New PC Build

[Peter Batah]

So far I am off to a bad start. I install the e-Licenser software but when it performs the maintenance tasks an error comes up stating that a connection to the license server could not be established. I have no problem accessing the internet on my new PC. Very weird indeed. More reading to do. I was hoping that this was going to be a walk in the park. Not!

UPDATE: I contacted Steinberg and received this reply:

Hi Peter,
Sorry, the Steinberg servers are down, hopefully, they will be back up and running today.

https://forums.steinberg.net/t/license-server-outages/699299

 

[-mjk-]

@Arjan P said:

I remember those big cardboard boxes with software (and a lot of air as well!). Even a paper manual, now there's a throwback in time!

I think the big boxes were more of an anti-theft measure than anything else.

 

[Arjan P]

So far I am off to a bad start. I install the e-Licenser software but when it performs the maintenance tasks an error comes up stating that a connection to the license server could not be established. I have no problem accessing the internet on my new PC. Very weird indeed. More reading to do. I was hoping that this was going to be a walk in the park. Not!

UPDATE: I contacted Steinberg and received this reply:

Hi Peter,
Sorry, the Steinberg servers are down, hopefully, they will be back up and running today.

https://forums.steinberg.net/t/license-server-outages/699299

Yeah I heard about that server issue - just your luck, huh. But I'm sure they're back online now? I'm not sure if they advise you to (or if you need to) but otherwise I'd say it's a good idea to have a Steinberg account where your e-Licenser is registered. More than handy if something should happen to the e-Licenser..

 

[Peter Batah]

@Arjan P Thanks for that update. I tried activating my license a few hours ago but didn't have any luck. I will check again now. BTW. Do you recommend that I download all that is available for Cubase 11. I see that there is a whole bunch of content that I can download from the Download Manager.

 

[Arjan P]

Yes, I would recommend that you download all that comes with Cubase, unless you can already tell by the names that you don't want the content. It's a lot of content for the VST Instruments and most of it is pretty good quality IMO. But obviously if you're not going to create drum-'n-bass tracks (I mean the type of music) you won't need drum-'n-bass sounds.

Also a good one to download is the Steinberg Library Manager, that gives you an overview of where your VST Sounds are located. Some install on C:\ by default and with this manager you can change the locations. (I do so because I want all of that on a separate E:\ disk).

 

[Peter Batah]

@Arjan P I too prefer to store that content on my D: (SSD Drive) I will download what I "think" might be useful. I suppose that I can always uninstall If I feel that it is content that I would not be using.

 

[Peter Batah]

FYI: Posted my frustration here:

https://www.tascamforums.com/threads/steinberg-license-server.8476/

 

[Peter Batah]

And here is the latest announcement.

February 27, 2021

Since February 25, we are experiencing license server outages which have lead to failed license transactions (license activation, license transfer and license upgrades). The first attempt to resolve the issue was unsuccessful which lead us to initiate the recovery. Unfortunately, this routine takes hours to complete and is still ongoing. We estimate that it will take several more hours. As a consequence, we have disabled the Steinberg Online Shop until the license serve is up and running again.

Please accept our sincere apologies for the inconvenience this has caused. As Steinberg is committed to providing good customer experience, rest assured that we are taking issues like this seriously and are working on improving this situation for the future.

We can assure you, however, that your licenses cannot get lost. Once the license server is available again, you can restart failed license transactions and activate your products successfully.

 

[skier]

@Peter Batah, how's the new studio working out? Any interesting stories to share?

 

[Peter Batah]

@skier Good morning Jerry. So nice to hear from you again. I trust that life is treating you well. Not much has really changed studio wise. I try to spend time in there when time and health permits. I made the mistake of spending a little too much time in the studio on Saturday and paid for it that evening. Advil, Heat, Myoflex, etc. I should have known better of course but time has a way of rushing by. I have not made any modification as to the height of our great 32" monitor (aka the culprit). I probably will be taking care of that in the next day or so. Wait till you see the contraption that I have put together. Simple, but effective.

Oh and one more thing. My eldest daughter had not seen the studio to date. She was over on Sunday so I gave her the grand tour. All 200 sq. ft of it. She was blown away! The next day she was sending me links to the Berklee College of Music website. She wanted me to checkout the Online Course Catalog. She says dad: "it's only $1250 USD for a 12 week course." So sweet and thoughtful of her. I told her that for the time being I had a wealth of free resources at my disposal (including the great folks on this forum) but appreciated the gesture very much.

https://flic.kr/p/2kQ7Mn9

Again, what could of been a two line response ended up being two paragraphs worth. Have yourself a great Tuesday dear friend!

