If you are at all interested in Binaural recording, ASMR, click this. Meet Annabell. The #Annabell project A DIY Binaural Dummy head

Meet Annabell: Audio below:

Annabell’s perspective

My perspective.

All links to purchase peaces for this project are at the bottom of this post.
I first heard a Binaural recording on a BCT podcast created by Neal Ewers back in 2007. From that moment I was fasinated and had to get my hands on a pare of in-ear Binaural mics. To me, Binaural recording is the most realistic method of capturing audio, the way the human ears hear it. Not only do you hear stereo, what is to the left or right, but much more defined than standard stereo recording. You can hear the smallest of movements, the immage is also much wider, more spacial. You can also hear if the source being recorded is above or below the warer of the microphones. On top of all of this if the condissions are right you can hear a source positioned behind the warer of the microphones.

Why a dummy head instead of you just waring the mics?
Several things come into play here. Remember that audio recorded in Binaural is a very life like audio capture. I didn’t realize many of these things until I started recording with the use of the Binaural in-ear technique. In real life, in real time I believe our brains acomidate for these things, but when we’re listening back to a recording they are noticeable.
If you turn your head the audio spins, if you breathe and a semi quiet recording, you hear it back strongly on the recording, when you talk your voice is muffled.
On the other end, and this is a bit wild, we really haven’t heard ourselves from someone elses prospective, in less, we have a friend or family member waring the in-ear microphones, and then you hear them breathing and the other things I mentioned above.

Probably 10 to 15 years ago I started truly researching Binaural audio and discovered that before in-ear microphones were regularly available binaural was captured from a dummy head. My mind thought of a million new ways which I could use Binaural audio, if I myself wasn’t the one waring the mics. In research of dummy heads I found then, and now, that they are very costly between $300-500 without microphones and considerably more with mics. I went to Guitar Center and had my Fianci record me as she wore my in-ear Binaural mics. I had not heard myself from her prospective playing that guitar before. It sounded much different than it does while I am holding the guitar recording with in-ear mics. Much Clearer! I was amazed.

how could I build my own Binaural rig?

I started researching several months ago and found that Amazon cells dummy heads for manicans to display wigs. In further research I found that the best ears may be made of cilicone and that with motifications one could create a Binaural recording dummy head which is much less costly.

I texted my dad a few weekends ago after watching a DIY youtube video and asked if he would be interested in assisting in making the motifications to the head in the video and shipping it out to me. In the video the creator was using a styrophone head, which he had to drill in the ears to place earbud style roland mics. Dad agreed and in some further research, found a head on Amazon with pronounced ears that come off the side of the head as human ears do.
The head is filled with PVC. In research I found that they use PVC in baffles for studios, so I gave dad the green light to give it a try. There were two models of the head from the brand we were looking at that we chose, the female 20 inches, the male 21 inches. The female had the more pronounced ears. In testing we settled with the female, and that’s how the Annabell project began. The only motification dad had to make to the head from stock, was to drill both ear canals a bit deeper for the earbud tips of the Sennheiser AMBEO Smart Headset to fit in. He used a half inch whole bit which creates a perfect hole, instead of a drill bit, and drilled in 1/4th inch at an angle towards the front of the head mimicking the human ear canal. Because the ears come off the head as human ears do, this also acomidates for the over ear hooks of these mics.

I heard multiple test recordings from Annabell. The Before drill, which was incredible as far as the stereo immage left to right, but lacked the third demention. After drilling, it sounds like Annabell is a live human waring the mics and recording. It is breath taking!

Annabell on a pedestal:
To keep the likeness of life she needs a tripod. Of course to display wigs, they have tripods. I got one that allows me to raise her position, from sitting level to standing which will of course change the height perseption in the recordings. The tripod comes pre-built. There are a few attachments. For Annabells mount below her neck, you will easily find the attachment that feels like a screw driver handle. This is what fits inside of the mount/hole below her neck, the other end feels like a small microphone metal grill. This grill should be inserted from the bottom of the ring that is in the packaging down into the poll of the tripod, so that the screw driver handle is in your hand pointing up, and the metal grill feeling peace is pointed down. The metal grill peace is what allows her head to tilt etc on the tripod. Mount this peace and get it stable alined the way you want it, and then place the head on and it will be a tight fit/click into place. Her tripod is mounted to a tripod dolly. This puts her on casters, making it quite easy to spin her around.

