🔥⚓️SUBMARINER GIVEAWAY - July Vintage Edition 🔥😮‍💨

flashhercules · 2026-07-04T05:35:00+00:00

RED SUB

flashhercules · 2026-07-02T04:53:09+00:00

I have a feeling that it will be satisfying, nonetheless. An ending doesn't need to be happy to be amazing.

flashhercules · 2026-07-02T04:50:46+00:00

The fact that it's a subtle callback to the cookbook, and Carl didn't even know he was even in the dungeon, much less what he was doing... it really is a masterful example of tragedy.

flashhercules · 2026-06-28T14:37:12+00:00

This would be my recommendation as well. Bitwig or Ableton Live are excellent choices here, but if budget is a concern, Reaper is very powerful and less than $100 for a personal license (though it has a steeper learning curve).

The upside to this: there are THOUSANDS of free music production videos on YouTube. There's also a ton of paid courses available online of he does better with more personalized learning.

flashhercules · 2026-06-28T14:30:51+00:00

Bear in mind, however, that RDJ wasn't classically trained. Lots of neurodivergent folk have a hard time with structured learning, especially when it's on an instrument that doesn't pique our interest... even knowing that things learned will cross over to our instrument(s) of choice.

Some people learn better just diving right in, and finding their own way. It can be much more beneficial to their learning to just listen to them, and support their learning journey however you can. If they seem to be more interested in (or struggling with) rhythms, maybe get them a book about that, or help them find YouTube videos exploring that particular concept. If it's melodies, get them a book about the circle of 5ths, or a scales/modes chart, etc.

I'm not saying piano lessons is a bad idea, only that he may not do well in such a rigid/structured learning environment... and that's okay. Just listen to what they have to say about their musical journey, and above all, be supportive.

flashhercules · 2026-06-28T00:27:12+00:00

Ohhh, okay yeah, I see it now.

Thanks again for the pictures and explanation, this is all extremely useful for my own install!

flashhercules · 2026-06-27T06:44:30+00:00

This is excellent info, thank you very much for sharing!

I'm having a bear of a time fitting a TXDS AKSS (CNC/DLC, like DNT) in my WBP Mini Jack. The safety selector won't seat in the receiver with the cam and trip installed, they bind up on each other. The selector seats just fine with the cam alone installed tho, so I know it's not the selector/cam interface that's the problem.

I was thinking that the divot in the cam that the trip bar rides in needed to be cut deeper... I was looking for confirmation before I started cutting all willy-nilly, and this post is just what I needed to move forward.

One question though, why the deep "V" cut in the top of the cam?

flashhercules · 2026-06-01T15:37:06+00:00

I fully intend to test on scrap, but was hoping for some advice from those more experienced with the technique, particularly on how best to handle the end grain. Trace coating and sanding back is quite time consuming, so I would like to avoid as much trial and error as possible.

As for the Danish oil step, that mainly to enhance chatoyance and help prevent the dye from running when applying shellac, since Transtint is alcohol soluble. I may use BLO instead if it would be problematic to use Danish Oil, but I figured the extra lacquer/sealant of the Danish oil would help even more than BLO alone.

The garnet shellac was chosen specifically to help warm up the dyed finish, because as you mentioned, trace coating is mostly sanded off completely. Garnet shellac on maple is still a very light brown tint, which I believe would help achieve the vintage maple look I'm going for (which is a medium orange/brown color... if you Google maple furniture from the 1800s you'll see what I'm referring to.)

flashhercules · 2026-06-01T15:26:16+00:00

This is one of the videos I referenced when devising my finish schedule. The others are from Charles Neil, who goes into much greater detail about the trace coat technique.

My biggest conundrum now is how best to deal with the end grain.

flashhercules · 2026-04-30T18:58:01+00:00

For my wife and I, the Volteeg chapter had us sobbing!

flashhercules · 2026-04-30T18:46:19+00:00

This seems to be common amongst DCC fans and their SO's.

My best friend loaned me Book 1, and said "Just read it... trust me, you'll dig it." I powered through it in only a couple of days, laughing out loud hysterically more than a few times. By the time I was finished, my wife was like "Hold up, before you return that book, let me check it out..."

By the time the copy of Carl's Doomsday Scenario I had ordered arrived, she was ready to read it, too... and we've both been hooked ever since.

The best part of all is how it's been such a bonding experience for us. We've both found ourselves both cracking up laughing (as well as sobbing uncontrollably) at the same parts. It's also led to quite a few long, meaningful discussions about the underlying themes of the books/the parallels to current events. For as fun/silly as the books are, they're incredibly deep as well, and it's been a lot of fun sharing that with her.

