Blake's Picks

A New Production Beat Box for the 21st Century

2011-09-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

An Invaluable tool for any songwriter..

2011-09-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

This is a great book to get an idea of who you should send your songs to.

Musicophilia

2011-09-10T00:35:00.000-07:00

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain

Tape Op Collection Vol. 1

2011-09-10T00:24:00.000-07:00

Adrian Belew Cross Section.

2011-09-10T00:20:00.000-07:00

A Good Intro to Mahavishnu Orchestra!

2011-09-10T00:09:00.000-07:00

Contemporaries to Frank Zappa and Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra helped shape the Fusion and Art Rock genres.

Jasuto Modular Synthesizer App..

2011-09-09T23:06:00.001-07:00

This is my favorite app for iphones, hands down!

Pete Griffin of ZPZ has put out a record..

2011-09-09T23:02:00.000-07:00

..with his band Gryphon Labs. (Mostly ZPZ Alumni..)

Essential They Might Be Giants..

2011-09-09T22:56:00.000-07:00

Mink Car

Fantomas = Skronk Rock + Avant Metal

2011-09-09T22:40:00.000-07:00

The genius behind Cryptogramophone Records..

2011-09-09T15:23:00.001-07:00

..is also a great Composer and Violinist! He performed on the 2000 Grammy Award winning album Credo, by Kristoph Penderecki and he has played violin on countless shows and films, including almost every Star Trek movie.

This looks interesting..

2011-09-09T15:14:00.001-07:00

.. 2/5ths of Dream Theater exhibit their virtuosity in this concert recording.

Morgan Agren appears on this Steve Vai album..

2011-09-09T14:56:00.001-07:00

..along with Mike Keneally, Devin Townsend, Scott Thunes and, of course, Steve Vai!

David Torn's Prezens

2011-09-09T14:49:00.001-07:00

This is a different side of David Torn's music but it is still an awesome group.
Great for avante-garde fans. (This guy plays a $10,000 Tueffel Niwa Guitar, of course it is great music!)

Nels Cline Singers Essential Albums!

2011-09-09T03:42:00.000-07:00

For anyone who wants to know what a Buchla sounds Like..

2011-09-09T03:35:00.001-07:00

This album is a Buchla Modular Synth top to bottom. You can be sure you're hearing a Buchla.

I own this Synth programmers book..

2011-09-09T03:02:00.000-07:00

..and would suggest it to anyone with a 90's synthesizer or sampler.

I used to love this movie..

2011-09-09T02:54:00.000-07:00

..and the soundtrack, too!

A Great book for learning Supercollider programming.

2011-09-09T02:52:00.000-07:00

Essential Descendents' Albums!

2011-09-09T02:46:00.001-07:00

Essential Terry Bozzio Selection!

2011-09-09T02:30:00.000-07:00

Essential Todd Rundgren!

2011-09-09T02:20:00.000-07:00

Neil Young's Best Albums!

2011-09-09T02:13:00.000-07:00

This should keep you busy :)

Essential Flaming Lips selection..

2011-09-09T02:02:00.002-07:00

Another favorite album of all time! (Wilco)

2011-09-09T01:54:00.002-07:00

To me, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" was Wilco's breakthrough album and stands out above all their other records. It is raw, melodic, strange and packed full of electronically tinged alternative folk songs. The Movie "I am Trying to Break your Heart" is a documentary about this masterwork with some surprising drama and a shocking ending. Both inspiring and depressing, the documentary is and essential guide to "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot."

One of my favorite albums ever!

2011-09-09T01:52:00.001-07:00

Spinal Tap! The Essential Rockumentary!

2011-09-09T01:41:00.002-07:00

If you haven't seen this then there is something wrong with you!
"This is Spinal Tap" is something everyone should see let alone all
musicians. If you haven't seen it, do your self a favor and get a copy!
The music alone is worth the price of admission.

Curtis Roads is Dominating My Amazon Wishlist!!

2011-09-09T00:55:00.002-07:00

More Music Technology books are invading my wishlist!
For those music nerds who don't know, Curtis Roads
(the GodFather of granular synthesis) is a prolific author.
His books span the different topics of music technology and
are widely used as textbooks in a lot of music technology colleges.

The First Frank Zappa Albums You Should Listen To!

2011-09-09T00:35:00.008-07:00

I think a lot of people might be interested in Frank Zappa's music but may be put off by the amount of albums he has released and have no idea where to start. If you happen to be one of these people then you are in the right spot. I own all of the products listed below and after doing a lot of listening to Frank Zappa's catalogue I have decided these are the best albums for someone new to his music. The Apostrophe/Over-nite Sensation DVD talks a lot about that.

A book for curious musicians..

2011-09-09T00:34:00.000-07:00

My first DIY project: Belari MP 105 (Black Lion Audio MOD)

2009-07-16T22:00:00.006-07:00

So, I am slowly trying to understand how to modify (and maybe later repair) all my electric audio gear. So, after a lot of intense research I discovered that most of the stuff I wanted to do was WAY over my head. I also found a handful of easy DIY mods to get a hold of the terminology and the idea of up my electronics.

So, here are a few pictures of my Belari MP 105 Mod. The mod was originally designed by Black Lion Audio and I just followed the directions.

I didn't take a BEFORE picture but the AFTER Picture looks much the same.

Here is the preamp opened up:

Here are the parts that I took out:

Here are the sockets I took the components out of:

And here is the reassembled Preamp:

After it was reassembled I did what is called a "burn in" for 12 consecutive hours with a synthesized square wave, which basically takes all the rigid newness out of the replaced components; kind of like oiling up a baseball glove and rubber banding a ball inside it for a while. Anyways, it is still a little noisy but it sounds really good on direct bass and amazing on synthesizers! Oh and I didn't replace the pots like the mod said because I didn't feel capable.

For all you wannabe techies like me, here is the directions that I found on GEARSLUTZ:

The Bellari MP105 is the little blue and white single channel mic/line preamp that Bellari produced a few years ago. They might not even be available new anymore, but they are easily found used on Ebay for around $50 USD. The MP105 isn't a starved-plate design, so it's not as dull-sounding as other low-dollar hybrid preamps.

Black Lion Audio has designed a quick and simple modification to these that'll give you a really nice sounding preamp and DI. It's based on a more comprehensive mod that was done for a friend's MP105.

Here's what to do:

Replace U1 and U2 (BA4560 opamps) with a pair of Analog Devices AD826 dual opamps. They are socketed, so you don't even have to do any soldering.

Replace V1 with the 12AX7 of your choice. Black Lion Audio has long been a fan of the EI ECC83, which is an inexpensive reproduction of Telefunken’s long-plate 12AX7, and the Electro-Harmonix EH12AX7.

Now you're finished, simple as that! You'll enjoy it--it sounds wonderful on LD condensors, and it makes a great secret weapon on bass guitar!

Parts list:

(2) Analog Devices AD826AN, available from Analog Devices

(1) EI ECC83 tube or Electro-Harmonix EH12AX7, available from Triode Electronics eeldip

and finally, Matt recomended to me to replace the two pots (they suck in that their values aren't quite optimized to the circuit, and they crackle quite a bit) with clarostat 308NPC 100K pots. at this point, your new parts will cost more than the whole pre.. but you know.

they drop the noise level down quite a bit. now you can use the amp safely with loud condensers, or with quiet mics on loud sources.