MosephBlankenship's recent activity

  1. Wireless light/fan switch reccomendations

    ~life.home_improvement Ask (recommendations)
    I have a light/fan combo in a bathroom that are controlled with a single switch. I want to control them separately, but running a new wire would require ripping out drywall, which I don't want to...

    I have a light/fan combo in a bathroom that are controlled with a single switch. I want to control them separately, but running a new wire would require ripping out drywall, which I don't want to do. It is in a guest room, so it can't be controlled with an app, even though I know there are ways to give guest access to certain home automation systems.

    The power runs up from the floor, through the switch, and then up to the fan, so I have power at both locations. The wiring for the fan is in the attic, so putting something up there is easy.

    What I imagine exists is a remote double relay that can be controlled by 2 physical switches(preferably single gang, but I am prepared to open up the wall a bit to install a double gang box). I would prefer that the relay be powered by 120v, rather than a 12v device that needs a plug somewhere, but its not a total deal breaker.

    Anyone have any ideas?

    4 votes

  2. Comment on Is there a service that a regular joe can use to provide subs or dubbing for a movie? in ~movies

    MosephBlankenship
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    I watched a "state of" video for Audacity recently where they talked about closed captioning being one of the use cases they didn't want to mess up with the major revision they were working on....

    I watched a "state of" video for Audacity recently where they talked about closed captioning being one of the use cases they didn't want to mess up with the major revision they were working on.

    I've not tried to use it, but it may work for you.

    1 vote

  3. Comment on How is Linux these days? in ~comp

    MosephBlankenship
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    I have used Ubuntu and Ubuntu Studio on my home theater pc, with the intention of switching over my main rig, which I haven't done. I didn't love or hate Ubuntu, and it worked well with my amd...

    I have used Ubuntu and Ubuntu Studio on my home theater pc, with the intention of switching over my main rig, which I haven't done.

    I didn't love or hate Ubuntu, and it worked well with my amd hardware, both cpu and gpu. I switched to Studio because I needed support for Presonus Studio One, which is the audio recording software that I use on Windows.

    My family doesn't love linux because its unfamiliar, and because of the little things that don't work.

    Any NBC streaming, so Peacock, Comcast cable, etc, will not work on linux. This is a small thing to me, because netflix, hbo, disney, etc all work fine, but to them it's an example of why we shouldn't have it on the HTPC.

    I got a small digital Mixer to use as i/o for audio recording, and while it seems to work on the linux desktop, but with Studio One, it crashes. This is most likely the DAW's fault, but on windows it just works.

    I also play multiplayer shooters, and some of them wont work because of anti cheat software not working.

    Like many others, I have grown to really dislike windows and I would love to move away from it, but it's too hard at the moment to give it up because of all the little things.

  4. Comment on Contemplating getting a digital piano to relearn how to play in ~music

    MosephBlankenship
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    I got a Numa Compact X SE, and I like it, but I think there are better offerings from Casio and Roland that have bluetooth connectivity for apps. The thing that strikes me about your story, and...

    I got a Numa Compact X SE, and I like it, but I think there are better offerings from Casio and Roland that have bluetooth connectivity for apps.

    The thing that strikes me about your story, and something I've mentioned here before, is that you seem to be searching for a reason to play. In my experience, without this, you wont. Have you considered forming a band and playing shows? Maybe writing some original songs and getting into a bit of recording? The path you chose will help you decide what to buy, and why to play.

  5. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society

    MosephBlankenship
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    Now you're getting it. (I originally just wrote this, but I'm gonna add context so its not all just sass) Example 1. Putin and his spokespeople say stuff all the time. The reason they say it is...

    Now you're getting it. (I originally just wrote this, but I'm gonna add context so its not all just sass)

    Example 1. Putin and his spokespeople say stuff all the time. The reason they say it is because they know the news will run with it. Its all nonsense and posturing. None of that is news. If a country promises jets to Ukraine, that's just words, but its an action in a sense. They have committed to something. If North Korean troops start showing up, that's news. If lil' Kim had said they were gonna send troops, that's one of those that you have to take a look at. Maybe he is just blustering, but it's also kinda unprecedented and worth perking up for a bit.

    Example 2. Nvidia has event to announce their new graphics card. This is like scheduling a press conference to announce the sun is coming up tomorrow. You know they are gonna do it. You know the event is going to be riddled with marketing nonsense. None of this is news.

    It's not news, its nonsense. And, its nonsense because people are interested in random gossip and can-you-believe-isms. You can argue that there is value in that, but it ain't news.