Annabell, will you hold my phone please?
On her tripod I have the, Crescendo CR-30 SlimClip Mic Stand Phone Holder which will mount an IPhone on the tripod in an otterbox just fine. It also comes with built-in rubberbands on all four corners to keep the device locked in place. You can use the touch screen easily. The tripod comes with a phone clip but it doesn’t open wide and feels flemzy.

So this of course begs the question for users of Voiceover, how can we hear speech while the mics are in Annabells ears? Probably not very easily. It’s doable in a quiet space, but if things are loud forget about it. Because they should be plugged in before Voice memos or another recording app is launched we may be at a loss here. The speed dots screen protector may assist us especially if we have the app in our doc, and even more especially, if recording launches on app startup like it may in Recup. Because one of my fasinations is to Multi-track music in binaural using an iOS device is at least at this time with iOS audio limitations not doable. So, what to do about it.

The Sinheizer Ambio Smart Headset can of course be connected over USB C, to Android or even Windows 10/11 via the Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter. I thought about using my laptop to run Annabell into, but what concerned me were devices connected to her off to her side or sides. There’s also the laptop fan noise, and sound bouncing off of the laptop if it’s close If I am moving around her for positioning, especially if I have headphones on, that is two cables already. Headphones attached to me, computer attached to her. Things are going to get tangled, she is bound to fall. She is on a tripod, what is she going to fall into that I’m not even thinking about, and what damage will she also endure.

I’ve searched for a mini PC for a couple years now, all of them with touch screens are quite more expensive than the latter mentioned here. I didn’t know this, MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC existed. It is just about the same size as an old IPod clasic, or, just bigger than a passport external HD. It doesn’t have a screen. It doesn’t have a battery. It does have two USB C ports, one for powering the mini PC, the other for data and power out to another device. It also has Wifi6, Ethernet, Bluetooth 5, 8 GB of ram, a truly decent speed processer, 256 GB internal storage, a headset 3.5 audio jack, 3 USB A ports and HDMI. The main point I’m getting to though is, that it also fits into the phone clip mentioned above, and on the tripod, becomes the brain/recorder for Annabell. Pare this with a wireless keyboard, and the evatronic Laptop Power Bank, 20000mAh 60W PD 3.0 Portable Charger, along side the, SCOSCHE FMT4R battery powered FM Transmitter, and the worries above go away. I don’t have anything tighing myself to Annabell and she and I are truly mobile. I’m running JAWS and Reaper on the MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC. I’ve got her audio going in, and JAWS and Reaper audio coming out via FM into my talking book player. I just have to nudge items back in reaper by four and everything is lined up. Reviews on Amazon state the PC gets hot, and therefor will slowdown the processer to cool down. Only time will tell, but one major thing I have noticed is running wireless radios cause the mini PC to heat up a noticeable amount. Turn them off and it cools down within 5 minutes. It is a pretty speedy computer for the recording job at hand.

What does the Annabell project look like?
The tripod has three legs to keep her up right.
Moving up the tripod you have the mount with one small boxe coming off of it in the front. This is the mini PC. Attached to the mini PC are three cables. USBC for power which connects to her battery, this can be placed on the floor under the tripod. Next to the Ethernet port. Audio 8th inch which has the small lightweight FM transmitter hanging off, USB C to lightning connected to the mics, which go up the tripod into Annabells ears.
Annabell, is very detailed, the texture of her feels like a softer soccer ball. She is very light she will not make the tripod heavy She has a head, face and neck. In the bass of her neck is where she mounts to the tripod.

