Cheap DAC?

[James Lehman]

It's a good thing people took the time to make sure you learned to read and write and do arithmetic. Otherwise you wouldn't know much at all.

James.

[carmangary]

Want to change that before I tell you how ridiculous that is?

[James Lehman]

Want to change that before I tell you how ridiculous that is?

Do us all proud.

James.

[carmangary]

Well it is really pretty obvious. You can spend your time learning a bunch of stuff that has no practical value or you can spend time enjoying what you want to do. Similarly, if you need to learn something and someone can give you a hand and help you learn twice as fast then that gives you more time to apply that knowledge. It's all about opportunity cost. There isn't enough time to have it all.

[James Lehman]

That's the difference between a player piano and a real piano. There are people who would find no use in a player piano. There is no way to express yourself, until you learn how to play it.

My earlier comment was meant to point out the fact that you have already learned things that are MUCH more complex and you did that when you were a child.

James.

[buffo]

That's the difference between a player piano and a real piano.

No. Terrible analogy. Not even close.

It's the difference between a standard piano keyboard and a Janko piano keyboard. Or, to use a more familiar example, the difference between a calculator that uses algebraic logic and one that uses reverse polish notation.

In these examples, *both* choices allow you to accomplish the same thing. (Either play a song on the piano or solve math problems on a calculator.) However, one of the two choices is more intuitive and thus a lot easier to learn.

Laserboy and Spaghetti both allow the user to create pretty images with a laser projector. But one (namely, Spaghetti) is a lot easier to use. That doesn't make it analogous to a player piano. It doesn't do *all* the work for you; you still have to create the show yourself. But it *is* easier to use.

Like it or not James, Carmangary is on the right track here. If people can't figure out how to use your software, they won't use it.

Adam

[James Lehman]

Well........ Thanks for throwing the word "Janko" at me. I've been looking for that for years!

I'm not sure how you can make any analogies about LaserBoy. You don't know what it can do!

I think Spaghetti is a fine program and it is very easy to learn and be productive with.

Spaghetti and LaserBoy have much less in common and are much more different from each other than you might think. It is technically possible to have nothing but LaserBoy and make everything from within it to produce a whole laser show.

I'm waiting for some stuff I ordered to show up. But I plan to get with mixedgas and do some really intense work with all of this. Part of that work will be to make instructional videos and fix up the website. Steve is a great motivator. He's the reason why LaserBoy got off the ground so fast back in 2003. I always wanted something new to show him whenever he came over for a visit. I like to see his head explode!

James.

[buffo]

Thanks for throwing the word "Janko" at me. I've been looking for that for years!

Why? Do you play piano too? (I thought you were mostly into guitar.?.)

I had a brief look at one (Janko) several years ago. It was on an electronic keyboard. The thing had something like 318 keys. (I think the standard Janko layout is only 264 keys, but this one had an extra octave or two.) It was the most hideously complex keyboard I'd ever seen. But when the guy started playing it, I had to admit I was impressed at how easily he could play complex chords. Then I asked him how long it would take me to learn the layout. "Probably about a year or two before you'll be as good as you are on a standard keyboard right now." Ack!

But I plan to get with mixedgas and do some really intense work with all of this. Part of that work will be to make instructional videos

This sounds interesting. Keep us informed!

Steve is a great motivator.

Indeed he is... Indeed he is.

I like to see his head explode!

Hmmm... I'd pay good money to see that!

Adam

[James Lehman]

Why? Do you play piano too? (I thought you were mostly into guitar.?.)
Adam

I suck at keyboards. But I'm still quite fascinated by the way we humans find ways to make music.

I believe that music is profoundly important. It is more meaningful than spoken and written language.

I believe that music is our way of externalizing the kinds of control signals that move around in our brains and nervous systems. It is a representation of our human "machine language".

James.