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Posted on

the creeping mess (or, keaton knows)

Sleeping on the couch.

Tuesday already?

One more week until work slows to a near stop. For all most folks will care, as good a “stop” as any real “stop” would be. No, we’re not one of those companies who “shut down” for the holiday weeks, but, effectively, the pace of business (depending on where you work at the sawmill, I suppose) dwindles significantly.

For me, one of the lucky folks who calls on customers (some of whom who do shut down for the season), things grind to an almost-halt. This will be most welcomed. Lately, I’ve been buried and I’m ready for a break. Our Christmas plans are strikingly stark; we plan to do the thing at home with the family. We may join some friends for Christmas day afternoon and the meals and good fellowship which accompany it, but other than that we’re kicking it family-style.

I don’t have much for tonight. We did tell Keaton about her coming new brother or sister, and video’d the conversation, but it wasn’t as all-out hilarious as I thought it might be and something crazy happened with the audio to where it’s got a terrible background hum. Even after several passes of noise reduction and voice amplification I was left with a slurry mess that isn’t worth further cleanup. So, you’ll have to take my word for it: Her reaction was underwhelming. I think she knows what’s going on, but almost four year olds are used to immediate pay-off, and this thing doesn’t satisfy there. Maybe as Sharaun’s belly grows and grows and grows it’ll sink in more for her. We’ll see.

OK folks… that’s enough for this evening. Off to load some 24-bit Beatles files onto my iPod (see the ‘tweener entry below for some context). Goodnight.

Posted on

high-definition audio on an ipod

Hello, Def.

After I wrote all this mess, I decided to break it out from the regular day-to-day stuff that makes up the bulk of sounds familiar, just to spare the typical audience from something they likely wouldn’t be interested in.  But for those who may get down with the music/audio/technical junk, here’s some.

Well folks, I thought I had it all.  A while back when I got the new 2009 Beatles remastered catalog in lossless FLAC format I figured I had the best sounding version of the stuff to be had by humans. I was even super happy that I was able to losslessly transcode the FLAC files into Apple’s own lossless audio format for pristine playback on the iPod (I know, no comments about my 6G iPod Classic’s crappy DAC or sound quality in general here, please).  Anyway, put short – I was pleased that, on my portable device, I had the best-sounding versions of the Beatles’ records you could get.

Then EMI (not Apple, and the subtle distinction is important here for Beatlemaniacs) goes ahead and releases the entire catalog again in digital format, via a special USB key, and this time they offer a “24 bit”  lossless FLAC option.  What does this mean?  I dunno… not a lot unless you want me to get way technical… oh wait, you do?  If you wanna skip the techy stuff, move forward to the very last paragraph here (“Goodnight”) and just know that the 24 bit version is, for some scientific reason, better than what I had previously.  For the smarty-pantses out there…

Regular readers tuned-out?  Gone?  Good.

See, normal, CD-quality tunes have a bit-depth of 16 bits per sample (a sample being sized as 1/44,100th of second).  Higher-definition audio, such as DVD-quality audio, often comes at at an increased bit-depth of 24 bits per sample, and a smaller sample size (sometimes 48 kHz, sometimes 96 kHz, sometimes as much 192 kHz).  If you’re nerdy, you can think of it as an analog-to-digital thing, trying to take enough discrete points of digital data to accurately represent a continual analog sound.  The more often you “record” the analog sound, and the higher “resolution” in which you make the recording can be thought of, respectively, as sample-rate and bit-depth.  (And for the real nerds those last two links are to a couple far-better explained Wikipedia articles on the subject.)

Anyway, EMI’s straight-to-digital release upped the Beatles catalog ante by offering the lossless files in 24 bit format (albeit still sampled at 44.1 kHz, which some maintain is akin to a cliffhanger ending in a summer blockbuster… leaving open the door for yet another “upgrade” to a higher quality version of the set at a later date).  Oh great; this now means that my heretofore “best quality” 16 bit files on the iPod are, in fact, now trumped.  And while folks will argue with me about an iPod’s ability to, with any noticeable difference in sound quality, reproduce 24 bit audio… I of course want to get these new recordings on my trusty portable device.

