Artists in the Age of Algorithm-Driven Tyranny
As I prepare for the digital release of my work, Will Have Been, I received a checklist from my digital aggregator—a list meant to guide artists through the maze of modern-day music promotion. Some points were straightforward: write a bio, craft a compelling description of the album, etc. But then it gets tricky. The real challenge is convincing people to listen—or better yet, convincing those with influence to share the music, to link artists with audiences.
Today, artists must work to win the favor of playlist curators, reviewers, and influencers, often needing to pay or seek validation from individuals with little musical talent, those who’ve somehow been crowned "tastemakers" in this strange new world. The irony is hard to ignore. Musicians invest their hearts, their souls, and thousands of hours refining their craft, only to be at the mercy of people who care more about algorithms and trends than about art.
I have released several albums of my own, participated in or produced several others, and have had lengthy discussions with other musicians. I know the frustration of seeing one’s work go unnoticed without constant promotion. We pour your hearts into creating something, only to realize its success depends less on quality and more on playing the game—networking, social media algorithms, and appealing to tastemakers for exposure. We’re all caught in this strange space where the art itself takes a backseat, and our main task seems to be pleasing the algorithms.
When the internet first became a thing, it promised to democratize access to information, to create more opportunities for all. For a while, it felt like it might deliver on that promise. But now, we're back to gatekeepers—just a new breed of them. Instead of major labels or radio executives, we have playlist curators and influencers who wield power over what gets heard. And it’s not just individuals anymore; streaming platforms are designed to push algorithmic content—music that is familiar, formulaic, and devoid of risk. The songs that fill those playlists don’t have nerve or personality. They're designed to be easily digestible, to resemble whatever was popular last month, with no room for anything different or bold.
I understand this is the reality, and has been for decades. But should it always be like this? Should those of us who create have to follow these patterns, to bow down to tasteless middlemen? I refuse to. But I believe in the human spirit. I believe that artists will continue to create excellent, meaningful work, even if finding the right audience becomes increasingly difficult. I also believe that audiences will eventually come to realize that they need to put in effort too—that they have to search for art that inspires, elevates, and enriches their lives, rather than simply consuming what is easy to make or algorithmically handed to them.
In a world dominated by noise, there’s still space for clarity, creativity, and connection.
I don’t know if this resonates with you at all, given the state of the world today. But I plan to keep composing the music that fascinates me and continue supporting the artists whose works I admire. I object to the tyranny. This is one of the reasons why this blog remains free and has a strict no-sponsors policy. I want to be able to write from a place of honesty, not influenced by who pays for ad space or who might boost my SEO.
Nail Care Secrets from a Classical Guitarist
As classical guitarists, nails are an essential part of our craft. The tone, texture, and volume of our music are deeply influenced by the condition of our nails, thus nail care is a widely discussed topic among guitarists. In the quest for healthier nails, many guitarists search for products and supplements to strengthen and maintain their nails, but I've found that the key to resilient nails lies in a balanced lifestyle, proper nutrition, and sufficient sleep.
Disclaimer: Although I share my experience and observations, I am not a doctor, and the information provided in this blog post is not medical advice. It is always wise to consult with a healthcare professional before making changes to your diet, sleep habits, or lifestyle.
The Berlin Nail Saga: An Anecdote
Nine years ago, my life took an exciting turn when I moved to Berlin. However, my nails began to weaken and tear during my first year here, thanks to my less-than-ideal diet. Alarmed, I sought the help of a dermatologist who, initially attributed my nail issues to age, suggesting that I accept my nails' inevitable decline.. I was only 30 at the time! After explaining my profession and my nails' critical role in my performance, she reluctantly handed me some brochures and a list of costly vitamin pills to buy. Diet, however, was never mentioned.
On my way home, I had an epiphany: my poor diet was sabotaging my nails, not my age. Nails were just the first casualty, and a transformation was crucial. Instead of pouring money into pricey pills, I embarked on a research journey and made sweeping changes to my diet and sleep schedule. A year later, my nails had made a remarkable comeback, and after years of continued dietary improvements, my nails and energy levels are now stronger than ever.
Nutrition Guidelines for Nail Health
Biotin-rich foods: Indulge in eggs, almonds, and sweet potatoes, which are rich in biotin—a B vitamin that promotes nail strength and growth.
Protein: Since nails are primarily composed of keratin, consuming lean meats, fish, and beans can help provide the necessary building blocks.
Omega-3 fatty acids: Fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds can help moisturize and strengthen nails, thanks to their omega-3 content.
