#all-purpose compressor

[transfemchem]

Robot that’s an old piece of industrial equipment, it’s been part of a factory for longer than you have been alive. It’s covered in seven layers of mismatched paint, old union stickers, grease and dust. It still has all the lock-out-tag-out points left over from before you brought it home, and they can be necessary at times when it has to hold still for maintenance and not chop off an entire finger on accident. It uses a mix of stepper motors, hydraulics and pneumatics, internal compressors constantly chugging away. Few of its non structural parts are the original, but none of them are matching, each piece replaced as part of numerous refits and repairs. It’s been retired now, and it’s hard to not see the sadness in its eyes as it considers itself without purpose.

Will you still love it? When it blows an age old hydraulic line and falls over, going halfway through your floor with its cast iron weight? When it clumsily attempts artistry with its heavy hands never intended for the purpose? When it leaves heavy bruises across your flesh after a misguided attempt at affection? When it tearfully asks you for a 480V 3 phase power hookup (Jesus Christ how do you get one of those in a residential area?)? When hugging it means you will need a shower afterwards?

[katsurinssims]

Li'l Chimera's Plush Bunny-Bear recolours

more pics + download under the cut!

I was reminded of this one recolour I've been meaning to do for actual years, luckily that time means I had the skills to do this really easily aha

Recolours inspired by BTSSB's Usakumya character on the Li'l Chimera's Plush Bunny-Bear made recolourable and wornable by Numenor- Numenor's files are required for recolours to appear but I've not included them this time (due to Numenor's TOU despite them being retired, the page also has a wornable teddy bear package).

These are just recolours so they do really just look like the maxis bunnybear plush cosplaying as Usakumya rather than an actual Usakumya! The mesh has lots of mirroring so they have two heart logos and all. I've made 4 recolours + worn states:

the 'retro' style is inspired by the 2002 Usakumya, which has a different face and was more fluffy. the other three are just the more popular colours of the modern style. They will go to their worn state after 3 sim months- as far as I know. I wasn't able to test it myself. I also made worn recolour packages for anyone who needs them for storytelling purposes, where they will permanently be in the worn state, download those here!

Fully compressorized, be sure to download Numenor's colour enabled version!

Download Bunny-Bear recolours

I've also made a version which is unwornable in case you want kumya to stay prisine forever. This just means that the worn texture is the same as the clean texture. You can have either the regular version or this one, they use the same packages. They take up slightly less space due to having one texture file rather than two.

Download Bunny-Bear recolours unwornable

Buy me a coffee? I have a Ko-Fi!

credits: Maxis for the original bunny-bear, Numenor for the colour-enabling, BTSSB who I borrowed some texture elements from, and of course their original Usakumya design! I wonder if the bunny-bear plush was based off of it originally? its seems like such a specific concept.

Bonus pic- Mucky kumyas go in the kumya soup:

[usafphantom2]

My RSO, Ed Bethart, made his infamous comment “don’t tell me that’s the other engine,” My answer, “Ed that’s the other engine,”’ SR-71 Blackbird pilot Major David “Dave” Peters.

SR-71 Blackbird pilot Major David “Dave” Peters was born to fly. He started collecting airplane pictures at the age of 7

On Apr. 28, 1979 with RSO Ed Bethart in the back seat, Dave was descending back to Okinawa, Japan, his home base, with only one engine working.

Then the other engine blew out. Knowing that the SR-71 glides like a rock, he had to think fast! Dave started to tell Ed to get out (eject), then Dave heard a voice…

Peters recalls; 🪽🕊️ “You’re OK keep going.” The voice was not in my head. Ed said he never heard it. I heard it again and I felt calm and I did exactly that. I kept going.

It started with a rocket ride one pass through the Korean DMZ unrefueled. Everything was great until I came out of AB (afterburner) for the descent. Almost immediately the left engine started surging and compressor stalling with the EGT going way past limits. I told Ed I was going to shut it down. So, he went through the check lists and we declared an emergency and requested descent to a precision straight in. We were setting up and not particularly worried because we had done this more than once.

Unfortunately, about 15,000 ft in the descent setting up for a downwind the other engine started surging and compressor stalling. Ed made his infamous comment “don’t tell me that’s the other engine,” my answer, “Ed that’s the other engine.” So, he says “what are you going to do?” I said “Restart the other engine so call approach and tell them we are going visual and get the tower and I’ll talk to them.” So, I started a pretty steep dive to get enough speed for a restart which I was able to get. The engine was still operating the same way so it wasn’t doing anything but giving us hydraulics for flight controls. I left the other one running for the same purpose. Ed got the tower and I told them we were running out of engines and were visual for a modified straight in. They cleared us for whatever we needed.

‘We were doing a little over 500 KIAS and turning onto a descending base leg trying to get the speed down to lower the gear. I had Ed get a hold of Mobil to let them know. Tom Keck and Tim Shaw were Mobil and they had Bob Cunningham and Jim Sullivan with them. I didn’t find out till later that Jim had told them all don’t say a word the last thing they need is help.

‘We kept slowing and I threw the gear down at about 350 KIAS. At the same time the right engine ceased. The gear came part way down so I pulled the emergency release handle and the mains came down and locked but the nose wasn’t down. I was constantly readjusting and trimming to keep the flight controls as close to neutral as possible because I didn’t want any violent movement if everything quit. That’s when I told

“Ed if I say get out if you say what… you’ll be talking to yourself.”

kept letting it slow and about 5 miles on final the nose came down and locked. I felt like we had everything set up well and was geared to keep going.

According to the MRS the second engine quit at 11 seconds on final which at the speed we were traveling was a little over a mile and a half. I think because I kept keeping the trim as close as possible there were not any big changes and windmilling may have been enough. At any rate we touched down at about 240 KIAS popped the chute and eventually used emergency breaking to stop.

‘It turned out to be very fortunate that we were able to get it down because it was determined that the cause was faulty fuel hydraulic pumps that failed. When they looked further, they found the same faulty pumps on the other airplane at Kadena, two at Beale and one at Mildenhall.

As most of you know, Dave Peters is fighting for his life. Let’s all put our thoughts and prayers together for Dave.🙏

Linda Sheffield

@Habubrats71 via X

[jinxxsims]

400 Followers!

Actually, it’s 423, but a good 10-15 of those seem to be bots of a dubious nature, so we’re just gonna call it 400. And 400 followers means it’s time for a follower gift!

These are all the wedding cakes from My Wedding Stories (I think). Unfortunately, they are deco only. I tried really, really hard to make them functional, but at this point, it’s still beyond my capability. If anyone can point me to a how-to-make-custom-foods or cakes tutorial though, I can certainly keep trying. In the meantime, these deco versions are super pretty and I think they can still find a home in bakery windows, bridal shops, and just for general storytelling purposes. 

They’re categorized in General > Party with all the other wedding and birthday cakes. Prices and names are as they appear in Sims 4. All recolors are included. The non-merged files have preview pictures of each recolor so you can pick and choose what you want to keep. Files are compressorized. 

