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Jim Alfredson

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  1. Jim Alfredson

    Another lovely Christmas dinner in the books with my siblings, in-laws, and nieces and nephew here at the Alfredson house. On the menu this year, roast leg of lamb with cranberry apple chutney, roasted Brussels sprouts, roasted eggplant cubes, scalloped potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, an amazing green bean recipe from Alison that involves blanching, then heating in a skillet with soy sauce and sesame seeds, asparagus & gruyere tart, a lovely salad, and four different pies. I cannot eat anot...

  2. Jim Alfredson

    So Stella woke up at 12:24am last night thinking it was Christmas morning, beating the previous record held by Zora (when she was 3 years old) of waking up at around 3am. Unlike Zora, however, Stella didn't open any presents. Over the next two hours she kept getting up, going to the bathroom, sneaking out of her room to stare at the Christmas tree. I finally found her laying next to it on a make-shift bed. I told her to sleep on the couch and went to bed myself at 2:30am. The kids came in at...

  3. Jim Alfredson
    It's the annual bump! Check out the first post for some free holiday music.
  4. Jim Alfredson
    I just saw this so I apologize for the late reply. Pretty much any USB stick will work. The files that the SK saves and loads are very small so even a 4GB stick is more than enough. The video you linked is not me but it's a good explanation of how to use the file system. The USB port on the SK is 2.0 I believe.
  5. Jim Alfredson
    Creepy.
  6. Jim Alfredson

    Stella is figuring Jingle Bells out on the piano by ear. The kid's got it.

  7. Jim Alfredson
    We always had turkey growing up. Every year since my wife and I married and bought our home, we've hosted my siblings, their spouses, and children (I have five sisters, a brother, and a step-sister). The first year or two we also had turkey until my wife asked the profound question, "Why are we just having Thanksgiving redux?" Since then, we've fixed roasted leg of lamb along with the appropriate side-dishes (lots of root vegetables prepared in various ways). It took some convincing initially for my siblings to break away from the moldy tradition of turkey, turkey, turkey but now it's become a new tradition that everyone looks forward to each year. Which reminds me; time to order the leg!
  8. Jim Alfredson
    Had a gig tonight and didn't get your email until late. There should be a download link the email from Big O that serves as a receipt. If not, please let me know.
  9. Jim Alfredson
    I was supposed to play there on January 15th but I guess Pete Fallico is pulling his series from there (the one that booked Joey D). Bummer.
  10. Jim Alfredson
    Thank you for the kind words.
  11. Jim Alfredson

    Playing Andiamo's in Bloomfield tonight with Sir Lawrence Barris. 7:30pm.

