So, we recently saw a few messages asking about Mac's status. He has the most posts on the forum with 38,502, but has not logged in since April 2014. I used to have his phone number, and haven't spoken with him in several years. I hope he is doing well.

We also haven't heard from Gary Curran in quite awhile. Does anyone know his status? He's the 6th most prolific poster with 10,057 posts, but he hasn't logged on since April 2015. My last PM communication with him was back in late 2011 when I was considering purchasing his Korg keyboard (which I didn't do, as I was facing surgery plus 6 week recovery at the time), so was just wondering if anyone has heard from him.

Also, haven't heard from Russell DeMussel, the 3rd most prolific poster with 14,391 posts, and last logged onto the forum this month, but hasn't posted anything since May 2016.

I hope all are doing well, even if we don't get a chance to interact with them in our virtual community here.

If I recall, Russ said he likes flying RCC stuff and has been spending a lot of time with that.
He shows up on occasion.. private message here, a post there .. far as I know he's alright.

Gary had a job change and I think it involved a move, and he just got too busy. I don't know any more.

Gary was a very generous "sharer" of his knowledge on this forum. I had a pm from him back in 2015 regarding an equipment set up. At that time he was commenting that he would be off the forum due to pursuing his other interest of RCC flying. Mac was another who had a wide range of musical and technical knowledge. He gave me some excellent advice in Changing out a piezo pickup for a transducer type pickup on my acoustic guitar. Sure do miss those two guys contributions and hope they are doing well. DennisD

I do miss interacting with the aforementioned on this forum. I hope they are all doing well. I learned a lot from them and rharv back in the mid to late 90's when I joined up here. Weird to think it's been 20 years! The forum says I joined in 02 but I thought for sure it was about 96 when I joined. Maybe not. I'm old.

Scott, the forum software was changed in the summer of 2000. All the post counts of those of us who were here before that time were reset to zero, and the date Registered that you see today is the date you joined the 'new' forum.

I get Russell posts on FB from time to time. He is indeed flying RC planes.

I asked about Mac a few months ago, nobody responded.

It's like a family here, and when somebody doesn't show up for a long time, many of us get concerned.

I do hope they are all OK.

Insights and incites by Notes

^^ maybe this means my memory isn't as far off as I once thought. Anyways, I miss Mac and Gary and Russell.

According to his website, Mac is touring California with the Basie Band in November.


http://marshallmcdonald.com/calendar/


Regards,

Bob

Wow what a real pro Mac is, never though he was up there with the best of them to that extent.

We should feel thankful that he ever came on the forums at all, such as the standard of musicianship he had and the hectic schedule.

Thanks for letting us know Bob
Musiclover

Talk about a Bio:


http://marshallmcdonald.com/biography/


Regards,

Bob

Actually, Marshall is Mac's little brother. Mac's first name is Clark.

Huh. Didn't know that. That's the website he had in his signature on the old Audiominds site.


Regards,

Bob

Right, and Mac plays trumpet. His brother plays sax.

Mac told a story about his experience with a conductor that only another first chair trumpet player could fully appreciate, but it was screamingly funny.

Marshall is Mac's brother, but I wouldn't be surprised if he is gigging with Marshall.

I think Gary has posted a few times in last few years, once after John Conley died, and a few times around the annual biab sale.

Another name that we could add to the list of prolific posters that no longer do so, is John (silvertones?)

Since we are talking about people that no longer post, I thought that it would be a nice thought too of thinking of the people that no longer will post,
John Conley,
Howard,
Wiensam.

And lets include a thought for all the members on here that have posted too when they have lost a dear one or partner, and shared their pain with us all.

Musiclover

Haven't seen Leon Carpenter or Robb Miller post in awhile.

Don't forget Ian Frazer in your list of those who can no longer post.

Yes sorry I missed Ian in list, a true gentleman in every way.

Musiclover

Another one we haven't heard from for a long time is Mick Emery. He played an electronic sax (from memory) due to a breathing issue that he had. Synthaphone?? or something like that.

Anyone heard from him?

And Ray Thigpen. What a wonderful man he was.
He was my inspiration. I would send him songs that I'd done, and he would critique them without any sugar coating, but always happy to compliment whenever it was appropriate.

I'm sure that many other referred to the "Mixing & Mastering" tutorial that he produced - even though it's a bit dated now, the basics are still there.

Here's Ray & Friends with "Where The Roses Never Fade."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cuSo371I5Y

Many of us did collaborations with Ray - Mario, Furry, OC to name a few. He was generous with his time, and with his praise.

And here's the post when Ray sadly left us.

http://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=131208&page=1

God Bless you Ray, may you Rest In peace.

Yes I forgot about Ray. Ray and I spoke on the phone a couple of times. He was a true gentleman for sure.

Ray was indeed a gentleman, I remember downloading his music making guides.

