Faith is More Than Feelings

Faith is more than something you just feel. Many people confuse emotions and feelings with faith. They come to church and they are moved emotionally, they're inspired, and they're stimulated. They get a quiver in their liver and say, "Oh, man! I'm moved!"

And they go out after the service and maybe they even cried a little or felt God's presence. But just because you feel God's presence, doesn't mean you have real faith. There's a big difference between faith and feeling.

James says faith is not mere sentimentality. You go out on the street and you see some homeless person who's destitute. They're poor, they're hungry, they're cold, and they need clothing and shelter. And you walk up to them and say, "Well, I'll pray for you."

That's not faith. Faith is compassionate. How many times did Jesus say, or it was said about him, "He was moved with compassion for people." Faith is practical. It gets involved in people's hurts. And when you see a need, you do something about it. That's real faith.

James 2:15-16 NIV
Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?


*Taken from Rick Warren's Daily Devotional

Confident About the Future

How long is forever going to last? Forever! Someday your body is going to die, but you aren't! You're going to live forever in one of two places - heaven or hell. They're both real places. You will spend eternity in heaven or hell.
Why should Christians be thei most confident people about the future?
"Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:6, 8 NIV)
For Christians, death is a transfer, a promotion. It's on to better things; no more problems. You're not ready to live until you're ready to die. You don't know how to live until you're ready to die. Only a fool would go all through life totally unprepared for something that everybody knows is inevitable.
You're going to die - someday. If you've accepted Christ, then you're going to go to heaven. You'll be released from pain, from sorrow, from suffering, from depression, from fear: "He'll wipe every tear from their eyes. Death is gone for good - tears gone, crying gone, pain gone - all the first order of things gone." (Revelation 21:4 MSG)

Acoustic style

I always enjoy acoustic set like this...

Frequency Range

Please Note – The values below are marely guides, each mix is unique and individual so experimentation is advised.

Low Bass: Anything less than 50Hz

This range is often known as the sub bass and is most commonly taken up by the lowest part of the kick drum and bass guitar. Boosting blindly in this area without valid reference point can and will permanently damage most speakers, even PA systems. You have been warned!

Bass: 50-250Hz

This is the range you’re adjusting when applying the bass boost, although most bass signals in modern music lie around the 90-250Hz. A small boost in the upper ranges will add some presence and clarity.

Muddiness/irritational area: 200-800Hz

The main culprit area for muddy sounding mixes, hence the term ‘irritational area’. Most frequencies around here can cause psycho-acoustic problems. If too many sounds in a mix are dominating this area, it will become annoying.

Mid-range: 800-6kHz

Human hearing is extremely sensitive at these frequencies, and even a minute boost around here will result in a huge change in the sound – almost the same as if you boosted around 10db at any other range. This is because our voices are centred in this area, so it’s the frequency range we hear more than any other. If you have to apply any boosting in this area, be very cautious, especially on vocals. We’re particularly sensitive to how the human voice sounds and its frequency coverage.

High Range: 6-8kHz

This is the range you adjust when applying the treble boost. This area is slightly boosted to make sounds artificially brighter/’lifelike’

Hi-High Range: 8-20kHz

This area is taken up by the higher frequencies of cymbals and hi-hats. Boosting in this area requires a lot of care – it can easily pronounce any background hiss, and using too much will result in a mix becoming irritating.

