#I want to fade in the audio to eliminate those two sounds at the beginning

[waytray]

a couple of weeks ago my dad and i went to a couple fruit stands out in the country and one of the places was this indoor farmer's market

The layout of the shelves along with all the wood, and how it looks like a big cabin reminded me of ones my mom and I had gone to on family trips to Nova Scotia

[inspire3uk]

Zen12 Review: Does This Meditation Program Work or Is It a Scam?

Could You Make 12 Minutes To Spare Today?

Do you feel stressed out every day? Wouldn’t it be nice to make the world just disappear for awhile so you could center yourself?

Although not everyone can make 60 minutes to meditate, it is generally possible to carve out 12 minutes for yourself at some point.

It could be on your lunch break, a mid-day pause in the action, or it could even be the first 12 minutes after you wake up in the morning.

Reserve yourself this time, incorporate Zen12, and you’ll soon discover how amazing you can feel!

Blocking out 12 minutes every day for meditation can change your life.

You Don’t Need To Be a Meditation Expert! 

For years, the only real way to meditate was through the trial and error method.

You would train with someone, but it would be up to you to figure out your body mechanisms.

You’d have to open the doors to your inner being, tap into your subconscious, and then process that information in such a way that it would benefit your outer consciousness.

Not so today.

Thanks to the innovations of Zen12, you don’t have to waste time trying to figure out the right way to meditate!

According to Inspire3, Zen12 does the work for you.

Instead of having racing thoughts that create anxiety, you’ll have less stress. Instead of being tense about the problems that are about to crash in on you, you’ll have more relaxation.

You’ll be able to enhance your creativity! 

All you’ve literally got to do is press play and you’re ready to experience the benefits of Zen12! 

Is it possible that someone could receive all of the benefits of meditation that could change their life in one simple program?

It’s been scientifically proven that there are a number of benefits that come with a regular practice of meditation. 

There     is an increased level of brain functioning.

There     is a higher level of serenity and inner peace.

Creativity     levels peak and then stay at their peak.

Emotions     become more stable, even during natural periods of mood swings that occur.

There     are dozens of other potential health benefits which are unique to the     individual! 

There’s only one real question to ask yourself right now: are you experiencing the benefits of meditation?

If you are not, then now is the time to act!

 Does Zen12 work? Your Way To Meditate In the Perfect Way!

One of the biggest traps in the practice of meditation, especially for beginners, is that it seems like no progress is being made.

There are still racing thoughts, stressful emotions, and other bothersome issues that meditation can begin to fix.

When these don’t get fixed in the early stages of meditation practice, people tend to just give up. They don’t want to practice something that they feel is a waste of time.

I believe that Zen 12 won’t waste your time.

It may even give you an advantage over those who practice meditation in the classic way!

That’s because music and sounds can engage the entire mind while you are listening to it.

In the field of meditation, that means these sounds can penetrate the barrier between the conscious and the subconscious mind to engage both in a beneficial conversation.

In just 12 minutes, the special audio MP3s that are in this program will help you to focus your mind and here’s the best part: you don’t even have to reschedule your day to do it!

Sit back. Press play. Enjoy the rewards!

Why Meditation with Zen12 is Better?

I once read this story about a Zen master who was teaching a group of new students how to properly meditate.

Together this group meditated for 30 minutes.

At the end of the session, the Zen master asked the students how much clarity they were able to achieve.

Most students answered that they had achieved no clarity at all.

The ones that said they had mentioned that it had only been a few seconds of clarity.

Then the Zen master told the class something that shocked them all.

He said that out of those 30 minutes where they had been meditating together, he had only achieved 2 minutes of clarity.

He described it as an outstanding meditation session.

Imagine… the experts on meditation only get 2 minutes of clarity for 30 minutes of work.

That has really stuck with me over time. There’s a lot of hassle to receive a very small benefit.

This is why meditation with Zen12 could be better.

According to Inspire3, you can double the benefits this Zen master described to his class in just 12 minutes because of the innovative design of the program.

This means one could potentially receive 4 minutes of clarity if the skill of meditation was equal to this Zen master.

Now imagine being able to accomplish this meditation benefit in just 12 minutes.

The benefits begin immediately.

According to Zen12, the fidgeting begins to stop. The restlessness begins to fade away. The mental chatter begins to quiet down.

The end result?

A state of total relaxation.

Is Zen12 a Scam? Or Is it a Proven System of Meditation? 

Zen12 is based on a system of meditation that is called “brainwave entrainment.”

It works by tuning the brain to reach specific frequencies that help to encourage the states of relaxation and meditation.

Sounds embedded within the MP3 files work to align your brainwave patterns so that you remain awake and aware, yet also can sense the deeper states of relaxation and mediation.

This is an area of science that has been researched for over a century.

This also means that Zen12 is a system that will grow and develop with you.

With each session, you’ll gradually progress deeper and further into the next levels of meditation.

You’ll begin to see the benefits of regular meditation grow and expand!

Each month creates new opportunities and there are 12 different levels within Zen12, so you can have a year of meditation development for a surprisingly affordable price!

Even if you’ve been meditating for awhile and you feel like you’re stuck at where you’re at, Zen12 can help you too!