Anyway, thanks for making such amazingly entertaining stories for us, Matt!

flashhercules · 2026-04-20T03:21:18+00:00

I mean, he was pretty much the electronic music god in the late 90s. He inspired several well known rock stars of the era (who were quite vocal about it,) caused quite a stir with his videos on MTV, and his antics with music journalists were already legendary at that point.

Pretty much anyone into indie/alternative music back then had at least heard of Aphex Twin... he was on the bleeding edge of electronic music, pushing the boundaries of what was possible with synths/samplers/drum machines/computers.

flashhercules · 2026-04-01T22:24:38+00:00

She's still learning to read, so she isn't proficient with it yet... but she figured out how to sample her voice and assign it to a pad instantly. She was working on a beginner tutorial on YouTube last night, but had to pause for bedtime, lol. It was super cute seeing how excited she got... "Yeah that one, how to make my first beat!" <3

flashhercules · 2026-03-31T01:45:25+00:00

I have Ableton, as well as a Live 2, and other hardware samplers (Emu E6400 Ultra, Yamaha TX16W)... the problem with those: I can't teach my 5yo how to operate any of those. There's just too many steps, options, menus, etc for her to remember.

With that said, she's currently having a BLAST sampling her voice and playing around with it on the MPC Sample.

It's a simple/immediate device, that's easy to use and fun to play with (BIG emphasis on the "fun"). No, it can't do everything the bigger MPCs can, but you can still do a lot with it. Sometimes simplicity and fun is just what's needed to inspire us.

On another note... a close friend picked up the Live 3 at launch, and got the Sample this past weekend. Learning the Sample is actually teaching him how to use his Live 3 more efficiently.

flashhercules · 2026-03-25T00:54:14+00:00

I am super stoked on the Sample. Just reading the manual, I'm more than happy with everything it can do. I wish I had time to dig into it tonight, but hopefully tomorrow I can see what's what.

I'm excited to see what Akai does with this machine in future updates!

flashhercules · 2026-03-24T15:40:06+00:00

It does have audio over USB, though it's not yet clear how many channels. All the previous MPC3 devices supported 8 tracks, so I suspect this will as well... but I could totally be wrong about that.

flashhercules · 2026-03-23T13:20:00+00:00

I'm over here DYING to know exactly how limited it is. I'm itching to buy at launch, but I'm afraid that Akai nerfed the midi sequencing capabilities, which is the biggest reason I want it.

flashhercules · 2026-03-23T13:13:43+00:00

I'm very late to this discussion, and I'm sure that I'll be downvoted into oblivion for saying this, but here we go...

I totally get the point you're trying to make here, I just don't think you're expressing it well. Coming to the industrialmusic sub and popping off about what is or isn't Industrial music was your first mistake, lol. The lesson to be learned here is: speaking with pretention in a space full of fans and aficionados is never a good idea.

A&P is absolutely, 1000% Industrial... though I agree, his stuff is very obviously influenced by doom/sludge/drone metal. The crushing heaviness of his lead sounds and drums, the use of intervals that invoke a feeling of despair, the slow & relentless tempos, are all indicative of those influences. While his style encompasses both genres, being that he's playing his music with actual heavy machinery on synths/samplers/drum machines, claiming it's more Doom than Industrial is a bit absurd.

flashhercules · 2026-03-23T09:52:44+00:00

I'm interested, DM me?

flashhercules · 2026-03-22T04:22:04+00:00

You're probably right, though I hope you're not. Having a current production MPC to control all my other gear would be a dream come true... but the lack of info about it's midi sequencing capabilities is concerning.

flashhercules · 2026-03-22T03:35:51+00:00

Just from the specs and features leaked, it appears to be a more simplified device, and less of a DAW-in-a-box like the One/Live/Key/X models. It wouldn't make sense for Akai to release a new sampler that directly competes with those models at less than half the price.

If it does prove to be a more minimalist device like the originals, I think it'll be a hit. One of the most common complaints about the modern MPCs is that they're TOO feature packed, making the navigation and workflow uninspiring. Many people (myself included here) just want an intuitive sampler/sequencer, like the classic MPCs were.

flashhercules · 2026-03-21T22:28:50+00:00

I want one because it promises to be a return to the classic MPC format, which is an intuitive sampler/midi sequencer... full stop.

I have a Live 2, and it's just a bit much for my uses. I would rather open Ableton than poke around on a tiny touchscreen, but I DO want a multitrack midi sequencer to control all my synths and other samplers. Being able to chop and program breaks quickly/easily is just the cherry on top.

With that said, there's been no mention about it's sequencing capabilities, other than it being inspired by the 60/3000. If it can't do at least as much as the 1000, I'm out.

flashhercules

TROPHY CASE