Making the MC624 Remote (in Exhausting Detail)

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I made something.

This thing is a hardwired desktop remote control unit made to interface with the Sound Skulptor MC624 stereo monitor controller.  The remote sends control commands via a serial interface to the MC624 (which performs all of the actual audio handling) and indicates the selected input, output, volume level, and other monitoring functions.

The Eye Socket MC624 Remote.

Designing and building this device was a quite complex and challenging process for me, with a number of peculiar problems to solve and new skills to learn.  The project developed sporadically over the course of seven months, from sketchy concept in February 2017 to finished piece in September.  Reflecting on this process I have decided to document it here.  My hope is that I have included enough detail to be useful to those who might be interested in building a similar device, but not to overwhelm those who are simply interested in the story.

This remote is not available as a product for sale, but all the technical details of my design, including the panel designs, part sources, wiring diagrams and open-source code, are shared freely on Github.  

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Face to Face – Big Choice reissue

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My old pals face to face are celebrating 25+ years as a band with a ton of good stuff.  Their latest album Protection (released March 2016) marked their return to Fat Wreck Chords and has earned great reviews everywhere.  A new 7″ single from the album is coming out in May.  The band continues to tour all over, and in May and June of this year they will reprise their legendary 1996 “Econo Live” tour with a series of small club shows around the U.S.

The band’s classic first three albums have also received long-awaited vinyl and digital reissues through Fat Wreck, remastered by the outstanding Joe Gastwirt.  The second album Big Choice is a special case:  For the reissue, Trever and I remixed the entire album from the original multitrack master tapes.  The new mixes give the album a more honest sound, presenting the band’s performances straightforwardly and without the “studio polish” that adorned the original release.  (See below for more about this process.)

The Big Choice reissue is available on vinyl from the band’s official store, Fat Wreck, Amazon, and your local record shop.  It’s also on CD and digital from iTunes, Google Play, etc.

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The Short Term – Burn This Bright

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Boston alt-rock trio The Short Term have just released their debut EP Burn This Bright, following their successful Indiegogo campaign.

In what has become a true 21st century convention, we recorded the drum tracks together in a “proper” studio, Q Division in Somerville, and the band recorded the other tracks in their own studio. I then mixed and mastered the record here at the Eye Socket.

The EP is available on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify etc.

The Eye Socket page updated

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In response to a surprising number of questions about the recent relocation and redesign of my personal studio, I have updated the studio page of my site with new photos, a short history, and basic technical information.

See it here: the-eye-socket.com

(Apologies for the slapdash photography.)

The studio (and I) are currently busy with new music from Real Space Noise and the much anticipated fourth Viva Death album – which should be completed this summer.

Faith and the Muse – Where the Land Meets the Sea

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My old pals, regular collaborators and erstwhile housemates Faith and the Muse have released a retrospective compilation called Where the Land Meets the Sea: The Best Loved Songs of Faith and the Muse on German record label Danse Macabre. In their usual style, Monica and William have prepared this double CD collection with the greatest care, from the choice and grouping of songs to the beautifully detailed packaging. Read more about the collection on Monica’s blog.

I co-produced, recorded and/or mixed about half of the songs in this collection at the Eye Socket, so the release invokes a lot of happy memories for me as well. The three of us spent many hours together in the studio, and many more on the road (I was their touring drummer in 1995-96). This is an utterly unique band who ambitiously combine elements of gothic and glam rock, ethereal ambient soundscapes, and exotic instrumentation from all over the world – and somehow make it all work. For those new to Faith and the Muse, this collection is a perfect introduction.

In the U.S., Canada and South America, the 2CD set can be ordered directly from Monica’s online store. In the UK, Europe and the rest of the world, order from Danse Macabre.