You can save some time and skip the beginning levels of this meditation program to pick up where you currently are.

You can even choose the meditation style that works the best for you!

Whether you prefer the sounds of nature, some background white noise, relaxation music, or guided meditation, you’ll be able to experience the benefits of meditation from the moment you first hit play.

Because each program has 12 different levels, here’s the positive reality a purchase today brings you: 4 years of meditation assistance.

Zen12 Short Review: How It Works

Zen12 is a program which consists of short audio-based meditation sessions.

Each session requires 12 minutes of your time, which is how this program gets its name.

There are longer sessions in the 20-minute range near the end of the program to use as well.

Each module within Zen12 is designed to bring you toward the habit of committing a full 60 minutes of your day to meditation.

It is a progressive program which is designed to take 12 months to complete.

There are 12 sessions in total, which makes it easy to see how the progression is designed to work.

There are 4 different formats which are available with each session: white noise, nature sounds, music, and guided meditation.

You get to choose the format which you feel will be the best option on that day for meditation.

Then you listen to the program during your meditation time, even if you can only commit 12 minutes toward it.

What is nice about this setup is that you’re given variety.

Many audio-based meditation programs give you a take-it-or-leave-it option.

Don’t like the track? Too bad.

Not Zen12.

In addition to the audio meditation tracks you’ll receive with this program, there are some extra things which come with your purchase.

You’ll receive two short e-books from Karl Moore. The advice in the content will help you think about your mindset as you pursue your own definition of success.

There is a user’s guide, though this is a one-page introduction to the program and not much more.

The user manual is a better resource.

You’ll receive an overview of each level, along with practical advice for beginner’s or experienced meditators.

Your program includes a 1-hour training call with Zen12, which includes a recorded introduction from Karl Moore.

Once you’re ready to listen to the audio meditation tracks, it is helpful to create a comfortable environment for yourself.

Eliminate potential distractions wherever possible. I prefer to meditate in a space that has been darkened.

Then you play the audio while you meditate.

As long as the audio can be heard in the room where you are meditating, it will be helpful.

I prefer to use a set of stereo headphones and listen to the audio tracks over Bluetooth to avoid the stimulation of a computer screen.

You can use whatever equipment you prefer.

As long as your environment is suitable for meditation that meets your needs, this program will provide focus assistance.

What I’ve found to be useful with Zen12 is that it removes the issues I struggle with when attempting to meditate.

Like the mental chatter. When I try to take time in a quiet space, that is when my thoughts like to race.

There are to-do lists, worries of the past, and plans for the future which all come flooding toward me.

Zen12 helps me acknowledge these thoughts, then set them aside to continue focusing on the meditation process.

I also tend to fidget a lot when sitting still.

Do you feel every itch on your skin when you’re trying to focus on something?

Does it feel like there is something crawling on your feet or hands?

That issue went away for me when I started using Zen12.

Now some might describe this program as a “miracle” cure for focus issues or a “must-have program” to get “amazing” meditation results.

I prefer a more practical solution.

Being someone who is familiar with meditation and a regular practitioner, I did find Zen12 to be immediately helpful in my weaker areas.

For a beginner, there is still the issue of establishing a habit of meditation.

No program can make the decision to meditate for you.

It is something you must choose to do on your own.

In my experience, when meditating becomes easier to do, then it becomes fun.

When meditation is fun, it becomes easier to make it a priority.

When meditation is a priority, then I make time for it every day somehow.

Zen12 makes meditation become fun again.

Are You Ready To Experience Meditation Like Never Before? With Zen12 it’s possible!

For many, meditation has remained out of reach because it is often difficult to achieve individual results when you’re on your own – especially for the first time.

Zen12 changes that dynamic and puts all of those advantages within your reach.

All you’ve got to do is grasp them!

All you’ve got to do is choose the level of meditation where you feel the most comfortable.

You then just click play for your MP3.

There are no special instructions, poses, or requirements that need to be met for Zen12 to work.

You just listen and then you get to experience the enhanced benefits of meditation, sometimes from the very first session!

With support videos, user guides, and a special email address that you can use for any questions that you may have, Zen12 is one of the easiest guided meditation, brainwave entrainment programs that you are going to find anywhere.

[inkinghubris]

Ep. 49: Fluff, Filler or Fundamental? Knowing Which Words to Add

Episode 49: Fluff, Filler or Fundamental?

Today we discuss how and when to use fluff words or filler words in your story. Choosing the right method can be the difference between a best selling novel and a book that never gets published. Get the details here! You can listen to the episode right here. The transcription is below the player. Feel free to add your comments using the comment section below.    

Episode 49 Transcript

Note: Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and humans, as such, it may contain errors. Please, double-check the audio file before quoting anything from this page.   Introduction 00:00 I once ran a little test with some students to find out how they would describe a certain portion of a scene. The results were mixed, which I was expecting. What bothered me the most, though, was that the words used weren’t the right words. Today, I want to cover this little test and explain how and when to use the right words when you are filling out your story. Stay tuned, I’ll be right back. 00:34 01:01 Here is what I am going to do. I will recap the scene writing test for those of you that want to play along. I will set up the scene as I did for the students and explain what you need to do. If you want to play along, you can then pause the podcast while you write out your words. If you do not want to play along, then there is no need to pause the podcast. However, you are boring and you will have to bring your own snacks to our future parties.   Let Me Set the Scene 01:32 Ready? Okay. The scene takes place in the middle of a suspenseful thriller novel. We are nearing the climax of the main plot, where the protagonist is heading into the antagonist’s hideout for the big confrontation.