All right, so we’ve talked about a lot here. Lets talk pricing. If you are just looking for Annabell, which is of course, the dummy head, the Crescendo CR-30 SlimClip Mic Stand Phone Holder, and Wig Stand tripod, and you already have the mics, you’re looking at around $100. If you don’t have the mics, or want another pare for this project they are celling for $50 on Amazon. I realize I may be a bit out of the norm here with the fasination of multi-tracking music in binaural audio, so I don’t expect many would need the MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC and evatronic Laptop Power Bank setup. The price listed above for the DIY Annabell dummy head project without the PC and battery are quite a bit cheeper than $300-500.

Audio:
Here are audio examples recorded from Annabells prospective.

Multi tracking, binaural music test

The trash bag test

Gas fireplace shut down sequence

Running a winter bath.

Please see all project links below via Amazon.

Amazon.com: Crescendo CR-30 SlimClip Mic Stand Phone Holder, iPhone Clamp Mount, Pole Phone Mount, Microphone, Music, or Drum Stand – for iPhone, Samsung
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077L9742K?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_KYMEVED7DD4XCJPJDJMS
Amazon.com : Sinheizer Ambio Smart Headset
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Sinheizer+Ambio+Smart+Headset&crid=3AB7JLU8O2XSP&sprefix=sinheizer+ambio+smart+headset%2Caps%2C125&ref=nb_sb_noss
Amazon.com: HAIRWAY Bald Mannequin Head Female Professional Cosmetology Head Make up Doll Head for Wig Making, Displaying , Eyeglasses, Hair with T-pins
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KK87KSF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
Amazon.com: Wig Stand Tripod Wig Head Stand Adjustable Mannequin Head Stand for Canvas Block Head,Styling Wigs Hair Extensions,Wig Display,Cosmetology
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BN1PQCH?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Neewer Photography Professional Heavy Duty Tripod Dolly with Rubber Wheels and Adjustable Leg Mounts for Canon Nikon Sony DSLR Cameras Camcorder Photo Video Lighting https://a.co/d/1NAzNRY

Amazon.com: MeLE Quieter3C Fanless Mini PC Windows 11 Pro Celeron N5105 8GB 256GB Micro Computer with Full Function Type C Small Desktop WiFi6 Ethernet
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B74KLMWQ?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_779Z9CFQEDW83YBHMSAC&th=1
Amazon.com: evatronic Laptop Power Bank, 20000mAh 60W PD 3.0 Portable Charger, USB C Fast Charging External Battery Pack for MacBook, Dell, iPad Pro, iPhone
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B45TP7NP?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&th=1
Amazon.com: SCOSCHE FMT4R FM Transmitter with 20 Frequency Selections : Cell Phones & Accessories
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004NEUK86?ref=&th=1
Amazon.com: Anker USB-C to Lightning Audio Adapter (Audio Only, Does Not Support Charging) : Electronics
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R6MKJZH?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share&th=1

Get Notifications from your PC, JAWS, over Network to your iOS device! Shortcut and JAWS Scripts!

Written by Drew Weber. Released 01/12/2023. Listen to Audio demo of Shortcut and Scripts in action, below!