Iron: To prevent brittle nails, incorporate iron-rich foods like spinach, lentils, and red meat into your diet.
Zinc: Whole grains, oysters, and legumes contain zinc, which supports nail growth and strength.
Vitamin C: Consuming vitamin C-rich foods, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, and bell peppers, can help promote collagen production, essential for nail health.
Incorporating Healthy Foods into Daily Nutrition
To harness the full potential of these essential nutrients, I try to incorporate them into my daily meals. I practice intermittent fasting, so I eat three meals within an 8-hour window. Here's an example of my typical day:
Breakfast: Quinoa seeds, flaxseed, raw cocoa in Greek yogurt, topped with various berries, nuts, and cinnamon, plus a piece of 95% dark chocolate with my coffee.
Lunch: Grilled salmon or meat with a side of colorful veggies, ensuring I get enough protein, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids to keep my nails strong and healthy.
Dinner: A delicious omelet with mixed greens, providing a blend of biotin, iron, and vitamins.
The Power of Sleep and Balanced Lifestyle
In addition to a balanced diet, getting enough sleep is crucial for overall well-being and nail health. I aim for about 8 hours of sleep per night, ensuring I go to bed and wake up at approximately the same time each day. This consistent sleep schedule supports my body's natural circadian rhythm, contributing to better overall health, including the strength and resilience of my nails.
Furthermore, leading a balanced lifestyle, where stress is managed, physical activity is regular, and mental well-being is nurtured, plays an integral role in maintaining not just nail health but overall body health. Of course, life happens, and unexpected events can throw our schedules off balance. As a musician and father of two kids, I embrace the challenges of spending long hours practicing, traveling for concerts, and juggling family responsibilities, which can sometimes make it difficult to adhere to a perfectly balanced routine. However, I always strive for a healthy lifestyle, acknowledging that it's an ongoing process and that every effort counts towards maintaining the well-being of my nails and overall health.
Lasting Tones
The secret to strong, healthy nails doesn't lie in quick fixes or expensive supplements. It's about embracing a lifestyle that focuses on balanced nutrition, overall well-being, and sufficient sleep. In my experience, weak nails are often one of the first signs our bodies give when we're not providing them with enough nutrients and rest. By recognizing this early warning and taking action, we can ensure our nails remain strong and healthy, allowing us to continue producing beautiful tones. Keep in mind that it's always best to consult with a medical professional before making any major changes to your diet or lifestyle.
Essential Accessories for Classical Guitarists
One of the things that I always loved about the classical guitar is its simple nature. We can practically make music anywhere; all we need is somewhere to sit, good nails, and a decent guitar. Oh boy, was I wrong?
It turns out that a fresh strings and a bunch of scores are not enough. Here are some essential accessories for the classical guitarist.
Take your guitar and play anywhere you want.
Humidity Control
Fine guitars are very delicate instruments, drastic changes in the temperature and humidity can damage them, and even subtle non-ideal climate conditions in prolonged exposure can negatively affect your guitar.
You don’t have to live in a desert for your guitar to get dried out.
I guess that you already have a nice hardshell case to keep your guitar inside when you are not practising, this would keep it safe to some extent but is not enough. Unless you live in a perfectly stable environment, average in every possible way, you need to make sure that your guitar feels comfortable. That means around 45%-50% relative humidity level in room temperature.
If you have a humidifier/dehumidifier in your room, and never travel with your guitar, then you are fine. With no small kids or pets, you can also keep your guitar on a stand. For the rest of us who travel for concerts, lessons, or holidays, the constant and sometimes harsh humidity changes can harm the instruments.
The D'Addario Humidipak keeps my guitars in a perfect condition.
After trying a few different options, I've been using the D'Addario Humidipak Maintain System for a couple of years; it gives me peace of mind even when I travel to Greece. It comes with two cloth pouches for the case and inside the instrument, and three humidifying packs; one for the headstock and two for the soundhole.
They should last around four months, but depending on where you live, it can take up to a year for them to dry out. If you live in a dry environment, the first pack will get stiff quicker than that.
Tip - When you play keep them in your case, and remember to close it tightly. This habit will make sure of maintaining the ideal conditions inside your case and will keep the humidifying packs healthier for longer.
You can also combine it with the D’Addario Humiditrack to monitor any humidity and temperature changes of your instruments for additional mental calmness.
Tip - This summer, I brought a few dried out humidifying packs to Greece, and after being exposed for a couple of weeks in the high humidity levels of a seashore town, they recharged and became as good as new.