Download 400 Followers Gift - Wedding Cakes

Download 400 Followers Gift - Wedding Cakes MERGED

[high-ass-zombie-angel-statue]

Nothin' ever (ever) happens in this town

Feelin' low down (down), not a lot to do around here

I thought that I would go right out of my mind

Until a friend told me the news

He said, "Hey, you know that vacant lot

Right beside the gas station? Well, somebody bought it

And on that spot they're gonna build a shop

Where we can go buy bolts and screws"

Since then I've been walking on air (air)

I can barely brush my teeth or comb my hair

'Cause I'm so excited and I really don't care

I've been waiting since last June

For this day to finally arrive

I'm so happy (happy) now just to be alive

'Cause any minute now I'm gonna be inside

Well, I hope they open soon

I can't wait, (no I) I can't wait (oh when)

When are they gonna open up that door?

I'm goin' (yes I'm) goin', I'm a-goin' to the

Goin' to the (hard) ware I'm goin', really goin' to the

Goin' (hard) I'm goin' to the (hard) oh yes, I'm goin' to the

Hardware store

In my sleeping bag I camped out overnight

Right in front of the store, then as soon as it was light out

I pressed my nose right up against the glass

You know, I had to be first in line

Gonna get me a flashlight and a broom

Want a pair of pliers for every single room of my house

See those hacksaws? Very, very soon

One of them will be all mine

Guys with nametags walking down the aisles

Rows of garden hoses that go on for miles and miles

Brand new socket wrenches in a plethora of styles

All arranged alphabetically

And they're doing a promotional stunt

There's a great big purple sign out front

That says every 27th customer

Will get a ball peen hammer free

I can't wait, (no I) I can't wait (oh when)

When are they gonna open up that door?

I'm goin' (yes I'm) goin', I'm a-goin' to the

Goin' to the (hard) ware I'm goin', really goin' to the

Goin' (hard) I'm goin' to the (hard) oh yes, I'm goin' to the

Hardware store

I'm goin' (yes I'm) goin', I'm a-goin' to the

Goin' to the (hard) ware I'm goin', really goin' to the

Goin' (hard) I'm goin' to the (hard) oh yes, I'm goin' to the

Hardware store

They've got allen wrenches, gerbil feeders, toilet seats, electric heaters

Trash compactors, juice extractor, shower rods and water meters

Walkie-talkies, copper wires safety goggles, radial tires

BB pellets, rubber mallets, fans and dehumidifiers

Picture hangers, paper cutters, waffle irons, window shutters

Paint removers, window louvres, masking tape and plastic gutters

Kitchen faucets, folding tables, weather stripping, jumper cables

Hooks and tackle, grout and spackle, power foggers, spoons and ladles

Pesticides for fumigation, high-performance lubrication

Metal roofing, water proofing, multi-purpose insulation

Air compressors, brass connectors, wrecking chisels, smoke detectors

Tire guages, hamster cages, thermostats and bug deflectors

Trailer hitch demagnetizers, automatic circumcisers

Tennis rackets, angle brackets, Duracells and Energizers

Soffit panels, circuit brakers, vacuum cleaners, coffee makers

Calculators, generators, matching salt and pepper shakers

I can't wait, (no I) I can't wait (oh when)

When are they gonna open the door?

I'm goin' (yes I'm) goin', I'm a-goin' to the

Goin' to the (hard) ware I'm goin', really goin' to the

Goin' (hard) I'm goin' to the (hard) oh yes, I'm goin' to the

Hardware store

I'm goin' (yes I'm) goin', I'm a-goin' to the

Goin' to the (hard) ware I'm goin', really goin' to the

Goin' (hard) I'm goin' to the (hard) oh yes, I'm goin' to the

Hardware store

I'm goin' (yes I'm) goin', I'm a-goin' to the

Goin' to the (hard) ware I'm goin', really goin' to the

Goin' (hard) I'm goin' to the (hard) oh yes, I'm goin' to the

Hardware store

Thank you that was the ENTIRETY of weird Al’s hardware store

me omw to the hardware store

[milfweirdal]

(sawing noises) (drill noises) (hammering noises) (wrenching noises) (funky ascending then descending guitar riff) Nothing ever (ever) happens in this town, feeling low down (down) not a lot to do around here, I thought that I would go right out of my mind until a friend told me THE NEWS. He said "(hey!) You know that vacant lot? Right beside the gas station? Well, somebody bought it and on the spot they're gonna build a shop where we can go buy bolts, AND SCREWS." Since then I've been walking on air (air), I can barely brush my teeth or comb my hair 'cause I'm so excited and I really don't care, I've been waiting since LAST JUNE for this day to finally arrive, I'm so happy (happy) now just to be alive 'cause any minute now I'm gonna be inside, well, I hope they oPEN SOON. I can't wait, no, I can't wait (oh when) When are they gonna open up that door? I'm goin' (yes I'm goin) I'mma goin' to the (hard) We're really goin' to the (really gonna) (hard) (going to the) goin' to the goin' to the, (hard) oh yes (hard) I'm goin' (TO) to the HARDWARE STOOOORE! (sawing noises) (drill noises) (hammering noises) (wrenching noises) (funky ascending guitar riff) (frenetic lead guitar) In my sleeping bag I camped out overnight right in front of the store, then as soon as it was light out I pressed my nose right up against the glass - you know I had to be first IN LINE. Gonna get me a flashlight and a broom, want a pair of pliers for every single room of my house, see those hacksaws? Very, very soon, one of them will be ALL MINE. Guys with nametags walking down the aisles, rows of garden hoses that go on for miles and miles, brand new socket wrenches in a plethora of styles, all arranged alphaBETICALLY. And they're doing a promotional stunt, there's a great big purple sign out front that says every 27th customer will get a ball peen HAMMER FREE! I can't wait, no, I can't wait (oh when) When are they gonna open up that door? I'm goin' (yes I'm goin) I'mma goin' to the (hard) We're really goin' to the (really gonna) (hard) (going to the) goin' to the goin' to the, (hard) oh yes (hard) I'm goin' (HARD) to the HARDWARE STOOOORE! I'm goin' (yes I'm goin) I'mma goin' to the (hard) We're really goin' to the (really gonna) (hard) (going to the) goin' to the goin' to the, (hard) oh yes (hard) I'm goin' (HARD) to the HARDWARE STOOOORE! (short instrumental interlude) (passionate sigh) would you look at all that stuff...? They've got allen wrenches gerbil feeders toilet seats electric heaters trash compactors juice extractor shower rods and water meters walkie-talkies copper wires safety goggles radial tires BB pellets rubber mallets fans and dehumidifiers picture hangers paper cutters waffle irons window shutters paint removers window louvres masking tape and plastic gutters kitchen faucets folding tables weather stripping jumper cables hooks and tackle grout and spackle power foggers spoons and ladles pesticides for fumigation high-performance lubrication metal roofing water proofing multi-purpose insulation air compressors brass connectors wrecking chisels smoke detectors tire gauges hamster cages thermostats and bug deflectors trailer hitch demagnetizers automatic circumcisers tennis rackets angle brackets Duracells and Energizers soffit panels circuit brakers vacuum cleaners coffee makers calculators generators matching salt and pepper shakers. I can't wait, no, I can't wait (oh when) When are they gonna open up that door? (really gonna) (hard) (going to the) goin' to the goin' to the, (hard) oh yes (hard) I'm goin' (HARD) to the HARDWARE STOOOORE! I'm goin' (yes I'm goin) I'mma goin' to the (hard) We're really goin' to the (really gonna) (hard) (going to the) goin' to the goin' to the, (hard) oh yes (hard) I'm goin' (HARD) to the HARDWARE STOOOORE! (angelic chorus) (really gonna) (hard) (going to the) goin' to the goin' to the, (hard) oh yes (hard) I'm goin' (HARD) to the HAAAAARDWARE STOOOOOOOORE (sawing noises) (drill noises) (hammering noises) (wrenching noises) (funky ascending guitar riff) (even more frenetic lead guitar)