Abandoned lots can be cool... or creepy 01:48 This particular scene starts with the main character driving to an old, abandoned shopping mall. It is mid-day but the weather is dreary. In our rough draft, we have the protag driving up, parking in the parking lot and heading inside the mall. This is the part we need to add more words to. 02:13 Your job is to write this part of the scene, from the car entering the area and parking in the parking lot. I want you to describe the parking lot for the reader. 02:26 If you are playing along, go ahead and pause the podcast and get to work. If you are not playing along, I’m still mad at you and giving you a dirty look that you can’t see because this isn’t video.   Shall We Evaluate Your Work? 02:41 And we are back. Through the magic of audio, we have just traveled in time to a point where you have the assignment completed. For you it was several minutes, but for me it was a fraction of a second. I am an expert time traveler, so don’t try this at home.

Did you add the stray cat looking for food in your fluff and filler? 02:56 Now, before I tell you that you did this wrong, I am going to make a few guesses. Let’s see. You wrote about the deserted lot with the cracked and uneven pavement. You may have talked about how much grass or weeds are growing up through the asphalt. You might have mentioned the parking lot lights that are not working, maybe flickering, or the lenses are shattered and broken glass covers the ground. 03:28 Maybe you went into detail about the sounds the tires made as the main character drove slowly through the abandoned black top and that they didn’t worry about parking between the lines that are faded with time and exposure to the elements. 03:44 If I had to guess, you have between 200 and 500 words written about this parking lot. Maybe more. Am I close? Did you try extra hard to make this parking lot come to life? Maybe you threw in a few random animals running around or looking for nibbles?   You Probably Did it Wrong 04:07 If so, then you did it wrong. Don’t worry. It is a good exercise and if you concentrated on making that mental movie projector in your reader’s mind come on, good job. The problem here, is that you missed the entire point of this scene. 04:30 The scene takes place, if you recall, as we approach the climax. The hero is about to square off against the villain. The reader has been waiting for this confrontation for 200 or so pages, and you want to slow the whole thing down to accurately describe a fucking parking lot? 04:51 Fluff and filler do have their place. There are scenes and situations when we need to be more descriptive and poetic in our words. There are certain scenes when we need to stretch a two-sentence description into a three-page filler. This test, though, is not one of those times.   Fluff and Filler can be Too Much 05:15 One of the biggest mistakes I see is that writer’s want to fluff and fill every single page. This is nice in the beginning of the book, where you are bringing the reader into the world. Their entry point needs to be a nice landing (or a very sharp and abrupt one, depending on your mood).

Adding fluff and filler can be good, when done correctly. 05:39 As we ease them into the lives of our characters and they get to know everyone around and the actions these people are taking, our readers cherish fluffy scenes full or poetry and details. 05:54 As the story moves along, though, you need to get your ass in gear. If you have a reader so hooked that they are turning pages fast enough to start a fire, and you throw 300 words at them about a parking lot, you are going to piss off a lot of people.   Decide Where to Fluff and Fill 06:12 The first step in knowing which words to use and when to fluff or fill, is knowing what is at stake. The one thing you cannot do is get these massive story wheels rolling downhill and then slam on the breaks. Perhaps the only thing that will close a book faster is writing about shiny vampires. 06:38 Unless you, too, are marketing to 12 year-old girls who still write tiny hearts instead of a dot over their i’s, each scene will dictate what needs fluff and filler and what needs to get the fuck on with it, already.   Creating a Fluff and Filler Formula 06:54 Let’s see if we can find some winning formula. Of course, your own writing style, as well as the genre, purpose of your book and the scene you are writing will all dictate what needs to be said, there are some basic guidelines we can use. 07:12 First, let’s grab the old dictionary and define these terms. Fluff is the use of poetry and prose to lengthen or expand a sentence. I refer you to the common “show versus tell” example from Anton Chekhov. “Don’t tell me the moon is shining, show me the glint of light on the broken glass.” 07:42 This is an example of fluff. Filler is using extra words to say the same thing without being flowery. To piggyback from Chekhov, instead of fluff, the sentence with filler would be: Don’t tell me the moon is full, show me the light through a window. 08:08 Neither example is wrong. Neither is right. It is a matter of what you are writing and how important it is to the story. You will hear a lot of old timers telling you to move the story forward. Every word should push the reader to the next one.

