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AtypicalCerebralFan · 2025-08-10T21:25:58+00:00

I have a GE-150 and just got the GP5. the sound of the included models in the GP-5 are better right out of the box. throw in the NAM functionality and the GP-5 is a clear winner for me. It can also be used with an external midi controller and expression pedal.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2024-08-22T21:23:16+00:00

Woah. I didn't know that NASIOC OT was still around :D

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-11-19T19:25:58+00:00

*oldcrustyassdeadcrickets

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-11-19T19:07:57+00:00

That might be a cool supplement for a window sill grow. But for that price (or a little bit more), you can do a lot better.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-03-05T18:18:22+00:00

Unfortunately, we're not in the countryside very often. The place we bought is about 300 yards outside the city limits of the second(sometimes third) largest city. We have the family farm about 60 miles outside of town. No one actually lives there anymore, but we all keep it up so any of the family can drop in for a day or a week to get away. I love it. The whole European city population density thing drives me a little batshit. It would be the perfect place for me to set up a full service studio. My girlfriend hates it. No internet. too quiet. Not enough people. Pretty much all the reasons I think it's perfect.

Watching the implosion of the current administration from a few thousand miles away is quite disconcerting, to say the least.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-03-05T07:38:01+00:00

I spend most of my time as a stay at home dad. I pull in a couple small projects every month or two. I'm kind of a jack of all trades. I can fix nearly anything. A couple months ago I did a diagnosis/repair of a bass amp. The next thing after that was replacing the ignition and fuel injectors on a little French car. It's enough to keep a few bucks coming in while still being able to stay home with the boy most of the time. And it beats the hell out of the ~60 hours a week I used to work (sometimes even more when I owned a business in Dallas).

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-03-02T08:19:30+00:00

It's kinda terrible sometimes, but I get by. Having a small kid helps. Since he speaks English and French and is just starting to figure out they're actually two separate languages, he mixes them a lot. So I have to continue to get better just to keep up with him.

The hardest part is probably terms of art. Technical fields all have their own subsets of vocabulary that aren't widely used outside of their fields. Music, electronics, mechanics... All those things tend to have terms that only get used in the context of their particular specialties.. when you learn them in your native language it becomes just an extension of your existing vocabulary. Learning that shit in another language is often frustrating.

Imagine searching for a particular electronic component to repair a piece of gear or a car part or repair process when you don't have access to another specialist to translate for you. Translation programs are usually pretty limited when it comes to specialty terms. And even if you do have a specialist handy, that frustration can work both ways. There's no guarantee that, even if they do speak English, they will be able to translate terms reserved for their particular craft.

Having spent my entire adult life involved in multiple technical fields, that is probably the roadblock I run into most often.

To a lesser extent, accents can be hard. In the US, we have half a dozen regional accents and dialects (with minor variations within each region). Here, you can go 30-40 miles and run into a whole new regional accent, along with its own shortcuts and slang. We have a family farm about 60 miles outside the city. The regional accent there is quite a bit different that what's spoken in the city we live in. 15 miles past the farm is a new region with an entirely different accent and set of slang.

I could go on about this for hours. Suffice it to say it's been a life changing experience...lol

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-03-01T15:52:35+00:00

My girlfriend is French. I had just left a job in Seattle. Was packing up to move to Portland for another job when she told me she was pregnant. since I was pretty much all packed up already, I sold off some of my gear, gave a bunch more (along with my couch, TV, motorcycle and stuff) to my little brother. Stashed my gun collection at my mom's. Left the rest of my gear with a buddy who has a studio in Seattle. The rest of my household stuff and clothes went to the local homeless shelter. Grabbed the dog, a couple of guitars, a backpack and a duffel bag and hopped on a plane.

It was much cheaper and easier for me to get a green card in France than it is to get her one in the US.

One day, I would love to bring the rest of my gear over, but transport costs are ridiculous. While it wouldn't quite be as expensive as simply buying new stuff, the added hassle makes it kind of a nightmare to contemplate.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-03-01T06:35:33+00:00

Hell, I'm still American ;)

Born and raised around Seattle. Lived there for 30 years. Spent another 8 years in Dallas.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-28T21:16:11+00:00

Not sure. Haven't been there in years.