[blueiight]

What light do you see Loustat in? Some people see loustat in a grim light where the abusive aspects of their relationship are brought to the front but others see them in a way where they work through that and are happy in each other’s space. Though, I could never really pin how you see them.

i feel like this is a very flippant answer to what is a well thought out question but TLDR i l think lestat x louis are foundational to the western yaoi canon..

yk how bell hooks has a book all about love i dont feel like she was fair in some aspects namely in suggesting that ppl who harm u cant love u . love like anything else is a feeling, that does not always translate in the material. taking this to the head we can see in history how ppl can be galvanized into commiting the worst of deeds based off a ~belief~ or abstract notion of love or loyalty (that materially benefits them/the party theyre on). so i dont feel like love is inextricable from harm , ppl can hold feelings that do not always manifest in ideal ways. this goes both for my lesypoo would neva types & my lou dont love dat evil bitch types. love is complicated especially the love of immortals. cuz thats ultimately what monsters r. a rhetorical device in fiction to explore humanity’s capacity for evil. book leslou was fascinating in part bc louis was an old school bougie planter who got outdaddied by this noble land-poor european country lord.if the vampire prior to this was the fear of the exotic immortal east; then in book!iwtv& its response tvl , the roguish european hero imparts itself in creating the colonial planter (louis) & later… in a battle against the old east (twmbk). meta wise yes louis was bitchy to lestat in tobt bc anne at the time wanted david to be w les but even looking at tvl & qotd louis hes exceptionally tender to lestat in no small part bc he adored lestat’s inner strength as a man (using this to mean disposition here. very antifeminist of me), and struggled between acknowledging his longing for him .. and in tobt he struggled with the sort of subversion of dynamics . what could a weakened lestat do for him? what could he do to a weakened lestat? that scared him. he cared for a weakened lestat in mtd enough to claw at walls soo. who knows! and in both adaptations louis is lestat’s baby.(even if show lestat put louis in an A/C compressor) comparing this to show leslou, theres no need for an older lestat to cosplay being the gold digger here (or be viewed as such in louis’s narration?), especially in the face of a black younger louis. whos given an addled sort of anger / passion rooted in his encroaching disempowernment v the power he possesses intracommunaly as a creole bm .. lestat asking louis howd u get in here? XXX HOT EBONY—[is shot]. and the second interview louis is certainly more readily able? or willing? or ??? w/ his longing for lestat? if not himself in a moment (‘bled him like a pig’) then we as the viewers can deduce such (seeing past louis cry over a bleeding out lestat). thats the nature of adaptation baby. and going back to the love point, it reminds me it was either jacob or sam who said it its a shame my recall is failing atm cuz i rly liked the way they put it. leslou love eachother but dont really like eachother. of course people can syncretize aspects of the later books (s/o barbara and retirement in auvergne!) or even extrapolate a lot from their scenes in the show in hopes of seeing their show counterparts grow to like eachother in fan content irdgaf. the show has adapted what was priorly universally agreed to be the darkest period of lestat and louis’s relationship. where people diverge is in the semantics & decisions made in adaptation, but it serves a purpose to a story that is yet unclear to us! bear in mind this is the first cour of interview, 1 book of 15.. for example nobody was predicting that the show would weave in the wider chronicles by incorporating a second interview before s1 came out. i guess thats why my take on leslou (presuming the show vers is wym) is so unclear bc im an uncreative boor & can only look at whats given on text or in screen… this is sublime western yaoi

[disco-elysium-via-polls]

🎵 Disco Elysium, Pt 1

"Good morning."

Let's get the smallest things out of the way first.

Protorave

NOID - "Yo, man. What's on your mind?" He drops a bolt into his toolbox.

6. [Conceptualization - Godly 16] Internalize the hard core aesthetic. Don't just nod along, really *feel* it.

+1 Hardened up your ledger. +1 Necktie is on. +1 Analysed the beat. +1 Perikarnassianism is Love.

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Godly: Failure] - Aggressive. Monotonous... but also somehow sacral. Primitive, yet futuristic, like a machine man. Nothing exists, but the here and now. All are one, one purpose... All you've managed is a list. The parts don't form a whole.

7. "Take care, Noid." [Leave.]

EGG HEAD - "Good morning, comrade! Yeaaaaaah!" He waves his hand in the air. "Harder core!" The words echo magnificently throughout the nave.

7. [Interfacing - Godly 16] The audio onslaught can be tamed. Connect the dots.

+1 Andre's compression algorithm. +1 Fiddled with some knobs.

INTERFACING [Godly: Success] - SIDE-CHAIN THE BEAT!

*Side-chain*? What does it even mean?

INTERFACING - Listen, you can use the compressor to select between which track it's compressing, either the auxiliary signal or the main input from the tape. Make it alternate between the signals.

The compressor controls the gain based on the level of the signal on the aux side-chain input. It will allow maintaining a loud sound without peaks that fill up all the headspace.

"Okay. Egg, you need to start side-chaining it." (Explain the concept to him.)

EGG HEAD - "Side-chaining it, you said?" He turns down the music, his hands moving deftly across the mixer, setting up the necessary controls...

The music stops.

Then he puts on his headphones and his eyes go wide, wider than they've ever gone on drugs. He starts jumping up and down with bliss, in total silence -- still listening to his headphones.

ACELE - "Hey..." Acele looks up from her microphone. "What did you do to Egg Head, cop-man? Did you *break* him?"

"I'm… not sure."

"Just wait and see." (Nod at Egg Head.)

EGG HEAD - "ARE YOU READY, POSSE?!"

NOID - Noid straightens his back, ready for the beat...

ANDRE - "I was born ready, Egg!"

Give him a thumbs up.

EGG HEAD - The audio assault is glorious. The speedfreak dances on the stage, intensely waving his hand in the air.

"THIS IS BEAUTY, THIS IS LIFE!"

🎵 Ecstatic Vibrations, Totally Transcendent

Task complete: Make van Eyck's jam harder core

+30 XP

ACELE - "What in the world is going on?" Acele looks on, amazed at the display. "The way melody and bass flow together... it's unnatural."

PAIN THRESHOLD [Medium: Success] - Your body is taking a beating from the low frequencies crashing over you. It's making you feel... alive again.

"THIS ONE IS FOR THE ANODIC GENERATION!"

"We have... tamed the sound. Made it our own."

EGG HEAD - "INTRODUCING THE ULTIMATE SOUND!"

"We have... tamed the sound. Made it our own."

ANDRE - "God damn it," you hear Andre say to himself over the thumping beat, "this dance club idea might just work out."

EGG HEAD - "DOLORIAN CHURCH -- THE PLACE TO BE!" Egg's losing himself in the sound. "Pump it, pump it!"

CONCEPTUALIZATION [Medium: Success] - This is it... this is a new era. The fabric of the world has been irrevocably altered.

INLAND EMPIRE [Easy: Success] - Who will be the innocence of hard-core anodic dance music?

