Pamparo in Toronto

1. Pedalboard

Well, nothing much has changed and I am really trying not to spend any more money on it, at least for this year. I know … famous last words! So far, I’ve been pretty good for the past 3 months. Although I traded away my Lunar Module (DSOTM graphics) for a Traynor 1×12 cab last weekend. I was really holding off on getting a VFE Enterprise Phaser that I saw on Craigslist last week. So we’ll see where this goes!

2. Snowboard

After many attempts to do so, or should I say, many attempts not to, I finally tried snowboarding this past weekend. I am still beating myself for not trying much earlier! My 6-year old son also got the chance to try it out. He also seems to enjoy it. It was so much fun and I think it’s going to be a regular thing that we will do as a family.

3. TGP Board

I decided not to renew my “subscription” to TGP in an effort to discourage me from posting/checking the emporium for “great deals”. Hopefully, this will help me achieve goal #1 as well!

4. Getting on-board

Lastly, I am getting on-board with my wife’s idea that I have to exercise. Surprise, surprise! For the past few weeks, I’ve been doing at least 10 minutes of exercise at home. I’ve also started skipping rope again and doing a few crunches to stave off some of my belly fats … I think I’m liking this getting fit thingy!

Barber Electronics had some great deals today for their B-Stock (blemished stocks) at 50% off. It was so enticing that I ordered myself a Direct Drive … As if I need another drive pedal!

Barber Direct Drive

The pedals were selling like pancakes but not all of them got listed at the same time. I would have gotten a Dirty Bomb instead have I known! Oh well, I guess I’ll try to enjoy this magnificent pedal

In case you missed it, here’s the list of pedals that went on sale:

Cyber Monday Sale at Barber Electronics

Anybody else got a good deal today?

I have acquired a Disaster Area Amp’s DMC-3 to control my Strymon Timeline recently. But mine didn’t come with a stock firmware (stock info here)

Custom DMC-3 controlling the Strymon Timeline

Here’s how I have mine …

Press button 1 to send A (activate/deactivate)
Hold button 1 for 1 sec. to perform bank down, scrolls bank at 500ms interval

Press button 2 to send B (activate/deactivate)
Hold button 2 for 1 sec. to perform bank up, scrolls bank at 500ms interval

Press 3 to send CC 93 (remote tap)
LED 3 lights green while waiting for a second tap
LED 3 flashes blue in time with last two taps

— Button Layout —
Button 1 (left)
Button 2 (right)
Button 3 (middle/top)

It’s working great right now and it really makes banking up/down much easier in a live situation. Matt Farrow has been good at supporting and tweaking the custom code for me. If you are in the market for a MIDI controller, consider looking at his products!

I wrote this instrumental song about three months ago as an expression of gratitude for all the blessings I’ve received from God. You may find that it sounds melancholic at first and there is a reason behind that. What I find is that even though we are blessed with so much, we still find a way not to be content nor satisfied with what we got. I don’t know about you but this is true, certainly for me. And whenever I listen to this, it reminds me that I should rejoice and always be glad in knowing that God will provide all my needs!

I hope you enjoy this song and may it also serve as a reminder for you …

Click here if you can’t see the player

Been away from the blog for a while and I thought I’d post an update for my loyal reader! hehe

• Just came back from a weekend away in Boston with my wife to celebrate our 7th year anniversary. It’s our first time away from the kids. It was fun, although, there were a couple of times when we thought that it could have been fun if they were there. Then we’ll do something that we wouldn’t be able to do if we had the kids with us!
  
  

  Checking out the menu at Union Oyster House

• My wife gave me a Vox Tonelab ST. It sounds great for practicing at home using headphones. I have yet to try it out live through a PA or an amp. It has a 12AX7 tube in it so it’s only natural that I geek out and try to change it right away! And I did
  
  

  Vox Tonelab ST

• Got a 1×12 Lopo cab (front-loading/closed-back) for the Maz Jr. and put my old V30 in it. It was a bit boxy so I had to swap the EP-Booster with the Empress Para EQ to tame it a bit for now
  
  

  A similar looking Lopo cab

• An updated pedalboard … for now
  
  

  Pedalboard as of October 2011

• Looking forward to meeting up with my friend next month to watch Eagles/Jets game at Philadelphia. This is slowly becoming a tradition. Every 2 years we will meet up to catch a football game. Thanks to my wife for making it happen as she buys the tickets for us as a birthday gift for me & Dave … I love my awesome wife!
  
  

  I want to see more of this!