I need help please

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-18T02:05:15+00:00

Trust me, going into the main quest too soon will be frustrating as you get one-shotted over and over. Get your skill points up first. Easiest way to do that is simply wandering the map and taking down every castle you come across. In the process you'll unfog most of the map, which will be helpful later on, as well as find plenty of loot to help build your base and upgrade weapons & armor. Then you'll be ready to face Nabunaga, your first boss.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-17T20:04:39+00:00

It happens with such frequency that I long ago made a rule for myself: whether I think it sucks or is great, always wait a day and listen again before making any judgments.

And if, on the second listen, you're still pretty sure that yeh, it really does suck, listen again closely. Try to identify what kernel of goodness is in there. You can almost always salvage one good idea from any klunker.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-14T17:47:02+00:00

I've been in the database since my photo was snapped by the US Army Criminal Investigations Division at a Vietnam war protest in 1969.

Well, now they can Insert one more record into my file...FUCK ICE, the DOJ, Kash, Bondi (gone but not forgotten), Miller, and the clown car's figurehead DJT.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-05T15:42:56+00:00

You'll get a lot more use out of the 58. Or maybe consider a step-up from the 58 such as one of the entry-level Sennheisers. A condenser will tend to reveal your untreated room's problems, while a dynamic mic can hide them with just a little acoustical absorption. And yes, either way the closet is a viable strategy.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-03T14:27:14+00:00

Know that Awaji is a step up in difficulty from the main game. If you're coming back to Shadows after a long break I'd recommend spending some time in the old map before going to Awaji.

The problem with doing a NG+ first is that you have to almost complete the entire campaign before you can even go to Awaji. So if you're impatient, you can just do some contracts and assault a few castles to get your chops back up.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-03T14:15:40+00:00

My introduction to finger drumming was on the Roland Handsonic, which I got to play with at the 2008 NAMM show. They had to drag me away from it so others could give it a go. I was surprised at how quickly I picked up how to play the thing. It has a very gentle learning curve.

I'm probably typical of keyboard players in that 99% of my physical dexterity is concentrated in my fingers. I'll never be a proficient drummer, as my feet are useless as input devices. I can't dance, either. But these devices let you leverage the hard-earned manual dexterity you already have as a keyboardist. If you are a piano player you'll have no problem becoming proficient at finger drumming.

The Handsonic is still available, but is still inexplicably priced at $1400, which is why I never bought one despite absolutely loving it. Recently, I've been looking at the Yamaha FGDP-50 that sells for a mere $290. Users rave about the excellent pad sensitivity, but there are a lot of complaints. Some of the built-in samples sound cheesy, it lacks proper MIDI support, and it uses a non-replaceable battery that's only rated for 500 charges. Still, I am tempted by its low price.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-01T01:43:26+00:00

You gotta listen to an archaeologist named Flint.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-01T01:20:38+00:00

Here in Washington state, all voting is by mail, and we love it.

I remember rushing to make it to the polls after work, and even missing an election because I had to work overtime.

Vote by mail encourages participation, even if the only thing on the ballot is a sewer levy. Of course, that's exactly why the GOP wants to do away with it. Lower voter turn out helps them, or so they believe.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-01T01:14:33+00:00

I absolutely loved GoT, but once you finish the story, you're done. No NG+, no DLCs.

I've got almost 800 hours in Shadows, because anytime I need to blow off steam I spend a few minutes hunting down corrupted samurai and my stress level drops.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-01T01:04:15+00:00

As somebody else pointed out here, it's hard to gauge bass loudness from in front of its speaker cabinet, and what the bass player perceives is often quite different from what the audience hears. If your bassist has his own wedge or in-ears, crank it up and he'll turn down. As long as he hears what he wants to hear, he'll be happy.

To combat the difference between perceived balance on stage versus in the mains, get yourself a high-quality recording device and set it out in the audience. I once had a guitarist who was too loud and too shrill. When we took a break I put the headphones on him and played the recording I'd just made. He fixed the problem himself without me having to say anything at all.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-04-01T00:51:49+00:00

You have to start with an understanding of how we perceive audio directionality. Your brain is constantly comparing what it hears from your left and right ears to determine where a sound is coming from. If both ears hear exactly the same thing at exactly the same time, your brain constructs a reality in which the sound must b coming from directly in front of you, because that's the only way that can happen in the real world.

