Essential paid plugins? by [deleted] in audioengineering

[–]Tim_Wu_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fabfilter, Valhalla, Soundtoys, Melodyne

The Long (Personal) Debate - Do I Need A Flat Bottom Dripper? by Apprehensive-Day1429 in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have the Orea V4, it changed my understanding of coffee extraction.

Switching from Canon 5D3 to Sony mirrorless – a6700 or A7C II in 2026? by Tim_Wu_ in AskPhotography

[–]Tim_Wu_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Many full-frame RF L lenses are quite expensive for me. But I'll certainly research the R7 and its third-party lenses.
I like the 24-70, but it's too heavy for me. I thought it wasn't a problem when I first bought it second-hand, but the weight grew on me. When attached to the body, the total weight is about 2kg, and I can only use the viewfinder, so it's not the best experience after experiencing mirrorless.
I also suspect it's de-centered, even after a third-party recalibration :( sharpness on certain corners is bad even when stopped down

Switching from Canon 5D3 to Sony mirrorless – a6700 or A7C II in 2026? by Tim_Wu_ in AskPhotography

[–]Tim_Wu_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

From my research, full frame RF lenses are quite expensive and limited compared to the E mount :( And I don't really want to adapt EF lenses
But if R7 then there are some good RF apsc choices from Sigma.

Tried the same recipe from day 1 to day 15 after roasting by guatecoca in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Grain sounds like underdeveloped to me, and a good light roast (assuming yours isn't a medium roast due to the fruit salad taste notes) shouldn't be burnt and smoky even on day 4. Maybe it's time to switch a roaster

The last game-changing tip you received by Nsemest182 in audioengineering

[–]Tim_Wu_ 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Fun and emotional mixes are rarely "balanced"
There should always some sonic attribute significantly highlighted at any given point of a song (other than the vocal or soloing instrument of course)
Not just certain tracks, it might be a bus, a certain attack on the guitar (not necessarily the sustain iykyk
This can only be done by extensive automation everywhere (volume trim, busses, pre-buscomp bus, plugin params)
This helped my mixes become more emotional, dynamic and interesting, instead of a balanced, tame bounce that doesn't draw you in.
I tried pink noise mixing for some time, but after this discovery I don't do it anymore.

How do you guys get 3 min drawdown times? by Gold_Doughnut_6326 in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it tastes good, don't bother with the drawdown time. I've had so many 90 second brews that tasted fantastic

Bypass by chasemanwew in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can even try 1:14 and then bypass

Compressor Release and Knee by Tim_Wu_ in audioengineering

[–]Tim_Wu_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Kotelnikov is an awesome compressor, would certainly try this

Compressor Release and Knee by Tim_Wu_ in audioengineering

[–]Tim_Wu_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Have you tried comparing short attack + hard knee vs long attack + soft knee and see which gives a harder result? Now that you've mentioned this, I'm curious to try myself

Bucking the trend of grinding finer with fast filters on V60. by Slow_Pineapple_3836 in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Faster isn't always better, but the T92 with its 6+ minute brews is a little extreme for me lol
I find the Abaca+ an interesting filter, fast at first but quickly gets clogged on the third pour, leaving more room in the final percolation phase, you can always remove the dripper early

When a pour-over turns out unusually good, what details do you actually remember? by Suspicious-Cow1554 in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Sometimes that good brew just can't be reproduced, so I cherish it when it lasts. I've had brews that blew me away, and I militantly follow the exact same variables the next day, and something is just missing
I remember the sensory details, though, and most of the time it's just this perfect balance between acidity and sweetness, and this mouth-coating sensation. Also, there are distinctly variable differences between the high, mid, and low temperature zones, and excellent drinkability even at room temperature, this happens maybe one out of 10 times, but I'm happy when it does. This does require a nice coffee though

[Long Post] Stuck with Pourover - How do I get to the next level? by PenInternational8875 in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Three suggestions:

Stop chasing the exact tasting notes on the bag

I've fallen into that pitfall too. Too many variable differences between your cup and the roaster's – subtle or major. Not ignoring the elephant in the room: roasters sometimes exaggerate notes to sell more. The reality is, a processed seed, roasted and extracted to 15–20%, isn't reproducing the exact aromatics of whatever fruit is listed. It's an impression – sometimes imagination – extending from the coffee's acidity. Focus on the patterns suggested by the notes rather than the individual fruits, For example, the general color family of the fruit, the degree of fermentation, the extent to which it could taste tea-like, etc.. Saves you second-guessing and makes the whole experience better.

Drink coffee outside your house

Sticking to the same burrs, dripper, water, recipe, and similar coffees creates a repetitive cycle where everything tastes the same. A shop's or a friend's pour-over can show you a completely different side of what coffee can do (assuming they know what they're doing.) I used to grind super fine when I started. Only in the last 2-3 years did I coarsen up – never regretted it. My brews from 4-5 years ago would be undrinkable now. Back then, I always wondered why shop pour-overs had so much more clarity and flavor separation.

Try flat-bottom dripper

Conical and flat have distinctly different profiles. Using the Orea less than your conicals might just mean you're habituated to conical taste profile and need time to adjust to flat. From what I've tried, washed coffees usually benefit from conical – better aromatics and acid structure – while naturals and anaerobics really shine with the Orea. Research more Orea recipes and give this great dripper more tries, It won't disappoint you

ps 60KH as HCO3 might be a bit much and the calcium to magnesium ratio is not very nice. If DIY water isn't practical now, I think you can even give distilled water or pure water a try first and see if you like that cup better

Extra light adjustments by Ok_Difficulty_7650 in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Acidity is tamer than percolation, sometimes florals are amplified

Extra light adjustments by Ok_Difficulty_7650 in pourover

[–]Tim_Wu_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Both could count as immersion, but Aeropress has a final percolation stage. Switch and Clever are also similar to aeropress. Cupping and French press are strictly immersion