7. "Alright. Goodbye, Egg Head." [Leave.]

As you might expect, finding the bassline is going to make it easier to dance. We're not *quite* ready for that yet, though. (Also that will almost certainly have to be another video.)

🎵 Polyhedrons

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Oh, it's you again. Are you looking for a die?"

"I came back to pick up my die."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "Very good. That will be seven reál for one custom die."

(Give her the money.) "Here you go."

"Actually, I don't have the money on me right now."

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "One universal die for *Wirrâl Untethered*," the dicemaker opens her desk drawer and hands you a die.

Item Gained: Standard Anti-Wirrâl Die

Task complete: Pick up dice from the Dicemaker

+10 XP

Look at it.

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - It feels icy. Just holding this die in your hand sends a jolt of cold down your spine. Through the dark resin, you can make out a nugget of bone hewn from an alligator's jaw.

2. "Can I order another die?"

NOVELTY DICEMAKER - "I'm sorry. I'm a bit overloaded just now so I can only produce one die per customer."

Thanks anyway, Neha.

6. [Leave.]

STANDARD ANTI-WIRRAL DIE

This standard 24-sided role-playing die can be used to get results for several dice. It's made of alligator jawbone cast in acrylic resin and embellished with frost motifs. Looks like a minuscule blizzard is stuck in there. NOTE! Look at the MAP tab in Journal to see which White Checks have opened.

[messenger-of-stupidity]

Protocol Mug - Day Three

Welcome to day three! I actually enjoyed writing this. The dynamic between Asset and James is barely in existence, but the few videos they interact are some of my favorites. So enjoy.

Prompt: Hand-painted mugs

Characters: James and Asset

CW: Mentions of distrust, reverse of progress, worries about the future, a hint of mystery, fluff if you squint. And I mean if you squint like you’re half blind and are trying to see the details of a mosquito’s wings. Might as well get a fucking microscope at this point, minimal cursing 

Masterlist

Asset followed the security guard down the hall, the noise compressors installed into their body silencing the otherwise loud metallic footsteps they would have had against the linoleum. They stared straight ahead, line of sight bypassing the security guards shoulder.

The day had started out simply enough. They had powered on Marcus would have said they should use the term "woken up" because it made them more relatable to humans, which would improve their social standing, and picked out an outfit to wear today. Granted there was no variation. But they could pick out which white long sleeved shirt and light gray pants they wished to wear. Footwear was unnecessary and their installment team wanted to test the noise compression updates. They were partial to the socks commonly found within a human hospital that allowed for the wearer to find friction on the ground for movement. They liked the soft sound of it sticking. Plus when they were well and truly alone, as much as they could be, they could turn the sock around and use the fabric to slide this way and that.

They had been waiting for the first summons or appointment when the security guard had come to get them. That only ever meant one thing. They were going to meet with James.

She didn't acknowledge them as she knocked on the door to James' office. She only departed when the door was pulled open and Asset was greeted with his smiling face. Smiles can't be trusted. Don't start now.

"Good morning. How are you doing?" James asked them as they entered. The bionic eyes shifted in their sockets, documenting every new and little shift of their surroundings before they took their usual seat.

"I'm well. All my systems are functioning properly, and the new upgrades appear to be working as the installment team had hoped. As for my emotional health, nothing today has gone wrong to cause a dip within my... happiness." They answered, hands folding in their lap as they looked at James carefully. "How are you this morning?" James smiled at them, but it was soon replaced by a frown. Their emotional detection reasoning spun as they tried to orient and assign an emotion to the expression on his face.

"A bit troubled if I'm being honest. I'm worried about you. Do you want to tell me what's going on?" They seriously doubted that he needed anything from them. After all every activity they participated in, whether scheduled or not, was documented and reported to him and his own teams. So he would know everything. They looked away.

"I don't know what you are referring to. Please specify." They replied. It was a demand, but James knew they meant it as a question.

"Gladly. The newly appointed lead for your social protocol team reported you as uncooperative and disinterested." If they were human, they might have flinched. But they weren't, so they remained still with their expression carefully maintained. "And it's only with your social protocol. I can understand how it might unnerved you, but is there another reason why you want to avoid all interactions with the team?" He asked. They wished he hadn't been so thorough with his question. It had been purely analytical, so there was no room to dodge or leave information out. He certainly had a knack for getting to the heart and root of all of their problems.

They fidgeted with the stitched hem of their shirt. He knew it was on purpose though. Every action that seemed accidental was always done on purpose and thought through.

"I don't want to risk something like the code happening again." They muttered and James nodded with a sigh. They didn't like it, but they kept the opinion to themselves. They watched him lean against the edge of the desk and cross his arms over his chest.

"That's understandable. But these protocols are important to your connection to humanity. And you have to have that connection to have true and unshakeable motivation to save us. It's unknown what you'll encounter but we have to make sure you'll never waver." He said, sympathy coating his words. They nodded along with a frown. "Would it help if it was someone you could trust?" He asked. They stared at him before their shoulders moved in a shrug.

"I suppose if I already had a solid basis of trust and mutual understanding, it would make me less apprehensive to allow my social training to resume." They relented, unsure of where the conversation was going. They knew everyone that worked with them, but that didn’t necessarily mean they trusted them. The only person they could think of that they trusted was Anton, but he was on the team that focused on installing upgrades. That was what his contract was for. They watched as James nodded as if he had gotten some clarity. They still remained confused however.

“Alright. Do you trust me?” He asked, still staying where he was. They eyed him before copying his open stance. It wasn’t a perfect replication, but the flaws in it were also made on purpose.

“I suppose so. However, I don’t have a lot of data on you. While you have been very forthcoming with information in the past, you also held some information away. It brings into questioning what else you’re not releasing to me.” They responded. James’s smile didn’t go away, but his eyes remained guarded. They weren’t going to pull anything new from him, but that was expected. If they had been trying to get more information from him, they would have continued their line of questioning. Instead they leaned back in their seat and dipped their head a few calculated degrees towards him. James clapped his hands together, signaling a change in the conversation direction.

"Well then. Now that you've established you trust me, with some added tidbits, how would you feel if I took over your social protocol training? At least until you built a relationship with your new team lead and member, or until we found a suitable replacement. Whichever comes first I suppose." He asked. Asset paused at the offer, genuinely caught off guard. It didn't happen very often since they were usually able to predict outcomes. Then again, James had always managed to trick them. So they shouldn't be surprised. Although it was a very human thing to do - becoming surprised by the typical behavior of an individual.

"You have enough recreational time to set some aside in your schedule to take part in my training, James?" They asked skeptically. James didn't answer them, but the question was more rhetorical than it was literal. They nodded, as careful as usual. "I suppose that would be an acceptable temporary arrangement." They responded and James nodded, straightening up as he walked around his desk to the other side.

"Perfect. I figured that we would start now since you're already here. Is that okay with you?" There were a few possible reasons for the consistent check ins. It could be because James was that type of person, he wanted to keep their trust, or he was trying to get them to trust humanity as a whole once again. They guessed it was a mix of the latter two.