  6. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society

    MosephBlankenship
    Link Parent
    99% of the time, and that's being generous, something someone says is never news. 101% of the time, something someone refuses to "rule out" is not news. If you could filter any news source for...

    99% of the time, and that's being generous, something someone says is never news. 101% of the time, something someone refuses to "rule out" is not news.

    If you could filter any news source for things that people 'DO', vs things that people 'SAY', news sources would have 1 story ever 3 days.

    So, yes.

    2 votes

  7. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society

    MosephBlankenship
    Link Parent
    Is there a Rage bait nonsense tag we can filter for? Mark it as that.

    Is there a Rage bait nonsense tag we can filter for? Mark it as that.

    17 votes

  8. Comment on From its start, Gmail conditioned us to trade privacy for free services in ~tech

    MosephBlankenship
    Link Parent
    For sure I meant google's search was awesome. That's an interesting thought about gmail's standing vs other providers. I was a beta gmail user and I feel like its mostly the same as it was then....

    For sure I meant google's search was awesome.

    That's an interesting thought about gmail's standing vs other providers. I was a beta gmail user and I feel like its mostly the same as it was then. Things have come and gone, as google does, but I would struggle to name anything "new" they've done, apart from modernizing the look a bit over the years.

    Maybe the auto calenderizing of emails that are appointments or flights or w/e. Though, this is part of what the article is complaining about.

    9 votes

  9. Comment on From its start, Gmail conditioned us to trade privacy for free services in ~tech

    MosephBlankenship
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    I feel like this is a bit misleading. Before Gmail, everyone's email account was either tied to another free provider, "free" as part of their internet service provider's plan, or "free" from...

    I feel like this is a bit misleading.

    Before Gmail, everyone's email account was either tied to another free provider, "free" as part of their internet service provider's plan, or "free" from their business or university. Google didn't come along with the carrot of free email, they were competing with email being basically free for everyone.

    That's not a defense of how they quietly monetized your inbox data, but they didn't condition anyone for free internet services. That was the field in which they were, and still are, playing.

    The reason people signed up in droves for it was that google was awesome. It worked so much better than everything else. We all assumed that their mail was going to be the same. Little did any of us know that google would be the dollar store garbage bin of search engines in 20 years.

    26 votes

  10. Comment on New guitar - bit of a hiss on the G / B / high D strings? in ~music

    MosephBlankenship
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    Those are single coil pickups, even though they are in a fat housing. You are going to get single coil noise no matter what you do, but inexpensive guitars often skimp on shielding and "good"...

    Those are single coil pickups, even though they are in a fat housing. You are going to get single coil noise no matter what you do, but inexpensive guitars often skimp on shielding and "good" wiring. IMO its not worth fixing. In an ensemble, you probably wont notice it at all.

    The hiss sounds to me like regular old fret buzz. your string is hitting a fret further up the neck. This probably cant be fixed easily either. You may be able to adjust the truss rod if its not set up correctly, but its likely close enough that it wouldn't make much difference. The real answer is to have your frets leveled, which is not hard, but pretty time consuming, and requires specialized equipment. There is a standard clearance that the next fret should have when you play any fret, and if this is too close, it will vibrate on that next fret(or one further down), especially if you play it aggressively.

    The recording sounds like you are playing open strings, so another possibility is that your nut is just not cut correctly on that string(too shallow and close to the fretboard). That is an easier diy fix, but you will probably have to file down the slots for the strings once you install it. It's not really drop in ready usually.

    9 votes

  11. Comment on Self-taught guitar players: How did you do it? What do you wish you could go back and do differently when you were learning? in ~music

    MosephBlankenship
    Link Parent
    Sorry for the way way late response. The trap that some new players can get into after learning scales is to run that scale with little to no variation in the interval. So a chord progression in...

    Sorry for the way way late response.

    The trap that some new players can get into after learning scales is to run that scale with little to no variation in the interval. So a chord progression in Am, has a lead over it that walks a b c d e f... from some start position, then maybe descends the same way, then maybe does a little linear pattern e f g g f g f e, or whatever. The focus is on fulfilling the scale because you know its in the key and it will work and it will sound ok. As you grow as a player however, this becomes stale and cliche.

    The next step is to create interesting intervals within the scale. The easy way to do this is to sweep pick a chord. Using the same example, you may start the lead with a c e f e c a. This is just the g form minor chord(5th fret on the E, 3rd fret on the A, 2nd fret on on D strings), but the notes are played individually, rather than strummed. This pattern is instantly more interesting than just running the scale, even though its not that far from just running the scale.

