#USB pedal

[guitarbomb]

Ed Sheeran Loopers collaboration with HeadRrush

Ed Sheeran Loopers is a new collaboration with HeadRush and his new company called ITA Intime. Ed Sheeran Loopers After much anticipation, Ed Sheeran, the solo artist who single-handedly redefined the popularity of looper pedals, has unveiled his exclusive range of signature looper pedals. This launch marks a pivotal moment in the looper pedal industry, showcasing a product line that is a…

[sugar-phoenix]

𖥔 . overheating . 𖥔

synopsis: you're out on an operation with Boothill, and after a long battle and a quick getaway, you turn to realize that the cyborg cowboy is...overheating. With all the implications that come with that. tags: f!reader (Boothill refers to reader as "Lady" and "Missy" once), no smut, fluff, light romance a/n: 1.3k words, wrote this in a craze based off of a headcanon that @k9wa and @nvuy posted about! tickled my brain too much!

ao3 link here!

The sound of gunshots rang out in the night. You ducked in your getaway vehicle, a hover car illegally outfitted with nitrogen turbo boosters. Sticking our head out of the car every now and then, you aimed your pistol at the heads of IPC guards, knocking them dead left and right.

Boothill had been inside the IPC base for a while now. It was supposed to be a quick job. He only needed to run in, download the secret data straight to one of the USB ports on his hip, and then run out. Probably nailing an IPC soldier or ten in the head while he was there.

“Boothill,” you muttered, “where are you?”

You met the cowboy only once before this operation — he had sought you out as a fellow Ranger against the IPC for your getaway vehicle.

“’M gonna be lootin’ a pretty big IPC base, ‘n I need some kinda escape route,” he drawled. “You git me?”

You happily agreed. Why not? Anything that would be a loss for the IPC was a win for you.

Not to mention the cyborg cowboy was one of the finer men you’d come across in your travels.

Presently, you shook that thought out of your mind and fired a shot at another guard. It’s better to stay clear-headed when you’re in a shootout. Any unholy thoughts were perfectly fine to sift through in safer, calmer settings.

“Where is that dang cowboy?” you muttered again for the fifth time.

A hoot and a holler rang through the air, and you glanced towards the entrance. As though in answer to your question, Boothill emerged from within the base, running full gallop towards the vehicle.

“Start drivin,’” he ordered as he slid into the passenger seat.

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” you replied as more IPC soldiers spilled out of the entrance. The engine roared as you slammed the gas pedal to the floor.

“Ugh, turn up the A/C,” Boothill groaned.

“Turn ‘em up yourself, cowboy,” you responded. “I’m too busy making sure we’re getting away.”

The cyborg reached towards the dashboard and rotated the knob to the coolest possible setting. He leaned back into his seat, huffing and panting.

“All good?”

“Yeah. ‘S just a lot of fighting. Got me worked up.” He sniffed. “This dang A/C ain’t cool enough for me.”

You shrugged, checking the rearview mirror. The IPC vehicles were hot on your heels.  Thankfully, that wasn’t a problem for you. As an expert driver, you were fully trained in the art of evasive maneuvers. It’s what the cowboy hired you to do, after all.

You sped into the nearby city, a metropolis that conveniently had many twisty alleys and tight turns.

“This’ll be a piece of cake. Don’t you worry, cowboy,” you chuckled. The cowboy didn’t answer, and you were too busy focused on the road to check on him.

Drifting through intersections and jumping across lanes, you managed to throw off the majority of the IPC squadron pursuing you. There were only three small hover vehicles left, chasing you through a single-lane alleyway. You revved your engine to taunt them and cackled as the reverberations echoed off the buildings on either side.

The hovercar drifted, fishtailing as you made a sharp turn to the right. You swore as the sound of screaming metal rang out in the air, signaling that your spoilers had scraped against the walls.

“That’s gonna cost ya, cowboy,” you quipped, smiling as you saw two of the three vehicles crash into the wall behind you.

“Lady, I ain’t at fault for your drivin’ skills.”

You snapped your head towards Boothill, giving him a full-on death glare.

“Not that you drive bad, missy! I was just sayin,” he said, raising his hands up in surrender. It was then that you realized he’d unzipped his jacket, letting it fall lazily off his shoulders.

Heat rising to your cheeks, you snapped your attention back to the road, trying to evade the last IPC hover vehicle. A few quick turns and an IPC crash later, you pulled into a dark alleyway and braked, turning off the car.

“Why are we stoppin’?” Boothill asked.

“They’re probably swarming the city. Best to lie low for now until it all subsides.”

There was shuffling in the passenger seat, and you turned to look.

Boothill laid back against the seat, his limbs sprawled out. His bangs were arranged in wet clumps, and sweat gleamed off his face in the glow from distant neon signs. The rest of his long hair was put up along the headrest behind him, leaving his neck bare. His jacket, bandana, and hat were thrown in the back, leaving his upper torso bare for all the world to see. His pants were shrugged low on his hip, almost revealing his unmentionables (did cyborgs even have unmentionables?). Panting and huffing, he closed his eyes, frowning. You could hear a loud hum emanate from within his robot body.