 

[skier]

Hi Peter, I'm well, thank you, and also excited because we'll be out at Jackson Hole to ski next week and you know how I feel about that activity. But I'm so sorry to hear about your aches, I presume neck and back if due to the monitor's height. I feel partly responsible because I recommended that monitor and big monitors are also higher than smaller ones. I have mine on my desk with the height at the minimum sitting. I'm also tall with a long torso, so I look down at them from a seated position. But in the studio, I have two 22 inch monitors, and while smaller, I look somewhat up at them and I will get a crook in my neck if that goes on for more than 3 or 4 hours. However, I look forward to seeing the device you've built as the solution to the problem. I've learned a lot by seeing how clever people can creatively resolve a problem.

That was sweet of your daughter to immediately try to help you launch into becoming a music mogul. And should you ever come to Boston for such a course, or for any reason for that matter. if you let me know, I'll take a train up and we can meet and have lunch. It's always great to meet online friends and finally be in their presence and enjoy their company first hand.

 

[Peter Batah]

@skier Frankly, I don't think the monitor size would have made much of a difference because I remember having placed two 19" monitors side-by-side at some point and got the same results. Definitely no fault of yours. I absolutely love the 32" Wouldn't trade it for anything.

My issue is two fold I believe.
1) I have to keep reminding myself that I am not 18 anymore
2) The height of the Argosy where the monitor sits at is 41"

Oh, and did I mention (of course I did on more than one occasion I'm sure) that I have not sat at mixing desk in a little over 40 years. So, I guess it's only normal that I am going to have to ease into this.

I hear that Boston is very similar to Old Montreal or the old section of Quebec city! I will definitely keep that in mind. It would be an absolute pleasure. Enjoy your time on the ski hill. Be careful!

 

[skier]

I'm glad to hear you really like the monitor! It's gratifying I was able to help someone and not make him suffer for following my suggestion.

Wow, the Argosy is higher than I realized. I've seen their brochures and many photos of the various Argosy consoles made for different mixers, but I've never seen one live.

One other approach you could consider is a stool - that would get you up higher and looking horizontally or slightly down at the monitor. Now, I don't mean some uncomfortable, wooden stool with no backrest, but rather something much more comfortable - I have such a stool in my electronics shop. It wasn't cheap, but it is comfortable and I need that because I sit in it for at least some time on most days, and when testing and modifying a new circuit design, I might be in it most of the day. I learned more than 20 years ago that it was worth the extra money to be in a chair that supports me rather than tortures me when I'm going to be in it a lot. Here's a link to it on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Harwick-Extr...th+Arms+-+Black+Leather&qid=1617149756&sr=8-2

It is very adjustable so you can make it fit your own body. I like a high bench because I sometimes prefer to stand at it and sometimes I'm going back and forth. But when I want to sit for a while, this chair/stool has worked extremely well. I'm sure there are cheaper chairs that would also work well; I'm just sharing what has and is working very well for me.

Yes, Boston is a very old city and there are similarities to the older sections of Montreal and Quebec City. I absolutely love Old Quebec, though I haven't been there in over 20 years.

Boston has one thing I haven't found anywhere else - it has more colleges than any other city in the world, over a hundred from last I read. The result is that there's a certain energy in the air. Much of the wait staff in restaurants and in many businesses you might visit are college students. They're often very clever, knowledgeable, funny, and come from all over the world. I'm not much of a city person, and I do like several other cities, but Boston is my favorite, at least here in the states.

 

[Peter Batah]

@skier Thanks for that link J. I see that it is currently unavailable on Amazon.com but I came across quite a few similar models on the Canadian Amazon site. I would really prefer to sit at the desk in a normal, lightweight, and breathable chair to be completely honest with you.

First I will see how my little creation works out then I will take it from there. I don't think that the Argosy Series 70 was designed with a large monitor in mind. A popular model is the Argosy Dual15 Workstation. Great if you are someone who works entirely ITB. Which is where some of us may, or may not end up at some point. If that were the case I might consider building something myself. Health and Energy permitting of course! I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

[-mjk-]

@Peter Batah said:

I hear that Boston is very similar to Old Montreal or the old section of Quebec city!

Boston is definitely cool, but Old Montreal is incredible.

