#Yamaha Drum Set

[failedrockandroller]

[myeventstore]

Behind the Scenes: Planning a Themed Party

Discover how to plan a themed party with our comprehensive guide. Explore the best themed party ideas, and tips for event lighting rental UAE, and audio-visual rental Dubai.

Introduction

Planning a themed party can be an exciting yet challenging task. Whether it's a New Year's celebration, a birthday bash, or a corporate event, a themed party adds an extra layer of fun and creativity. In the UAE, where events are celebrated with grandeur and flair, knowing how to plan a themed party is essential. This blog post will take you behind the scenes of themed party planning, offering insights, tips, and the best themed party ideas to make your event unforgettable.

Choosing the Perfect Theme

Selecting a theme is the first and most crucial step in planning a themed party. Here are some top themed party ideas to consider:

Hollywood Glamour

Roll out the red carpet and let your guests feel like stars.

Use gold, black, and red color schemes.

Set up photo booths with props for a true Hollywood experience.

Tropical Luau

Transform your venue into a tropical paradise with palm trees and leis.

Serve tropical cocktails and Hawaiian cuisine.

Play island music to set the mood.

Masquerade Ball

Encourage guests to wear masks and elegant attire.

Use dim lighting and candles for a mysterious ambiance.

Plan for a grand reveal at midnight.

Retro 80s

Bright neon colors, big hair, and classic 80s music.

Decorate with vinyl records and cassette tapes.

Consider a dance-off to iconic 80s hits.

Planning and Organization

To successfully plan a themed party, organization is key. Here are the steps you should follow:

Budgeting

Determine your budget early on.

Allocate funds for decorations, entertainment, catering, and rentals.

Venue Selection

Choose a venue that fits your theme and guest list size.

Ensure the venue has the necessary facilities and accessibility.

Invitations

Design invitations that reflect your theme.

Opt for digital invitations to save on costs and reduce waste.

Event Lighting Rental UAE: Setting the Mood

Lighting plays a crucial role in creating the perfect ambiance for your themed party. Consider these options:

Best Lights on Rental in Dubai

From fairy lights to spotlights, the right lighting can transform your venue.

Use color-changing lights to match your theme.

Sparkulars and Special Effects Rental

Add sparkulars for a dramatic effect.

Consider a dry ice machine fog for a mystical atmosphere.

LED Screen Rental in Dubai

Use LED screens to display themed visuals or event highlights.

Great for interactive elements like video montages or live social media feeds.

Audio Visual Rental Dubai: Enhancing the Experience

A high-quality audiovisual setup ensures your party runs smoothly and entertains your guests:

Sound System Rental Dubai

Ensure clear audio for music, speeches, and announcements.

Consider a mixer like the Yamaha MG124CX for seamless sound control.

Extron HDMI Splitter

Useful for events requiring multiple displays, maintaining high-quality visuals.

Best AV Rental Company in Dubai

Partner with a reputable company for reliable service and high-quality equipment.

Entertainment and Music

Music and entertainment are at the heart of any themed party:

Live Performances

Consider hiring a band or a DJ from a reputable disc jockey store.

Use instruments like the Greg Bennett Guitar Avion or an electronic drum set for live performances.

Playlists and Music Themes

Curate playlists that fit your theme.

For a New Year theme, consider a countdown with special effects.

Catering and Beverages

Food and drinks should complement your theme:

Themed Menus

Design a menu that reflects your theme, such as Hawaiian dishes for a luau.

Offer signature cocktails that match your theme's colors and flavors.

Presentation

Use decorative tableware and serving dishes.

Consider interactive food stations for added entertainment.

FAQs

How do I choose a theme for my party?

Consider your interests, the occasion, and your guest list. Popular themes include Hollywood glamour, tropical luau, and masquerade ball.

What is essential for setting the mood at a themed party?

Key elements include the right lighting, such as event lighting rental UAE, and appropriate decorations that match your theme.

How can I ensure high-quality audio and visuals for my party?

Use professional audio-visual rental services in Dubai. Ensure you have a reliable sound system, mixers, and LED screens.

What are some unique entertainment ideas for themed parties?

Consider live music performances, DJ services, and interactive activities like photo booths or dance-offs.

How can I make my party eco-friendly?

Opt for digital invitations, reusable decorations, and locally sourced food. Partner with companies that offer sustainable rental options.

What are the benefits of hiring a professional AV rental company?

Professional AV rental companies provide high-quality equipment, technical support, and ensure your event runs smoothly.

Conclusion

Planning a themed party requires creativity, organization, and attention to detail. By following these tips and incorporating the best themed party ideas, you can create an unforgettable experience for your guests. Utilize the top services for event lighting rental in UAE and audio-visual rental in Dubai to enhance your event. Whether it's a retro 80s bash or a glamorous Hollywood night, make sure your themed party stands out and leaves a lasting impression.

[necnnights]

.・。.・THE INSTRUMENTS OF NEON NIGHTS

inspired by Kasey @plasticflwrs

( I ) Eunbyul is most often spotted with the PRS SE CUSTOM 24. It’s used in the majority of the band’s performances, and has traveled with her to every country Neon Nights has traveled to.

( II ) For studio recordings, she prefers to use the GIBSON LES PAUL STUDIO. It’s one of her more prized possessions, and for that reason, it hardly leaves her bedroom and its case outside of recording sessions.

( III ) She’s the most emotionally attached to the acoustic YAMAHA FS800, which was the first guitar she learned how to play. 

( IV ) Her latest addition is the SCHECTER HELLRAISER, purchased as their music began to take a louder and more aggressive sound. It also looks cooler in their music videos.

( V ) Though it has yet to make an appearance in any of their music, Eunbyul is also a proficient CELLIST. Prior to joining the band, she considered a pursuing a career as a professional symphony musician.

( I ) Hwajung’s current drum kit is the PEARL MASTERS MAPLE in rose gold.

( II ) Her backup kit is her old PEARL EXPORT set. It lives in pieces between the Neon Nights practice room and their apartment.

( III ) Her favorite cymbals are the ZILDJIAN A line. She’d literally die if she had to use the ones that came with the drum set.

( IV ) Hwajung’s drum sticks of choice are the VIC FIRTH AMERICAN CLASSIC 5A. She always carries an extra pair or two, because one of her biggest fears is trying to twirl a stick on stage, dropping it, and losing it forever.

( I ) Yumi’s main bass guitar is the YAMAHA TRBX504 that she's been using since their debut. 

( II ) She tried to upgrade to the YAMAHA BB734A a couple of years ago, but quickly changed her mind. She now uses it only for studio recordings.

( III ) For special occasions—showing off—she plays the YAMAHA TRBX505, the five-string version of her usual bass. 

( I ) Eden owns one keyboard: the YAMAHA CP88. She spends more time singing than playing the piano, so she doesn’t see the point in getting another one. 

( II ) As a child, she learned how to play the piano on her family's STEINWAY AND SONS K52.

( III ) She's also the band’s resident VIOLINIST, having played the instrument from her days as a student in youth symphony.

( IV ) Her electric violin is the YAMAHA SV-200, though she uses it much less than the acoustic one.

( I ) Qiuyun’s first guitar was the FENDER PLAYER STRATOCASTER, recommended to her by Eunbyul, despite Eunbyul not favoring Fenders.

( II ) As she grew more proficient with her instrument, she upgraded to the FENDER AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL II STRATOCASTER, which is now her most-used guitar.

( III ) From time to time, she can also be seen with the IBANEZ PRESTIGE AZ2204NW.

[stevebattle]

"Richie" – Toyota Partner Robot ver. 6 Rolling Type (Drums), Toyota, Japan (2005). "Each individual [robot] will come with a special head design so that we humans can tell the difference at a glance. Richie will be the one who handles the Yamaha drum set, where he is capable of handling the beat with a couple of fully articulated arms and hands alongside a footless foot pedal (ironic, isn’t it?), boasting a total of 16 degrees of freedom." – Toyota Partner Robots plays musical instruments.

[sonicmusicmusings]

Green Grove from the Saturn 3D Blast played on shuffle, and for a short while I legit thought it was a Lost World track... The Saturn soundchip is really good??

Yes! The Saturn was using PCM CD quality audio being read straight from the disc, so composers could use the exact synthesizers they wanted! The Saturn in particular used a Yamaha YMF292 chip that had modes for both FM synthesis and PCM audio, as PCM could take up a lot of space on disc. That 5th-gen era of consoles (PS1/N64/Saturn) was a really experimental time where a lot was happening. (It's also a great Wikipedia rabbit hole to fall into...time to close a couple tabs...)

I've done Act 2, so why don't we cover Act 1?

I do like the soundfont used for this whole soundtrack, it has such a lush and clear sound. The rhythm section is so nicely set up--piano in the background with a bright bass and active drums. There's some low synths in the very back as well that sparkle deep in the mix--like how water can sparkle under moonlight. The melody is a muted but flowing violin synth. The bridge section has some nice chordal movement, followed by a gorgeous piano solo that flows into the turnaround.

Oh, and before I forget--Richard Jacques is the composer on this, and this track quotes a song he would later write for Metropolis Street Racer on the Dreamcast--listen to this, then listen to It Doesn't Really Matter, especially the chorus! The vocals are preformed by T.J. Davis, who also worked with Jacques on the Sonic R soundtrack. I love seeing composer and artist continuity, especially in SEGA!

[frostyyyroyalmilktea]

Nevermore student!Tyler x Thorpe!Reader

This is part 2 of my series. You can find part 1 here. Pt 3 here!

This story is also on ao3

Let me know what you think!

***

Your things arrive in the early afternoon that day and you know yourself well enough to be sure that if you don't deal with unpacking now, you certainly won't do it once the classes start and at some point in the near future your side of the room will turn into pure unmitigated chaos.

