Re: Study shows families' financial strain from autism

[Guest guest]

This study is all well and good, but where's the study for me? What about adults with autism that have trouble finding steady jobs, if any at all? My parents were a great help until I was 24, but then both passed away. I'm struggling to stay employed (and not always succeeding). People in my shoes need real help. Not the awareness stuff I always see everywhere, or more info about children.

Sorry for the rant, but this just hit a nerve.-JadenOn Sun, Nov 30, 2008 at 7:15 PM, environmental1st2003 <no_reply > wrote:

http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/11/30/20081130autismcosts.

html

Study shows families' financial strain from autism

Nov. 30, 2008 12:05 PM

Associated Press

CHICAGO - More than half a million U.S. children have autism with

costly health care needs that often put an unprecedented financial

strain on their families, national data show.

[Guest guest]

Jaden wrote: " This study is all well and good, but where's the study

for me? What about adults with autism that have trouble finding

steady jobs, if any at all? ... <snip> ... "

There are many studies that deal with individuals such as yourself,

Jaden. That being said, families dealing with Autism are very much

at risk and, in many ways, moreso than individuals with Autism.

The divorce rate in North America is 1 in 2 marriages the divorce

rate in North America where there is a child diagnosed with Autism is

4 in 5 marriages.

This means that most children with Autism are being raised by single

parents (usually the mother) and oftentimes, those children live in

poverty after the divorce.

An adult has more control over their lives than does a child.

Jaden wrote: " ... <snip> ... My parents were a great help until I

was 24, but then both passed away ... <snip> ... "

I am sorry to hear that you lost your parents so early in life. My

condolences for your loss.

Jaden wrote: " ... <snip> ... I'm struggling to stay employed (and

not always succeeding). People in my shoes need real help ...

<snip> ... "

In your introductory post, you stated that you had just signed with a

label and that you have 10 solo CDs released on the market. It would

appear to me that perhaps you should focus on your music since this

is where you appear to have your successes. What does your label say

they intend for you in 2009? Touring can be very lucrative with a

label behind you and merchandising always brings in more money than

the tour proper.

Jaden wrote: " ... <snip> ... Not the awareness stuff I always see

everywhere, or more info about children ... <snip> ... "

I beg to differ. Perhaps if there had been 'awareness stuff' when

you were growing up, you would not feel as you do about your current

situation.

As for being bitter about awareness and information on Autism as it

pertains to Autism andn children, what can I say? Education is the

key to understanding and understanding leads to workable solutions.

Jaden wrote: " ... <snip> ... Sorry for the rant, but this just hit a

nerve. "

There's no need to apologize, Jaden. You have as much right as any

one here to rant respectfully.

[Guest guest]

" This study is all well and good, but where's the study for me? What

about adults with autism that have trouble finding steady jobs, if any

at all? My parents were a great help until I was 24, but then both

passed away. I'm struggling to stay employed (and not always

succeeding). People in my shoes need real help. Not the awareness stuff

I always see everywhere, or more info about children.

" Sorry for the rant, but this just hit a nerve. "

I can understand how the story would hit a nerve. I know many on the

spectrum need real and tangible help and I wish I were in a position to

be able to give it to them, believe me.

I am in the advocacy movement because it is the only realistic way to

get people to understand about autism and those who have it. I think

what happens, particularly with AS people, is that they reach a point

where they are really desparate for something, be it employment,

understanding, a specific educational supplement, etc., and by the time

they ask for it, they look to others as people with an axe to grind who

believe the world owes them something.

The world actually doesn't owe ANYBODY anything. Despite the fact that

most of us live in countries with constitutions which say we have

rights, these constitutions are mostly there to tell us what rights we

have that cannot be taken away. Entitlements are given to people

through the passage of laws (Equal Employment Opportunity being one of

these laws) but as we all know, they are insufficient, though they do

account for the majority of the populace.

But if we can get it into the thick heads of people that AS people ARE

different but can be successful with some accommodations, then it makes

us more likely to get the accommodations we need in the end because

people will understand us.

Militarism is not the way to go. It works in the short term to draw

attention to a sector of the population that would otherwise go

unnoticed, but the population eventually gets turned off by the

behaviors of the militants.

Awareness campaigns take time, and that is what is really frustrating.

Slaves fought for the right for years to be free. Desegregation did not

happen until 1965 in the US. Aparthied in South Africa lasted longer

than that, and many North American Aboriginals are still mistreated as

are other people all over the world. It takes time. But it happens.

Should we remain patient?

No.

But we can spread the word. So far, over 2,600 people have listened to

the podcasts MIC has put out. We have been at conventions where

hundreds more have heard us. Raven and I have held fundraisers where

still more hundreds have attended. Raven and I have been in newspaper

articles which thousands have read. We have been spreading the word.

In out most recent podcast, we interviewed someone from the UK about

her perception there, and we will be doing the same with someone from

South Africa soon.

That's a lot of word being spread and a lot of people hearing us.

I think if you are going to blame anyone for NOT understanding, the

people you should be blaming are Aspies themselves. Look at the

population of this forum. There are 393 members in THIS forum at

present, and if everyone advocated, or spread our podcasts across the

net, a person could not surf the net without seeing advocacy somewhere.

There are hundreds more people in my other forums.

But hardly anyone spreads the word. Accolades go out to , Beth,

Wendi, and a few others. But that is it. Everyone else has their

excuses, but I sometimes wonder if giving Aspies help is the right

thing to do when they do not advocate for themselves.

