An array of small changes

Notably, a couple blog posts and a new page in
/uses

Oh, and the mysterious addition of a byline to the
blog.

1 files changed, 67 insertions, 0 deletions

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+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html lang="en">
+  <head>
+    <?php include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/boilerplate.php'); ?>
+    <title>audio & music gear | <?php echo($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']);?></title>
+    <link href="/style.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" media="all">
+  </head>
+  <body>
+    <?php include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/header.php'); ?>
+    <main>
+      <section>
+        <h2>audio & music gear</h2>
+        <p class="h2caption">I fancy myself a musician</p>
+        <p class="backlink"><a href="../"><< uses</a></p>
+        
+        <section>
+          <h3>Hardware</h3>
+          
+          <section>
+            <h4>Headphones &mdash; Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (Modified)</h4>
+            <p>After a lifetime of losing headphones to frayed cables and the inevitable failure of poor quality materials, my top priority when getting my next nice pair of cans was durability, and Beyerdynamic's products fit the bill nicely. I've <em>sat on these</em> without damaging them, which for me is saying something. As a bonus, they also have excellent sound quality and are supremely comfortable.</p>
+            <p>The only issue with these headphones is the non-removable cable, which is an automatic deal-breaker for me. I purchased mine through a modding company that replaced that cable with a 4-pin mini XLR jack, which has proven to be a bit of a double-edged sword as finding sanely priced replacement cables for it with the right pinout is nigh impossible, forcing me to start making my own. I think the new models have removable cables, though, which is nice.</p>
+            <p>I'm also rocking aftermarket cat ears. I just don't trust the quality on the cheap novelty headphones that come with them built in.</p>
+            <figure class="media">
+              <picture>
+                <source srcset="cans.jxl" type="image/jxl">
+                <img src="cans.jpg" alt="A pair of Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro headphones with a removable mini XLR cable plugged in, a custom green headband wire, and aftermarket cat ears.">
+              </picture>
+            </figure>
+          </section>
+          
+          <section>
+            <h4>Microphone &mdash; Audio-Technica AT2020 XLR</h4>
+            <p>This is the microphone I use with my computer(s). I'll be totally honest with you, I used to have the USB version of this exact microphone and replaced it with a used XLR variant to exchange an XLR input on my audio interface for a free USB port. Both versions are equally very good, probably as good as I'll ever need. The sound quality on this sucker is so good that my friends in voice chat complain whenever they hear me on anything else.</p>
+            <p>In what is becoming a running theme, it sits on a perhaps unbefitting $20 no-name mic arm from Amazon, with matching cheap shock mount and pop filter. They work, though. The springs on the arm are loud and, as my friends are keen to point out every time, quite audible through the mic.</p>
+            <p>Also, free bit of advice from me to you: for audio hardware, buy used professional or music gear, not gaming stuff. The sound quality and build quality is almost always way better.</p>
+          </section>
+          
+          <section>
+            <h4>Audio Interface &mdash; Behringher UMC404HD</h4>
+            <p>This replaced an Arturia Minifuse 2 that I slowly came to fucking despise because it had a loose headphone jack that I tried and failed to solder back in place and the MIDI interface functionality didn't work under Linux. I landed on Behringer for an upgrade because my Behringer Model D, a circuit-for-circuit clone of an analog synthesizer from 1970, <em>did</em> have this feature under Linux. I figured if they can make their synth do it it should be no problem one of their actual audio interfaces.</p>
+            <p>So far, it's nothing to really write home about. It's a perfectly functional audio interface, so it's already a strict upgrade from the Arturia. It has twice as many inputs, which is nice, and it's exactly the right height to be rack-mounted, which I did immediately.</p>
+            <p>The one thing I miss about the Arturia is that it had the phantom power toggle switch on the front, whereas with the UMC404HD it's on the back. It was nice having instant access to a hard off switch for my microphone, although I suppose there's nothing stopping me from just turning the volume knob all the way down. Or unplugging it. Although I've heard you're not supposed to hot-plug phantom power devices like that.</p>
+          </section>
+
+          <section>
+            <h4>Synthesizer &mdash; Behringer Model D</h4>
+            <p>$300 circuit-for-circuit remake of a synthesizer that Moog still thinks they can get several thousand for 56 years later. I like it an amount that sits between those two extremes. I probably wouldn't have been willing to pay any more for it than I did, though.</p>
+            <p>They'll kill me for my truth, but I think this synth is strictly better than the one it's ripping off, mainly for the modern luxuries it affords like USB and MIDI connections, decent eurorack compatibility (not like I can afford any more eurorack gear right now though LOL), and the addition of a built-in overdrive circuit.</p>
+            <p>Of course, I wouldn't have bought the thing for its creature comforts if I didn't also really like its sonic character. Rather than describe it to you in flowery prose like some kind of dweeb, here's some examples of things I've managed to make it do (not including the percussion, unfortunately):</p>
+            <audio controls=""><source src="https://deeptwisty.com/aud/get%20modulated%20idiot.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">your browser does not support embedded audio.</audio>
+            <audio controls=""><source src="newboog.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">your browser does not support embedded audio.</audio>
+            <audio controls=""><source src="butwhatifitwasntusedforbass.mp3" type="audio/mpeg">your browser does not support embedded audio.</audio>
+            <p>Check out <a href="https://deeptwisty.com/">deeptwisty.com</a> for more sorta like this, btw.</p>
+          </section>
+
+          <section>
+            <h4>MIDI Controller &mdash; Akai MPK Mini Plus</h4>
+            <p>37-key MIDI keyboard with eight drum pads and a bunch of other fancy shit. It's perfectly fine. Lots more functionality than I've ever managed to take advantage of. Not much to say here. My only gripe is that for some reason it can't output MIDI over USB and the MIDI ports at the same time for some reason.</p>
+          </section>
+        </section>
+      </section>
+    </main>
+    <?php include($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/footer.php'); ?>
+  </body>
+
+</html>
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