Notification Over Network JAWS Scripts
Written by Drew Weber.
Twitter @_IllegallyBlind
Released: 01/12/2023
Text read/write/append Functions, in this script set written by Jamal Mazruiand. (More information below).
Usage:
When we are away from the computer it may be useful to get it’s notifications over the world wide web (network) to our iOS device. This may be helpful if we are in the other room or have went out for a bit.
some of the functions found within these JAWS scripts allowing reading, writing, and appending to a text file, were written by Jamal Mazruiand. provided on the mailing list by Jamal Mazruiwith. The archive of the post may be found at
https://www.freelists.org/post/jawsscripts/writing-strings-to-text-file-using-jaws-scripting-techniques,1
, & are in his “homer utilities” file, the link provided by this post no longer valid.
http://grabbag.alacorncomputer.com/jawsscripting.html
Examples of use case sanarios:
What if we don’t have an unlimmited data plan connection on our IPhone so we don’t use all the apps in the world, that we may at home on our PC but we’d still like to know what is going on with them?
What if we have apps/servers on our computer that regularly give us notifications, that iOS applications don’t yet exist for.
Difference between JAWS Tandom, NVDA remote and Notification Over Network JAWS scripts:
If we are using some type of remote client, it must first exist on the iOS platform. Secondly, we may have to drive to different apps to get all of the notifications which is more work. With Notification Over Network JAWS Scripts you get all of your notifications quickly in one spot.
How does it work:
Notification Over Network uses both JAWS scripting, plus an iOS Shortcut and Dropbox to work it’s magic.
The JAWS Scripting monitors for the need to copy JAWS speech history, notifications from the computer. You hit a keystroke to turn this monitoring on before you walk away, a keystroke to turn this off when you come back.
The iOS shortcut includes the switch, (variable) to start the notification copy to a text file which lives inside your dropbox. This switch is switch on by demand, autoswitch off. What this means is that you will not automatically write up a huge text file over time. This is also for your security so as to not have everything that your computer speaks live in your dropbox. Also for your security we are not using a public file share link to get to the tex tfile which includes JAWS speech history information. Dropbox is connected to your shortcuts app on your iOS device. Finally, for your security, JAWS will act a bit sluggish when monitoring is enabled. So as if this script is at all used for malice the end user will most likely quit and relaunch JAWS which will, as these scripts are written not autoenable.
Things you will need:
JAWS running on a Windows PC.
A Dropbox account.
Dropbox instaled and running on the PC.
The folder
JAWSSpeechHistory
inside the main or root directory of your dropbox.
an iOS device.
The shortcuts app instaled on the iOS device with Dropbox privileges setup. If you don’t already have Dropbox enabled this will most likely pop up when you first run the Notification Over Network shortcut found below.
After instalation, to launch Notification Over Network monitoring, press control+shift+alt+n, once. To stop the monitoring press it, twice quickly. A lot of us will be familior of launching the NVDA screenreader with control+alt+N, so, you are just adding shift into that keystroke.

Instalation:
Create the folder
JAWSSpeechHistory
inside the main, or root folder of your Dropbox on your computer.
Open the,
CopyToDefaultJSS.txt
file included in this zip archive, within notepad.
You will need to edit the dropbox path so that it matches your username on your computer.
This path lives in multiple lines of code within the scripts. If you are running Windows10, or earlier, you may most likely use the find in Notepad, control+f to search for
YourUserName, within the CopyToDefaultJSS.txt. You may use control+left or right arrow to move through the path easily, and control+shift+right arrow to select the YourUserName peace of the path and then hit your delete key. Type the corisponding username peace of your dropbox path. To find your username,
hit windows+r to bring up the run dialogue
type,
c:\
hit enter
hit the letter, u, until you come to users.
hit enter
now see if your name is listed in this directory. If it is, make sure it’s selected, hit enter
Hit d until you come to dropbox. If you find the dropbox folder here, hit backspace
now, find your name again.
Hit f2 to open the rename edit dialogue.
Hit control+a
hit control+c
hit escape so as to not accidentally atempt to rename this folder.
bring up an empty notepad and control+v to paste.
Now you have the peace you need for the path in the scripts.
If you are running Windows11, Notepad seams to be screwed up in multiple places, one of those being the control+f to find. You can’t close the dialogue box to get back to your text file. In Windows11 users case: I will place the lines of code below so you know what you are looking for. Again home, then, control+right arrow on the line will assist you in finding the path. You will notice, two, backslashes. This is nessasary within paths in JAWS scripting. Please don’t remove the extra backslash that looks foregn.
Open the CopyToDefaultJSS.txt file beside this readme file.
alt+tab until you get to it, then, alt+tab until you get back here to the ReadMe. Now, you should only have to alt+tab one time to get back and forth between files.
In the CopyToDefaultJSS.txt hit control+home then alt+tab back to ReadMe.
Now, if you are performing the steps, but using say all for any reason, hit control to stop speech here and use down arrow instead.hit down arrow to start reviewing the code in the readme, then switch back to CopyToDefaultJSS.txt to find your place and start motifying.
YourUserName, is what you will delete and replace within CopyToDefaultJSS.txt. You may use control+left or right arrow to move through the path easily, and control+shift+right arrow to select the YourUserName peace of the path and then hit your delete key. Type the corisponding username peace of your dropbox path.