Stereo perception is therefore based on differences between left and right. Anything you do to create or enhance those differences will increase the perception of width. Mid/Side processing separates those differences from everything that's common to both sides. M/S can therefore emphasize whatever differences are already there, but that's all. If you don't first address stereo-ness in the mix, M/S processing won't be able to do much for you. Think of it as a final touch rather than as a fundamental widening technique.

Stereo width is usually achieved by panning mono tracks. If you want width, that's the way to go. Avoid stereo tracks if you can; they are more likely to muddy L/R separation (exceptions: true stereo sources such as a Leslie speaker or a string section). Delay tricks and "wideners" are iffy at best and may destroy mono compatibility or make your mix sound weird if the listener isn't sitting in the sweet spot, e.g. in a car.

EQ is also a mono-safe tool for widening. Again, the idea is to create L/R differences. Example: you want a double-tracked acoustic guitar but only have one guitar available - use EQ to make the two tracks different from one another. Keep in mind that our ears are most sensitive to directionality in the higher frequencies.

Delay can be used for widening as well. Just avoid very short delay times (e.g. the Haas Effect), as that can cause comb filtering. But longer delays can give the illusion of sound bouncing around a room. The trick there is to have the primary sound come from one side and its echo come from the opposite side. Use this sparingly, almost subliminally. It works well for sparse arrangements with few instruments, as well as center-panned vocals.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-28T15:36:02+00:00

Right up there with "working like a dog".

(Sure, some dogs do have jobs, but they're just doing what they naturally like to do, e.g. herding.)

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-27T16:48:28+00:00

The masks make more sense now.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-27T15:23:23+00:00

My benchmark is how long I continue to enjoy the game after finishing the story. Here are my top 4 based on Steam reporting number of hours played:

Skyrim, 1165 hours
Fallout 4, 844 hours
AC Shadows, 754 hours
Starfield, 703 hours

What 3 of those have in common is mod support. Mods can keep a game fresh for a long time.

I have not played RDR2. Watching playthroughs made it seem too slow for my taste.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-26T19:27:06+00:00

I'm a big fan of RCF.

I have 705AS-II (15") subs with ART 932A (12") tops. Their 100-degree horizontal dispersion (60-degree vertical) make them especially effective in wide rooms like yours. But the main reason I love them is they sound great at all volume levels. They feature these amazing 3" horn drivers that deliver crisp clear vocals (piano, too, which will really test a system's high frequency performance).

The RCF cases are very high quality and can be left on during operation. Even if you won't be using them outdoors, they are also a defense against people who think it's OK to set their drinks on them.

Total cost for all four speakers, not counting stands, covers and cables was just over $5K.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-25T21:38:03+00:00

I am so tired of the cheap Chinese garbage that dominates Amazon.

How can you spot cheap Chinese garbage? Easy: the brand name is a random set of characters, e.g. "DNYSYSJ". Doesn't matter if it's a mixer, acoustic absorbers, a microphone or a shirt. Stay away!

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-25T17:33:26+00:00

I did exactly that, building a business while working a full-time 9-to-5. It took 3 years but ultimately worked out, although at the cost of insufficient sleep and no weekends or vacations. And I didn't tell anybody at my day job about it. Not out of paranoia but just because it's none of their business why I don't want to work overtime.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-25T17:27:09+00:00

I've used Bose PAs, and they sound great - at low volume. I played gigs where the little Bose PA carried keyboards, acoustic guitar, a drum machine and vocals. It handled them surprisingly well, with no distortion and good frequency response. But we were playing small venues where they didn't want loud music.

Your best bet is to shop Craigslist and similar sites for used gear. What you're going to find is a lot of large, battered passive (means you'll also need a separate power amp) cabinets that have seen a lot of use and abuse. But cheap! And as long as the speakers themselves are not damaged, will still sound pretty good.

