Category: Music

audio and heat (not necessarily together)

Thursday, 30 August, 2007 at 11:59 pm

Follow-up on previous post: went to car stereo store, got a Panasonic CQ-C3405U (that’s what the guy said to put in there) and managed to get my CDs back, all for $170 and some change. woot. It took only 45 minutes too. Take that, Carmax service shop!

Of course, the cons: no cassette player (used only to listen to mp3 player though), only one CD slot player, no bass/midrange/treble control on the panel, doesn’t switch from FM to AM and back (goes through FM1 band, FM2, FM3, then AM band), and it’s not part of the manufactured car. Pro(s?): auxilary jack! XD The system is made for iPod, which I will never own as long as Creative is in business (and offers a fairly good product), but I guess I’ll get over it.

I don’t really like not being able to switch from CD player to radio, and have the CD player pause while I’m listening to the radio (getting traffic reports from 980 and 1070). (Or, I’m not quite sure, maybe the new CD player does pause, I wasn’t really paying attention…) Mostly by CD player I mean my music. With my old system I had to go to my mp3 player (i.e., reach down and fumble around for the pause button) then switch to the radio, and I accepted that and didn’t listen to my mp3 player often (didn’t hurt that it’s only a 1 gig Zen Nano *grin*). But now, since I’ve got only one slot for CDs, I decided I should (finally) move over to mp3 player.

It’s sort of a trade-off. I’ve got two different modes of driving/music-listening: driving to work during the summer, about an hour-long trip (no need for more than one CD), with frequent switching over to radio; and then there’s driving to school (from L.A.), just straight four CDs in a row three hours of non-stop music. Driving to school isn’t too much of a change, I just have to set up my mp3 playlist before leaving, instead of gathering CDs and loading them in the car. But driving to work … gah, I hate the instances where I have to fiddle around with things just to not miss the traffic report or a bit of the music I’m listening to.

(Funny thing happened on the way home today. I turned on the radio and plugged in my mp3 player but didn’t turn it on because it turns off after a minute or so anyway…. So ten minutes into my drive, while on the 101 going 65–70ish I turn on my music, and a couple minutes later I realize that I wasn’t really paying attention to traffic around me; I didn’t recognize any of the cars around me, just the van [far ahead] in front of me, and I couldn’t recall driving past all the offramps to near the point where I have to start moving over. hahaha!)

One last thing I’m not particularly happy with: the new system seems to up the treble more than I like. :( As I said before, there’s no bass/midrange/treble control on the panel like there was with the Dodge system, and it really really spoiled me I see. Now I can only adjust the bass and the treble. Ouch. I’ve got the bass and treble lowered, but while listening to my Anastasia soundtrack (CD) I could hear the highs, which hurt my ears. Then today, listening to Aly & AJ’s Insomniatic on my mp3 player the same thing happened, only moreso (hadn’t noticed while listening to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Gorillaz, or The Used, hah). I turned down the treble from −6db to −12db where it was comfortable-ish to my ears, but the music sounded flat and besides there were still some semi-highs hurting my ears, so I changed it back. (Later at a long red light I went into the mp3 player’s settings and lowered the highest frequency.)

Now if I had a midrange control, I could simply increase that and be perfectly happy. But no! N says audio companies must think we’re idiots or something, because a lot of stereo systems don’t come with equalizers. Mum’s system has an equalizer, but the ones N look at have only a control for the bass and treble (like my car!). *twitch* That’s like … the one thing that makes buying audio bearable for me. Buy something I find decent, then adjust the hell out of the equalizer. Grar.

(Ack, why do I always end up typing way more than I plan?)

The very last, very minor annoyance I have: the knob. It’s shorter, making it harder for my long-nailed fingers to get a grip on it XD and it’s made out of metal which honestly I would never think would be a drawback, but in the valley where it gets to 110° … say hi to little burns on my fingers.

Today my car read the temperature at 113°, at 3:30 in the afternoon. That wasn’t really so bad. The bad thing was being in an office where for some reason the air-conditioning wasn’t going below 85°. (Yeah, it’s taking 115° air from outdoors and lowering it 30°, and I’m complaining because it won’t go down another 10°.) I never thought 85° was sweltering, but apparently it is. I found it really hard to concentrate on my work (updating my boss’ website, woo) and sat there thinking about the old “Japan Dresses Down” article, wondering how they could possible work in an environment that warm. Like, do accountants make a number of mistakes? Because I found myself making mistakes today … forgetting an " for one. o.O

Later in the car I heard on the radio that power companies were asking people to turn off their thermostats and conserve electricity. I know a lot of places were only in the 80s today (this house, for example, and us with no air conditioning, oh me oh my how do we survive in such primitive circumstances?), but still, sitting in a hot car in 110° … that bit of advice drove me a tad crazy. I’ve always thought people should keep their A/Cs at 78 at the lowest … but sitting in an office where the thermostat was set to 72 and I was sweating just sitting at a computer, I don’t know, I guess I have to rethink that.

Also, I felt more guilty than usual running my A/C in the car today. haha. It’s one of the hottest days this week and I’m trying to keep from getting dehydrated, and I turn my A/C down to the lowest setting (on max A/C though) which I never do because the lowest setting is pretty weak. Heck I even opened my window at Santa Monica Blvd. just to see if I could withstand the 85° heat. (The answer was no.)

Then again, I could have lessened my use of gasoline by not gunning the engine driving around slow cars. But gahhh, semis going up the pass at 50 mph … *dies*

Gypsy, Aly & AJ

Friday, 13 July, 2007 at 5:27 pm

Yesterday Mum and I watched Gypsy ’cause Mum was looking for a movie for me to watch. I feel like, even though I couldn’t really watch the movie (VCR is getting old, and the VHS cassette is old), I really saw the movie this time. Rose’s manipulation, June’s frustration, Louise wanting to please Rose, and then the scene where Louise had to go on stage as Gypsy Rose Lee for the first time. Man, what an actor Natalie Wood is. XD I really need to see her other movies. (I’ve seen The Great Race, Gypsy of course, Splendor in the Grass, and Rebel Without a Cause.)