Code to motify is below:
DeleteFile (“c:\users\YourUserName\Dropbox\JAWSSpeechHistory\Notify.txt”)
let notify = ReadStringFromFile (“c:\users\YourUserName\Dropbox\JAWSSpeechHistory\Notify.txt”)
DeleteFile (“c:\users\YourUserName\dropbox\JAWSSpeechHistory\sh.txt”)
WriteFileFromString (“Speech History \n”, “c:\users\YourUserName\dropbox\JAWSSpeechHistory\sh.txt”)
AppendStringToFile (history, “c:\users\YourUserName\dropbox\JAWSSpeechHistory\sh.txt”)
DeleteFile (“c:\users\YourUserName\Dropbox\JAWSSpeechHistory\Notify.txt”)

Move to your modified
CopyToDefaultJSS.txt
Hit Control+a to select all.
Hit Control+C to copy to clipboard.
Hit Insert+0, to open the JAWS Script manager.
Hit Control+Shift+D to open your default.jss file. If you haven’t included any custum scripts in your default, JAWS may announce, Shared Default.jss. If you have, JAWS may announce, User Default.jss
Hit Control+end to get to the bottom of the file. Make sure you are on a blank line below
EndScript
Hit Control+V to paste the contents from the CopyToDefaultJSS.txt which you have copied to your clipboard.
Hit Control+S to save and compile. You should hear a ding, with the announcement, Compile Complete.
Now we will Copy all contents from
DefaultJKM.txt
Open the DefaultJKM.txt file
Hit Control+a to select all.
Hit Control+C to copy to clipboard.
In the JAWS Script Manager, hit Control+O to bring up the open file dialogue.
Tab to files of type and hit K, JAWS will announce, KeyMap files .jkm.
ShiftTab until you get to the listview and hit d, for Default.jkm.
Hit enter.
Hit control+F and type Common.
Hit enter, and then escape you should land on the line that reads
Common Keys.
Hit, end, then enter.
Paste the contents from the
DefaultJKM.txt
file with control+v.
Hit control+s to save. You won’t hear a ding.

The iOS Shortcut:
Visit, from your iOS device, the link
https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/60fa0b544eb44982b06c4c4b1968e10d
The shortcuts app should pop up after a few seconds and You should see an option to “add Shortcut”. Doubletap this.
If you don’t see this option, you may need to motify your shortcut security settings.
Double tap on settings, in the search field type, Shortcuts, doubletap on the shortcuts option near the bottom
This will open your shortcuts options and allow you to toggle shortcut sharing options. Some settings seamed to have changed in recent versions of iOS. Please use Google to find exact steps if you are unable to easily enable sharing/security options for Shortcuts.
Now we are going to add the shortcut to your home screen:
Once you have the shortcut added, find, JAWS Notify Over Network, in your Shortcuts app.
Swipe down on it to get to edit shortcut, and double tap.
Now you will be in the coding of the shortcut. Close to the top of the screen, right under the time, you should see
JAWS Notify Over Network, Actions menu.
Doubletap this
Swipe to the right to the share button and doubletap
Close to the bottom of the screen should be
add to home screen, double tap this.
This will pop up a name box with other options. We already have a name so hit done/add button.
You will be taken to your home screen and should be ready to go.
Enable monitoring with control+shift+alt+N JAWS will report
JAWS Speech History Notifications Over Network, Started.
Now doubletap on the JAWS Notify Over Network shortcut.
After doubletapping on the JAWS Notify Over Network shortcut, The final landing point of this shortcut is within your Dropbox for iOS app. You want to be on the home tab, which shows your recent files. Find and doubletap on sh.txt and you should see your most recent noifications from JAWS.

Download the zip file below, for all the code mentioned above.

Notification Over Network JAWS Scripts.zipDownload

The coolest gifts, from Christmas past.

