Watch the entire series on YouTube: Logic Studio Training Beginner Series

Become a Logic Studio Training subscriber and get access to hours of Logic Studio tutorials.

It’s a major upgrade. Logic Studio is a full suite of apps including Logic Pro 8, MainStage, Soundtrack Pro 2, Studio instruments and effects, and the entire GarageBand Jam Pack library. Almost 40 gigs of content!

The user interface of Logic Pro has been completely redesigned. Its new single-window workspace fits the streamlined design of Apple’s other applications. If you’re a GarageBand user, the upgrade will be much easier to manipulate.

MainStage is built for live performance. Keyboardists and guitarists alike will be able to perform with confidence even in the most demanding conditions. It’s a major step to bringing your software instruments and effects to the stage with an interface that gives you just enough information to get the job done.

My major complaint with Logic Pro 7 was the user interface. It wasn’t nearly as fun or easy to use as GarageBand. All of that has changed. I love the new and sexier Apple-centric design.

Watch my introduction to the new Logic Pro 8 template chooser.

If you’re a Logic user and want more tips and tricks, check out Logic Studio Training.

Since I’ve been catching myself updating both Facebook and Twitter separately, I figured I should revisit my workflow and see if I can tweak my current level of automation.

It wasn’t difficult. I just added a couple lines of code to iQuickTwitter and now I can update Twitter, Facebook, iChat, and Skype with a single command. If you dig it, be my friend and let me know.
Graham English @ Facebook
Graham English @ Twitter

Click here to open the script in Script Editor.

If all you want is to update Facebook with Quicksilver, try this:
Click here to open the script in Script Editor.

If you try to please everyone, somebody is not going to like it.

Also, they have a great quiz that you can take to analyze your business. It gives you a custom 5-page report with valuable tips for growing your business.

You need to go download this software while it’s still in Beta so you can get it free. When you go to the page, take the quiz, watch a video with some really powerful marketing lessons, and download the software:

Altitude Business Quiz with Free Analysis

Make sure you check out the entire site. The marketing lessons alone are worth the time, but the software is where the money is. It’s got my mind spinning, that’s for sure!

Altitude Business Quiz with Free Analysis

Follow MacZealots’ tutorial on Installing WordPress on Tiger. If you have any trouble along the way, you might need to check out Mac OS X Server 10.4.4: Improvements to Apache/PHP/MySQL interaction. Now you’ve got a local install of WordPress that you can dress up.

Now you’ll want to save this applescript as a ‘Stay Open’ application and set your options. If you want Growl support to work, you’ll either need to save it with the name “WordPress Journal” or modify the Growl tell in the script. I have it set to ask me what I’m doing every 15 minutes during regular work hours and every 30 minutes thereafter.

There may be times when you don’t want to use the automatic functions but you would still like to send something to your journal. For this, I’ve also created a Quicksilver action. Save this applescript in your Quicksilver actions folder. Again, if you want Growl support, save it with the name “WordPress Blog” or modify the Growl tell in the script. Now all you do is call Quicksilver, enter text mode and type your journal entry, tab over and type as much of “WordPress Blog” as you need, and hit Return.

Of course, you could use a remote version of WordPress if you don’t like the idea of installing it locally. But for privacy, it’s probably best to keep it on your own machine.

Ambition is a poor excuse for not having sense enough to be lazy.
– Charlie McCarthy

I’ve recently started using TextMate’s GTDAlt bundle for a number of reasons. While I’ve loved using Kinkless, I spend more time in TextMate. Using GTDAlt gives me the opportunity to really master this app. And GTDAlt imports Kinkless files so there’s no downtime. Plus, I’ve never really liked how I had to have OmniOutliner open to send things to my inbox. So while I patiently wait to give OmniFocus a try, I’m going to spend some time romancing TextMate.

This simple AppleScript takes the text I type and appends it to my GTD inbox. It also gives me a Growl notification when my inbox is appended. To use, you only need to change the path to the text file of your choice.

Click here to open the script in Script Editor.

