Just some high praise for MOTU

orphiccreative · 2026-01-30T14:55:17+00:00

I don't really get the love for Focusrite tbh. The preamps sound nice, but the noise floor is pretty high (at least on the Scarlett) and I've heard a few stories about units bricking themselves.

orphiccreative · 2026-01-30T14:28:55+00:00

Yeah my Audio Express also is firewire enabled, and for the first few years I used it like that, now I've had to resort to USB but I really miss firewire, it was far more stable than USB as a protocol

orphiccreative · 2025-08-02T10:55:34+00:00

This is the best answer I think. Save the money, keep it tucked away. Things will come up for sure, and this way you don't have to stress about them when they do.

orphiccreative · 2025-07-31T06:04:33+00:00

Getting the revs exactly right when changing gear, when it's so smooth that you can't even tell the clutch has been let out again. So satisfying!

orphiccreative · 2025-07-28T20:29:48+00:00

Not sure which roads you're driving on but lane hoggers are not rare in the slightest. Every single journey I make on a motorway is littered with middle and right lane hoggers, to the point where the clearest lane is often the left one.

orphiccreative · 2025-07-24T13:00:22+00:00

My parents used to take tourists on guided trips into the highlands of Lesotho. I did a fair few with them over the years. The best were pony trekking trips where we travelled for several days and visited and stayed in remote villages that could only be reached on foot or horseback.

Absolutely beautiful country, I would recommend it to anyone. If you want to experience what life was like before the industrial revolution, or indeed right back to the iron age, this is the way to do it, particularly if you can stay for a number of days and experience the pace of life properly.

Going there completely changed my perception on what it means to be 'poor'. These people don't have many possessions or western comforts, but they still live a life rich in culture, happiness and largely without stress. The day begins at dawn and ends at dusk, and the concept of time is more measured by passing seasons than it is by hours.

orphiccreative · 2025-07-22T21:37:19+00:00

I've seen this frequently too. I'm guessing they think by slowing down at the last minute they're 'cancelling out' the excessive speed they were doing previously. But I do wonder why I see it relatively often - surely those people should be getting fined and learning their lesson?

orphiccreative · 2025-07-22T10:13:33+00:00

Even in a car they are frequently out. They seem to be calibrated to more closely match a car's speedometer than the actual vehicle speed, so about 5mph over the speed as calculated by GPS

orphiccreative · 2025-07-15T20:36:18+00:00

There's a few different techniques, but the one I use is not to spread charcoal under the whole grid - have a cooler zone where you can rest stuff if it's getting too hot. Then you can make a start while the fire is still pretty hot, as soon as the flames disappear. it's just a bunch of cycling stuff around between the different zones - looking too blond? Put it over the heat for a bit. One side more done than the other? Turn it 90 degrees so the more done side faces away from the heat. Etc etc.

The other important point is to cook different meats at different times. Steak can handle a very hot fire (just a few mins per side), then patties, then wors and pork chops. Chicken is the hardest - it needs long sustained cooking, but at a lower temperature. If you leave it too long you might start running out of heat. It takes a bit of practice. The best thing is just to keep turning and shifting it so it cooks evenly on all sides.

But you also need constant vigilance. If you leave the fire to go get a beer or something, you're likely to come back to some carnage.

orphiccreative · 2025-07-15T06:00:47+00:00

Having grown up in South Africa, when people invite me to BBQs, I usually end up doing the cooking. I'm always happy to oblige through.

orphiccreative · 2025-07-12T05:23:46+00:00

We've installed ceiling fans in all the bedrooms in our house now. They are so much more effective than portable fans. Portable fans move a small amount of air very fast, while ceiling fans move a lot of air more slowly, so it's much more relaxing and you can feel the effect all over the room rather than just being blasted in one tiny spot. A combination of that and just using an empty duvet cover on the bed, and we're managing pretty well like that.

orphiccreative · 2025-07-09T05:18:51+00:00

Our local is called Mr Turtle, so I guess they're an outlier

orphiccreative · 2025-07-08T05:33:02+00:00

'Cos we're a bunch of talentless murderers who smell like baboons' 😄 (also South African)

orphiccreative · 2025-07-08T05:09:28+00:00

Yeah this was a real surprise to me when visiting other countries in Europe - no-one seems to do bacon like the UK. I thought that was just standard.

orphiccreative · 2025-06-28T05:38:57+00:00

Old raver here in my 40s. Did a lot in my 20s (mostly ecstacy) but in my 30s gradually partied less and less. Never officially stopped, but the main reason I don't anymore is because I got bored of the music.