Wow, isn’t it crazy how years fly when your all grown up. Tomorrow, is December 30th, of 2022. Flip back over 20 years ago, it was, almost, y2K, everyone was scared the world was gonna end. I had these friends, who lived out in the country, and there parents were sams club members, and baught cases, and cases of water and MRE’s. We stood in the church on December 31st, 1999, when the stakes were high, expecting the Lord to come back, we were ready. The clock struck mid night as church members sang, and? We, were still all there. It felt different, as we walked out into the crisp Missouri air, the car started, my Braille N Speak 2000, booted, only cause I purchased the upgrade, lol. We drove home. 22 years later, I’m still here today. It’s crazy how the years fly.

I know it now, like I wouldn’t admit it then. I was, spoiled when I was a kid. Not the kind of kid though who was always a brat, at least, I don’t think so. It was something I focused on then. I got a lot of cool gifts. I remember going to moms a few years back, and played my drum kit, and it felt like Christmas. I thought, this Christmas, man I don’t need a damn thing. If I had all that stuff stored away and only played with it as an adult on Christmas, that’s all I’d ever need.

The first gift which I remember receiving that made a difference in my young life was a micro cassette recorder. My dad sold office products my entire life. He had one that he took voice memos on back in the day. I was probably 2 years old and I was obsessed with his. I remember the first time I felt it on the table, I said, Dad what is this? He told me. I said what is a recorder. He said, well son, you talk in it, like this. He showed me. I was amazed. I don’t think I’d heard my voice on tape before that. Fast forward later that year, and I was looking through a old toy box at a neighbors house. I found something. Why it was in the toy box no one knew. It was, a micro cassette recorder, with out the tape door. I remember rushing to his dad and saying, is this what I think it is? And he told me it was broke, he needed to throw it away. I asked, can I have it then? He abliged, and the thing never worked. I remember being sad, and even later that year, on Christmas morning, I got a brand new one. It came with a pack of three little tapes. It had a strap that would go over my rist at the time, lol, yes, I was that young. It had two speeds one an octive slower than the higher. It had a mono earphone jack and microphone jack. It took two aa batteries. I used it, and used it, always though recording over what I had previously recorded, because, it was easy to get back to the beginning of the tape.

When I was about 5 I wanted to play an instrument. I didn’t know which one, but my parents suggested the piano. We had one in the livingroom. Sure. So it was all serious and we’re going to find you a piano teacher. For Christmas/Birthday, I asked for an electronic keyboard. I remember going to Toys Are Us, and was looking at keyboards in a glass case. I couldn’t feel them, and so, mom asked the sales clerk to get one out for me to touch. As the clerk was doing so, she nocked over something that sounded miraculous in the case! What, was that mom? I asked, well, it’s a guitar. A guitar? I remember dad had a toy one that I had touched up in the closet, so I asked, is it like dads? Well no, it’s electric. It was electric! It had a built-in speaker/amp. I was sold! The clerk got it out of the case. I layed it on the floor and was told I should hold it and shown how. It had a wammy bar, the speaker was small under the strings where a sound hole on an acoustic might be. It wasn’t loud but there was some grit when you turned it all the way up. Um, mom, so can I get that instead of the keyboard? No, lets find a keyboard. 🙂 The keyboard was cool, I rmember it had a motorcycle sounding patch that I had never heard again. It had built-in speakers, probably a casio. I started learning the piano. Still though, my blood ran guitar.

the next year, the entire year, I couldn’t stop talking about the guitar. Oh I was taking piano lessons all right, but it wasn’t the music I listened to. I found hard rock way to young, but that’s another story for another time. two of my fondest memmories in my life were at that time. My vision teacher took me to the mall. They had a music store. This was the second time that I touched a guitar. I had got a litteral toy one that year with no strings and buttons so I new how to hold it. I remember talking to the clerk, and he plugged the guitar at the mall into an amp. I remember I hit the fifth and fourth strings, making a d power chord. I had never felt that excitement before. I would have stayed for hours. The next of the two memmories was going to the local music store with dad, to which, I did stay for hours. I held the guitar and strummed it as dad sat patiently by. When I woke up on Christmas morning that year I went into the livingroom by the tree. There was a different smell in the room, a kind of varnish, a newness. There by the tree, was a 3 quarters Memphis guitar, with a small PV amp. I played that guitar that day until my fingers litterly bled. I played cat scratch fever using fourths, and smells like teen spirit also using forths. That was, the best Christmas gift I have ever received which set the course for my life.