There’s nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.
– J.S. Bach

What needs to remain a touchstone in our conversations is the practice of gaining and keeping greater awareness and control of our minds, so we can exercise greater control of our world. But since I can’t seem to control the world at the moment–Believe me, I try–I’ll stick to what I know best, controlling my computer.

Since controlling your attention can be very tricky–after all, your attention has to remember to control itself–I’ve created some simple attention reminders. That way, your mind will be free for more creative pursuits.

The Qualities of Attention

Focus

One of the most effective methods for attaining an optimum level of concentration involves synchronizing your breathing and your focus of attention. As you inhale, imagine that your attention is a bright spotlight focused inward upon yourself. When you exhale, imagine that you can shine this powerful beam in whatever direction you choose.

Breathe in and focus, then breathe out and direct your complete attention on your chosen target…

Focus…direct…Focus…direct

Practicing focus this way, you can turn every distraction into a reminder. When Growl notifications pop up, inhale as you read, imagining that bright spotlight of attention. Then direct your attention back to your work.

Flow

One of the foundations of a focused state is the continuity of attention flowing effortlessly from moment to moment. To get a feeling for this, focus your attention on your breath right here and now in the present moment. As you inhale and exhale, notice your awareness flowing like an unbroken stream into this very moment. If the continuity of your concentration is broken, return to the breath and let your awareness flow.

Here’s a practical exercise for work. First, choose the focus of your attention. It can be an idea you’re brainstorming or an assignment you’re working on. As you inhale, allow the focus of your attention to become more vivid. Enhance the submodalities. As you exhale, feel your attention flowing toward the object or idea you’ve targeted, bringing more energy to your work.

Your continuous flow of breath can help you create an ongoing flow of attention. If you feel your attention wandering, use your next breath to refocus your attention, and then let it flow again. Better yet, condition your most persistent distractions, like Growl notifications, to remind you to come back to your breath.

Flexibility

Flexibility is your best friend if you decide not to, or if you can’t, turn off every distraction around you. Here’s a simple and practical method for enhancing your flexibility of thought. First, select a primary “anchor” for your attention. Maybe a document, something you’re planning, or another piece of work. Focus your total concentration on that anchor. Now, intentionally shift your attention away from your anchor onto something else. Remember to use your breathing as an aid in directing your attention. After a moment of concentration on the new target you’ve selected, shift your attention back to the original anchor.

Do this for a few minutes, alternating your attention between your anchor and a selection of sights or sounds around you. This exercise is great practice if you listen to music as you work. Being a musician, iTunes could steal most of my attention if I didn’t make it a practice of conscious flexibility.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the ability to consciously perform all of your activities, including everyday, automatic things like breathing, walking, and especially, thinking. Mindfulness informs you whether you’re clear and calm, dull and sleepy, or alert and aware. It’s mindfulness practice that brings your mind under control and to a state of rest.

A useful practice to build mindfulness is to create concise mental labels for the objects of your attention. For example, if you’re tired, label the experience, “tired.” When you hear the construction crew outside your office window jackhammering, label it, “jackhammer.” You can label your bodily, emotional, and mental experiences as well as your external objects of focus. As soon as you notice that your attention has shifted, see how quickly you can mentally label the object of your attention.

Automating Your Attention

This wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t provide you with some tool to put improving your attention into practice. I created an AppleScript that gives you a random attention reminder using Growl. The script itself includes four messages based on the above article. How you trigger the script is up to you. I chose cron but you could just as easily set up an iCal reminder or have a program like FlexTime run the script.

Here’s how it works.

• First, you must have Growl installed. Once Growl is installed and after you set up the script, check out the settings in your System Preferences. For this particular script, I prefer the ‘Music Video’ notification.
• Open the attention script in Script Editor by clicking here. Save it here:
  /Library/Scripts/NameOfFile.scpt

• Rename NameOfFile to whatever you choose (I named it ‘Attention.scpt’).
• Determine how often you want to be reminded to observe your attention. I chose every 15 minutes.
• Open Terminal, and type this:

  sudo pico /etc/crontab

  When prompted, type your administrator password.

