Jump to content

XPRTNovice   Judges ⚖️

 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,374

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    6

 Content Type 

Posts posted by XPRTNovice

    Anime

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    So Darker than Black WAS on Hulu, thank you very much. I'm about 12 episodes in. I kind of have the same problem as I did with Cowboy Bebop in that it's too episodic. Before you jump up my ass for criticizing EPISODES for being EPISODIC, I'll say that I love anime that has broader story arcs that eventually play way more of a part than the individual episodes. This series seems to focus on 2-episode arcs and then ignore the results.

    I know better than to judge an anime before I've completed it, so I'll finish it, but that's my feelings midway. It's cool, and I won't consider it wasted time even if it continues in this way. I have a feeling it'll pan out - there are far too many unanswered questions for them to continue ignoring them and focusing on seemingly unrelated shorter stories.

    Strangely, I also have been watching this subbed. I typically like dubbed, because the Japanese version of acting, in my opinion, is just too intense and over the top (a la Attack on Titan where everyone screamed everything). But the American voice actors on this one just weren't convincing to me. I like that Hulu gave me the option to try both.

    Mixing Wind Instruments

    in Music Composition & Production

    Posted

    Hi everyone. I've been getting lots of requests lately for wind instrument collaboration, and it kind of hit me yesterday that very few people are familiar with dealing with live wind instruments in their mixes. So, while I'm far from an expert, I thought I might offer up a couple of tips. Others that have experience, pile on.

    I'll just touch on two of the biggest things I hear: dryness and variable volume.

    - Dryness. The major problem I hear is that the recording is too dry in the final mix. I know for me I try to record in as dead a configuration as possible, so if you were to just drop the wav into the mix it's going to sound really out of place, like someone with an actual sax is standing in front of your speakers playing along with the track. Made sure to add verb; I prefer to keep the reverb relatively dry, but it has to be there, and it should probably match whatever other reverb you're using for your other samples. If your other samples have baked in reverb and you can't just copy/paste the send effect, some light room verb is usually good enough. Adding a touch of delay is nice too, in the right circumstances.

    - Variable volume. A live instrument produces sound from a lot of different places at the same time. On clarinet, for example, it depends on how high or low the instrument is playing; sometimes the sound comes out at the bell, and sometimes it comes more from the fingerholes at the top near the mouthpiece. While 12 inches may not seem like a lot, it means a lot when you don't have the ability to really mic the instrument perfectly. Your samples/VSTs are ALREADY adjusted for this, but the live instrument isn't! If you were to just drop it into the mix as is, some notes would get buried and some would be screaming. I use a mix of compression and volume automation to get the even sound. It's not all about the mic placement, either. The dynamic range of a wind instrument is huuuuuge compared to most other instruments, so a player putting in some expression will often have a wide range of dynamics that you'll have to adjust for. Even a perfectly miced part (particularly if it's just a solo and the player is doing whatever he/she wants) will have more variation than you're probably used to.

    Just some thoughts from a wind player. Would love to see other people's comments/discussion.

    Fit Club ahoy! Where men are bros and women are also bros!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    If I do modest workouts 3 times a week rather than soul-draining ones, should I up the number of days? I know the common advice is to work out 3 times a week. But they don't specify the intensity of the workout.

    It used to be that I worked out 5-6 times a week, but the key is to keep it varied. You don't want to lift heavy every day. Mark Sisson of the Primal Blueprint says that every week should be:

    3x Move Slowly, Rest or Play

    2x Lift Heavy Things (weights)

    1x Sprint

    1x High Intensity Interval Training

    I've found that to be a really nice schedule, because it changes things so they don't get boring and makes you work different places on different day.

    Anime

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    Darker than Black will change your life. It's phenomenal. Watch it right now.

    Baaaahh I CAN'T! It's not on any of my TV services right now - it was taken off Netflix and it's not on Crunchroll either.

    I ended up starting Gardenia on the Verdurant, or whatever that title is. I enjoyed the first 4 episodes and I think I'll continue.

    I'll definitely check out Log Horizon. I liked Sword Art Online, but I thought it was a great example of how to complete a wonderful story arc in a really satisfying way...but then continue anyway for 8 episodes with 70% less tension.

    Anime

    in General Discussion

    Posted · Edited by XPRTNovice

    I really liked Eva except the last episode. I even enjoyed the movies, but I recommend not being near any sharp objects while you do so.

    I just finished the available Attack on Titan episodes an Sword Art Online and I'm looking for a new series. I might try Darker than Black - anyone seen that? I follow Yoko Kanno around because I'm a groupie.

    Any other recommendations welcome. Some of my favorites have been Trigun, Death Note, Code Geass. Stuff I couldn't get into were Guren Lagann, Last Exile, Mushishi.

    EDIT: One stipulation is that it has to be complete. Attack on Titan is killing me inside.

    Fit Club ahoy! Where men are bros and women are also bros!

    in General Discussion

    Posted

    So I'm building muscle rather quickly and/or gaining fat back because I've gained 4 lbs. in a week. Though it might also be because I have a highly irregular schedule of waking up so things aren't as consistent as I'd like them to be when I weigh myself right after I wake up.

    I feel like any weight change under 5-7 pounds is negligible; it's almost impossible to replicate the same circumstances under which you weighed yourself. You might have just had to poop or something.

    As a wrestler, I used to weigh myself every day around the same time, so you can trust me when I say that weight fluctuations happen daily and somewhat randomly within a given range.

    So I wouldn't worry too much.

×
×
  • Create New...