No thanks!

The Unceremonious Return Of J. Arcadia

The Map is Not the Territory

Software, Hardware, Photos, Music

MIDI to QBASIC


So I started working on a little patch that takes real-time monophonic MIDI data and outputs a .BAS file that is compatible with QBASIC. Currently, it makes use of the PLAY command, and generates rhythm, octave and pitch data as well as converting MIDI CC 1 to the MUSIC TYPE parameter (MUSIC NORMAL, MUSIC STACCATO and MUSIC LEGATO).



Meningie in Winter







Sega Nomad MIDI Interface
I thought I would mention that my Sega Mega Drive / Genesis MIDI interface is now compatible with the Sega Nomad. Demo video here. As I often say with these sorts of updates, join the Gen/MDM Google Announcements Group to be notified of when this device will be available.



Hardware-based Waveform Permutations
I've made a simple circuit that will generate all possible waveforms that have four bits of amplitude and are four samples long. It's very simple, and follows the same concept as my previous forays into this concept (which were all software based).

Basically, there is a counter that is 16 bits long, and is pulsed by a continuous square wave. This controls the speed of waveform change of the output waveform. Every four bits of the counter are fed into a multiplexer. There is a multiplexer for each bit of the output waveform, and so every first bit out of four from the counter is fed into multiplexer 1, every second bit out of four from the counter is fed into multiplexer two and so on up to multiplexer 4.

The output of the four multiplexers is chosen by a separate binary counter, which is clocked by an independent square wave. This controls the frequency of the output waveform. Thus, the output of the combined four multiplexers essentially "steps through" the waveform, and is then converted into an analog voltage using an R2R DAC.

If that wasn't very clear, I've prepared a simplified diagram:


Schematic:


Circuit Breadboard:



Chermside (Atari 2600 Track)
http://8bitcollective.com/music/little-scale/Chermside+(Atari+2600)/

A Similar Analogy for Reality

Effete

MusicPlayer

A Photo of a Photo (an Analogy for Reality)

ep⋅on⋅y⋅mous

An Old Friend

Below is real life conversation I had with an old friend who I have not spoken to in 4 years. I deleted him on my MSN ages ago but obviously forgot to block him also. One night he just randomly popped up and this was the conversation that followed...

Marc says:
hey

Chris says:
hi
who's this?

Marc says:
you don't remember me?

Chris says:
no?

Marc says:
:S

Chris says:
not by your email address anyway
*pastes email address*

Marc says:
:|
i'll appear online for a sec maybe that will help!

Chris says:
it says you're not on my contact list

Marc says:
ah really
well i'm set to busy now

Chris says:
oh, are you busy?

Marc says:
no just random status
still no clues?

Chris says:
not a clue.

Marc says:
*posts Facebook link*
that may help

Chris says:
oh right yeah
how's it going?

Marc says:
not bad not fantastic you?

Chris says:
can't grumble dude

Marc says:
hows life going for ya?
i think i tried adding you on facebook a while ago actually

Chris says:
didn't get anything through.
had no idea you were on facebook

Marc says:
weird that, i'm pretty sure i found yours, yeah had it 2 or 3 years

Chris says:
did you have it before it was cool?

Marc says:
oh yeah but it's pretty wank now
everyone has it and the layout sucks

Chris says:
yeah. it went mainstream

Marc says:
course it did
like myspace
what's twitter like?

Chris says:
i hate it when they do that. i wish they'd just stay unpopular

Marc says:
no way man
and now everyone is raping the quizzes and surveys on it
luckily it has good security features though

Chris says:
i'm on this one which is so unpopular and unknown - there's only me and about two hundred users on the site. people i don't know. it's a great social networking tool.

Marc says:
the layout is absolute shit, last year it was perfect
what's the name of it?

Chris says:
MyHiddenFace uk
you been on it?

Marc says:
no never heard of it
I'll check it out now, so i'm guessing you prefer it to facebook?
i googled it but no not many results

Chris says:
yeah it tries to keep off the search engines
otherwise people find it
i'll send you an invite

Marc says:
thanks

Chris says:
you have to be privately invited

Marc says:
cool sounds good

Chris says:
but you're not allowed to know the person who you are inviting
it has to be randoms

Marc says:
oh

Chris says:
so just pretend you don't know me?
that should work

Marc says:
yep sure
i don't get what they're playing at changing to a layout which obviously most people don't like on facebook

Chris says:
corporate sellouts

Marc says:
yeah and it seems like there's not alot we can do to change their minds

Chris says:
i know

Marc says:
are you online on ps3?

Chris says:
brb man - i'm getting really angry just talking about this
just need some time to think about this and cool down

Marc says:
ok

Chris says:
really fucks me off

Marc says:
yeah man

Chris says:
IT'S FUCKING RIDICULOUS
WE ARE THE FUCKING PEOPLE MAN
WE SHOULD HAVE POWER TO STAND UP TO THEM
IT'S FUCKING DEPRESSING

Marc says:
i even heard about it being bashed on the radio
but they don't give a fuck

Chris says:
FUCKING FUCKERS
CUNTS
CAN'T STAND IT

Marc says:
yep, first myspace sold out then facebook

Chris says:
you know what dude?
you know what i'd do?
i'd fucking find the makers of facebook
and kill their fucking families
slow torture
gouge their eyes out

Marc says:
:)

Chris says:
DON'T FUCKING SMILE
GET MAD
unless you're just winding me up
fucking hell i bet you are
it's so like you

Marc says:
no I'm approving of your comments lol

Chris says:
fuck sake
i can't even talk to you right now
can we do this tomorrow?
it's great to catch up with you again
or it would be great

Marc says:
what's wrong?

