Category: Play

Fast Track Ultra 8R in Mountain Lion

I’ve been having issues with my M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R on Apple OSX Mountain Lion (probably ever since Snow Leopard in fact). It would work the first time I boot up, but if I put my Mac to sleep or powered on and off the interface it would no longer be detected by the OS. I’d have to restart to solve the problem which was very annoying.

After not updating the driver for a couple of years I was very distressed when they had removed the old driver from the M-Audio site altogether. After some Googling though I found that they’ve transfered the product to be under their parent company Avid. They now have updated drives on their site:

http://www.avid.com/US/products/fast-track-ultra8r

It no longer has the sleep / power off problems and the new control panel is a nice update. It does seem almost impossible to contact to Avid support, but maybe you can still use M-Audio support?

Digitech iStomp and the new iPhone 5 lightning connector

Update 10/10/2013:
A whole year on and apparently they’ve fixed the issue, but they are giving away all but one of the iStomp pedals away for free!
https://www.facebook.com/digitech/posts/660173050674577

Update 11/03/2013:
Digitech explain things at their link here:
http://www.digitech.com/en-US/istomp_lightning

Update 15/02/2013:
Digitech have just sent a push notification to all their users saying that if use the iStomp with the lightning connector it can render the iStomp unusable. They should have tested this a long time ago when people like me originally emailed them. I’m glad I didn’t try and test it for them with mine!

Update 25/09/2012:
Here’s the latest they sent me. I still don’t quite see how hard it could be to actually buy one and test it themselves:

"Apple is telling us they have an adaptor that will work. I personally have not seen it yet.
Regards,
Digitech Support"

Original:
I’ve been interested in maybe getting an iStomp for a while now. I was a little concerned whether it would work after Apple introduced the new iPhone 5, with its new lightning connector. I was already sad that they took away video output which I loved.

So I contacted Digitech support about whether the Lightning to 30-pin adaptor would work with the iStomp. I couldn’t find any other information out on the interweb, so while I can’t guarantee it will work (it won’t work), here’s the reply I got:

"Thanks for your interest in our products. Regarding the cable, we don’t anticipate there being any problems but since the adapter is not available yet, we cannot verify any compatibility problems at this time.
Regards,
Digitech Support"

So I hope it will keep working, and I hope it works for things like the iRig midi as well. We should know soon though!

Pedal Board

I love the simplicity and that things are just. Love the Michael Kelly Hybrid Special and the Fender Super Champ XD.

Details
– Input/output jacks wired into the Pedal Train Mini
– Stereo input, one side goes to the Fulldrive 2, the other to the Fisherman Aura – a must for anyone using a piezo pickup.
– The Fulldrive is pretty old, ’99 model, serial number around 2000.
– Built in Footswitch for the Fender Super Champ XD.
– Straight jack-jack connector between the Maxon AD-9 and the Fishbone Overdrive Supreme, a Zendrive clone.
– 1 Spot power supply with right angle daisychain – these really make the wiring neat.
– Custom stereo cable from Acoustic Engineering Hong Kong with Amphenol connectors.
– Changed the stock pickups to Dimarzio Air Classics on the Hybrid Special.

Links:
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=379147&page=2
http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=793223&page=34

Guitar History

Total count in (brackets)

1993 – Yamaha Acoustic (1)
1994 – Aria Pro Electric (2)
1997 – Musicman Silhouette Special (3)
1998 – Fender Tele Nylon String (4)
1998 – Sold Aria Pro Electric (3)
1998 – Fender Bass (Used) (4)
1999 March – Gibson ES-175 (5)
1999 May – Sold Fender Bass (4)
1999 May – Sold Yamaha Acoustic and bought it back straight away (3/4)
2001 – Takamine (5)
2002 – G&L Legacy 2000 (6)
2006 – Sold Takamine (5)
2006 – Another Takamine (6)
2007 – PRS Santana SE (7)
2009 Nov – Michael Kelly Hybrid Special (8)
2009 Nov – Sold PRS Santana SE (7)
2009 Dec – Sold Musicman (6)
2009 Dec – Sold Gibson ES-175 (5)
2011 Nov – Sold Fender Tele Nylon String (4)
2014 – Gave away Yamaha Acoustic (3)
2016 Mar – Fender Strat Partscaster (4)
2018 Aug – Sold Michael Kelly Hybrid Special (3)
2018 Nov – Sold G&L Tribute L2000 (2)

Flips:
2018 Oct – Nature Jazz Bass Copy
2018 Nov – Fender Bullet Strat

Can I lose my need to impress?


If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of
Then “cool” is just how far we have to fall
I am not immune, I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall

Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth I need to confess

I’m not alright, I’m broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You

-Sanctus Real

Dismantle.Repair.


Oh oh, things are gonna change now for the better
Oh oh, things are gonna change

Hands, like secrets, are the hardest thing to keep from you
Lines and phrases, like knives, your words can cut me through
Dismantle me down (repair)
You dismantle me
You dismantle me