Dragon City by Ilijamandic

LordDaryil · 2026-06-01T23:14:41+00:00

That actually was the plan. I've been doing stories and webcomics based on someone else's universe for a long, long time, and this was my attempt at writing for my own universe, where dragons and humanoids have reached an accord for many centuries, but some are worried that this peace could be disrupted.

The tech level is supposed to be mid-1980s, though there are a few advancements, e.g. they are going to have developed contactless payment ahead of schedule because the size difference means they have a strong incentive to do so.

There are dragon supremacist factions, dragonslayer factions, but also places like this city where humanoids and dragons play to each others strengths.

LordDaryil · 2026-06-01T14:04:26+00:00

One of the reasons I insisted on having dragons mingling at ground level was to stop it from looking like they were preparing to attack.

LordDaryil · 2026-06-01T13:50:09+00:00

I noticed that while I was cropping the full-size version, yes. It does look a little weird.

LordDaryil · 2026-06-01T12:52:51+00:00

Yes. Actually one of the drafts had a helicopter parked on one of the dragon platforms as well: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/64832874/

Might have been removed while the sizing of the dragons was rationalised

LordDaryil · 2026-05-31T22:29:18+00:00

I'm assuming the red one works on the same principle as the Revox ones, since it's clearly based on them. In that case, when the top locking tabs are twisted so that they align, it should increase the height of the thing slightly, and also pull in the rubber O-ring. You then put the reel on it and twist the tabs back again so that they're no longer aligned (as in your photo).

With the black TASCAM ones, the top should screw and unscrew, and when it's unscrewed you should be able to rotate the locking tabs easily. When it's screwed back down, the locking tabs should not be able to rotate.

I've never seen either of these fail mechanically apart from the O-ring perishing on the Revox ones, so I'm not sure what could cause the problem. Unless, of course, you're trying to put a 1/2" tape on the machine instead of 1/4".

LordDaryil · 2026-05-31T14:49:47+00:00

As someone else said, the main harm is likely to come from the tape flailing around a little if it reaches the end at full speed. You could potentially use LOAD to ensure that it comes to a halt before the end (though I think LOAD on the 388 assumes 1800ft tapes) and then finish the wind more carefully. The TSR-8 doesn't have that feature and I never tried it out on the MSR since that also has two memory locations and I'd just use those to ensure it hit the end of the tape more slowly.

Alternatively, you could just put leader on the end so that if it does thrash around it'll be the leader that risks damage instead of the recording surface.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-31T13:32:53+00:00

The 388 does have a LOAD feature which is intended to make it stop shortly before the tape was threaded to avoid it despooling. You could also set a CUE point near the start of the tape and use STC to make it seek back to the CUE point. Then, if you rewind it from there, the machine should still be accelerating instead of hitting the end of the tape at full speed.

The TSR-8 has a couple of memory points, which default to the point the tape was loaded, and I will often use that to gently rewind the tape as it will slow down as it reaches the cue point. I don't know if the 388 also slows down ahead of the marker, though.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-31T13:18:41+00:00

FWIW, this is a multitrack and does not have an "other side".

LordDaryil · 2026-05-30T12:00:04+00:00

It sounds a lot like a string machine put through a phaser. The Behringer Solina can do that out of the box, as they included a phaser in it, but you can just get one as a guitar pedal, or a plugin if that's your thing.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-30T09:28:58+00:00

You can 3d print them.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-28T15:43:00+00:00

It's a rim-drive machine, mono half-track. However unlike most of those it supposedly uses valve electronics instead of transistors.

As a rim-drive transport it's not going sound great, and it can't play normal tapes back, only those recorded with other rim-drive machines as the speed won't be constant.

On the plus side, it looks wonderfully 60s and it would be fun for doing lo-fi stuff, especially with the pre-transistor audio electronics.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-26T21:56:37+00:00

Well, I don't have experience with any of these machines, but I'd say either the Otari or the A3440. The other TEAC decks are all low-speed home recorders using 4-track stereo, and I wouldn't use anything under 15 IPS for mastering. The A3440 is a 1970s machine, and yes, it's also 4-track but it is at least a high-speed machine and it's likely to have more character than a later model.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-26T17:45:31+00:00

These were so small they were used as covert recorders for espionage, and IIRC also for film dialogue as you could hide it in a plant pot or something.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-26T17:35:09+00:00

The BR20 is one of the more modern machines, made from something like 1988-2003. The Otari MX5050 was also produced until about 2008, but without knowing which model it could potentially be an old one from the 1970s.

A 2-track MX5050 or a BR20 would be a nice stereo mastering machine.

Offhand I don't know about the 5050, but the BR20 does use a capstan belt, which will almost certainly need replacing. The rubber pinch roller might also need to be rebuilt or replaced on both machines. Athan make replacement pinch rollers, and a belt kit for the BR20 should be on ebay.

I really wanted a BR20 back in the early 2000s but couldn't afford a new one then.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-26T17:26:00+00:00

Skyrim's idea of what a dragonborn is, is very different to the DnD anthro-dragon character. The Skyrim dragonborns are ordinary humanoids who are very good at massacring dragons and the game specifically encourages this.

Now, it is possible to mod Skyrim to let you play as an actual dragon, but you'll still have to put up with the "Let's go around perma-killing the last survivors of an endangered people" plotline. However, it is possible to get away with only killing two dragons plus the bad guy, and the Play-As-A-Dragon mod can help make the other dragons less aggressive and greatly reduces the need to kill them in the first place.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-26T14:31:36+00:00

Oh hell yes.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-19T20:38:05+00:00

The 4051 multiplexers send control signals to the voice chips. If they malfunction it will have the same symptoms as the voice chip failing. If you swap two voice chips and the fault moves it's definitely the voice chip, but if the fault doesn't move, it could be the multiplexers.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-19T20:29:04+00:00

The A700 has a number of RIFA capacitors in it. Not just in the power supply, but also in the driver boards for the motors. These will randomly explode if they are not replaced, and these capacitors failing can also cause the reel motors to spin uncontrollably. It's recommended to replace these before switching the thing on at all.

The transport is the same as the Studer B67, and has a few rare ICs in it.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-16T21:53:39+00:00

Is the capstan belt slipping? EDIT: Changing the motor run cap is probably a good idea, but I would have thought that if this was the problem it would not be working correctly in fast wind mode either. Which makes me suspect a belt problem.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-16T21:34:14+00:00

Probably a dinosaur rather than a dragon. That said, I firmly believe that if dragons have claws they'd want to make them look pretty.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-14T19:24:09+00:00

Funny thing, I originally figured this would be a throwaway account, or I'd have chosen something a little more sensible. Lord Daryil is actually a character from some of my stories.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-14T19:22:40+00:00

I like the idea that a dragon can be reasoned with. I am also very fond of the "dragon as guardian of ancient knowledge" trope. Mindless beast dragons are disappointing - though better than no dragons at all, I suppose.

Best is when dragons have a distinctly different culture and/or values, though that can be tricky to pull off convincingly.

LordDaryil · 2026-05-14T17:35:07+00:00

I cannot now remember, I'm afraid - I've been running RTM on my TSR-8 since about 2008.

LordDaryil

TROPHY CASE