  12. Jim Alfredson
    Hi folks, From now until January 7th, 2015 receive 10% off any order by entering the coupon code HOLIDAY2014 at the Big O Store! All CDs and merchandise included! It's the prefect time to give the gift of music. The new organissimo T-shirts are there as well as CDs from yours truly. http://www.big-o-records.com/zen-cart/
  13. Jim Alfredson
    Honestly, it doesn't even take that much money these days. It used to be you had to spend $3000+ just to get ONE good condenser microphone. None of the mics I use cost more than $500 new and I certainly didn't pay retail for any of them. And do-it-yourself acoustical treatment is dirt cheap. I am lucky to be good friends with a local studio owner (Glenn Brown) who has all the great outboard analog toys that make everything sound amazing and the ears to use them. I've learned everything I know about engineering from him. But we didn't really use much of that expensive outboard gear on THEO. I mixed it "in the box" (computer) and he used his regular mastering chain on it. That was it. There were a couple of things we fixed in the box and I had to purchase some plug-ins to do it right, but he guided that process and the results speak for themselves. The record sounds amazing. All dynamic processing, all the effects, all the EQ was done in the box except for the final mastering compression and limiting. Even the piano is "in the box". I've had so many people ask me what piano I recorded and it's actually the Pianoteq plug-in. BTW, Scott... we've talked before about Roger Waters and Amused To Death. Knowing you dig that album, I think you'd like THEO.
  14. Jim Alfredson
    Yeah, I know. It's crazy. The drums sound HUGE and they were recorded in a 12ft x 20ft 1970's wood-paneled rec room with 7ft ceilings. It's amazing what you can do if you have the patience and knowledge. A lot of it was recorded on the road in hotel rooms as well and all the bass was done by Gary in either Los Angeles or Florida on his laptop with a cheap two channel interface and ProTools LE. R.I.P., Mr. Alfredson... If that comment doesn't have the wolves chomping on your ass it's only because they fear you as the owner of this site. *edit* Didn't mean to discount the rest of that excellent post, but I need to think a little more on the subject before offering up anything intelligent in response. Suffice it to say, I share your concerns. Nobody needs to fear having an opinion about sound. However, as subjective as sound is the specs for modern digital don't lie.
  15. Jim Alfredson
    For the content creators it certainly has, yes. You cannot make a living on streaming royalties, even if you're Pharrell. http://mediaor.com/post/104921631679/martin-bandier-us-streaming-rates-are We live in an amazing time where someone like me can produce an album like THEO (which strained my capabilities in many regards... musically, technically, technologically, etc.) in a basement studio. That's incredible and inspiring to me. But there's the flip side; who is going to hear it? And more to the point, who is going to pay to hear it? I am not only competing with my contemporaries any time I release an album but I'm also competing with 90+ years of recordings by long-dead artists (or artists long past their prime) and all the other entertainment choices that compete for people's hard-earned money. And when making the decision to spend money a lot of people opt for free streaming or paying the miniscule monthly fees. Vinyl at least presents a revenue source, even though the format should have died. Don't get me wrong, I like listening to vinyl but I recognize it's really only about nostalgia and not sound quality. I think surround sound is much more engaging and exciting and even regular digital stereo sounds far superior. I certainly don't know what the answer is. And I don't even know if more consumption is a good thing. The reason I know a handful of albums backwards and forwards is because they are all I had for years and years. The intimacy from those experiences definitely shaped who I am as a musician. Does endless consumption lead to endless dilution? Is that a good or bad thing? I don't know.
  16. Jim Alfredson
    Yet another format so people will purchase the same music over again.
  17. Jim Alfredson
    Yay! Hopefully people are enjoying the music.
  18. Jim Alfredson
    Well, there is some truth in that these days. I do think music is devalued due in part to the ease of access and also to the fact that it is ubiquitous. Everywhere you go, all the time, there is music constantly. Ubiquity breeds complacency?
  19. Jim Alfredson
    Has anyone written about the downside of having access to anything we want instantaneously and for (relatively) free? It seems to me that it is a double-edged sword which may be contributing to the devaluing of music and art in general.
  20. Jim Alfredson

    Working on material for a new ambient electronica album today... a follow-up to 2008's "In Memorandom".

  21. Jim Alfredson
    I'd be happy covering this quarter. I owe them about three months worth right now. It's $1800 a year for the server.
  22. Jim Alfredson

    In today's First World Problems file, our reliable and heavily used Sanyo toaster oven died last night in it's sleep. It shall be missed. Services are at 9am tomorrow morning. Drinks and regular un-toasted bagels will be served.

  23. Jim Alfredson
    Ok, it's not really fun but it is necessary. You folks know the drill. Paypal to b3groover at hot mail dot com. Checks please PM me for the address (or you can find it on the Big O Store contact page). Thanks, folks!
  24. Jim Alfredson

    "Never be a spectator of unfairness or stupidity. Seek out argument and disputation for their own sake; the grave will supply plenty of time for silence." ~Christopher Hitchens

  25. Jim Alfredson

    Performing with Sir Lawrence Barris and Djallo Djakate at Andiamo's in Bloomfield tonight. 7:30pm.

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