• Use the arrow keys to navigate to the bottom of the pico window, and add this line:

  0,15,30,45 * * * * YourUserName osascript /Library/Scripts/NameOfFile.scpt

  This list tells cron to run the script every 15 minutes every day of the week.

• Press Control-X to exit pico.
• Wait patiently for the script to run. Every 15 minutes, you’ll get an unobtrusive Growl notification giving you a nice attention reminder with some helpful advice.

If you need more assistance with cron, check these resources that I found helpful:
Using cron to run programs on a schedule
Mac OS X and Unix tips and tricks
Learning the Terminal in Jaguar
*If you screw anything up, I accept no responsibility. But don’t let that scare you.

If you want to run the script using iCal, make sure the script is saved as an Application. Create a new calendar (Option-⌘-N) and name the calendar Scripts. Create a new event (⌘-N) and name it. In the Alarm section of the Info pane, choose “Open file.” Select the AppleScript application and adjust the schedule using the lower pop-up menu. If you want iCal to trigger the script at regular intervals, choose an interval from the “repeat” pop-up menu.

Now your attention is on auto-pilot. These short reminders are more than interruptions, they are grist for the mill; an opportunity to practice flexibility.

The script itself is easy to edit. Once you feel you’ve made these attention strengthening practices a habit, you could modify the script to remind you of other important things. Add a mantra or a reminder to stretch every now and then. You can have a lot of fun with this script.

“I have learned silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind.
– Kahlil Gibran”

I have learned to pay attention from the inattention.

Here’s what I cooked up. Call Quicksilver, type “a” (for away), tab, type “im” and hit enter. When you come back, do the same thing but type “o” (for online).

How to install:

1. Download the IM Status script, unzip, and put it here:
   ~/Library/Application Support/Quicksilver/Actions
2. Restart Quicksilver.
3. Note: If you want to integrate with Adium, open the script in Script Editor and uncomment the Adium tell (remove “–”).

How to use:

1. Invoke Quicksilver.
2. Enter text mode (hit period) and type either “a” for away or “o” for online.
3. Tab to the Action Pane and type “IM Status” (or as much of the word as you need).
4. Enter.

Deliver yesterday, code today, think tomorrow.

Update 05-08-07: I made a change to the way I use this script. Since I like to set the status and the message when I come and go, I’ve updated the script to do this. I’m leaving v1.0 alone but you can click here to open IM Status v1.1 in Script Editor.
Update 08-11-07: If you want to update Facebook, see this post: Update Twitter, Facebook, iChat, Adium, And Skype With Quicksilver

Since my internet connection has been intermittent the past couple of days and I couldn’t get much work done, I decided to switch gears and see what I could put together. Plus, I’ve been wanting an excuse to dig into Applescript more. This is my new and improved journalling script.

What is it and what does it do?

• Journal is an Applescript application designed to log your activity or act as a time-centric journal.
• This journal script uses one timed repeat variable between the hours of 9 to 5 PM (Option 1), and another the rest of the time (Option 2), using your system clock. I use these options to slow the journal updates after my regular work hours are over.
• It creates a folder on your startup disk called ‘Daily Journal’ and creates a date-stamped journal entry as a text file.
• Every X minutes (depending on the variables you set), a dialog opens asking you what you are doing. Type, and hit Enter.
• A time-stamped journal entry is appended to the daily journal entry text file.
• In the dialog box, you also have the option to open the journal file or cancel.

Benefits of using this application:

• It automates your time-tracking. Use it for billing, accountability, journalling, etc.
• It reminds you to get back to work if you’re still reading Digg.
• It gives you the big picture view of your activities for the day.
• It brings you back to the present moment, good for self-awareness.
• It’s downright simple.
• You could force your employees to use it and micro-manage their every movement.

How to use:

1. Download the application and unzip.
2. Double click the app or set as a login item. You can copy it to your ‘Applications’ folder or run it from anywhere.
3. Default options are:
   Option 1 startTime = 9 (9 AM)
   Option 1 endTime = 17 (5 PM)
   Option 1 timeOption1 = (15 * 60) — repeats every 15 minutes
   Option 2 timeOption2 = (60 * 60) — repeats every hour
   Modify to your preferences.
4. When the dialog box opens, type whatever you want and hit Enter.

