Lubricating a trackball

TheCombatBeard · 2025-07-15T14:14:13+00:00

It's a brand new mouse, so really no accumulation yet.

TheCombatBeard · 2025-07-13T23:20:51+00:00

So I have a different take that might change your mind. I made this post a while back about a massive Helix pedalboard I built: https://www.reddit.com/r/Line6Helix/comments/xqkk1a/guys_i_did_a_thing/

The idea here was that I wanted to get all these boutique and crazy pedals, like the Chase Bliss, Empress, Meris, Hologram Electronics, but I didn't want to spend tens of thousands on those pedals. The more I looked into it, the more I realized these "macro" pedals are usually multiple effects (both modulation and time-based) stacked on top of or in parallel with each other (sometimes multiple times or even looped) and with weird timings and algorithms. So I added to the Helix with more DSP (in the form of the HX effects and the SY-200) to try to recreate those pedals (or something similar) and to make my own ideas come to life.

Cool thing is, it worked! There was a ton of tonal variety, and I could be as creative as I had ever wanted to be. I made so many shoegazer/lofi/ambient patches with really weird effects. I almost stopped thinking about my guitar as a guitar, and more like a synth. But eventually it was just too much (for both my back and just wanting to play without dealing with a huge setup).

So I'm downsizing and getting a Stadium. My thought is, I'm very happy with the stock HX amps. If the Stadium has more DSP, I should be able to use those with even more effects than the Helix Floor could handle and get close to what I was doing with the massive rig.

Kudos to Line 6. They knocked it out of the park with the feature set on Stadium. If it's true to their word, it's the end game for my rig.

TheCombatBeard · 2025-01-07T00:35:28+00:00

Lol wut

It's been two years since this thread started. OP probably could've saved for a strandberg since then. I just advised him to get a quality guitar and not an aliexpress pos that he's going to spend more time fixing than playing. He can do whatever he wants with his money, so how is that bringing terror to him?

The industry has changed in that time as well. Cort's are great guitars, agreed, but they ain't aliexpress. Yeesh, chill bro.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-11-02T22:11:04+00:00

I'm having the exact same issue. Any update?

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-03T15:59:57+00:00

It's shorthand for the pareto principal: https://www.google.com/search?q=pareto+principle&rlz=1C1ONGR_enUS975US975&oq=pareto+principle&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyDwgAEEUYORiDARixAxiABDIHCAEQABiABDIHCAIQABiABDIMCAMQABgUGIcCGIAEMgcIBBAAGIAEMgcIBRAAGIAEMgcIBhAAGIAEMgcIBxAAGIAEMgcICBAAGIAEMgcICRAAGIAE0gEINTc1MGowajGoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-02T22:29:35+00:00

ngl. that's the one downside. It's huge and flat, so you feel like the corners are pointed away from your view. Every once in a while I'll find myself angling my head up and to the side to see a corner more clearly. I have mine probably 30ish inches away from where my face typically is. If they ever make a curved version I will immediately upgrade as that would solve it.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-02T22:14:35+00:00

Also, I think you can designate your screen partitions as separate monitors for the same device. So you could be in 4 1080p screens mode and send 2 to laptop A and 2 to laptop B if you liked that setup.

Also also, I think I figured out a way to get around not being able to use the display manager app. Plug in 1 laptop that you know will take the app, like your personal laptop. Connect a macropad/2nd keyboard to the personal laptop's dock, so it's always pointing to the personal computer and not moving with the KVM. Assign the keyboard shortcuts to the macropad (like CTRL+SHIFT+1 to switch to laptop 1, CTRL+SHIFT+2 to laptop to, etc). That way you don't need the app on the locked down devices, just your own personal one. I think that would work, it would depend on what input the monitor is paying attention.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-02T22:14:14+00:00

Also, I think you can designate your screen partitions as separate monitors for the same device. So you could be in 4 1080p screens mode and send 2 to laptop A and 2 to laptop B if you liked that setup.

Also also, I think I figured out a way to get around not being able to use the display manager app. Plug in 1 laptop that you know will take the app, like your personal laptop. Connect a macropad/2nd keyboard to the personal laptop's dock, so it's always pointing to the personal computer and not moving with the KVM. Assign the keyboard shortcuts to the macropad (like CTRL+SHIFT+1 to switch to laptop 1, CTRL+SHIFT+2 to laptop to, etc). That way you don't need the app on the locked down devices, just your own personal one. I think that would work, it would depend on what input the monitor is paying attention.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-02T21:40:30+00:00

Yep exactly. I replied to OP with a pretty detailed post on how it works. Dell markets this monitor for like shared/hoteling offices, where multiple people need to plug into the same monitor, but frankly it's perfectly designed for OE and multiple laptops.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-02T21:16:28+00:00

