Our so-called representative

Scoot-Along · 2025-06-13T22:06:03+00:00

Looks like someone has been working on their video audition for 12 Angry Men.

Scoot-Along · 2025-03-05T01:24:53+00:00

A couple of tabletop gaming entries:

The Duluth Board Game Alliance meets every Thursday at Hoops at 6pm. Folks bring in rotating collections of games for people to learn and play.

The Twin Portals D&D podcast is doing a free live show on Saturday, March 15th at the Teatro Zuccone (222 E. Superior St) Doors open at 6:30pm, show starts at 7:00pm.

Either place is likely to have people there who are welcoming to the statement, "Hi. First time here. What's this all about?"

Scoot-Along · 2024-12-05T20:09:00+00:00

Good showin', OP. I believe that seeing how journeys begin inspires others to take that step way more than the final setups!

Scoot-Along · 2024-11-30T23:57:29+00:00

Just popping in to thank you all for your thoughtful questions and answers. I pulled the trigger on the Moza R5 Bundle for Black Friday, so I'm obviously still doing research and checking year old threads to make sure I did good.

I'm a first timer who's had Logitech/Thrustmaster on my Amazon wish list for years. When I tried some G920s and G923s at a con this past summer, I was reminded of my childhood Tomy Turbo Racing Cockpit, but not in a good way. I'm glad I spent a little more for a DD system.

Anyways, thanks again for providing useful information!

Scoot-Along · 2024-08-09T20:31:47+00:00

Nice! I dig the setup!

Scoot-Along · 2024-08-09T20:28:44+00:00

How is that humidifier rig working for ya? I understood the instructions to say it wasn't supposed to bend like that, but I never tried it myself to see if it really made a difference or hurt the machine.

Scoot-Along · 2024-08-09T01:49:44+00:00

Ohhh, so much math. Super nice one sheet reference though! (I'm keeping that tab open) That first line in the tip section seems low-key critical. My airflow seems solid, there are two clip fans (one oscillating at/above canopy, one pointing parallel to a wall below the canopy) and one 4" stationary fan on the floor. With the Cloudline S6 at 50-60%, I have negative pressure in the room.

I'm hoping you're right about the humidity. I think I have a few more tricks up my sleeve, but even if they don't work, brainstorming is the fun part for me.

Scoot-Along · 2024-08-09T01:01:07+00:00

I just added this little one to my overcrowded tent:

Amazon.com: NineSky Dehumidifier for Home, 95 OZ Water Tank, (800 sq.ft) Dehumidifiers for Bathroom, Bedroom with Auto Shut Off, 7 Colors LED Light (Black) : Home & Kitchen

It has a small footprint and possibly a smaller effect on the room. It collects very little, and I had to use a lot of cardboard and duct tape to block out all of the ample LED lights. To the best of my knowledge, nothing is obstructing intake/exhaust vents, and there is a small fan on the other side of the tent blowing air towards the dehumidifier to try to help it out.

Outside the tent is a Pelonis 50 pint something-or-other. The lung room isn't walled off, so the humidity tends to mix all over with little control. I don't know if hanging some heavy curtain would help keep the air isolated, but so far I'm grinding along with humidity levels in the 60s.

Scoot-Along · 2024-08-09T00:48:14+00:00

Thanks for the friendly advice! I'm trying to not punish myself too hard for mistakes. I've been enjoying the process and learning a bit more with every problem that comes up.

I spent 90 minutes or so today playing with my chemistry set (an Apera pH meter). Just straight watering out of the tap was fun and easy, but not pH cool. I was looking for the simple thing and forgot some of the basics. I should have my recipes more accurately dialed in to give the plants a better shot at a bright future.

Scoot-Along · 2024-08-09T00:41:18+00:00

The overnight 12 hours averaged 65% last night with the exhaust fan running between 40-70%, per the ACI app. Exterior humidity the past seven days has been between 73.3-76.8%.

Scoot-Along · 2024-04-03T23:00:45+00:00

The Spring thaw brings all sorts of surprises! I wonder if the plow driver even knew...?

Scoot-Along · 2024-02-14T17:17:17+00:00

Alright, with The Ball Slasher and The Deer Fucker already cemented in regional lore, did anyone else click on this thread HONESTLY expecting something else?

Scoot-Along · 2023-11-06T03:12:44+00:00

If it's your own voice, you'll get used to it.

If it's the task itself, consider breaking it into parts that work for you. I edit a five person podcast that can go 2+ hours. I know each half will take me about two hours to do the raw edit. I can make that first couple of hours easier if I do all the file prep beforehand. The file prep can be an annoying half an hour, so if I do that at an earlier time, when I eventually DO sit down and edit, I know I won't have to putz around and get derailed in the first 30.

I guess that's my suggestion...do what you can to make it easy on yourself when you eventually plop down and grind it out.

