Category: Experiences

Finally Watched Star Wars 7! My Review!

Finally watched Star Wars: The Force Awakens! It was incredible! I saw it in IMAX 3D, so I also witnessed the incredible escape from Jakku scene in all of its full-frame glory! Although the start was unusual for me, as it started in the middle of a battle with a brand new character, I slowly got into the new movie, as it progressed. I love how detailed everything was, and how great of a job they did creating a new world. I was initially weary going into it, if they could create a whole new world, similar to how George Lucas envisioned. And they’ve absolutely pulled it off! The familiar characters making a return was heartwarming, and the new material was awe-inspiring. The fights and all the action was great and done very well, and the last few scenes were very emotional and meaningful, in true Star Wars fashion. The story was amazing, too. I love how Rey and Finn worked so well together, and how a female Jedi can absolutely work so well, without feeling forced. Her performance was just so natural and perfect. Not many could pull it off better than Daisy and John (the actors).
And let’s not forget John Williams beautiful score he brought to the entire movie, perfectly chiming in old and new pieces when the time was right, fitting right in with the action and the peace.
Overall, a great experience and a great movie, and I can’t wait to see what the next one will bring!

A Tale of Farewell

A Tale of Farewell:

So I installed Windows 10, and I love it! Everything is great, and perfect, and exciting. It’s much better than Windows 8, and while it feels a bit weird not having some interface features like the tile desktop screen, I know these changes are for the better. Like it booting straight to the desktop. And t is much more organized, and very useful, especially with Cortana. So install it and everything is great!

So as I take out my keyboard to start jamming a song, connected through my Roland audio interface, something is a bit off. It doesn’t work. And so I then realize that my audio interface is the problem. It appears to not be recognized by the PC, but that thought is quickly put to rest by the sound Windows makes when I plug it in and unplug it. So I think, “oh”, and think, “Hm, well maybe something happened when I installed Windows 10…” So I decided the driver might have somehow gotten messed up by it (everything else transitioned fine after the upgrade). So I then proceed to uninstall the driver and reinstall it, hoping it will work after that. So everything goes fine, then in the middle of installing (after it gets to the part where it says, “plug your device in to continue installation”), I plug in my device and it appears to begin installing the rest of it. Except it doesn’t. It stalls there. For several minutes. I think, “it never took this long on Windows 8… I wonder why it’s not working.” So I give it a few minutes. And it doesn’t work. I’m like, “okay, I’ll just try it again”. So I do. Twice. I install, uninstall, restart, install, try it, and it doesn’t work! So I think, just to be in the safe side, I’ll install it again. So I repeat the process again, and it doesn’t work! Windows still recognizes my device, but it does not work. I know it works of the blue light on the device comes on. However, this time it does not. So this is alarming to me. I go check online for answers.

Then, I see some news: disappointing, yet hopeful. Roland announces on its website that support for Windows 10 is coming soon, however how soon is not specified. So I say, “okay, I guess the Windows 8 drivers don’t work with Windows 10, but at least there’s an update coming, right? Right.” Except for what I would find out the next day (today).
I search again for answers. I come across a Reddit thread. I find a link someone posted in the topic, the same link I saw before. I think, “okay, so good, nothing new.” But then, there is a second link. I have no idea what it is, other than potentially, new information that may reveal some new details like when drivers are coming out or what not.
So I click on the link. What I see before me: an actual list of which devices Roland will update for Windows 10. And which ones they WILL NOT. So frantically, I search for my device on the list. At first, it’s not there. So I carefully check again, until I see it!

There are three categories they put it in. “Yes” – meaning the new drivers will automatically work or are already available for the device; ” Currently under testing” – meaning they’re investigating it; and finally, “NO” – meaning they will not support this device anymore with Windows 10, they are not going to manufacture new drivers for the device.
What I find next is heartbreaking.

Upon finding my device, the UA-25EX, I find its category, and find it is listed under “NO”.

I am awestruck. I think, “oh crap”.

So this means that my device will not work with Windows 10, and Roland, the manufacturer, has no plans to support it.
This sucks, because my device, the device I’ve used to record all of my vocals, since I got my microphone, as well as play my keyboard on my PC via MIDI, and am very used to using, will no longer work anymore.

So this means one of two things: I will have to downgrade to Windows 8.1, or I will have to get a new audio interface.
I love Windows 10, and this is the only drawback so far, so I’m not just going to downgrade my whole desktop experience just to use my audio interface.
So therefore, I am left with no other option, but to sell my trusty audio interface, and finally kiss it goodbye.

So long. Roland UA-25EX. I guess this is goodbye. But you will continue to live on in my heart. And in the projects I do in the future. Your body will no longer be there. But your soul will.
Farewell.