Keep it clean.
Keeping it Clean
The D’Addario Micro-Fiber cloth takes care of polishing my guitars.
Dust, sweat, and finger oils are some of the worst enemies of a beautifully applied finish on a guitar. I prefer not to apply chemicals to my guitars myself; I leave it to my luthier to take care of things like that. But for regular cleaning, I use two D’Addario Micro-Fiber polishing cloths; one for wiping down the strings and neck after playing and one for cleaning the top, back and sides every few days.
Be gentle, and always apply circular wiping motion. If you live in a hot environment and sweat a lot or wear short sleeve t-shirts, you should wipe down the guitar every day.
My Lens Dust Blower takes care of everything.
Tip - Before wiping down your guitar with the micro-fiber cloth, you may want to remove some larger dust particles first that may scratch the top, I use a camera lens dust blower for that. Actually, I use it to blow dust out of almost every piece of equipment.
In case there is a dirty spot that doesn't go away with a simple wiping, wet the cloth slightly with water, apply the wet cloth on the area that needs to be cleaned, then buff away moisture with the dry part of the cloth (or another cloth).
Tip - These cloths are very sturdy and should last many years. If dirt accumulates, you can wash them in warm water, just don't use any detergent or softener.
Changing Strings
A fresh set of strings can bring life and joy to our faces. But, changing strings is the necessary evil; nobody likes to do it.
Tuning machines heads.
Depending on the string type, I usually change strings on my guitar(s) every three to four weeks. Sometimes a little more than that if I don't have any serious session coming up, sometimes less than that If I have concerts and recordings. So, if you have a few guitars, changing strings can take up a lot of time, mostly winding and unwinding tuning pegs.
Tip - When you change strings, replace them one by one to keep the tension on the fretboard.
I still remember the revelation of using a string winder for the first time, some fifteen years ago. This invention matches that of the wheel, so simple, yet it transforms the life of a guitarist. Hyperboles aside, changing string with one can make the process a breeze.
D'Addario String Winder is a godsend tool.
Tip - Unwind the string, then cut it in the middle when it is somewhat loose. This habit will speed up things even more.
I use the D'Addario String Winder because as on top of the winding abilities, it is also a string cutter, and a bridge pin puller for all you that double as steel stringers.
Tip - Cut that excess stings that fly all over the headstock, not only they look ugly, but they can produce buzzing and other unwanted vibrations.
Small things can make a difference in keeping our instruments as healthy as possible. And although at first, some might seem inconvenient, they can easily become habits and you won't have to think about them ever again.
I hope that this article is helpful for you, let me know in the comments if there is something I forgot to mention.
Disclaimer - This article might seem to be sponsored by D'addario, but I assure you it is not. I purchased these products myself with my own money, and have been using them for many years.
2020 MacBook Air i7 and 4K Video Editing, how well does it handle it?
The omission of a (for some) proper heatsink on the 2020 MacBook Air has created a lot of "heat" on the internet, as many claim that the new Air is crippled down on purpose not to compete with Apple's Pro line of MacBooks. 4K video editing is more than an average workload, the question is if the low powered Intel's 10th generation CPU delivers.
I'm an owner of the new space grey MacBook Air with an i7 and 16GB of RAM since late April, in my initial review I write why I choose the Air over the Pro 13" and share my experiences with it in music production and common everyday tasks. This follow-up article is focused on the 4K editing performance of the new MacBook, as well as shedding some light on the so-called heat issues.
Slim, light and safe.
Let me start by stating the obvious; the 2020 MacBook is not a video editing powerhouse. If your work involves creating hour-long 12-bit 4K video documentaries, with multiple layers, advanced colour grading and other visual effects, you should look at the 16" MacBook Pro or even better a top-of-the-line iMac or Mac Pro. If on the other hand, you value portability, need snappy performance for everyday tasks and enough power for non-extreme loads (like acoustic music production, light photo editing etc.) but want to occasionally edit a 4K video and not to spend a fortune, then continue reading.
A major setback!
I'll be honest, in my first attempt to edit a 4K video with the 2020 Air, I got disappointed. I followed my usual routine of importing my video files in Final Cut, roughly cut the parts that I needed, syncing audio and then applying colour grading and a film-simulation plugin. I would then wait for Final Cut to render the files and then try to fine-tune my edits, add transition effects, text, etc. After doing all that, the problem was that every time I would make a change, Final Cut would take several minutes to render the video again. I had to wait to be able to playback my video; if the edit was not timed perfectly and had to adjust something, I had to wait some more.
