RouseWorld | Main -- Is this thing still on?

Is this thing still on?

What, have I fallen down to seasonal updates? Well, I hope not. Mostly I've just been caught up with other things and the idea of keeping up the website hasn't been that compelling lately. However, I did get a new phone — a Sony Ericsson Z525a — and it takes MP3 ringtones (just like all those other annoying cell phones). So I had to play with it and load up some crazy ring tones.

And of course I couldn't just download an obnoxious ringtone, heck where is the fun in that?

The Z525a is a Bluetooth phone and I get my service from Cingular, a company that to its credit typically doesn't disable Bluetooth functionality. So far everything I've wanted to do with the phone I can do fairly easily. Pictures, ringtones, video, themes and more can be transferred between the phone a computer with Bluetooth.

Where there were a few gaps between my Apple computer's software and the new phone (at first I couldn't synchronize the address book and calendar or send/receive SMS messages from the computer) the website mobile.feisar.com had everything I needed.

But anyway, back to the ringtones.

I cranked up my usual rig — a Washburn HOB-E electric guitar running through a Boss ME-50 multiple effects board to a vintage Silvertone "amp" (really an old home mono radio and record player) which is miked by a Shure PG-57. The PG-57's signal gets sent to a Griffin iMic (USB audio input) attached to my computer running Apple's GarageBand.

Yes, I could have just run a cable straight from the guitar to iMic. Yes, I know, my way sounds cumbersome, I'm just weird like that.

So what about the finished product? Please give a listen to the Smoke on the Water riff and a bit of When the Saints Come Marching In.

Neither song is perfect, but it was fun to do. If you like, please send suggestions for more ring tones to play. I'd like to do the Margaritaville riff as well, as soon as I can get that to sound right — I can't really use my metal settings for that one.