Problem is getting 24-bit FLAC files converted over to 24-bit ALAC (m4a) files – using Windows – hasn’t historically been the easiest thing in the world. At this point in time, it’s rather trivial if you’re in the MacOS environment, but quite a bit more tricky in a Windows environment (especially if you prefer open-source stuff or you’re not overly-anxious to spend money on a pay-for piece of software to do the task).  If you’re a Mac person, you’ve got XLD or Max at your side and’ll have hardly any issues getting high-def stuff onto your iPods (provided you’re stubborn like me and want to do it regardless of whether or not the playback quality warrants it).  If you’re a Windows user, you’re options are significantly more narrow.

However, I’m here to report my personal success in the hopes that others out there may share in it.  See, just last week the venerable application dBpoweramp released a version of their great conversion software that supports encoding of 24 bit Apple lossless files.  What’s more, the software does the conversion in a batch format, from the original directories, in mere seconds, and it’s completely free for a 28 day trial period – no strings attached.  Wonderful.  And, as a check, the final files imported into iTunes show 24 bit / 44,100 Hz as expected (and I’m sure would match the sampling rate on a 96 kHz file as well).  Losslessly perfect!

For what it’s worth, as long as you can get files encoded into an Apple container, an iPod classic will indeed support 24 bit playback (I have the 6th generation 160GB, your mileage may vary).  And, even with the internet, it’s pretty hard to nail down the sampling-rate limitations… but from experience I can tell you my 6G classic has no issues at all with the 24 bit / 44.1 kHz Beatles ALACs.  Apparently, however, the iPod does have a sampling-rate ceiling of 48 kHz, and reportedly trying to load anything sampled at a higher rate than this onto your iPod will cause iTunes to spit it right back (yet my Apple TV is able to play 24 bit / 96 kHz files via the optical output, which is fantastic).

So for me, I’ll ignore the audiophile mantra of “you’ll never be able to tell on the iPod anyway,” delete my old 16 bit ALAC files from the iPod, and go with my newly-FLAC-transcoded 24 bit / 44.1 kHz ALAC versions of the Beatles’ catalog for portability.  I mean, even amongst all the stuff I read online about the quality of the iPod’s DAC, there’s reason to believe you might be able to tell a difference.  But at home, I’ll try loading the ALACs onto the Apple TV and playing them back via optical to the surround system for the “best” listening… (since I don’t want to have to buy one of those mega-expensive iPod DAC bypassing docks/transports anytime soon…).  Anyway, I’ve said it before: I’m no audiophile.  I obsess about it, but, when it comes down to it, I can’t hear the difference.

Anyway, if you’re a Windows user and dBpoweramp worked for you, you’ll likely end up like me and buy it despite doing all you needed to do with it long before the free trial expires… I mean, it’s worth it  – and down the road when more stuff comes in higher-definition format you’re gonna want to be able to re-encode on the fly anyway.  Drop me a line if you had luck with it, or go buy it… whatever.

I got some Beatles to go listen to…

Goodnight.

Posted on

beaten to the punch

Wet but happy.

Hi internet friends. Hope you had a good weekend, mine was a mixed bag.

I mean, how can a trip to Disneyland be bad, right?  Well, it can’t, really… but it can be… challenged.

First off, it rained.  Just a little on Friday, but more on Saturday.  And, since Saturday was my “get in free on your birthday” day, that was kind of a bummer.  Ultimately, though, the rain didn’t bring us down nearly as much as I’d have guessed.  The whole crew had ponchos and rain gear and we were relatively well outfitted for inclement weather.  Besides, the rain kept the throngs away from the park, so the lines were nearly non-existent and we were able to walk on almost everything.

Second, sometime around noon on Saturday (my birthday) I started to feel pretty run-down.  Things took a turn for the worse while we rode the jungle cruise and I battled hard to keep the cold pizza I had for breakfast from making a curtain call.  After that it was only a few more short hours of walking around in the rain feeling nauseous before I called it quits and headed back to the hotel to get some rest.