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50Hz

1. Increase to add more fullness to lowest frequency instruments like foot, toms and the bass.

2. Reduce to decrease the “boom” of the bass and will increase overtones and the recognition of bass line.

100Hz

1. Increase to add a harder bass sound to lowest frequency instruments.

2. Increase to add fullness to guitars, snare.

3. Increase to add warmth to piano and horns

4. Reduce to remove boom on guitars & increase clarity

200Hz

1. Increase to add fullness to vocals.

2. Increase to add fullness to snare and guitar (harder sound).

3. Reduce to decrease muddiness of vocal or mid-range instruments.

4. Reduce to decrease gong sound of cymbals

400Hz

1. Increase to add clarity to bass lines especially when speakers are at low volume.

2. Reduce to decrease “cardboard” sound of lower drums (foot and toms).

3. Reduce to decrease ambiance on cymbals.

800Hz

1. Increase for clarity and “punch of bass.

2. Reduce to remove “cheap” sound of guitars.

1.5kHz

1. Increase for “clarity” and “pluck” of bass.

2. Reduce to remove dullness of guitars.

3kHz

1. Increase for more “pluck” of bass.

2. Increase for more attack of electric / acoustic guitar.

3. Increase for more attack on low piano parts.

4. Increase for more clarity / hardness on voice.

5. Reduce to increase breathy, soft sound on background vocals.

6. Reduce to disguise out-of-tune vocals/guitars

7kHz

1. Increase to add attack on low frequency drums (more metallic sound).

2. Increase to add attack to percussion instruments

3. Increase on dull singer.

4. Increase for more “finger sound” on acoustic bass.

5. Reduce to decrease “s” sound on singers.

6. Increase to add sharpness to synthesizers, rock guitars, acoustic guitar and piano.

10kHz

1. Increase to brighten vocals.

2. Increase for “light brightness” in acoustic guitar and piano.

3. Increase for hardness on cymbals.

4. Reduce to decrease “s” sound on singers

15kHz

1. Increase to brighten vocals (breath sound).

2. Increase to brighten cymbals, string instruments and flutes.

3. Increase to make sampled synthesizer sound more real.

EQ Guide for Soundman and Musician

Please Note – The values below are marely guides, each mix is unique and individual so experimentation is advised.

Instruments and Vocals EQ

Kick Drum & Toms

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. Try a small boost around 5-7 kHz to add some high end.

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom to the sound

100-250Hz ~ Adds roundness

250-800Hz ~ Muddiness Area

5-8kHz ~ Add high end presence

8-12kHz ~ Adds Hiss

Snare

Try a small boost around 60-120Hz if the sound a little too wimpy. Try boosting around 6kHz for that ‘snappy’ sound.

100-250Hz ~ Fills out the sound

6-8kHz ~ Adds presence

Hi hats or cymbals

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. To add some brightness try a small boost around 3kHz.

250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area

1-6kHz ~ Adds presence

6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity

8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

Bass Guitar

Try boosting around 60Hz to add more body. Ant apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. If more presence is needed, boost around 6kHz.

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom end

100-250Hz ~ Muddiness Area

800-1KHz ~ Adds beef to small speakers

1-6kHz ~ Adds presence

6-8kHz ~ Adds high-end presence

8-12kHz ~ Adds hiss

Piano

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off around 300Hz. Apply a vey small boost around 6kHz to add some clarity

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom

100-250Hz ~ Adds roundness

250-1kHz ~ Muddiness area

1-6kHz ~ Adds presence

6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity

8-12kHz ~ Adds hiss

Electric Guitars

Apply either cut or boost around 300Hz, depending on the song and sound. Try boosting around 3kHz to add some edge to the sound, or cut to add some transparency. Try boosting around 6kHz to add presence. Try boosting around 10kHz to add brightness

100-250Hz ~ Adds body

250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area

1-6kHz ~ Cuts through the mix

6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity

8-12kHz ~ Adds hiss

Acoustic guitar

Any apparent muddiness can be rolled off between 100-300Hz. Apply small amounts of cut 1-3kHz to push the image higher. Apply small amounts of boost around 5kHz to add some presence

100-250Hz ~ Adds body

6-8kHz ~ Add clarity

8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

Strings

These depend entirely on mix and the sound used.