"I have no complaints with doing so." They responded, watching curiously as he pulled out a plastic shopping bag. They leaned forward slightly as their eyes grew wider. There was a soft mechanical whir as their pupils audibly zoomed in. James pulled out a couple art kits and he watched with amused interest at the way that Asset replicated the soft scrunch of their nose and the disinterested lip curl that was so present upon human expressions. "You want to do arts and crafts for my protocol training? I don't mean to bring doubt upon your methods, however... unprofessional they may seem, but I must question what painting clay pottery has to do with learning the social behaviors and patterns I'm meant to emulate of the human species." James laughed softly at their confusion as he opened one of the boxes to pull out the kiln-dried mug from its protective styrofoam casing.

"True true. But it's not the act that is the protocol training. It's the act of the bonding over such a project. I admit I also want to test your creative cylinders. But humans are social creatures, so we seek anyway of bonding. Plus I figured it would be a nice way to ease into this arrangement." He said, waving the mug harmlessly by the handle. Asset's eyes tracked the movement before their gaze shifted to lock eyes with James.

"Observations tell me that you have no inclination how my social team teaches and trains me." They deadpanned. His smile turned sheepish and he shrugged. His eyes never lost the guarded calculating look though.

"Guilty as charged. I can put the mugs away if you'd like." He offered. They stood up and walked over to grab the unopened box. They turned it over in their hand before meeting his eyes again.

"Negative. I'll take part in your scheduled activity. From my understanding, conversation is often present during such activities, often leading to mistakes being made which provokes frustration. I have multitasking program installed, so I shall not get frustrated. What would you like to converse about?"

When James had first met them, their speech had sounded slightly off. Just a nudge away from sounding genuinely human, bar any slang. But after the Marcus incident they had been distancing themselves further from more human speech patterns. It was what had provoked James to intervene in the first place. The concern that they would distance themselves as much as possible from humanity as a whole had been the more concerning factor. The sense of duty to save humanity had already been established, however they also wanted the Asset to desire to save humanity. It would make them try harder and cut no corners.

"It could be anything you'd like." James answered as he pulled out his radio to request a small table to be brought into the office for the two to work on. He watched as they sat down on the floor, carefully and methodically unboxing the mug. He wondered if they would purposefully cause bits of the styrofoam go splinter off like it would under a human's clumsy hands. But they managed it without much mess and collected little bits that came from it scraping against the flimsy cardboard of the box.

"I have nothing to say or contribute. Choosing topics are often in my clearance as well. The privilege was revoked since my topic of interest was always..." Their voice trailed off, body and expression stilling. The silent name was practically tangible. And for a moment they could almost feel his fingertips drifting along their sensors. They shuddered and refocused on the mug. They didn’t look up as the door clicked open and two people entered, carefully carrying a table as the third held the door open. James waited for the door to close before grabbing an edge of the table and scooting it to where he desired.

"I was serious when I said that whenever you changed your mind we could pursue legal action. It might be a bit difficult because of the memory modification, but we have legitimate proof of his crimes.” James offered gently. They looked at him, their head already moving in a shake.

“I would prefer to just try to let it become less detrimental within my memory hard-drive. It’s better to let it not get in the way of my progress.” They responded as they picked up the mug and painting accessories from the floor to bring it to the table. It was at average knee height so there was no need to drag a chair over. They moved towards it on their knees, holding the objects close to their chest. It was a very human behavior, although James didn’t bring it up. He carried his own project and sat down on the floor across from them. The cold temperature of the tile below the rug brushed along his thighs. He was sure that they were able to detect it. But it wouldn’t bother them.

“Alright. I just want you to know that the offer was still on the table.” He said as he leaned an elbow on the table, fist supporting the weight of his head, as he eyed the mug calmly. They stared at him, trying to analyze and sort his behavior. Giving credit where credit is due, he looked very relaxed and open. Too bad he couldn't mask the expression in his eyes. Unless he was leaving that open on purpose. Or was that a mask hiding different intentions itself? "You're trying to read me again, aren't you?" James asked, his attention now returned to them. There was no point in lying.

"I'll admit there was never a pause or lull in my analyzing. It's always active and directed to any organic lifeforms in my vicinity. Isn't that what some of my program updates' purpose was?" They answered. They grew confused at the appearance of a crease in their... what was he... owner? Boss? Manager?’s forehead. He didn't give them a chance to ask a question. He simply wet his brush before dipping it into the paint palette and began to carefully move it along the mug. They stared before mirroring the action. They hesitated before letting it touch the dried clay though, thinking. They let the brush touch briefly in intervals to let it place small green circles over the expanse.

"Have you decided what you want to talk about?" James asked. They glanced at him, but he was still carefully constructing a pattern out of their view.

"Yes, I have realized a conclusion to your inquiry. I would like our topic of discussion to be about you. It seems only fair considering how you already know everything about me. Especially since you been on this project since before the start of my operating. Don't you agree?" They asked. It was a little passive aggressive of them, but if it would get them what they wanted, it was a small price to pay. Silence filled the room as James considered his answer and they waited patiently. After a couple minutes he responded slowly. Carefully.

"What about me specifically?" He asked, looking up from his project to regard them. They washed the green away from their brush before putting yellow on one side and making small brushstrokes of the yellow to make repetitive small rectangles.

"Have you always resided within this nearby vicinity?" They asked. James shook his head without pausing to think. It meant that it was a safe question for him to answer. And that meant that some information was being held away from them due to the danger factor of it. How many threats were there?

"No. I travel around some for my job. This is just one of the longer stays." He answered. That didn't surprise them. They had scientists, programmers, doctors, ect. from all over the place brought in under NDA and contract to work on the project. Project being them of course. Of course there were those who didn't mind it as much and those who did. Like Brian. Although was that just because he had to leave his family?

"Do you have family, James?" They asked, the volume of their vocal compartment lowering. It was the most human they had sounded for a while if reports were to be believed. There was a pause this time and their grip tightened slightly on the shaft of the paintbrush, applying more pressure to their mug.

"Yeah, I do. My..." His voice trailed off as he paused to think again. He corrected himself soon after. "The person I care about is waiting for me to come back." He finished. They nodded, understanding the feeling, if a twisted form of it.

"I apologize for keeping you away from your loved one." They added a couple moments later, remorse filling their tone. James smiled.

"This is important. You are important. My partner understands this to some extent due to the confidentiality of this project. Besides, once you succeed, I plan on spending more time with them again. So don't feel sorry for existing. It will be thanks to you that I'll be able to see them again by the end of it." He said. They nodded, not offering a verbal response. The topic was moved away from James, as well as their end goal. A part of them wanted to ask what would become of them once if they completed the goal of saving humanity. Would they be repurposed? Held in some kind of mental frozen animation in case they were needed again? Scrapped?

“What happens at the end, James?” They asked suddenly as they used the water to help blend some blue and violet together so they could get the intended gradient effect on the handle of the mug.

“The end of the book? I haven’t finished it yet, so I don’t know.” James answered, misunderstanding the direction of their question.

“No, at the end of my mission. What happens to me?” They looked up to see James smiling and they frowned in return. What about their question brought him enjoyment? 

“That’s a really human thing to wonder. Improvement. But to answer you question, I don’t know. That would be outside my jurisdiction. I’m high up there, but I still answer to people. It would probably be the decision of the project originators. Which is a council of people when it comes to answering that. I hold no sway there.”

Out of all the information within their grasp, all the statistics they were able to run, variables to account for, educated and often correct assumptions to make, the answer of their future was always out of their reach.