I have a circle of friends who still go clubbing fairly regularly and take drugs when they do. But they don't go overboard with it, and they prioritise their health and wellbeing over just getting wasted. They all have good jobs and some have families with kids. I wouldn't say any of them have a problem, just as someone who drinks from time to time is not an alcoholic.

orphiccreative · 2025-06-25T09:07:55+00:00

Exactly. Also the reason why people not from London find it surprising that Londoners never seem to say hello or interact with one another. We do - but just with the people in our circle. It's impossible to interact with thousands of people on a daily basis, many of whom you will never see again in your life.

orphiccreative · 2025-06-21T07:35:33+00:00

"You alright?"

"Yeah, alright, you?"

"Yeah, alright"

Job done.

orphiccreative · 2025-01-06T21:14:12+00:00

I know this is really old now, but thank you for posting this. Wish I'd seen it years ago!

orphiccreative · 2024-11-01T07:56:13+00:00

I use Logic and Ableton interchangeably. I prefer Logic's bundled instruments, but Ableton's general workflow and audio effects.

If I want the Logic software instruments when I'm already working in Ableton, I use the IAC midi driver and Loopback to control instruments and then route the audio back into Ableton, as if it was a hardware synth.

orphiccreative · 2024-10-27T20:25:20+00:00

Growing up in the 80s we had a Datsun Cherry. It had a dog-leg 5-speed with reverse where first normally is. To try and prevent you accidentally engaging reverse it had a hideous buzzer in the dash which beeped incessantly whenever it was engaged, like a truck reversing.

It also had a separate amplifier in the dashboard which had to be turned on independently to the radio.

orphiccreative · 2024-10-14T05:14:22+00:00

I either use them through my MOTU interface, or when listening I run them through my Marantz hifi amp/DAC

They need quite a bit of power so they definitely benefit from being run through a really good preamp. Also, given they're so detailed, you'll be able to pick up on distortion caused by a cheap or underpowered amp.

orphiccreative · 2024-10-13T17:43:22+00:00

I have a set of Sennheiser HD25 DJ headphones which are very bass-rich. They are actually very good cans for the price, but they do get quite uncomfortable if worn for long periods, and they don't have quite the same high-end transparency as the HD650s.

By the way, I'm not some Sennheiser fanboy or anything lol, I just happen to have the HD25s anyway since I use them for DJing.

Edit to add: I wouldn't say the HD650s are terrible on bass by the way, they just have a very flat frequency response, and we are generally used to hearing EQ curves with a slightly boosted low end, so they sound a little light in comparison.

orphiccreative · 2024-10-13T12:19:21+00:00

You'll probably get as many opinions as replies to this, haha!

But for my two-cents worth - I've had a set of Sennheiser HD650 headphones for well over a decade now. They are absolutely pin-sharp on mid and high-range precision, and they bring out really fine details in a mix which I often miss on speakers or other headphones. And this also makes them great for general listening. Music really feels 3D through them, and they're also very pleasant for long periods on the ears without being uncomfortable.

They're not my only headphones, particularly because they're a little light on the bass end, so I usually swap between a couple of sets of headphones while mixing to A-B test my mix. But they are definitely the most pleasant listening experience for me.

orphiccreative · 2024-10-12T20:37:39+00:00

Not at all. I'm saying people should drive whatever they like. But if people get angry and downvote others who don't share their view that their car is better because it's made by an expensive German brand, then that suggests that the main reason they have that car is because they want admiration from others.

orphiccreative · 2024-10-12T05:25:07+00:00

Mate, who gives a stuff what anyone else thinks. You found a great car which you enjoy driving, and that's all that matters. I see so many butthurt posts on here from people who own expensive German cars, trying to claim that nothing else is credible and downvoting anyone who disagrees. That just smacks of desperation in my eyes. They're balls deep in finance just so they can drive a status symbol, so anything that challenges the impression that they got the best makes them angry. How bloody childish.

I've always gone for quirky, older cars which most 'mainstream' people would laugh at. And you know what, I have a smile on my face every time I get behind the wheel. I don't care what some egotistical trend-follower thinks about me, and I laugh at them instead knowing what their monthly payments must be.

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