Of course to you, it won't be much different from how your room at home usually is at any given moment, but you're sharing space with someone else now and it seems disrespectful to let it get to that state. So you politely decline Bianca’s invitation to go see a movie with her and Yoko and get to work.

Unpacking clothes takes the most time but ultimately everything fits in the closet and there’s even some semblance of order to it. You’re not by any means an organized person so you don't expect it to last, but for now, a win is a win. Next are books and plushies that you put in an open bookcase near your table. Compared to Bianca's side, yours already looks a little spazzy. But you’re not too worried. She doesn't seem like a person who would judge you for that.

It's kind of interesting, actually. Tyler was right when he said she has a certain reputation in Nevermore. But just like with Xavier, when you start to get to know her, you realize she’s very different from the character she's trying to present to the world. Perhaps that's the reason they didn't work out. They were trying to build a relationship between their public personas, while the real people probably felt lonely and not seen.

You retrieve your laptop, a tangle of chargers, your portable speaker, and a few pairs of headphones from the last box, and then, finally, you move to unshackle your baby Yamaha from the layers of bubble wrap. You were initially reluctant to trust movers with it but at the end of the day, it weighed way too much for you to carry, and it was also rather chunky, especially compared to your not-particularly-imposing frame.

After thoroughly examining your synthesizer for any damage, and concluding that there is none to be found, you relax, plug it in, and start playing little bits and pieces of songs you like, as a warm-up

Music is something that never fails to bring you a little peace of mind. You’ve been playing piano since you were four and always liked to learn new songs from the artists you listened to. Sometimes you would learn something you know Xavi or your dad particularly enjoy.

But playing other people’s music, while very fun and enjoyable, is not the end goal. Your dream is to one day write your own music. You already do, as a matter of fact, but you’ve never played it for anyone.

You wonder what kind of music Tyler likes to listen to and as if on their own accord, your hands set the drum rhythm and you find yourself playing the intro to the Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats. For all that he looks like a love interest in a Taylor Swift music video, you feel like Tyler prefers something alternative, more… gritty. You'll make sure to ask him the next time you see him.

You binge half a season of Brooklyn 9-9 and then head out on a journey to find a laundry room, where you meet a sweet little pumpkin named Eugene. He shows you how to operate the washing machines and makes a great pitch about his extracurricular club, but the only things you really know about bees is that they’re an important part of the ecosystem and a song from the Bee Movie soundtrack that you learned to torment Xavier over Christmas break a few years ago. But Eugene is so sweet and so enthusiastic about the whole thing that you don't find it in yourself to turn him down and promise to think about it.

Lunch rolls around you can’t say you’re particularly excited to face the public after Xavier’s dramatics this morning, but a girl has to eat so you women up and drag your ass downstairs.

Thankfully, the dining hall is a lot less crowded than it was at breakfast. Everyone's probably out in Jericho for the day. Bianca and her friends are nowhere to be seen. So is your brother. Unfortunately, so is Tyler.

That last one kinda puts you in a bit of a desolate mood.

You still grab a seat at the corner table and tuck into your chicken wrap. No one seems to pay you much attention aside from a few stray glances. But that's nothing new, both you and your brother aren’t exactly hard on the eyes.

You enjoy your lunch in relative peace until you notice someone staring. A familiar-looking blonde girl looks straight at you from the nearby table. When you meet her eyes, she waves at you enthusiastically. Very enthusiastically. It clicks why she looks familiar when you see who she's sitting with. It’s that little goth girl that got your brother all in his feels.

Oh, this should be interesting. You put on a smile you always use when doing publicity for your dad and wave back at her.

It’s all the encouragement she needs to leap to her feet and head to your table with her friend—who seems decidedly less enthusiastic about the entire affair—in tow.

"Hi! I'm Enid Sinclair. I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan and I'm so glad you're at Nevermore now, and I hope we can become friends."

People often accost you with similar intentions. Usually because of your father's fame, but recently you started gaining some following of your own as well.

Tiktok remains the only social media where your father's PR team can’t usurp control from you—because they're low-key a bunch of old farts and no one seems to understand how to operate it for publicity— so it’s the only social media you have on principle. You post song covers, film cool street buskers, and sometimes videos of you skateboarding. You amassed something around 100k followers which by TikTok standards isn’t really that impressive, but your views are consistent, so in your old school it attracted literally the worst type of people: clout chasers. Making friends became basically impossible. Because that's what you wanted. Friends. Not an entourage.

But this girl, you’re surprised to find, doesn’t seem like the type. She’s genuine in her excitement and just wants to be friends with someone she thinks is cool. It’s heartwarming and you don’t even notice when your publicity smile turns into a sincere one.

You extend your hand for a handshake. "Pleasure to meet you, Enid. And who’s the shadow of perpetual doom behind you?

"Wednesday. Wednesday Addams." She introduces herself, giving you a scrutinizing look. And wow, does she not blink?

Yeah, Xavier has no business giving you shit for your taste in boys when he’s in love with little miss American Psycho.

"Do you girls want to sit down? I'm not done with my lunch so you could keep me company if you want?"

"Sure!” Enid exclaims excitedly, already pulling a chair for herself.

Wednesday hesitates for a moment but ultimately takes a seat as well.

"Have you already decided what elective classes you're gonna-" starts Enid.

"How do you know Tyler Galpin?" Wednesday cuts her off. Which first, rude . And second, what does she care?

"I don't really. We met yesterday, when I arrived. He helped me haul my luggage to the top floor, "you reply between bites.

"You sat with him at breakfast."

Alrighty, you didn't realize it was an interrogation, but sure, why not?

"Well, I saw a familiar face, he was sitting there alone and he helped me out yesterday, so I thought why not." You try to keep your irritation at bay, but don’t completely succeed. Not that it makes any difference, because this girl clearly doesn’t like reading social cues.

"You don’t what he really is. He-"

"Right." You cut her off with an eye roll. "I heard that spiel already and I have eidetic memory so I don’t need an encore."

"The existence of eidetic memory is not proven by the psychiatric community," Wednesday says defiantly.

"It’s also not disproven, and since it relies heavily on the personal perception of an individual, there is no way to do either, really."

This puts you in a verbal stalemate of a sort and the atmosphere becomes quite heavy, but you just sip your tea nonperturbed.

Enid scrambles to change the subject.

"Have you heard Taylor Swift's new album already? Did you like it?"

You turn all your attention to her, clearly dismissing the previous topic of conversation. "Girl, you kidding? Of course, I did! It's brilliant, not that I expected anything less."

A muscle in Wednesday’s jaw twitches. Whether it’s because of the new topic or because you didn’t concede, you have no way of knowing.

"Ooooh," Enid squeals. "Do you plan on doing any covers? Your cover of No Body No Crime was sooo good, by the way. I got like actual chills."

"It was probably just the draft from the window you insist on keeping open at all times,” deadpans Wednesday.

"Yeah, to air out the smell of formaldehyde," Enid grumbles under her breath.

You have no idea what exactly your brother sees in Wednesday that makes him go yes, this is a perfect girl to be romantically interested in, and at this point, you’re getting more and more confident you don’t want to find out.

"You're so sweet, Enid. Thank you," you say. "I've actually really been vibin’ with Anti-Hero recently, so I'll probably do a cover soon."

Enid looks at Wednesday, then back at you, wheezing in delight. How can someone so small contain so much energy and enthusiasm you have no idea.

Wednesday seems a bit irritated, which given her general lack of emotional responses probably means that she’s in fact hella irritated. She clearly doesn't like to share her friend’s attention, so just to be petty you pull out your phone and ask: "Babes, what's your username? I'll follow you so we can be friends and send each other stuff. By the way, have you seen the new dance going around from this Netflix show? We could totally do a collab on that. I mean, I’m not much of a dancer myself, but it doesn't look too complicated."

Enid looks like she’s about to faint from trying not to shriek like a banshee in excitement. "It’s @ xoxoenid, your most reliable source for gossip in Nevermore."

Then she freezes in panic and as the page loads up on your phone, you see that she already made a few videos about you.

"I didn't say anything bad, I swear! But people were talking about why you and Xavier were arguing and why you were with Tyler… I can totally take it down if you want," she gets out hurriedly in one breath.

Wednesday, once again, looks peeved.

"It's cool, En. Don't worry about it. People gonna talk anyways I don't really care about that."

En, she mouths, looking a little starstruck.

You finish your lunch under Wednesday's scrutinizing glare while Enid talks a mile a minute, giving you a rundown on everyone's drama that you can't possibly follow because it's way too many new names at the same time.

When you're done, you make your goodbyes, wishing the two of them a great day. Or a terrible one, you add with a wide grin, looking at Wednesday. Whichever they’d prefer.

***

In the evening you make your way from Weems' office with a copy of your schedule and a signed referral from your therapist back home.

Most kids from Nevermore that go to therapy are referred to Dr. Kinnbot in Jericho but since your brother is already seeing her, it's unethical for her to see you too. So now you’re going to spend an hour and a half every Saturday driving to a bigger city to see a different therapist. From what Weems told you, he seems to be a good fit for you as he specializes in outcast psychology. But you’ll only know for sure after you’ve had a few sessions with him.

The way to get to Weems’ office from Persephone Hall is a bit complicated. You have to go down the stairs, exit the building, then walk around the building and re-enter it in a different wing. Of course, most people can just use the roof because it also has two exits, and this way you don’t need to go up and down the stairs a million times, which saves a lot of time. But most people aren’t dreadfully afraid of heights.

Well, you won’t be driving because you don’t have a license. You never really needed one back home and now some poor guy got stuck driving you because he’s also seeing the same doctor. Eh, at least he’ll have someone to chip in for gas. And both of you get an hour of free time in the city with an actual mall. Not to mention you have a dazzling personality, so come to think of it, he’s actually lucky to have you, all things considered.

