Stuart McIlreavy’s Blog

Studying at SAE I’ve had a lot of chances to use both Logic & Pro Tools in a studio environment.
It may be jumping the gun formulating opinions on the matter before using Pro Tools 7.4

From my experience, interacting with Pro Tools on any level, always winds up being an interaction of inconvenience.
As Pro Tools is proprietary to the core, if there is any dynamic at all in your studio environment, Pro Tools will always leave you disappointed. Around every corner, Digi Design seem to erect a barrier that interrupts your work flow. Whether it be a licensing issue, a interlock driver, a software update issue…the list is endless. Pro-Tools is bound to fail you at some stage.

And Logic? Logic 8 is a dream straight out of the box. It’s the corner stone of the DAW you always dreamed you had. It’s loaded with tools that all seem to sound great. Even the no frills Apple compressors do exactly what you expect them to do. And the fact that it comes with no hardware restrictions leaves you completely open to choose from the plethora of audio interfaces that are flooding the market.

It is true that Pro-Tools has industry pedigree. But my crystal balls see them rapidly going the way 3dFX did.

A great relief swept over me today when I finally got the result for Level 3 of the Japanese Language Proficiency Test 3, and found that I had passed!

Around the 75% Mark. You needed to get about 60% to get through.

It defiantly gives me the steam to think about studying for level 2 and sitting it in a couple of years.?Sad thing is 3 Months in Niseko, Japan’s Australia town, has seen my Japanese ability go down a notch.

Thank you to all of the KKC Sensei who helped me get through.

Consultation for Byron Bay Ear Candles is Going really well.

Working on a site based from the rough design concept below.

Already got it looking good in the browser, now working on the osCommerce Template.
This is all in PHP, which means I basically have to learn a new Programming Language.

Thank god for Lynda.Com

Wow, I just W3C Validated the XHTML & CSS on my first website.

Which means that I is no longer dodgy.

Who would have thunk it?

So i’m in Niseko working for Ski Japan.

Trying to come to terms with the ozness of Niseko. Slowly re acclimatising.

Some days im up at 6:30 am and work until 1 the next morning. It’s full on, but an awesome experience to work in a ski town. Yesterday for about the second time it dumped snow and today I spent a great day on the mountain up to my knees in powder.

And in other news, I may have my next web client……maybe..

This morning I woke around 6 pm. Showered, snacked, got my things together and headed to Hokkaido University to sit the Japanese Language Proficiency Test. It had been dumping snow all night. I was up to my ankles in it. Chilly. As I emerged from the subway there were guides directing people through the university to the test site. I sat the level 3 test, advanced beginner level. The test site was full of all kinds of people living and studying in Japan.

Pass or Fail? Pass or Fail? Not sure yet. Maybe Ill just scrape through on the lower end of things. Wasn’t to bad. Strong in some parts, a little weak on the Kanji?s. Awesome experience, Level 2 next year? Hmmmmmm?no thanks.

An interesting story about Niseko, The resort I will be working at from next week.

Niseko

Its only about 2 weeks now until I pack and move once again. Sometimes I think I move too much.
But actually on second thoughts there is nothing better that packing everything in to a backpack, keeping only what you need and what you can carry, and then starting afresh. My next destination is Niseko Ski Jo In Hokkaido. It?s the best ski resort in Asia. Popular with Aussies. And I will be driving an airport shuttle bus. 4 years of university education so I can drive a bus.

Finally finished my first freelance web design.

I think it looks pretty good. The boss of the company that maintains my clients Japanese site was a little sheepish because my site made his company look average. I bet he’s getting paid a lot more as well.

Sites up at International Exchange Center Osaka

Working on my first freelance web design Job for my Japanese language school.

Not really working so many hours teaching English lately. Its interesting to be working for myself for a change. If you don’t get the job looking good and finished by the deadline you don’t get the cash. You don’t pay the rent.

Its looking pretty sharp. Even if I do say so myself.