https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inriclaimed
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
switching to why in the alter-reality
there's another alter-reality update tonight.
there's write-ups here they need to be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK1g7Y89Bdc
there's write-ups here they need to be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK1g7Y89Bdc
so, just trying to work things through a little...
i'm convinced that what i'm picking up is radio static. at the frequency level it's at - 5000-15000 hz - it pretty much has to be that. and, it seems too low to be wifi or cell or whatever. it's the frequency that a radio signal operates at, so it's gotta be a radio signal.
the questions i need to figure out are:
1) can i find a way to block the radio signals in the unit?
2) given that it seems to have something to do with the power lines or the streetlights as well, is it the case that these things are affecting my headphones and turning them into a receiver or is it the case that these things are affecting the radio waves and turning them into a relayer? that is, are my phones getting charged (and can i shield them?) or is the signal getting amplified (and then what?).
see, here's the thing: i seemed to be able to block it with a towel. you can't block a magnetic field with a towel. but you can block a radio signal with a towel.
that suggests to me that i may have a solution in building some kind of fort.
i'm hoping my landlord has a gaussmeter. that will help a lot.
but, i think i really just need to go ahead and get the new cords, already. i mean, the worst thing that can happen is that i'll have extra cords.
christmas deposits come in early, it'll be a next week thing.
my walking phones are also demoed, which will be a gst check thing at the beginning of january. they were a christmas present three years ago. i immediately knew that the connector on the noise cancelling unit would break. i didn't think they'd last three years, even. i can unscrew the unit, but the break is too high on the line - i'd have to cut and splice it. they're not worth it, really. i'd rather just get some cleaner phones. so, merry christmas to me...
or...
why don't i get some new phones next week, and then test to see if the interference is gone, then get some new cords if it is?
yeah. that's more logical.
i'm convinced that what i'm picking up is radio static. at the frequency level it's at - 5000-15000 hz - it pretty much has to be that. and, it seems too low to be wifi or cell or whatever. it's the frequency that a radio signal operates at, so it's gotta be a radio signal.
the questions i need to figure out are:
1) can i find a way to block the radio signals in the unit?
2) given that it seems to have something to do with the power lines or the streetlights as well, is it the case that these things are affecting my headphones and turning them into a receiver or is it the case that these things are affecting the radio waves and turning them into a relayer? that is, are my phones getting charged (and can i shield them?) or is the signal getting amplified (and then what?).
see, here's the thing: i seemed to be able to block it with a towel. you can't block a magnetic field with a towel. but you can block a radio signal with a towel.
that suggests to me that i may have a solution in building some kind of fort.
i'm hoping my landlord has a gaussmeter. that will help a lot.
but, i think i really just need to go ahead and get the new cords, already. i mean, the worst thing that can happen is that i'll have extra cords.
christmas deposits come in early, it'll be a next week thing.
my walking phones are also demoed, which will be a gst check thing at the beginning of january. they were a christmas present three years ago. i immediately knew that the connector on the noise cancelling unit would break. i didn't think they'd last three years, even. i can unscrew the unit, but the break is too high on the line - i'd have to cut and splice it. they're not worth it, really. i'd rather just get some cleaner phones. so, merry christmas to me...
or...
why don't i get some new phones next week, and then test to see if the interference is gone, then get some new cords if it is?
yeah. that's more logical.
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
yeah.
i did a compost run this morning, which was a long walk a good way from home, and it was interference free until i got a few blocks from home.
whatever the cause of this is, it's transmitting over several city blocks. it's a bloody huge field.
short of getting the city or the utility or whatever else it is to get to the source, there is no way to stop the interference. that is now clear to me. it's not in my control. my only option is to try and block it.
i learned during the walk that my walking phones have a short. the initial logic was "either it's interference or both phones are shorted. it's unlikely that both phones are shorted. so, it must be interference."
and, it is clear that there is interference.
but, it might also be the case that both phones are shorted.
if i can prove to myself that my studio phones are shorted, and replacing the cord fixes that, then that's good enough for now.
but, i also need to figure out how to approach this huge multi-block field i find myself living in, too.
i did a compost run this morning, which was a long walk a good way from home, and it was interference free until i got a few blocks from home.
whatever the cause of this is, it's transmitting over several city blocks. it's a bloody huge field.
short of getting the city or the utility or whatever else it is to get to the source, there is no way to stop the interference. that is now clear to me. it's not in my control. my only option is to try and block it.
i learned during the walk that my walking phones have a short. the initial logic was "either it's interference or both phones are shorted. it's unlikely that both phones are shorted. so, it must be interference."
and, it is clear that there is interference.
but, it might also be the case that both phones are shorted.
if i can prove to myself that my studio phones are shorted, and replacing the cord fixes that, then that's good enough for now.
but, i also need to figure out how to approach this huge multi-block field i find myself living in, too.