Chris says:
i'm just so fucking mad about this now

Marc says:
course we can yeah

Chris says:
dude, this isn't you
it's me
i'm sorry

Marc says:
huh?

Chris says:
getting mad

Marc says:
no worries

Chris says:
this is just very personal
you know how i used to get with music?

Marc says:
yeah

Chris says:
how nobody else could like the bands i like
because it had to stay underground

Marc says:
is that really the problem then or?
yep

Chris says:
well, it just progressed
and now i have it with social networking sites

Marc says:
i can understand

Chris says:
i feel embarrassed just telling you

Marc says:
about that?
i don't mind

Chris says:
but hey man, this is me. this is who i am.

Marc says:
indeed
but you aren't alone, facebook is a shithole compared to how it was
i'll see if i can find out when i registered with it first

Chris says:
we should meet up and discuss direct action.
i have a hacker friend who can get Zuckerberg's address
and other facebook employees

Marc says:
really

Chris says:
yeah, you in?
can you drive? you could drive us there.
that could be your role.

Marc says:
i can drive, no car though!
and i've been drinking ha

Chris says:
not tonight man
but soon.

Marc says:
drive where exactly?

Chris says:
i think he lives in California

Marc says:
so you want zuckerburg sorted out?
berg* sorry

Chris says:
yeah, he needs to go
or he needs to see the light
you get my drift?

Marc says:
yeah

Chris says:
i just thought though - we're in England
we can't drive to California

Marc says:
true

Chris says:
but that won't stop us
we'll find a way of hitting them in the UK

Marc says:
i'm on his wikipedia page now
yeah definitley

Chris says:
get the dirt on him dude
we could blackmail him with some of the info on his wiki
make note of the juicy stuff

Marc says:
you really think we could?

Chris says:
we're the fucking people
we can do whatever

Marc says:
he looks weird in his pictures

Chris says:
he sounds jewish
does it say he's jewish?
shit..

Marc says:
jewish parents

Chris says:
dude, my computer just clicked.
i think they're watching
FUCKING CUNTS
FUCK YOU
WANKERS
dude, i'll catch you later

Marc says:
they're watching?

Chris says:
or on my laptop
FUCK YOU TWATFUCKERS
CUNTY TWATS
peace out.

Marc says:
see you later

Hot Dog

Eustace the Moth

Like Mother Like Daughter

Gloaming Rd

Seeds #2

Silence. Spice and bitterscents. Setting sun is setting flame toward the sloping thatch, sidling sprawling branches are hairline fractures in the sky. Scattering birds. Hissing and monstrous amplifiers, a cocoon of heat amongst the scattered faces: their features unfocused: rain falls in sudden flickers until skin melts and sockets hollow. Brickwork melts and windows hollow. Roof implodes.

The Great Pixel in the Sky

Seeds #1

Awake. A wall of satin sun like net curtains
beneath shabby 80s drapery; orange, not
unlike the sun itself, and both in union
to amber this sit-ting not bed-ding room.
Late summer, its air of lessening density and
evening is still bright in here, as though these

walls
are
too
thin,

and I hear the hifi bellowing next door:
"We'll find us a home / built of packaging
foam / that will be there 'til after we die";
they imply a home of unyielding sanctuary,
whispering as my ear presses uncomfortably
against the rough plaster wall. But this is 1 at
the Green and the wall beneath the window sill
is a sickly brown blooming of damp, and the room
is littered with tacky placemat paintings, sagging
sofa filled with copper coins and Fruit Salad wrappers,
medals discoloured by sentimentality, coronation
cups unused but sun-bleached and even
a cupboard faced with wood-patterened plastic -
it's made of wood. The smell of must and
a skinny warmth haunt every room, bitter
sulphur odour like bonfires lurking in
the stairwell. Open door. Burst. This house fat
with carmine fire, this so-called haven and its
familiarity dis:int:er:gr:a:t:e-

d:-

the windowsill is moving without influence; the
drapery more orange now; shiny bricks and
flourescent mortar mingling within
brightly stuttering affairs;
smell bitter concrete,
orange and orivonj,
all tapehissing roar,
haven an auyvorn
fjuyr n fhuuaer
klayreuune
czystiori
froiprlen
kjjixlq
qxxzzzzzzzxzzzzzzzzzzxxzzzzzz

Random Chance Design (digital static)

One Part in a Million

Just for a glimpse

Just for a taste

Just one part in a million

Of what I can see

What I feel in my bones

but not on my skin

What aches within me

What burns without

That which comes so easy, to all, it seems.

I try to convince myself

I try to rationalize

This thing that is formless

But I have found in so many

I tempted myself

I've tied my own noose

But stage fright

and fear of the ordinary

masquerading in the extraordinary

keeps me away

(NO LONGER)

Ink (tributarius)

Devilhorn Bush