Administrator

[Guest guest]

" Accolades go out to , Beth, Wendi, and a few others. "

I forgot to include . Sorry.

Administrator

[Guest guest]

Whoops. And Maurice.

Sorry if I am forgetting anyone. Having a bad day.

Administrator

" Accolades go out to , Beth, Wendi, and a few others. "

I forgot to include . Sorry.

Administrator

[Guest guest]

Jaden wrote: " I haven't been on a label since 2004. I have a severed

ligament in my wrist that's been getting more painful every year. The

last album I did was 2005 (released it for free on the net) ...

<snip> ... "

I apologize for the misinterpretation of what you wrote in your first

post.

When you wrote: " I'm also a musician. I've been signed to a record

label, and have toured the US and Canada with bands. I have 10 solo

albums to my name, and have finally released two best-ofs for free "

it sounded like you were still on a label.

My apologies for the misunderstanding.

Jaden wrote: " ... <snip> ... I'm having surgery on Saturday, but

there's no promise that I'll ever be able to play again. I haven't

even been able to play anything for almost a year ... <snip> ... "

I'm sorry to hear that and I hope the surgery goes far better than

anticipated. Perhaps you WILL be able to play again. :-)

Raven

[Guest guest]

Believe me: No one wants to see me play again more than me. Do you have any idea what it's like to write eight albums in six years, then not be able to anymore? I've got so much stored up in my head that I'd probably unleash 20 new ones as soon as I'm able to!

As for the two new best-ofs, they were released independently. I just compiled them, made covers, and uploaded them to podsafe audio. Anyone can grab them free of charge, and lots have. I hear them on podcasts all the time.

Jaden wrote: " I haven't been on a label since 2004. I have a severed

ligament in my wrist that's been getting more painful every year. The

last album I did was 2005 (released it for free on the net) ...

<snip> ... "

I apologize for the misinterpretation of what you wrote in your first

post.

When you wrote: " I'm also a musician. I've been signed to a record

label, and have toured the US and Canada with bands. I have 10 solo

albums to my name, and have finally released two best-ofs for free "

it sounded like you were still on a label.

My apologies for the misunderstanding.

Jaden wrote: " ... <snip> ... I'm having surgery on Saturday, but

there's no promise that I'll ever be able to play again. I haven't

even been able to play anything for almost a year ... <snip> ... "

I'm sorry to hear that and I hope the surgery goes far better than

anticipated. Perhaps you WILL be able to play again. :-)

Raven

-- -Jade http://castcast.podbean.com

[Guest guest]

Jaden wrote: " Believe me: No one wants to see me play again more than

me. Do you have any idea what it's like to write eight albums in six

years, then not be able to anymore? ... <snip> ... "

As a matter of fact, I do and in a more impossible way. If I had an

injury, I could damn the injury. What's worse is being incredibly

creative and lucratively so, then not be able to produce any more

product because you are chained to a hospital room with a sick child.

Then follow it up with a number of diagnoses and all that's tied to

that, being sued by your label (and rightly so) because the contract

has been broken (sick kid v recording and touring ... responsible and

accountable behaviour dictates that a child always trumps a career,

even a very lucrative career), watching your marriage disintegrate

completely, losing family and friends because they do not want to

understand what's happening to your child (you know, the one who

survived at birth as opposed to the one who didn't) and more. Yep,

Jaden, I believe I have a pretty good idea what you may be feeling.

That being said, if you were able to write eight albums in six years,

surely your label would be interested in your insight as a producer

and, perhaps, as a sound engineer if you made time to learn the nuts

and bolts of recording.

Jaden wrote: " ... <snip> ... I've got so much stored up in my head

that I'd probably unleash 20 new ones as soon as I'm able to! ...

<snip> ... "

So what stops you from writing for other recording artists? The demand

for material is pretty phenomenal these days and not unlike the demand

that was seen in the industry in the days before the singer-songwriter

emerged on the scene in the 60s.

Raven

[Guest guest]

I don't know the gory details Raven speaks of about herself outside of this

email, but I

confess, I must concur with her:

The only thing that keeps you from creating is your choice not to do so.

Even if you have a torn something that keeps you from readily playing the

guitar, surely

you won't tell us that you can't create without the guitar itself, and even

possibly with it,

even though it isn't nearly as comfortable, since you won't have to play

non-stop all the

time?

The evidence I use to support my argument is very obvious: you don't need a

guitar or any

other instrument you play with your fingers other than the instrument you've

demonstrated thus far to be very adept at making work for you, better than most

on here

do: the computer keyboard.

Now, I'll remove at least one more possible argument from your possible list of

arguments: that the necessary software for composing is expensive. NOT SO!

That is, not

all software that's available and more than suitable for the task is expensive,

nor does it

need to be, nor, for that matter, does it take expensive or even modern computer

hardware.

My experience has been that a lot of music composition software (MIDI) is

horribly

unstable. With the solution I've got, that's not the case.

My experience has been that a lot of music composition software has a horrible

user

interface that forces you to use the mouse, and doesn't make a lot of sense,

quite often:

also not the case.

