyone is reading this, I wish you luck in your endeavours for the next week or so. Until i get back on the internet, when your luck will run out. Be warned.
I got my new cello today. It arrived in a box the size and shape of a coffin. I hope it’s not undead.
I’m pleased with how it sounds :) I’ll probably upload a new version of Legend with the cello in, if I can play the arpeggiated bit properly once. At first Ithought it sounded metallic, but then realised that the cello i’d been using before (borrowed from high school) in fact had a dull tone. This one is nice and loud, pretty in the high registers and pleasantly farty in the bass.
(In my experience of university, whenever a tutor mentions a bass instrument, they always use the adjective “farty”. I have no idea why it’s so universal, but it’s effective, don’t you agree?)
It was nice to play with a cello again. I feel like I’m actually fluent in this instrument; sure, I can bang a tune out of a guitar, but with the cello it feels more controlled. Like I can think of a tune, then play it after like three tries. Being the hopeless nerd I am, I played t least four tunes from Zelda along with the only Bach and Tchaikovsky pieces I know (Suite 1 for cello and Chanson Triste Op.40 #2 respectively). Maybe it’s sad, but I can mostly play them from memory too.
The cello came with a cool case, as well – it’s a solid one (rather than canvas) and it has some secrt pockets, space for two bows 9which i now have) and a little embedded humidity gauge thing :D Also wheels. Those might be useful.
Tomorrow (well today) we’re doing the final signings before me and Ruth move into our new flat! Woo! It’ll be nice when our future isn’t so up in the air. Although it’s only temporary, because we’re going to Italy next year for Ruth’s course’s year abroad. Hopefully in Italy, some kind old lady will pay me to write string quartet pieces or pinano* miniatures.
Well, I believe it’s time for bed. More on the cello tomorrow, perhaps.
*If you’re cool, you call pianos pinanos. Otherwise I’ll PEER PRESSURE ya.