Always work to move your story forward. The right speed and cadence is mandatory. 08:28 To an extent, I agree with this. However, there also needs to be a welcoming, comforting feeling to your book. So, we start our books with the proper landing for the reader. You have to remember, our story takes place at a certain point along a timeline. The characters were doing their thing long before page one, and will continue to do their thing long after the end of that story.   Think Like a Reader 09:03 As the writer, you decide where the story starts. It should be in a spot along that timeline where the reader can be dropped in safely. You want them to have the time and opportunity to get to know their new surroundings, meet their new friends and understand what is going on (the plot) and why it is happening (the stakes). 09:32 In these chapters fluff is more prevalent that filler. We ease them into our story and writing style. We start giving them questions they need to have answered and this is what propels the story forward. 09:50 By the time our main character pulls into that abandoned parking lot, the stakes are too high, the plot is at its peak and the reader doesn’t need or want your fluffy words. 10:04 You still have to set the scene, of course, but now is when fluff is eliminated and filler is only used on an as-needed basis. Is it important that the parking lot is abandoned? Not at all. We can add a broken down truck to the middle of the lot if we wanted. We can add all the broken glass that cracks under the main characters feet as they rush to the boarded up front doors of the mall. 10:34 We can use these filler words to show the truck and the broken glass, or the weeds, or those branches from last weeks storm. The best way to do it, though, is to have the character notice them. Perhaps she checks the truck for a weapon or to make sure no one is hiding near it. You can put that dilapidated truck in the lot, but it doesn’t need to be poetic or take up 2 pages of the climax. Get on with the story!   It's a Roller Coaster!

Picture your plot line as a roller coaster. 11:10 After the climax, when we are coming down the other side of that story arc, we can once again make the landing a bit softer. Of course you want to be careful here, too. Too much fluff and filler can lead to a bad ending. 11:28 I always like to imagine my story is a roller coaster. At this point the giant loop-de-loop is over and the reader is trying to catch their breath and slow their heart rate. I may throw in a few small turns on the roller coaster track, but nothing too serious. 11:48 Filler works well here, instead of fluff. It is still soft and welcoming, but it's not enveloping. If we go right from the climax where fluff and filler are nearly non-existent, and start using a lot of fluff again, the landing will be too jarring. Ease your reader into that next slow turn before you ramp it up again.   Trial and Error and Beta Readers 12:19 Playing with fluff and filler can be difficult. This is where trial and error along with utilizing Beta readers, will come in to play. The best course, though, is to picture yourself as the reader along this journey you are creating. 12:40 Start by giving them the absolute essentials; location, time of day, clothing, vocabulary, a mission. From there, decide how much of that scene needs to be expanded. You want to make each scene inviting and complete, but if it stall the story, then less is more. 13:05 Play around with your descriptions and actions, along with your dialog. If you are still having trouble, stop by the blog and let me know what’s going on and I will help you get it sorted. Just leave a comment and we will get you back on track. 13:22 Until next week kids, have fun; write words. 13:28   #learntowrite #lovewriting #authentic #writersclub #readingabook #writerlife #writersblog #writerssoul #amwriting #amwritingfiction #yalit #amediting #writerproblems #lifeofawriter #stationary #journaling #planning #writerscommunity #typewriter #writerslife #writersblock #screenwriter #typewriterpoetry #writercommunity #literature #ExtraDraft Read the full article

[vizkopa]

Celestial (FallenAngel!Doflamingo x Reader) CHAPTER 5

Chapter 5: The Human Stain ~

You woke that night to the sound of the television blaring downstairs. Sitting up in bed and rubbing your eyes, it took you a moment for your sleep-addled thoughts to catch up and remember you weren’t alone in the house. It had taken you ten years to forget the sound of your father’s footsteps in the halls, of pots banging in the kitchen and the smell of your mother’s pancakes enticing you awake. The sound of late night sitcoms humming in the background while your parents chatted in the living room used to soothe you to sleep, but now the harsh TV audio only unnerved you. Having company again after so long was going to take some getting used to. Grumbling to yourself, you clambered out of bed and made your way downstairs, stopping at the landing to let your eyes adjust to the flickering blue light.