My experience has also been that music composition software makes it a PITA to

work

with lyrics of any meaningful complexity. This is also not the case with this

software I'm

suggesting you get: this is software capable of putting lyrics to every single

instrument (do

one note on the staff at a time, if needed, like I did, using multiple staffs

for the same

type of instrument). While my music training is rather limited, I have composed

64

seconds worth of an operetta that starts out with 9 piano parts (one note per

part, and

voice of the same character) and adds a 10th with a clarinet, all parts with

different (but

supporting) words. Slightly tedious to do, but easily enough done.

Ok, here's the link you should follow (I hope you're not using an old Mac that

can't run

Windows!)

http://www.noteworthysoftware.com/

I used this software back in the time I had a 486-DX system, so it'll run fine

on any PC

hardware you have access to, and you'll be in an even better shape if you have a

sound

card with a MIDI interface.

Then, while it doesn't by itself provide any better sound quality than the

hardware you

have, it does provide for creating MIDI files, as well as complete scores.

There might be

some minor limitations you run into, but I suspect not as many as you'd think

for the

price.

" ... <snip> ... I've got so much stored up in my head

> that I'd probably unleash 20 new ones as soon as I'm able to! ...

> <snip> ... "

>

> So what stops you from writing for other recording artists? The demand

> for material is pretty phenomenal these days and not unlike the demand

> that was seen in the industry in the days before the singer-songwriter

> emerged on the scene in the 60s.

>

> Raven

>

[Guest guest]

>

> Even if you have a torn something that keeps you from readily

playing the guitar, surely

> you won't tell us that you can't create without the guitar itself,

and even possibly with it,

> even though it isn't nearly as comfortable, since you won't have

to play non-stop all the

> time?

How do you know how the physical accessibility of the instrument, or

discomfort, affects her creativity? It's her creativity not yours.

All forms of negative sensory input may affect an aspie's

performance.

: that the necessary software for composing is expensive. NOT SO!

You need to define this in terms of the software that can be found

without expertise in finding it. A friend who has high skills at IT

work, enough to be self-employed in the field, thinks there is not

too much cost risk involved in buying a computer. I think there is.

There are so many specifications you have to get right, to make all

the bits match to be connected to the web from home, and you have to

worry about hard disks blowing. It makes perfect sense to me that

Jaden may find it expensive to get all the software she needs,

partly in terms of expensive risk if parts don't match and having to

know a lot of jargon specifications to be sure they fit, while a

critic with a more specialised knowledge of software is more

confident about where + how to look for all the right parts.

> Ok, here's the link you should follow (I hope you're not using an

old Mac that can't run

> Windows!)

makes myt point about buying computers

> > and, perhaps, as a sound engineer if you made time to learn the

nuts

> > and bolts of recording.

You can never be sure in advance how easy or hard another person

finds anything technical to learn.

[Guest guest]

> >

> > Even if you have a torn something that keeps you from readily

> playing the guitar, surely

> > you won't tell us that you can't create without the guitar itself,

> and even possibly with it,

> > even though it isn't nearly as comfortable, since you won't have

> to play non-stop all the

> > time?

> How do you know how the physical accessibility of the instrument, or

> discomfort, affects her creativity? It's her creativity not yours.

> All forms of negative sensory input may affect an aspie's

> performance.

>

Here's the thing: if you've got music and lyrics going through your head, you

absolutely

can record them readily enough if you already can reproduce music notation, even

by

hunt-and-peck method. It does NOT have to be real-time. If you can hum a tune,

you

can record it somehow. If you can't translate between the two, you have zero

business in

the field, as you're absolutely worthless, and there's no way a record label

would have ever

given such a person a contract. All evidence points to Jaden readily being able

to do this.

Jaden has demonstrated no lack of ability to readily type correctly while using

this Yahoo!

Group. How fast Jaden types actually makes zero meaningful difference, even in

comparison to playing some instrument. ZERO.

> : that the necessary software for composing is expensive. NOT SO!

> You need to define this in terms of the software that can be found

> without expertise in finding it. A friend who has high skills at IT

> work, enough to be self-employed in the field, thinks there is not

> too much cost risk involved in buying a computer. I think there is.

> There are so many specifications you have to get right, to make all

> the bits match to be connected to the web from home, and you have to

> worry about hard disks blowing. It makes perfect sense to me that

> Jaden may find it expensive to get all the software she needs,

> partly in terms of expensive risk if parts don't match and having to

> know a lot of jargon specifications to be sure they fit, while a

> critic with a more specialised knowledge of software is more

> confident about where + how to look for all the right parts.

>

You are not comprehending what I've stated correctly: not only is this cheap,

but I've done

lots of testing of various software, and this software works out very well, and

is very easy

for anyone that can use a PC. If you can't learn how to use this software to

accomplish the

task, not only will you not be able to learn any other software to do the task

out of the

software that's available, but you also won't be able to use the electronics

that Jaden

would already have experience with, because very little of it is computer usage.

It seems probable you've not even bothered to follow the link: the cost of the

software

(not the very small learning curve, which is minimal, considering the

comprehensive Help

files, but everything of value has a learning curve, and Jaden already has the

music

background that makes it all far easier) is a measly $49 US. You can even try

before you

buy, to verify that it works on your system and meets your needs well enough.

If you're

too damned cheap to pay that price, you have no business in the field of trying

to make

professional music, or much of anything while claiming to be a professional:

that price

(depending on locale) can represent only about an hour of developer's work time,

and I

assure you, from having done the research, you don't have a snowball's chance in

hell of

coming up with any results that are worth anything in a timeframe that could

ever hope to

make your time worthwhile in comparison, unless you happen to create something

you

can sell in sufficiently large numbers.