In the end it didn’t work out too bad, though, as the rain really started coming down in the later afternoon and forced our whole party back to the room to join me in my quarantine.  So, our two-day trip got cut short by half a day, but I don’t think any of us was wont for a good time.  Proof that not even rain or liquid poo or upchuck can hamper a trip to the magical Disneyland.  That place cures (almost) all that ails ya.

In other news, Sharaun is fast coming to dislike the brand new hardwood floors she wanted for so long. And, with each disparaging remark about how easily they dent and scratch I feel more and more dumb for dropping so much money on them. I know she’s not complaining to make me feel bad, but when she does, I do. In her most recent fit of floor-dent panic, I find myself arguing against a completely ridiculous “Keaton can’t play on them” rule. Guess we should’ve got the cheaper laminate or maybe just upgraded the carpet…  I’m still working on convincing her that these minor surface marks should be seen as “character” and are something near unavoidable, but, as yet, she’s just not buying it.  Oh, she will, as the stuff is glued down and not likely to go anywhere anytime soon.  She’ll come around folks, I swear…

In other other news, if you’re a Facebook denizen (as most of you I’m assuming are) you may have seen that Sharaun trumped me at getting an announcement into cyberspace: We’re scheduled to have baby #2 sometime in early July next year.  We are indescribably excited about this, and I’m feeling somewhat personally vindicated after the brief concerns over the working-ness of my junk.  My plan, being that I plan disseminating news like this around the internet, was to announce the good news here on sounds familiar by simply posting the video of us telling Keaton she’s going to have a new baby brother/sister.  And, now that the world knows, we’re planning on doing that today – so if I’m quick with the editing you may see that tomorrow.  For now, here’s a screeny of Sharaun’s Facebook announcement… since she beat me to the punch:

What shall we call this fetus, y'allz?

OK I think that’s enough for today.  Took the car to the body shop this morning, maybe I’ll have an update on the damage by tomorrow.

Goodnight.

Posted on

just wanted a burrito

Sigh.

Left the house to head to Chipotle; Sharaun wanted a burrito.

I’d stayed home from work today to help around the house because she’s sick.  I did laundry, vacuumed, the dishes, tidied, fed and played with Keaton.  All so she could rest and, with luck, recuperate for our trip to Disneyland this weekend.  We were both hungry, burritos sounded good, and I took it as a good sign she had an appetite for the first time that day.

Five minutes from the house I had to make a quick stop as the line of cars in front of me stopped at the light kinda snuck up on me.  I was able to stop, but was closer to the car in front of me than I’d like to be.  Without time to even blink, the car behind me slammed into me; hard.  I felt my head jolt back and then forward again as the force of the impact pushed me into the car in front of me.  Two big bangs and it was all over.

After we all pulled off to the shoulder and figured out everyone was OK, I checked the damage.  Oh man.  The brand new car that Obama bought us… all jammed up and busted.  Such a sad sight to see.  It actually still opens and closes, and, apparently, the car drives OK.  But, I’m a bit loath to take it down to LA tomorrow anyway.  Looks like we’ll be packed into Sharaun’s car instead.

And man… my neck hurts.  Hope it’s OK for Space Mountain by Friday.

Goodnight.

Posted on

as busy as i want it to be

Loser.

Hey guys thanks for commenting.  I love when you comment; I truly do.

Tuesday was another jam-packed day.  If it wasn’t work, it was something outside work.  Sometimes I feel like, being counted among the comparatively (on a global scale) wealthy American middle class means we have just enough freedom-to-move in our lives that we end up smashing too much in.  Between our professional obligations and leisure or recreation, we often smoosh so much into our days that we don’t take enough time to reflect.  Worse, much of what we cram into one go-round of the clock is of little consequence.

Sometimes, when each day feels bookended by sleeping and waking alone, with not a moment’s breath to spare in between, I find myself craving a respite.  It’s then that I fix my sights on some future even and start thinking of it as the “finish line.”  The whole, “Oh, I can’t wait until Christmas; then I’ll finally be able to relax” thing.  I guess it’s a very human thing to do, but sometimes it’s a bit delusional.  There’s no real “finish line,” I just need to make time, prioritize, and take care of what’s most important.  Each day can be as busy as I want it to be.