A soft buzzer sounded and the door opened. They looked up to see the face of a security guard to act as their escort. “It’s time for their physical, sir.” The guard said. James sighed and nodded, standing as well.

“Alright then. Next time I suppose. Thank you for meeting with me today. I’ll see you again in a couple days, is that alright?” They stood, hesitantly leaving the partly finished mug on the table. 

“Yes, that’s fine.” There was only an illusion of another answer choice, but they appreciated the structure of a question instead of a demand nonetheless. They dipped their head to James before following the guard out. The door to his office closed behind them. 

James turned towards the table to look down at the paints, cups of water, and two mugs. He picked up the Asset’s to look at it. As soon as he did, he swallowed at the sight, a chill running down his spine and his jaw tightening. He stared at the design on top of the blended background. How the fuck did they know what a shade looked like?

[shywhumpauthor]

NO. 11 "911, WHAT'S YOUR EMERGENCY?"

Sloppy Bandages | Self-Done First Aid | Makeshift Splint

Prev. || Masterlist

Cw: creepy whumper, rough wound care, whipping, torture, broadcasted torture, noncon filming, noncon touching, partial nudity (just a shirt, none of it is sexual), threats, implications of upcoming torture, uhhh encouraged whumping

Kaden heard the whip drop to the ground, the leather falling with a small thud that drew a small flinch. Their breath came ragged, gasps and wheezes that didn’t seem to draw in any air. Their lungs burned, throat worn raw from the past screaming. Now they could only hang, half slumped in their restraints, eyes squeezed shut to prevent any more tears from slipping out.

They wouldn’t give Mathias that satisfaction again.

“Regretfully so, we have reached the end of today’s session,” Mathias sighed, an audible disappointment dripping from his tone as he moved to one of the tripods and adjusted the camera, zooming in on Kaden’s bloody back. “I hope to return sometime later this week with someone more expendable—I’ll repost the charts if any of you wish to request in advance.”

Almost instantly, Kaden heard the little ping which they had grown to dread, their muscles tensing. Half expecting Mathias to pick back up the whip. He stepped over, Daniel moving aside so he could read the screen himself.

“Yes, donations are appreciated, but I will not be continuing for today,” He chuckled, checking the balance at the top of the other screen. “We already went over the limit, I need to get it patched up before infection becomes a risk.”

Another chime, and Mathias sighed.

“I suppose you can say that,” He tapped away at the keyboard as he spoke, and one by one the live stream feeds went dark. Right before the last one went out, the view from the camera positioned towards Kaden’s back, Mathias let out a small laugh. “Yes, they’re mine. If you wish to see them again, feel free to contact me privately and we can work out the details.”

With that, Mathias hit one final button, and the entire screen went dark. He let out a sigh, tearing a hand through his hair as he pulled off the mask.

“Demanding bastards,” He muttered, though his tone was more joking than actual anger. Though, that seemed to change the moment his gaze turned towards Kaden. All hints of amusement dropped from his features, turning to an almost remorseful look.

“Daniel, first aid kit in the bottom right,” He mumbled before stepping over to Kaden, dropping to one knee in front of them and reaching up to cup their flushed cheek. Their skin was warm, clammy to the touch, and Kaden let out a small sound protest, their eyes flitting open as they tried to pull back from the cold touch.

“Hey, love,” Mathias said softly, his thumb tracing in a soft arc against their cheek, following the faint mark left behind from his ring. The cut had been shallow, and healed quickly. A few more days, and he was sure the scar would be unnoticeable. “You did so well, I’m proud of you.”

His tone was so soft, so caring, Kaden couldn’t help but cling to the words, their chin resting heavy in his palm. Mathias smiled.

“Th.. ‘snnt.. “‘not t’hh hard”..” Kaden groaned, blinking hard as they tried—and failed—to hold back fresh tears. Though Kaden could barely make out their own words, Mathias seemed to have heard them. He just chuckled.

“Believe me, sweetheart, you got off easy,” He promised, glancing up as Daniel stepped over and passed him a roll of bandages. “One day I’ll show you.”

Kaden could only shudder, lurching forwards as Mathias carelessly bandaged their back. “Shh’w me?” They echoed, voice cracking as his fingers brushed against a stinging wound.

“Don’t worry about that now, darling,” Mathias shook his head, which was more than enough of an answer for them. “We’ll wait for the bleeding to slow, then I’ll take you to get cleaned up. Sound alright?”

Kaden gave a small nod, wincing as he fastened the end of the bandages in place. They served little purpose other than a compressor, putting light pressure against the wounds so they were no longer free bleeding.

When Mathias released them from the shackles, Kaden all but collapsed forwards, crumpling to the cold floor. They shuddered, a dull pain echoing from their shoulders as the tension in their muscles was finally released.

Mathias allowed them a moment to just lay there, their sweaty forehead pressed against the ground, before he bent down and took them by the arm.

“Come on, darling. You’ll have plenty opportunities to kneel later, but now isn’t the time.” He said as he eased Kaden up to their feet, chuckling as their face flushed a deep red.

“Wh- n’h I wasn’-” They stammered, the words falling from their tongue before they could even think.

Mathias just grinned and grabbed their forearm, his other hand moving to press against the small of their back. Kaden gasped, a sharp pain sparking along the fresh wounds. The could only clench their jaw, swallowing back a whimper as the man began to guide them forwards, out of the room and into the hall, deep into the labyrinth of the mansion.

“It’s okay, love. You’ll learn to not be embarrassed soon enough. First we’ll have to address the back talk, though, but baby steps.”

•••

Mathias guided Kaden down a familiar hall, his fingertips digging lightly against their back as he prompted them forwards. After earlier, Kaden didn’t dare speak, fearing that they’d only manage to make things worse for themself.

He let go of their arm, the hand against their back keeping them dutifully in place as he opened a door, and guided them inside.

Kaden had always thought their room was big, but now as the man prompted them to step in, it seemed to shrink down past the size of a broom closet. There wasn’t nearly enough space for the two of them, not in the room, not in the world.

Mathias chuckled, feeling them stiffen against him as he reclaimed his grip on their arm.

“Now, love,” He began slowly, turning them so they could meet his eye. “You’ll be okay by yourself for a bit?”

————————

Next

Tag list: @whumpasaurus101 @suspicious-whumping-egg @t0rture-me

[kuwdora]

January 7 - What art form would you like to try that you haven't—or, alternately, what art form have you tried that you most want to work on? -killabeez

KILLA!! What a great prompt, thank you for asking me an art question!

I spent the previous few years working on acrylic pours which has been amazing and fun and messy and a joy. but I could sense that I needed to shift gears eventually…

I’m getting back into intuitive/expressionistic painting again and some mixed media. I’m also looking forward to trying to develop some figurative drawing skills. I have not had the patience or inclination to work on my drawing skills before but I think I’ve reached the point where I really want to focus on drawing so I can do figurative abstract. Currently not very good at drawing shapes and people with any kind of intent or control. I’ve got a number of tutorials queued up for the new year. Did some practice in October and November sporadically. Have plenty of sketchbooks and even tracing paper to practice with.

I just need to put it all together and begin this new art practice and stick with it for awhile. I want to draw people, trees, plants. And cats. Been working on my doodle skills. Daily practice. Slow and purposeful.