Monday, December 14, 2015
14-12-2015: the interference is present all across the neighbourhood!
tracks worked on in this vlog:
1) https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inriclaimed
1) https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inriclaimed
Sunday, December 13, 2015
12/13-12-2015: a clear conclusion that the source of the interference is outside the apartment
tracks worked on in this vlog:
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inriclaimed
https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/album/inriclaimed
suspected interference problem
jessica
hi.
i'm just wondering how i go about the process of investigating a possible interference problem, and possibly having it fixed.
i'm an electronic musician, so i spend a lot of time listening to unusual effects collages and i consequently have very sensitive ears. i've been noticing strange audio behaviour out of my system since july, and it has taken me a very long time to go through the process of checking various causes and ruling various things out.
after checking driver conflicts, os settings, ground issues, cords and everything else you could imagine, i've finally settled on interference as the root cause because it seems to be unpredictable. it will be fine for a few hours, then distort for a few days. the interference seems to fade in the early morning, and especially on saturday mornings.
the interference i'm getting is relatively high frequency. it's in the radio spectrum. it's a distortion roughly between 5000-10000 hz, maybe a little higher, and often a functional low pass somewhere around 10,000 hz.
i get this interference from multiple pairs of headphones out of multiple systems on multiple circuits. in fact, i even get it from a standalone pocket-mp3 player. but, i've been assuming for the last few weeks that the source was indoors and trying to locate it.
today, i took that pocket mp3 player for a walk around the neighbourhood and noticed that the interference was actually even worse outside, in the immediate vicinity of my dwelling. if i walk a few blocks in any direction, it seems to mostly dissipate.
there was some intense jackhammering in my neighbourhood over the summer, as the sewers were replaced. i'm slowly coming to an understanding that something may have been damaged at that time and it's been feeding out signal ever since, in a way that is proportional to how much electricity is being pulled into the neighbourhood.
do you have a process to deal with this sort of thing? how do i get it started?
hydro one
Thank you for contacting us to bring this issue to our attention.
Please provide your property address, meter number and/or Hydro One account number in a reply email and we will be happy to investigate further.
For more information on Hydro One, visit: www.hydroone.com.
jessica
hi.
i'm a renter, so i don't have the account information. but, i'm located at
805 marion ave,
windsor ontario,
n9a 2h8
i also have some more information to provide you with.
i went for a long walk with my mp3 player and headphones around the city yesterday. i've determined that there is no interference south of erie or east of ouellette.
i believe i'm actually picking up radio frequencies in the phones, but that there must be some environmental factor - likely related to the power lines or the streetlights - that is amplifying it when i walk through the affected area, which is north of erie and west of ouellette, at least as far as where i live (i haven't determined exact boundaries to the north or west of the affected area).
what i think is that some kind of maintenance in the area has disrupted the lines, which has created a large magnetic field that is proportional to the amount of current running through the lines. this magnetic field is then messing with my phones, turning them into a receiver for the normal radio frequencies running through the area.
i may be able to get some readings on a gaussmeter over the next few days and will forward them to you if i do.
hydro one
Dear Ms. Murray,
Thank you for your reply.