Doffy was seated on the couch, leaning forward as he watched the screen with elbows resting on his knees and his hands folded neatly under his chin. His face was cold and impassive. He hadn’t noticed you yet, eyes forward and fixed on whatever he was watching. From the sounds of it, he had found a news station. You sighed, trudging down the remainder of the stairs to announce your arrival. “For the love of God, Doffy, it’s four o’clock in the morning. Go back to sleep.” He didn’t look up or make any acknowledgement that he had even heard you. You hovered closer. “Doffy?” You almost jumped when he finally spoke. “I do not understand it,” he said, lip curling in disgust at the images flitting across the screen. “Care to elaborate?” He turned to you then, eyes searching for something. “Through all your mistakes, all your faults, you were always Father’s favourite. What does he see in you?” It took you a moment to realise he wasn’t talking about you specifically. You shrugged. “Humans may not be perfect, but we have our moments.” He was silent for a long time “My kind were designed to be the perfect beings—beautiful and terrible and, above all, obedient. And instead Father chose a flawed creation to rule over the Earth.” He gestured to the television. “War, crime, greed, pollution—humans have been left to their own devices for far too long. Your world is corrupted by the stain of your existence. You are destroying yourselves and the planet you inhabit.” “We only do the best we can,” you said quietly. Your eyes turned to the screen, banners scrolling by describing countless atrocities. It had been ten years since you had watched the news. “Trust me, I know better than anyone how awful humans can be. But there is good in this world, you just have to look for it.” “I have been searching for ten thousand years and I still have yet to find any evidence of that.” “Then you haven’t been looking in the right places.” He looked thoughtful for a moment, then turned back to the screen. “You were never meant to become what you are. When the first humans walked the Earth, Father never expected them to rebel, to take the fruit from the Forbidden Tree. I was there that day; I stood witness to His fury.” “You were the one who cast Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, right?” He nodded. “It was less than they deserved,” he snarled. “But Father always had a soft spot for your kind. His pride and joy—He could not bring himself to destroy you, even when my brothers and I urged Him to do so. Instead, He decided to experiment with your newfound knowledge, and with every test He threw your way, you continued to surprise Him. Then, two thousand years ago, He stepped back entirely, granted you free reign over the Earth. And the wound festered.” He turned to you again, a wild glint in his eyes. “How does it feel to know your God has abandoned you?” “Until a few days ago, I didn’t even believe He existed, so…” “But does it not anger you that you are little more than an experiment? That you are just entertainment to Him? He could end world hunger, eliminate disease, stop war in its tracks and yet He refuses to even lift a finger. All because He is so curious to see what you humans will do next. Your fumbling struggle for survival delights and amuses Him.” You searched his face in the dim light. His eyes were so blue they were almost luminous in the darkness. They reminded you of glaciers—cold and unforgiving. “Why are you telling me all of this?” Then realisation dawned on you. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me. You’re jealous.” “What did you say?” “Humans may be flawed, but we have something you’ve never known: free will. You want that. Or else you wouldn’t be here right now.” You didn’t even see him rise from the couch before he was in front of you, expression livid. “You do not know of what you speak, little girl,” he hissed. “I would sooner die than become like you.” You stood your ground, despite the panic alarms sounding in your brain at his proximity. Too late, you realised you had left your pistol upstairs. “I’m right, aren’t I?” you scoffed. “Daddy’s picking favourites and you’re jealous of baby bro who gets all the praise and attention, always forgiven no matter how many times he screws up. You spent so long trying to be the perfect son—obedient, loyal. And for what? Second place?” You were cut off when his fist collided with the wall beside your head and you felt loose plaster trickle down onto your shoulder. You dared not break eye contact to examine the damage. You were far more afraid for your own life than you were for your wall. That could have just as easily have been your face. He leaned in close, the tip of his nose barely centimetres from your own and there was nowhere to look but into those blue eyes burning with malice. “Understand this,” he said, annunciating every word. “You are dirt. I am made in the image of God himself. You are nothing compared to me.” You looked back at him calmly, though you could feel your heart pounding painfully against your ribs. “And yet here you are,” you said coldly. “Amongst the dirt and the worms and the filth of humanity. Best get comfortable, Doffy. Looks like you might be here a while.” He glared at you, teeth clenched so tightly you were afraid they might shatter under the force. A vein throbbed in his forehead. You had gone too far. He stepped closer, your back now pressed against the wall and the heat of his body almost flush with your own. “Do I need to teach you your place?” he hissed. Your composure slipped and the smallest whimper escaped your throat. Your knees grew weak and hot tears prickled at the corners of your eyes. This was where you died. All because you couldn’t keep your stupid mouth shut. But instead of wrapping those long, deadly fingers around your throat, he grinned wide—wicked, maniacal. Demonic. “There it is. The fear. Not so brave without your little peashooter, are you?” How did he know? “Now you understand. You are nothing. You’re not even worth killing.” And with that he stepped away and disappeared down the hall, slamming the door behind him. You didn’t breathe for the longest time. Then finally, when the edges of you vision began to swim and fade to black, you took one great shuddering breath and dropped to your knees on the floor, no longer able to hold yourself upright. You cried silently, tears of anger, of relief. You cursed your own stupidity. And suddenly you wished you had gone on that date with Law the night of the meteor shower. That you had never been there to see the comet fall from the sky, to see the man lying in that crater. A million questions still burned to be answered, but for the first time in your life, you found yourself pushing them away. You didn’t want to know. You didn’t want to be part of this world anymore. The sun was beginning to peek over the edge of the horizon when you finally composed yourself enough to return to your bed, but sleep remained elusive. All you could do was lie wide awake as morning broke, staring at the ceiling and clutching your handgun tightly to your chest. Doffy, despite spilling his guts to you in the early morning hours, was back to his quiet, stoic self once the sun rose and you yourself were more subdued than usual. You found yourself stiffening unconsciously every time he entered the same room and would only relax again once he was gone. He seemed to notice your uneasiness around him—you caught a few hidden smirks in your direction throughout the day, but you refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing you break again. You continued with your schoolwork as usual, albeit more warily and never without the handgun far from your reach. As the morning slowly gave way to afternoon and the day grew warmer, you were beginning to feel restless under his smug scrutiny. You needed to get out of the house. And never come back, you thought to yourself. Oh, how easy it would be to just run and leave it all behind. But you were afraid of what the angel might do if he were left to his own devices. You bit your lip. There was clearly no love lost between him and humans. You didn’t need that kind of weight on your conscious should he act on his hatred in your absence. Your thoughts were interrupted by a loud ping from your phone and you jumped violently. It was a text from Nami. Don’t forget about your date with Law tomorrow night! ;D It pinged again as she sent a follow up. You owe me BIG TIME btw. You groaned inwardly. You had forgotten about the date. How were you supposed to enjoy yourself when all you would be able to think about was the overgrown cherub wreaking havoc in your house while you were away? You briefly entertained the thought of asking Nami to babysit but discarded it quickly. You weren’t sure who would be more dangerous