50-100Hz ~ Adds bottom end

100-250Hz ~ Adds body

250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area

1-6kHz ~ Sounds crunchy

6-8kHz ~ Adds clarity

8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

Vocals

This is a difficult one, as it depends on the mic used for the vocal. Apply either cut or boost around 300Hz. Apply a very small boost around 6kHz to add some clarity.

100-250Hz ~ Adds ‘up-frontness’

250-800Hz ~ Muddiness area

1-6kHz ~ Adds presence

6-8kHz ~ Adds sibilance and clarity

8-12kHz ~ Adds brightness

Focus on Doing God's Will

Some of you are carrying a yoke , a heavy burden of the expectations that were put on you by your parents, or your husband, or your wife, or your children. Some of you are burdened down with a yoke put on you by your boss or by your teacher.

But most of us carry a yoke of burden that we've put on ourselves because of unresolved guilt and unrealistic expectations. We're trying to prove that we matter.

We take on a heavy yoke that God never intended in order to prove that we're important when God says we're already important.

God's yoke is that we follow his purpose for our lives, and when we do that, things work out a whole lot better. When we go our own way in life, we hit one brick wall after another. In a sense, God says, "Put on my purpose, my plan for your life."

How heavy is God's yoke? Jesus says, "The yoke I will give you is light and easy." You say, "But my Christian life isn't easy. My Christian life is heavy; it's like a duty that I have to fulfill."

Then it may be you are out of God's will. You may be doing something that God never intended for you to do. Jesus did not come to give you a burden but a blessing.

Matthew 11:27-30 NIV

"All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Earthquake

The 1st time I felt an earthquake termor was in 2004 Boxing Day. That is when an earthquake happen at Aceh.

At that time I was at church attending the Christmas service. I can se the spot light was moving around... everyone also felt it.

After.the service my sister when to Gurney Plaza with her cell member.
Below is the video of Tsunami that happen in Gurney Plaza.... The car that push my the water to the middle of the road is my sister car...

On 11/04/2012 afternoon, earthquake hit Aceh again at 8.6 magnitude. I was seating in the living room with my notebook. Suddenly I saw my notebook screen shaking and the sofo also shaking. All the thing in the leaving room also shake. By that time I knew it was earthquake again. I turn to all the news channel to get the latest news. Getting more and more people report about the earthquake on facebook,

As the news coming, tsunami alert is issue for all country at Indian Ocean. There still no news on the damage it done to Aceh.

I was on my way to badminton session with my friend and I felt the 2nd tremor inside the car. It was estimated that tsunami will hit Penang island at 911pm. All the shopping center was getting ready for the tsunami and close early for the day.

By 836pm the tsunami alert for the coastal regions in Malaysia was lifted.

Home Tone vs. Gig Tone

“home tone” vs. “gig tone”. This is something that experienced performing musicians know intuitively, but which often slaps newcomers to the live venue right in the face when they come up against it for the first time. To preface: there’s so much talk of “tone” these days, and so many guitarists are chasing it for all their worth, but more often than not this pursuit is undertaken in the isolation of a player’s living room, bedroom, home studio, or some other “home alone” environment. There’s nothing at all wrong with that, and these places are where we practice, learn, discover, and sometimes record the results. But honing our ultimate tone in these subjective environments can often lead to disappointment when we get out into the entirely subjective real world. Let’s find out why.

Among the net blogging tone hounds, there seems to be a lot of emphasis on guitar and amp sounds that are “smooth, warm, round, organic…” This might run to everything from the general preference for neck-pickup tones to a love of the round, thick, early breakup of heavily worn-in vintage speakers. Certainly any of these can bathe the ear in their juicy goodness when enjoyed sans distraction, and sound a lot more pleasant than anything that hints at a “harsh” or “cutting” sound. What the ear perceives from a solo electric guitar, however, and from a guitar blended into the mix of a full band are two entirely different things. In the latter, that smooth, warm, round tone too often can become… well, nothing at all.

