Hey! I'm pretty new to this mech keyboard thing but I'm hooked. A couple months ago I got an Aula f75 and I love it. It sounds sooo nice and buttery... And the linear switches feel awesome to me.

I started looking at cute little 40% boards and thought I'd really like something ortholinear, minimal, where I'd have to use layers and home row mods etc. I got the $40 mk47 from Micro Center (sort of a Planck knockoff), put on some blank caps, learned enough QMK to set up my layers and tapdance and all that, and even switched from QWERTY to colemak-dh. This scratches a number of my neurodivergent itches! And I'm up to 35wpm after a few days. :P ...

Except for two things. It doesn't sound nearly as good as the Aula, and my wrists are starting to hurt. (My daily driver was a split membrane kb for years until this.)

I've been looking at the zsa voyager, and it looks like it could be "the one"-- it's portable (important), well built (can throw in backpack to take to office), etc. But will it satisfy the need for that sound?? So far looking around on YouTube it kinda doesn't seem like it,but it could just be that Voyager reviewers don't focus on such silly things as thocky vs creamy, lol. But this is important! Anyone feel me?

So I've also been looking at Cornes, and whatever other minimalist split kbs out there. I don't want to solder anything myself, which removes some options..

Any recommendations out there? Either for other boards, or "yes the voyager can thock"? Thanks in advance!!

Hello.. new Linux convert here, mostly been using the web interface (alexandrite) and Connect on my phone. But I'm wondering what's good on Linux. I'm on Arch btw, lol. :P thanks!

EDIT: ok, sounds like browser it is. Thanks all!

Hey all, and thank you to Pandoras_box for booting up this server.

So, the subject says it all -- I got a diagnosis last week! Maybe a year and a half ago I started watching vids on youtube about adult diagnosis (I'm in my 40s), and I kept going "huh. ok. well THAT would certainly answer this question.. and that about my childhood.. and my marriage.. and my obsessive hobbies.. and, and, and..." So I kind of rolled with it for a while. But it got to the point where I really needed to know. Imposter syndrome. Using a half-baked excuse with my family members like "well IF I'm on the spectrum, ..." But now I know! Such a relief.... I was so nervous in the days leading up to it, that I'd be told "sorry... you've just got a case of anxiety and OCD" or something.

Also, I haven't been billed yet, but it looks like it's going to be mostly covered by my insurance, which is amazing. (Honestly, I probably wouldn't have done it if it was going to be a thousand dollars+++ out of pocket.)

Umm. Anyway it's still sinking in. But I just wanted to share my excitement with y'all lemmings who understand. ^^_^^ Thanks for reading.

If you like atmospheric stuff a la Drudkh... this guy delivers. I've been listening to this album a lot the past couple months... it's excellent fall/winter stuff. very underrated!

Does anyone here own one? I have questions! Kind of lusting for one, but, I need to know a little more about the functionality of selecting and combining patches (and people on youtube seem to only go through the sounds). Thanks!

Hi there! I just picked up a Roland S-1. It's my first piece of gear that doesn't have a big fat 1/4" mono output. All my other stuff simply goes into my audio interface (8i6) in mono, nice and easy. This one however, has a little 1/8" stereo/trs/headphone out. The thing is, I don't mind going into my interface in mono.. I don't really need the S-1's stereo effects (better stereo plugins in Ableton) and moreover I can save a valuable input on my interface.

The S-1, like most recent synths, also has audio+midi over USB, and I'd be happy to use that (frees up an interface input, plus stereo, what's not to like!), BUT apparently you can't do a USB synth and the audio interface at the same time in Ableton. (Supposedly there are ways.. "aggregate devices" should just work on a Mac, but I'm on a PC. I tried with ASIO4ALL but it just crashed my Ableton.)

So my options seem to be:

• USB right to the computer See above, doesn't seem to work for me
• 1/8" trs to dual mono 1/4" breakout cable (this will retain stereo effects from S-1, but take up my last two inputs)
• 1/8" trs cable -> 1/8-1/4 dongle -> single mono input on interface. For some reason this sounds very weak, unless I pull the cable out a tiny bit.
• 1/8" ts cable -> 1/8-1/4 dongle -> single mono input on interface. Now this sounds better.

So, for now I guess I'm doing that final option. It's mono, of course, but I use stereo effects in Ableton to fill it out. What I'm wondering is, is this the right way? What do other people do? I worry that maybe I'm missing something in the audio, like.. if I'm only getting the L channel now, but maybe this synth uses some stereo tricks to fatten the sound (besides the onboard chorus/delay/reverb, which I can switch off if I want), or..? Know what I mean? This is about where my audio knowledge drops off. If anyone here tells me "this synth is not meant to go back to mono and you'll get degradation" then I'll happily get that breakout cable and use my last precious inputs on my 8i6!

This here is a slightly beside the point ramble: wouldn't it be amazing if I could use USB input for all my synths at once? All my Behringers would go direct, heck the RD-8 would be split into a dozen channels, the s-1 would be in stereo, and I could open up my Scarlett to stuff like guitar pedals.... ah that would be nice.

