Jazz-Sax, all things Jazz and Sax
Another year, another release. These are more refinements to the venerable program, but it’s still great the program is continuing to get better in every release.
Only concern is that this program is still an Intel program. They don’t have a Universal version of it yet that can run natively on M chipped macs. Which seems like that should be a priority in Band in a Box 2026 as Apple has eliminated Intel from it’s computer lines now.
Things I liked and/or bought:
I switched to Boston Sax Shop Silver Label Tenor Reeds. They play great. I used to use Rico Plasticovered reeds. Not any more.
I think I got several of these this year? Or maybe last year. Anyhow, these are great. Boston Sax Shop Voyager Saxophone Multi-Tool.
I sort of started getting a lot of gigs where I had to do lights and/or lightboard. Hey, I go where the money is. And doing tech happens a lot more than getting hired to play music. It’s entertainment related. One of the things I bought was a cmd_key for EOS. Paired with a laptop and a Gadget II, you can run a DMX light system really easy. It’s been a lifesaver on several jobs.
I also paired down my big x32 rack with DL32 breakout (it was in a 10 unit rack case….a real beast to take places) to an Allen Heath CQ-20B. OMG….this things is literally 3/4th the size of the X32, and does just about everything it can do. It fits in a small bag (I have it in an Apache 4800 case). It sounds great, and can do multitrack recordings. Great little box.
I obtained yet another mic for flute. I have been through several. I was using a Shure Beta 57, then a RE-20. I’ve finally settled on using an Earthworks SR-117 mic. It has a Supercardioid pickup pattern, so it works really well in a noisy environment. It sounds very natural and…..it’s just such a great mic.
I have lots of flashlights. My favorite one right now, for the last few months, has been the Sofirm IF24. It has a great magnetic base, and can function as a work light as well. And it does Red light, so you can keep your nightvision.
Finale was discontinued by MakeMusic. I am still NOT happy about that. However, I did buy Dorico……and it just makes things so much easier. Yes, a little bit of a learning curve. Yes, it does a lot of things for you. But it generally does everything how I’d want them, and the output from this program is stunning. While I have like 20 years worth of Finale files…..and converting them into Dorico is going to be daunting to say the least, all my new stuff has been done in Dorico. And I don’t need to run like 5 different plugins on stuff to make it look good.
So, I was initially sad and angry that MakeMusic decided to kill off Finale. They are “focusing” on their cloud shit. Ok, fine.
So the option was either Musescore, Sibelius, or Dorico. Now, I’ve used Musescore off and on. It’s ok. I’ve never liked Sibelius. I’ve tried several times to get into it. It has failed. Plus there is the whole subscription thing, being owned by Avid, and Avid having basically gutted the development team years ago. So it was really Dorico then.
Fast forward to now, I’m team Dorico. I have the Notation Express templates and fonts for it (I also had those for Finale). I also bought the Express Keypad for it to use with my iPad (makes things so much easier).
Anyhow, this brings us to Magnus Bakken. He has a fantastic YouTube channel. And he is in real deep with Dorico. Great article.
In our latest Dorico Showcase article, we spoke to Magnus Bakken, a Norwegian saxophonist, arranger and composer known for his innovative approach to jazz and fusion. A graduate of Berklee College of Music and the Norwegian Academy of Music, Magnus has released several albums as both a leader and sideman. His debut album, Cycles, received praise for its creativity and energy. His latest release, Slackline, out on November 15th, highlights his evolving sound and musical vision. In this interview, Magnus shares insights into the making of Slackline, his creative process, and how Dorico plays a key role in his compositions and arrangements. Read on to learn more.
Great article on Lenny Pickett. I think he doesn’t get enough press for how awesome he is.
https://www.vulture.com/article/lenny-pickett-snl-saxophone-tower-of-power.html
If you’re making an annual pie chart to determine which Saturday Night Live cast members receive the most screen time each season, you may as well add Lenny Pickett to the mix. Nearly 40 years into his tenure, Pickett’s sounds have become as synonymous with Studio 8H as a “Weekend Update” segment. There he is, hovering over the host’s shoulders as the musical director and saxophonist of the SNL Band, patiently waiting for the monologue wrap so he can go wild on the reeds again. “I’ve always enjoyed playing in front of an audience and the spontaneity that comes when you know you have to get it right,” he explains. “In the studio, you can do multiple takes. But on live television, it just happens.”