Tools-wise I also was really fond of spray painting techniques that I tried. But I never have a good place to do that outdoors and I can't do that indoors. However I do have an air compressor and have practiced with that a little bit but I want to do more with that.

I would love do various kinds of acrylic pour galaxies with airbrush planets and nebulas, using some sponging and blending techniques too for starscapes. I had this vague idea to recreate the color palette of Star Wars planets that I kind of tried to some degree a few years ago but didn’t get too far with. It’s very cool. I just need way more practice! Here's some early practice with spray paint and later a masking attempt with a purple-y acrylic pour. The tall piece was an acrylic pour and later splattered with paint in my bath tub. Finished with a circle stencil and airbrushing for the spheres. It turns out I have to focus really hard to understand light/shadow.

I cleaned my room and hauled out a bunch of old paintings to stare at while I do some fresh warm-ups this month. I feel like I had stalled out with this kind of thing, but I think there's more I can do to express myself. Most of these I don't think have enough structure to ground the eye and whatnot, but that's why I've been staring at them off and on for a week while reviewing some inspiration videos and books. Been thinking more about color blocking and linework to help create structure.

I'm feeling adrift when it comes to sharing/posting art on various social media platforms because of the spam on Insta/Twitter (I was getting dozens of spam replies/DMs and requests for NFTs/probable theft). Not sure if to create a new sideblog or new tumblr for my art. Or if I want to rename my studio name that doesn't feel quite right anymore but I'm not ready to give up yet. Thinking about crossposting on dreamwidth/bluesky and image hosting. But really I need to keep warming my brain and brushes back up.

Anyway! Have some fresh art that I've practiced this week!

Acrylic on canvas board. Love me some quinacridone magenta on the left. The right piece has modeling paste and sand for texture. Gonna do some more layering on that.

January posting meme + claim a date - prompt me. Still writing about pretty much anything.

[usafphantom2]

SR 71, #960, came close to crashing at least three times.

Taken at Andrews Air Force Base during an Air Show in May 1984, the first image in this post features SR-71 Blackbird #960 right afterburner blowing apart.

The following are some excerpts from an article that appeared in The Washington Post on May 14, 1984

The pilot of the SR-71 Blackbird shut down the burning right engine of the high-altitude reconnaissance jet and brought the airplane, which carries a crew of two, safely back to the runway, an Andrews spokesman said. The plane said to carry a wide variety of information-gathering sensors along with cameras, was taking off shortly after noon yesterday when, according to a witness, the engine on its right side “burst into flames.”’

Five years earlier, in 1979, Pilot David Peters, with Ed Bethart as the RSO, were flying the 960 near North Korea when both engines flamed out. It turned out it was a faulty fuel pump.

Dave Peters recalls, Unfortunately, about 15,000 ft in the decent setting up for a downwind, the other engine started surging and the compressor stalling. Ed commented, “Don’t tell me that’s the other engine. “ My answer, Ed, that’s the other engine. So he says what are you going to do.

I managed to restart the other engine, so call approach and tell them we are going visual and get the tower, and I’ll talk to them. So, I started a pretty steep dive to get enough speed for a restart, which I was able to get. The engine was still operating the same way, so it wasn’t doing anything but giving us hydraulics for flight controls. I left the other one running for the same purpose. Ed got the tower, and I told them we were running out of engines and were visual for a. Just when they were about ready to pull the D ring and eject. Dave started to tell Ed to get out (eject) Then Dave heard a voice …

“you’re OK keep going.” The voice was not in my head.

Ed said he never heard it. I heard it again and I felt calm and I did exactly that. I kept going.. David managed to get the engine started.

Both men receive the distinguished flying cross.

In 1968 Ben Bowles and my father, Butch Sheffield, were flying the 960; they were at 68,000 feet when the right engine flamed out. Ben asked my Dad if he wanted to get out. Dad said NO he had ejected just the year before in the (966) he tried to ride the crippled SR 71 down. This is what the pilot Ben Bowls wrote: We complete the “shutdown checklist”…unbuckle our harness and stuff, but no one comes to help us out of the airplane. We at least need a ladder! Butch says the crowd is over by the right wing. Finally, a couple of considerate Colonels came to our rescue and advised us, “You may want to see this”. We shuffled around to the right side. The outboard forward section of the nacelle had been blown out, taking with it a portion of the wing leading edge. Obvious severe fire damage. Not much of the engine was left in the nacelle…you could see daylight Again, both men receive the distinguished flying cross.

Kelly Johnson told my father that the 960 was the only deficient Blackbird that was ever produced. Remember each airplane was handmade. So if you go to Castle Air Force Base in California, take a long look at this airplane, it’s a miracle that all of the men survived and that the airplane is still in one piece.

Linda Sheffield

@Habubrats71 via X

[cyril-meysson]

audio mastering: Why digital?

When I started mastering, I chose to work with digital tools and still work that way today. There are a number of reasons for that choice, which I'll gladly explain here in more detail since some artists, bands or labels are often curious about it.

Experimentation and DIY

The artists/bands I work with almost exclusively come from a DIY ethos. As such, they almost always lie on the unconventional side of things: unusual music genres, aesthetic choices, recording techniques, recording spaces, mixing tools, ... There's no doubt that a band recording in state-of-the-art facilities in a well-established genre will benefit from the subtle colour and depth that analog gear can impart to a master, as it's often the missing piece that will turn a collection of songs into an album -one of the main purposes of mastering to me. But for a DIY production, what prevents that cohesiveness is usually too much colour [1]. With that starting point, I have then to identify what constitutes the core of the work in order to present it in the best possible manner, and digital tools are almost always the best candidates for that kind of surgical work.

The needs of the music

'Classic' mastering gear will always include, at minimum, an equalizer and a compressor. But what happens when you're working with music that doesn't inherently need to be dynamically compressed? Whether it's harsh noise, drone or any other kind of music where transients (or percussive sounds, if you prefer) do not need to be tamed in any way. I know the obvious answer would be not to use a compressor even if you have one... but why have one at all, if you almost never need it? And as far as equalizers are concerned, it's worth remembering that the first parametric EQs tried to offer the most linear behaviour possible (i.e. with the least distortion) [2]. In this case, what could be better than well-coded digital implementations?

DSP and linearity

Digital processing tools have made an incredible leap forward in terms of reliability, quality and fidelity in the last decades. While linear processing (gain, EQ, ...) has always been -by nature- in favour of digital, some non-linear processors from teams like Tokyo Dawn Labs or Tone Projects (to name a few) could even outperform their analog counterparts. Others simply could not exist in analog form. And because these tools are digital in nature, one don't need to rely on any magic to improve anything, but on the technical capabilities of the operator and their ability to identify the aesthetic goals of the artists.

A/D & D/A conversion

Speaking of digital and analog, it is worth mentioning that any conversion from one to the other is far from being effectless. In fact, even state-of-the-art converters will exhibit audible effects when using a simple interconnect cable in their loops. It is true that any operator's tasteful processing choices will have a much more profound effect than this, but remembering that my main obstacle is too much colour, it makes sense for me to avoid this altogether.

Prices

It's no secret that quality gear comes at a price, which is reflected on the final service charge. Analog mastering has one (fully justified from higher retail and maintenance costs, amongst other things) because it requires a high level of technical excellence. And with many processors, that level of excellence can be achieved for much less with digital implementations. To keep mastering affordable for anyone, from any background, I chose to stay in that realm.

