Hello from the Wilds of Haliburton

Mike Milton

Mike Milton

Well-Known Member
Hi, My name is Mike. My wife and I live in a log cabin built in a lake near Haliburton Ontario. We call the place ParQuin after the people who built it in the early 1900's.

I've been interested in photography since being given a kick start in darkroom work in public school.

Some of my stuff is on Flickr at the ParQuin Photo stream

Canon is my equipment choice. The list is fairly long and eclectic giving me the diversity to realize most images.

'looking forward to being a member,
m
 
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Welcome Mike!

Looks like your into your music too - always a good thing in my books!
Nice variety of stuff in your stream!!

Hope you enjoy your stay!
 
Welcome mike!! Great pictures you have there. Makes me want to pick up one of my guitars after seeing yours. It's a shame to put mine to rest after playing for 15 years :( but I have a new passion now!! Wahay!! Looking forward to some new inspiration!
 
Welcome Mike!
 
welcome on board Mike............i am sure you will enjoy this fab forum...........!!
 
Thanks for all the kind welcomes.

I'm purely digital now except for scanning the occasional slide from the past (which I guess is digital too)

My other interest if music. I play mostly Eigenharp, a few varieties of guitar, and a WX5 (which is a wind instrument)

Thanks again,m
 
WX5?
A breath controlled midi instrument if google serves me well?
Well I never would have dreamt such a thing existed ... I was going to ask what it sounds like ... But I suppose that depends?
What does it do different to other midi controllers ...
A little stray from photography here, but I have ever heard of such a thing!
 
hehehe.... well here is a happy / funny sample (not me) Yamaha WX5 Wind Controller Jamin'

So, yes, you can play any MIDI capable synth but it excels as a controller for physical modeling stuff (I play a VL1m mostly). Its fingering is variable, but most select a sax-like arrangement. It senses both breath and bite (lip pressure) and is quite a joy to play because it is so tactile. Unlike a real sax (flute/clarinet/whatever) it is *very* easy to get started with. That said, it rewards practice. On the down side, it is essentially monophonic (one note).

I've been playing since the 80s and have only recently switched to an Eigenharp Alpha (a new instrument from Devon!)

Do you MIDI as well? (or any other musical interests?)

m
 
Heh, that chap looks a little like a moustachioed version of my old landlord!
That does look a lot of fun I have to say!

I have always loved music, but I'm painfully incapable!

I have tried to learn guitar, but REALY failed!

I did have an interest in music production, and in fact went to college to do "sound tech"! Unfortunately the course was a lot more musical composition based than I expected and I ended up lagging behind and unfortunately had to drop out... I did learn about midi sequencing and the like, but much of it has sadly evaporated from my brain cells!
Prior to that, in my teens I used to organise the odd small local concert of my mates bands etc but that's really all the claim I can make to being involved in music creation! Those mates have gone on to own a recording studio in cardif, and in fact one of the girls who was involved in one of the gigs I was involved in is Andrea Triana ... A fairly successful, and exceptional vocalist... Not much o a claim to fame perhaps, but I like to think I was hanging around with the right people should I had actually had any real talent my self :)

Other than that, my interest in music these days is purely in reproduction within my house... I have spent a great deal of time and effort on building a hifi of parts that I feel create a reasonable impression of what the artist intended me to hear ... That is really my other main hobby, I guess it is perhaps a substitute for actually making the music it's self!
One way or another I would say music is a big part of my life ... Even if I can't make it my self!

My fiancée on the other hand is very capable at music, but sadly for the world chooses to keep her piano playing within a pair of headphones!

So what sort of music do you make?
 
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Interesting!

Guitar can be a challenge to get going on your own and many educators seem to make it more effort than pleasure.

I play for myself and tend to things like Celtic, Blues, Jazz, Standards. I alos like some more esoteric stuff in the electronic and avant areas. Check out Zoe Keating as a good example of looping and avant cello http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYrcXX4nWOA

m
 
* evaluated from my brain*? i meant evaporated??...

