I just spent 20 minutes trying to find a good console-based mp3 tag editor in gentoo, and was surprisingly fruitless in doing so. After using the wonderful "equery belongs" command tied to an editor I use on my server (but couldn't remember where it came from), the program mp3blaster came up. Although mp3blaster claims to just be an m...

Okay... So, since I began this journey of becoming a better recording engineer, I knew there was a lot to learn. I have a degree in Digital Media with an emphasis on audio recording, and thanks to a great teacher, Mike Wizland, I quickly began to get a good grasp on the basics. The early success of the studio has enabled me to get a few great m...

I've often wondered what the significance is behind them not understanding God's words the first 2 times.  What immediately comes to mind as I ponder this, is the angel Moroni speaking to Joseph Smith 3 times, repeating the exact same message, added upon, each time...  But Joseph understood Moroni's words each time.  I can't think of...

Last week, PoeticIntensity decided to join us again, with an interesting concept.  He had spent the previous evening playing some chords, and decided to make a song out of it that evening.  So we spent an hour coming up with the concept, and another 2 hours tracking it.  We then spent a few more minutes mixing it down until it sounde...

All I've gotta say is - don't get on the wrong side of God.  The wrath of God shown in chapter 9 really is quite astounding. Then, in chapter 10, it's almost as if God's words were pleading to the people...  Almost as if God were remorseful of the things He had to do...  Claiming, "If ye only had kept my commandments, these th...

So Jeff Petersen is a guy with whom I've been friends for years.  I hadn't seen him in probably as long.  We went to BYU together, were roommates, and had summer jobs in California together.  We got along very well... But then we each got married, he moved to Missouri, and that was that...    ...until two days ago. ...

We've been contemplating how to best improve the studio with all the business we've been getting lately, and the votes are in! Please welcome our newest addition to the studio, a nice shiny new red GOLDEN AGE PRE 73 PRE-AMP!  We spent a good deal of time looking into the best preamps for the money, and it came down to two main contenders. ...

The most striking point of this chapter, this time, was the description of the darkness which covered the land after the storm.  I've never thought about the darkness as an analogy of Christ's absence.  The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes. We know death as being a type of prison due to the body and the soul being separated...

Ya know, sometimes in this business, you've gotta use ingenuity.  And then there are other times you've just got to call it quits.  I'm really glad we didn't choose that option for last night's session, because it turned out just fine... Well.. That is, after we spent hours trying to figure out how in the world we were going to accompli...

It's chapters like these that get me thinking about the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ and the "end of the world".  Reason is, is that this chapter happens just a few years before the 1st coming of Christ.  For some reason I analyze these chapters to death, and each time I do, I find more things that seem to parallel what may (or ma...

Today, I woke up to about 6-10 inches of fresh powdery snow all over the place.   It's actually beginning to feel like Christmas time, now! Now, most normal people would say within themselves, "Man, I hate snow on the roads.", but not me. I'm not entirely sure why I'm this way, but it's been this way ever since I can remem...

I just arrived home from a most splendid 3-hour church meeting. Yesterday morning I got a call from the elders' quorum president, in which he asked me to teach the priesthood lesson today.  I said yes, and got the information I needed to teach. The lesson was on "Obedience Born of Faith in God".  Well...  I spent about 5 ...

I'm not entirely sure where to even begin with this chapter.  So many good stories are found in this one, which can easily be likened to our own lives and our own times.  Various lessons come to mind.... For example, verses 1 through 3 are a magnificent litmus test of personal righteousness.  When someone comes at you and truthfull...

Okay..  So I installed Ubuntu on my brother's computer about 3 weeks ago, and he has been loving it!  Before that, he had been using gentoo with me as his personal admin, which I didn't mind because he rarely needed it, and when he did, it was usually a 10-30 minute fix, no problem. So, he liked it so much, and from what I could tell, ...

Due to recent events in my life, I've been feeling a little like the waves constantly lapping at the shore - in motion or at unrest.  I know the sounds of the ocean usually bring a feeling of peace, but .... not if you're in the water.... :) Anyway...  This feeling of unrest has brought on a bunch of thoughts and ponderings to me as I'...

