Blogging Ottinger (tim)

Just because I think it’s funny.

I’m not sure why this appears here, but it’s either because it’s funny (in a “oh, that’s nuts” kind of way) or because it’s good (which it is, but it’s nutty). Either way, have fun with it.

Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Pictures, is a bit unhappy because apparently the Internet has destroyed entertainment. I’m surprised. I thought we were having record-breaking box office nearly every month and that there were new movies being made, and hundreds of channels of cable, and whole new worlds of user content in the way of podcasts and the like. And that CEO of Sony Pix was making bank. But no, the internet is killing off all entertainment.

First, he decried the impact of the Internet on the movie business: “I am a guy who hasn’t seen any good come out of the Internet,” Lynton, a former CEO of AOL Europe and president of AOL International, said. “It seems to have done damage to every (part) of the entertainment business.”

Put down the YouTube. Internet content (not for-pay from Sony) is dangerous and wrong, and nothing good can come of it. Can’t we just turn it off and go back to paying for each viewing at a theater like in the good old days? Now that we have internet, I guess nobody can find any way to entertain themselves. Or maybe nobody puts down their wifi-powered entertainment device long enough to go out and consume traditional media. I guess that’s the problem.

Of course, nobody is making any money off the internet. I guess nobody is buying off of web-based catalogs, or ordering movies or music, or electronic trinkets. It’s not like you can buy your clothing and food and everything from the internet. Or learn a skill, or take classes, or find support for your particular health crises or political issues. Or google for help with homework and real work. Or download manuals for the sony devices you’ve purchased from Amazon. Let alone making friends or falling in love. Not one good thing has come from the internet. It’s all bad. Period.

The answer? The Movie Industry needs special legal protection(ism) to survive (without changing).

He also called on Washington to increase protections for copyrighted material, saying “somebody has got to realize that we need some rules.”

In his defense, instead of consuming a nice Sony movie with a box of extra-transfat popcorn, you’ re reading this blog. Hardly compares entertainment-wise.

And he’s partly right about losses due to illegal copying. I’m sure there are plenty of people who won’t buy a movie ticket for some movie they don’t like after sampling it for free on the internet. I would have purchased several more movies if I didn’t watch them cheap via On-Demand and realize I didn’t like them. The ones I like, I eventually buy on DVD. It’s nice to own something that’s good. Movie channels let me pay less for things I don’t really want. I suppose there are people who don’t bother to buy the movies they like. I just don’t know who they are.

Of course, I’m pretty happy to buy a sub-$10.00 DVD copy of a good movie I’ve previewed. I’m much less happy to spend $40.00 plus food costs for the four people in my family to see a single movie we might not even like. I really don’t think that industry can survive on their current trendline of increasing costs passed to consumers, with or without Internet. Not with the current economy and the means for people to bypass obstructions. Protectionism won’t change that.

But the problem isn’t that copyright laws are weak. Copyright is extremely well protected legally. Consider that circumventing copy-protection is not a civil issue but a criminal charge. If backing up a movie I bought with my own money from a legitimate commercial dealer can land me in jail on criminal charges, I am betting the problem isn’t that the law is too *weak* on protecting movies. I might think the opposite. Adding to the laws won’t help. There are strong laws against many behaviors, and they don’t cease.

Most importantly, I don’t think anyone can make money by going against the Internet.

Take a minute to watchvideo demonstration. It’s pretty cool. This is the future they used to tell us about, with the google phone and kindle and gps navigators and electric cars… it’s happening!

It’s ALMOST over.

I’m expecting another tax check, which means I have Gear Acquisition Syndrom (GAS), and I’m looking for a delay pedal. I love the way it fattens up my guitar sound, and those great little U2 and EdisonGlass kinds of fills and backgrounds are calling to me. I’ve been playing through Phil’s Ibanez digital delay, which is nice, but wanting true bypass and some different tonal opportunities.

I dread kneeling down and twiddling knobs during services, though, so I am interested in those which are most foot-controllable. An extra expression pedal control would rock, but if we have tap tempo and a preset or two I think it would be good enough. I’ve not got a great memory and a demanding ear, so less time controlling is nice. Being able to tweak is nice (and they all have that) but usability is better.

I’m not about to go plunk down three or four hundred dollars, and those priced under a hundred really will get my attention. I’m not a professional recording artist or even a professional live artist. I’m not even trying. I’m just a church guitarist, so a lot of money makes no sense at all. I want to do a good job, but a doubling the sound quality of the cheapest of the pedals listed here would be lost on the sound system and congregation. I’m just a sideman, and don’t cut through the mix that much. It’s a different kind of playing.

Analog delays have a great sound, but a short delay. Digital delays have longer delay times and more flexibility but can be a little colder and more “electronic” sounding. Overall, I think that the digital suit my needs better. My favorite sounds include longer delay times with analog-modeled modulation (”chorus”).

I’m not too worried about the stereo v. mono capabilities. It would be cool for the pedal to support stero, but I’m using a single low-wattage amplifier and that’s all wasted on me. It would be a bit of future-proofing, but let’s be honest: the recording industry isn’t looking for me, and I’m not likely to be up on a big stage with a touring band. Overkill is overkill.

Enough of all that, here are some forerunners:

• Nova Repeater is about $150.00, and has some killer features. Check out the video demo. Tapping in the tempo with the guitar is a cute trick.
• Digitech Hardwire DL-8: about $150.00. Nice, reasonably priced, excellent controls, hard bypass. I’m thinking this would be an excellent choice for the money. I’ve had my eye on it for a while, and would love to own one. It would probably win the “ease of use” with such features as calculating the dotted eighth from the quarter not tap. Tap tempo is such a desirable feature. It also has the modulated delay I like best. This is the low-price cadillac of the group.
• Line6 ToneCore Echo Park: looks excellent for about $150.00. Would love to try one. The smaller, less expensive cousin of the DL4. The DL4 is considered the standard-setter for digital delays. Big differences are size and price.
• BBE Two-timer is a twin analog delay pedal costing about $125.00 and looks fun. Two buttons for switching between long/short delays, hard-wire bypass. Looks like it would be easier to work with foot while playing through changes (if you have the repeat time set ahead).
• Danelectro DJ17 PB&J: very inexpensive at around $60.00, has two buttons for switching between long and short delay. The buttons are a little small, and reportedly a little hard to work.
• Modtone MT-AD Analog Delay: about $100.00. Analog sound, Metal chassis, and has true bypass. Not incredibly long delay, sadly, but that’s analog for you.
• Guyatone MD3 Micro Digital Delay costs around $120 solid, tiny, clean delay, true bypass, capable of long delays (as most digital pedals are).

Of these, I think the favorite is the TC Nova Repeater. Second place is a tie with the the Line6 and the Digitech, and third choice is the Guyatone. It’s amazing what you get for the money these days.

I think that july may have to be echo pedal month.

A fellow gathered four P-90-equipped guitars and plays them in series. I was surprised that I liked the cheaper ones better. I liked the SX best, followed by the Hamer, then the Xavier, and the expensive gold-top came in dead last. I guess I was expecting the richer swampier sound. I had read it was so, but never realized that the Gibson pickups sound halfway between an aftermarket P90 and a single-coil pickup. It was a bit thin for me. That SX sounded great, though.