Mum told me that Gypsy Rose Lee came to the filming of the movie and cried when she saw Natalie Wood on stage, because she had the walk down perfect.

In other news, Mickey bought Aly & AJ’s album Insomniatic. (From Wal-Mart. Hulk smash!!) Wheee! It’s a great album. :D Whenever I listen to Potential Breakup Song today I get weepy. It’s just … so good. *wipes away tear*

antsy today

Friday, 23 March, 2007 at 12:48 pm

I feel so antsy. o_o

Woke up at 9 this morning; ate breakfast (mochi with little fishies); washed dishes; took out the trash; vacuumed the living room, my room, the bathroom, and what Hidek swept up from the kitchen; packed up most of my stuff (computer still being used); scanned random stuff I thought would make nice Photoshop brushes; and paid cable/internet bill. o.o Busy!

Now I don’t know what to do. I’ve got three hours left til I leave for my last final. I looked over the study guide last night, feel I know the stuff well enough to answer the questions. Just need to study the equations (ppi/dpi/lpi stuff).

And theeeen … I drive for three hours back to L.A.! Yay! I think I appreciate the drive more if I don’t have to drive back in less than 48 hours. And I’ve got good music to listen to. I think Hidek is tired of it though, I keep listening to it in the car. XD Maria Mena (two latest albums), the Submarines, Evanescence (The Open Door), Muse (Absolution), Mirrormask soundtrack.

I think I should eat lunch. That would be a good idea. Then maybe I’ll watch a movie. Maybe.

rain Wet Christmas

Monday, 11 December, 2006 at 11:30 am

Wow I spent an hour on this computer already. Bad me!

Over the weekend I just worked on my art journal. Not much interesting there. It rained. Lots. eep. I’m glad I didn’t have to be anywhere in it. ^_^

Oh, but I did take Hidek to Circuit City to see if they had the Wii in. grr.

I have no idea how people can drive so frickin close when they’re going so frickin fast when there’s lots of water that’s spraying up into a mist behind cars. *twitch twitch* I stayed behind this RV and van that were going 45 on the 101. ^^;; I also wasn’t feeling completely awake while I was driving.

It’s so weird, in L.A. when I thought I saw rain, it wasn’t really rain, it was more like a drizzle compared to what I’ve seen at the community college I went to in Ventura County, and here. And yet people in L.A. still don’t know how to drive in it. O_o

Hm. Today I woke up at 8:45 and left at 9:30 to get my pictorial space project printed and my art journal bound. Still not done with it, I just wanted it bound. I just pretty much have to write some stuff and print some stuff and glue stuff in. Oh yeah, I have to make the folders though. meep.

Before I left, I was watching music channels (it turns out the California station here doesn’t play KTLA morning news after 9, whyyyy?). Um, heard a band I want to look into on Steven’s Untitled Rock Show, Over It. On VH1 Classic they were having a special with Twisted Sister about their new Christmas album. It’s funny how good metal can sound if there’s a tune behind it. XD;;; I saw the music video for “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” and I didn’t think it was disgusting. (I am not a fan of metal or the like.)

But I don’t think I want to hear their version of “White Christmas.” I just can’t hear any version other than Bing Crosby’s. (I’ve also come to really love the movie Holiday Inn. XD) Same goes for “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Erm, with Judy Garland replacing Bing Crosby. *blink*

sizzle (no nuzzle)

Wednesday, 6 December, 2006 at 1:44 pm

O_o o_O *weird* I was listening to Smile Empty Soul’s “Bottom of a Bottle” a little while ago. I noticed when I tilted my head (I’m trying to preview my art project, but it’s printing landscape) that I could hear a sizzle sound from the speakers I’m using. AHHH!!

Background information: I’m using Mickey’s speakers connected to my laptop. (Even more background info that’s unnecessary: First he bought a Panasonic stereo system with radio/cassette/CD playback. Hidek owns it now. Then he bought … I think his 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound system, I’m not sure if it’s made by Yamaha. Then he bought the speakers I’m using now; they’re Harmon/Kardon “Soundsticks II” and they’re really good. Then he bought his “Darth Vader” stereo speakers made by JBL, which he’s using right now and why he’s letting me use his Harmon/Kardon.)

Considering how much of a music snob Mickey is (“You encode your mp3s using 192 kbps?” “IPod isn’t bought for its sound quality.”) and how much research he puts into buying anything (especially speakers), I’m really surprised that I hear a sizzle in these speakers. o_o (But I’ve got him beat in my car stereo! XD I have to brag. He spends his mucho bucks on all the fancy music equipment but I get a better sound in my car than he does in his. *rocks out*)

It’s making me worry. *shifty eyes* Did I break his speakers?

I’m hoping it’s just that one song, although I heard a tiny bit of sizzle while listening to Bowling for Soup’s “Girl All the Bad Guys Want.” I mostly heard it during the chorus and random parts of “Bottom of a Bottle” though. Who knows, maybe it’s just the desk I’m using that’s vibrating? It is made of metal and glass (borrowing from AJ :D). But I put towels underneath the speakers (I’m copying Mickey, haha), so that really shouldn’t be the problem.

Or maybe Mickey set some equalizer settings a certain way that doesn’t suit the song. He listens to pop, and while I listen to pop too I listen to some rock-ish songs. I don’t even know how to adjust the equalizer if it is that. ._.

But really the oddest thing is that I could hear the sizzle better with my head tilted, and that’s how I found out about it.