To the end he was a fighter, in his post he said that he was determined to overcome his illness, but in the end the decades of heavy smoking (according to his post) must have taken their toll.

Gdaddy another member who posted a lot of jovial posts hasn't been seen in a while either.

SlyRuby who came on forum sang a lot of Sinatra stuff, but then disappeared as quickly.

Then there was Mark from N Ireland (can't remember his user name) hasn't posted in a few years either. Did a lot of Gospel stuff.

Moohead is another poster we don't see much of these days exepct maybe a post around the annual sale time.

Musiclover

Yep, Ray Thigpen was a class act. I remember collaborating with him on his CD (I still have the CD, so I'll have to pull it out).

He also did a great video montage (with BIAB music background) of autumn in Georgia that I enjoyed watching (especially since my dad and my wife are both from Georgia, and I went to college in Georgia).

A trip down memory lane. A lot of wonderful people have passed through these doors. I hope they are all doing well and have simply gone on to other phases of their lives.

Notes

Mac, while in USAF, also played a few years with band at the Academy.

I miss Ian Frasier. He was like the nicest guy ever. And died as a result of something that is quite common yet infuriating when it happens because it can be prevented.

For those of you who are newer or simply don't remember, Ian slipped in his bathtub and sustained head injuries so severe that he lost his life. If my aging memory recall, Ian, like yours truly, lived alone and there was a significant time lapse before he was discovered. I think about that a lot, though my main thought is that my dog can't get her own food and water and she would starve. Seriously, NOBODY visits me, nobody calls me, I no longer work so no employer would be looking for me.... That will likely happen SOME day, just hopefully that day is at least 15 years away.

But RIP Ian. You were a good guy.

Eddie, If I lived in Cleveland, and you would have me over, I would visit you - we would rock it out!

I did a couple of collabs with Ray Thigpen. One was a version of Amazing Grace. I am pretty sure there were some other PGers who also pitched in on that. It was posted here MANY moons ago. I had a link to the file on my website, but the link is now dead.

I can't remember what the other song was.

Ray's music can still be heard on Soundclick at least.

Mick's site is still up.

www.mickemery.com

Hi Jim Fogle, Thanks for remembering me. Long story short. My intentions were: After hearing the RealTracks in 2008.5, I was hooked. I purchased the Everything Pak. in 2010. I stay current including 2016. I love the program for what it is. However, I play bass and vocals. My song file count is 284 and growing (but rather slowly lately). Now, finding one more musician who is willing to spend the bucks for BIAB (remember, we can't share), has the ability and desire to form a sellable duo, etc. has not happened. So far I have played ONE live gig as a duo. I loved every minute of it. The Eagles boss liked it and ask for a speedy return. Unfortunately, my bandmate didn't care for it. The point is, unless one is capable of playing a lead instrument, knows a lot of vocals can work a crowd etc, BIAB is not a good option. So, I am still searching for that elusive someone. Oh yes, I forgot to mention that editing 280 or songs is time consuming. ---------Leon

Hi Leon. Regarding working with BIAB and other musicians, this recent discussion may help out when you are collaborating with another artist. Anthony from PGMusic had some comments regarding how to use the hard drive in other locations as well as using activations and reactivations.


Useing BIAB ssd drive on other computers

I am in contact with Mick on an almost daily basis on Facebook. Just chit-chat, but he appears to be well.

Richard

John "Silvertones" Dejardin and I are geographically close. We talked about meeting several times, but never did. He experienced several tragedies (death of his girlfriend/fiancée and dog) and announced that he was withdrawing from the forum entirely. I believe he was gigging regularly and using BIAB for backing tracks. I think I could get in touch, but I am not sure he would welcome it.

Richard

Mac and I used to speak several times a year. I guess that ended when he left the forums, or a little later. I have called since, sometimes leaving a message, other times not. I had an email address, too, but I couldn't find it last time I looked. I'll poke around and see whether I can find it.

Richard

Nobody asked, but I'll fill you in on my story. Those who know me will remember that I used to post many times a day. I guess I embarrassed myself a few months ago when I announced that I rarely used BIAB and was hardly involved in music at all. That's when I largely dropped out. There is more to the story, though.

I went through a catastrophic divorce in 2000 which rendered me homeless and destitute. I remarried in 2013 and am inexpressibly happy now, but I had to pull myself off the deck to get here. Between 2000 and 2013 I moved, on average, once a year. One year I moved three times. Things were lost. Things were stolen. Things broke. It sucked.

The larger story is that I was dealing with PTSD, major depression, ADD, a heart attack, and significant physical issues that I wouldn't discover until 2014. My ex kept hitting me legally, financially, and emotionally. But I still hadn't hit bottom.