> > Ok, here's the link you should follow (I hope you're not using an

> old Mac that can't run

> > Windows!)

> makes myt point about buying computers

>

Again, your lack of comprehension: this software runs perfectly fine on any PC

you can

even FIND that's not died from more than a decade ago, up to the current one.

Other than

finding an old Power PC-based Macintosh, you'd have to go out of your way to

find a

computer that CAN'T run it well. I can testify to this from first-hand usage.

If he's using a

PC to type out his replies on the group, and it isn't somehow that subset of

commonly

available computers, Jaden has a computer readily capable of running the

software

perfectly fine. The size of output files it creates are very small: the Yahoo

Group daily

digests are often larger!

> > > and, perhaps, as a sound engineer if you made time to learn the

> nuts

> > > and bolts of recording.

> You can never be sure in advance how easy or hard another person

> finds anything technical to learn.

>

Again, Jaden has previously mentioned that he has an IQ of 180: Jaden has

demonstrated

the ability to communicate clearly in this group in terms of spelling and

grammar. Why

Jaden has allowed an injury to completely stop all recording of a creative mind

is

something that's rather a puzzlement to me, and to Raven, but the facts are

these: it'd be

absolutely at the far extreme to have anyone get anywhere near that high of an

IQ test

score be incapable of making the simple leap from composing/playing music and

creating

lyrics by some instrument, to not being able to use a well-designed and

well-written piece

of computer software that is far less complicated to use than a typical word

processor,

where 90% of the knowledge required is that of music notation and knowing which

instruments are appropriate to use. Your statements indicate you believe Jaden

is

incapable of such a relatively simple leap, so it only indicates your

inabilities to conceive.

Jaden, sorry if you're not male: I've not read anything to indicate otherwise

[Guest guest]

maurice wrote: " ... <snip> ... How do [strict] know how the physical

accessibility of the instrument, or discomfort, affects her

creativity? It's her creativity not yours. All forms of negative

sensory input may affect an aspie's performance ... <snip> ... "

Firstly, Jaden is male.

maurice wrote: " ... <snip> ... that the necessary software for

composing is expensive. NOT SO! You need to define this in terms of

the software that can be found without expertise in finding it. A

friend who has high skills at IT work, enough to be self-employed in

the field, thinks there is not too much cost risk involved in buying

a computer. I think there is ... <snip> ... "

Anyone who has been in the music industry knows the name " SONY. "

Anyone who records or who has recorded over the past decade knows

that SONY has a recording software at various prices. The cost of

Acid Express™ is ... get ready for it ... FREE!!!!!

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/trials/acidxpress

It allows the user to record or create up to 8 tracks which is more

than sufficient for a proper demo to submit to artists or their

representatives and interested labels.

If one cannot " play " an instrument, there are a number of easily

found sites (including SONY) that provide FREE LOOPS with which to

compose.

When you look at the concept of FREE, the risk involved is NONE.

maurice wrote: " ... <snip> ... There are so many specifications you

have to get right, to make all the bits match to be connected to the

web from home, and you have to worry about hard disks blowing ...

<snip> ... "

Not so with Acid Express™ as I know of a number of songwriters and

composers who have used the program on ancient computers using

ancient technology (Windows 95) with excellent results. There's no

worry about blowing any hard disks at all.

What's more, the inexpensive interface needed to play a guitar into a

MIDI program is the same as the interface needed to play into the

computer if one chooses to record an instrument in Real Time.

maurice wrote: " ... <snip> ... It makes perfect sense to me that

Jaden may find it expensive to get all the software she needs,

partly in terms of expensive risk if parts don't match and having to

know a lot of jargon specifications to be sure they fit, while a

critic with a more specialised knowledge of software is more

confident about where + how to look for all the right parts ...

<snip> ... "

Obviously if the program runs on old computers that have Windows 95

installed on them, the specifications aren't too terribly taxing on a

computer system. What's more, there's no need to go looking for

any 'right parts' as it's nothing more than a case of download-

install and voila ... ready to start creating!

Raven had written: " ... <snip> ... and, perhaps, as a sound engineer

if you made time to learn the nuts and bolts of recording ...

<snip> ... "

maurice wrote: " ... <snip> ... You can never be sure in advance how

easy or hard another person finds anything technical to learn ...

<snip> ... "

It appears as if you think I have made a judgment against Jaden with

regards to whether he learned the nuts and bolts of recording. My

statement was simple. IF he had learned the nuts and bolts of

recording, THEN he has other assets within the music industry he can

exploit to earn a living.

IF he did NOT learn the nuts and bolts of recording, then the point

is moot obviously.

That being said, some astute musicians are also exceedingly capable

sound engineers once they realize that they actually KNOW their way

around a recording studio. Anyone who has delivered EIGHT albums in

SIX years has definitely spent a laudable amount of time in studio

and as such, may be more knowledgeable with regards to recording that

he or she is first aware.

I didn't realize that pointing the way to a viable option which may

have been overlooked is such a terrible thing to do, maurice.

Raven

[Guest guest]

strictnon_conformist wrote in response to maurice: " ... <snip> ...