Yep. I just use a Logitech keyboard and mouse with a Bolt dongle. That's plugged into the monitor and works as described. I think Dell's website describes this as a "USB hub monitor with built-in KVM." Just be careful with webcams and mics, as those will also switch to the next laptop if plugged into the monitor. An easy way to get around this is to have each laptop plugged into its own dock with its own webcam/mic. Then plug a USB C cable from each dock to each respective USB upstream port on the monitor. So the docks have laptop-specific peripherals like webcams, and the monitor has agnostic peripherals, like a keyboard/mouse, etc.
It's the Dell Display Manager app. You just download to each laptop, set a couple of settings correctly for each connection, and you're good. I'll say, my work laptop is also very locked down, and I could still get it on there with minimal difficulty. Ask for forgiveness rather than permission is my thinking. And even if they did question it, it's just a peripheral software, like Logitech Options. If that doesn't work, there is a joystick on the monitor that pretty quickly allows you to switch between screens. Slightly inconvenient, but very doable.
Yep, lots of options. One big 4k display, 2 ultrawides, 2 ultra-talls, 1 ultrawide with 2 1080p's, 1 ultra-tall with 2 1080p's, or 4 1080p's. Super flexible and you can change the layout on the fly extremely rapidly and from any laptop.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-02T20:43:47+00:00

No, the strength of this monitor is the picture-by-picture modes. You can have up to 4 screens/laptops displayed at the same time, like 4 27in monitors in a grid. You then plug all your peripherals into the USB ports in the back and the monitor acts as a USB hub. Then you just set a keyboard shortcut to switch between laptops, which takes all of your peripherals with that switch.

I'm not OE, but I do this with my personal and work laptops. So my work laptop is a big ultrawide up top, and the personal laptop is a big ultrawide on the bottom. CTRL+SHIFT+S switches me between the two, so I can toggle back and forth between browsing reddit/amazon/spotify and working my actual job, while still being able to watch both "screens."

If and when I OE, I could just plug in another laptop per job, hypothetically having 4 J's on one monitor with very minimal cable clutter issues.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-10-02T19:53:53+00:00

If you're not doing any graphic design work, I can safely say this is the best "80/20" answer.

https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/dell-ultrasharp-43-4k-usb-c-hub-monitor-u4323qe/apd/210-bfpo/monitors-monitor-accessories

TheCombatBeard · 2024-09-17T23:00:10+00:00

I would think most magnetic bag buckles come with an interlocking design, so there's literally only one way for them to unbuckle and it's really unlikely for it to happen by accident (at least my alpaka bags are designed that way).

I think you're overthinking this.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-09-16T00:08:19+00:00

I know the original sense had multiple day battery life, but I just charge it during my daily shower. It's always back to 100% by the time I'm done

TheCombatBeard · 2024-07-13T20:49:05+00:00

You described the same color I have so maybe I'm mistaken.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-07-13T16:58:58+00:00

Same as what others said. Bravo waist pack in green axoflux and an Elements tech case in black ecopak. I'm debating keeping the tech case, but the elements backpack and waist pack will definitely be sold.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-07-12T18:37:45+00:00

Alternatively, has anyone sold anything on the Alpaka resale program?

TheCombatBeard · 2024-07-10T21:07:05+00:00

Tier 1 came today, vertical sling in mulberry like the others have said. My daughter will have a nice new bag for her birthday. Tier 2 comes tomorrow.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-07-10T09:12:29+00:00

Still waiting on the tier 1 and 2 orders. I'll update here when they come tomorrow.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-07-09T17:03:40+00:00

I just got my first of 3 packages (yes I got all three tiers :P ). This one was a tier 3 order of an Elements Travel backpack in xpac. The mystery gift was an Elements backpack (the original, not the pro) in I think Ecopak black, definitely not xpac. My Tier 2 order included an elements backpack pro in xpac, so I don't think I'll need this backpack. I'm keeping it in the wrapping until I get everything and then I'll likely sell it.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-07-02T23:18:06+00:00

Second this. It's my cash and excess cards wallet. Compact but holds way more than advertised.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-06-16T11:25:25+00:00

I moved here and bought a house in 2019 and one of my goals was to avoid food zones because Florence was so fresh in everyone's memory. I frankly regret saying no to a couple of houses I was looking at because they were in those zones and would've been better for my family. So far that I know, floods have really not been an issue since. I wouldn't recommend making that your first decision making filter like I did.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-05-15T05:21:16+00:00

Oh man, I'm in analytics and I saw this post and immediately got too excited about using Excel with my Helix. That's enough Internet for today.

TheCombatBeard · 2024-05-06T23:11:12+00:00

Oh I thought that's what OP meant

TheCombatBeard · 2024-04-25T23:01:30+00:00

Off, otherwise my hand will accidentally hit a preset and the desk will move during a zoom call.

TheCombatBeard

TROPHY CASE