And what a journey it has been. It started with the sudden demise of my HP laptop in the midst of Christmas blogging. Then, the challenge of a new laptop (a lovely Samsung Galaxy, on sale, and minus an instruction manual), Windows 11 (which I've nicknamed "Let's see--how can we make 10 worse?"), a new audio analog-to-digital interface (nice enough, but no Roland Duo-Capture), an external keyboard (I hate typing on a flat one), an four-jack USB extension hub, and... the return of my big and superb Omen monitor. I'd have stuck with the Samsung display, which is gorgeous, but the cause of too much eyestrain when I'm editing images and audio. An aging-vision issue? Very possibly.
And some glitches too complicated to explain. Or too boring to describe, at least. For instance, my Behringer U-Control interface has no internal volume control, and the VinylStudio program, sensing the lack of an internal volume adjustment, shuts off its OWN. AND, though my MAGIX software has an auto-adjust feature for the (very loud) Rec Out signal from my vintage Sony amp, stereo input is channel-summed to monaural. I have no idea why. I've studied the settings, but no clue.
Oh, and despite what the Best Buy Geek Squad assured me, the data-retrieval process (from my old tower to my Samsung) went poorly, with many C-drive items lost--and ALL of the D-drive data--kaput. Meaning, any number of this blog's ZIP files. Truth is, I had tried to move D-drive data to my whatever-it's-called Microsoft cloud storage. (Oh, yeah--OneDrive.) But I couldn't figure out how to do it. The ways of OneDrive are strange. I was happy, though, that my C-drive data all went into the cloud quickly and automatically. Meanwhile, the Geek Squad managed to retrieve C-drive data I had long ago deleted. It's all too complicated.
Anyway, a post in progress, and--meanwhile--a repeat of a 2020 offering whose ZIP somehow still remains at Box.com. It is, in my fake-hit-authority opinion, the very best Fab Four knockoff of all time. The LP dates from a period when U.K.-to-U.S. postage rates were still reasonable. Stay tuned.
Wolf: I just can't explain it, Dr. Hood. This drive to gobble up grandmothers--I just can't control it. You must think pretty badly of me. Especially since I just ate YOUR grandma.
Dr. Hood: I'm here to listen, not to judge.
Lee
11 comments:
Quite a story! I'm an Apple fan, so I can't quite relate to these Windows stories. But everyone should have a backup system of some sort. I recommend Backblaze. I have over 30tb in the cloud and it's reasonably priced.
Nothing like a computer failure to dampen your spirits. Glad you are back and posting.
Windows 11 is a mess, as is OneDrive. At least you do not seem to be having troubles with Blogger. Google Chrome does not recognize me at my own Google blog for some reason. I have to use Edge to edit and post comments.
I had a problem way back when with channels summing to mono on recording. IIRC, I had to delve into the audio driver settings to fix the issue.
Behringer makes a U-Connect model with a phono preamp so you could take the output directly from the turntable through the Behringer right into a USB input.
Anyway, pleased to see you online once again!
groovylounge,
Thanks for the recommendation! I should have never left my D-drive files to the mercy of Best Buy... I figured that data would be easily transferred, but sometimes it doesn't pay to figure!
Buster,
Yes, 11 has much to answer for. And I forgot to note a bizarre remark by the GS tech: "Computers have been the same for 50 years." I was so stunned, I didn't think to ask, "So, my 1986 Macintosh 512K is the equal of today's Smartphones?"
Sorry about your Blogger issues. Mine are limited to the rerouting of comment notifications, which only work when and if I check the "Notify Me" box. And don't get me started on Edge! Like 10, Windows 11 keeps trying to force Edge on me. And I continue to successfully avoid it.
The fix for the stereo-to-mono problem sounds complicated! At least it's not happening to me at VinylStudio, which is the where the incoming signal initially arrives (prior to export to MAGIX, where the editing interface is far more convenient). And I think you're describing the Behringer that I've got. Quite a godsend, with such units being anything but plentiful. This casts considerable doubt on the "vinyl is back" claim, because if this were so, such devices would be common. Thanks for the welcome-back!
Welcome back, Lee! I knew you'd come out on the winning end of the computer wars. Bruised, but not beaten! :)
Ernie,
Thanks! Yes, it was an ordeal...
Glad to have you back! I noticed you have been very busy posting stuff over at your two YouTube channels in the last few weeks, so I knew it would be a matter of time that you would get back here.
Hopefully you will get around to posting Biggest Hits of '58 Volume One and Frankie Carle's Era: The '50's here eventually, and that you will maybe post Side A of the Tops 45 EP that has Johnny B Goode on It (Pat Sherry's take on Perry Como's Kewpie Doll and Nick Bonney's cover of Nat King Cole's Looking Back, one of the better Cole fakes), along with Hit Records' covers of Can't Buy Me Love (as the Beagles) and Twist and Shout (as the Bugs) as combo videos over at Lee's Fake Hits. Happy (belated) New Year! Great fake hit videos you have posted so far this year.
musicman1979,
Happy belated New Year to you, too! And I'll dig out those items--Biggest Hits of '58, v. 1 and the Tops "Kewpie Doll." I wonder if that was one of the SPC/Tops co-releases? If I recall correctly, the SPC (Promenade) version features Perry Como-soundalike Johnny Kay. I might pair it with one of my "Dungaree Doll" fakes, since both tunes are of the same faux-r&r type.
I never rely on any "cloud" service. I always get a nice external hard-drive for my back-up files, in case of emergency. Western Digital makes the most reliable & least expensive ones. They're the size of a pack of sigs & hold 5 TB !!!
It's good not to rely on either. I have both physical backup hard drives and Backblaze. If there is some catastrophe, like your house burning down, you have the cloud backup!
Timmy,
Thanks! I've been considering an external hard drive. Thanks for the recommendation!
Sounds like a good video pairing! I am really enjoying your recent SPC fakes from the early-'60's, with their take on the Dovells' "Bristol Stomp" my favorite right now.
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