So should I restore the Aero graphics on Windows 7? I work on a PC using XP at my day job, and I'm used to not having any fancy effects on my screen. I also think it tends to use up some CPU power that can be better put to processing audio, so I've left it off. I don't miss them, so it doesn't bother me if they're not there.

This afternoon, I was in my studio and found that I had everything working all right. There were no MIDI hangs, no mistimed notes, no crashes, no nothing - just good old music. I plugged in my black SG (just like Angus's) and popped in a couple of tracks through Guitar Rig 4, and that went fine.

I had Kontakt going with Vintage Organs, but I don't like the Leslie effect - it has too much pulse and not enough flutter, as if I'm listening to the organ with my ear beside the top louvers of the Leslie, not hearing the entire Leslie sound. I'm a long-time Hammond player with a sweet old 1950s B-3 and 145 down there, so I know what I'm talking about. The virtual organ is just a bit more convenient for some quick "scratchpad" organ fill-in than setting up mikes on the Leslie and playing the Hammond across the room from the computer.

The only things I haven't yet tried are loading up the old NI B4II package I've got, because it's got a better Leslie effect. Hopefully it works and doesn't crash. I've also got a copy of Miroslav Philharmonik (orchestra and choir patches) and Garritan Jazz/Big Band (for horns), so I'm going to see if they load up and run, too, without causing any more grief. Finally, I haven't yet done any vocals, but I did put in two guitar tracks through one of the two front inputs on the PreSonus box, and that worked all right, so I have no doubt that plugging in an SM58 and singing into it shouldn't be too much of a stretch after that.

I should also mention that, despite Windows 7's 64-bit capability, I'm running everything in 32-bit - especially my main DAW, Cubase 5.0. I haven't even installed the 5.5.2 upgrade because I don't want to tweak myself into more system trouble. I know this setup works, so I'm leaving it strictly alone. It's possible to fiddle too much and shoot yourself in the foot, so if it ain't broke...

Now I'm wondering how to change my username to something more positive. I looked in the Profile page of the forum, but I'm not sure how to change the username. I don't want to be stuck with this one forever. While I am still occasionally "confused", I'd like to move on from there and just be a recording musician doing my thing, rather than sounding like a messed-up newbie (which I am not - I just ran into some big hassles with some new gear and needed to get through them for my own sanity).