Yes. Except I’d never pay for a new one. Used is the way to go.
If you haven’t heard, the LONG TIME notation software (which I use), Finale, is going to be sunset. I think it is a terrible business decision. It would have been like Apple deciding to stop doing the Mac when it was in it’s iPod phase. Or it’s iPhone phase. Finale has been a stable, reliable platform to do music on. I have 24 years invested in this program. Thousands of Finale Files. I think MakeMusic’s pivot to “MakeMusic Cloud” is myopic.
There has been talk of perhaps one of the other software packages being able to open FinaleFiles natively. That would be nice. The current “solution” of exporting stuff out from Finale into MusicXML format is less than ideal.
So, what notation packages are remaining then? There is Sibelius. I’ve NEVER gotten into the Sibelius workflow. Ever. I have bought it a couple of times, and just never liked it.
There is the free Musescore. Honestly, it has come a LONG WAY. But it still has a long way to go. While simple leadsheets it can tackle, anything more looks like it would be rough.
So that leaves us with Dorico, the software started by ex-Sibelius developers after Avid gutted the original team. I tried it, and it has a lot of Sibelius like things about it. BUT……it does seem more Finale like than the other options. How it does linked parts is sorta how I think Finale would have eventually done it……if they ever got around to it.
Finale was really frustrating as it would introduce a feature……but it would have issues. They would wait a release or two, and then “fix it” and tout it as a new feature.
Anyhow, I tried, and I exported the “Zinn Practice regimen” to it. Looks pretty good. I need to get more of my “style” set up in it, but generally, it’s not bad.
Zinn Practice Regimen 2024 (913.0 KiB, 3 hits)
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Great video. Michael Brecker is the GOAT.
Over a year ago, Twitter sorta…….shitted itself. Elon Musk F’d it up big time. It is now paid, and basically a bastion of hate and misogyny and all other sorts of bad behavior.
So, I started a Mastodon site, Musician.Social……and it was thriving really well……until the Hosting startup failed. Big time failed. As in they didn’t have backups (like they said they would), etc,etc. So basically went from a 3k user base down to just me.
However, I resurrected it pretty much the same day, and it is hosted on a proven host, Masto.host, and has been running for about 5 months on it. It has been solid.
If you are looking to move away from Twitter, check it out. Mastodon has a lot of great Twitter like clients, there are NO ADS at all on the platform, and tons of interesting music related topics and other things.
Found two great little items to add to your gig bag. First item are these SEFONE Keychain Work Lights. They are small, have magnets, and are way bright. So useful for packing up stuff on the stage. They are replacing the Lmaytech lights I previously recommended (I still love those though, but these lights are smaller).
The second item is this Voyager Saxophone Multi Tool. This is really for ANY woodwind instrument. This little tool is freaking amazing. It is extremely well designed, with the right sized screw drivers, spring pullers, etc. It is just essential to have.
Since 2022, gigging has been picking up. This year, I revamped my “Gig Bag” to reflect better what I am doing now.
The “OLD” Gig Bag was a Landsend Canvas laptop bag I got in the late 90s. I believe I had two of these, a black one and a blue one. The black one basically fell apart about 10 years ago, and the blue one has been my go to. It has done great….except I wanted something slightly more “rigid” to better hold items I am carrying. Also something slightly bigger. This “tool bag” fit the bill perfectly. In fact, one of the Amazon reviewers uses it for a gig bag. Small world.
In one of the new bag’s pockets, I have two of these rechargeable LED lights. So handy to pack up your stuff with proper lighting.
Next pocket has a small philips and straight blade screw driver, a stubby 6-in-1 screw driver, a Gerber Gear Dime multi-tool, an extra lightning cable, usb microcable, and a usb c cable, and small charger for them. And an extra USB stick. And an extra pedalboard patch cable.