“Boothill?” you croaked, fighting to speak through the feeling of your brain frying in your skull. It wasn’t just his appearance that was, well, hot, but a boiling heat was radiating off of him. You had hardly noticed in all the earlier action.

“Yes, darlin’?” He groaned. Your heart fluttered at the way he said darlin.’

“What. Are you doing?” You hardly thought the cowboy was one to give in to his darker desires at the drop of a hat, although there was something off about the scene that told you it wasn’t motivated by lust.

He chuckled before answering.

“Told ya I got worked up during that fight. I’m overheatin.’ One of the problems with having a robot body, ya get me?” Boothill breathed out heavily, his breath steaming in the air. “Fudge,” he muttered, closing his eyes and frowning again.

“Are you in pain?” you asked. His stance was akin to a man tortured, impaled from the back with hot iron spears.

“Nah, darlin,’ nothin’ like that. Just… hot, is all. Really fudgin’ hot.” Boothill let out a breath of steam again. “It’ll go away, like it always does. I jus’ need ta’ keep still for a lil’ bit. Let it cool down.”

You leaned over him, trying to ignore how close you were to his hot (both physically and metaphorically) abs, and pushed the passenger door open. It only went so far as the narrow alleyway let it, but you could feel the cold air of the night wash over you both.

“Thank ya’ kindly, darlin,’” he murmured.

“Don’t mention it,” you said, leaning back. You jumped when your arm brushed over his body.

“Did I burn ya?” Boothill didn’t move but his eyes fixed you with a worried look.

“No, you didn’t, it’s just…” You trailed off, not knowing how to end that sentence without embarrassing yourself. A heat creeped over your cheeks again.

“Oh, I see,” he smiled. “You can touch me if ya want darlin.’ I don’t bite.” He punctuated that sentence with a wide grin, showing off his shark-like teeth.

“But not right now,” he said as you tentatively reached an arm towards him. “Not while I’m hot like this. And it ain’t cause I might burn ya sweetie, but with all due respect, I ain’t wanna touch anything right this moment.”

“Got it,” you said sitting straight back in your seat.

A silence filled the car, gently broken by the whir of Boothill’s internal fans and the ambient hum of the city outside.

It was a comfortable, soft kind of silence. You let it soak into your flesh, down to your bones, etching this moment inside of yourself. It was nice.

“’Course, when I’m not overheatin,” Boothill murmured, “you’re free to touch whatever.” He grinned mischievously.

“Stop it,” you said. “You’re gonna make me overheat.”

dividers by cafekitsune

[jorvik-gazette-archive]

Prototype for our “””simulator””” horse controller for PC. Currently playable with pixel studio engine games. Next prototype will use Pi Pico MCU, two feet pedals and two joystick modules. Controller will use USB HID so no drivers needed and there will be a table mount for the controller. Also, string will be replaced with actual reins(or similar feeling strap). We have been toying with a idea of adding stirrups and saddle but those would be maybe possible in somewhere later versions. (Big maybe). Current setup is suboptimal, we’re using “submarine” controller and DDR dance mat. Time to do some CAD modelling.

[techniktagebuch]

Mai 2025

Pins und Needles

Ich musste 50 Jahre alt werden, um herauszufinden, dass Netzadapter total unterschiedlich sein können.

Mit Netzadapter meine ich hier Geräte, die Wechselstrom aus der Steckdose nehmen, und in irgendeine Art Gleichstrom verwandeln, der ein Endgerät betreibt. Bis eben war mir klar, dass man sich einen Adapter besorgen muss, der die richtige Spannung liefert, 9 Volt für ein 9V-Gerät, 12 Volt für eines, das 12V verlangt, und so weiter. Ausserdem muss der Adapter mindestens so viel Strom liefern, wie das Gerät verlangt. Es ist oft nicht einfach, Spannung und Stromstärke am Adapter abzulesen, weil es aus unerfindlichen Gründen in winziger Schrift dunkelgrau auf schwarz gedruckt ist, aber okay. 

Ich wusste sogar, dass der Stecker, den man ins Endgerät steckt, die richtige Polarität haben muss, und dass es dafür eine klare Beschriftung auf dem Adapter gibt. Das ist alles schlimm genug! Ich habe alleine dafür schon mehrere Kisten voll mit Netzadaptern (nicht mitgezählt dabei die Kisten, die voll mit USB-Adaptern sind, was ein anderes grauenvolles Thema ist, was sollen unsere Kindeskinder von uns denken, wenn sie unsere Adapterkisten finden). 

Was ich wirklich bisher nicht wusste: Die Stecker kommen in unendlich vielen Größen, bei denen sich der äußere und innere Durchmesser ganz leicht unterscheiden, wirklich ganz leicht, oft nur Bruchteile von Millimetern. Die Größe des Steckers steht oft nirgendwo, man muss es irgendwie erraten. Ob man daneben liegt, merkt man erst, wenn man versucht, den falschen Stecker ins Gerät zu stecken. Beziehungsweise geht es manchmal gerade so auch mit dem falschen Stecker. Good Lord! 