Tips and Pointers:

• If you want to edit any of the variables, open Journal.app from within the Script Editor and set your options.
• Choosing ‘Open Journal’ will override the ability to add an entry to the journal. For this reason, I’ve included a raw, single-instance version of the journal script to run manually from the finder, script menu, or by a keyboard shortcut or Quicksilver action. Using this version will pull up the dialog window so you can add something to your journal in between scheduled entries or open the journal. If you don’t like the automatic interruptions of the app version, use this script instead.
• The Journal is a stay open app. I’m not sure why, but choosing ‘Quit Journal’ (Cmd+Q) doesn’t quit the program. The problem isn’t that it hangs. You can see in ‘Activity Monitor’ that it remains responsive. Until I figure out why, I either let it close when I shut down or I force quit.
• If you don’t respond to a dialog before the script repeats, you’ll get an ‘AppleEvent timed out’ error. So it’s a good practice to quit the Journal if you’re leaving your computer for any amount of time that’s longer than the next repeat. The other thing you can do is make the repeat time longer and just plan on typing more in each individual entry.
• If you want to go beyond just the concrete level of your moment-to-moment activities, the NLP Neurological Levels can give your journal entries some depth. You can note your current environment, your current and previous behaviors, what skills you are using, the beliefs you are operating under, what kind of person you are being, and who else might be involved. It’s good motivation and can help you remember why you’re doing what you’re doing.

Future plans:

• Add idle or pause controls.
• Add ability to set variables in a run dialog.
• Twitter integration.

I hope you enjoy using Journal as much as I enjoyed creating it.

This is one of those systems. I’m an entrepreneur. I don’t have a boss telling me what to do. It’s easy to start my day, turn on iTunes, and get lost for an hour or two tweaking my Mac or my GTD system while I drink a pot of coffee. This system is a helpful nudge to get back to work.

What is it and what does it do?

• It’s an Apple Automator application designed to log your activity.
• When you first open it, it asks you to set a loop duration. Default is 30 minutes.
• It gets a specified finder item. In this case, a text file, and opens it with the default application. Mine is TextMate.
• It puts the current date and time on the clipboard.
• With the date and time on the clipboard, you can move the cursor to the bottom or top of the page, whichever you prefer, paste the date and start typing.

Benefits of using this application:

• It’s a time tracker, for billing, accountability, etc.
• It’s a reminder to get back to work if you’ve been slacking.
• It gives you a picture of what you’ve been doing for the day.
• It’s a journal. You don’t have to be so concrete, as in, I’m sending email. You could write about what you’ve just learned or hope to learn, how you’re feeling, or any other fluffy thing that journals are good for.

I use it as a combination of all of these. It keeps me on task. It reminds me to reflect. It gives me a place to collect thoughts. And it really helps me to get things done.

Preparation:

• Create a text file named ‘What I’m Doing Now.txt’ and save it in ~/Library/Favorites/

How to use:

1. Download the application and unzip.
2. Double click the app or set as a login item.
3. Default loop time is 30 minutes (1800 seconds). Modify to your preferences.
4. The text file you created during the preparation will open in your default text editor.
5. Move your cursor where you want it, paste the date and time that’s already on your clipboard (Ctrl + V), and then type what you are doing.

Tips:

• If you want to edit any of the variables, ctrl click on the app and choose ‘Show Package Contents’. The workflow is located in the ‘Resources’ folder and named ‘What I’m Doing Right Now.workflow’. If you want to change the default loop time, open the scripts folder and edit ‘main.scpt’ in Script Editor. The second line, ‘current_idle’ is the delay in seconds before the workflow runs.
• It helps me to think about the NLP Neurological Levels when I log what I’m doing. I will note my current environment, my current and previous behaviors, what skills I’m using, the beliefs I’m operating under, what kind of person I’m being, and who else is involved. It’s good motivation and helps me remember why I’m doing what I’m doing.
• This is not a replacement for Twitter. What this can do, however, is help you to differentiate what your Twitter followers need to know about your moment-to-moment activities.

