#I love the art zoomies

[frenchiefitzhere]

Both of your series give me art zoomies, but I was wondering if you could enlighten someone who plans to start their own va stuff (eventually 😓). What does your recording/editing process look like?

Big caveat: I'm not an expert. Entirely self-taught. All trial and error and YT tutorials. But I'm happy to share what I've learned 🌻 1. Set-up: a. Microphone: Rode NT-1 with a Focusrite Scarlett audio interface b. Software: Garageband (for most things) + Audacity (for fixing things) c. "Studio": I have the microphone on a floor stand in my walk-in closet. I also recently added a sound blanket as a curtain on the outside of my closet. I found it does make a difference which way I point the mic: away from the window that opens to the street.

A fancy microphone matters far less than the recording environment, I have found. It's important to check for things like appliances, fans, vents, etc. that might make extra sound. I'm pretty picky about getting a clean, crisp recording. (For example, if a car passes on the road as I'm recording a line, I do it again.) The reason the closet is a good place to record is because the fabric absorbs the sound. 2. Recording a. I record each character on her own track in GarageBand, and whenever I can, I will record as much content for the same character as I can (i.e. over multiple episodes).

b. It's much easier in the editing process to record A-A-A, B-B-B, C-C-C style for lines rather than A-B-C, A-B-C. In other words, if I mess up a line or think I might want a different take, I just immediately redo it as many times as I have to (rather than recording the whole script in one go, getting to the end, and starting over). c. It's helpful to have a nonverbal signal that shows up as a spike on the recording. (I learned that from Erik's little Audacity tutorial video.) So, if I know I have a section that I want to mark for some reason (ex. I know I messed up, I was doing foley, etc.), I just snap my fingers. d. Foley: If I have to make my own sound effects, I usually do not record them simultaneously as I act. It's much easier to make changes later if they're separate. It's not easy to 'extract' sounds. 3. Editing a. First, I export each track/character from GarageBand to Audacity and run the Noise Reduction and Declick plugins. Then I save those and bring them back into GarageBand. This step gets rid of most of the background noise. b. Then, I start lining everything up and clipping the recordings into regions. I usually make an extra track I call "Discard" so I can line up my back-up options for certain lines. (Usually, I'm just deleting the things I don't want but..sometimes I can't decide so I line one up in the Discard track in the same position/timestamp.) c. I usually add the sound effects and soundscapes at the same time. It's a bit more tedious to line everything up all at once, but much prefer it over going back and adding sound effects later, after I finish the voices. If you just have a few effects, it's doable to add them afterwards, but...timing matters for everything.

I get most of my sound effects and soundscapes from Freesound.org and sometimes I get them from Pixabay. Pixabay is also good for finding royalty-free music. Every once in a while, there's a specific sound I need that I can't find for free. For those, I get a license from Pond5 (which I like because it has a subscription like most stock libraries, but you can also buy what you need à la carte). d. Because I'm used to accessing MIDI for my musical projects, I've also found that that's a fun way to make special effects, especially when I need m a g i c. I just sift through the MIDI library in GarageBand (or use some plug-in instruments) until I find the sound I want, and I can change it up by playing different combinations on the MIDI keyboard. e. I spend a lot of time (probably too much) making micro-adjustments to the Automation. For example, I like the soundscape to fade in at the beginning and out at the end. And I make corrections--mainly Volume and Gain--for the main vocal tracks. That's also my way of keeping the SFX tracks down to just one or two: I can change the volume of each individual section. I'm not sure how helpful it is, but if you're curious, here's a screenshot of the next Ruby audio. (This is an unusually high number of tracks, even for a Ruby project.)

4. Finishing

I do not consider myself a 'video editor'. I like designing the thumbnails, but I wanted something where it would be super easy to make an interesting still image and just stick a sound file with it. Canva is good for that, and it's what I always use now. The only time I broke down and used iMovie to edit was for the Ruby vs. Carol puppet show, and I still finished that up in Canva. These are just the basics, but there are some other tips and tricks when it comes to different effects and stuff. (Musical projects are a completely different method. In a lot of ways, they're easier because ✨tempo✨. I still use GarageBand, and my recording set-up is the same, but how I record and edit is much different.) Note: You do NOT need to have all of this equipment right away to get started. A decent microphone does make a difference, but other than that, everything else is extra.