Hier ein Beispiel: Die kleinen Korg-Synths brauchen 9 Volt und ganz wenig Strom. Ich kaufe irgendeinen 9V-Adapter, aber der Stecker passt nicht. Es ist ein Standard-Adapter, der in sehr viele Musikgeräte passt, unter anderem in Pedale von unterschiedlichen Herstellern. Aber Korg hat andere Ideen. Es stellt sich heraus, dass Korg nicht nur die Polarität andersrum macht, sondern auch einen etwas kleineren Stecker wählt. Die gebräuchlichsten Stecker sind 5.5 mm außen und 2.1 mm innen. Korg dagegen besteht auf 4.75 mm und 1.7 mm. Das sind wirklich nicht viele Millimeter Unterschied, aber es reicht. Die einfachste Lösung: Bei Korg ein überteuertes Netzteil bestellen, 20 Pfund für ein Gerät, das weniger als die Hälfte kosten dürfte. Aber dafür bin ich zu stur.

Ich verhandle lange mit Anbietern, die mir nicht sagen können, wie groß ihre Stecker sind, weil es NIRGENDWO STEHT. Am Ende kaufe ich bei ebay für zwei Pfund einen Adapter, von 5.5x2.1 auf 4.0x1.7, was zwar aussen ein wenig zu klein ist, aber es funktioniert. Schön sieht es nicht aus.

Adapter, soweit das Auge reicht. Die ganze Welt ist voller Adapter. Wieso wird das nie in futuristischer Literatur thematisiert? Die Nachwelt, denkt denn keiner an die Nachwelt.

(Aleks Scholz)

[hardworkandguts]

Weekly Catch-up #4

"This Tumblr is just something I do for fun", I say, while scheduling the first of the two posts for Halloween. Confirming I've dropped Your Forma from these weekly posts because it's a show I was struggling to follow (given the whole "skip the introductory part") but I'm still going back to it once it's completed.

(previous week, next week)

What was on?

The Apothecary Diaries

(ep 2.17) Well, this clears up who is the bug girl and why she appeared a bit out of nowhere. It's still hard to say what to say what are their plans and where Maomao fits in them, other than knowing she's the daughter of Lakan and that Jinshi often relies on her to figure out something weird he knows it's going on but he can't by himself, like why wouldn't the women at the clinic, many who have been in the palace for decades, wouldn't have remembered why the lead skin powder was bad.

Witch Watch

(ep 4) after a full episode introducing Kanshi, we get a three part episode, starting with Nico's homeroom teacher discovering Kukumi is her favourite doujin artist and being extremely normal about that, second about the ill-advised idea of asking Nico to help out with something with magic (well, it did work), and finally we're introduced to Nemu Miyao, a shape shifting (into what, look at the name) witch who wants to make Morihito his familiar but is too shy to even talk with him and absentmindedly follows them home. The kind of character this kind of show gets a ton of mileage from, then.

Food For The Soul

(ep 4) Oh, a surprise fifth girl. She's Nana, a friend of the three that were unsuccessfully trying to start the club, and she didn't initially join because she was trying to start her own club. Thing is, she's even more socially anxious than Mako is and can't even talk with people she doesn't know, which of course makes it impossible for her to do it even after her makeover, and for great comedy when both are together. By the end they bond over souvlaki (the kind you grill, not the one you need guitar pedals for), but I'm sure it's not the last we'll see of that. Maybe my favourite episode so far, and Nana being a great source for reaction images plays into that? Yeah maybe. Also love how they snuck her in the ED.

mono Weekend Animation

(ep 4) on to the cinephoto club, it's a two part episode, first where Kako convinces Haruno to go for a wine tasting (or an all you can drink, your call) and the second where Haruno gets the girls to do a Photorally that unknown to them is also an eating competition. The episode is a bit lighter on the photography side of it, heavy on the tourism promotion side, but one I was ultimately a bit "heh" overall, although we got drunk Haruno.

Kowloon Generic Romance

(ep 5) Uh, well, that surely was a cliffhanger that went nowhere. While it may have been a joke, there's one person for whom it certainly wasn't, and Youmei certainly has her eyes on what Kudou is up to. What is true, however, is that we finally discover the reasons for her plastic surgery as we see what she was up to in her previous life, which I understand might be a weird choice of words for this situation we haven't fully figured out, and puts her talking to Kujirai to just be herself in a different light.

Uchuujin MuuMuu

(ep 4) I've been saying I wanted this to get weird, and it's a small step in the right direction. Carrying on from the giant electrical bill Sakurako got, she's working in the club for meal tickets, where we get to see MuuMuu channelling the Pyramid Power his civilisation mastered (not that he knows how) to turn a battery extra spicy and blowing up on his face. Second story is about the club president trying to impress a girl who's having smartphone battery problems, and after embarrassing himself with the worst analogy possible for USB ports, now has a device that uses a bunch of microwaves to charge her phone at s distance. On this week: opening small appliances, putting a new motor on a milk frother, and how wireless charging works. Could have used one on how to replace my smartphone battery.