When your powers manifested for the first time, you thought that it must be some kind of mockery from the universe. To give powers like that, to someone who has both acrophobia and aerophobia. Who could even come up with a joke that twisted?

You wrap yourself tighter in your winter coat against a gust of cold wind. You're almost by the main door when you see a cat. A chubby black cat with golden eyes that literally glow in the evening dark. He—you don’t actually know if he’s a he but you’re a native french speaker and calling animals it just doesn’t sit right with you—looks expectantly like he’s been waiting here for the longest time and you’re late and now he’s judging you for tardiness.

You come closer but as soon as do that, he turns around and proceeds to gracefully walk toward the creepy forest.

When you just stand there, dumbfounded, he turns around with a demanding meow and you really don’t feel like you have any other option than to follow him.

About fifteen minutes later, when you lose sight of that bossy cat and you don’t know where you are and can’t even locate the direction you came from, you think that this is just another joke at your expense from the universe. Your dad always says that one can not ignore the signs from the universe, as it is a path of lost opportunities. But right now, you feel like maybe you’re just illiterate and don’t read those signs correctly or something.

You hear the snow crunch behind you and then a snap, probably a twig. You turn around and see… well something.

You try not to panic and take out your phone to text your brother, even if it means a lecture and I told you so the size of the Jupiter. Ugh, you really don’t want to give his ego a boost of this proportion.

You've seen werewolves before and it looks a little bit like one, but at the same time, it doesn't. It looks more like someone tried to draw a werewolf from memory. The creature is bigger than a were but at the same time less proportional, its upper body longer and wider than the lower. Its face has more human traits than those of an animal, but something’s still a little off: its eyes and forehead are unproportionally big compared to the rest of the head.

You have no idea what the fuck it is you’re looking at and whether it's dangerous. A rule of thumb with anything of that size is usually to avoid at all cost. But it’s probably a little too late for that.

It's not attacking, but then again, you're just standing there not moving. If you run, there's a good chance it'll trigger its predator instinct. And there’s no way you can outrun it.

So you just stay where you are. Looking at it. And it also stays where it is. Looking at you.

You can't tell how sentient it is but it seems like it's thinking about something. Hopefully not about late dinner.

Its eyes, you notice, have a reddish tint to them and you think that should creep you out but for some reason it makes you think of pomegranates of all things.

The woods are very quiet. The only sounds you can really make out are its breathing and your own.

An absurd thought pops into your head then. The acoustics here must be great. You remember your vocal mentor, Ms. Welch, telling you that to really perfect acapella, you need to practice in open spaces.

And in what can only be a bout of temporary insanity, that's what you decide to do. Sing.

You take a deep breath not yet knowing what exactly it's going to be, but surprisingly, the words find you easily enough, and from then on, the whole thing just feels like an out-of-body experience.

“I've heard there was a secret chord”

The beast looks taken aback by you breaking this unspoken staring game.

“That David played, and it pleased the Lord”

It looks confused at first, then curious. Doesn't look like it’s gonna tear you to pieces at least, so you let your voice pick up a little volume.

“But you don't really care for music, do you?

It goes like this

The fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah”

The creature makes the tiniest move forward as if chasing your voice.

It startles you and, instinctively, you pull back and the creature immediately mirrors you, looking as if it's scared of scaring you. Scared that you'll stop singing.

You go through the chorus with a shaky voice, but it looks like whatever this thing is, it doesn't want to attack you, so your voice evens out and the next verse sounds way steadier.

"Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you"

Maybe the irony of singing that line to a mesmerized creature in the moonlight wouldn't be lost on you if all your thinking capabilities weren't paralyzed by primal fear, but alas.

As to why you do what you do next, you honestly have no fucking idea. Maybe you’re more fucked in the head than people give you credit for. Like, way more.

“She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah”

You take a step forward.

“Hallelujah”

Then another one.

“Hallelujah”

And one more.

“Hallelujah”

There is maybe a foot separating the two of you at best.

And somewhere in the back of your mind, you can hear a distant howl of your self-preservation instincts.

But the thing is.

You’re as mesmerized by this creature as it is by you.

It just seemed so sentient, its eyes so… intent.

And the closer you get to it, the more your fear dissipates.

And not only the immediate one, but the old and rusty one too, that felt like it was following you for months. Since the day your powers awakened, you realize suddenly.

“Maybe I've been here before

I know this room, I've walked this floor

I used to live alone before I knew you

I've seen your flag on the marble arch

Love is not a victory march

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah”

“Hallelujah”

The creature gets on four paws before you.

“Hallelujah”

Takes a deep breath.

“Hallelujah”

Then another one.

“Hallelujah”

And then it lies down at your feet.

You're so shocked you think you might’ve messed up the order of the verses.

“Maybe there's a God above

And all I ever learned from love

Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you”

You crouch in front of it and carefully extend your hand towards its… face?

“It's not a cry you can hear at night

It's not somebody who's seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah”

“Hallelujah”

Your first touch is feather-like, but when you're sure it doesn't want to bite your hand off, you gently stroke the top of its head.

“Hallelujah”

It closes its eyes and puts its head on its front paws.

“Hallelujah”

The forest is quiet once again and you look at the creature's calm form, just lying there like a big tired doggo.

Its skin starts to shift and bones start to rearrange themselves as you're watching the creature take a distinctly human shape. It takes you a good half a minute after it's done to realize that you know this human.

Shit.

***

Tyler

His consciousness returns slowly, all senses a bit muffled still. He’s in the forest, it’s dark and he doesn’t remember how he got here. Fuck.

After Thornhill's death, it feels like he lost all the control he had over the Hyde.

You've never had any control, he reminds himself sharply.

He takes a deep breath, recalling what his new therapist told him. You need to learn to reign in the Hyde on your terms, Tyler, not relearn what was forced on you. It will take time and patience. Be kind to yourself. Yeah, right.

“Umm, Tyler? You alright, dude?”

What?

“Oh shit, you’re like, butt-ass naked, oh my goodness.”

He opens his eyes and sees someone—presumably the owner of the voice—hastily pulling off a winter coat.

A girl?

She turns to look at him for only a second as she throws her coat in his direction and then turns her back to him once again.

Oh shit. He knows this face pretty well. He was shamelessly staring at it all morning.

“I swear I didn’t see anything and if I did I honestly can’t do anything about it because of my eidetic memory, but I promise I will never-” she starts rambling so fast he can barely understand what she’s saying.

“Y/n,” he asks, voice still hoarse. “Please stop talking.”

“Oh,” she pauses, “Sure sure sure, yeah. No problemo. Can totally do that, yeah.”

He gets up slowly and picks up the coat from the ground. He’s covered in dirt and the coat he picks up is light pink so he’ll probably mess it up, but he can’t just walk home naked like he did all those times before because he’s not alone now. Create new patterns for the Hyde to follow, Dr. Shin’s voice echoes in his head. Tyler doubts that’s what he meant when he said it, but whatever.

The coat thankfully is long enough to reach his knees, so he zips it up and tells y/n’s back: “Okay, I’m decent.”

She stops pacing and in mere seconds she’s in front of him, taking his face in her hands, presumably to check for any injuries. Her hands are warm and gentle and he can’t find anything to say, too shocked not only that she didn’t run but that her first concern is whether he is alright.

“You’re a bit dirty, but I don’t see any injuries, so I think you’ll live.” She carefully takes her hands off his face and awkwardly shoves them into the pockets of her jeans, like she doesn’t know where else to put ‘em.

“What happened? What are you doing here?” When he came to he was scared half to death he might’ve hurt her, but she seems unharmed and—what’s more baffling—unafraid, so now he’s just straight up confused.

“I was walking from Weems’ office and there was this cat- Wait a sec, you don’t remember what happened when you were all…” she imitates the claws with her hand, “rawr?”

“No.” Not anymore, not after Thornhill’s death. The thought that one of these days he might wake up in someone’s blood terrifies him.

“Oh.”

“What did you- How did you make me shift back?” Dr. Shin says he needs a point of contact with his human side that he can rely on to pull him out from the shift, but where the fuck is he supposed to find it if everyone he knows looks at him like he’s a ticking time bomb even when he’s perfectly human-looking.

“Ummm, I sang you Rufus Wainwright’s rendition of Hallelujah?” She says like she almost can’t believe it herself.

Tyler certainly can’t.

“You…sang to me?”

“Yeah, Rufus Wright’s rendition of Hallelujah, the one from Shrek, keep up, dude.”

He takes a breath to say something but the words do not come. He has no idea what to even say to that.

“Do you know how to get out of here?” She asks. “Cuz I kinda followed a cat here, so I don’t really know which way I came from.”

“Uhhh yeah, we need to keep to the northwest,” Tyler replies dumbly.

She looks at him unimpressed, “Babe, do I like a fucking girl scout to you? I don’t know what that means.”

And maybe it’s such a brazen use of that word that does it, or it’s that he’s only about 50% sure this is not some weird dream he’s having after eating too much sugar before bed, but he just grabs her hand and silently starts walking towards the dorms.

If she’s surprised by this turn of events, she doesn't show it, just goes with it like it’s the most normal thing on earth.

After a few minutes, she wrangles her hand so that their fingers intertwine and they’re like actually holding hands. Tyler feels his face heat up and hopes desperately that it won’t be visible in this cold.

“Could you slow down a bit please,” she asks, slightly out of breath. “I can’t keep up with you and if I keep breathing in cold air like an old asthmatic dog, I’ll get pneumonia.”

“I’m sorry,” Tyler says, slowing down a little.