in that situation—the homicidal angel or the red-headed force of nature. No, it was best those two were never put in a room together. You would just have to trust that Doffy would stay put. He was waiting for a messenger after all, he wasn’t stupid enough to leave the only place they knew where to find him. It was either that, or take him along as a third wheel. You snorted as you imagined the look on Law’s face. But the impending date brought up another worry besides what to do with your errant angel: what the hell were you going to wear?! Romance had been the absolute last thing on your mind before Law showed up. You estimated it had been a good four years since you last let someone take you out for dinner and you had the sneaking suspicion the contents of your closet was now severely out-dated. Not only in terms of what was considered fashionable these days, but in dress size as well. You sighed. There was no way around it. You would have to make a trip into town. But what about… You peered over your book at the angel that was now rooting around in your refrigerator for leftovers. He never told you when he was hungry, oh no, that would mean he would be relying on you to feed him and we couldn’t have that. You rolled your eyes. He really was just a seven-foot-tall child with anger issues. No harm in bringing him along with you, surely. He wouldn’t dare start something when his very place in heaven was at stake, right? “Doffy.” He didn’t reply. He never did, but you knew he was listening by the way the muscles in his jaw tightened in annoyance. “I have to go into town to pick up some things. Do you want to come?” You received no reply, no gesture of acknowledgment. You had gotten used to the silent treatment so it came as no surprise, but it still stung. Shutting your book perhaps a little more harshly than you meant to, you stood up, the chair grating noisily against the tiled floor. “Fine. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.” But just as you were putting the keys in the ignition, the sound of the passenger side door opened, startling you to drop your keys down the side of the seat. You glared up at Doffy, who simply ignored you in favour of opening and shutting the air conditioner vents over and over. You rolled your eyes. “Next time, use your words if you want to come with.” No response. Of course. Grumbling to yourself, you dug out your keys from under the seat and started the engine. “Put your seatbelt on. If we get pulled over by the cops, I can’t guarantee I won’t just hand you over to them to get you out of my hair.” Wouldn’t that be nice. Once you were sure he was all buckled in (a concept that took some convincing on your part because “how dare you restrain an Angel of the Lord in such a way!”), you backed slowly out of the driveway and you were on your way. You couldn’t deny you were anxious—hands a little too tight on the wheel, foot a little too heavy on the accelerator. Starfall wasn’t exactly a small town, but it wasn’t very big either, and word travelled fast. The last thing you needed right now were rumours spreading about you and your… whatever Doffy was to you. “Cousin from out of town” was bound to satisfy only the truly apathetic. The drive was silent, Doffy staring blankly out the window and you tapping your fingers mindlessly against the steering wheel, partly in irritation and partly to the almost inaudible beat from the radio you had turned on low just to ease the heaviness between the two of you. You had tried and failed to make light conversation, but after the night before, the angel refused to respond to your prodding, even when you began to lose your patience with him. “Would it kill you stop pretending I don’t exist for just a second!?” you snapped. Silence. Apparently, it would. “And here I thought you loved hearing the sound your own voice,” you muttered under your breath. You gave up on the small talk rather quickly after that. You pulled into the mall carpark and shut off the engine. “Wait here,” you said to Doffy as you gathered your purse and phone. “I won’t be long.” But as you shut the car door behind you, you heard the sound echo from the other side of the car. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath. “Or you could follow me in like a lost puppy, that’s fine too,” you muttered through your teeth. So with the fallen angel trailing behind you, you went about your shopping trip, trying to ignore the numerous pairs of eyes all turned in your direction. Well, it wasn’t necessarily you they were looking at. And you couldn’t quite blame them—Doffy was quite a sight in his unbuttoned shirt and ill-fitting trousers. The abs and the smouldering gaze probably did nothing to help matters either. You tried not to think about the fact he wasn’t wearing any shoes because none you could find came anywhere close to fitting his monstrous feet. Ducking into the first clothing store you could find, you breathed a sigh of relief as the prickling on the back of your neck subsided. Doffy lurked over your shoulder, completely oblivious to the scene he had just caused. “Why are we here?” he hissed. “Hey, you wanted to come. I have a date tomorrow, I need a new dress.” The look on his face told you that he knew he had made a mistake by insisting on coming, but was too proud to admit it. This was becoming a theme with him. “You could have stayed in the car,” you offered. “And sit quiet and oblivious as you sell me out to my enemies? I think not.” “I’m not going to—! You know what, sure. Fine. Go sit over there while I try on some dresses.” Doffy seemed strangely fascinated by the ritual of picking out a dress. His eyes followed you across the floor as you selected a gown, then followed you back again as you entered the dressing room to change. Then lingered on you as you emerged to show off your twirl to the sales assistant. You could feel his heavy gaze on you, but you refused to meet it. To be looked on with contempt was not what your self-esteem needed right now. What you needed was the gorgeous gown you had just slipped on. You turned this way and that in the mirror behind the curtain, chewing your lip. It was sexy, elegant, it hugged your form in all the right ways. You nodded to yourself and pulled back the curtain, stepping out onto the shop floor. “Perfect!” cried the assistant, but for some reason it was not her approval you sought. Finally, you met the piercing blue star from across the room and you stopped. For the first time since you had met him, you saw something more than just disgust in those impossible blue eyes. It was something akin to awe, to admiration, with just a hint of confusion. And then all in an instant it was gone, replaced with the usual contempt and perhaps a touch of anger. Smiling slightly, you turned back to the shop assistant. “I’ll take it,” you said. As you left, you practically had to drag Doffy away from a woman who had set her sights on him. She had her claws in him—literally, her perfectly French-manicured nails creasing the fabric of his sleeve—and though he tried to look disinterested, she refused to take no for an answer. “Did it hurt?” she had asked as she fluttered her impossibly long eyelashes up at him. “Did what hurt?” he had replied, suspicious. “When you fell from Heaven, Hon.” “Considering the fall left me unconscious for two days, I did not have the opportunity to feel pain—” “Okay, Doffy, time to go!” you interrupted, smiling apologetically at the woman as you pushed him out the door. “He’s European,” you told her, hastily. “His English isn’t perfect.” “She knew,” he hissed in your ear as the two of you made you way back to the car. “You told me no one would know.” You laughed. “Oh, no, she was just trying to pick you up.” Doffy only stared at you blankly. “She thought you were hot.” Another blank stare. “She was sexually attracted to you.” That got a reaction. He made a face then fell into deep and silent thought as he tried to grasp the concept. The drive home was just as quiet as the ride over. You didn’t even bother turning on the radio, but hummed to yourself instead. You weren’t sure what had brought on your good mood—Doffy hadn’t treated you any differently since leaving the store—but for some reason you felt as if you had accomplished something, proven something. What though, you couldn’t say. And as you pulled into your driveway, suddenly you felt at peace with your situation. It wasn’t exactly ideal, but it could be worse. You could be dead. All those thoughts went straight out the window the second you stepped into your kitchen. A man stood at its centre, his hulking presence almost reaching the high ceiling. He turned to you, his face split in a wide smile, and spoke, though you did not see his lips move once. “A human, Dophiel? Well, this is certainly a turn of events.”