Unfortunately, Hydro One Networks does not service this area. Please contact Windsor Utilities at 519-255-2727.
hi.
i'm just wondering how i go about the process of investigating a possible interference problem, and possibly having it fixed.
i'm an electronic musician, so i spend a lot of time listening to unusual effects collages and i consequently have very sensitive ears. i've been noticing strange audio behaviour out of my system since july, and it has taken me a very long time to go through the process of checking various causes and ruling various things out.
after checking driver conflicts, os settings, ground issues, cords and everything else you could imagine, i've finally settled on interference as the root cause because it seems to be unpredictable. it will be fine for a few hours, then distort for a few days. the interference seems to fade in the early morning, and especially on saturday mornings.
the interference i'm getting is relatively high frequency. it's in the radio spectrum. it's a distortion roughly between 5000-10000 hz, maybe a little higher, and often a functional low pass somewhere around 10,000 hz.
i get this interference from multiple pairs of headphones out of multiple systems on multiple circuits. in fact, i even get it from a standalone pocket-mp3 player. but, i've been assuming for the last few weeks that the source was indoors and trying to locate it.
today, i took that pocket mp3 player for a walk around the neighbourhood and noticed that the interference was actually even worse outside, in the immediate vicinity of my dwelling. if i walk a few blocks in any direction, it seems to mostly dissipate.
there was some intense jackhammering in my neighbourhood over the summer, as the sewers were replaced. i'm slowly coming to an understanding that something may have been damaged at that time and it's been feeding out signal ever since, in a way that is proportional to how much electricity is being pulled into the neighbourhood.
do you have a process to deal with this sort of thing? how do i get it started?
hydro one
Thank you for contacting us to bring this issue to our attention.
Please provide your property address, meter number and/or Hydro One account number in a reply email and we will be happy to investigate further.
For more information on Hydro One, visit: www.hydroone.com.
jessica
hi.
i'm a renter, so i don't have the account information. but, i'm located at
805 marion ave,
windsor ontario,
n9a 2h8
i also have some more information to provide you with.
i went for a long walk with my mp3 player and headphones around the city yesterday. i've determined that there is no interference south of erie or east of ouellette.
i believe i'm actually picking up radio frequencies in the phones, but that there must be some environmental factor - likely related to the power lines or the streetlights - that is amplifying it when i walk through the affected area, which is north of erie and west of ouellette, at least as far as where i live (i haven't determined exact boundaries to the north or west of the affected area).
what i think is that some kind of maintenance in the area has disrupted the lines, which has created a large magnetic field that is proportional to the amount of current running through the lines. this magnetic field is then messing with my phones, turning them into a receiver for the normal radio frequencies running through the area.
i may be able to get some readings on a gaussmeter over the next few days and will forward them to you if i do.
hydro one
Dear Ms. Murray,
Thank you for your reply.
Unfortunately, Hydro One Networks does not service this area. Please contact Windsor Utilities at 519-255-2727.
so...
i took a walk around the neighbourhood and the source of interference appears to be the power lines. it fades if i walk in any direction.
the city did some sewer replacements over the summer. much jackhammering. possible cause.
i *think* i can contact the utility company about this...
yeah. i may have wasted six months due to broken fucking power lines.
i took a walk around the neighbourhood and the source of interference appears to be the power lines. it fades if i walk in any direction.
the city did some sewer replacements over the summer. much jackhammering. possible cause.
i *think* i can contact the utility company about this...
yeah. i may have wasted six months due to broken fucking power lines.
Saturday, December 12, 2015
11-12-2015: starting to lose it a little
tracks worked on in this vlog:
1) https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/aliens-are-more-likely-than-god
1) https://jasonparent.bandcamp.com/track/aliens-are-more-likely-than-god
i have come to the final conclusion of outside interference as the root of the problem, but it has not left me any closer to finding a solution.
1) i do not know the source of the interference, but it is certain to me that it is outside my apartment.
2) i do not know if some kind of damage to the phones made existing interference worse, if the interference damaged the phones or if the interference is more recent.
the electric heating upstairs was removed last spring. a new tenant moved in upstairs near the beginning of the summer. i think this is the reason it seems ok, then doesn't, then does. it depends on the interference floating around. i had suspected this previously, but every time i came to a different answer i put it aside; these have all been false positives, and the interference is really the only thing left.
one of the most compelling demonstrations of this occurs when i place a towel over my head, which dampens it. moving my head around drastically alters the sound. it really couldn't be more clear.
i've decided on a plan.
1) i will finish this project on a track-by-track basis. most of it is mixed, i just need to verify that it sounds correctly. it is a bit of a process to find the right way to position the headphones, but it can be done.
2) i will replace the cord in the phones. i am not certain this will work, but i have to try it.
3) if it does not, i will need to talk to my neighbours, and see if i can determine a cause.