Gundam Door Buzzer

(ep 4) Well, this was one of those cases I really don't know if my lackluster knowledge of Gundam is setting me back. Is Shiiko a character from any of the other shows, or is her "Witch" moniker just a reference to the previous Gundam, and she kinda looks like Mirai? Either way, she's in town to beat the Red Gundam, who killed her Mav during the war and wants to settle the score in a clan battle. As how it goes for her, well, that's true Gundam 0079 behaviour, letting your desire for revenge get in the way of surviving, the Gundam RX-78 just has that effect on people. And traumatising Machu, because that's also another thing they do to you.

Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle

(ch 397, 398) So, we get a very good single story that starts with Zeus and M.O.T.H.E.R. having leg cramps, and you can guess what happens next from the image, and a new arc where the Cursed Musician's mother signed him up for an idol audition which he didn't want to go, but as the Demon King wants to send someone to spy on where it is taking place, of course he goes there with Syalis and the nudist, always a fun combo.

Tis Time for "Torture", Princess

(ch 268) Oh, the princess trying to sneakily get one up on Tortura, who gets legitimately annoyed at her for wasting food. Another one for the "I want to see this animated" pile. And speaking of...

In Other News:

Tis Time for "Torture", Princess season 2 confirmed for the Winter 2026 season (via).

In case you missed it, the Rose of Versailles movie is now available on Netflix. A decent effort but severely harmed by the time they had to tell the story.

[latenightgasstationwalk]

So excited for my lil portable amp im guna get this Friday. Rechargeable internal battery, 3 dc outputs do you can play with pedals if you want too, blue tooth, clean, distorted and delay tones built in. I’m so stoked. I have absolutely no space or outlets to plug an amp of any kind in but I can charge a usb-C accessory. More electric videos to come in the future I hope.

[calves]

if you don't mind sharing, what's yr process for recording yr music? i'm looking to record an album i'm going to burn on cd for some friends.

Hi and yes I would love to share!

For me it really depended on what instruments i had on hand. I don’t feed my guitar directly into my computer because 1) I can’t be bothered 2) im in favour of the ‘room sound’, I like that it sounds exactly like it was played in my bedroom because it was, so having a guitar and effects board/pedal with the tone I liked was important. I also got a bass specifically to record

So my gap was just drums -> I went on GarageBand and built the full drum line for the song (I say built but I also did use the genre drummers with the adjustable settings quite a lot, theyre good if you can configure them to what you want). Then export the rhythm track as .wav -> import into audacity (lol) (i say lol because audacity I think is generally agreed to be kind of shit for producing. More on this later. you should maybe get an FL studio crack instead) -> put guitar, vocs, bass on

The mic I use is a blue yeti USB mic which I’ve been overall pleased with. A good value for money, can recommend, probably easy to get secondhand (I used my friend’s and then my cousin’s). Guitar, voc, and bass tracks go on separately, so it helped for me to record a ‘sketch’, essentially a pre recording in time with the drum track, where I play guitar and sing, just so when I record the real guitar track I know where I am in the song. On the sketch either the vocals or the guitar will sound far off and faint but it’s enough to like orient yourself. Yknow.

Before you mix on audacity (if you’re using that) go and get the musefx/musehub plugins, musehub de-esser, reverb, eq, are all stuff I consistently use (this is mixing process though sorry im off track).

Guitar i use two tracks, preferably not duplicates of each other but you could do that if needed, panned far left and far right respectively for a full wraparound sound. (Effects: Compress, plate reverb). Recording set up wise I just put the mic on the ground far in front of my amp. Test a bit and then move the mic where you get the best results

Vocals go middle/no pan. I have no good advice for mixing vocals because im bad at it still . Bass pans to wherever your drums are, usually middle also but sometimes double tracked and like 10% right and left. But these aren’t hard and fast rules cause I break them sometimes depending on my whims and what sounds good unexpectedly. Recording and mixing has been a lot of trial and error mostly error but anything you record and make still feels valuable because you literally made something out of nothing. Godspeed

[alexandriaisburning]

+006: The Xbox Adaptive Controller is for everyone

Addendums, Archives and Appendecies is extra, off topic writing in addition to the regular CANON FIRE entries. You can support more writing like this on Patreon.

Of the several mass market options for accessibility controllers, the Xbox Adaptive controller easily leads the pack. The initial package doesn’t include much, but in exchange it packs a huge host of features, expansive remapping software and compatibility with more devices than any competitor. Alongside a dedicated accessibility development team, it’s easy to see that Microsoft has real investment in gaming accessibility. 