They walk in silence for a while and Tyler expects her to start firing questions any second now but they can already see the outline of the main building in the distance and she still hasn’t asked.

“It’s called a Hyde. That thing you saw. No one knows for sure if I will ever be able to control it.”

“Hm,” she says thoughtfully, “You seemed pretty in control to me.”

He freezes. “What?”

“Like, when you were listening to me. It seemed like you didn’t want to scare me and one time you did, you backed off immediately.”

They keep walking, silent again.

When they reach the side of the main building, Tyler stops, letting go of her hand. “We’re here.”

“Cool, thanks for walking me back,” she says, smiling at him like it was just a cute little walk in the park.

He can’t take not understanding it.

“Why aren’t you freaked out?” He asks desperately. Something in him twists painfully like she just doesn’t understand. Like he’s deceiving her somehow, and he just needs to explain that he is a monster, he is dangerous, and then she’ll run from him like she’s supposed to. Like everyone else does.

But she doesn’t. She looks up at him curiously, and in the moonlight, her eyes seem so dark, so captivating, that he kind of forgets what was it he was asking her.

“You didn’t hurt me, didn’t even try to. That’s all I really need to know, Tyler.” She says calmly.

He just looks at her, not able to tear his eyes—or form a cohesive thought.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at breakfast. Save me a sit?” she asks softly like there’s some real possibility someone except her will want to sit with the local machiavellian monster.

“Sure,” is all he can really manage.

“Cool.” She says, then gets on her tiptoes and kisses his cheek. “Goodnight, Tyler.”

His cognitive functions decide to leave him at that moment so he doesn’t say anything, just stands there like one of the statues from Easter Island and watches her sneak into the dorm’s building.

***

Author’s note:  I hope characterization doesn't seem inconsistent, I'm just trying to highlight that how other characters see MC is not exactly how she really is. She presents a more collected picture that what's actually going on in her brain. I was a bit worried I overdid it in the forest scene, but in the end I decided that Tyler is too flustered himself to pick up on her little tells that she's freaking out, and after seeing him naked she's totally freaking out lol

[cherrylng]

Gears & Playing Analysis - Dominic Howard As a Drummer [STYLE Series #004 - Muse (August 2010)]

Pic: The ‘Starclassic Mirage’ from TAMA used on tour after the release of Black Holes and Revelations. It was only available in the USA at the time, and together with the white painted hoops and rugs, it made a big impact. Many people may remember the tour in Japan in March 2007 using this kit. Dom says: ‘The reason I used it was 50% for the sound and 50% for the look (laughs)’. pic: Jo Hale/Getty Images

Dominic Howard As a Drummer A drummer to love, combining great taste and technique. Text: NISHIMOTO Isao

When discussing the sound of Muse, the focus is often on Matthew Bellamy's guitar, but fans will know that Dominic Howard's drumming is also a must-see/listen. Dom has been featured on the cover of international drum magazines, and not just because he's the drummer in a big-name band. It's not just his playing and the instruments he uses that make him stand out from the crowd, it's also the way he never stops moving forward, always striving for new sounds.

Let's start by looking at the instruments Dom uses. He is left-handed, so his drum set-up is opposite to that of a right-handed drummer, which is also a major feature of his appearance. When he was an amateur, he had trouble using the drums of his opponents as they were, but on the contrary, this gave him an excuse to bring his own drums and set them up at the front of the stage. Dom recalls, ‘Thanks to that, no one complained when I kicked over the drums at the end of the show’ (‘MODERN DRUMMER’, January 2010).

The set-up itself is the standard rock drummer configuration of one bass/one tom/two floor, which has remained consistent since the band's early days. Live, until the tour after the release of Black Holes and Revelations, the band mainly used TAMA's ‘Starclassic’ series. However, the instruments themselves seemed to be frequently replaced as they often destroyed the set. He also used drums from various manufacturers such as DW, Peavy Gretsch, Pearl and Yamaha, which can be seen in their music videos.

On the other hand, the equipment used for recording has changed considerably from album to album. In the early days, the aforementioned ‘Starclassic’ series was mainly used, but for Absolution and Black Holes, a set of several manufacturers was used depending on the song. This included Raddick Vistalite toms, famous for their transparent shells. Dom himself had acquired these on eBay, and said they were almost all the toms heard in Black Holes. The unique rough sound of the acrylic shell, in the good sense of the word, was to his liking at the time, and he also used an acrylic shell ‘Starclassic’ on the following tour. The transparent shells also looked good on stage with the flashy lighting and visuals.

A major change in Dom's equipment came with the recording of The Resistance. The band spent a lot of time creating the sound in a studio they had set up themselves, and after comparing various types of drums, they chose DW's ‘Collector's Maple’ series. Dom was fascinated by the well-balanced sound that extended from low to high frequencies, and used a drum set from this series on tour after the album's release. This was a major change from the previous two albums, when he used different instruments for recording and live performances. Live, the toms and snares are fitted with Roland V-Drums trigger pickups to recreate the sampled sound of the studio sources.

Pic: The latest set-up from the ongoing tour. Custom-finished DW ‘Collector's Maple’ series, with the company's exclusive ‘Vertical Low Timbre’ (VLT) specification. The shell is moulded so that the grain runs vertically up and down, giving it a more powerful low frequency range and a crisp attack than normal shells (where the grain is horizontal). pic: Andy Sheppard/Redferns/Getty Images

Another distinctive feature of Dom's set-up is the gong drum, which is placed to the right of the hi-hat (to the left when viewed from the audience). First used on ‘Map of the Problematique’ from Black Holes, the large-diameter drum, which is used to carve out a heavy bass pattern, is a ‘hand-played bass drum’, so to speak. It was also a regular product of TAMA, who endorsed it at the time, so it seems to have been introduced smoothly. The current DW kit also incorporates a slightly larger version by special order.

As for cymbals, the band used Sabian in the Showbiz period, but consistently used Zildjian from Origin of Symmetry onwards. The set-up of an orthodox combination of hi-hat/ride/two crashes, plus effect cymbals such as splashes and china, has also remained constant (although the size and type of cymbals have changed slightly).

Percussion has also been actively introduced, most notably the ribbon crusher (a small percussion instrument made from a stack of long, thin metal plates) set next to the toms. Recently, a tambourine has also been set beneath it, adding a splash of colour. On the tour of The Resistance, he played timpani in Exogenesis: Symphony Part 1. The sight of him strumming it in a Gachapin costume during his visit to Japan in January this year (2010) is still fresh in the memory. Including other percussion instruments that were used in spots during live performances and recordings, the number of instruments used is quite large.

Let's now turn to Dom's playing side. The omnivorous nature of Muse's music applies directly to his drumming style, with a variety of approaches ranging from big, heavy beats to dance-beat grooves and more relaxed, brush-based playing. His love of hip-hop and Iron Maiden as a young boy is also an indication of the source of his current flexible playing.

One of Dom's most characteristic phrasing is his Ex-1 style of playing, in which he hits the crash cymbals like a ride at the climax of a song. This is not an uncommon approach, but it is interesting to note that some drummers do it while others do not, and Dom uses it so frequently that there are no end of concrete examples. Another of Dom's specialities is the effective incorporation of toms into rhythm patterns, and phrases like Ex-2, for example, can be heard in a variety of songs. Such phrases require him to hit multiple toms while moving them precisely, but he never wavers in his core, swinging his stick up cleanly and clearly shooting each note. The tightness achieved by this kind of crisp strumming is also a major feature of his drum sound. Another related example is Ex-3, a fast and sharp fill-in using triplets to sextuplets. This phrase is often used by technical drummers in the hard rock and heavy metal style, but the fact that he can play this kind of thing without hesitation is what makes him so appealing.

Combining a sense for deft phrasing in almost constant settings with athleticism, Dom is not only integral to Muse's wide-ranging musicality, but is also, from an enthusiast's point of view, ‘a drummer's drummer to love’. Keep an eye on his playing as he continues to move forward with the band's evolution.

Translator's Note: And with that, we're finally done with Gears & Playing Analysis. For that, for the next part, we're going to find out... 100 albums to understand Muse.

That, is going to be a very long recommendation to sift through.

[severinageto]

It was February 2006. Nanami and Haibara had just arrived, and Suguru, who took his senpai role very seriously, was worried they might have nothing to do in their free time. On a very rainy day, he asked Satoru to show him the academy’s music room. Gojo couldn’t care less if the kohai were bored, but he never missed a chance to be close to Suguru. He took him to the room, and just as they entered, a loud thunderclap cut the power.

“I know I shouldn’t do this, but I need to see what’s here,” Suguru said, summoning a small flying curse that emitted soft lights in different colors. “Oh, Satoru, look at all this! We could form a quartet!” he exclaimed excitedly.

“But you’re Mr. ‘I was in every club at school.’ You organize it.”

Satoru immediately regretted being so snarky but didn’t apologize. He was nervous. Sometimes, he didn’t know how to act around Suguru without overthinking everything. Luckily, Suguru ignored his comment. Gojo watched him for a couple of minutes. He looked amused and interested, his curse following and illuminating him. Satoru noticed that when Suguru found an instrument he liked, the light turned yellow. His favorite color. It made Satoru feel warm inside, and he wanted to know more about this side of his friend.

“What instrument do you play? Because you obviously play one,” Satoru asked, pretending to be cool by looking at his nails.

“Cello.”

Suguru kept examining the room. The rain was getting heavier, the thunders drumming on the windows. A few minutes passed, and Satoru wasn’t sure what to say. He just stood there with a poker face.

“What about you? Do you play anything?” Suguru asked suddenly. Satoru felt embarrassed. He looked more handsome than ever in that light, the jerk.

“Yeah.”

Silence. A flash of lightning lit up the room.

