Why Pokémon is a Game Changer and How We Can Use This for Music, Art and Environmental Sustainability.

With all the hype over Pokémon Go launching from Niantic and Nintendo, augmented reality games might be here to stay.

There have been several attempts at delivering augmented reality mobile gaming like with Ghostbusters. However, Pokémon Go seemed to capture two important cultural keys.

Childhood Memories

The first is the connection to childhood memories. Pokémon are imaginary cartoon animals that you can train to battle other Pokémon. It is a modern version of what traditionally has been the Japanese pastime of catching insects. Originally from 1995, Pokémon was accessible via Gameboy and card games. This puts millennials right in the point of origin for the target market. Those that were of game playing age back then are now 30 -40 years old and have expendable income on smartphones and other technology. The game puts you in the first person, which is what other versions of this game lacked.

Culturally Significant Landmarks

It also uses geofencing technology to augment gameplay. Right now,  Niantic uses a propriety database of culturally significant landmarks as "PokéStops" where you can collect more "PokéBalls" (traps to catch Pokémon). In my home town which is an old mill city, most cultural landmarks such as bell towers and even Fenway Park are PokéStops. You can see people of all ages gathering around these areas to catch more Pokémon. If your business happens to be a Pokéstop, you have probably seen an increase of sales. Expect Niantic to receive sponsorships in the near future from major retailers to be listed as a Pokéstop.

Geofencing

Geofencing is where we can leverage music and arts. Geofencing is nothing new to apps or to art. In fact, two composers used geofencing to create a piece of music that centered around the Washington DC area. However, what happens if the music changes as we move closer or further away from an area? What happens if the speed at which we move changes the music? How do we program for this? How do we produce for this? Can a Pokéstop also educate?

These are important questions that Pokémon Go is creating. Even with the game in Beta, it didn't create as much of a cultural revolution like it did two weeks ago. People are outside and moving about, altering every perception of video gamers being a solitary hermit micro-society. Nintendo made a brilliant marketing move in the end. It knew it could not compete with traditional game consoles, so it brought the gamer away from the console.

What now?

If this trend keeps on going through the summer, prediction: expect to see more advertisements on the platform as well as high paying sponsors. We should also see service get smoother from Niantic which is having a very hard time handling increased server load. 

Prediction: The login credentials are currently through Google and Niantic's own portal. Expect to see a Facebook login key shortly. 

Long Term Change and Sustainability?

Prediction: We should also see a backlash from telecom companies on the amount of data this app is using. Similar to when Netflix went live with HD streaming, customers are going to push hard against data caps. If the telecom industry is smart, they will figure out a way to mitigate data overages for those customers willing to pay more. If the trend goes beyond 6 months, we can expect to see even more infrastructure installed in low coverage areas, because cultural significant landmark are in these areas. 

Solar:

We should also see improvements in mobile device technology. Right now, Pokémon Go is an absolute drain on battery life. If people are using this app with less access to wall outlets to recharge, Solar might be the answer. Prediction: Solar Cell mobile phone covers would allow for battery recharging without a wall outlet. Imagine people 

Minimalism in Production

On May 3rd of 2016, I had the opportunity to go to a special screening of a documentary called "Minimalism" which was based on the blogs, essays, and books of Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus.

They catalog personal accounts of becoming a minimalist by discussing their high paying corporate jobs and subsequent jarring life event which forced them to rethink their initial path; which inevitably led them to a more intentional lifestyle. Their story is compelling and life altering. It has forced me to rethink how much "stuff" I have and how to downsize in order to focus on more important things. If you are interested in learning more, I recommend starting with their blog and podcast at the same time. This combination paints the best picture of their lifestyle.

This got me thinking about minimalism in music production, specifically, those of us with home studios. How much "STUFF" do you have? Here was my simple list

13 guitars
4 keyboards
5 computers
30 XLR cables
50 misc cables
30 TRS/TS cables (various lengths)
400 CD's
100 books
30 Stomp Boxes
100 random assorted cables

If you are an audiophile like me, then you might have something very similar, including microphones and outboard gear. But in reality, how much of it do we need? The problem is, we hold value to things that might not have value at all. For example, out of my 13 guitars, only 1 held a value over $350. What was I holding on to?

I realized that my work space and my home space were stifling my creativity. Here was literally my thought on May 2nd, 2016: "I really should do some work on that intro song on my album, but my desk is a mess and I really don't feel like cleaning it. I just want to write. Oh well, I will just play some Fallout 4 instead".