Final front pocket is filled with a business card holder that holds my business cards, and a Logitech Crayon for my iPad.
In the bag, I have 2 6 foot XLR cables, 1 15 foot XLR cable, 1 15 foot power cord, two Hola! Music iPad holders that I mounted on a K&M Adjustable Stereo microphone bar, a RE-20 microphone, a Nuemann MCM 114 microphone, my pedal board with is really scaled back setup that has just a PedalTrain Metro 16 with a Elite Acoustics StompMix 4 and an Eventide H9 on it, two iPads, one for music, one to control the Roland AE-30 and IEMs, an Amazon Basic case with extra reeds and stuff, and my IEMs box (Xvive U4R2 with Sennheiser IE 40 Pros)
It’s a lot of stuff, but its been working really well for the pop group I have been playing with.
Another by Harry Styles
Daydreaming by Harry Styles for Eb Instruments (99.0 KiB, 6 hits)
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Daydreaming by Harry Styles for Bb Instruments (97.9 KiB, 5 hits)
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Hello all. Perhaps you have heard of Twitter? Did you hear that a rather suspect guy now owns it outright and is basically allowing all the bad actors back on the stage? Perhaps you want that sort of interactivity where you can follow people or topics, but not have the Ads or the garbage that comes with Twitter nowadays?
I am proud to introduce Musician.Social, a Mastodon instance that is very much like Twitter, without the crap. There lots of people flocking to Mastodon “instances” now that Twitter is Elon’s vanity project.
Basically, every Mastodon site is linked together via “Federation”. Think of it as like email, where everyone has @gmail or @yahoo or whatever, but are still able to communicate. Mastodon is like that. You can follow people you like (like director Rob Reiner who just started on Mastodon). And you can choose the @ part you want at the end.
So, check it out. Follow some #hashtags, and make some connections.
I’ve been a big supporter of these Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) trackers for items for a while. The idea of them is that everyone seems to have a cell phone, and have their bluetooth on the cell phone enabled. When they are in the area of a BLE item, the cell phone will notice the item. And if it is running a App, it can report the location to a central tracker.
The most popular of these BLE trackers was Tile. It works on Android and Apple, but you need to have the App running for it to report locations.
In 2021 Apple released it’s own version of the idea called AirTags, which doesn’t need an App running in the background. It uses Apple’s really cool FindMe network, which has allowed Mac, iPhone, AppleWatch and iPad owners to keep tabs on their devices. Anyhow, it is transparently running in the background of all Apple devices, meaning the number of devices that can report locations is huge. Huuuge.
AirTags are, however, sorta expensive. Plus they need a case. But……Apple did create a “Find My Network Accessory Program” and one such device to come from this is the Chipolo One Spot. This $28 device works perfectly on the Find My Network, and it has a little hole in it to put on a keychain or luggage tag.
So……..basically, get one. Put it in your case. Your gig bag. IF……and I hope it is a IF……something ever happens, like you forget it somewhere, misplace it, it gets STOLEN. You have a chance of getting it back. There are a NUMBER of stories of people being able to use AirTags to get items back.
I think for $28, it’s a no-brainer, especially if you are a Apple device person. I have one in my case (along with a Tile), my accessories bag, portable PA, etc.
#chipolo #airtags #apple
The MagPi Magazine Issue 119 has an interesting article about a Raspberry Pi project to put a reactive light system on your saxophone. Sadly, seems there is no SOURCE CODE for the pitch part…..
A long time ago, back in 2017, I wrote a post on how to make a script using FinaleScript to format a page for an iPad. Seems like in the latest version of Finale (version 27) they changed the format somewhat. The script now should be this.
page layout tool
menu item "Page Layout/Page Margins/Edit Page Margins"
page margin top 0.3
page margin left 0.10069
page margin right 0.10069
page margin bottom 0.12153
select radio "all pages"
press "apply"
press command + "."
select first meas to the end
note spacing
unlock systems