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 6

[jessicakmatt]

Noise Gates: A Step-by-Step Guide for Cleaner Signals

Noise Gates: A Step-by-Step Guide for Cleaner Signals: via LANDR Blog

Noise. It’s woven into the beautiful audio that we work so hard to record—often not by choice.

Your mix is where you translate your creativity into a polished finished product. The goal for all the individual tracks is to sit well in the mix and sound clear, concise and present…

But noise sabotages that effort. Unwanted noise in your audio signal is one of the most common—and annoying—issues in recording.

So how do you combat nasty noise and ensure that you’re getting a cleaner signal for better overall mixing?

The answer is Noise Gates. When used correctly, noise gates are a powerful tool that allow you to remove noise and other unwanted sounds from your signal.

In this article I’ll show you all you need to know to get started using gates like a pro, including a handy step-by-step guide. Let’s get started!

What Is A Noise Gate?

Noise Gates, also known as gates or audio gates, are a type of dynamic processor that controls the volume of an audio signal. Noise gates lower the volume of a signal when that volume drops below a certain level, called a threshold.

Gates Explained

Noise Gates are part of the same dynamic processors category as your other common mixing tools like compressors, limiters, and de-essers.

Audio Gates come in many different forms: From free plugins to expensive hardware and everything in between.

Gates and compressors, like all dynamic processors, work specifically on the amplitude, or volume, of an audio signal—not the pitch.

Gates and compressors work on similar principles: they both affect volume in relation to a threshold (measured in dB).

Gates and compressors work on similar principles: they both affect volume in relation to a threshold (measured in dB).

However, where compressors attenuate, or lower, any volume that goes above the threshold, gates attenuate any volume that falls below the threshold.

So compressors make the loud parts of a signal quieter (more regular throughout) whereas gates make the quieter parts even more quiet (removing unwanted noise).

Gates work well on any sounds in a signal that may be quieter than the desired sound you are capturing (like a snare, or a tom).

Noise Gates will help remove:

Ambient background noise

Unwanted reverberation

Crosstalk

Static

Small mistakes in performance

Other instruments caught in the recording

Gates get rid of all that and let you shine! So now that you know what they are, and what they fix, here’s how to use them…

Gates work well on any sounds in a signal that may be quieter than the desired sound you are capturing (like a snare, or a tom).

How Noise Gates Work

Think of gates working like, well, real gates! Gates have two basic modes: Open and closed.

When the gate is open audio passes through freely. When the gate is closed, the audio is attenuated.

Whether the gate is open or closed to a specific volume is determined by the threshold. When the signal’s amplitude is less than the amplitude set by the threshold the gate stays closed and keeps that range of signal out. When the signal’s amplitude is greater than the amplitude set by the threshold the gate opens and lets that volume of signal pass freely through the gate.

Simply put, your threshold setting determines what sound gets in and what sound does not.