Thanks for reading!

Hey, what's up. I've been trying to get my phone (oneplus 8) all perfect again, after I recently decided not to use fingerprint security anymore. I now use a password, which feels right, but when I'm just sitting at my desk it feels like overkill to have to retype it so many times when I'm just checking little things. So.. I'm trying one of those pretend-screen-off apps (Blackr) with which I can "turn off" the screen with a quick press, for the times when I want my screen off, but don't need full security (like, I'm not leaving my desk, cops aren't breaking down my door, etc.). Then I just double-tap the screen to turn the screen back on. If I want security, I use the actual power button to turn the screen off, and then when I open it back up it asks for my password as usual.

Anyway! I've been trying this for a day or so, and.. it just seems like my battery is draining faster. I think. Is it? I can't be sure, and I know the answer is to do some rigorous scientific testing, but I ain't got time... I knew someone(s) out here has been through the same thing and has the answer, so... anybody know? :)

Thank you!!

Hi! My less-than-10-year-old has their own iPad (registered under my apple id) and wants to be able to "text" with the rest of the family. Most of us are not Apple people though: Android phones, using some combo of SMS, Discord, and Signal. The little one doesn't have a phone, so I think that prevents us from signing them up for Signal. I could probably install Discord on the iPad, though it doesn't feel ideal. They use iMessage (or whatever it's called) to text a couple other friends/grandma/etc who also have Apple stuff, but what should we use for our mostly-non-Apple family that wouldn't require a phone number?

An internet search pointed me to WhatsApp, Telegram, Viber.... stuff I've never used but it seems popular. Facebook Messenger also, but screw that. Google Chat/Hangouts (or whatever it's called now) is another option, which would require creating a google account.

If nothing else appeals to me we'll probably go the Discord route, and I'll just have to be clear, don't join random servers :) But, anybody out there use WhatsApp with your kid, and does it not require a phone number? I'm open to other ideas! Thank you...

Hi! So... I have a TD-3 and an RD-6 and they are quite fun together. But I want a little more performability out of my drums. I like playing "live" (by myself, just jammin', minimal acid/techno kind of stuff). I'm really appreciating the whole Behringer thing lately, as I used to own vintage Roland etc gear (I had a tb-303 for a while, but it was a real hassle, and wasn't in great shape). I've never had a drum machine that I loved, but I want to change that.
I've been looking at the RD-8 and honestly I'm fine with being constrained to 808 sounds. But in my shopping I've also been looking at the Roland TR-8 (not the 8S -- keeping it under $300 I hope), and the Drumbrute (OG and Impact). They all look pretty sweet, but I keep coming back to the RD-8.

The plan is to mostly just do bedroom jams with a couple of setups:

1. 303+drums into a 2i2 interface into Ableton, then using a Launchkey to control stereo effects and maybe a third (soft) synth.
2. 303+drums into guitar pedals (stereo delay/reverb etc.) and a small budget mixer (the dawless option)..

The TR-8 looks awesome with the scatter effect, onboard reverb etc. And it has 909, 707, etc. etc. But the RD-8 might edge it out sonically, and just fun-wise, I mean look at the thing.. it's like the teddy bear of drum machines. The TR-8 can also be used as an audio interface, so that might make setup #1 more interesting with that..

Any thoughts? Any good options I'm leaving out? I've vaguely looked at the Model:Cycles because people love it, but something isn't grabbing me about it. I'm open, but also very ready to pull the trigger on the Behringer. Thanks!!!

We just installed a reverse osmosis (RO) filter system at our house, because the tap water tastes gross. I tested the TDS and it was 3ppm! I thought "oh that must be great, pure water," but my friend told me you actually want minerals in there to help extract.

So... Anyone else in this boat? I know there are RO systems that will remineralize after the filter, but ours doesn't.. And I don't think I want to uninstall this beast. I know there are little drops you can add, but they seem expensive... Just wondering what y'all other home brewers do. Thanks!

Howdy! Here is my current signal chain, starting from either a Strat (2001 American deluxe) or an Ibanez Artcore AS-73.. ...micro Q-Tron > Phase 90 > sf300 (painted by my kid) > OD-200 > Signa Comp > e-lady > polytune > dd-500 > rv-500 > rc-1 > jc-40

I'm still playing with the e-lady position. And I'm still trying to find the best use for the volume pedal. Currently it's hooked up as an expression pedal for the dd-500, but.. I find myself never using it. I originally thought I'd use it for volume swells but I never used that either... Maybe not worth the real estate? Also, still playing with using sf-300 mostly as a boost, or mostly as fuzz... Never ending!

Edit: still trying to get the pic to post from this mobile app...

Apologies if this doesn't fit "rabm" exactly. But it's awesome and definitely out of the usual BM mold.

This is a great read. It clarified some stuff for me on non-duality, and dare I say that the instructions (on "the mental move") are effective.