Topic: Near-Fest Jam III

[Bri]

Welcome back Near-Fest musicians,

   Last year Mr. Mike (I like Radio Mike or Vocal Mike myself) asked me to coordinate the jam. He gave us access to an indoor venue (The Entertainment Building) which came in very handy because it was colder than a witches ---! Kind of makes it hard to keep the fingers working with the wind doing 15 mph at 40 F. It's a great room with power and lights and if the weather is mild we could possibly use the attached stage and play outside. I had a lot of fun playing with Steve and the Bluegrass guys (sorry I don't remember everyones names) and I learned a few songs along the way.

If you'd rather not participate and play at your site, your more than welcome to; Weather and neighbor attitudes permitting. However, If you want to play in the indoor jam I"d like to hear from you. Even if your not sure. I'm trying to coordinate equipment and stuff. I understand not everyone reads the Forum and I'm prepared for the spontaneous flurry of special guests.

So, I'd like to carry on and get things set up for this coming Fest.
I'm going to make a few changes from last year.

We'll start between 8:30 and 9:00.
Most of the players have arrived and eaten by then. The social lubrication is under way.
I don't have an end time yet. I think that will depend on the sound level and quality of the "noise".
n1wil suggested we transmit the jam on his station. I think that's a fantastic idea. we'll need to get him a feed somehow.

I'm going to open with a small set (maybe 6 to 10 songs). Everyones invited to play/sing along. In fact I need all the help I can get to drown out my lack of talent.
I will post the songs I'm gonna do soon if someone wants to learn and help me out.

Then I'd like to turn it over to the open jam.
What ever happens; happens.
Rock/Socialist Swing/Blues/Country/Neo-Opera/Performance Accapella/ Glam-Funk-Punk (say that 10 times fast), We don't care.

However........
If nothing does happen you'll have to endure more of my Angelo-Metal-Bluegrass-Gangsta-CountryRap. Picture Yoko Ono/Van Halen  Vs Bobby Darin/Fitty Cent for a vocal shred throw-down (throw-up is more like it). You've been warned.


What I'd like to know is:

Are you coming to play?
What instrument?
Your bank account numbers with pin and cash balance.
Vocals.... Can you sing?
Are you bringing equipment and if so; what?
Any particular songs/styles you can play/sing well?
Do you talk to aliens or does God talk  ONLY to you?
Can you help set up and or break down?
If anyone has the funk, can you bring it?

I'll be bringing an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, music stand, small/med guitar amp, small vocal amp, mic, mic cable and mic stand.

Hope to hear and see you at the Jam,


Brian

bshaban@beld.net

[K1WIZ]

Brian,

Glad to see you are getting started on this.  I do have XLR and unbalanced inputs on our board.  Though we are scheduled for a classic vinyl show, we would be much happier carrying a live feed from the Jam.  If you can get us a feed somehow, we'll carry the feed live on 95.1FM.  Not only would this be cool, but it would give our guys a break to chill and enjoy more of the fest at night. 

We're all ears.  If we can make this happen, we'll drop out our Vinyl and you guys will have a nice clear transmission facility available to you for those who chill in their warm RV's or ride around town.

If you have any questions or if there is any info you need on our setup, just ask.

EDIT: Brian, I have come up with a plan to create a stage-to-studio link.  I can setup a laptop as a sound streamer and link the audio over our WiFi ethernet.  I have built a wifi dish feed using a Chinese Wok as a parabola with a wifi dongle at the focal point.  Since we are not that far, it should work very nicely.  Since there are other broadcash stations operating at the fest, they will now be able to simulcast the Jam by linking the audio feed from our distribution server (via the N1WIL wifi net) that will be located at our broadcash booth.  The only thing we'll need is a Mic Mixer with balanced inputs and an output that can feed a line level signal to a soundcard input for the feed stream.  At the broadcash studio board, we can extract the arriving stream and feed that into a channel on our board.  Can you provide the spare mixer?

John, N1WIL

[W1RC]

.....I have built a wifi dish feed using a Chinese Wok as a parabola with a wifi dongle at the focal point.

.............in the true spirit of amateur radio! Well done.

73,

MisterMike

[Bri]

Wicked Cool!!
I love it.  "Can you provide the spare mixer?" I'm sure I can come up with something by then.
Now all we need is some players.

Bri

[K1WIZ]

Brian,

The input to the encoder machine used for the feed is a standard 1/8" stereo minijack type connection.  (as seen on most soundcards).  We should be sure your mixer output can terminate to a suitable plug for that connection.

Regards,

John, N1WIL

[Bri]

No problem John,
Standard mixer out is balanced XLR but I can come up with either an adapter cable or a stereo mic.
Does your encoder accept mic and or line level?

Bri

[K1WIZ]

Brian,

The encoder accepts a line level signal.  The connection is a standard 1/8" soundcard stereo input. 