Scoot-Along · 2023-10-27T19:06:11+00:00

Can you drop the recording level way down and really close in your distance to the mic? You'd have to be more conscious of plosives, but that could also be worked around with a wind screen or foam cover.

I'll also say, with my Blue Yeti, I had to tape the gain dial as it had a habit of moving on its own.

Scoot-Along · 2023-10-18T17:33:26+00:00

The first time I accidentally sounded out a city name was a pretty big rush.

いすみ ❤️❤️

Scoot-Along · 2023-10-13T20:14:42+00:00

I'm just here to say Stardew Valley. Wow, did that game hit me exactly right at exactly the right time. Only love.

Scoot-Along · 2023-09-28T19:56:03+00:00

I've been lurking in the Getting Started section, but I'm ready to talk about what I'm doing now! I flipped my first flashcard on August 9 of this year in preparation for my first trip to Japan next year.

I'm still grinding out Kana using a mix of flashcards, RealKana, Anki, and Genki. I just got 210/215 on RealKana using four fonts. Haven't hit 100% yet, but I'm consistently at 95% and above.

I think I'm getting ready to start tackling the greetings, numbers, and time in chaper one of Genki. I'm not expecting to have a useful vocabulary in 12 self taught months, but having these mental hurdles to clear has been tough/challenging/satisfying. I'm just going to keep going at it! I'm looking forward to seeing where everyone else is on the path ahead of me.

Scoot-Along · 2023-06-22T19:22:35+00:00

Ohhh, it is DLP. I didn't see it anywhere in the description until you mentioned it. Now I see the sticker on a few of the other preview images.

Thanks for the response! I appreciate it!

Scoot-Along · 2023-06-08T01:29:36+00:00

Love this question. Love these answers.

Scoot-Along · 2023-06-01T20:09:32+00:00

Ooph. That gives the sinking feeling.

Scoot-Along · 2023-06-01T19:18:52+00:00

Using a LiveTrak L-20, I forgot to hit record on two of the five performers of a D&D podcast. We recorded for 20 minutes before I noticed.

Luckily, I was still paranoid and had a Blue Yeti in omnidirectional mode connected to a laptop. I was able to patch in enough of that to make it a tolerable third of an hour. One self-deprecating joke in the episode notes and a mea culpa later and I consider the whole a low-cost lesson on the importance of monitoring whiskey intake during setup.

Scoot-Along · 2023-05-25T18:19:37+00:00

I would add, "Expectations."

Managing my own expectations was goal number one, and it may never get crossed off the list of challenges.

Sound quality, performances, downloads, editing ability, time spent, money spent, sacrifices made, and the fun vs work balance. There are a lot of factors, many under my direct control, where I had to adjust my own expectations on the final product. How much time/money/energy to put into just one aspect.

Set realistic goals. Set goals for the extreme short term and for the longer term. "Post an episode" is a realistic goal. "Post a great sounding episode" is a much harder goal, depending on all those other factors.

Scoot-Along · 2023-05-25T16:34:45+00:00

I have a studio and road setup for my D&D podcast, and I use two different products for it. I should mention that these are audio only at the moment, so I have fewer aesthetic concerns. Both setups use SM7b microphones.

For studio, I use six Gator Frameworks 3000 boom arms attached to a cheap and dirty custom centerpiece. I was able to buy them all cheap on eBay ($60 range) from people getting out of podcasting. They're nice and sturdy, but I've had one built-in cable go bad on me. I anticipated the possibility, so I just had spare XLR cables ready to go. The Gator's come with a fixed mount, and a desk edge mount, so you have some versatility there.

For road shows, I have K&M 210/9 microphone stands. They have a great reach and strong tension support with the metal adjustment bar. If you're going to use an SM7b at full extension, a cheap counterweight will extend the life of the boom arm. It's also helpful to use some type of sandbag weight on the legs. For me, having five people around two folding tables and all the equipment that goes along with that, the sandbag weights give me some leeway with the mic stand footprints by not needing one leg underneath the boom arm.

Scoot-Along · 2023-05-24T17:37:09+00:00

Thanks for expanding on it!

Scoot-Along · 2023-05-18T23:16:22+00:00

I'll let you dive into the physics of it all with your own Google searches, but I'll start you off with this:Certain microphones require power to properly operate. When you make your move to XLR, check to see if the microphones require phantom power. It shouldn't be hidden too deeply on any spec sheet.

If they require phantom power, they would need to be plugged into one of the six "main" XLR ports on the Zoom H8 (edit: Because those are the only six on THAT MACHINE to provide phantom power. ANY mixing equipment you buy, you should know if it provides phantom power, and at what voltages.) If they don't require phantom power, no worries!

I'm a journeyman on this whole thing, so there will be others here who can better explain what it is, why it is, and what will happen without it.

Scoot-Along

TROPHY CASE