I would really prefer to sit at the desk in a normal, lightweight, and breathable chair to be completely honest with you.

Peter, I was used to a cushy chair myself but since I got the stool I haven't even thought of it anymore. I was always squirming around and trying to find the best position in the chair. I found that I was sitting on the front edge of the chair most of the time to relieve my back pain. I suggest that you get a cheaper height-adjustable stool that you can use to see if the concept works for you. Even if the stool doesn't work out for the mixing position, you can still use for playing guitar. The IKEA stool that I showed you has a very nice footrest ring along the bottom. I enjoy being able to adjust my height depending upon what I'm doing. I have a ruptured disc and sitting on the stool has solved my lower back pain problem, and I think mainly because I don't slouch when I'm sitting on it. I sit on the front edge (it swivels) and I always have a proper lordosis curve. When I'm not looking at the computer and using the mixing desk, I can lower it down. When I'm doing some critical listening or editing, it's up high and my legs are almost straight (I'm 6' 3"/191cm). Seriously, I never thought I would enjoy using the stool in the studio. Every time I go into the studio and see it, I chuckle a bit because I do not miss the big chair.

 

[skier]

@Peter Batah, I completely agree with you - I definitely prefer a desk chair and to sit at a desk. In fact, when going into a restaurant that attempts to sit us at those high tables they call "high tops", I always decline unless there are no other options. It's just not a comfortable way for me to sit. Yet others like it or even prefer it as MJ relates. Yet in the shop, because I also move around a lot when testing a circuit, being able to approach, stand, and leave the bench to fetch a part or tool and return requires the bench to serve me at standing height. And that's where my test equipment resides (Oscilloscope, logic analyzer, signal generators, power supplies, etc.), so when I am there for a while and prefer to sit, such as to trace through a circuit, a stool is the only real option unless I get a height-adjustable bench (which would likely wear out quickly moving up and down many times a day).

HOWEVER, MJ's suggestion is a good one: if you find after testing the device you've built, that you're still having aches and pains, trying an inexpensive stool, or better yet, borrowing one with which to test, will at least give you another option to try and with which to assess its efficacy. I'm not trying to drive you to a stool, just trying to offer possible solutions - pain is no fun.

 

[Peter Batah]

Thank you both @skier @-mjk- for the great advice. Hopefully, my little device will be ready to be put through it's test in the next day or so. Let's see how that works and out and I will proceed from there. By the way, did I mention that the distance from floor to armrest at the front of the Argosy desk is 29". Which I'm guessing is pretty much the standard.

 

[skier]

Well, that's a typical desk height, so maybe a stool would be too high after all. Because you referred to your potential solution device as "a contraption", I'm dying to know what that bugger looks like. I've certainly cobbled a lot of devices together over the years and many would fit the definition of "contraption". Not all have worked great, but they often provided some entertainment, sometimes just because my friends were shaking their heads wondering what the heck Jerry was thinking. So, I can't wait to see a photo of yours.

 

[-mjk-]

One of the issues with these desks is that if you adjust your chair to fit your legs under the desk, the top most surface is too high for the video monitor (mostly because of the video monitor's native mount). This is why I'm using the completely adjustable after-market monitor mountings.

When I'm playing guitar I sit back from the desk and I like to be up higher. The stool is idea for that with it's footrest ring.

 

[skier]

I didn't know that about the Argosy desk. Like you, I also back away from the console to play guitar, and I also like to fold the arms up out of the way. When working at the console, I like the chair's arms, but not when playing. When I play bass, I stand because I need it to hang lower so I can play it with the first three fingers rather than my thumb or a pick.

My shop stool has the footrest ring and I would not like it or any stool without it. It gives a second position for comfort and when sitting for long stretches, multiple positions is a big plus. I also found that when I used to own a full dresser highway bike years ago. Those highway pegs were a nice change from the normal pegs and going back and forth made for more comfortable riding.

Perhaps this is more of an issue for tall people. On that topic, and being in a verbose mood this morning, you mentioned being 6' 3" a day or two ago, I'm a little over 6' 2" (maybe slightly shorter now that I'm older, but that's my story and I'm stickin to it!) And with my long torso, I really do have problems in small cars with low headroom and similar situations. BTW, I'm not happy that you're taller - don't I have any uniqueness here? Of course, Arjan's Dutch, and on average, their population has the tallest average height. I can only hope that Peter is shorter than I or my level of unremarkability will be only further confirmed... SHEESH!.