In 2011 I was evicted from my home of five years because the landlord, who I thought was a friend, decided he wanted me out. I ended up renting several rooms 35 miles away and a universe apsrt from such a life as I had made. One of my housemates was a brain-damaged ex-convict who eventually threatened to kill me. I went into hiding for the three months it took for him to be evicted. It was another major shock to the system. I have omitted a lot, but those are the major points.

In early 2013, against all odds, I met the woman who became my wife. She is a musician, former EMT, Emmy Award-winning makeup artist, and all-around wonderful person. That alone was the start of my recovery and ascent to new heights. It keeps getting better, too.

Big finish coming. Trudy had wonderful health insurance, which I had been without since 2000. I hadn't had energy for decades, had narcolepsy (fell asleep 3-4 times a shift at work), and was having trouble breathing, A trip to the ER for the latter set me on a course which revealed uncontrolled diabetes and severe obstructive sleep apnea. Once those were addressed my mood improved, I lost weight, I got more rest, and i discovered that what I had thought was lack of motivation was actually the combined effect of everything else that was wrong. The final piece was successfully addressing the PTSD.

Today I wake up rested and happy. Trudy and I have both retired, so get to enjoy each other's company full time. I now have the energy to do a few things a day. I have a 15-year backlog from which to recover, but it's happening. Life Is Good.

Watch this space.

Richard

Richard, I'm so happy to hear that! And that you've found a wonderful person to share your life with.

Thank you so much, John. I think I neglected to mention that, as good as life is today, [i]it keeps getting better[i], for both of us. We each firmly believe that the other was (and is) an answer to prayer. There's a lot of smooching involved.

If you lived in Cleveland, you could come to our reunion shows this weekend!! As I play with my new Westone in ear monitors.

PTSD can manifest itself so many ways, and none of them are happy. I deal with it daily. Take care of everything else and the PTSD will follow. I am also diabetic and I also have sleep apnoea. My blood sugars are now quite well controlled and I have been sleeping with a CPAP machine since 1997. I see a shrink twice a month for the PTSD. It's a process. Stay with it and it will all be great all the way until the ride ends!!

Eddie that's cool. Pm on its way

I have found it to be just as you describe, Eddie. I underwent a sleep study and was prescribed a BiPAP, but I didn't notice much difference. Then it broke, but was still under warranty. The replacement was a considerably more advanced. (Philips Respironics Dream Station.) I was having trouble getting more than 2-3 hours a night with the old machine. With the Dream Station I get 4-6, and it's making a huge difference.

In 2015 I decided my remaining psych issue was the PTSD. I found a specialist (God bless that insurance!) and we met for several months. The depression had been under good control for a while, and once I retired I didn't need the ADD meds except on certain occasions. After a while the therapist and I decided I was good to go. After 50 years I was through with regular counseling. I see a psych nurse for meds, but that's it.

Fact is, Trudy is the best medicine I could have. Everything else had to happen, too, but the results are spectacular!

Richard,

It's great that you've come through so many disasters and come out the other side!


Regards,

Bob

I consider myself fortunate to be alive and sane, and I am blessed far beyond that as well. I am immensely grateful for that, and for everyone who accompanied or helped me along the way. That includes many of the fine people here.

Don't really know you as I am new but reading your story on this forum.

You sound as if you have been to hell and back.

Good on you and your new partner ..such an inspiration to read.

Take care sir

This does give hope to others .

Thank you, Colly. It sounds as if you might have a story of your own to tel. Feel free to send a private message (PM) if you like.

Richard

Richard, I am so happy that you have not only turned yourself around but also have met and married a wonderful women.

Stay happy, healthy and in love.

I don't know how to do that ..my friend. But I do ..also have a story to tell...but

unlike you ...I have no history....or have any bearings of such...on this

forum...or history ...or .simply...a position where the folks here ...seek

you ...out ..as I said.. before.. I ..am a... new ,,..

member. And ..have ..already. Been...shot.. down....for my comments.... Thanks

Bob..no it has not put me off...just a little be--hind.

Take care ...

Colin

Colin, to send a PM, click on a member's name. A dialog box will open. Click on Send a PM. A new page will open with controls similar to the open forum. Anything you write will go to that person alone; no one else will see it.

And that's how you send a private message!

As a further exercise, I will send this message to you as a PM. A tiny flashing red and white envelope will apoear at the top center of the forum page. Clicking on that will take you to the private message area, where you can read and reply.

Richard.

Mario, I am happier than I have been since I was a young child. And it keeps getting better. Trudy was the catalyst for the change. There is more happiness and more smiles and smooches than I ever dreamed possible.

We are incredibly compatible. We are entirely positive. There is no criticism, negativity, or blame, EVER. We only encourage and praise one another. We think alike. It isn't telepathy, we are just on the same page. I could go on for an hour, but I think you get the idea.

I keep asking her if she will marry me, but she says she already did. I am blessed beyond imagination.

Richard

Yeah, I think I did the bass on that. I can dig it up and send you a copy. PM me your current email and preferred format.