Tag: testing

Beta testing the Drift Zero, how is it going?

 

Drift Zero on a table top
Drift Zero syncing while sitting in a coffee shop

The last few weeks, I have been beta testing the Drift DJ and its getting a lot more stable.

The hardest part I have found is my tunes are from all over, going from Rave stuff from the late 90’s to more recent stuff with decent metadata. Some of it is recorded at as low as 192k to 320k but some at a sampling rate of 32, 44 and 48khz. However the current and previous firmware’s have had  problems with different sampling rates.

It makes sense, especially with the complexity of the problem with DJ accurate pitching  explained by the creator in the video discussion.

This will get fixed but for now I spent a lot of time trying to work out what is a problem with my music collection and what is a bug.

I recently was working this out in a coffee shop over a pour over coffee and I had some interesting questions and comments about the Drift Zero. Its certainly eye catching and like my prototype one before, I had some really interesting comments from the public. Looking forward to a long train journey to Amsterdam again on the Eurostar in November or the long international flight to Canada in October.

I’m finally at a happy place where I can do a mix and be confident the tunes in the library will play and can be mixed. So hopefully you will my first proper mix, although I’m also going to convert all my nux tunes to Opus audio to see how that changes everything,

Look out for new mixes on here and my mixgarden…


Digital italic is dead, long live The Cubicgarden

For a long time, I have been known as DJ Digital Italic. However people have gotten very confused and so today I’m changing my DJ name to The Cubicgarden.

For a long time, I have been known as DJ Digital Italic. However people have gotten very confused and so today I’m changing my DJ name to The Cubicgarden.

DJ Digital Italic shown on a screen while people dance with lazers

Digital italic, came about when I was starting my move from vinyl to MP3’s (yes I switched CDJs because I didn’t like the format for its skeuomorphism. Even then I was thinking this makes no sense to copy the vinyl model.

Anyway I am waiting for my set recording from EMFCamp but honestly its a banger, as you can see in the video above.

I also decided to back off from self hosting my own mix site because sadly there is a bug in Yunohost’s peertube application which means every-time there is a security or feature update it breaks everything. Till then I’m going to use rankett.net, and will start making those changes including a new look soon-ish.

Drift DJ taken on a desk top
I took the drift zero apart to check if there was anything obvious

Another part of the decision is my move from the Pacemaker device to the Drift zero. Something I have been alpha/beta testing for a while. A little update is that it was going great with help from the Drift team but on my last trip to Amsterdam, it just stopped booting. I did the usual charging over night, etc but it wouldn’t boot at all. Sadly it was right before I could show Dirty Si, my friend who first pointed me towards the Drift Zero. It was a shame but ultimately, there was no way to send another prototype out, when the production ones were so close to ready.

My Drift Zero DJ production version

Then last Thursday the production version was delivered to my flat but I was on holiday and wouldn’t get my hands on it till Saturday. Then came Saturday and I got my first play with it and the latest firmware already installed. However its not till tonight I really got a play with it and loaded up a bunch of tunes.

Drift Zero DJ loading tunes

If you want to know more about what happens next, keep an eye on this blog and of course you can order your own and learn more at driftdj.com

Polaroid photo of the Drift Zero DJ production chip with #007 written on it

By the way, my production version is quite special… Yes #007!!!

Something I’m extremely proud to own and be part of right at the start. Now comes the important part of feedback, bug fixing, learning and playing as…

The Cubicgarden…

Proton wallet beta testing

Proton Wallet beta

I have been slowly moving towards Proton for many thing, with that I saw they were experimenting with a new crypto wallet and decided to sign up.

Yesterday I got a email inviting me on to the beta.

Since launch, Proton Wallet has seen unprecedented demand and we have been busy adding capacity. You now have exclusive early access to Proton Wallet, our self-custodial, open-source, and end-to-end encrypted Bitcoin wallet. We’ve designed Proton Wallet to be a safer way to hold bitcoin (BTC) and easy to use so everyone can take control of their financial privacy and freedom.

With Proton Wallet, as long as you have your wallet seed phrase, your BTC will always belong to you, even if Proton disappears. And our unique Bitcoin via Email feature makes it simple to securely send BTC to other Proton Wallet users.

Proton Wallet is currently still in Early Access, and only a limited number of people can use it. As a Proton supporter, you have five invites you can use to give your friends and family early access. While it is not prohibited, please do not sell invites for money.

Yes that means I do have a few invites, although I am thinking it was highly trusting (or silly) of me to move my bitcoin to a beta project.

My thoughts so far is I do feel its better than where it was previously, I did mean to go coldstorage but never found the time. I do wish Ethereum and other crypto was supported (especially Chia). I’m sure that will come in time.

Another good service by Proton, Andy Yen and team are well worth backing.