    This verticality, moving from string to string for some next notes rather than staying on the same string for a run of notes, is like having built in interval variation. The other bonus is that it makes your overall navigation of the fret board way better. You may find that you aren't stuck in "boxes" any longer.

    There are lots of sweep picking tutorials on Youtube, but I have no idea who to recommend. You definitely want to start slow, and small. 3 string sweep is the sweet spot for beginners in my opinion, and I like D major(regular open d form, pull off the a to the f# on the high e string, then to the d on the b string, then the a on the g string, then back down to the F# via the d on the b string. Focus on the timing, and proper up/down stroking. Do not practice for speed, practice for accuracy.

  12. Comment on Why would a track be inverted? in ~music

    MosephBlankenship
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    I wondered if he meant just having the stereo tracks flipped, vs phase inverting. Maybe he can clarify. If the stereo tracks are swapped, who knows... maybe the vinyl master had to be done that...

    I wondered if he meant just having the stereo tracks flipped, vs phase inverting. Maybe he can clarify.

    If the stereo tracks are swapped, who knows... maybe the vinyl master had to be done that way for some reason? too much low end on the inner groove? I don't know much about vinyl mastering except that too much volume in some or all frequencies can actually cut through the medium itself. More delicate than the modern "turn that shit up" method. ;)

    4 votes

  13. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~creative

    MosephBlankenship
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    Purposelessness makes learning anything hard. Why are you writing songs? Where do you intend them to be played? The formatting is kinda built into these answers. Want to be played on the radio,...

    Purposelessness makes learning anything hard. Why are you writing songs? Where do you intend them to be played? The formatting is kinda built into these answers.

    Want to be played on the radio, make it 3 minutes. 3 minutes of the same loop too boring? Add more variations or accompanying parts. Don't know how to do that? You just found your next area of study.

    Writing rap beds is a whole different animal than writing soundtracks for video games. Writing a pop song is not the same as writing an orchestral piece. Well... kinda it's all the same writing wise, but different in arrangements, but for this type of question, writing is arranging.

    When I was first writing songs, I would follow a very static pattern because it felt natural to do that. Intro, verse chorus, verse chorus, bridge, solo, chorus, out. This was something you heard other songs doing, and at 100ish bpm, it made it the right length for a rock song that could be played on the radio. We needed 10 of these to play shows and make an album. I just worked backwards from that goal.

    8 votes

  14. Comment on Advice on GPU upgrade wanted in ~tech

    MosephBlankenship
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    5800x3d(289 pounds) is the only part to consider if you are on a ryzen 2k or 3k cpu. It will be so much faster than the 2600. Op is right about overclocking. Modern cpus will push themselves if...

    5800x3d(289 pounds) is the only part to consider if you are on a ryzen 2k or 3k cpu. It will be so much faster than the 2600.

    Op is right about overclocking. Modern cpus will push themselves if you give them the thermal head room, so definitely get an aftermarket cooler. Doesn't have to be expensive, but don't use the stock cooler.

    If you want 1440 high 60, though I would argue med 90 is a better experience if you have a monitor that has a higher refresh rate, you will need to upgrade your video card too. You are gonna be kind of limited here, but in my opinion, the best bet is the rx6700 for 305 pounds. You can go lower and get a 6650, but the extra 2 gb of memory may be worth it? I would again wait till the new year for the gpu, just to see what comes of the refresh releases.

  15. Comment on Advice on GPU upgrade wanted in ~tech

    MosephBlankenship
    Link Parent
    5800x3d is a drop in upgrade and loads more performance, fyi. also, ssd's are dirt cheap right now. good luck.

    5800x3d is a drop in upgrade and loads more performance, fyi. also, ssd's are dirt cheap right now.

    good luck.

  16. Comment on Advice on GPU upgrade wanted in ~tech

    MosephBlankenship
    Link Parent
    Yeah, rasterized performance is just the raw output the screen without any post processing like ray tracing or frame generation or upscaling. All of those games are so different when it comes to...

    Yeah, rasterized performance is just the raw output the screen without any post processing like ray tracing or frame generation or upscaling.

    All of those games are so different when it comes to performance. Elden Ring's engine is capped at 60 fps. It's one of those games where the game ticks at that speed, so adding more frames messes with the game's timing system.