On May 10th, I did something radical; I packed up most of my accessories and gear. I then only took out 2 of each thing, or as many as I would possibly

Q: Each guitar/mic/didgeridoo has their own timbre.

A: I did an experiment with this. I chose one guitar, an Ibanez RG series. As I plugged it in and recorded some pure tones from it, I challenged myself to try to mimic the pure tones out of my other 12 guitars using just this one guitar. The result: I was able to. What did this teach me?

That my ears were the most important commodity I had, not the guitar. If I was able to replicate most of the sounds using a combination of EQ, multi-band compression, and different distortion plug-ins, then, in reality, I didn't need 12 other cheap guitars.

Q: But I paid $500 for that thing!

A: If you have ever tried to sell something on eBay, you know that the actual market value vs the retail is very skewed. I paid $550 for an Epiphone Les Paul Thru Body Sun Burst guitar back in 2001. The guitar was immaculate and sounded just like a Les Paul. However, on the market, used, this was only worth about $150-200. I attached a value to it that was not reasonable. When we buy something from Guitar Center or any retail shop, it is steeply marked up. Once you walk out the store with it or let the money back guarantee expire, the item automatically loses most of its value. I really had to look at my stuff as sunk money costs.

Q: But I might need that for a future album!

A: Minimalism teaches the 90/90 rule. If you have used the item in the past 90 days, or will use it in the next 90 days, then keep it. If not, donate it or sell it. I was holding about 110 cables I havn't used since recording a full drum kit in my old studio almost 10 years ago now. The most cabling I use is to my guitar amp and my Korg Kronos now. I did hold onto enought to connect everything at once, and then 1 spare. I only have 20 cables total now.

Q: Who would want this specialized equipment?

A: Schools. Most schools teach production, but don't have the budget to buy new equipment. If you donate the equipment to a school, then they can give you a receipt for a tax deduction. That tax dedution can be worth as much as reselling your equipment retail.
If you want cash in hand, eBay or Pawn Shop. Or donate the equipment to a donation center or thrift store. JUST GET A RECEIPT OF DONATION!

The Results

After about a month of cleaning up, I have noticed a significant amount of clutter gone. I have done this to other parts of the apartment and my girfriend is loving the change. The best way to describe the feeling is "freedom". Without the clutter and the extra stuff, we have been both creative with our free time. It is amazing to think that random objects could take away from creativity, but the truth is, visual clutter dosn't alow for creative flow because it takes your attention away from your creative idea. Now, don't get me wrong, I still have shorts, shoes, and t-shirts. I still have mic cables, microphones and a few guitars still, but I got rid of the excess and the things that didn't bring value into my life. The results were more creativity and produtivity... and more time to build better friendships relationships.

Press Release - Dynaudio Professional’s New ‘AIR Control’ Software for Mac, PC and Windows-Based Tablets is Now Available

Press Release : AIR is a complete and networked solution for critical monitoring found in thousands of studios globally. Dynaudio Professional’s new AIR Control software gives complete editing, saving and preset-based recall of room adaptation DSP, precise timing and SPL calibration, bass management and monitor control in Air systems configurations spanning 2.0 to 7.1. AIR Control running on a Windows-based tablet Dynaudio Professional unveils a new AIR Control application for Mac and PC, allowing users to carry out advanced calibration and alignment of their AIR monitoring system. The software provides access to advanced tools and features inside AIR monitors and subwoofers including timing and SPL calibration and parametric EQs for each monitor. Air Control allows users to define and store custom setups and presets with selective parameter locking, and a special measurement mode provides EQ line signal out from selected monitors. Fred Speckeen, Global Business Manager for Dynaudio Professional “AIR Control will be available as a free download, and we are very excited to offer our current and future AIR users the advantages of this intuitive software that easily and intuitively unlocks all the power of their AIR monitor systems.” says Fred Speckeen, Global Business Manager for Dynaudio Professional. “AIR systems are an industry standard, and have been so for over a decade. It is chosen by ear by the world-leading film, music and broadcast production studios. AIR Control is designed to meet their accelerating project and workflow demands where minutely accurate adjustments and configurations must be easily made, saved and quickly recalled.” AIR Control replaces Dynaudio Professional’s original ‘TC PC-IP’ installer software that was developed for professional installers. The new AIR Control application design is easier to use and an even more efficient way to fine-tune a complete, digital AIR monitoring system. The new AIR Control runs on Mac, PC and Windows-based tablets.