But, failing actualization around that idea… I am indeed looking forward to Thursday this week.  Why?  Because after work that day, we make the drive down south for weekend at Disneyland. I get in free a’cause of my birthday, and we’re spending two full days at the park – this time with some good friends and their kids for company.  So this week, Thursday is my finish line.  And if I can only keep pace until 5pm on that day… everything’ll be alright.

Everything’ll be alright.  Goodnight.

Posted on

dusted

My heart won't melt it.

Good Tuesday to ya, folks.  Hope your week began well; mine was a busy blur of missed connections (wanted to get a haircut, couldn’t; wanted to put up the tree; couldn’t, etc.).  At least I got to the gym.  Now I’m going to write.

Sunday afternoon, a little later than I’d wanted to, I broke out my own ladder and a borrowed extension job from a buddy, and set to hanging the Christmas lights.  I hadn’t done it in a few years since we’re normally out of town, and being all exposed up there in the biting cold and wind reminded me why.  But they’re up now and they look mighty cheery.  The tree, unfortunately, has fallen victim to the busyness of our evenings and remains un-assembled and un-adorned (yes, we do the fake thing).  We’re thinking maybe tonight (which would be tomorrow night, as I write).  Things have just been too hectic for the both of us until then.

Let’s talk about a few other things, but let’s make a pact to keep it short, OK?  I want to finish my book tonight.

Last night the local weatherman promised the unthinkable: snow here in the foothills.  Where we live in particular, we haven’t seen snow in some thirty years.  Sure enough, this morning we woke to a light dusting that stuck around until the noon hour before melting away.  I woke Keaton around 7:30am before going to work to show her the snow through the windows; Sharaun took pictures and posted them to the Facebook (what she does); and it was all the talk around the water cooler at work.  Sometimes I think it would be nice to get a little snow around Christmas… you know like on the days when your refrigerator and pantry are stocked enough to keep you eating like royalty, the cable works and football is on, and you can read a book by the fire and not have to go anywhere.  Those days are fine for snow.  I guess if we lived a few more miles up the road…

Guess the season is here.  Goodnight.

Posted on

fumes

Ugh.

Friday Eve and we’re out of the house, relying on the charity of friends.

Why?  Because the hardwood floors went in today and the house reeks of fumes.  I mean, it’s pretty bad.  You can look on the Facebook if you want to see pictures of it; Sharaun is on top of the Facebook.  Me, I just write words.  So, words: The flooring looks good.

They’re about 80% done I’d guess, with some finishing work to do tomorrow but likely not a full day’s effort.  And, as much as we wanted to hang around and admire it, we’re limited to the bedroom and it’s just too stinky.  So we had Keaton call up Jeff & Kerry and invite the family over.  “Can we come to your house tonight,” she asked, “Ours is too stinky.”  Thankfully they didn’t have the heart to deny a three year old in distress.

Yesterday at work my laptop crashed.  The brand new SSD (solid-state harddrive) crashed and burned; two measly months old.  Yeah I was crippled at work today, but more importantly I had a rough go at blogging last night and tonight.  It’s funny how accustomed I’ve become to having a computer at arm’s reach.  The iPhone is something of a workable substitute, but it’s just a bit to small to be my full-time armchair connectivity.  Anyway, the IT folks say I’m supposed to get it back tomorrow, so I should have it for the weekend.  Good thing… because I have the DTs already.

This weekend has been designated our official Christmas-preparedness weekend.  Up goes the tree, the house lights, and all the other interior and exterior trimmings.  Keaton is more than excited about helping me do all of the above.  She’s promised to help me do everything from climbing the ladder onto the roof to topping the tree with our topper.  I’m actually excited about it too; I like when Keaton helps me do “guy stuff.”  Makes me feel all “dad” and whatnot like I’m showing her how to drive a stick or mow the lawn.

Teamwork; we got it.

Goodnight.