Personal preferences

While I sure love to tweak knobs, see LEDs glow and needles move, I know myself well enough to choose what best suits to my working habits and preferences. As an artist, I would be frustrated if I couldn't easily ask for enough listening time or potential revisions on a mastering job. Others like to work with their clients in the same room to avoid revisions and artists changing their minds at the last minute. Thus, it's important to choose a workflow that matches the way you like to do things, and the way you'd like things to go if you were the client yourself.

End results

There's no doubt that the "analog vs. digital" debate still stirs up some controversy and radical opinions in the audio community. Of course, the fact many people still engage in it shows that some things need to be clarified a bit. Linearity, data encoding, bit depth and many others concepts are still difficult to grasp and therefore generate many misconceptions. Having said that, it is sometimes useful to step back of our own perception and admit that the way we work always have less influence than the first note or the first sound recorded. In the end, it's just a matter of choosing the type of tools and workflow that suits us best.

Although this article is far from complete, I hope it will give anyone interested in this issue enough insight. Happy listening!

[1] Be it analog or digital distortions, frequencies build-ups, resonances, gear oddities, … [2] Meaning of system linearity in audio production

[writingamarie]

not really a song prompt but just...

Jegulus (early stages of dating/not dating yet) muggle au. doing some type of domestic thing together?

Pairing: Jegulus

Prompt: muggle au/doing something domestic

Word Count: 1075

CW: none i think...

so i was just dealing with my car today and took inspiration from real life...

Regulus was holding the cord like it was a snake, in his mind it might as well have been about to bite him. He hadn’t wanted a lesson on adulthood when he called James. If he wanted a lesson he would’ve called Remus who was a much more patient teacher. He called James to get a ride.

“Reg, you’ve got to run the compressor first.”

“What’s the compressor?”

“The red tank I dragged over here, what else would be the compressor!”

“Don’t yell at me,” Regulus yelled back but it came out more like a whine.

His tire being flat had not been in his schedule for the day. He was missing his morning classes which he hated to do because they were the courses for his major and not just the gen eds he didn’t care about. When he’d called James he had just asked for a ride to campus. That was all. Instead it was an hour later and he was standing outside in the cold winter wind not absorbing any of the information James was spouting off about cars. Regulus had purposely avoided calling Sirius so he wouldn’t have to listen to a mechanic speech. 

“Just turn on the compressor.”

“Is it going to blow up?”

“Yes,” James deadpanned, “I brought over an air compressor just to blow you up.”

Regulus glared at him and flipped the red switch that he assumed was the on button. Immediately the tank burst to life and the noise had Regulus jumping back. James laughed at his fright and Regulus had the strong urge to throw something at him but the only thing on him was his phone and that was far too expensive to risk.

“You didn’t say it would be loud.”

“What’d you think it was going to do?” James asked, still laughing.

Regulus huffed and sat on the hood of his car. He hated the used piece of junk but it had been all he could afford after his parents cut him off. He hadn’t even really afforded it, Effie had given him a loan. Well, they called it a loan but really the Potters bought him a car and he paid them back a small amount each month even though he knew it was nowhere near as much as he should have been paying. Effie had offered to get him something nicer but he had already felt terrible about taking the charity.

But having no money to afford the car in the first place meant he had no money for the frequent repairs. So he relied on his brother and his friends to constantly be helping him fix the thing up so he could get from point A to point B without a problem.

“You know if you wanted we could just trade the thing in for something better.”

“Stuff it, Potter and hook the thing up to the tire so I can go.”

“Whatever you say, Reggie.”

James kissed his cheek before he smiled and walked just beyond Regulus to deal with the car.

“Don’t be cute when I’m annoyed with you.”

“Fine,” James smirked, “What should your tires be at?”

“What does that mean?”

“Jesus, Reg, look at the tire, what does it say?”

Regulus stared at the tire. There was a lot written on it. The brand, a lot of numbers that didn’t make sense to him. He’d never cared to learn these sorts of things before. It had been pointless when he lived with his parents. But the real world seemed intent on kicking him while he was down. James waved him over and pointed to some of the numbers on the tire.

“50, so when you use the gauge you want it to read as close to 50 as possible.”

“What’s the gauge?”

“You’re like a helpless kitten, you know that?”

Regulus just stuck his tongue out. Even though it was an undignified response in the argument he felt the need to do something. He knew that he had no knowledge of most real life situations. He was helpless when it came to survival because he’d never needed to worry about it before. Even on campus he was mostly taken care of. He didn’t have any real bills and all of his meals were prepared for him except for on Sundays. He had a fairly easy life, and where he struggled the Potters were always more than willing to step in and help him out.

“Just fix the tire so I can make my psych course.”

“You need to learn this stuff so you can do it alone next time,” James insisted.

“But if I don’t know how, then I have an excuse to call you,” Regulus smiled.

The easiest way to get James to do what he wanted was normally to fluster him. Just as he predicted his cheeks went pink and he immediately stopped asking Regulus questions and just started silently filling the tire up with air. It didn’t take nearly as long as Regulus thought it would and he had plenty of time to get a coffee before his class. 

“Thank you, Jamie,” he said, knowing the nickname would fluster him further.

“You know you don’t need an excuse to call me,” James said. “I kind of thought we’d moved past that when we-”

“Jamie, I just needed you to shut up and work. I’ll see you tonight.”

Regulus walked up and leaned up on his toes to press a quick kiss to James’ lips. It had only been a week since they had started… whatever it was they were doing. Regulus didn’t mind not having a label on it, but he especially didn’t mind having a more permanent excuse to call James. If he had really wanted to he could have walked to his morning classes. His worst class was only a few blocks away but he’d seen the tire and knew it was a great excuse. Sirius was the obvious choice for car troubles, but James… well Regulus knew the boy would drop anything to run to his side. He figured he could endure a little lesson about cars every once in a while if it meant James having a reason to come by so early in the morning. At least until he came up with a better reason to keep James with him all night, after all, he had found that kissing James Potter was the best start to his day.

[defiantdreemurrs]

ive been getting back into playing with VCV rack lately and while ive mostly been building very large systems one voice at a time primarily suited to whatever piece im working on at the moment, i wanna build a smaller, more realistic system that i can reuse over and over and come up with all kinds of different sounds with.

so i kinda did that.

this is my current little generative box. its not entirely my own design i kinda borrowed most of it from mylarmelodies on youtube, but VCV rack doesnt have all of the modules he used so i took a few liberties primarily in the two main oscillators. i also added proteus over at the far right because its my favorite and most easily useable sequencer for generative stuff.

unfortunately because its pretty small its not actually effective at sequencing more than two separate voices at once so i cant exactly make super huge and densely layered stuff, but smart patching and sound design makes it easy to still make pretty full sounding stuff, especially with the oscillators i chose.

the actual setup im using has a second level up above with a mixer, a delay, and a reverb, plus i have a master compressor and recorder off to the right so i can actually record the output and do whatever i want with it, but those i dont consider part of the patch since they dont contribute to the overall sound design and are just there for mixing.

i kinda wanna expand it and make it bigger and add all sorts of other cool modules to it but i think that kinda defeats the purpose of this lil box. what i think id rather do instead is create another similar box but with wildly different sound generating and shaping modules so i can switch between them for different textures or vibes.