It’s those same features that make the Xbox Adaptive Controller a fantastic device for everyone.  Marketing and coverage of the XAC has focused on the disability angle, but there’s been little talk or curiosity about how the damn thing works, and the absolutely tremendous features of this unassuming package. If you’re like me, and have any DIY spirit, or love the bespoke controls of arcade games, the XAC should have your attention.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller is designed similar to other adaptive setups, using standard 3.5mm TRS/TRRS headphone jacks to connect external controls. One of the least documented features of this system is exactly how many options there are for switches, outside the officially branded ones. The TRS connections enable the XAC to use not only dedicated accessibility switches, but any switch that uses TRS jacks. This includes several accessories for the 8bitdo Lite SE 2.4ghz, the 8bitdo Keyboard, or even something like sustain pedals used for synthesizers. There’s also a small industry dedicated to creating accessibility switches, and if you’re handy you can even create your own out of generic switches like pushbuttons, knobs, and flick switches. 

The XAC’s headliner feature--the one that sold me on the device, and puts it above all the rest--is the ability to plug in USB controllers. One either side of the XAC are USB ports, each which maps to one half of a standard Xbox controller, allowing you to access the left stick, right stick, face buttons and triggers by plugging in two devices to combine them into a single unit. Any HID gamepad can be plugged in, though you’ll need to experiment to see which ones are recognized, and which inputs are available to be remapped, since the XAC will only recognize a select number of them. 

A costly series of individual switches can be replaced by a single controller, offering multiple inputs and alternative analog solutions such as sliders, trackpads, handheld joysticks or flight sticks. 

As an example, I built a mech cockpit setup for Armored Core by using two flight sticks and a set of pedals. Each flight stick controlled one analog stick, with the triggers and thumb buttons used to control the arm and shoulder weapons, and pedals controlling the ascent and boost functions. The two large buttons on the XAC itself acted as the scan and repair functions, two important, but auxiliary functions. 

I’ve also personally tested a few 8bitdo Switch controllers, as well as arcade sticks, which were able to be paired with the XAC as well. 

A big advantage of the XAC is that by doing this through hardware, you can store multiple control profiles on the device itself, then migrate the setup between multiple devices, including other systems. Through the use of a controller converter, I’ve been personally able to use the XAC on multiple generations of Playstations and the Switch. All without the need to use software remapping.

If playing on the Xbox or Windows, however, you do get access to Xbox Assist--formerly Copilot--which allows you to pair the XAC with additional controllers, once again being read a single unit. This allows another player to assist in activating other buttons, or use one controller as the primary device, while complimenting it with buttons on your other controller. 

I’ve used this to combine my controller with my pedal set, handling stick clicks with pedals, allowing me to sprint and melee but stepping on a switch. You could also use something like the Xbox Adaptive Joystick, and handheld joystick in the style of the Wii nunchuk, to control the primary movement, while resting another controller on a flat surface and pressing the buttons. 

It’s worth noting that Xbox Assist isn’t restricted only to the XAC, and can be used with various other Xbox controllers, including the Adaptive Joystick, 8bitdo Lite SE, or just two standard controllers. 

These options give a huge amount of flexibility to the controller, allowing you to mix and match what parts of a modern control setup work for you. Modern controllers have mostly agreed on a standard for button layouts and shapes, but at the cost of the more unorthodox options and ideas that made controllers part of the game or console experience. 

The XAC gives you ways to interface with the same games, with remapping software that makes up for the often underwhelming options built into the consoles themselves. Buttons can even be remapped on the fly by physically plugging and unplugging cords into ports, allowing you to experiment with different setups quickly. It’s totally analog, and has the same satisfaction as manually rewiring devices and circuits. 

Modern controllers are designed to be invisible. To meld into the background and allow experienced players to not think about how they control their characters. But when that doesn’t match someone’s ability or experience, the opposite can happen, turning a controller into something that fights against you. The same features that allow disabled people the flexibility to build a solution that works for them also gives everyone the option to change the way we interface with games, and build something new. 

For interested parties, I've collected more info on the XAC below:

[bivouacrecording]

The Instrument : Part 2: Components

<- Go to Part 1

Cables

The veins and arteries. As is tradition with any new idea I have, I make new cables. Mostly because the cables I made previously were all custom that the lengths or connectors just cannot be used anywhere else. Coming off of the relay box, I kept the solder gun warm and went straight into making cables. I used Canare wires and Yongsheng connectors. Easy to source for me and good quality.

I never made a MIDI cable before and believe me, they look really beautiful with these metal connectors (see above).

I made a total of 37 analog/midi cables.

I also made:

Four 10 pin remote control cables for the Revox units.

One 15 pin extension cable for the Fostex D2424

One DB25 AES I/O cable for communication between the DM1000 and SPX units.

This makes a grand total of 43 finished cables, 93 connectors, and about 90 meters of cable. All93 heat shrunk and perfectly made. 93

You can b93elieve me when I say 93 that I was counting 93down Every. Last. One. 9.3.

Phew. 93

Of course after you finish with something, you always think of how it could be better. After connecting it all up, I am really wanting to have a more polychromatic palette of cables rather than just a rat's nest of black (boring). Maybe I can sell the black cables and make a more colorful back-end (gulp).

MOTU Midi Express XT

So now I needed something to manage the MIDI messages between all of my equipment. I have used MOTU software and hardware for 20 years and their MIDI patchbays were always affordable and reliable so I found a used one for a reasonable price and wired it up. 