Again, Jaden has previously mentioned that he has an IQ of 180: Jaden

has demonstrated the ability to communicate clearly in this group in

terms of spelling and grammar ... <snip> ... "

True. In Jaden's introductory post, he wrote that he has an IQ of 180.

According to the Wechsler Intelligence Scales, an IQ Score of 180 is

classified as very superior intelligence. Any person with an IQ score

of 180 or greater is functioning within the range of very superior

intelligence. The Wechsler Scales classify very superior intelligence

as an IQ score in the range of 130 or higher.

Why, Hawking, Bill Gates and Albert Einstein only has/has/had

an IQ of 160!

Since the discussion regarding recording, recording programs,

computers, et al just happen to be in Jaden's area of expertise and

feeds into his perseverative interests, it makes no sense to think that

he would not have a superior learning curve wherein his perseverative

interests lie.

In other words, there is nothing that stops Jaden from composing music

when we are talking about technicalities involved in composing music.

And since he WAS signed to a label in 2004, he obviously had the chops

to garner attention from at the very least, the label that signed him

in 2004.

Raven

[Guest guest]

Here's the thing, Maurice:

Most of your entire post here demonstrates your exhileratingly

breathtaking ignorance of computer hardware, software, music, and all

that goes into it. Nothing I have ever read that you've posted

indicates you're more than a standard computer user, and this post

just confirms it in spades.

By contrast, while I'm not a professional musician, more than one of

my immediate family members have worked professionally in orchestras

and various bands, with my twin sister having played in the pit

orchestra for " The Moody Blues " when they were in the local area,

besides other orchestras, and my Dad played in similar things for

lnoger than you've been alive. Music runs deep in my family, and it

doesn't even matter if we want it to: it's part of what we are,

period.

For me, music is something that uses the same area of the brain as

writing of verse, prose, and code: I often have music and poetry run

through my head at the same time, sort of as a byproduct. At the

time (fifth grade) my twin sister went into the music with full

force, I was playing trombone at the time, but on the crossroads

between that (came naturally enough, but it was painful to be in that

proximity to all the loud instruments) and computers, which were

fairly primitive by today's standards at the time. The trombone

(previously used by my oldest brother, 11 years older) literally

falling apart from dry rot, while holding it in my hands, just helped

make it easier: I could see that the computer realm was the most

viable thing for me for many reasons, and that I also had a natural

aptitude for that, too: note the word " also " as that's important.

I've heard more than one account from much older people in the

computer/technology field explain that in the early days, a lot of

the big computer sellers/etc. would go look for people in the music

programs at the local colleges, because they observed they tended to

be best at it for software development, as a general rule.

Music, for those that aren't aware of it, is merely a cross between

psychology, physics, and math, and how they all interrelate to each

other. Computer hardware and software design has relatively little

to do with psychology until you get to user interfaces, at which

point it is very largely about psychology, actually, but there's a

lot of similarities between hardware and software structure and how

they need to be designed and how they work together, hopefully in

harmony, with perhaps the software being the treble clef line, and

the hardware being the bass clef, but as things get more complex, you

soon have a complete orchestra involved in both the hardware and

software side of things, and the user is the audience and conductor,

combined, and an unskilled user is only a semiconductor.

As to where the physics and software and hardware of music all

combine with the math and the user and psychology, by the standards

of today's computers, even if you are recording the largest public

orchestra live with a single computer, with a sound channel for each

individual instrument, it won't tax the hard drive of anything you

can even find at retail in the last 5 years, even as equipment that's

on a fire sale due to being of such low capacity. Professional sound

recording should be done at a minimum of twice the frequency of the

intended sound range: this is known as the Nyquist frequency, because

you cannot get a good enough sampling of something to reproduce a

frequency that is greater than half the sampling frequency: it just

isn't possible. All those TV shows and movies that show them taking

a super blurry camera frame and making clear text out of it? At

best, they're making educated guesses: at worst, they're pretending

that they've got more information than they actually have, as that

information simply doesn't exist. Hopefully you didn't think all

those things are actually true! Now, here's a common reference point

we all should have some awareness of: the sound reproduction capacity

of a compact disc, from the original specs in the early 80's, which

are still used today. They're capable of storing stereo sound at a

frequency of 22.05 Khz, which needs to be recorded at 44.1 Khz, 16

bits. There's 2352 samplings every 75th of a second. Net result: CD

quality sound (higher frequency than most of the human population can

hear, but I've tested my hearing at higher frequencies with custom

electronics than that) takes up about 681 Megabytes (referring to

power of 2 definitions) in 74 minutes, for the maximum length of the

original CD spec: there are now discs that store more, but they're

not guaranteed to play in all players, especially older ones. Now,

what's the smallest hard drive you can get, new, in a PC? Even a

laptop with its restrictions has overkill written all over its hard

drive capacities these days! The highest quality sound studios these

days record things at a higher frequency and bit sampling rate than

that, by at least twice as much, but, again, with today's hardware

(CPUs and RAM and hard drives) it's not at all a strain for the

cheapest piece of crap consumer machine you can find on a store shelf

to handle it, and hasn't been for many years now. Even with the

crappiest hard drives available on today's laptops, however slow they

are, with as much RAM as computers have these days, you can readily

buffer an entire CD worth of sound before ever touching the hard

drive, and most computers these days tend to come with some kind of

burnable optical disc drive, making the hard drive usage even more of

a moot point, since you can get a burner for less than that software

I mentioned (which can be tried for free before paying for it). MIDI

interfaces are preferred for digital musical instruments because it

is very well established, standardized, has lots of software and

hardware to take advantage of it, and provides about the lowest

latency you can get, which is critical for music production in

practice. You can have it directly on a sound card, which is best,

or you can also get USB->MIDI adapters, which won't be nearly as

ideal, because USB and how it works in hardware and software adds

additional latency, and actually also tends to use more CPU power,

too, in controlling it, besides having to fight for access with all

other USB devices that are in the system, definitely all using the

same controller.