“So? What do you play?” Suguru asked, without looking at him, right before another thunderclap. He was examining a clarinet with a mix of curiosity and irritation. Weird combo, but Satoru had accepted that his friend was wonderfully weird, at least around him.

“Everything. I mean, I can do everything well.”

Suguru snorted.

“So humble, Satoru.”

“No, that’s not it! It’s my Six Eyes. It’s just that—”

“It’s fine, you don’t have to explain. But even if everything comes easy to you, I imagine you have a favorite instrument.”

“Piano” Satoru said without hesitation, looking at the grand instrument in the middle of the room. Suguru smiled at him, set the clarinet aside, and leaned against the wall.

“That Yamaha shouldn’t be gathering dust when we have a virtuoso like you here.”

Gojo blushed. He knew what Suguru was going to say, but he never played for anyone, ever. He stared at the floor. His body wanted to flee the situation, but his Six Eyes told him this was the right place to be.

Suguru sought his gaze. Another flash of lightning, another thunderclap.

“Would you play for me?”

“I don’t play for anyone. Not even my mom.”

Geto sat on the piano bench and played a few random notes.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. I was just trying my luck. Maybe I’d be lucky enough to hear you play.”

Hearing that, Gojo sat beside Suguru, nudging him. Their shoulders touched, and their hands brushed. Geto laughed, took off Satoru’s glasses, and looked into his eyes. The albino looked away, his fingers moving towards the keys almost against his will. He couldn’t resist those disguised compliments Suguru always gave him. He wanted to play for him and only him because, apparently, Suguru was the exception to all his rules.

“Any special requests?”

“Whatever you want, Satoru.”

Gojo took a deep breath. Using his long, skillful fingers as instruments, his soul began to play Debussy’s Clair de Lune. He kept his eyes closed the whole time, focusing not just on the notes and tempo but on feeling Suguru’s cursed energy, which enveloped him like a force field until their breathing and heartbeats synchronized. His fine ear heard only the tension of the strings and the rain. No confusing or insecure thoughts, just his fingers doing what his Six Eyes commanded. Playing for Suguru felt natural and beautiful, like he was born to do it.

When he finished, Gojo found himself smiling. It had been a long time since he felt so relaxed.

“Satoru… Why did you play that?”

Gojo opened his eyes. Suguru was looking at him, blushing and emotional. The curse emanated a strong yellow light, just above them. Geto looked more beautiful than ever.

“Because that’s what I hear when I see you, Suguru,” he said, staring at the floor. He was about to say something cheesy for the first time in his life and couldn’t bear to look at him. “My life was like walking through a dark forest, covered by trees that blocked everything… until I saw you, with your silly bangs. You lit everything up with a color that was new to me. I started seeing things differently, and most things stopped being boring. Actually, being by your side, nothing is boring. Since I’ve known you, I’ve been able to tell you everything, and even though you judge me too much, you just listen and accept me, making me feel light; the weight of being the bearer of the Six Eyes disappears when I’m with you. That’s why, to me, Suguru, you’re ethereal and… beautiful. Like the moonlight”

Geto caressed one of his cheeks.

“No one’s ever said anything like that to me before. Do you like me, Satoru?”

Gojo clenched his fists and tensed up. There was no turning back. He wouldn’t chicken out now.

“Yeah. Enough to say all those stupid cheesy things.”

“Look at me.”

Satoru obeyed and saw Suguru smiling with his whole body. Gojo swallowed hard and started to shake. He had never been so nervous in his life. And he would never, ever forget that particular smile.

“If I’m like the moonlight to you, then you’re the sun to me. You give me life, Satoru. You saved me. And I like you a lot. Too much. Enough to get emotional over your stupid cheesy words.”

Satoru could barely breathe. Suguru took his hands and began to caress them. They looked at each other, dazed, for a few minutes.

“Does this mean we’re gay? What do we do now, Suguru?”

“I guess, but who cares? I’ve wanted to kiss you for a long time. Can I?”

“Okay, yes. Please, yes. Yes, yes,” Satoru replied, nodding rapidly.

Suguru let out a soft laugh and then gently kissed Satoru’s lips. When Satoru opened his mouth more, Geto pulled back.

“What?! What did I do wrong?!” Gojo shouted, panicking.

“Shh! Nothing, idiot. It’s just that…” Suguru indicated his pants. “Well, I’m embarrassed to make a mess here. Maybe we should go to my room.”

“Why do you think we’ll make a mess? And it’s more romantic here, with the piano and the rain and your firefly curse.”

“Do you think we can control ourselves if…”

“Bah, I didn’t think you were a man of little discipline.”

Suguru smiled, grabbed Gojo by the uniform collar, and kissed him, slowly slipping his tongue into the albino’s mouth. Satoru, a bit inexperienced, remembered some things Shoko had read to him from her magazines and thought he might try them. He stopped kissing Suguru and started licking his neck, first timidly with the tip of his tongue and then like he was eating the sweetest ice cream. Suguru began to moan, and Satoru, as he got drunk on the scent of Suguru’s nape, thought there was no more sensual sound in the universe. He grabbed Suguru’s ponytail and let his hair down, then kissed him again, now being the first to shove his tongue down Suguru’s throat. Geto pushed Satoru to the ground and sat on top of him, lowering his hands to touch the albino’s erect penis. He started to laugh.

“Wow, who would have thought, Gojo Satoru.”

The Six Eyes, also laughing, grabbed Geto’s hips and pulled him tightly against his body.

“Does it surprise you, stupid?”

“You always surprise me.” Suguru slowly approached Satoru’s face and touched the tip of his nose with his. “That’s why I love you, Satoru.”

Gojo’s mouth dropped open for a few seconds.

“YOU LOVE ME?!” he shouted just as the power came back on, so he could see more clearly how Suguru’s skin turned red like a tomato.

“Only you can be intense?” Geto had covered his face with both hands. “Of course I love you, you idiot,” he continued, still covering his face.

Satoru laughed and pulled his hands away from his face. He kissed him tenderly and then hugged him. They stayed silent for several minutes.

“Satoru?” Geto asked timidly. “Do you…?”

“You already know that I do. Even before I did".

Suguru kissed him on the cheek, stood up, and then offered his hand. “Let’s go to my room. I want to make a big mess with you.” Gojo took his hand and felt that, in that precise moment, he had truly begun to live. From then on, nothing would ever be the same. His existence now had a purpose: to drown himself in those purple eyes whenever he could. And along the way, make every possible mess together.

*** Español.

Era febrero del año 2006. Nanami y Haibara habían recién llegado y a Suguru, como se tomaba muy en serio el rol de senpai, le preocupaba que no tuvieran nada qué hacer en su tiempo libre. Un día muy lluvioso, le pidió a Satoru que le mostrara la sala de música de la academia. A Gojo le importaba un pepino que los kohai se aburrieran, pero no perdía oportunidad de estar cerca de Suguru. Lo llevó al aula y, cuando entraron, al mismo tiempo que un fuerte trueno, se cortó la luz del lugar.

— Sé que no puedo hacer esto, pero necesito ver qué hay acá. — Suguru había llamado una pequeña maldición voladora, que emitía tenues luces de distintos colores. — ¡Oh, Satoru, mira todo esto! ¡Podríamos organizar un cuarteto! — exclamó emocionado.

— Pero si tú eres el señor "uy yo era parte de todos los clubes en mi escuela." Organízalo tú.

Satoru se arrepintió inmediatamente de haber sido tan pesado, pero no se disculpó. Se había puesto nervioso. A veces no  sabía como actuar alrededor de él sin sobrepensar todo. Por suerte, Suguru hizo caso omiso de su comentario. Gojo Lo observó un par de minutos. Se veía divertido e interesado, su maldición lo seguía y lo iluminaba. Notó que cuando encontraba un instrumento de su agrado, el color de la luz era amarillo. Su color favorito. Le causó ternura y quiso saber más de esa faceta de su compañero.

— ¿Qué instrumento tocas? Porque obviamente tocas.— le preguntó Satoru, mirándose las uñas para hacerse el cool.

— Violoncello.

Suguru seguía examinando el lugar. Llovía cada vez más fuerte y las gotas repicaban en las ventanas. Pasaron un par de minutos y Satoru no sabía si decir algo. Solo estaba parado, con cara de poquer mientras pensaba qué decir.

— ¿Y tú? ¿Tocas? — le preguntó Suguru de pronto. Satoru se avergonzó. Se veía más guapo que nunca con esa luz, el muy estúpido.

— Sí.

Silencio. Un destello de luz iluminó el salón.

— ¿Y bien? ¿Qué tocas? — le preguntó Suguru, sin mirarlo, justo antes de que resonara el trueno. Examinaba un clarinete con atención y su tono al preguntar fue entre curioso y fastidiado. Extraña mezcla, pero Satoru ya había aceptado que su compañero era, al menos con él, maravillosamente extraño.

— Todo. Es decir, puedo hacer todo bien.

Suguru bufó.

— Qué humilde, Satoru.

— ¡No, no es eso! Son mis seis ojos. Lo que pasa es que--

— Está bien, está bien. No tienes que explicarme. Pero aunque todo se te de fácil, imagino que...— Geto se volvió a mirarlo. —...debes tener un instrumento favorito.

— Piano. — dijo Satoru sin dudarlo, a medida que miraba el imponente instrumento que estaba al medio de la sala. Suguru le sonrió, dejó el clarinete de lado y se apoyó en la pared.

— Ese Yamaha no puede estar ahí juntando polvo si tenemos un virtuoso como tú acá.

Gojo enrojeció. Sabía lo que le diría, pero él no tocaba para nadie, nunca. Fijó su mirada en el suelo. Su cuerpo quería escapar de esa situación, pero sus seis ojos le decían que ese era el lugar más correcto en el que podía estar.