At first, I thought that I have too many things run in the background. As I wrote in my review, I like to keep all apps open as I usually go back and forth between them; exporting files on Logic Pro while rendering the video on Final Cut, at the same time editing photos on Fuji X Raw Studio or Affinity Photo. I decided to close all apps, restart my MacBook and try again to work on my video, only with Final Cut running at this time. Nothing changed, rendering takes several minutes and working on the edits is a nightmare as playback is sluggish.
4K projects can be huge; I keep them on an external SSD.
It was not a fun experience but I managed to finish the video, after a lot of frustration frankly. Exporting took an average amount of time, but I don't care much about export times - unless it is abnormal - as I can always use a break for a coffee. I just don't like to waste my time in front of the computer.
Not an easy fix
I was contemplating buying a used Mac Mini dedicated to video editing as it was the only solution I could think but switching between different machines to finish a project doesn't sound appealing. My other thought was to shoot my videos in 1080p instead. After all, my Fuji X-E3 is not a dedicated video camera and has heat issues when capturing 4K videos in summer, it is a fine stills camera nevertheless.
A couple of weeks have passed while I was busy composing my new classical guitar suite "A Quiet Place pt II" and didn't think much about my 4K video troubles. My MacBook was working flawlessly otherwise; score writing, recording, skype lessons, photo editing, and casual internet.
The unexpected
Space Grey vMacBook Air and white Magic Mouse 2
When most parts of my new suite were finalised, I shoot the first video to audit my performance. My Fuji was still left to 2160/23.98p from my early trials, so, I was a little nervous when I imported the files to Final Cut.
Since there was no plan to share this first "draft" video, I didn't bother with colour grading and film-simulations. To my surprise, the Final Cut could handle editing and playback like a champ. I didn't even wait for it to finish background rendering this time. Whilst, I would switch back and forth to Logic Pro to edit, mix and export my audio; my usual High- and Lo-Pass filters, as well as reverb from 2CAudio Aether, were applied. The new Air remained responsive throughout this process, much snappier than my 2013 Air was when working on ordinary 1080p files. The fan would spin relatively hard but that was anticipated.
Further examinations
Although polishing this video was never my intention, I wanted to see how far my MacBook could go. I first applied some colour correction and cross-dissolve transitioning effects on the various clips. The playback was perfect, admittingly it was on the "Better Performance" option. I switched to "Better Quality" to see what would happen. No difference in performance at all, even in full-screen playback, despite the background rendering was not done.
My trusty Fuji X-E3 camera and 35mm F2 prime lens.
I couldn't stop there, so I added a second layer of videos in normal blend mode at around 50% opacity, some text animations and a few pictures overlays. Keep in mind that the original clips I used where several 10min videos shot in 8-bit 4K with my Fuji, and overall the final video after the cuts was about 7 minutes. Playback was excellent, with no hit to the performance of the MacBook at all. The fan was moderately loud during the notably quick rendering, after that the fan was not spinning or barely audible during playback.
(Un)usual Suspects
I didn't know what to think, my experience this time was in total conflict with my first attempt. Editing a 4K video with the 2020 i7 MacBook Air was a joy! I then remembered that I also used a film simulation plugin (which shall remain nameless because it was sent to me from the creator for free as I understand it is no longer supported) in my other trial. I quickly applied the plugin to a couple of clips and pressed play. The video was lagging a second or more behind the audio, with dropped frames here and there, and the transition effect... let's say it never happened.
I let Final Cut render the video, it took several minutes, and then hit the play button again, the playback was smooth this time, the fan was inaudible. I changed the length of a clip, needed a few more minutes to render the video. I begin to understand the source of all my frustration the first time; software that is not optimised.
Export time(s)
I can always use the time for a coffee.
I removed that film simulation and clicked on the export. I didn't time it as it doesn't make a lot of difference to me if it is five or ten minutes, there is always something else to do. I went to make an espresso instead, when I returned the file was sitting in my Movies folder.
A lesson to (re)learn
We all want a faster, lighter, cheaper laptop, and it would be great to see Apple pushing the boundaries with the upcoming ARM-based MacBooks. Though sometimes the answer lies on the software, developers get lazy with faster CPUs and don't optimise their code to attain the most of what is possible.
We need faster computers, but we also need more efficient and intelligent software; that's what Apple is doing best.
Europe’s heatwave
As I'm writing this article, I have my MacBook on my lap as I sit comfortably at a sofa and type while I'm listening to music on Spotify and have several open apps and tabs on Safari and Chrome. The Air is only moderately warm and the fan is barely spinning. It's summer and the temperature hit 34 degrees celsius.
