Buffers and Preamps
Some Things Can't Be Captured
Mark Rushton’s Curator Mindset is a place where I talk in 2026 about my ongoing work as a recording artist and visual artist, tech things, and provide music recommendations. This is being released on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
Topics:
Jon’s William Lewis & Son ‘Laurel’ 232 Upright Bass
Kodak Zi6 Arrives
DISCO on My Site
Damien Jurado - “Pictures on the Run”
Jon’s William Lewis & Son ‘Laurel’ 232 Upright Bass
Jon found an upright bass in Cedar Rapids and bought it - a William Lewis & Son “Laurel” 232 model - complete with stand and bow. Jon’s never had an upright, so he’s thrilled.
He called me before buying it on Friday. I used the word robot to do research - it’s somewhere between 45 and 70 years old, just like Jon and me. I asked the robot about piezo pickups and it mentioned something about how buying a buffer/preamp would be a good idea.
I’m not well-versed in gear and try to keep things as minimal as possible, but I have had problems with my Suzuki Tashiogoto and my lap steel’s signals weakening before getting all the way through my effects boxes. Apparently, the buffer/preamp will solve this problem. I asked the robot to recommend and I’ll be getting a Grace Design BiX Acoustic Preamp Pedal soon.
Kodak Zi6 Arrives
It sure is pretty, isn’t it?
2008-era. 720p. Almost instant-on. No menus. AA batteries. USB dongle. Internal memory, but I have a 16gb full-size SD card arriving soon. Busy week, but I’ll use it soon. Note the “YouTube” branding on the box.
DISCO on My Site
I’m enjoying Google Sites, where I’ve moved my markrushton.com domain. Still building things out.
This past week, I added some of the “playlist / albums” I have on DISCO. This is non-distributed (unreleased) music. It’s meant to be licensed, but it might be distributed at some point. It’s a lot of ambient / underscore / “film scene music” type of stuff. You are free to listen to it. Or license it.
I have a lot more to add, but I’ve been crazy busy with the day job, taxes, and personal things. I was going to try to embed everything, which is possible, but instead I decided to link over to my DISCO site. Embedding can be a little problematic on Google Sites when it comes to iOS / Safari, as I discovered, so linking it is.
Damien Jurado - “Pictures on the Run”
If the weather and everything behaves the week after, I’ll drive over to Omaha to see Damien Jurado play his greatest hits at the Reverb Lounge.
He writes on Substack that he doesn’t get out of Washington State very often. He also doesn’t fly anymore. I feel the same way. I would fly again if they brought back dirigibles.
This album he made with “The Pacific Northwest” Lacey Brown (as I call her - there’s a Lacey Brown involved with music in Texas, not the same person), Private Hospital, is gorgeous. I featured “Heaven’s A Drag” on November 8, 2025.
“Pictures on the Run” starts off like some lost Paddy McAloon / Prefab Sprout electronic album from the late 80s / early 90s, but with a kind of “70s singer/songwriter” feel. I don’t know how else to describe it. The whole thing is so subtle. Headphones required.
At 2:44, it shifts and becomes “Lennon-esque”. Again, the only way I can describe it. Nothing but a compliment.
At 3:31, the song shifts again with an overwhelming arc… before ending rather memorably with what can only be described as a “primal scream”.
That upright is beautiful!!
Buffer pedals can make a huge difference. Hope you get the results you need.
And cool find on the Kodak, that looks fun and actually useful.