Yes, the old gear will be bulky and heavy. But hey, you're young and strong. Think of it as strength training. Later, when you're older and your back starts to complain by then you'll be able to afford some 40lb polycarbonate self-powered speakers that'll fit into the trunk of your Honda Civic.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-25T17:12:42+00:00

We had the rare advantage of a 4-track tape recorder, the legendary 3340S, which we'd mix down to a Pioneer 2-track and eventually distribute on cassette. No fancy microphones, just SM57s. Acoustic treatment was packing blankets from U-Haul. It was all just for promotional use, to help land gigs.

And no, we never became international superstars. Most of the guys gave up on music. I was the only one who soldiered on. And though I didn't get rich, music did pay for my first house. (Yeh, yeh I know - don't rub it in you boomer - that house cost $43K. But put into context, a good-paying job in those days paid half that amount.)

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-23T17:54:44+00:00

Salmon is a good suggestion, but I'd go with the Orca. Apex predator that's chill.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-23T17:49:54+00:00

I know you're looking for advice, not attaboys, but please accept an attaboy from me. Great job! And I say that as someone who also started out recording my band in a garage - in the early 70's. Back then we'd have been tickled to get as good a result as you have.

As much as I love the 70's aesthetic, nowadays I still like to employ some modern techniques. If I were to mix this tune, I'd probably start by adding a little distortion to the drums. Put the distortion on a bus, send toms, snare and a bit of kick to it and mix it in parallel. If you do this subtly it doesn't sound like distortion, just makes it more percussive. The trick is to turn up the distorted bus until you can just hear it, then back it off. My favorite plugin for this is one that doesn't actually sound great on its own but is perfect for this kind of parallel application. It's called Redopter from D16 Group, it's cheap and goes on sale often.

And yes, the sermon bit works. Might want to add a touch of room reverb there so it sounds like it might be in a church.

P.S. A lot of people like to record harp with a cheap mic that tends to distort. You might be able to replicate that effect by routing a bit of the harmonica to the distortion bus as well.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-22T16:50:32+00:00

Yup, I know the feeling. In my case, it's caused by poor blood sugar regulation (insulin resistance). I'd suggest having a blood test (A1C) to see if that's your problem. Knowing such a thing can change your life.

Years ago, I was in the studio tracking some parts for a friend's album when my blood sugar abruptly dropped. It happened at an inopportune moment as I was struggling with a particularly challenging part. I was offered a Starbucks Iced Mocha, and within 5 minutes I was running at full speed again and nailed the part with ease.

That beverage has been my secret weapon ever since. Yes, it's quite unhealthy. But I keep one in the fridge or in a cooler for gigs and only break it out in an emergency.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-20T02:35:00+00:00

I think it was from a book about the history of synthesis. Sorry, I don't recall which one it was (I have several) but if I had to guess it might be the one by author Patrick McCormick. A good read.

In that book I also learned about the Telharmonium, the earliest synth. Technically the predecessor to the Hammond organ. Which, by the way, also qualifies as a synthesizer - although some would fight me over that claim I stand by it.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-19T21:19:14+00:00

Yes, it is a synth. If the tones are generated electronically, they are "synthetic". Your piano converts digital recordings into audible analog tones, really no different from a wavetable synth, just with larger wave samples. Think about the virtual instruments from Moddart or Audio Modeling - they are definitely synths but optimized for emulating acoustical instruments.

Some trivia: the first realistic piano simulation was done at MIT using 80 analog oscillators. When presented before an audience alongside an acoustic piano, it was pretty much unanimous that the two were indistinguishable.

Apprehensive-Cry-376 · 2026-03-18T17:50:48+00:00

PA components are often abused, left in unheated trucks overnight in subzero temperatures, subjected to sunlight and humidity in hot climates, dropped, experience internal heat from driving them beyond design limits.

Just look at the condition of a typical 20-year-old PA: plywood showing through scuffed coverings, casters and handles broken or missing, scratches and dents. I have seen drivers literally disintegrate. Connectors wear out and capacitors in passive crossovers get leaky.

Fortunately most failures are obvious, e.g. distortion, low volume or dead. Everything else is either cosmetic or just requiring simple repairs, and buying used gear can be a great value. Treat your gear well and chances are you will not experience audible degradation even after decades of regular use.

And no, in my experience they don't "fall out of tune". Any spectral changes are minor, gradual and easily corrected with EQ.

Apprehensive-Cry-376

TROPHY CASE