Recording at close proximity.
Earlier today I finished mixing the final version of my new guitar suite and edited the accompanying video in 4K, a few more touch-ups and it will be ready for publishing. The MacBook was silent most of the time, except for Logic exports, especially when oversampling was applied, and heavy Final Cut rendering. Not bad at all!
You indeed hear the fan spin with heavy loads, but that is its purpose; to keep the temperatures under control. The MacBook remains snappy and responsive even when the maximum temperatures are being reached and returns to silent operation soon after the processing is done. Arguably the chassis will get hot in such situations; many electronic devices get hot though, sometimes uncomfortably so, and don' melt after years of operation. So, I don't worry!
Expectations
I believe that most complaints about the 2020 Air come from either of these two camps.
First are the people who have unrealistic expectations; they want an ultra-thin and light laptop, at a bargain price and with the power of a dedicated desktop computer.
On the other camp are the spoiled and easily irked people, who would complain if a laptop takes an extra minute to export a video as if the world depends on it.
I guess it is personal and depends a lot on each use case. But, for many of us who use our gear for what they offer to our workflow and and understand the limitations of a highly portable computer, the processing power which is available at our hands and backpacks with the newest laptops is unbelievable.
I’m still not content with this mess; why Apple?
My main gripes with it persist though. I don't understand why Apple removed the MagSafe plug from the MacBooks, I always felt so much safer plugin in my Air 2013 while sitting on a sofa and have my 6-year-old son running around. The removal of the SD card-reader also makes no sense to me, period. Lastly, two USB ports are not enough; as I wrote I value portability, but now I have to bring a couple of extra dongles with me just to do basic stuff.
Conclusions
The new MacBook Air is a beautiful ultrabook, with exemplary processing, a fair price, and more than enough power for everyday tasks and professional work if its not too particular and demand continuous high CPU loads. 4K video editing is a breeze, at least with the i7 and 16 GB of Ram, as is my overall user experience with it. So, if you are considering getting one, I hope that my experience will make that decision easier for you.
Apple MacBook Air i7 2020 from the perspective of a Music Producer
The recent introduction of quad-core processors in Apple’s MacBook Air promises greater performance in the familiar form, but is it capable for any professional work?
The new MacBook Air in Space Gray
I have been using my trusty mid-2013 MacBook Air 13 with an i7, 8GB Ram and 256GB SSD since its introduction. Having produced several albums and videos of my music, as well as of colleagues and friends of different complexities in my home studio and on location, this machine has never let me down.
My silver 2013 MacBook Air; no signs of wear after seven years of abuse
After almost seven years of intense use, it has slowly started to show its age. A progressively unreliable battery, the older screen and the greater CPU demands of modern plugins were making the experience less fun.
I was holding on it regardless, mainly because I was not satisfied with some of Apple's decisions in the latest years. Namely, the removal of the MagSafe and the SD card reader, as well as the limited number of USB ports.
Unfortunately, the 2020 MacBook doesn't deal with any of these issues, but Intel’s 10th generation i5 and i7 Quad-Core processors, the possibility to expand the RAM to 16GB, and the impressive Retina display allowed me to let my old computer finally retire.
Windows Alternatives
First of all, let me state that I'm not an Apple fanboy, I'm perfectly happy with my Pixel 3a and several other Android phones before that. But the truth is that no-one else is doing the trackpad as well as Apple. The integration of the touchpad and magic mouse gestures into Logic Pro and Final Cut Pro are an essential part of my workflow, anything else will be a compromise. I also love how stable and efficient MacOS is besides being a low-maintenance operating system. Having dealt with Windows in the past, I can see their advantages, but Apple provides a seamless experience.
The MacBook Pro
The teardrop shape of the Air is ingenious
I have been flirting with the idea of getting the Pro instead, but the form factor of the Air is superior to me. The teardrop shape is more comfortable to type on and for the work that I typically do, and the slightly less weight can be an important factor for travelling and location work. Furthermore, my work primarily involves recording and producing classical guitar or chamber music, writing articles, making scores and editing simple videos. Except for video editing, none of my other activities requires a lot of CPU power. A light, reliable and snappy computer with good battery life and silent operation is all I'm looking for.
