So my first blog post on my new site. Where to begin?
Well I really have few interests, but anyone that knows me knows that I'm interested in software development, of which I've spent nearly 30 years doing - so I'd like to think I know a bit about it, and, ... electric guitar. I've been playing guitar even longer that I've been building software, but that has a very different kind of learning curve to it so I'm not going to make any claims there. Monday is NGD. NGD? Well that means New Gear Day of course. Anyone else like me that as GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) buys new gear at least once in a while. I've got a new guitar amplifier that should appear on my doorstep Monday so let's start with those.
Software Development and Use Cases ...
A couple of days back I ran across a technology article on the InfoQ website. It's an interview of none other than Ivar Jacobson, the father of Use Cases . According to the interview interest in Use Cases as a technique for gathering and understanding software requirements, a key ingredient to building new or enhancing existing software applications of any kind, is on the rise. This is a topic I've spent much time studying as getting clear accurate requirements is probably the most difficult aspect of software development and possibly the most cost impactive. I've probably studied the writings of Dr. Alistair Cockburn more than Jacobson himself. It turns out that they've been collaborating, writing papers together on the topic. It's interesting to me that Jacobson indicates that Agile killed off Use Cases and other more formal processes. I'm a big fan of Agile. In fact in nearly 30 years of software development I've seen and experienced dozens of different approaches to software development and the one with, by far, the least amount of hiccups was Agile. Something very akin to Extreme Programming in fact. However, despite what you might read about it, I don't think that Agile and Use Cases have to be mutually exclusive. In fact I think both techniques should be used together! I could drone on and on, and I likely will in other posts and wiki pages at some point in the future. Have a look or listen to the article yourself. Don't miss the links at the end to published papers and the interview with Cockburn.
Electric Guitar and New Gear Day Coming Monday ...
Let's see. I have a half dozen guitars. The usual models of Gibson's, Fenders and Paul Reed Smith's. That's really not that much for a guy that was gigging for a local cover band before the pandemic and needed at least 3 guitars per gig. One in standard tuning, one in open G for Stones tunes (that I never liked playing) and a spare in case a string broke in the middle of a set. On the other hand I've never had more than two or three guitar amps. Again you really need 2 if you are gigging. One to use and a spare in case a tube blows. I only play vacuum tube based guitar amps. Solid state amps or the new so called "modeling amps" just don't sound as good. Think about it. They are making an amp to "model" the original guitar amplifiers that were designed to use vacuum tubes. Need I say anymore?
My main tube amp is a hand-built (by me) clone of a Marshall model 1974X. I built it from a kit that used to be offered by Trinity Guitar Amps just outside of Toronto. Don't confuse that with the year - that amp was designed and manufactured before the 1974. It's only 18 watts, but damn it can be loud. Way more than what is needed to play the parties and pub gigs I was playing. Especially when the amp is mic'd (Seinnheiser E609 Silver is the mic I use) and ran through the PA as we always did. I just needed it loud enough to hear myself play. Despite that amp being plenty loud, you'd be amazed how hard it can be to hear yourself over the rest of the band and a noisy crowd at a live gig. My 2nd amp was a PRS 2-Channel Custom. It was a great little 20 watt amp with a lot of features for an amp of that size including reverb, and effects loop, a volume boost for soloing, etc. But it just really didn't quite do that Marshall dirt and compression thing. So after the gigging stopped I sold it. I'm using the proceeds to buy a new guitar amplifier made by BlackStar . While its new to me, its a slightly used, but got a super deal on it from Guitar Center . It's the new BlackStar HTV III 50 watt head and I can't wait to try it. I'm really hoping that it will help to inspire me to dig back into my playing, maybe get jamming with my drummer again.
Well that's it for my initial post. Other than hacking code for this new site, and my usual tutoring and consulting from time to time that's what I've been up to.