Thats some pretty good music! and impressive ... its amazing what one person can produce with just a cello and a load of electronic bits and bobs!

do you ever record anything Mike, or is it all for jsut your own enjoyment ... Just out of interest :)
 
Yes, Her work is amazing. In a different genre, you might like K T Tunstall (just search you tube, 'Black Horse...' is typical. All this is generally considered 'Trance' music and my playing with the Eigenharp is what took me there.

I have not recorded stuff to date, mostly because it is quite a bit of work. That said, there is a growing sense of pressure as I work with the more esoteric instruments. People have a level of interest in knowing more about them. I'm presently waiting for the 2nd, or third Moog Lap Steel ever produced to arrive Here is a sample on the factory prototype and this is Moog's initial demo

Imagine if you had one of 3 examples of the next Nikon/Canon/whatever - you might feel folk would like to see what it will do.

At least the MLS is something people 'grock' more or less the Eigenharp is terribly misunderstood... Everyone I've demo'd it for is (pleasantly) shocked but it just does not match their guesses about it (it is *much* more)

cheers, m
 
K T Tunstall is fairly well known over here -

[video=youtube;HYEU91d8ngc]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYEU91d8ngc[/video]

and thats just a single pedal ... somehow very satisfying to watch

...

that moog lap steel is very cool ... this is pretty interesting ... thats a whole lot of kit hes got stacked up behind him

[video=youtube;VanHZRkhhUY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VanHZRkhhUY[/video]

so are you saying you will be one of only 2 or 3 people who will own one of those???? that very cool!

Eigenharp?

this?

[video=youtube;TPRUA2Otf_c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPRUA2Otf_c&feature=fvst[/video]

now that is a very odd looking thing! :)
 
MLS: I will have the 2nd or 3rd built. Presumably many more will follow. Mine is Mahogany and Quilted Maple and the Moog folk say it is quite striking. That video was filmed at Moog and, yes, their 'lab' is well stocked.

Alpha: yup, that's it although that isn't a great demo. 'Not too sure how many of those are around. I know about a dozen other players at this point. They were launched in Nov 09 and I managed the first in Canada. They are an astoundingly tactile thing to play. Jose has only had his a couple o months!

As I was typing this Purolator drove up and (tada) here it is, the new Moog Lap Steel. Not much of a picture, I know. Any suggestions for interesting guitar shots??


Moog Lap Steel by mikemilton, on Flickr
 
Very cool!

Used to be a MIDI man myself - produced music to video using what was then state of the art MIDI software from Steinberg (Pro 24) on an Atari ST!!

Started in the pre-MIDI era with a Roland SH-101, TB-303, TR-606 and Juno-60 - those were the days...

Then went MIDI with the arrival of a TR-707 drum machine, then Yamaha DX-27, Roland MT-32, Kawai K1 - Roland's first rack sampler the MKS-100 - Then later the Kawai rack-mount K3r, Roland MC 505, Roland JV-1080, Roland JP-8000, AKAI S-2000 sampler and a Roland digital multitrack the VS1680.

When I moved to the US I sold everything and went software only - other than a single Roland USB master keyboard.

Used to use Reason, Re-Birth and Recycle - but these days if I do anything I often just boot up garage band.

Didn't Peter Gabriel used to use the WX5?
 
Hi, Chris

That is quite a list. pre-MIDI I had an Alpha Syntauri and the Realistic version of a Moog. I (barely) missed the Atari but did have a TRS80M3 with a sound card. Post midi a lot of stuff just like yours. 'Never really figured out Reason (or Live) so my DAW is now Logic Pro but for performance I Use EigenD which hosts whatever soft-synths one wants and has a few native sounds as well. I use a VL1m with the WX and a Moog Voyager for analog sounds.

You should try GB on the iPad, the smart instruments are amazing

Cheers, m
 
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