Looking Forward to 2020
Recording Setup Completed (ha right!)
Last time out I updated that I had finished building the mic preamps for the “last mile” part of my recording setup. Over the holidays, I was able to complete the compact 2-module case from DIY Recording Equipment. It was a really straightforward build and the documentation is top notch. If only all DIY projects were documented like this!
Next was the proverbial moment of truth – plugging in the preamps and turning on the power! I decided to place each preamp one at a time, so I could better determine if there was a failure at startup. The good news is I was successful! There was no “Magic Smoke” upon startup of either of the mic preamps or the powered case that I built. Even though I am generally confident in my soldering skills, there’s always the chance that something went in wrong, or was placed in the wrong spot. After all, we’re only human, right?
After the power-up test I tried to do some audio quality testing. This was going to be tough, because these preamps are known to be of the transparent variety, vs. characterful (or colorful). In order to really know whether this setup is adding any “special sauce”, I need to setup a proper blind A/B test. I probably won’t ever get to that, but that’s OK. I’m satisfied knowing that I’m running on a system that I built and so far, everything sounds good, looks good and is simple to use.
2019 Goals Recap and 2020 Goals
Looking back at my 2019 goals, which were intended to be realistic and achievable, I still didn’t complete all of them. That’s OK – life is a road full of (unexpected) curves. Recapping last year’s goals below:
- Develop and complete a data related project at work. – Not Done.
- Write more than 9 blog posts this year! – DONE!
- Read more - I have a decent backlog of both fiction and non-fiction – Incomplete.
- Declutter and work toward minimalism in terms of material posessions – DONE! (but ongoing)
- Keep up with making music, it’s been a great destresser and is fun! – DONE!
Overall, I’m satisfied. The blog post goal was an interesting one because I got off to a good start, then completely stalled in the middle of the year (the birth of a child is a worthy excuse though). In a bit of a photo finish, I made it, with a flurry of posts in the latter half of the year. The data-related project at work never materialized, but I had my hands full getting more settled in, as I’m still learning a lot about my role. I do have some ideas about data-related projects for this coming year that I hope to complete (see below). I read a decent amount, but not as much as I would’ve liked. I mean, I did manage to complete the epic It by Stephen King, so that’s something. Decluttering and downsizing is an ongoing process, especially when I self-sabotage that at times. Oh balance, I made good progress in this arena last year. I sold more music gear than I bought, and I also looked around the house for other items I could sell. Music has really settled in as my main hobby, and I hope to keep that going in 2020.
2020 Goals (that look a lot like 2019 goals):
- Read more – I have some good recommendations from friends as well as that pesky backlog.
- Develop and complete a data-related project for my day job
- Develop and complete the deep learning project for my brother’s Architecture Practice.
- Write at least one blog post per month (seems easy, right?)
- Complete enough songs for at least an EP or more?
See You Next Month
I’ll save the rest for another post. I’ve rambled on long enough.
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