In my research I found this article and decided MOTU was the way to go.

RME Digiface USB

Connecting the DM1000 to the computer took a bit of consideration.  I knew that once the audio was converted in the DM1000, I wanted it to stay in the digital domain wherever it went until it was output again. So I needed a multichannel USB interface that didn't take up another rack space and had a reasonable cost. I didn't need any other preamps or other extra things, just a digital I/O. The RME was the best solution and had the best reputation. This was the only thing that I bought new.

The DIGIface has 32 digital I/O via 4 banks of ADAT I/O which allows me to input/output sound from the computer (to the recorders) and manage the audio routings throughout the instrument using the included RME TotalMIX software. Every single connection was used like it was made just for this.

Tech 21 NYC Midi Mongoose

A small MIDI foot pedal that can output 128 MIDI program change messages. So far I have programmed it to start the Freeze layer playback in each internal effect. The foot pedal is a bit fiddly when you want to go from say, 3 to 65, but it should make you arrange the programs in such a way that makes it easier for you. To make it more dynamic and user friendly, I will program more functions in the MIDI translator program.

Speaking of which...

Computer and Software

This is the climax of this post. At least for me. Best take a seat for this one. <br><br>

Welcome to the Brain. The computer exclusively manages all MIDI and audio routing.  For the MIDI translator, I use Bome MIDI Translator PRO (BMT). An amazing program that allows you to translate anything to anything (really, i mean it) and more.

I hired the Bome forum moderator, Steve Caldwell, to help me make a program using BMT that remembered the fader, button, and knob positions between each USER DEFINED layer on both REMOTE layers. The USER DEFINED layer on the DM1000 has 4 banks but they are only overlays that are meant to be used one at a time. With this custom program, I now have a total of 8 INDEPENDENT banks over two REMOTE layers (384 controls total) that can be recalled with a button press and be used to control anything via MIDI. This was not how Yamaha intended it but this is the kind of power MIDI can have.  This rack mountable DM1000 just got a whole lot BIGGER.

[Techie side note: The only drawback for this is that you cannot exclude (Recall Safe) these faders from a scene change like you can for the top level faders. Still searching for a solution or workaround...]

As an example, I mapped all of the parameters of each SPX2000 unit AND all 4 internal effects to the faders and knobs allowing live control of multiple parameters at the same time in any combination using BMT. The controls can also be automated with the internal automation on the DM1000. The sky's the limit.

I should add that even on the top layers, each control for the audio channels 1-48 (faders, knobs,  buttons) can be used exclusively as a MIDI controller (no audio thru the channel) or mixed together (MIDI fader next to an audio fader) side by side, as desired. For example, I am using faders 9-16 to exclusively send MIDI messages to control the A77s (for now). Additional buttons (72 buttons) can be programmed on the USER DEFINED KEYS section. So taking all of this into account, you can have a grand total of 600 controls* for other MIDI instruments from a single console. (Not counting all the other function buttons on the console that transmit MIDI. Even the headphone level knob sends MIDI!)

* Note: I think there is a limit with the amount of unique MIDI messages that can be programmed, but using BMT you can program a computer keystroke to control software, use SysEx, and so on.

Studio

Okokok. Deep breaths.

I had to get some furniture to put all this stuff. I had a custom table made per my specifications and  got rid of all the old furniture (green desk).  For monitors, I bought a pair of JBL Studio 2 speakers. These are powered by my old, underused Yamaha Hi-fi amplifier (RX-V357) and subwoofer that I woke up after a very long, dusty, moldy, sleep in storage.

The JBL speakers are designed to be recessed in a wall but I custom made an aluminum enclosure for them and hung them on speaker wall mounts. This was a cost saving measure but also a space saving one, as these speakers are not as expensive, deep, and boxy as a typical monitor.

I opted for a standing studio to practice a 'live' performance. After so much soldering, I really didn't mind standing and its good practice for the future. I found I move faster that way, though I do have to take breaks more often. I had to put the DM1000 on sturdy packing paper boards to prop it up.

Sonosax Mini R82

My trusty Sonosax. This and my other recorders, are the breath that give this instrument life. I don't create sound.

I made a new custom cable that connects to the digital stereo out of the DM1000 for quick sketches and stereo recordings. At the end of the day I take it on the road to listen to the daily recordings and take notes.

Fostex D2424 LV

Last but not least. This was the last thing I bought. It was pretty much a new unit and very reasonably priced for a 24-track recorder. I only needed to get a compatible HD, replace the lithium battery, and change the FAN which was SO noisy. I replaced it with a Noctua NF-A8 ULN (Ultra low noise) and now it lives silently under my desk. If you have one of these HD recorder units, I HIGHLY recommend this upgrade. I found out that the reason that the fans are so loud is because the unit does not have a thermometer that regulates fan speed. So the fans are just running at its maximum speed all the time, hence all the noise. With research, I found that the Noctua was one of the quietest fans on the market at its highest RPM.