 Holy cow.  I only have 10 more chapters to go, and I'll finish the goal I set 3 years ago, to read and write about each chapter in the Book of Mormon.  I'm not sure why, but when I just realized that (like 1 minute ago), it was kind of surreal for me.  Anyway...  Here goes. Moroni 1. Moroni had to be one of the most tr...

Before I even begin reading this one, I've gotta say that 2nd Nephi 2 is one of the power-doctrine chapters.  I'll be surprised if I can get through reading this today. Verse 2 contains an interesting phrase:  Consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.  This brings to mind quite a few cross-references, but can you imagine how much...

We've done it.  We've hit the mother load.  The golden goose has landed. I had the opportunity yesterday to work with one of the most talented musicians I've ever met.  It's somebody I've highly respected the past few years, and have wanted to work with ever since I heard him play.  He's largely unknown, and has requested me om...

I've been pretty much stuck 100% in the Linux world now for around 5 years.  I bought myself a Cowon iAudio X5 media player based on its compatibility with Linux (and its complete lack of anything DRM related) - and I've loved it for the 2.5 years I've had it. I also had a blackberry which I had used for 2 years, thanks to Nature's Way. ...

Three things stood out at me during tonight's study session: 1. I wonder where the translation of the plates of Lehi are right now?  I've never read the history of the Chuch, so I don't know if it's documented there, but Joseph Smith had them, and had them returned to him after he lost them.  Did he destroy them?  Are they somewhe...

Well.. I got to verse 3, when a concept which, for some reason, has been pounded into my spirit throughout pretty much my whole life, came ringing true and clear.  What is that concept, you ask? Don't assume to know anything about the effect you may have on others.  Sometimes you can tell, but sometimes you can't. Because of the honesty...

Herod the Fink is a Christmas collaboration project between Jesse Crowley and Jason Jones which has been going on now for 3 glorious years at Advanced Budget Studios.  This year's offering is a 4-song EP. The music this year ranges from a bluegrass crossing punk style of "Joy To The World" to an introspective look in to each of our...

I'm not entirely sure what to write, but I know I've got to write something.  I figure I'll just put fingers to keyboard and see what thoughts spew forth. Lately, I've been feeling a bit of a slump spiritually.  It's not uncommon for me to go in cycles of spirituality, but this time, it's a bit different.  I haven't felt the desire...

Yesterday, we received a new shipment. Aren't they pretty?  Our new KRK RP-8 G2 Monitors not only look great, but they sound completely awesome. The instant I put the project at hand through them, it was instantly obvious what needed to be done to enhance the sound - and that is what good monitors are supposed to do. Can't wait to use...

We've been recording a bunch of drum-takes to be added to otherwise "ready-to-go" songs lately here.  The latest of which happened to be a genre I particularly don't like much - country. But, the music sounded so good for this particular song, I decided to have at it anyway - and 4 hours later, we came up with the final result. I...

Okay.  I've used various verses from this chapter to prove that we had agency in the pre-earth life, but now I'm questioning myself.  Here's the basis: Verse 3 says this: And this is the manner after which they were ordained—being acalled and bprepared from the cfoundation of the world according to the dforeknowledge of God, on ...

"Yielding Our Hearts to God"  or   "Change of Heart" - Man, I love this talk. I wish I could tell you all how much this talk means to me.  When I heard it the first time, I was with noisy kids, so I didn't get much out of it, but the next time I listened to it was during lunch, and I was alone.  I...

What a whirlwind, I tell you what. The usual cliche's about this being the busiest time of my life seem to pale against reality, so I'll just dive into the thick of it all. I've spent the past 3 weeks working intensely on getting the new studio up and running. Thanks to the help of my brother Ryan, my dad Ray, and a good friend, Jeff Stock, th...

Growing up, I'd have to say that I was a bit of a pious punk religiously, but I was so due, in large amount, to my being incredibly naive. To demonstrate my naive-ness, I really thought that being emotional was pretty much the same as being spiritual.  Yes...  Believe it.  I was naive. One other bit of heretical doctrine I beli...

My marriage, or rather, the marriage I have entered into with my sweetheart for the last 7 years, hasn't really been that bad.  In fact, I'd say we're definitely on the upper-hand of "marital happiness" as far as the national statistics go. There are quite a few reasons for this, I'd say.  One is definitely that I feel I'm giv...