2020 Updates
The new Air comes standard with 256GB of fast SSD storage which is enough for me, since I prefer to keep the system drive relatively clean and work off an external SSD, especially with the large video files. Cloud storage for other types of documents allows me to continue working on different machines, and gives me a peace of mind if anything goes wrong. I opted the i7 version for the extra processing power and future-proofing, Intel's 10th generation quad-core processor should be about four times faster than my old computer.
Another welcome addition is the 16GB Ram option which boosts the multitasking capabilities of the MacBook. A typical daily scenario for me is to have a bunch of tabs open at any given time at three different browsers (Safari, Chrome and Brave) as well as having both Logic and Final Cut loaded with my latest project. Sibelius and Affinity Photo may also run in the background, ready for me to use at any moment. I usually leave everything open with loaded projects, and in that case, the more Ram the better.
The old design
My old Air has the classic silver finish, a timeless design choice that doesn't easily show any marks. For a change, I decided to get the Space Gray this time. I hope that it will also take some slight abuse gently. Space Gray is gorgeous while being more subdued, with a more homogenous look in the keys, chassis and display. The less obvious aesthetics let the computer disappear, bringing the work in the foreground. The black and much smaller bezels also help.
Retina display delivers greater resolution and colour gamut
The "new" retina display is a delight to watch, with great colour reproduction and breathtaking resolution. Some people find the slightly wider bezels old-fashioned when compare to competitive ultrabooks, but I think that they might have advantages. They allow for enough space to rest your wrists when writing, a big-enough trackpad, front-facing speakers (for the odd time that I might need to use them) and a full-sized keyboard. Speaking of which, I know that there have been countless complaints about the performance and reliability of butterfly keyboards, I'm happy to report that the new magic keyboard is a joy to type on, and considering the reports from the 16" MacBook Pro, it should be without problems.
I was afraid that I wouldn't enjoy as much the clickless nature of the "new" touchpad, counting on my minimal experience with modern MacBooks, but the smooth glass surface and responsiveness of the touchpad is brilliant and took me only a few minutes to forget the old one. Lastly, TouchID is a godsend, with fast and reliable verification, it saves a lot of time from typing long passwords.
Construction and Connectivity
ONLY two USB-C ports…
Apple's engineering and manufacturing are second to none, everything feels very robust, with smooth surfaces and polished edges. A beauty to look and touch. Plugging in the charging cable produces a very satisfying sound. The removal of the MagSafe with all the safety and convenience it provides is really hard to understand though, and I wish there was at least one more USB-C port... and an SD Card reader. Well, at least there is still a headphone jack.
An innovative mess
I understand that Apple wants to push wireless connectivity, and I appreciate this philosophy. Sending files with AirDrop between my devices is a breeze, as is the integration of Sidecar. But until my mirrorless camera can send large video files with Bluetooth, and my drives, audio interfaces and DACs can work effortlessly via Bluetooth, I’m stuck with a vastly inelegant solution. Just to do be able to use my RME ADI-2 Pro FS for audio I/O, while charging the MacBook, accessing video files on my SD card and working on my external SSD drive - which is what is connected on my MacBook 95% of the time when I'm at my office - I have to rely on a USB hub, which adds to the cost only to create a mess of cables on my desk. On a positive note, if I want to bring my MacBook with me, I need to remove only one cable.
The Wait
At least we still get a headphone output
I have to confess that even though I was confident with my purchase at first, some of the early reviewers that were reporting thermal throttling and other heat issues due to the removal of the heat pipe had me worrying. Recording subtle classical guitar pieces with ultra-sensitive condenser microphones and spinning fans don't go well together. After all, with almost the same money I could buy a 2019 MacBook Pro with 4 USB-C Ports.
I stayed positive the two weeks that took for Apple to send me my MacBook, due to the pandemic and the great demand for the new MacBooks I presume.
When my machine arrived, I set up everything and installed all the necessary software. After a couple of days of making all the preparations, as well as using the MacBook for regular use, I have yet to hear the fan spin hard, if at all. The chassis would sometimes be warm but stay comfortable. A first relief, but I had to wait and see if it would overheat with my regular use.
Performance
An excellent keyboard and a brilliant touchpad
After everything was set, the first thing I did was to record my classical guitar and see if the fan starts spinning, ruining my precious recording. Of course, as expected, it remained silent throughout. I knew that the real test was to see how well it can handle editing and mixing though.
Without quitting any apps, with all three browsers running in the background, with four-five tabs each while five of them being preloaded YouTube videos on Chrome, I started loading plugins on my project. Since, I usually work on my music all day and also use my laptop for other tasks in between, for convenience, I leave everything running.
