Weekend Updatia
Nov. 6th, 2007 08:27 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ellyssianA bit late, but here's the summary:
In an effort to support local business - and get some damn good expert opinions - I went to a local shop to get a digital SLR for Top Sekrity purposes (NOTE: this is not one o' them Top Sekrity Posts, so please refrain from discussing Top Sekrity Stuff in the comments; the time is not yet right for the Grand Revelation! =) It turns out that the shop uses a service to verify checks. The service didn't like my low check number (although it was not a "starter check", which is what it was referred to) and the shop didn't like the lack of information printed on it (it contained all the information required on a legal check). The salesman, who had been extremely helpful, and also knew I didn't get everything and could be expected to spend more money at the shop in the future, discussed with the owner, and the method of payment I had at my disposal was refused. I told them quite plainly that I would prefer supporting local businesses, and that if I didn't get it here, today - coming back with a cashiers check from the bank was not an option, as it spent more of my time & money to do so - than I would have to order it from somewhere online. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do, so we walked out empty-handed.
Sad thing is, this is the place where I've taken all my film to be developed. I've literally spent hundreds of dollars there on that alone; I also purchased Deb's telescope there. They are currently celebrating 30 years in business; apparently they never had low numbered checks when they started out.
~ ~ ~
After that, we went to the Guitar Center, so Justin could get some hands-on time with various keyboards. He gravitated away from the digital pianos, and tried some Yamaha, Korg, and Roland workstations. He wasn't as impressed with the $3200 Yamaha as I was, but he really liked the feel and sounds of another Yamaha, which was about a grand cheaper. The Korgs just didn't do it for him, the feel wasn't right. He did like the new Roland, which went for about $2200, a comparable price with the Yamaha he liked.
Mr. B gave me a workout, going back and forth between the keys and the sound reinforcement room - and wanting to do so on his own. They had a lightshow set up in the sound room, so he liked watching that. Finally, I took the advice of one of the sales guys and took him over to the percussion department. One of the guys there gave him a set of sticks, and I sat him at a drum kit.
He tried the drums in turn: snare, hi-tom, low-tom, floor tom and did the same for the cymbals. I showed him the center of the snare and said to hit there, and he did. Then he tried the other areas of the drum head, hitting it in four quarters and listening to the sound. He played steady rhythms the whole time, steadier than what I've played on a drum set. He had both the snare and floor tom going together. I showed him the bell on the ride cymbal, and he tried it, and then went for the bell on the high hat to see how that sounded. The drum guy asked how long he'd been taking lessons; he had started about that age. A couple of customers expressed surprise at his ability - he was actually playing, and not thrashing around.
After we moved away from that, the drum guy lowered a snare and after a few tentative hits, he played a little roll using both sticks, and that further surprised everyone. We're thinking a practice pad and sticks for Christmas for him, and maybe a snare.
~ ~ ~
After that, and a few quick stops at some places to see if they had the camera I was looking for, we stopped off at a Yamaha piano place. Justin had a deer-in-headlights look; when we left he said he wasn't sure if he was allowed to play them. He did play a baby grand for a little bit, and I got to talking with the salesman about the Clavanova, which is their high end digital piano, with models running from $2000 to $15,000.
Justin came over and tried a couple, finally settling on one that listed at $7000 or so. After a while, he began to adjust to the dynamics possible on a quality instrument. Although all the ones he had tried at Guitar Center had touch sensitivity and a full 88-keys, there was a huge difference in the feel and even the sounds. The Clavanovas are built in wooden enclosures; the workstations are all much more portable, but you also have to purchase a PA system to be able to hear them, where the Clavanovas have that built in.
In an effort to support local business - and get some damn good expert opinions - I went to a local shop to get a digital SLR for Top Sekrity purposes (NOTE: this is not one o' them Top Sekrity Posts, so please refrain from discussing Top Sekrity Stuff in the comments; the time is not yet right for the Grand Revelation! =) It turns out that the shop uses a service to verify checks. The service didn't like my low check number (although it was not a "starter check", which is what it was referred to) and the shop didn't like the lack of information printed on it (it contained all the information required on a legal check). The salesman, who had been extremely helpful, and also knew I didn't get everything and could be expected to spend more money at the shop in the future, discussed with the owner, and the method of payment I had at my disposal was refused. I told them quite plainly that I would prefer supporting local businesses, and that if I didn't get it here, today - coming back with a cashiers check from the bank was not an option, as it spent more of my time & money to do so - than I would have to order it from somewhere online. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do, so we walked out empty-handed.
Sad thing is, this is the place where I've taken all my film to be developed. I've literally spent hundreds of dollars there on that alone; I also purchased Deb's telescope there. They are currently celebrating 30 years in business; apparently they never had low numbered checks when they started out.
~ ~ ~
After that, we went to the Guitar Center, so Justin could get some hands-on time with various keyboards. He gravitated away from the digital pianos, and tried some Yamaha, Korg, and Roland workstations. He wasn't as impressed with the $3200 Yamaha as I was, but he really liked the feel and sounds of another Yamaha, which was about a grand cheaper. The Korgs just didn't do it for him, the feel wasn't right. He did like the new Roland, which went for about $2200, a comparable price with the Yamaha he liked.
Mr. B gave me a workout, going back and forth between the keys and the sound reinforcement room - and wanting to do so on his own. They had a lightshow set up in the sound room, so he liked watching that. Finally, I took the advice of one of the sales guys and took him over to the percussion department. One of the guys there gave him a set of sticks, and I sat him at a drum kit.
He tried the drums in turn: snare, hi-tom, low-tom, floor tom and did the same for the cymbals. I showed him the center of the snare and said to hit there, and he did. Then he tried the other areas of the drum head, hitting it in four quarters and listening to the sound. He played steady rhythms the whole time, steadier than what I've played on a drum set. He had both the snare and floor tom going together. I showed him the bell on the ride cymbal, and he tried it, and then went for the bell on the high hat to see how that sounded. The drum guy asked how long he'd been taking lessons; he had started about that age. A couple of customers expressed surprise at his ability - he was actually playing, and not thrashing around.
After we moved away from that, the drum guy lowered a snare and after a few tentative hits, he played a little roll using both sticks, and that further surprised everyone. We're thinking a practice pad and sticks for Christmas for him, and maybe a snare.
~ ~ ~
After that, and a few quick stops at some places to see if they had the camera I was looking for, we stopped off at a Yamaha piano place. Justin had a deer-in-headlights look; when we left he said he wasn't sure if he was allowed to play them. He did play a baby grand for a little bit, and I got to talking with the salesman about the Clavanova, which is their high end digital piano, with models running from $2000 to $15,000.
Justin came over and tried a couple, finally settling on one that listed at $7000 or so. After a while, he began to adjust to the dynamics possible on a quality instrument. Although all the ones he had tried at Guitar Center had touch sensitivity and a full 88-keys, there was a huge difference in the feel and even the sounds. The Clavanovas are built in wooden enclosures; the workstations are all much more portable, but you also have to purchase a PA system to be able to hear them, where the Clavanovas have that built in.
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Date: 2007-11-07 12:13 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-07 12:19 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-07 01:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-11-08 02:06 am (UTC)