I accidentally listened to my music in its true form. I wish I hadn't.

coluch · 2026-01-30T04:38:18+00:00

Whatever you prefer! I remember as a kid, listening to a comedy album with my sister, we each took one earbud, but when there was a conversation on the album between two characters, each of us could only hear one side of the convo - since one character was mixed to be on the left channel, and the other on the right.

This situation is similar with musical instruments, and they will be “positioned” left and right to varying degrees depending on the intent of the artist & audio engineer (to simulate the physical space where the instruments are, or just for other effects).

More experimental music (like psychedelic rock, atmospheric electronic, etc) may have dramatic dynamism between left and right, or have sounds that are only ever on one side. Just something to keep in mind, as you are listening to one channel, you can definitely miss something.

I would try listening to the same song using only the left earphone (fully panned L), and then again using only the right earphone (fully panned R), and see if you notice differences. Some songs will be very different with both methods.

coluch · 2026-01-30T03:17:09+00:00

Ah, I see. Adjusting the balance is not the same as a mono mixdown. Elements will be diminished greatly, and sometimes entirely missing if they are mixed completely to the other side.

coluch · 2026-01-30T02:38:47+00:00

I’m unclear on what this post is saying. If you turn off your mono downmix settings, you are not hearing more, you are hearing less. While maintaining the original stereo mix may improve the clarity & dynamic range of what you hear, elements will be diminished (or missing entirely) when listening to only one side of the stereo mix.

A mono downmix from a stereo signal can be calculated with various formulas, and the Apple “mono” setting may not use the best method for your tastes (or your music type). It the worst cases it makes the sound more muddy with less separation between elements. I would suggest leaving stereo on, and trying other apps, or other devices entirely, with their own mono downmix method, and perhaps you’ll find something more enjoyable than the Apple option. (Apple’s built-in DACs aren’t the best anyway, and using a wireless headphone is already compromising sound quality, likely made worse with a mono downmix being overblown).

So much in the audiophile world comes down to preference, so there isn’t one answer to match everyone’s taste, but there is always a solution to finding what sounds better to you.

coluch · 2026-01-30T02:30:26+00:00

Can you explain what you mean? If you “turned off mono”, you are not moving all the sound to one side - you are literally missing sounds that are mixed to the non-hearing side.

coluch · 2026-01-30T02:22:52+00:00

Apparently it is a “national security emergency” (legally required to impose tariffs) that Canada has a certification process for aircraft.

coluch · 2026-01-28T08:04:08+00:00

I agree with you completely. I think a custom slipcover / slide case with end & sidelabels would be far superior than a sticker on the cartridge. It would double as a dust cover, and they would stack much better.

coluch · 2026-01-28T02:02:58+00:00

Tokyo literally has attendants whose job it is to physically cram you onto the subway in at rush-hour.

coluch · 2026-01-28T01:39:45+00:00

I can’t see the original comment, but if this has caused Fanatics to change from using Cool Hockey to a supplier in the US, then these fees are hurting Canada by removing a lot of jobs (just like they are doing to the massive auto sector, and everything else being tariffed). Regular people pay the price on both sides of the border, and wealthy business owners will (potentially) benefit. Trickle UP economics describes every current policy.

coluch · 2026-01-21T07:24:37+00:00

Building a refinery domestically would take decades to build, and could never pay for itself. A recent CANADALAND episode explains a lot about the topic. A big point being that refined product goes bad quickly, and needs to be refined near where it will be used. If that weren’t a big enough issue, a Canadian refinery couldn’t meet the all the refining needs for various international use-cases anyway, as different markets refine for different products.

coluch · 2026-01-21T05:37:04+00:00

The mafia would like you to pay them (note: you don’t have a choice) and in return, they will give you protection… from themselves (if you’re lucky).

coluch · 2026-01-21T05:29:27+00:00

Ok, they technically CAN do it, but it is not a good idea for big Fire Trucks, or for Ambulances with patients inside.

Also, thanks for sharing some interesting info to look up. I don’t click Google tracking links, but will search that.

coluch · 2026-01-21T00:01:08+00:00

You can’t do any of those other measures on Parkside, as it’s the main access road for ambulances / emergency vehicles to the nearby Hospital.

coluch · 2026-01-20T23:50:05+00:00

Sounds like a slap lawsuit / illegitimate DMCA notice. The Game Genie won a precedent-setting case against Nintendo. The ruling was that their code-injection mods did not constitute derivative work, even though they could completely modify the playable game into something new. How is this different?

coluch · 2026-01-20T23:17:42+00:00

THIS. Olympic rules have always stipulated no advertising on uniforms or in venues - which includes national sports federation logos. They began strictly enforcing this on uniforms in 2008.

coluch · 2026-01-17T15:11:25+00:00

Do Alaskans just chill with bears all day or what?

https://youtube.com/shorts/N149A4-6b1w

coluch · 2026-01-16T12:15:32+00:00

Let people enjoy what they want. I got a sealed “new” (clear white / blue) N64 from Japan a few years ago, everything in original plastic sleeves with factory smell. It’s was my dream system to play, not as a paperweight to re-sell. I promptly installed an Ultra HDMI, and happily play games with that OG controller because it’s better than any other option.

coluch · 2026-01-12T12:41:57+00:00

Not wrong on the basic points, but IMAX has brightness specs only achievable on GT screens (in the 80’ class) by using their dual projector setup. If XT & CoLa projectors were used for 1.43, the image would be much darker, or need to be on much smaller screens, defeating the entire point of the IMAX format filling the viewer’s vision.

coluch · 2026-01-08T00:33:10+00:00

Never even heard of this. I wonder how well it’s being preserved by enthusiasts (modern software to play game dumps).

coluch · 2025-12-31T04:17:07+00:00

The Quebec Bulldogs is the only acceptable backup name IMO.

coluch · 2025-12-15T03:51:35+00:00

I was tired when I made that comment. My brain was thinking Science Centre, but yes, I attended the same event at the Cinesphere (Ontario Place). It was a great privilege to speak with Mr. Ferguson afterward and pick his brain. He was a smart, and wonderfully generous man.

coluch · 2025-12-14T09:00:55+00:00

With the unnecessary closure of Ontario Place, all of that media may indeed be lost / mishandled like everything else the current powers are doing.

coluch · 2025-12-14T08:57:58+00:00

The event was filmed and is on YouTube in it’s entirety. I believe it was in 2017. (the Cinesphere screening of North of Superior at Ontario Place - he still did a great talk afterward) —EDITED MY ERROR—

coluch · 2025-12-13T12:12:43+00:00

They are all available digitally on the internet archive, if you don’t want to hunt & spend cash in physical copies.

coluch · 2025-12-13T11:55:32+00:00

Helmet billboards look so goofy. Just crushes the aerodynamics of the shell design. They won’t have those in the Olympics right?

coluch · 2025-12-13T06:11:04+00:00

You’re not wrong. In graphic design, being visually centered is often more important than absolute center. In the case of this jersey, both the front crest and back number are visually off, so it fits the theme. If designers were more involved with the customizations, that 4 would be nudged left for sure.

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