So naturally for Christmas’s to come, the gifts naturally revolved around guitar. A couple years later I asked for a WaWa petal. I got it, but it didn’t sound right. I put a new 9V in it, it didn’t help. I took it to guitar lessons,a nd asked my teacher, what’s up with this? It doesn’t have the throw that it should. It was, a WaWa for a bass. We exchanged it and ooooo!!! Then it was all right! That petal was so fun to learn and brought a new expression to my playing

Years later when I was probably 11 or 12, I discovered the four track recorder. Not the APH one, but the musical mixer which would allow you to layer instruments. Oh how I wanted one. My guitar teacher had another student who was celling his. I remember I didn’t know if I was going to get it or not, but that Christmas morning there it was! A year or so earlier I had been visiting a family friend and he had an old drum kit in his bassment which needed work, and I was so excited about performing the experiment of playing a beet on the drums, without hearing anything, then seeing how it would sound to layer my guitar over that, and vocal two part harmoney on top of that, 4 tracks. I’ll never forget the first time. Listening back to it all together, I had a revelation. I wanted to be in a band, just as bad as I wanted the guitar, and the WaWa petal, and the Four Track. All my friends at the time were into video games the super NES. Now I could be in a band, without being in a band, if I got good enough. That gift too, was crucial in setting course for my life.

Moving away from Christmas for a moment. When I was 4-5 years old, my dad called us boys into his office. This was totally unexpected with the surprise in his voice. Boys, I have a gift for each of you. No, I didn’t get it, my boss was kind enough to get you these. After we open them you are going to call him, and after that write him a letter of thanks. These gifts were extraordinary. Like, I know if it wasn’t for him getting us these gifts, it would have been years later that I would have gotten the gift. My brother Nick loved TV, movies, the old west. For Nick dads boss litterly got him a miniature pocket sized TV. It had a pull out antanna, a digital tuner, about the size of the game boy that would come out years later. It had an eighth inch video in and a mono earphone out. It took 4 aa batteries, had a little speaker at the bottom. That was freakin amazing!! For me, he got, a Sony Discman. Yes, the real deal Sony discman. I didn’t have a CD player, of course not!! shit, my parents had only purchased one a year before that and they hadn’t had a stereo for years! This was incredible! It was big, took 4 AA batteries, had two switches on the front one for megabass, one for hold. On the top were two sets of buttons, play/stop big buttons on the right, and scip/seek smaller buttons above the play stop. a set of four on the left, programming buttons. It was heavy. It had an all metal casing around it. I had never heard anything so clear in my young life. I had it until I was 12-13. It litterly wore out. I wish it hadn’t, I wish I still had it. It would go for thousands on Ebay but I’d never cell it.

When I was going to turn 10, I wanted a walkman that would record from the radio. I didn’t know if there was such a thing. Mom and I went to best buy, and asked the clerk. There was, such a thing! It was a sony. On that birthday there it was. What I learned was much cooler than recording from the radio mobile, was the fact that it came with a stereo microphone. This was incredible in my opinion. Up to that point, my recorded world, had been mono. I remember setting the recorder and the mic in the driveway, as I road my bike by it on the sidewalk. Listening back I heard stereo space/movement as I road by. I remember listening to that over and over again. The only thing that came close in that big of way later in life was binaural recording. Speaking of Christmas gifts, one of my brothers lifes wants was a remote control plane. He got one, and I recorded this flight with that walkman that God I wish I had!!! It was such a cool recording.

Over my life I have received a hell of a lot of amazing gifts! But those described above, are some of the coolest! Which will always remain in my memmory! I know we all have that gift as a kid that has shaped us!!! I’m wishing everyone a very happy and prosperous 2023!