Other than my other software development experience, as well as

formal electronics degree, part of my employment background is 100%

relevant to this discussion: I didn't have to look up any of those

numbers, as they're off the top of my head. I worked for 4 years at

a Sony disc manufacturing plant in the CD-ROM Premastering

department, where, amongst other things, I was tasked with writing

software to analyze compact discs at the lowest level, using custom

hardware and software. For fun numbers, just keep in mind this: each

note on the standard western music scale with 12 steps has a

frequency thats (a rough approximation off the top of my head) 1.059

times the frequency of the next lowest step... there's some of the

physics of the numbers, and I've not even gotten into resonant

frequencies, beat frequencies, fifths, thirds, etc. that all add up

to what we deem " music. "

> >

> > Even if you have a torn something that keeps you from readily

> playing the guitar, surely

> > you won't tell us that you can't create without the guitar

itself,

> and even possibly with it,

> > even though it isn't nearly as comfortable, since you won't have

> to play non-stop all the

> > time?

> How do you know how the physical accessibility of the instrument,

or

> discomfort, affects her creativity? It's her creativity not yours.

> All forms of negative sensory input may affect an aspie's

> performance.

>

> : that the necessary software for composing is expensive. NOT SO!

> You need to define this in terms of the software that can be found

> without expertise in finding it. A friend who has high skills at IT

> work, enough to be self-employed in the field, thinks there is not

> too much cost risk involved in buying a computer. I think there is.

> There are so many specifications you have to get right, to make all

> the bits match to be connected to the web from home, and you have

to

> worry about hard disks blowing. It makes perfect sense to me that

> Jaden may find it expensive to get all the software she needs,

> partly in terms of expensive risk if parts don't match and having

to

> know a lot of jargon specifications to be sure they fit, while a

> critic with a more specialised knowledge of software is more

> confident about where + how to look for all the right parts.

>

> > Ok, here's the link you should follow (I hope you're not using an

> old Mac that can't run

> > Windows!)

> makes myt point about buying computers

>

> > > and, perhaps, as a sound engineer if you made time to learn the

> nuts

> > > and bolts of recording.

> You can never be sure in advance how easy or hard another person

> finds anything technical to learn.

>

[Guest guest]

" Most of your entire post here demonstrates your exhileratingly

breathtaking ignorance of computer hardware, software, music, and all

that goes into it. Nothing I have ever read that you've posted

indicates you're more than a standard computer user, and this post

just confirms it in spades. "

Ahhh Strict. How I enjoy reading your posts! Question though: Could

you delete the sarcasm? (At least when talking to Maurice. When you

use it with me, I quite enjoy it.) I remember the two of you going at

it from the Aspergia days and of course I know you two will never be

the best of friends, although a tearful hug between the two of you

would be a nice thing to see.

The rest of your post I found nice to read. Raven things so too.

Administrator

P.S. Why DON'T the two of you make up anyway? Now that Aspergian

Island has gone to heaven, this place - shoddy and substandard though

it is- is just about the only remnant of Aspergia that's left. Might

as well make the best of it.

T

[Guest guest]

I know the ins and outs of recording, as I've self recorded all my own stuff. I don't like working with others, as I get very demanding. I figured out how to do everything with just a laptop and lots of cables I can't really do it for that label anymore because I moved to another part of the country last year. I suppose I could find a new one, but that requires meeting new people, and that's not my forte

As for writing for others, I don't think anyone would like to use what I write. It's a bit... unique? Contact me privately, and I'll give you a link to some of my stuff and you can see for yourself.

-Jade

That being said, if you were able to write eight albums in six years,

surely your label would be interested in your insight as a producer

and, perhaps, as a sound engineer if you made time to learn the nuts

and bolts of recording.

So what stops you from writing for other recording artists? The demand

for material is pretty phenomenal these days and not unlike the demand

that was seen in the industry in the days before the singer-songwriter

emerged on the scene in the 60s.

Raven

[Guest guest]

Your logic has gotten a cold: if your compositions are that unique

that nobody would want to use them, but yet, you had a recording

contract in the past where they actually wanted your stuff, you most

certainly still do have a market: if your music was, while you played

it, considered worth the bother and expense to record and market it,

that hasn't changed, just because you don't personally play it for

recording purposes.

