I finally gave up on the Firebox - couldn't find anyone to look at it locally, and it would have cost me shipping, plus parts and $90 per hour to ship it to the vendor in Montreal - hardly worth it. Decided I wanted something new to record through, and I wanted three things - the quality of the Firebox, but purchased locally, so I could take it back for repair, and it had to be USB, as the problem with the firebox was I couldn't figure out whether it was the box or the firewire interface that caused the problem. Anhow, bought an E-MU 0404 USB interface, and it sings. Great sound out of it, so I'll FINALLY be able to do some more recording......

Have been very bummed out this past few days. Had to move my PC, and my recording interface, a Presonus Firebox, would not communicate with the PC after restarting. Attached to a laptop we had in the house, and same problem - very, very frustrating, especially after finally getting something recorded that I was happy with. Will try a new firewire cable today, and after that, contact Presonus, and find out can be done. But not a good day on the music front.....

I've had a lot of thoughts about what music means to me over the years. I've had the same dreams most folks have had about it, about making a living, being a star, living the great life. But I tried it a long time ago, and realized that perhaps I didn't have that kind of drive, and that most people ended up being poor and not playing the kinds of things they really wanted to. So I got a regular job, got married, had kids, and played as a hobby on occasion. Then, in my late 40s, took it up with a vengeance again.... and here I am. I'm playing, I'm composing, I'm enjoying. I'm using music as a creative outlet. I'm using it as a way to get lost in something, and forget about the tougher things in life - not that life is all that tough, but I have a demanding job and a family, and guitar provides a bit of mental reset for me. I'm happy that this place exists, and I can find a bit of an audience for my music, and a community to discuss it with. Looking forward to completing some decent recordings, and posting them to share.... and we'll go from there.