Open and Closed are the basic modes of operation, but the signal can be further shaped and structured by the different controls of a gate. The basic controls of a gate are:

Threshold (measured in dB): Specifies the point at which the gate opens

Attack (measured in mS): Time that it takes for the gate to open fully once the threshold is exceeded

Hold (measured in mS or S): A minimum amount of time that the gate must stay open after the threshold is exceeded

Release (measured in mS): Time that it takes for the gate to fully close after the signal falls below the threshold. Sometimes also called Decay.

Range (measured in dB): The amount (dB) of signal the gate allows to pass even when it is closed. Rather than eliminating the noise entirely, it can be controlled and limited. It’s also sometimes called the Floor depending on your plugin or gear. Note: Not all gates have this.

Here is what a standard gate looks like in Ableton Live:

Drum Gating: Noise Gates In Action

A classic use of gating is cleaning up a snare recording. When you’re recording live drums, you’ll likely have the whole kit playing/recording simultaneously in a single room. Even with directional mics, you’ll still pick up some of the drums (plus any room noise) in your recording.

So why is this bad? Well, if you want to make edits or add FX to just your snare, you need to isolate that snare in the recording without any of the other drums’ transients. This is where gating comes in!

Once your gate is correctly applied, your snare sound should be isolated from other sounds in the recording and thus more easily manipulated. This use of gating can be applied to any recording or sample you’re working with.

Gating can be applied to any recording or sample you’re working with.

Here’s a handy step-by-step guide to finding your groove with gates.

For this example, I’ll show you how I gated a snare you from the example above, but the same concepts can be applied to any recording or instrument.

How-to Use a Noise Gate in 8 Steps

Step 1: Patch your gate inline

Patch inline. You always patch gates inline, assuming you are using it normally. That means applying the gate directly to the track you want to affect, rather than creating a separate return track. If you’re using a DAW, it’s probably a simple drag and drop!

Step 2: Set Everything at Minimum and Threshold at Maximum

Set all controls to minimum, except the threshold. Leave the threshold at maximum. With these settings all sound will be gated, so you should hear nothing during playback of your recording.

Step 3: Slowly Lower the Threshold

Slowly lower the threshold until signal is passing through the gate. You’ll begin to hear the transient of your snare (or any instrument).

Step 4: Find your Sound

Continue to slowly lower and raise the threshold until you are receiving only the direct sound of the snare, with no other unwanted instruments or noise.

It might sound weird, clicky, and choppy at first — like you’re missing the tails or even body of your sound and maybe hearing mostly only attack. Don’t worry, it’s normal!

Keep shaping and everything will be okay! Step 5-8 is where you’ll bring back the bulk of your signal (and make it sound better) while still keeping it isolated from those unwanted sounds.

Step 5: Set the Attack

The Attack controls the time it takes for the gate to initially move from closed to open.

Raise your Attack until the gate is opening smoothly and the attack of your signal sounds normal and clean.

Listen just for the initial onset of the sound, and find the sweet spot where it sounds good.

Listen just for the initial onset of the sound, and find the sweet spot where it sounds good. Don’t worry about the body or tail of the sound just yet.

Step 6: Set the Hold

Hold is the amount of time the gate remains open before closing again.

Raise the hold until the gate is opening for a sufficient amount of time to capture the entire duration of the signal, as well as any other associated sounds that occur nearby if they are important to the signal’s character and quality.

It takes some practice, but is all about listening.

At this point you should have a clean, isolated (if not slightly unnatural-sounding) signal. It takes some practice, but is all about listening.

Step 7: Set the Release

The Release allows you to control how gently your gate closes. Use your release setting to avoid any abrupt cuts at the end of your audio when the gate closes.

Raise your release until the gate is closing at a rate that allows for your signal to fade to silence with a smooth conclusion, but before the next attack of the instrument occurs.

At this point your signal should sound more natural.

Step 8: Adjust the Floor

The Floor (or Range) function controls how much signal passes through the gate even when it’s closed. This allows you add back in a little (or however much you want) of the noise / background sounds in the original audio, which can help your recording sound a bit more natural.

Raise the Range (on this gate it’s called the Floor) until you feel that the signal is sufficiently isolated, the noise is reduced, and the signal still sounds clear and complete.

Hot Tip: you don’t have to add any back – the Range could be very low, or very high, it all depends on your needs.

So listen close, trust your ears, and noise gate accordingly!

Sounding Great With Gates

If you followed all these steps correctly, you should have a clean, isolated signal that’s free of unwanted noise.

Working with cleaner signals allows you to edit and add FX without affecting other instruments or unwanted noise.

Gates are all about listening to what sounds best to you. Always listen to your tracks in the mix. How a track sits in the mix ultimately determines how any signal needs to be gated.

So listen close, trust your ears, and noise gate accordingly!

Practice, practice, practice on many different types of recordings. Learning how to gate properly will give you cleaner signals. Which means a better mix AND a better master.

The post Noise Gates: A Step-by-Step Guide for Cleaner Signals appeared first on LANDR Blog.

from LANDR Blog http://blog.landr.com/noise-gates/ via https://www.youtube.com/user/corporatethief/playlists from Steve Hart https://stevehartcom.tumblr.com/post/165300286319