Now, as to not working with others, well... while I can fully

understand the " If you want something done right, you need to do it

yourself " mantra, for practical purposes, you'll have to work more

with others, if only to market to artists you'd actually want to

interpret your creations for recording, such as how they phrase it,

which may not be the way you phrase it, or think it should be

phrased. If you want to make a living with your creations, and you

aren't able to perform them directly yourself, the practical person

will realize that the only way to get their creations anywhere is to

release some degree of control, lest they be held so closely that

they don't exist for all practical intents: a creator that creates

some works, but never releases it, may as well be dead. As someone

that creates software for a living, the absolute worst thing for me

to happen is to work on something and never have it released and used

for something, even if not the originally intended purpose: by far

the worst thing about when I was laid off in 2001 was to learn that

the project I had worked so hard on, that was doing really well, was

completely shelved because they decided to do something completely

different for business reasons. If you don't let go enough to at

least increase the odds of your creations from seeing the public

light of day, you can be reasonably assured of having far more

regrets than not: there's no guarantee that they'll be warmly

received, that's true, but not even trying absolutely guarantees they

just remain floating around in your head, as unrealized dreams. I

urge you to not do that to yourself, or any existing fans of your

past works, or any potential fans of your future works. If you only

allow your light to shine under the bushel basket, you'll just be a

well-lit basket case, and nobody will notice you for anything but

your unusually high oil usage, and you'll burn out with a puff of

smoke.

>

> >

> > That being said, if you were able to write eight albums in six

years,

> > surely your label would be interested in your insight as a

producer

> > and, perhaps, as a sound engineer if you made time to learn the

nuts

> > and bolts of recording.

> >

> >

> >

> > So what stops you from writing for other recording artists? The

demand

> > for material is pretty phenomenal these days and not unlike the

demand

> > that was seen in the industry in the days before the singer-

songwriter

> > emerged on the scene in the 60s.

> >

> > Raven

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

> If you can hum a tune, you

> can record it somehow.

So Jaden can record on paper some jottings of tunes. That's just the

basic tune, not all its sound qualities. It's entirely reasonable if

then he wants to test out how they actually sound on the instrument,

before feeling sure enough to try to market them.

> You are not comprehending what I've stated correctly: not only is

this cheap, but I've done

> lots of testing of various software, and this software works out

very well, and is very easy

> for anyone that can use a PC.

So you are going to recommend particular choices, by name, of

software, whose capabilities you have ready tested. That will be

nice + helpful.

> Again, your lack of comprehension: this software runs perfectly

fine on any PC you can

> even FIND that's not died from more than a decade ago, up to the

current one.

The current one PC in the world ??

Other than

> finding an old Power PC-based Macintosh, you'd have to go out of

your way to find a

> computer that CAN'T run it well. I can testify to this from first-

hand usage.

Then " (I hope you're not using an old Mac that can't run Windows!) "

was a sarcasm not meant to be taken literally. Dangerous thing here.

All sorts of circumstances might leave folks in possession of all

sorts of old computers. It's only 2 years since I was sharing one

with the friend I mentioned, that was too old to work Youtube.

Your statements indicate you believe Jaden is

> incapable of such a relatively simple leap, so it only indicates

your inabilities to conceive.

My statements indicate no belief about Jaden at all, just the

civility to accept folks' own word about their own situations and

barriers.

[[ Anyone who records or who has recorded over the past decade knows

that SONY has a recording software at various prices. The cost of

Acid Express™ is ... get ready for it ... FREE!!!!! ]]

If I don't know Jaden I can't make an assumption that he has

facilities compatible with any particular piece of software.

[[ Nothing I have ever read that you've posted indicates you're more

than a standard computer user, and this post just confirms it in

spades. ]]

Quite so. I don't need specialist knowledge of computers to take a

position on a social attitude: of getting all judgmental onto

someone with a specialism and accusing them of neglecting it, which

is more comforting for you to believe, instead of being up against

barriers, when they describe being up against barriers. My own

experience of teachers not wanting to believe in barriers to the

delivery of schoolwork, is a far more relevant knowledge, than a

wide knowledge of computers which no matter how wide it is might

always not extend to the computer of the next person you speak to.

[[ I didn't realize that pointing the way to a viable option which

may have been overlooked is such a terrible thing to do, maurice. ]]

That's not what I was reacting to. It was the personal stuff about

telling someone else they definitely are failing to do something

they definitely could do, and putting them down with off-the-cuff

psychology, is what I was reacting to.

[[ Music runs deep in my family, and it doesn't even matter if we

want it to: it's part of what we are, period. ]]

Not period, cos there are many types of music, and of involvment in

it. e.g. Rock bands, church choirs, druidic incantations over the

henge, and symphony orchestras, are each totally separate cultures

of music.

[[ I didn't have to look up any of those numbers, as they're off the

top of my head. ]]

that's the problem. I'm looking at how someone whose head is not

full of all these numbers is supposed to go shopping easily.

[[Music, for those that aren't aware of it, is merely a cross

between psychology, physics, and math, and how they all interrelate

to each other. ]]

Ghastly idea that snuffs out all the soul in composing and having

inspirations.

[Guest guest]

strict wrote: " ... <snip> ... Music, for those that aren't aware of

it, is merely a cross between psychology, physics, and math, and how

they all interrelate to each other ... <snip> ... "

maurice responded: " Ghastly idea that snuffs out all the soul in

composing and having inspirations. "

Just because strict is correct when he states that music is psychology,

physics and mathematics does not mean that it does not also have soul

and inspiration. To claim that this is what he has written is no

different than the claim some make that science does not require

creativity. Not so! Science requires a considerable amount of

creativity in order to formulate theories and hypotheses that lead to

experiments and studies and research.

Even if one tried to remove the mathematics from music, it would be

impossible!