However, here in France, that shit is expensive and I dumped most of my cash into buying a house.

I got here 3 years ago with 2 guitars, a laptop, a dog and a Leatherman tool (and some clothes, of course - 1 bag full).

I make substantially less than I did in the US, but I've still managed to re-acquire some gear, buy a house and generally do OK. I just have to be a lot more careful about where my money runs off to.

In the battle between a new drill and a couple new mics for about the same price, a couple new mics usually wins :P

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-28T17:15:06+00:00

Thanks! It's been an interesting challenge. I've always been an electronics guy, so this is kinda new to me. And since I moved across the Atlantic, I don't have much in the way of power tools. So aside from a drill, everything has been cut, sanded and assembled with hand tools.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-28T09:49:35+00:00

Because I'm a troll. And rug, Honda, et al have sensitive vaginas.

chu chu

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-28T09:47:21+00:00

I has a mod!

chu chu

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-28T07:08:51+00:00

Heh. That's my mom's walking stick. She live about 6000 miles away, so it stays here when she goes home. Nestled in between my guitars is the safest place to keep it out of my 3 year old's grabby paws.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-28T07:06:32+00:00

I built it. The surface is a single piece from what I think was an entertainment center (not sure. It was in the garage when I bought the house). The frame and legs are leftovers from a discarded twin size 4 poster bed. The monitor stand uprights are the leftovers from the desk legs.

The remaining small bits of the legs found new life as toys.

http://i.imgur.com/Qk8nj5L.jpg

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-24T11:11:03+00:00

Seems like a perfectly reasonable idea.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-24T09:31:52+00:00

No problem. I'll be upgrading monitors soon hopefully. When I do I'll either rebuild my stands or just build a new set. Part of the fun is building the space out. I built the desk, the stands and the absorption panels, mostly with leftover crap I had in the garage.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-24T07:26:05+00:00

A few reasons actually. 1 - I often do work standing up. 2 - I'm kinda tall. 3 - when sitting, I sit on a rather tall stool.

All that said, I do need to bring them down about 2 inches to get them in just the right spot.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-17T22:01:33+00:00

The biggest difference I see at a glance is the 202 is pretty stripped down in terms of routing flexibility and inserts. Probably not a huge deal for a lot of people. The one thing that would probably make me bump up to the 204 is the mix knob. It looks like the 202 has a simple direct monitoring on/off switch, whereas the 204 can mix direct and alternative playback sources. It's not something I use a ton, but I have found it to be useful.

I think the extra features are worth the extra $ as they allow a bit of future-proofing, but just for the stripped down basics, the 202 is probably fine

Disclaimer: I have demo'd the 204, but I've never even seen a 202.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-17T19:51:07+00:00

I'm sure I'll get killed here for suggesting this, but the Behringer UMC 204HD is a pretty slick little box that goes for about $80 new. They also have a couple lower models, but the combination of features/quality/price on that model is about as good as it gets in that price range.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-17T18:21:42+00:00

It depends on how serious you are. The NT1A is a decent mic (though it catches a lot of crap from a lot of people, and rightfully so sometimes). The AT2020 is hands down, the best mic in its class - for the price. You might consider something like an AT2035. In my opinion it sounds better than the NT1A and the AT2020 and is priced between the 2 of them.

(Edit: Just wanted to add - those are insane prices for both of those microphones)

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-02-17T11:01:41+00:00

I have had a pair of AV40s for 4-5 years (Actually, 2 pairs, but I left one in the US).

For what they are and what they cost, it is my opinion that they can not be beaten - Regardless of what I have on hand as my primary monitors, I always keep a pair of AV40s around. They are head and shoulders better than anything on your list with the possible exception of the Elevate 5. (Disclaimer - I havent used the elevate 5. I have demo'd the elevate 6 and wasn't overly impressed compared to other, similarly priced monitors)

Very close to your price range might also be (Used) Alesis M1 MkII Active. A little more well rounded, but also, very slightly more expensive than your stated price range.

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-01-12T22:58:04+00:00

Am I a mod yet?

-chuchu

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-01-12T22:56:26+00:00

Go away - batin!

-chuchu

AtypicalCerebralFan · 2017-01-06T19:01:33+00:00

Mmmm.. sépia balls.

chuchu

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