zircon

Correct, we're licensing it for this release

Just finished up this project, recorded by SIXTO and edited/scripted by me Here's the KVR post -

www.e-junkie.com has an excellent cart system.

I've been using PayPal for years and there aren't really any other relevant fees for this kind of thing. I'm sure there are fees for services that you and I aren't interested in So yeah, the 2.9 to 3.6% + 40 cents per transaction is basically all you need to worry about.

Awesome stuff man! And thanks for using some of my mixes

I don't get the concern over Kickstarter. Let the free market sort things out.

Well Fitocracy is way too bloated for me, but I am trying to get on a regular workout schedule. My doctor prescribed 3-4 days a week of ~30 mins of heavy cardio. I've now gone 5 times since I've seen him. I've been ramping up to 30 mins and today did 28 mins keeping my heart rate in the ~170bpm range the whole time. I think I've come to prefer the elliptical machine. It's like jogging but without the impact on joints, and with way more resistance. I'm usually soaked by the end so I'm feeling pretty good.

OK, and then what? All I want to do is say "Today I worked out for 22 minutes on the elliptical." That's it. I didn't see any easy way to do that.

Not sure I really get the appeal of Fitocracy... it's awfully confusing, and some of the help text is just straight-up outdated or wrong. For example, I tried for 5 minutes to figure out how to log a workout that I just did, and absolutely couldn't see where to do it. I got a message telling me to look for the "Exercises" tab which doesn't exist. All I want to do is just record what I do after I go back from the gym but I guess that's not complicated enough for this website :/

Thank you for the support! At the end, I'll be sending out surveys to people to find out things like address, shirt size, etc.

I dunno about that. Post-Disney, we got Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, and Toy Story 3, all of which were amazing. I would also say that Brave was amazing as well, though you obviously disagree with me there. But all those movies were extremely well-received by audiences and critics alike.

I guess it depends on what you define as 'popular' - I'd say that drum n' bass is definitely NOT popular, relatively speaking. Deadmau5, Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, Madeon... that's the popular stuff right now. Abrasive synth sounds, 4x4 drums, 130-140bpm. Check out the Sirius XM "BPM" and "Electric Area" stations for a good blend of stuff that's being played right now in clubs and dj sets.

That's what I call the long troll.

I disagree completely. The way you sequence your drums shouldn't have any bearing on the genre, it's the mix of all the elements. There are tons of songs, including EDM tracks, with halftime drums that don't sound anything like dubstep. Why? Because that's NOT what dubstep is about. The elements that make dubstep a unique modern genre would be the POWER and WEIGHT of the drums, things that exist regardless of how you sequence them. Thick, heavy kicks, and highly tuned/punchy snares. The wobble basses with an extreme emphasis on modulation and midrange. Soaring melodies contrasted with very dissonant or simplistic parts placing the emphasis almost entirely on drums + bass. Rapid mixing and chopping between many different synths/samples and vocal fx. I can write you 100 songs with halftime breaks that nobody would ever call dubstep. It's those elements I just listed that really define the genre. With regards to what synths make the most common/popular dubstep sounds from artists like Skrillex, Kill the Noise, Zomboy, Knife Party (etc)... simply put, Massive and FM8. Anything that can do FM. http://soundcloud.com/zircon-1/fun-with-fm

The production techniques are the same. It's basically the exact same thing as dubstep but he has full-time instead of half-time drums. Not a big difference honestly. Anyway, Seamless is very much the guy you should check out on YouTube to learn more about bass production techniques.

So now this is just about to break $20k (500%!) and some of the things I'm doing include: * Large run of 'zircon' t-shirts. All backers at $30 and up will get one for free, while backers at $20 will get a discount if they want to order one after. * Documentary/"making of" type video showing what went into the album, my own commentary, and the music that led up to it. Will ultimately be free, probably on YouTube. * Seeking world-class pro mastering to make sure the CD sounds as good as humanly possible!

Yep as soon as I heard about 1.0.5 I stopped playing. It's going to boost drop rates, XP, items, etc. Really was no reason to play before the patch. As soon as it hits I will be back!

Yeah, that's correct... but no PayPal support yet. You can always pick up the album when it's released on Bandcamp etc (which DO support PayPal!)

I dunno who's doing it, but he must be a cool dude.

I'll be posting an update about it either today or tomorrow (might want to wait until tomorrow so more people see it!)

I think it's interesting that basically three things happened at once, all affecting the music industry drastically. 1. Computers got a lot faster, to the point where you could easily record and edit music on any home computer. Previously, you needed something very expensive to get the job done, such as Pro Tools hardware (which has its own set of processors). 2. Good gear got a lot cheaper. Microphones, audio interfaces, everything. Starting in the 90s but especially over the last decade, very high-quality equipment has become commonplace and affordable. Prior to this, you needed very expensive studio hardware. If you had home equipment, like an 8-track, the quality was inferior. 3. Editing software became cheaper, more powerful and more accessible. Autotuning, easy take comping, unlimited track playback/editing, better compressors, better EQs, better reverbs, the list goes on. So even if we set aside the impact of the internet, and specifically file-sharing, I think these things all have made a huge difference. People often overlook it and see music piracy as the turning point, but I don't think it would have had the same effect without all those other things happening (enabling the average person to produce great music).