As I already stated my needs are very specific and not awfully demanding. For music production, I'm usually dealing with only a couple of audio tracks, equipped with FabFilter's Pro-Q3 plugin equalizer and one or more algorithmic reverbs, namely 2CAudio's Aether or Breeze plugins. On the master bus, the usual suspects are the Pro-L2 limiter, along with the 2CAudio Vector spatial image analysis and Youlean loudness meter plugins. If required, I might use a couple of iZotope's noise reduction plugins to remove any unwanted noise.
My seven-year-old MacBook could handle a similar load but the plugins would drain the CPU, sometimes leading to System Overload warnings. Some plugins have also oversampling capabilities, that boost performance with the expense of bigger CPU loads, which would make my MacBook surrender. I would often only run plugins at top quality only for the mixdown.
After loading all the plugins, I started the playback, after a minute or so there was still no sign of fan spun. I started boosting performance on some of the plugins with oversampling, still, the fan was inaudible. Then I decided to push the CPU harder. I went to Safari and loaded a 1080p video on youtube, after a minute of listening to both my guitar track and the random video, the fan was still inaudible. My last test was to reproduce the same experiment with Chrome, and surely after half a minute or so, the fan kicked in, at a low speed. I let the video play for another minute to check if this would make the fan to spin faster, but no luck, the fan was audible but at a very comfortable level. I stopped everything and took an ibuprofen, a headache form all the chaos was started to kick in instead.
System Overload warnings on my 2013 MacBook when pushed hard
I loaded a similar project at my old MacBook and tried to replicate the test. I started the playback on Logic, I tried to push the CPU with moderate oversampling and then I tried to stream a video on Safari, after a couple of seconds, I got a System Overload warning from Logic and the audio stopped so thankfully I didn't have to go through this emetic experience again.
Large projects are not my regular tasks, but I have used the 2013 Air to successfully produce projects with more than thirty audio tracks, with a bunch of plugins on each one, CPU hungry emulations, and virtual instruments. Granted, the fan would sometimes resemble an aeroplane jet, but it was doable and my old MacBook still works like a charm after several years of such abuse. So, I'm positive that the new MacBook Air would not be different in that regard.
Video Editing
Intel’s Iris Plus graphics should make the 2020 Air a charm to work for light video editing. To get an idea on the performance improvements I loaded 1080p footage from my Fuji mirrorless camera. Editing was snappy and with some basic colour grading and a LUT applied, the playback was perfect. The Retina screen is a big improvement over the old display, with much greater colour depth and spectacular resolution. There is much more detail, with better blacks and richer colour reproduction.
On my next video project, I plan to shoot in 4K. This is a demanding job that was absolutely impossible on my old Air, so I'm excited to see how the 2020 Air performs here. Click here to read my experiences with 4K video editing on the 2020 MacBook Air.
A MacBook for the Music Producer on the go
The new MacBook Air offers a perfect balance of performance and portability
Considering the limitations of the form, the MacBook Air is not the most powerful computer, and it was never meant to be. If you like playing games, or your thing is hardcore video editing and music production with 100s of tracks, you have to look elsewhere. The new 2020 Air will appeal to those looking for snappy, reliable performance that will perform moderately heavy tasks with ease and can be everywhere they go.
Apple’s Air line of ultrabooks has totally eliminated for me any need for a conventional desktop computer with a perfect balance of performance and portability
Line Audio CM3 on a Classical Guitar
The Swedish Line Audio CM3 microphones are the best-kept secret of the audio world, not only they sound great capturing the nuance and timbre of acoustic sources in the most natural way, but they are incredibly cheap and small!
No affiliation whatsoever, I just like them a lot!
Initial Review
Roger is the one and only person involved in the design and manufacturing of the Line Audio products, and he has been making high-quality microphones and preamps at a low price for decades; all handcrafted in Sweeden.
It is impossible to find other microphones that come close to the quality of the CM3s, both in craftsmanship and sound properties, without spending several €100s more. They are balanced across all frequencies and offer a smooth and clear pick-up, without annoying frequency boosts that certainly don't compliment a sensitive and delicate instrument such as the classical guitar.
Roger is building these microphones himself, and doesn't advertise at all; this is the reason why he can keep the prices so low, and why you don't hear so much about them.
Trevelling with the CM3s
On March 2018 I travelled to Lithuania for a month, I was commissioned to compose a solo guitar suite (to be released in March 2020). So the two tiny CM3s, in their practical plastic cases; although unnecessary for the purpose of my work there, were proven to be great tools to have.