At the decoding end of the feed, we have a direct digital transfer interface from the feed receive to our board.  Since we are picking this up via our wifi net, we will also mirror the feed to all other micro-broadcasters to simulcast it, else they can just rebroadcast our program transmission.

This way, you guys will be heard by the various audiences that tune into the various broadcast signals that originate at the fest.  NOTE TO OTHER MICRO-BROADCASTERS:  If there are any other micro-casters that wish to pickup our feed mirror, please stop by our broadcast booth and let our network operations team know you would like to carry the feed as well.

[K1WIZ]

A video presentation on how to build the "WokFi" Dish antenna for 2.4GHz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jht-s_i__AE

Hope someone finds this useful!

John, N1WIL

[Adam KB1MRJ]

All right Brian, you got yourself a keyboard player if you want.
My rig:  Yamaha PSRD1-DJX keyboard
           Kurzweil Micropiano MIDI module
I also have a Behringer MX2004 mixer and a coupla mikes too.  No stands though. 
I'll probably use a reciever/speaker combination for my 'amp' since I don't actually have one.
I have *some* vocal ability.
I'm also a drummer but I currently don't have a drumkit so unless someone brings one that ain't gonna happen.

Hey Nearfest Musicians; whoever you are.....BRING ALL YER DANG MIKES/STANDS/P.A. GEAR....WHATEVER!!!  We need mikes for our broadcast feed!!!  I got 8 microphone channels on my board; what do you got?  Bring it down!!  I want to see a Marshall Stack or 2 on stage, and how about a nice 4 to 9 piece drumset us drummers can bang on?  Hell bring Neil Peart's kit; I don't mind!
Bottom Line: If you can play, get yourself and your instrument into our Nearfest Jam

Adam kb1mrj

[kb1fxk]

Hi Brian

I was told about this jam by n1wil and I'am interested.I play bass guitar, I have an amp cab and bass guitar.Equipment consists of a hartke 4x10 cab and a hartke 1x15 cab and a hartke 3500 amp head 350 watts.But I'am not a professional I have only been playin for a year.

[Whoz Your Daddy]

Hi Brian & everyone! I'll be there for the Jam! I'll bring along a guitar & small amp. Maybe a Mic, mic stand I could bring a 4 channel mixer head with reverb for vox if needed. I play Lead & sing as well as bass guitar, drums & keyboards! I've also been known to play a mean 5 gallon plastic bucket...if you remember that hamfest! Is anyone bring a small drum kit? A bass drum, snare and hihats would do it! Of coarse an electronic set would be best cuz we can control the volume!
Hey Brian I still get 1st dibs on any nice guitars your selling right? We'll see ya all there!
73's
Rick

[Bri]

That's great Rick John and Adam!!
I'm looking forward to it. Now if we can get drums and a drummer......
......And the guy who played trumpet; you remember him Rick. He was pretty good (actually, I think he was better than us).

Just to get it going I've started a list of songs I can play solo if I have to.   BUT I'd much rather have the help if you know the songs. Some of these REALLY need more than just a 1 guitar and a voice. They're not in any particular order and I'll be bringing cheat sheets as well.

Here's the list:

My City was gone - pretenders

Knockin on heavens door - Dylan

The Weight  - the band

No Reply - beatles

Jumpin Jack Flash - rolling stones

Jesus Etc.-wilco

Oh Well- fleetwood mac

Live with me -rolling stones

Wild Night - van morrison

Grown So Ugly - black keys

Baby It's you - beatles

Oh Darling - beatles

10am Automatic - black keys

Babylon - david gray

monkey man - rolling stones

If you have list of some pieces you want to play, do us a favor and share that list. It'll give me a chance before hand to learn some songs or at least acquaint myself with them.
If you want to see more of the stuff I've been playing look back at last years posts for the jam. If there's something there that strikes a chord tell me and I'll bone up on it.

Ok, So where's the rest of the closet musicians?

This is the perfect opportunity to try your stuff. No one knows you and most likely they'll forget the painful memories of our jam by next Near-Fest!
Once you hear me sing and play (more like screech and moan) you'll know you can do better!

Brian

[Adam KB1MRJ]

I'm going to try and and recruit a guitarist buddy of mine to join us....also to provide another pair of hands for our lil broadcast thing...if I get him then we also get a drum set that Rick and I can bang on.  Styles:  Classic Rock, Melodic Hard Rock, Power Metal, some Prog...you get the idea.  I'm familiar with some of the tunes on your last post....if I can't play the keys the drums will work fine.

[kb1fxk]

I take it there is no registration for the jam session.I take it I just bring my gear and hit the stage and jam.

[Bri]

No registration!!
I'm not a fan of "sign up sheets" for a jam.
Lets keep it loose.
Bring your instrument and lets play.

Do we have a drum kit yet??
Can I get a witness???


Bri