Tracks: working on "Vampire Megabyte"

[mdlbear]

It rained most of the morning, but was nice and clear by 12:30, so I went out for a walk. Got in a full hour on the Los Gatos Creek trail, which is where I usually go when I have time on weekends. From Leigh Avenue to the little park at Campbell Avenue and back is pretty close to 3 miles, as near as I can tell, and takes me an hour. I know... I should walk faster. But I don't.

I stopped off at Fry's, where I picked up a 6-foot USB cable (I had just used my last one on the laser printer, and I like to have a spare) and a 100-foot Cat6 cable that will eventually go to the recording rig in the back bedroom.

That brings us to the rest of the afternoon, which I spent recording some sound effects for "Vampire Megabyte". Specifically I wanted effects for "as the drum spun up", "a harsh metalic scream", and "jabbed a wood stake through the drum". The items used were the tablesaw, a hammer, and some wood scraps. I have about 2 minutes of samples, which are probably not going to be entirely satisfactory but represent a start.

I used the portable rig: Mac laptop, Edirol UA25, and Behringer C2 mics. Cobbled together a table using a 16" wire shelf, some clamps, and the two vises on the workbench. (Couldn't use the workbench itself because it's piled high with junk.)

Much less album work than planned this weekend. Grr. Fortunately I have lots of vacation time I have to use up.

Comments

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

Three miles an hour is a perfectly reasonable speed to walk. It's about how fast I walk when I'm not pushing hard, and I'm considered a fast walker.

I am amused about using the tablesaw as a special effect in recording. Though when I try to audialize it, it seems like it should work...

[mdlbear]

I believe one is supposed to go something like 4mph for proper aerobic exercise, but if I push too hard I get shin splints. I probably ought to try weights.

I'm going to try processing the tablesaw through some filters; parts of it might work.

[idea-fairy.livejournal.com]

I'm reminded of a Worldcon panel on the old "Space Patrol" radio and TV series that ran back in the 1950's or thereabouts. According to one panelist who had researched it, the sound effect they used for a rocket ship blasting off was a restroom toilet flushing.

Wrong

[capplor.livejournal.com]

For proper aerobic exercise, you need to get your heartrate up to a certain speed and keep it there for 20 minutes or more. How fast you actually go is irrelevant (and will speed up as you get more fit, but require more work if you lose significant amounts of weight)

I think the formula is (200-your age) * 0.8

Re: Wrong

[mdlbear]

I get 113. Now all I need is something to measure my pulse while I'm walking...

Re: Wrong

[capplor.livejournal.com]

Any clock that counts seconds would be sufficient. Neck pulses are easy (if you mess up, you're just getting the pulse off the finger that you're feeling it with). Either work out what's "high enough" in 10 seconds, or be slightly less accurate and count the number of beats in 6 seconds. You do want to stay UNDER (200-age)*0.9. And anything greater than (200-age)*0.65 is considered to be a "fat burning" exercise.

Re: Wrong

[mdlbear]

I've never been able to get a reliable pulse anywhere on my body, and by the time I've fumbled my way to something I can count, it's down from wherever it was when I was exercising.