The first AppleScript I found for the job was here. But as best as I can tell, the Keychain Access was a major bottleneck. Then I found an option that uses the Twitter Rubygem, but you’ve got to be pretty serious to install Rubygems on your Mac. I couldn’t make it happen. I’m not that serious. Then I found another way to avoid Keychain scripting, but it was still too geeky for me to get working with my limited know-how. I even found iChat support and word count with Growl notification.

I was about to give up. But I said I would give myself the length of the entire Purple Rain album to make it happen. (I hadn’t listened to it in a long time and it was my favorite album as a dirty minded pubescent teen. He said “masturbating!”) About an hour of pop/funk later, this is what I had hacked together.

Features:

• Counts characters and notifies you by Growl if you exceed 140.
• Notifies you by Growl when your tweet is sent.
• Twitter username/password is hard coded to avoid Keychain Access and reduce delays.
• Checks to see if iChat is running and then sets your status message as the current tweet.
• Checks to see if Skype is running and then sets your mood text message as the current tweet. Note: If you want to integrate Skype mood text updates, open the script in Script Editor and uncomment (remove “–”) the Skype tell.
• Growl will use the icon of Twitterific if installed.
• Need to manage multiple Twitter accounts? Just create a copy of the script in your Quicksilver Actions folder, change the username/password, and you can tweet from two accounts.

How to install:

1. Download the script, unzip, and put it here:
   ~/Library/Application Support/Quicksilver/Actions
2. Using Script Editor, modify these lines of the script to your Twitter username and password:

   set twitter_key_account to "your@email.com"
set twitter_key_pass to "your_password"

3. Restart Quicksilver.

How to use:

1. Invoke Quicksilver.
2. Enter text mode (hit period) and type your message.
3. Tab to the Action Pane and type “Tweet” (or as much of the word as you need).
4. Enter.

I hope you find this script useful. I’m no programmer, so I can’t support it. If you have addons or variations, please post them. Don’t forget to add me to your Twitter friends list. And thanks to all the coders that came before me and made this possible.

Update 4-21-07: Integrated Skype mood text updates as an option. See instructions for details.
Update 8-11-07: Integrated Facebook updates as an option. See this post: Update Twitter, Facebook, iChat, Adium, And Skype With Quicksilver
Update 5-24-09: I made a change to the curl script which should solve any previous problems.

If you’ve been thinking about trying Twitter out, you may find the 140 character maximum a limitation or a useful restriction. But like many who’ve joined, you might develop an addiction to the simplicity of telling people what you’re doing right now.

So I thought it would be useful to give you some loose guidelines and help make your Twitter initiation go smoothly. Here are my top 10 Twitter dos and don’ts.

Do…

1. Share distinctions
   If you just learned something or made a useful distinction, share it with the rest of us. Twitter is a lifehacker’s dream come true.
2. Share your accomplishments
   We all have magic moments. And if you’re actively looking for them, you’ll find them more often. So when you notice something you’ve done and want to take a couple of sentences to brag, go for it. It will feel good and inspire the rest of us.
3. Share your feelings
   Cyberspace can be a cold and disconnected place. 140 characters is a great frame to share how you are feeling. And if you go deeper than happy/sad, you might even increase your emotional intelligence.
4. Get help
   Need an Apple genius? I’ve watched users post Mac questions and get answers in minutes.
5. Spread the ideavirus
   Find something cool? Share it.
6. Pimp your blog
   If you’re on WordPress, Twitter Tools will integrate your blog with Twitter. Check the Twitter Fan Wiki for hours of Twitter-hacking fun.
7. Check SMS restrictions
   If you plan on using your phone to interact with Twitter, get to know your cellphone service plan. You can turn SMS off within Twitter’s settings to save you from a shocking phone bill. You can even set it to text you only when you receive direct messages so there’s some flexibility under Twitter’s hood.
8. Utilize features and addons
   Twitter support gives you the basics of messaging and searching for friends. But if you want serious customization, dig around the Twitter Fan Wiki. I was able to hack Twitter, Quicksilver, iChat, and Growl into a perfect workflow for me. It was fun and I learned a lot doing it.
9. Share jokes
   Who doesn’t need a laugh? If you can make someone smile in 140 characters or less, it’s your duty to do so.
10. Invite people
    Don’t be shy. Add your friends. Add me. If they don’t get it, it’s their loss.