I remember these Fostex units way back when and it was the remote that caught my eye. All of the controls and display are contained in a removable unit that can be extended and used as a remote control. I contacted Fostex and their great customer service answered any questions I had with this long discontinued unit. I have my eye on another one just for parts for the future.

The D24 + DM1000 will essentially be my DAW. To tell you the truth I have been on the fence about using this. On one hand it's a solid piece of equipment. On the other its discontinued. I reassure myself saying that many people still use vintage synths so this should be no different, no? I assume, vintage synth owners always have something in the back of their mind hoping that their synth doesn't die before they sell it. Even the A77 has a better chance of lasting longer than this unit (and it has). By using a computer it will be future proof but it also has its shortcomings. In any case, since the DIGIface is managing the audio via my computer, I can also use my DAW to playback and record files if needed. I guess it is reassuring that these equipment are built within their capabilities so there will be fewer surprises during use. I have evolved to embrace and enjoy the fleeting nature of sound, maybe I should also embrace and enjoy the finite life of recording equipment.

There is some housekeeping that needs to be done with this machine. The HD is cloned to another one after each session and also backed up on a computer. NOS compatible hard drives for the unit are still easily bought at the moment. I'd better stock up. The manual is very extensive and a little crazy at times, but easy to read. Once you start using it, it gets pretty easy and there is just something about pressing a physical click-y button that just makes things more fun. The audio can also be recorded in real time to a DAW.

One thing is that new HDs need to be formatted in the unit before use. This takes FOREVER. 160 GB took about 12 hours to format. So its best to format all your HD ahead of time to save time. I probably didn't need to get the 160GB HD. I think 40 or 80 GB would have been more than enough for me.

Special Mention:

Deity V-Lav Microphones

In my recent recording tests, I realized that although you can hear the tape machines in a 'live' setting, you miss this experience in the audio recording. This means you cannot distinguish the edits recorded to the tape and the edits made by stopping/ starting the machine. I tried several options from mounting microphones on stands, or on the desktop but they were in my way and were going to be pretty expensive if I got 4 of them. I needed a smaller, affordable solution.

I had made some videos for Deity a few years ago and they gave me a sampler of all their microphones at the time to try out. The D2 and D3 are great short shotgun microphones and great for field recording. They also gave me one V-Lav and I was amazed how easy it was to use. Its built-in 'smart' power supply means you can plug it anywhere which is great because some pro lavaliers usually require a 10V phantom supply via a special adapter.  I gave my contacts at Deity a ring and asked if I could have some more for my new sound project. They graciously sponsored 3 more microphones and D-XLR adapters for the project. Now the recordings all have the tape machine sounds which indicate stop/start of the audio and a sense of movement. I know you haven't heard any sounds yet but trust me it is just the right touch.

Which brings us back to...

Today. One year after our journey, and the beginning of a new one. As you can see the amount of thought and hours put into creating this instrument were many but worth it. I feel that it is truly an extension of me and reflects the way I think and move.

Stay tuned for sounds, articles, and videos of how this instrument evolves as well as a more in depth look at how I configure my components and creation process.

Thanks for reading!

In Winter 2021 I was able to finally present this instrument to the public during the Vital performance in Shanghai. Read about it here.

[guitarbomb]

RJM Music Full English Pedal: British Tone and Analog Innovation

RJM Music, renowned for its innovative musical gear, recently launched the Full English, a fully programmable overdrive and distortion pedal. This device stands out with its 100% analog signal path, drawing inspiration from classic British pedal designs. It’s a noteworthy sequel to the company’s 2021 Overture pedal. RJM Music Full English The Full English is designed to capture the essence of…

[magiczero1412]

Moonshine

Silver Bullets | Chapter 4 | -> AO3

〜 Ship: ShūRei | Rating: M 〜

Rei is having problems with his BO and PSB subordinates. Fortunately, things can’t get any worse...or can they?

After the rather bad start, Bourbon and his new partner don’t talk much on their way to Kamakura. It’s already midnight, so the highway is mostly deserted, allowing Rei to hit the pedal to the floor and let his Mazda RX-7 fly over the asphalt like a rocket.  Of course, he wants to know more about Moonshine, but now is not the time for small talk. Rei is too sleep-deprived and on edge for that. It’s better to simply get the job done tonight and postpone their icebreaker session.  Shortly before they arrive at the club where they’ll hit the target, Rei’s phone rings. Praying that it’s not Rum or Vermouth, he pulls it out of his pocket and looks at the screen. It’s neither of them, but it’s almost as bad in this particular situation. Kazami. “Not now!” Rei barks into the phone and immediately hangs up again. The nerve of that man! Kazami knows all too well that Rei is on an undercover mission tonight, so how can he have the audacity to interrupt him? Ten seconds later, his phone buzzes. It’s a text message from Kazami. WE NEED TO TALK. It’s important! For fuck’s sake, Rei thinks, typing a quick reply with one hand while trying to find a good spot to park the car. Maybe there’s really some kind of emergency. Will call back soon. Rei pulls into the alley where the club is located. It’s probably best to leave the car right here in case they need to get away quickly. The plan is to send the new guy inside to deliver the message and get the USB drive. It’s basically a test to see if Moonshine has it in him to become a proper member of the Organization. Currently, Rei’s money is on him failing...