Suguru buscó su mirada. Otro relámpago y otro trueno.

— ¿Tocarías para mi?

— No toco para nadie. Ni para mi madre.

Geto se sentó en la banqueta del piano y tocó un par de notas aisladas.

— Está bien, no tienes que hacer nada que no quieras. Solo estaba probando mi suerte. Quizás tenía la buena fortuna de escucharte.

Al oír eso, Gojo tomó asiento al lado de Suguru, empujándolo. Sus hombros quedaron juntos y sus manos se rozaron. Geto rió y le sacó las gafas, para luego posar sus ojos en los de Satoru. El albino corrió la mirada y sus dedos se movieron hacia las teclas, casi en contra de su voluntad. No podía resistirse a esos halagos disfrazados que Geto solía darle. Quería tocar para él y solo para él porque, al parecer, Suguru era la excepción para todas sus reglas.

— ¿Alguna petición en especial?

— Lo que tú quieras, Satoru.

Gojo tomó aire. Utilizando sus largos y virtuosos dedos como instrumentos, su alma comenzó a interpretar el Clair de Lune de Debussy. Mantuvo sus ojos cerrados todo el tiempo, concentrándose no solo en las notas y el tempo, sino en sentir la energía maldita de Suguru, la que lo envolvía como un campo de fuerza, hasta que su respiración y sus latidos se sincronizaron. Su fino oído solo escuchaba la tensión de las cuerdas y la lluvia. Ningún pensamiento confuso ni inseguro, solo sus dedos haciendo lo que sus seis ojos le ordenaban. Tocar eso para Suguru se sentía sencillamente natural y hermoso, como si hubiera nacido para hacerlo. Al terminar,  Gojo se sorprendió a sí mismo sonriendo. Hacía mucho que no se relajaba de esa forma.

— Satoru...¿Por qué tocaste eso?

Gojo abrió los ojos. Suguru lo miraba, enrojecido y emocionado. La maldición emanaba una fuerte luz amarilla, que estaba solo sobre ellos dos. Geto se veía más hermoso que nunca.

— Porque es lo que escucho cuando te veo, Suguru. — miró hacia el suelo. Iba a decir cursilerías, por primera vez en su vida, y no se atrevía a mirarlo a la cara. — Mi vida era como caminar por un oscuro bosque, cubierto de árboles que no me dejaban ver nada...hasta que te vi, con tu tonto flequillo. Iluminaste todo con un color que era nuevo para mi. Comencé a ver las cosas de otra forma y la mayoría dejaron de ser aburridas. En realidad, estando a tu lado, nada lo es. Desde que te conozco he podido decirte todo y, aunque me juzgas demasiado, a la vez solo me escuchas y me aceptas y me haces sentir liviano; el peso de ser el portador de los seis ojos desaparece cuando estoy contigo. Por eso, para mi Suguru, eres etéreo y...hermoso. Como la luz de la luna.

Geto acarició una de sus mejillas.

— Nunca nadie me había dicho algo así. ¿Te gusto, Satoru?

Gojo apretó sus puños y se tensó. Ya no había vuelta atrás. No iba a acobardarse en ese momento.

— Sí. Lo suficiente como para haber dicho todas esas estúpidas cursilerías.

— Mírame.

Satoru le hizo caso y vio como Suguru le sonreía con todo su cuerpo. Gojo tragó saliva y comenzó a tiritar. Nunca había estado tan nervioso en su corta vida.Y nunca, nunca olvidaría esa particular sonrisa.

— Si yo soy como la luz de la  luna para ti, tú eres el sol para mi. Me das vida, Satoru. Me la salvaste. Y me gustas mucho. Demasiado. Lo suficiente como para emocionarme con las estúpidas cursilerías que dices.

Satoru apenas podía respirar. Suguru tomó sus manos y comenzó a acariciarlas. Se miraron, atontados, un par de minutos.

— ¿Esto significa que somos gay? ¿Qué hacemos ahora, Suguru?

— Supongo, pero ¿A quién le importa? Quiero besarte, desde hace mucho tiempo. ¿Puedo hacerlo?

— Ok, sí. Por favor, sí. Sí, sí.— respondió Satoru asintiendo con la velocidad del rayo.

Suguru soltó una tierna carcajada y luego posó sus labios en los de Satoru. Lenta y gentilmente, le dio un dulce beso. Cuando Satoru abrió más la boca, Geto se alejó. — ¡¿QUÉ?! ¡¿QUÉ HICE MAL?! — gritó Gojo, desesperado. — ¡Shh! Nada, idiota. Es solo que...— Suguru indicó sus pantalones. — Bueno, me avergüenza dejar un pequeño desastre acá. Quizás deberíamos ir a mi habitación.

— ¿Por qué crees que dejaremos un desastre? Y es más romántico acá, con el piano y la lluvia y tu maldición luciérnaga. — ¿Crees que podamos controlarnos si...? — Bah, no te hacía como un hombre de poca disciplina.

Suguru sonrió, tomó a Gojo del cuello del uniforme y lo besó, metiendo de a poco su lengua en la boca del albino. Satoru, un poco más inexperto, recordó algunas cosas que le había leído Shoko de sus revistas, y pensó que quizás podía intentarlas. Dejó de besarlo y comenzó a lamer el cuello de Geto, primero tímidamente con la punta de su lengua y luego como si estuviera comiéndose el más dulce de los helados. Suguru comenzó a gemir y Satoru, a medida que se embriagaba con el olor de su nuca, pensó que no había sonido más sensual en todo el universo. Tomó la coleta de Suguru y soltó su pelo, para luego volver a besarlo, siendo ahora él el primero en meter la lengua casi en la garganta del otro. Geto empujó a Satoru al suelo y se sentó encima de él, bajó sus manos y tocó el pene erecto del albino . Comenzó a reír.

— Wow, quién lo diría Gojo Satoru. El seis ojos, también riendo, tomó a Geto de las caderas y lo empujó con fuerza contra su cuerpo. — ¿Te sorprende, estúpido? — Tú siempre me sorprendes. — Suguru se acercó lentamente a la cara del seis ojos y puso la punta de su nariz contra la suya. — Por eso te quiero, Satoru. Gojo se quedó con la boca abierta por un par de segundos.

— ¡¿ME QUIERES?! — gritó a la vez que volvía la luz al lugar, por lo que pudo observar con mayor claridad como el tono de piel de Suguru se ponía rojo como el de un tomate. — ¿Solo tú puedes ser intenso? — Geto se había cubierto la cara con las dos manos. — Por supuesto que te quiero, idiota. — continuó, todavía tapándose. Satoru rió y le sacó las manos de la cara. Lo besó, tiernamente y luego lo abrazó. Se quedaron en silencio por varios minutos.

— ¿Satoru? — preguntó Geto, tímidamente. —¿Tú...? — Ya lo sabes. Desde antes que yo. Suguru lo besó en la mejilla, se paró y luego le ofreció su mano. — Vamos a mi habitación. Quiero dejar un gran desastre contigo. Gojo aceptó su mano y sintió que, en ese preciso instante, había comenzado realmente a vivir. De ahí en adelante nada volvería a ser igual. Su existencia ahora tenía un propósito y ese era ahogarse, cada vez que pudiera, en esa mirada púrpura. Y de paso, dejar todos los desastres humanamente posibles junto a ella.

[jommunism]

im still in my post-show-comedown period and cant sleep so time for a story :3

so, im in kaiju queers, we're a queercore punk band in denton, tx. i joined back in february of this year, taking the place of the former drummer

for this band, i bought a new-to-me drum set, a 2017 yamaha stage custom kit in cranberry red, and i LOVE them omg look at my pwetty dwumbz

its a 5 piece kit (pieces in drummer speak means drums, excludes cymbals/other pieces of kit), comprising a 20 inch kick, 14 inch snare, 10 and 12 inch rack toms, and a 14 inch floor tom. ive also carried over the 16 inch floor tom from my circa-2002 childhood pearl export kit for more boom

i also have a very odd cymbal configuration. from left to right, i have a set of 13 inch zildjian planet z hi-hats (cheap, brass beginner cymbals i got for $50 used), my childhood 18 inch sabian b8 crash/ride, a secondary hi-hat without a pedal using my childhood 14 inch sabian b8 hats, and a 20 inch b8 ride with a 12 inch b8pro splash mounted upside down on top of the ride

pic for reference

ANYWAY

in between practices/shows/etc my drums live in our frontwoman dana's house for convenience, we rehearse there and operate out of there on gig days, so while it makes practicing with the band far easier, it also means i dont have immediate access to my gear

however

it also means that my drums get used when im not around, like when dana jams with the rest of the band or with other musician friends

and on one such recent occasion, the former kaiju queers drummer (whos actually on the EP) was over jamming, using his kit, but when he packed up to leave, he took some of my kit with him

and then he put it in a friend's rehearsal space

so last week, i roll in for practice, and my hi-hat stand (with pedal) is gone, a cymbal stand is gone, my snare stand is gone, and the lil doohickey that goes into the kick drum and holds the rack tom and second hi-hat was gone too

but fuck it we ball, the show must go on, etc

so i had to improvise and make my already unconventional kit (there's a reason for all of it, promise!) even weirder

i used the one cymbal stand for the ride and splash like normal, and just went without a pedal hat (which was not pleasant), using the auxiliary contraption i built plugged directly into the kick

for toms, i used the smaller floor tom as a rack tom at times and as a double floor tom at others depending on the song

observe, shenanigans

this completely broke all my muscle memory for playing fills and other accent parts and i had to constantly adjust things and it never felt comfortable, but i managed

and at times it ended up making me more creative with improvising

oh and the kick kept sliding around on the carpet cuz the little rubber feetsies on the legs got pushed too far up and exposed the spikes which only grip by chewing into the floor