My only regret is that I didn't get to record in this beautiful church, but with -28 degrees Celcius, maybe it was a good decision.
Here are two of the pieces that I recorded there, pluged into an Audient iD14 (read my review). The CM3s, togheter with the iD14 make a compeling and affortable pair for travelling guitarists.
Closing Thoughts
After owning a pair for about two years now, having recorded my guitar, cello, solo piano, a piano trio with violin and flute, as well as several voices and a choir; I can honestly say that I can comfortably use them in any situation. I recommend them without hesitation to beginner and intermediate recordists with a sane budget.
My only complaint would be that you need to pair them with a decent preamp as they are not very sensitive. When I compare them with Schoeps, DPA or Neumann microphone that cost 10X more, I find that they are a little less detailed especially in high-mids and highs. But, for the price, or even for microphones that cost less than €1000 a pair, I haven't found anything that comes close for recording acoustic and classical music.
Sony PCM D100 Review - A Portable High-Resolution Audio Recorder
Experiences and adventures of a classical guitarist
The Sony PCM D100 with the “wide” arrangement.
The weather is great now, and I want to spend more time outside, to explore different locations. While I have a lot of recording equipment for different situations and purposes; as a one-person band, location recording can be tricky. Lugging microphones, cameras, cables, stands, etc. make sure that everything runs smoothly, by the time we start to play, we are already somewhat exhausted.
A portable recorder makes things infinitely less complicated, but most devices that I have tried over the years come with many shortcomings. A lot of people are raving about how great the Sony PCM D100 is, but there seem to exist very few acoustic music recordings on the internet made with it (there are many recordings of trains, cars, cats and other ambiences, but I cannot draw conclusions from such examples).
So, the rarity of any real music examples and the hefty price kept me away from it, but now I decided to get on my hands and find out if the D100 is as good as many people claim.
Recording on a 700-meter altitude monument in Greece
A view from the path to Zalongo, Preveza.
First I went up to the Monument of Zalongo, 700 meters altitude mount, near my beautiful hometown Preveza, Greece.
It was a windy day, and unfortunately, the provided windjammer from Sony was not enough to protect the ultra-sensitive mics. Therefore I had to be very creative with positioning the recorder; which resulted in an unorthodox, from the sound, perspective; but less exposed to the air.
Still, most of the takes got ruined by the clipping of the microphones, but I was lucky and just before the sunset, the wind recede just enough and I was able to have two full takes without any clipping.
(Note to self: next time I will have an idea to climb up a mountain to make a recording, I should bring more means of wind protection.)
The Humid Environment of a Small Port
Twilight at Mitikas, Preveza.
A few days later I decided to visit the beautiful port of Mitikas at Preveza, equipped with and my guitar, the D100 and my camera; I recorded "Αυτή η νύχτα μένει".
If you listen with headphones, you will hear the sound of the gentle waves as they wobble against the rocks behind me. And similarly, this soft breeze was enough to cause problems with Sony's sensitive capsules, even with the windjammer on. Therefore, I had to position the recorder lower than I would have prefered.
In both of these cases, bringing with me any other setup would be hugely unpractical. I wouldn't want to carry a laptop, interface, preamps, and expensive Neumann or Schoeps microphones on a mountain. Neither I would allow them to suffer in the humid environment of the port - considering also the additional setup time that is required for that.
In this manner, the Sony PCM D100 delivers on what is promising; high-resolution, clear and detailed recordings, in a portable short-scaled unit.
A few more notes
In closing, I want to add a couple of points that are usually not talked about much.
Practical nylon case and remote control.
Firstly, I don't really how Sony does that, but since July when I bought the recorder I used it extensively. I did several tests at my home studio, recorded a couple of my concerts and a few long rehearsals, a piano recital for a friend, some scratch ideas for new compositions and the two videos on the mountain and the port. And all that with the first pack of AA batteries that Sony provides with the recorder. It is unbelievable and not at all similar to my experience with Zoom and Tascam recorders that I've used in the past.
Secondly, the accessories provided with the D100 are extremely practical. Namely, the remote control is a god-send for a one-man band as I don't have to stand up all the time to press "rec". The carrying bag is very useful, as it protects the recorder from scratches and dirt - just do not drop it! My only complaint is with the windjammer which could have been more effective.
A new project; Urban Miniatures
A new project I took on is to compose 12 miniature pieces inspired by the city; twelve Urban Miniatures. These would be recorded monthly during the following year in 12 unique locations in Berlin. I plan to use my trusty Sony PCM D100 for all of them. Here is the first.