[sysig]

How far did you get? (Patreon)

[wakkossnackstash]

Brothers with zoomies! Tested out a fun bold little style and enjoyed it quite a bit!

[burgerrat]

" I have seen in strange young eyes,

Familiar tears~ "

[starrspice]

Reread Fishy Business by @robinette-green

I love the way they write and this fic is so so cute

I reread it whenever im really burnt out or tired and it just lifts my spirits

[whumpy-wyrms]

giving all your ocs the alien ikea plushie. shrinking two of them a little bit for basil and sasha

anton loves it so much he says thank u

[wiidoodles]

pacing back and forth like a befuddled detective

I need to be weirder I need to be a bigger freak

[truth-01001001-liar]

Morvana-Dar, Yana-La, and J’uhna playing in Vivec City at 3 in the morning.

[pup-pee]

TUMBLR USER PUP-PEE YOUR TAGS ON MY ART.. IM CRYING......... ILY......... FELLOW BIG BRAIN FAN..... 🫶🫶🫶

DUDE ILY ILYLILY U MAKE MY HAMPSTER WHEEL OF A BRAIN GO WHIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!

♡♡♡

STILL GNAWING SO MUHC ON UR ART TAKING MUNCHES OFF OF IT IF U DONT MIND!!!!!

[atelier-rougelian]

when u dress super cute for the day for a date around town, but somehow your pretty boy bf still manages to tie with you for number of compliments received from random strangers

and you are unreasonably grumpy about it lmao

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

sometimes therapy is remaking your old pony oc G1 style

Twirlygig

Twirlygig is an original character earth pony based on the G1 world.

Names       English: Twirlygig German: Windradchen       French: Éolienne       Spanish: Rehilete

Pony Stats

Pose: Tootsie Pose

Body Colour: Pale blue

Hair Colour: Dark green

Eye Colour: Orange

Symbol: A large pinwheel in light and dark orange, on a background of three small clouds and one large cloud.

Accessories Orange comb. Miniature orange pinwheel. Orange ribbon flight harness. Two orange wing-shaped kites with clips at the bases. 

Backcard Stories

US Backcard Story

   One sunny day in Ponyland, two little ponies giggled and pranced as they ran out onto the meadow, wondering if it would be a nice day to play outside. “I’m sure of it,” one of them laughed, “poor Twirlygig’s always sad when the weather’s nice. Look!”    Twirlygig did look very sad as they sat with their head drooping almost down to the ground, sighing and nudging at their favorite pinwheel toy with their nose.    “No wind,” they bemoaned. “Not even a gust, gale, or storm! Oh how terrible…”    But even as they said so, a sudden wind rushed through the meadow and spun the pinwheel so fast it’s colors blurred together.    Twirlygig leaped up with joy. “Do you see that? A storm! Oh how wonderful!” grabbing their pinwheel with their teeth they dashed away, mumbling “do you think if I tie TWO kites to myself I’ll be able to fly?”    The two little ponies watched them go and shook their heads.    “I think we should go home,” they said to each other, “and get some string to tie to Twirlygig, just in case they DO get carried away this time.”

Euro Backcard Story

Twirlygig was good at telling the other ponies about the weather. "We know from which way the wind is blowing," the ponies laughed, "because that's the way Twirlygig's going!" They tied a string to their friend and flew Twirlygig like a kite- even stormy days could be fun with Twirlygig around!

[evenaturtleduck]

Local werewolf meets a cute vampire and immediately forgets how words work.

When I read Hunger Pangs the first time I was at Disney with a group of teenagers and other moms, so I didn't really get to indulge, but I'm rereading it now and I had to draw them <3

[moe-broey]

Another one (also exploding it with my mind)

Honestly I would Not be surprised if the clothes change Again there are like. Some constants, and some evil-constants (unconstants) (always changing)

Core point though is the angel/demon imagery!

[plasmatonic]

Gremlin baby

[voidwife]

It’s summer, so naturally, I’m already longing for autumn. Fortunately, I have this piece that the very sweet @peachiella did of Rhela in her fall-inspired outfit to tide me over a bit longer! She looks absolutely darling. 🧡🍂 💚

[ittybittybumblebee]

Rlly proud of the doodles i posted tonight it hink theyre reallt good i love drawing so much