now for some band operational behind-the-scenes shit

when multiple bands are playing a show together, its rather common for one band's drummer to supply the core kit (kick, toms, sometimes a snare, stands/hardware) with each drummer swapping in their own cymbals and snare if desired

since i play such a weird and bigger than average kit (most drummers ive played with only use a 4 piece kit (one rack tom, one floor tom) with a handful using a second rack tom for a 5 piece)

i usually supply the drums for the show (called backlining)

but for last friday's show, i didnt have a full kit to bring, i had to use a backup snare stand (which is literally shaking itself apart) just to get thru rehearsal

so i had to play the backline drums from another band

and of course, that drummer uses a 4 piece kit, so i was having to adjust on the fly, on stage, during the show

i made it thru by bringing my own snare and larger floor tom along with the auxiliary hi-hat contraption, which made it not as bad as it could have been, but damn it was weird. that guy likes to keep his shit tuned LOW with almost like, flabby-loose heads on the toms, whereas i keep mine tuned up a bit higher, so my 16 inch floor tom (my lowest tuned not-a-kick drum) was dramatically higher pitch than his floor tom

and my muscle memory still was off, going for drums that werent there constantly

i got thru the show, but definitely wasnt my best work

for this past tuesdays practice, i still had to go without my normal set up, as the previous drummer still hadnt been back with my gear, so once again, had to improvise, using the smaller floor tom fully extended as a makeshift rack tom, and it went a little better

but i was so fuckin happy to see him roll up after practice that night with a trunk full of hardware

and for the show i just played a few hours ago, i was able to roll up and backline with my full 6 piece kit assembled how i like it :3

[sirfrogsworth]

The last thing my mom bought me was a fancy A/V receiver. She got some inheritance after her mom passed and wanted to do something nice for me since I took care of her and dad pretty much all by myself.

She died shortly after it arrived and I didn't even take it out of the box for over a year. I didn't hook it up until after my dad died. I don't know why I took so long. I guess for a long time it just didn't feel all that important anymore.

It has a lot of features and a lot of power and it seems really good... on paper.

The plan was to install 4 ceiling speakers and add two more floor speakers to get a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos experience in my basement bedroom. I would be able to have sound come from literally every direction. (Well, not from below.)

That is still a plan, but I have had to postpone all of that due to budget cuts. The fancy receiver has been relegated to a measly 3.1 experience since I moved upstairs. I'm considering converting the upstairs living room into my home theater instead of my bedroom. I'd have a little more space and higher ceilings for the Atmos speakers, but I'd lose the concrete floor of the basement. So I'd have to figure out how to temper the vibrations of the subwoofer into our creaky floor.

ANYWAY.

The problem is... the actual day-to-day operation of this fancy receiver has been super quirky and frustrating.

The thing people may not realize about high end electronics is that they always have their issues. You'd think they'd be bug-free for that price, but it is usually quite the opposite. You have to figure out what all the bugs are and then research all of the workarounds in forums and eventually you'll learn a workflow to make the device function for your needs.

Part of the reason is that the higher the price, the more features they cram in, the more that can go wrong. But a lot of it is just poor software development. They focus almost all of their attention on getting the hardware right.

It's a maddening troubleshooting process and sometimes makes you want to buy that Sonos crap or maybe even... Bose. *shiver*

But this receiver has been *extra* buggy. I was a little disappointed by this. And I felt guilty for hating this wonderful gift my mom gave me. I have this Yamaha receiver that was a third of the price and it functions wonderfully.

Or maybe I just think that because I've already figured out all the quirks and workarounds.

No, I'm pretty sure the Yamaha has been a fairly smooth experience.

I kinda love my old Yamaha.

And I also love that they make pianos and motorcycles and drums and marching band equipment and sporting goods and boats.

Yamaha was all...

It's just that Yamaha doesn't have the Dirac calibration system included like the Onkyo and everyone on the forums said that was a big deal. So I abandoned the trusty Yamaha brand for Onkyo and it's 130 watts and 11 channels of processing and HDMI 2.1 future proofing.

The other day I noticed something extra weird with the Onkyo. My Nvidia Shield (another amazing yet frustrating device) was outputting a 5.1 signal. But my receiver thought it was stereo.

Another bug.

So I headed to the forums and found the solution. I had to turn off "Dolby processing" in a deep submenu of a submenu in my Shield settings. My receiver already does Dolby processing so I guess I was doing double Dolby processing and that is like crossing the streams in Ghostbusters.

Weirdly, this fixed like half of my issues. I don't know how in the world I was supposed to know this one setting buried deep in the menus was causing all this havoc. But it has made me go from wanting to yeet this thing out the window and get a Bose clock radio... to mostly enjoying the experience of having a fancy receiver.

It still handles HDMI switching as if it is having a stroke, but I have found if you turn everything off and power on the Shield FIRST and then all the other components, I can prevent most of the stroke symptoms.

Though sometimes it takes 3 tries.

Onkyo: SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT??? WHAT'S THAT??

In any case, THANKS MOM!

I'm sure I will love your gift when I have 12 speakers blaring at me from every direction.

[yamahamusicstore]

Make Every Beat Count with Yamaha Drum Kit

Drums have been long recognized as the soul of any musical band. Drums are the most versatile musical instrument that produces different sounds ideal for rock, jazz, country, or indie music. Drumming is an art that is used to generate a steady beat in any song. Drummers who are starting their musical journey and want to buy drum online or are professionally performing in bands, stages, or music studios are fond of drum kits . Drum kits often include the bass (or kick) drum, the snare drum, and toms. It also has hardware and the common drum hardware includes the bass drum pedal, the throne, and the hi-hat and cymbal stands. 

There are a variety of drums present in the market. These include acoustic bass drums, electric drum kits, electro-acoustic and finger drum pads. Let us look in depth at these categories of drums and how they have made drumming a more fun experience for drummers!

ACOUSTIC DRUMS 

These are the standard drum kits used for drumming for a very long period. The set includes a kick drum, bass, tombs, pedal throne, and the hi-hat and cymbal stands. Drum kits from popular musical instrument brands often consist of five pieces: two tom-toms, a floor tom, a bass drum, and a snare drum. The floor tom is a tom-tom with a stand or legs that rests on the floor. The bass drum produces a low sound and is operated with the foot by stepping on a pedal. The snare drum is a shallow drum that best showcases the drummer's particular style. The basic cymbals are the huge ride cymbal, the crash cymbal (used for accents), and the hi-hat, which has two stacked cymbals whose separation can be adjusted to lengthen or shorten the cymbals' sound. Yamaha has been the top musical instrument brand offering a stunning collection of drum kits like Rydeen, Stage Custom Birch, and Stage Custom Hip. 

ELECTRONIC DRUMS

The electronic drum sets come equipped with ten inbuilt drum kits, acoustic drum effects, and electronic sounds to give you that perfect beat in every way.

Electronic drums have taken drumming a notch higher. With the arrival of electric drum kits, the expression of music-making has gone a level higher. Brands like  Yamaha have launched some fantastic drum sets like their DTX series which include;

DTX900 series

DTX10 series

DTX8 series

DTX402 series

DTX6 series

And DTX Multipad

All these Yamaha drum sets are flagship kits that are equipped with the latest features and numerous acoustic kit sounds. This electronic drumming technology includes Yamaha's next-generation DTX-PAD drum pads, which are specifically developed for drummers. Visit the website to explore more about each drum series. 

FINGER DRUM PADS

Finger Drumming pads are electronic drum pads that are designed for finger drumming; a new way of drumming. Not just the advanced features and tech used but also the compact design, ergonomic comfort, and ease of use make it the best drum and also the most popular drum for studio or stage performances. 

It consists of a thoughtfully designed layout and pads to give the ultimate drumming experience with your fingers or sticks. 

Yamaha presents the most powerful finger drum Pads; FGDP-50 and FGDP-30. They consist of sampled acoustic drum sounds to powerful electronic sounds, curated by top professionals covering a wide array of genres. The FGDP features a tone generator, rechargeable battery, and internal speaker, all that makes it an all-in-one instrument that you can take anywhere and play anywhere. Explore the website to learn the astonishing features of Yamaha’s FGDP finger drumming series.

Whether you are a beginner who is willing to learn drumming to take their musical journey to the next level or a professional who wants to strum new beats of the drum on the stage, the range of acoustic, electric, and finger drum kits from Yamaha Music India make your every beat count. Buy your favorite type of drum from Yamaha’s official store at a great Drum Set Price in India. 

[we-are-houseguest]

DRUMBLR

hello! it's been a little bit. i asked caitlyn to write up a little drum breakdown to explain the who/what/when/where/why of what we used, because i'm an engineer and a guitar player and i have no insights into her drum logic. without further ado: DRUMBLR.

"Most of the drums were live recorded in our practice space using my old Tama Superstar Hyperdrive birch kit I got like a decade ago, with Remo skins - Controlled Sound for the snare, Pinstripe clears for the toms and a Powerstroke 3 for the kick - and using mostly Yamaha and Tama stands.  

I like the way the Pinstripe skins let the low end thump of the kit's birch wood shells shine through, and the kick drum itself is a cannon, deeper than most at 20" long and 22" wide, and a Powerstroke 3 rocks on it. The snare is a 6.5x14" Tama Metalworks snare, a steel snare drum which has LOADS of character in live settings. My right foot uses an Iron Cobra 900 single pedal, which I have loved and stuck with for years because it is a double chain drive which I like because it feels sturdier than a single chain, and the pedal board has an adjustable spring underneath to help take advantage of more responsive kickback if I need it. I use Vic Firth 5A sticks.  