"

Music is sound. But for now, imagine that it is a set of 12

equal blocks. The distance from one block to the next block is a half-

step. From block 1 to block 2 is a half-step, from block 8 to block 9

is a half-step, etc. Seven of these 12 tones or blocks have been given

positions of 'major' importance ... The various combinations of half-

steps are called intervals. An interval is the distance between 2

tones. The names of the intervals are then divided into sets: the

majors and the perfects. The majors are 2, 3, 6 and 7; the perfects

are 1, 4,5 and 8. A 1 would be a unison where 2 instruments play the

same note. An 8 would be the octave. Altering the intervals with

flats or sharps changes them from major and perfect into minor,

diminished and augmented. The entire set of major and perfect

intervals are called diatonic intervals [end quote]. "

Source: " The Keyboard Grimoire: A Complete Guide for the Guitarist and

Keyboardist " by Adam Kadmon (produced by Metatron Inc. for Carl

Fischer™, New York, NY, 1996).

Polychord formulae are most definitely mathematical equations.

I can also provide proof that psychology and physics are part of music.

Raven

[Guest guest]

ROFLMAO.

It's not wise to go splitting hairs/hares during rabbit rutting

season as you are doing now, trying to debate stuff which you only

show more each time that you know less about than you presume you do,

because your problems multiply like rapidly rutting rabbits. I could

go on further with this thread, but you can't use reason with someone

that can't comprehend the topics at hand to even realize that they

have no clue. Your mind is very closed on this, and distinctly

appears to refuse to open, so I'll end it here.

> > If you can hum a tune, you

> > can record it somehow.

> So Jaden can record on paper some jottings of tunes. That's just

the

> basic tune, not all its sound qualities. It's entirely reasonable

if

> then he wants to test out how they actually sound on the

instrument,

> before feeling sure enough to try to market them.

>

> > You are not comprehending what I've stated correctly: not only is

> this cheap, but I've done

> > lots of testing of various software, and this software works out

> very well, and is very easy

> > for anyone that can use a PC.

> So you are going to recommend particular choices, by name, of

> software, whose capabilities you have ready tested. That will be

> nice + helpful.

>

> > Again, your lack of comprehension: this software runs perfectly

> fine on any PC you can

> > even FIND that's not died from more than a decade ago, up to the

> current one.

> The current one PC in the world ??

>

> Other than

> > finding an old Power PC-based Macintosh, you'd have to go out of

> your way to find a

> > computer that CAN'T run it well. I can testify to this from

first-

> hand usage.

> Then " (I hope you're not using an old Mac that can't run Windows!) "

> was a sarcasm not meant to be taken literally. Dangerous thing

here.

> All sorts of circumstances might leave folks in possession of all

> sorts of old computers. It's only 2 years since I was sharing one

> with the friend I mentioned, that was too old to work Youtube.

>

> Your statements indicate you believe Jaden is

> > incapable of such a relatively simple leap, so it only indicates

> your inabilities to conceive.

>

> My statements indicate no belief about Jaden at all, just the

> civility to accept folks' own word about their own situations and

> barriers.

>

> [[ Anyone who records or who has recorded over the past decade

knows

> that SONY has a recording software at various prices. The cost of

> Acid Express™ is ... get ready for it ... FREE!!!!! ]]

>

> If I don't know Jaden I can't make an assumption that he has

> facilities compatible with any particular piece of software.

>

> [[ Nothing I have ever read that you've posted indicates you're

more

> than a standard computer user, and this post just confirms it in

> spades. ]]

> Quite so. I don't need specialist knowledge of computers to take a

> position on a social attitude: of getting all judgmental onto

> someone with a specialism and accusing them of neglecting it, which

> is more comforting for you to believe, instead of being up against

> barriers, when they describe being up against barriers. My own

> experience of teachers not wanting to believe in barriers to the

> delivery of schoolwork, is a far more relevant knowledge, than a

> wide knowledge of computers which no matter how wide it is might

> always not extend to the computer of the next person you speak to.

>

> [[ I didn't realize that pointing the way to a viable option which

> may have been overlooked is such a terrible thing to do, maurice. ]]

> That's not what I was reacting to. It was the personal stuff about

> telling someone else they definitely are failing to do something

> they definitely could do, and putting them down with off-the-cuff

> psychology, is what I was reacting to.

>

> [[ Music runs deep in my family, and it doesn't even matter if we

> want it to: it's part of what we are, period. ]]

> Not period, cos there are many types of music, and of involvment in

> it. e.g. Rock bands, church choirs, druidic incantations over the

> henge, and symphony orchestras, are each totally separate cultures

> of music.

>

> [[ I didn't have to look up any of those numbers, as they're off

the

> top of my head. ]]

> that's the problem. I'm looking at how someone whose head is not

> full of all these numbers is supposed to go shopping easily.

>

> [[Music, for those that aren't aware of it, is merely a cross

> between psychology, physics, and math, and how they all interrelate

> to each other. ]]

> Ghastly idea that snuffs out all the soul in composing and having

> inspirations.

>

[Guest guest]

" ROFLMAO.

" It's not wise to go splitting hairs/hares during rabbit rutting

season as you are doing now, trying to debate stuff which you only

show more each time that you know less about than you presume you do,

because your problems multiply like rapidly rutting rabbits. I could

go on further with this thread, but you can't use reason with someone

that can't comprehend the topics at hand to even realize that they

have no clue. Your mind is very closed on this, and distinctly

appears to refuse to open, so I'll end it here. "

He's entitled to his opinion though, even if you don't agree with it.

Administrator