4) i'll need to talk to the landlord, after that. he has done electrical work in the building. he's an electrician. he may have some ideas.
5) if i still cannot resolve the issue, i will have no option but to plan to move.
i think 3 & 4 are the most likely to yield results, but i need to approach this incrementally to avoid making errors in my living arrangements.
the inriclaimed project, and related projects, will need to be done in the next few days. i will be able to do the filing I need to catch up to where i was, after that, while i wait for the phones to come in. the new cord will likely arrive early in the new year, and i'll have to go from there.
1) i do not know the source of the interference, but it is certain to me that it is outside my apartment.
2) i do not know if some kind of damage to the phones made existing interference worse, if the interference damaged the phones or if the interference is more recent.
the electric heating upstairs was removed last spring. a new tenant moved in upstairs near the beginning of the summer. i think this is the reason it seems ok, then doesn't, then does. it depends on the interference floating around. i had suspected this previously, but every time i came to a different answer i put it aside; these have all been false positives, and the interference is really the only thing left.
one of the most compelling demonstrations of this occurs when i place a towel over my head, which dampens it. moving my head around drastically alters the sound. it really couldn't be more clear.
i've decided on a plan.
1) i will finish this project on a track-by-track basis. most of it is mixed, i just need to verify that it sounds correctly. it is a bit of a process to find the right way to position the headphones, but it can be done.
2) i will replace the cord in the phones. i am not certain this will work, but i have to try it.
3) if it does not, i will need to talk to my neighbours, and see if i can determine a cause.
4) i'll need to talk to the landlord, after that. he has done electrical work in the building. he's an electrician. he may have some ideas.
5) if i still cannot resolve the issue, i will have no option but to plan to move.
i think 3 & 4 are the most likely to yield results, but i need to approach this incrementally to avoid making errors in my living arrangements.
the inriclaimed project, and related projects, will need to be done in the next few days. i will be able to do the filing I need to catch up to where i was, after that, while i wait for the phones to come in. the new cord will likely arrive early in the new year, and i'll have to go from there.
Friday, December 11, 2015
Thursday, December 10, 2015
it's finally consistently sounding a lot better. with a slight caveat.
current hypothesis - and take it for what it's worth given my track record - is that the seal on the left headphone is weak. either due to the bass loosening it, or just because it's weak, the seal is consistently opening. this is creating a magnetic field that is picking up interference. the interference is distorting the output in unpredictable ways, as it's dependent on whatever is floating around.
i seem to be able to break the field by pushing the seal in, but it seems to pull itself back open. i don't want to glue it because i do want to be able to open the phones up. the break is really paper thin. i'm hoping that pushing it back together often enough will put it back in place.
i'm thinking the cause of this may have been the short i was getting in the last cord, which had me frequently fiddling with the connector on that side. the sound seems to have really broken when i was mixing "viewless" at high volumes, which features a massive thump on the low end, in the drums and bass guitar. so, i think it was a combination of things. i may have made it worse by jimmying it open a few months ago, looking for a cause.
i've had far too many hypotheses, and in the end they all either fail or end up incomplete. but, i think this one is ridiculous enough to be plausible. and i do seem to be getting cause and effect, which has eluded me for so long.
i need to listen for at least the rest of the day to be sure. i don't expect to finalize anything today. but, i'm posting this because i legitimately think i finally got it.
current hypothesis - and take it for what it's worth given my track record - is that the seal on the left headphone is weak. either due to the bass loosening it, or just because it's weak, the seal is consistently opening. this is creating a magnetic field that is picking up interference. the interference is distorting the output in unpredictable ways, as it's dependent on whatever is floating around.
i seem to be able to break the field by pushing the seal in, but it seems to pull itself back open. i don't want to glue it because i do want to be able to open the phones up. the break is really paper thin. i'm hoping that pushing it back together often enough will put it back in place.
i'm thinking the cause of this may have been the short i was getting in the last cord, which had me frequently fiddling with the connector on that side. the sound seems to have really broken when i was mixing "viewless" at high volumes, which features a massive thump on the low end, in the drums and bass guitar. so, i think it was a combination of things. i may have made it worse by jimmying it open a few months ago, looking for a cause.