The snare and kick are largely only present in background for the EP, because I wanted A) to have more control in the actual sound of them in the recordings, and B) it allows them to come through clearly without messing too much with EQ etc. The recordings were still used with my DAW to trigger samples for the kick and snare.

The cymbals are of the Zildjian K Sweet line, with 15" hats, 17" and 19" crashes and a 21" ride. The K Sweet line has been my go to for faster and sharper pop punk stuff that's bright, but also has a darker tone for cymbal washes. I wanted to use cymbals that had a darker flavour to them for this too. 

For the snare and kick drum, I used a drum sample DAW plugin called Superior Drummer 3, which took the recorded snare and kick drum tracks and spat out MIDI which was used to trigger the samples. 

The snare is a sample composite of 3 different recorded snares: an 8x14" Tama Artwood maple for most of the body, and a 4x14" Ludwig 20s Black Beauty and 5x14" Gretsch Solid Aluminum snare for more snap in the attack.

The kick drum just uses a recorded 16x22" Genista Premier with a clear batter and a nice low punchy tone.

- Caitlyn"

there you have it folks, musical spring water right from the source. enjoy and wait with baited breath for the next post - guitarssssssss!!!!!

~ elizabeth

[randomobjectsinmyhousefight]

Alright hi guys this is. The post ever! Uhm..yea okay let's just start the "masterpost" as they call it online uh *taps microphone*

Hello hi welcome to the object fighting thing

[Managed by me, Flowersandcandy06!! Yay B)]

"why does this exist flower oh god"

Well you see I am an only child and I need entertainment somewhat. So yeah, I'm doing this because it was a stupid, dumb idea I thought up last night and I just. Put my thoughts into action and now we're here..Whoopsies :,p

Anyways *cough* here's the lineup:

(This is probably the worst thing I've ever made in ibisPaint X thus far but I could be wrong)

On the left side we have:

Glowing blue rock VS. Dusty globe with a tiara on

Stuck pendulum balls VS. My dad's drum set

Purple holographic star choker I got from Etsy VS. goat milk soap..what??

Santa VS. Miku

On the right side we have:

Polaroid iE826 digital camera VS. Blue screwdriver

The plushie gang ft. Easter day squirrel plush VS. My old Yamaha YPT-240 piano

Some generic kitchen guy idk VS. Soy Sauce bottle

💥💥THE GARAGE🔥🔥 VS. A box I took home from Stagecraft class because someone left it (completely screwed in, there's no like box opening or anything it's just..Box.)

Aaand here are the rules:

I'll be posting the polls on both this account and the gimmick Twitter account I made for this thing, in which case the Twitter can be found at @/r4nd0mobject (link)

For the end results on each poll/battle, I'll add up the percentages/numbers that are shown and whichever object gets the biggest number gets to move on to the next battle, and so on and so forth..

I may add extra points to the final calculations of said polls since I may also host the polls on the Amino community I'm in (Empty Minds Amino - it's a swag amino don't worry *explodes*) because. Why not, lol ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

Ok that's it I think

I'll be posting the polls when I have time to post them so, be on the lookout for those I guess!! Lol

If this thing gets huge out of nowhere uhm. I'll eat a butterfinger?? idk- okay THAT'S IT byebye *dies again*

[thekingofgear]

Hi, I have a full jonny-inspired board that I mainly use the Fender 85 with my Tele Plus. I have been using this combo for 2 years now and I am aware that the distortion sounds never sound a like unless I mic it up for recording. I am mainly a bedroom player and I am wondering if there are anyways in which I could replicate this tone in the room? Maybe an equaliser pedal, or a different but similar amp to the 85, or even a speaker swap?

Many thanks,

We addressed this question in detail in this post, though it sounds like you may have seen that.

We rarely hear Jonny's heavy distortion tone in isolation. There's almost always a rhythm guitar, some bass, some drums, etc. These other instruments simultaneously fill out the distortion sound and mask some of its detail. Jonny's distortion tone definitely has some low-end, but on a recording it's hard to hear exactly how much when we also hear Colin's bass. The producer might even have cut some of the low-end to give Colin's bass more space.

Half of Jonny's live pedalboard in 2006 (the edge of the other half can be seen in the bottom left corner). He's used these Marshall Shredmaster settings pretty consistently since the 2000s, but in the earliest days of the band he likely used a wider range of settings, especially when recording.

Before you add any new gear, you should first consider whether you can get those sounds with your current setup. The Marshall Shredmaster and the Fender Eighty-Five both have powerful EQ sections — have you tried adjusting those? I can only assume you have them set to match Jonny's settings, but have you tried adjusting them until you get closer to the sound you want? Jonny sets both the Shredmaster and the Eighty-Five to be a little dark, which sounds great when mic'd up. But you can always boost the high mids and/or treble on your own pedals and amp for a more "direct" sound.

I wouldn't recommend modifying a Fender Eighty-Five. The Eighty-Five's speaker is actually pretty clear, definitely more so than most guitar speakers which heavily cut low bass and upper treble. And for the cost of a new speaker, you could simply buy a powered PA speaker, for example a used JBL Eon 10" or Yamaha BR10. Connecting the Eighty-Five's preamp output to a PA speaker will give an extra punchy sound. Perhaps that will get you closer to Radiohead's early live shows, since Jonny used both the preamp output and the mic'd speaker at those shows.

A simpler option is to put an EQ pedal in the effects loop of the Eighty-Five, so you can take on the role of the mixer/producer a bit. The MXR Ten Band EQ is a good option: fairly inexpensive (especially used) but still very powerful. As mentioned, the Eighty-Five speaker has a fairly clear sound, so you can take full advantage of the EQ's frequency range. As for settings, perhaps some upper mids would help for that really cutting sound. But ultimately, you'll need to use your ears.

Jonny playing his Fender Telecaster Plus in 1997 (photo by Gene Shaw). Note that the Eighty-Five is mic'd with an Audix OM3, but there's also a cable connected to the preamp output. On the Eighty-Five, the power amp stays connected when you plus into the preamp out, so the preamp and speaker can be used simultaneously.

[bowmanstudios]

GEAR

Microphones:

Sure sm57

Sure sm58

Audix i5

Sure Beta 52

Blue Snowball

Behringer C-2 (pair)

Samson C01

Rode NT1A

Hardware:

Scarlett 18i0 audio interface

Mackie 1402-VLZ PRO 14 channel mic/line analog mixer

Guitar amps and pedals:

Helix HX STOMP

Ibanez Turbo Tube screamer

Guitars:

Fender GC140SCE Concert Acoustic-Electric

Yamaha FX335C Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric

Ovation 1311 Natural Acoustic

Fender Nashville Telecaster

Fender Squire Bullet Telecaster

Fender Squire Jazz Bass

Mitchell MU40 Soprano Natural Ukulele

Yamaha CGS 102A Classical Guitar

Keyboards:

Nektar Impact LX61+

Roland U-20

Drums and percussion:

1 big tambourine

1 small tambourine

LP Medium twist shakers

Simmons Titan 50 electronic drum set

Sound Monitoring:

JBL Professional Linear Spatial Reference 3 Series powered studio monitors (pair)

Sony Professional MDR-7506 studio headphones

Sennheiser HD 201 studio headphones

KRK Classic 5 studio monitors (pair)

Computers and visuals:

Apple MacBook Pro 13 inch

Dell flat panel monitor

DAW/software:

Logic Pro X

Pro Tools 12

GarageBand

Avid/Apple/Native Instruments/SoundToys/FabFilter/Waves plugins

Helix HX Edit

Plugins:

Digital EQ’s:

Waves V-EQ4

Fabfilter Pro-Q

Digital Reverbs:

Waves Abbey Road Chambers

Waves H-Reverb Hybrid Verb

Waves Renaissance Reverb

Waves Manny Marroquin Reverb

Relab Development LX480 Reverb

Digital Compressors:

Waves Renaissance Compressor

Waves CLA-3A Compressor/Limiter

Waves Smack Attack

Waves DeEsser

Extras:

Waves SSL G-Channel

Waves Nx Ocean Way Nashville

Waves Z-Noise

Waves WLM Plus Loudness Meter

Waves Tune Real-Time

Waves Vocal Bender

Waves Torque

Waves CLA Bass

Waves Abbey Road J37 Tape

SoundToys Echoboy

VST’s:

Spectronics Keyscapes

Native Instruments Battery

Toontrack EZdrummer 3

Native Instruments Kontakt Electric Guitar

Accessories/miscellaneous/other studio features:

4 XLR cables

4 1/4 inch jack cables

Power supply cables

USB outlet strip

High speed internet and free WIFI

Pencils, pens and paper

Wireless printer available

5 mic stands

Shock mount, pop filter, and 3 windscreens

HEAROS Ultimate Softness earplugs

Mini Samsung T.V. with Roku entertainment

RIF6 electric record player with built-in speakers

Dean Markley Pro Mag humbucker pickup

Culilux 1/4” audio splitter

Rioddas external ODD&HDD disc drive

Pack of CDs for burning

Guitar pick maker with appropriate paper

3 microphone clips

Alesis sustain pedal

Radial PRO-DI passive direct box

DeltaLab digital metronome

AKAI MPD218 beat pad

GiveBest electric heater

Behringer ULTRAACOUSTIC AT109 15-WATT acoustic guitar amplifier

OWC thunderbolt USB-C dock

APC surge protector

MOONGEL damper pads

Pick holder filled with guitar picks (floppy and hard) and a set of thumb picks

2 capos and clip on tuner

KORG TM-50 combo tuner and metronome

Mackie 1402-VLZ PRO 14 channel mic/line analog mixer

NEXIGO web cam

Big Knob passive monitor controller

The Bowman Studios, Dallas, Texas

Producers: Mason Bowman