Read more on AO3... 👀

[donjuaninhell]

Okay I think I've figured out my audio set-up for doing lessons. It's guitar→pedal board→amplifier/cabinet simulator→USB audio interface→computer with an XLR dynamic mic (my dad lent me an old Shure BG1.1, so it's not an SM58 but it'll do for now) also plugged into the interface. Then with routing software I output the MIC IN 1/2 channels into two separate virtual channels and set my desktop audio to output to a third virtual channel which are then combined output to my headphones or monitors. I think it should sound pretty decent, and because I'm not running my amplifier simulator through software there's next to no latency. That said, this audio interface is USB 3.0 and wound up working fantastic with GuitarRig, better than using my old Rig Kontroller 3. I can't control effects with the foot switches but the latency is a quarter that of using the Kontroller.

Acquiring an amplifier/cabinet simulator wound up being essential, just my guitar's direct input through the pedal-board did not sound good. I went with the MoskyAudio Bright Flame because I own a few MoskyAudio pedals (I have their Big Muff and ProCo Rat clones and I've been thinking of getting their Klon clone) and think they're great. It was also $200 cheaper than my next option. It's fairly bare bones, there's no IR loading or and the settings are fairly limited; you get the choice of three amp styles (AC Brit, American, and MS Brit, so a Vox AC30, Fender, and a Marshall) three power tube simulations (6L6, EL34, KT88) and three cabinet choices (1x12, 2x12, 4x12). I've got it set up like my Twin Reverb (6L6/American/2x12). It sounds fantastic, my 5" desk monitors can't push as much air as the 12" speakers in my Twin, but the tone is dead on. It's going to be great for silent/late night practice too because it has an AUX in and PHONE out so I can plug my headphones in and play along with tracks off of my phone.

[sansevieraa]

i keep getting boothill on my page and if he isn’t careful his ass / gas pedal / usb port is NOT gonna be safe

[souleaterpostanime]

Is your music all digitally composed or is it acoustic and you record? Curious about your process.

I use Ableton Live to mix and compose everything, but depending on the track I use both digital/virtual sounds and real instruments, either recorded through my microphone (connected to an usb interface), electric guitar and bass I sometimes recore directly by connecting through the input cable, and sometimes I just sample random phone recordings I do.

But yeah it depends on the song - like for "Amber Chamber Theme" it was mostly directly recording from a keyboard I had avaible at the moment, then using pitch shifted or otherwise manipulated vocals at some parts.

For "The Gal that fell out of da sun" I just mostly recorded everything with my microphone connected to a preamp and usb interface - so it was all acoustic guitar, vocals and just hitting random things for drums😂. On it I used the Guitarrig plugin to give it the sound of guitar pedals, but I actually like to use that on a lot of shit, can give audio tracks easy effects that sound good atleast to my own ears.

So yeah, dunno if this is coherent or just too rambely, but in short - it depends, but at the end I basically use Ableton either way - I think many years ago I tried Fruity Loops, didnt know what I was doing and quit😂 Then some classmate recomended Ableton and I sticked with that. Maybe I'll try something else in the future.

Oh, and if you ment my process in a more abstract way, like composing or the idea for a song - for the last few tracks it was mostly the idea of fitting with the whole desert/western theme, so I would either noodle with a guitar to find a sound I like, or think of a fitting genre that I could parody that would fit. Sometimes I kinda come up with some lyricsl Idea first but yeah. But other items I just fuck around in Ableton till I see something comes together, that maybe if everyone else thinks sounds horrible, I like😂

And yeah lyrics I'll admit was one factor were I'm kinda lazy on this "project" - sometimes I try to write down some, but mostly I go of the dome and even sometimes mumble in a way with it not even making sense (other times I know I said something but cant make it out anymore, like in the Phonk song I did, but I guess thats the point)

I justify it by saying that the orignal anime had a lot of broken english so its just fitting with the theme😂. But maybe I'm too harsh, some of the lyrics were pretty planned out and do have a lot of consious meaning. Like one of my older songs which was like a parody of one of Ye's tracks from "808's and heartbreaks" were it was supposed to be from Kids perspective in a pathetic emo rap autotune voice lamenting how "now even 8's I hate, two circles with no escape"😱💀

So yeah, dunno, wrote a lot more than anyone probably asked for. Could probably say more, but I'll leave that for other asks.

[transhuman-priestess]

Why the fuck is boss making pedals with micro USB in 2024

[beardedmrbean]

Get one of those USB steering wheel controllers and then either emulate some version of Final Fantasy VI or get the Pixel Remaster and play through it with a steering wheel

Honestly that wouldn't be too tough, getting some of the Blitz's might be a pain but beyond that there's not a lot going on with the controls other than the D-pad and the 4 buttons, might need a throttle pedal in there but that's about it.

Street Fighter 2 for SNES on the other hand, that could be tricky