    Baldur's gate seems to be well optimized for gpus. Its more intensive on the cpu side, but it scales awesomely on most gpus. I get 90ish fps at 2560x1080 on a 6700 non xt. I haven't tried it with the new fsr update, but it was fine without it.

    The mods for skrim/fallout/starfield are going to eat up ram, so maybe the 7800xt has the edge there, even if you dont care about the nvidia post processing.

    I would encourage you to look into the vr stuff though. I have no experience with it, but there seem to be rumblings about compatibility issues with amd cards.

    also, there are plenty of rumors of a 40 series super release being announced in Jan. Some rumors that amd is going to counter with price drops then too, so it may be a good idea to wait it out a little longer.

    I upgraded from a 970 to a 6700 non xt earlier this year for 310 usd. I wanted to upgrade when the 20 series came out and it felt like a lame release, then I was 100% gonna buy a 3080 for 700, but then you couldnt, then nvidia decided to charge ridiculous prices for the 40 series. I feel like many people are in the same position as me, where we are ready to drop 700 on a great card, but currently there are no great cards at that price, comparatively.

    2 votes

  17. Comment on Advice on GPU upgrade wanted in ~tech

    MosephBlankenship
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    In my opinion, there isn't anything great at 550. The consensus is that this whole generation is kinda lame for the average buyer. If you want to drop a mortgage payment on a video card, then get...

    In my opinion, there isn't anything great at 550. The consensus is that this whole generation is kinda lame for the average buyer. If you want to drop a mortgage payment on a video card, then get a 4090 and it will be top of the line, but for everyone else, it's super disappointing.

    That being said, your choices in that price range are a 7800xt at 500 or a 4070 at 550. both will double your fps from your 2070 at 1440. That is pure raster, so if you like post processing, both cards will get you plenty of extra fake frames or upscaling. Both of those are super subjective, but the consensus is that upscaling's performance boost is worth it, and the fake frames aren't.

    What games/genres are you planning to play? What are your monitor's specs?

    4 votes

  18. Comment on Ardour 8.0 is released - a free and open source hard disk recorder and digital audio workstation application in ~creative

    MosephBlankenship
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    I think its like art, you know it when you see it. I used Pro Tools, then Digital Performer and currently use Studio One. I would say the biggest difference between modern daws and what I would...

    I think its like art, you know it when you see it. I used Pro Tools, then Digital Performer and currently use Studio One. I would say the biggest difference between modern daws and what I would label "legacy" is that the legacy daws cater heavily to old school audio engineers. They do things that make sense if you've come from a world of patch cables and giant mixing consoles. Modern daws embrace the idea that a computer is both good at different work flows and that it negates the need for certain tasks.

    In the old way, if you wanted to send an effect to a bus, you would have to create the bus track, route the original tracks to it route the effect then route that all to your main listen bus. This makes no sense in a modern world where the goal is to just get a separate volume control for the effect. Modern daws just know that this is the goal and auto route everything for you.

    Studio One also does drag and drop very well, which seems crazy to say in 2023, but the reality is most daws don't. Want a synth on a new track? Just drag it into an open area of the workspace. With legacy daws, you have to make an audio track, route it to the main bus, make a midi track, route it to the audio track, apply the effect. This all makes sense if you think about the analog world of recording, but feels like what a caveman would do if you have been doing anything on a computer for the last 20 years.

    I haven't tried Ardour , but there is always room for a free multi track recorder. For many people, the cost of entry is way too high for some of the professional software.

    8 votes

  19. Comment on Self-taught guitar players: How did you do it? What do you wish you could go back and do differently when you were learning? in ~music

    MosephBlankenship
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    You need a teacher. Being self taught it great, and can help you get a foot in the door, so to speak, but targeted instruction will move you along so much faster. If you understand the CAGED...

    You need a teacher. Being self taught it great, and can help you get a foot in the door, so to speak, but targeted instruction will move you along so much faster. If you understand the CAGED system, and can play some scales, instruction will show you all the little things you're missing to put it all together. If getting a teacher isn't possible, then I would suggest these two things.

    First, create a reason to play. You need a goal that you can work towards, get stumped, work though and keep going. This is generally going to be starting a band, or just writing songs on your own. This eliminates the practice-for-practice's-sake mentality and creates repetition with purpose, vs just blind repetition.

    Second is to learn to address the fretboard vertically. The most available method is sweep picking. This will stop you from just running scales when you need melodies/solo's. The same reason that the CAGED system helps you address the chord going "forwards" or "backwards", learning to address the fretboard vertically will open up so much.

    Happy to go into detail on any of that.

    2 votes