i've had far too many hypotheses, and in the end they all either fail or end up incomplete. but, i think this one is ridiculous enough to be plausible. and i do seem to be getting cause and effect, which has eluded me for so long.
i need to listen for at least the rest of the day to be sure. i don't expect to finalize anything today. but, i'm posting this because i legitimately think i finally got it.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
you have to remember: stipe is a wry guy. and, he tends to come at things from multiple angles at the same time.
what he's getting at is the unrealistic nature of the expectation, but he's balancing out the selfishness of suicide with the right to it.
are those the eyes that the narrator really wants the listener to remember?
eyes that shiver and fold?
is the narrator truly not creating a burden?
truly holding these things inside?
and how can you look the narrator in the eye, when these words are coming out?
should the narrator be surprised that the listener is shivering?
but, the sum total is simply an exploration of how difficult the situation is.
i don't think he really comes to a total conclusion.
what he's getting at is the unrealistic nature of the expectation, but he's balancing out the selfishness of suicide with the right to it.
are those the eyes that the narrator really wants the listener to remember?
eyes that shiver and fold?
is the narrator truly not creating a burden?
truly holding these things inside?
and how can you look the narrator in the eye, when these words are coming out?
should the narrator be surprised that the listener is shivering?
but, the sum total is simply an exploration of how difficult the situation is.
i don't think he really comes to a total conclusion.
i think people are mostly getting the point, but they're missing the device. and, i think that getting the device ties a lot of the ideas here together. this is one of stipe's smartest tracks and analyzing it does a lot to point out that his language is often very carefully put together, even when it may not seem like it is.
"it's 10:00. do you know where your kids are?"
this was often something you would see on tv during the reagan years, generally during a newscast. it was also widely ridiculed by young people at the time. you still hear it from time to time. it's meant to ask the question: are your kids on drugs?
what stipe is doing is ironically putting himself in the role of the adult, here. he doesn't exactly want to be the adult. he doesn't want to be the "downer". but, he's also seeing this world first hand, and he's reflecting that the news reports are not entirely frivolous. that the kids are on drugs. or, at least some of them are. and, the ones that are on drugs need a bit of help with it, too.
he's trying to establish a perspective that exists in some kind of middle ground.
he's then taking that middle ground to reflect on the real value of freedom, and how he feels about getting in the way of the freedom of others. the car is the american symbol of freedom.
the drug lingo is consequently entirely accurate, but it's a giant double-entendre about feeling caught between the counter-culture and a feeling of responsibility to help people. to stipe, this is a very stern moral dilemma that pits two equally valuable ideals against each other. he's struggling with this moral dilemma.
the language about bush & ollie north is also accurate. you just have to understand their connections to drug smuggling, even as they're rounding people up for it. freedom?
what that does is set the tone for a record that is broadly about feeling powerless to change things, and the futility of getting lost in it.
it's really a fucking lyrical masterpiece.
but, through all of it, remember: a working class hero is something to be.
"it's 10:00. do you know where your kids are?"
this was often something you would see on tv during the reagan years, generally during a newscast. it was also widely ridiculed by young people at the time. you still hear it from time to time. it's meant to ask the question: are your kids on drugs?
what stipe is doing is ironically putting himself in the role of the adult, here. he doesn't exactly want to be the adult. he doesn't want to be the "downer". but, he's also seeing this world first hand, and he's reflecting that the news reports are not entirely frivolous. that the kids are on drugs. or, at least some of them are. and, the ones that are on drugs need a bit of help with it, too.
he's trying to establish a perspective that exists in some kind of middle ground.
he's then taking that middle ground to reflect on the real value of freedom, and how he feels about getting in the way of the freedom of others. the car is the american symbol of freedom.
the drug lingo is consequently entirely accurate, but it's a giant double-entendre about feeling caught between the counter-culture and a feeling of responsibility to help people. to stipe, this is a very stern moral dilemma that pits two equally valuable ideals against each other. he's struggling with this moral dilemma.
the language about bush & ollie north is also accurate. you just have to understand their connections to drug smuggling, even as they're rounding people up for it. freedom?
what that does is set the tone for a record that is broadly about feeling powerless to change things, and the futility of getting lost in it.
it's really a fucking lyrical masterpiece.
but, through all of it, remember: a working class hero is something to be.
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