Don’t…

1. Twit your to-do list
   There may be times when you need to micro-log your daily activities. Like when a group of friends are trying to keep track of each other on a weekend night on the town. But most people don’t care or need to know if you are now folding your laundry.
2. Get too personal
   This is where Twitter is more like a blog than IM. It’s not a good place to have intimate cybersex.
3. Leave out context
   Read Dave Winer a little while and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Dave can get away with it as an A-list technology pundit. But you and me? We should still try to communicate something that’s complete and makes sense.
4. Twit if you need more than 140 characters
   That’s what your blog is for. If you need to split your Tweet into multiple posts, you run the risk of leaving out context and confusing the reader. Just blog it.
5. Make it a distraction
   Twitter isn’t totally frivolous. It’s a great networking tool, both professionally and personally. It’s part journal, part time tracker. It’s bound to be used for SEO and marketing. But like email, manage it wisely.
6. Use too many features and addons
   Pimp it, hack it, mash it up, just don’t go to far. If you listen to music like I do, it probably doesn’t make sense to auto-post every 3 minutes my latest iTunes track. And it doesn’t make sense to make each Tweet a separate blog post. Keep your addons useful to your followers.
7. Force it
   If Twitter’s not for you, that’s fine. Sometimes I wish I had never started using email. But if you decide to make Twitter a consistent practice, don’t feel forced to post. Your followers will give you a nudge if they miss you.
8. Expect followers to read everything
   On the hierarchy of communication priority, Twitter is probably pretty low. Don’t expect to break up with your girlfriend via Twitter. Text messaging is best for that.
9. Twit and drive
   I know you’ll ignore this one but I wanted to add it just so that I can assume no responsibility to any vehicular mishaps that may occur as a result.
10. Twit at your brother’s engagement party during dinner under the table with your Blackberry
    Seems obvious, right? Yeah, well not to me.

There you have it, my list of Twitter best practices. I’m sure you can think of something that I forgot. Please contribute.

Looks like I’ve got a new blog editor.

Mac OS X only: Freeware Dashboard widget OnTour scans your iTunes music library, letting you know when musicians you like are coming through your town.

If you don’t own a Mac and you’re a musician, it’s really time.

Click here to download.

read more | digg story

GarageBand is bringing music to the masses in a way that is very easy… You feel that you are in a creative mode right away. There are always people that want higher-quality recording, but the basic fundamentals need to be delivered in a simple package and that’s what GarageBand does.

Some good conversation about GarageBand over at digg.

The software itself is really good. If you’re already using Logic Pro, Protools or something similar, then there’s no need to switch. But I look at it more like opening a text editor instead of MS Word. It opens faster, I can capture my ideas faster, and should I want to expand my production, I can import my work into Logic Pro.

But the real impact of GarageBand is cultural. Anyone can begin expressing themselves through audio and if you have some talent, people might even listen to you. That is too cool. read more.

These days, transcribing is easy. There are many great freeware programs that will allow you to rip a song from your favorite CD and load it into an audio editor where you can define regions for quick playback or looping and even slow a section down–without changing pitch for more difficult parts.

Some of my greatest musical epiphanies occurred while transcribing and realizing, “Oh, that’s what the hell they were doing!” I strongly encourage you to put pen to paper and internalize and eternalize the music.

ToneTester tests your ears for differences in how they hear pitches (“binaural diplacusis” or “interaural pitch difference”). You adjust a slider until your ears hear the same pitch, and then ToneTester tells you the actual pitch difference.