The fundamental notes—meaning the pure, fretted notes, without any consideration of overtones (harmonics)—of guitars with 22 frets cover the frequency range from the low E at 82 Hz to a high D at 1,174 Hz. It so happens that the human voice has a range from approximately 85 Hz to 1,100 Hz. The human ear can detect frequencies from around 20 Hz (a further octave below the low E on a bass guitar) to around 20,000 Hz (or 20 kHz), but the average human’s hearing is biased toward detecting sounds in the midrange frequencies, which is to say it hears them more easily (they are perceived as louder), while upper-mid and high-frequency sounds will also jump out as being more noticeable within any blend, if not louder in the pure sense. Those midrange frequencies, it turns out, encompass the human voice as well as the guitar. As it happens, they also define a lot of what a drum kit produces (drum frequencies trample all over the spectrum), anything your bassist will create above his first octave or so, and anything a keyboard or horn section will produce. In other words, without some clever tone-shaping to distinguish the note production of each instrument, you can be left with sonic mush.



Meanwhile, thanks to the range of overtones (harmonics) that any plucked guitar string also produces, the guitar’s frequency range is actually extended far above the frequency of its highest fundamental note, and it takes up a lot more space in the sonic stew than just this chunk of around 1,000 Hz toward the center of the midrange. Put the guitar through an amplifier, especially a semi-distorted one (and most of them are, right!?), and these harmonics are accentuated further.


Revisit that “warm, smooth, round” tone that is so easy on the ear at home, and you’ll find that it achieves this quality by minimizing the aural spikes that strong harmonic overtones represent. Get it up on stage, though, amidst a drummer, bassist, vocalist, a second guitarist and maybe some keyboards, and this spike-free tone is often about as effective as a rubber crutch. Stand back from the stage, and—in a large, loud band, at least—such a tone will often be all but lost when everyone is playing, contributing more to the general sense of low-end presence and midrange body of the band’s sound, rather than ringing as a distinct part on its own. Of course, sometimes that’s exactly what you want, from a power-chord rhythm guitar part or the chunk-metal second guitar that’s backing another guitarists riffs and lead work. Also, if you’re playing in a small blues combo, with a more minimalist drummer and no extremes of volume, your smooth, rich tone might be delightful just as it is. In so many other scenarios, though, you’re likely to be hoping that your own playing will be heard for itself, and that your rhythm and lead parts alike will shine and get some attention out there in the crowd.

Often, a newbee to the live scene will just keep increasing their overall volume in an effort to get heard, which usually inspires the rest of the band to crank up, too, ultimately accentuating the mush. To get that tone heard properly, you’ll want to dial in some upper-midrange cut, some attention-getting shimmer in the highs (though without creating an ice-pick-in-the-ear for anyone in the first few rows), and a firmer low end. This might involve simply tweaking your amp’s tone and gain controls, or selecting a different pickup, but it might also require a total rethink of your rig between the current gig and the next. More drastic changes that can help might include switching to a firmer, punchier speaker, exploring a brighter guitar (or amp) with more harmonic sparkle… or you might simply need to put on some fresh strings. There isn’t room here to cover all the possible adjustments, and I’m mainly getting you to face up to the theory, but you’ll know the condition when you hear it.

It’s important to realize, too, that your tonal requirements will vary from night to night, room to room, and to remain flexible in all gigging situations. All of which is not intended to say that you should entirely scrap that warm, luscious, ear-candy tone that gives you goosebumps in the bedroom, just that you should prime yourself against being too precious about it out in the real world. When you get “your tone” set up and ready to go in sound check, then find it is lost in the ether once the band kicks in, don’t be too proud—or too stubborn—to change it. Dial some punch into the midrange, some cutting power into the higher frequencies, and some tightness into the low end, and get your tone out there to the ears that matter most to the live performance: someone else’s.


Taken from Gibson Tone Tips

RIP Jim Marshall

"The world would have been a whole lot less loud without his legacy!"