Tremolo usually means quick modulation (variation) in VOLUME. For real instruments like guitar or violin, it involves playing the same note over and over in quick succession. In the computer music world, tremolo is just volume modulation... like if you were to grab the volume knob and wiggle it back and forth. Vibrato is PITCH modulation, not volume. So when a singer hits a high note and their voice goes up and down, that's vibrato. Many real instruments and all synths are capable of vibrato. What you're looking for is VIBRATO, which is an excellent way of adding expression to synth leads. You generally do not do this with effects, as it's typically built right into the synth itself. But without knowing what plugin you're using, I can't be more specific.

Thanks for the kind words and support, all! You're right that I really did not expect this huge level of backing from my fans. I decided to set a modest goal that would cover my manufacturing cost and nothing else, thinking that I MIGHT hit it in 30 days. I'm happy I was wrong about that! Identity Sequence really is the true successor to Antigravity, not in style per se, but because I've put so much energy into it. To put it in perspective, I've probably spent more time on IS than the last 5 albums I've done combined. It represents all my development as a musician. I've learned a lot since Antigravity about music theory, improvisation, composition, production, lyric/melody-writing, etc. So, how does it compare? Well, there are more vocal tracks. About half the album is vocal. This also means it's more melodic overall. There are lots of great individual synth, drum and bass riffs, but I really wanted to focus more on memorable leads and hooks, things that carry the song and stay with you once it's over. It's more 'serious' than Antigravity on average. Darker, more contemplative, more atmospheric. The production is sharper. There's less of a fun/funky dance music influence (like Fatboy Slim) and more of a cinematic quality. That doesn't mean it's not extremely groovy of course! It still hits the same levels of intensity, if not way higher. I guess the main difference would be that it's a true concept album. There's a story being told through music & lyrics, something I've never done before. Don't worry, there's no cheesy narration, and you aren't hit over the head with song meanings. It's subtle and abstract, open to your own interpretation. I want it to evoke feeling and emotion, and I think based on some feedback I've received, it will have that effect. With that, back to work on the new edition of Just Hold On

At least 6 lasers SHOULD do the job. I just beat the game again on Normal with the Kestrel, using the following loadout: * Pike Beam (BIG damage, but only when shields are down - has to be carefully timed) * Burst Laser II (starting weapon) * Hull Smasher Laser II (similar to BLII but 2x damage to empty rooms, and charges slower) * Artemis Missile (starting) So my total laser damage was 6 simultaneous, and if I drained their shields I got another ~4 damage from the beam for free. At least level 3 shields and a defense drone of your own is highly recommended. I managed to grab both Weapons Pre-Igniter (starts battles with weapons fully charged) plus the Automatic Weapons Reloader (-15% charge time on weapons). High level Engines is also a plus. A Cloaking Device REALLY helps if you can afford one, but that can be hard to do. If you've managed to get a lot of strong crew (Rockmen, Mantis) you can also beam people to the drone room and take it out that way. Basically, my first volley or two against the rebel ship is always against their shields. You NEED to bring them down to at most 3, if not 1-2, so you can pound away with your subsequent volleys. Depending on your weapons you need to make sure you're synchronizing your shots properly, so all lasers fire at once. If you have beam weapons, you need to time those so they fire immediately after the lasers pierce through their shields. Normally I'm not a huge fan of beams, but the Pike/Glaive/Halbred are pretty damn strong and can cover a huge area on the enemy ship. Some general strategies I've picked up, having now beaten the game 3x Normal, 1x Easy (all with the Kestrel A or Osprey A) - * Spend as much time as possible exploring each sector, provided you have the fuel. Try not to dip below ~8 fuel. You need to build up scrap. In Sector 1-2, you can do MOST fights without losing much of anything, so take that advantage! * If you can, buy a Scrap Recovery Arm early on (sector 3 or earlier, preferably sector 1). * Try to have at least 4 crew at all times: 1 for piloting, 1 for weapons, 1 for engines, and 1 for shields. The shield crewman should be used for repairs/security first, followed by engines crewman. Any additional crew can be used for security and mobile repairs. Having at least one Engi is a good idea, and if you're a very power-hungry ship, a Zoltan is nice as well. * Early on, try to save scrap so you can buy excellent augmentations or weapons if they appear. Prioritize Burst Laser I/II, Weapons Pre-Igniter, Scrap Recovery Arm (early), and Auto Weapons Reloader (if you have space). If you have a Cloak, Stealth Weapons is awesome. Long Range Sensors is not a bad idea either if you can afford it. I would skip the FTL Jammer, Anti-Ion Shield, Shield Recharging Device (or whatever). Oh, and if you're playing a drone-heavy ship like the Torus (Engi Cruiser), get a Drone Recovery Arm asap. * Try not to buy Missiles and Drone Parts. They're expensive. DO keep your hull decently repaired (w/o going broke) early on, as it's cheaper to repair earlier than later. Conserve missiles by using them only at the start of the fight to disable weapons/shields, and then finish off with your laser. * Shoot for level 2 shields by the end of sector 3, and level 3 shields by the end of sector 6. Engines should be upgraded accordingly. * Level 2 doors are really useful for stopping fires and suffocating intruders. A cheap upgrade that is really effective! * Weapons that cost 4 energy are generally too expensive to be worthwhile. A damaged weapon system can disable a huge part of your offense. It's better to have more weapons that cost less power, and fire more frequently. Hence why Burst Lasers and the Artemis are awesome.

Haha, yes, it does. I think my only complaint about the game is that missile weapons and certain beams tend to be really cumbersome, and not useful as the game goes on. Burst lasers are by far the best weapons followed by cheap missiles. So, if you don't find either by the last sector, I don't see how you can win. (I've beaten the game twice on Normal, once on Easy, and made it to stage 2 of the final boss fight on Normal a few more times.)