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hanzi83 · 5 years

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This may be my last blog

I feel the end is coming near for me. I don’t know where to start because more and more they are suspending me from different platforms for being hateful, when it is clearly something bigger at work. I refuse to believe these social media sites who help let right wing bigoted assholes spew their views with no repercussions, but someone like me who is venting to get it off his chest and defending myself from attacks, where I feel these attacks are coordinated on purpose to fuck with my mind and instill more fear and paranoia. I literally don’t feel like I have anyone on my side, and even if I did have people on my side, I am sure I would just lose my fucking mind and accused them of being against me at some fucking point.

I think the problem lately I have not been able to express myself in my private thoughts and when my notes got deleted I have not felt like putting effort into doing it and normally it is full of wrestling analysis and what conspiracies are happening mostly and I am not even good at doing this anymore because so much thoughts poor into my psyche and I hope that it is somehow recorded by some advancement and is being extracted in some kind of manner and I am already getting bored with writing this because I have nowhere to start, so lately I have wanted to keep up with what is going on so I can have material from what is happening in the social landscape around the world, and then I figure it might be better if I react and retweet other people a lot smarter than me.

I have become a lot more aggressive with my irrational rants, and it feels like people push me to react this way and I feel I have to fight back, so if I do fight back, they can suspend me for telling someone to fuck themselves, or tickling themselves with a razor blade and if I don’t react then they get away with it. I have cried out for people within media establishment would help but I don’t know if they are allowed to do anything or even say anything, especially when it is Howard Stern, as irrelevant as he is in the lexicon of popular culture, I still feel I am being targeted by him. It is not a coincidence that he has gotten Leslee Dart to be his publicist for his book, who also represented Woody Allen, and I could bet money she is behind help censoring the online stuff and pushing back against the negative reaction to his book, not that I know for sure.

He has always had his own followers, who I feel are employed fans who bad mouth others and even bad mouth Stern as well, so it gives off this notion that the right wing contingent of the fan base is against him simply for being a little more liberal about his views, when I feel he is a neoliberal, and even people messaging me on twitter thanking me for being right all along because Alyssa Milano was promoted the book etc. These people are sick, they have dedicated a sub reddit to me, that has to be a sub reddit of another sub reddit which is Howard Stern, and that is done because they used to encourage that on their reddit, but now that I have called it out and put eyes on it, they have since then made another one and the people on the Stern Show reddit are “against” any Hanzi comments and pretend it is me, so now this troll who is obsessed with me, will project his feelings on me, and act like I am the problem.

I have no idea who this dude Gorilla Baconator is, but he will always post my periscopes and misrepresent what I am saying and because these periscopes are deleted afterwards, if someone goes online to look about things about me, they might seen the titles of some of these threads and not see it is being misrepresented. I always upload most of the scopes onto my public facebook page, but lately since I have been off twitter I have been on different periscopes that happen. I have met some cool people, and some people hated me. It is a variety, whether it is religious people wanting to pray for me, some wrestling ones, or women trying to get guys to pay for private shows while I just name drop I was on Stern Show and ask conspiracy questions. I do that because I literally have nothing else interesting about me, and also want to see if the trolls who stalk me, will pop out and I have caught some of them doing that, so I boasted about feeling better going on periscope and meeting new people, the trolls then have to say “Hanzi is stalking black teens” and I get if it was just a joke, but their goal to do this is for me to get in trouble, and because these people are paid to do it and have no soul, they will make me crazy even more.

One screen grab I put out was about them making insinuations that I am trying to pick up underage girls and that an arrest is eminent and even as untrue that is, it puts paranoia that they can control this narrative and I have no one to watch my back. I posted the screen grab on my facebook to show people how fucked up this is, and I like documenting it so people can see what kind of shit they are trying to misrepresent and character assassinate me.

I certainly cannot count on anyone I know because I think all my friendships and relationships have been strained severely with my subtle jabs because of my hatred for not being connected with my city over this Toronto Raptors thing. I have voiced my displeasure, as irrational as it is, and then valid displeasure came out because it was reported the owner of the Raptors wants to take the team to Israel, and anyone pushing back against that, is seen as an anti Semite since they purposely pile lump in criticism of Israel and Zionism in with the white supremacists who hate Jewish people. So this made me not want to root for the team, and it made me not want to care about it.

I couldn’t even go a day without social media where I did not see any footage of celebration, and as much as I think it is cool the Toronto team won a championship, it makes me overwhelmed because I see a lot of Canadian exceptionalism taking place and more and more it is like Toronto is becoming like the United States, and while the hatred for that is overwhelming, the fact that people I know are part of this type of shit it makes me regret even knowing these people, and the media can show a Sikh guy who owns his own car dealership and has gone to every game etc and then say “Hey look Toronto is diverse, we’re not as racist as the US” is horrible, I am happy that we are celebrating people uniting and feeling good about a sports team winning, but I can already see the pretentious cockiness about this and how smug people will become because of all of this and because I have not handled this well, and have been taking jabs at people I presume are in group chats, and people who have used my “fame” to get what they want systemically while I have to suffer and if I even say anything back to them, I really think people will plot to kill me or fuck with me.

People have hinted they sneak into my house and move shit in my house. I don’t know if it is all true, but if people are targeted I could see how they have “regular” people to become agents and do the bidding at the elite’s behest and I feel like they have done it to me and will continue, until they get me offline or until I attempt suicide and they will keep pushing me more and more. If I do a periscope to do air my thoughts out and don’t have any comments on, they will take it personal, if I take my anger out on them because they are adding to my mental stress, they will then carry on to fuck with me over everything.

I don’t think it is a coincidence I got suspended on twitter the week of the championship game, and now on facebook I have been suspended off of, when people are reporting my lives for being “suicidal” when it is clear I am not going to do anything and I can tell it is a plethora of people in my life who do that. It is scary to think that people I know, or people at the top are taking the time to fuck with me like this, and I don’t know what they are capable of and how they could kill me, since people can be bought off for the access in the elite. They will gossip about me constantly in group chats, posting whatever move I make, what I tweet out, what pictures is being put out there or whatever blog I post. I think they even shut down the Hanzi83 sub reddit, because they said they wouldn’t shut it down until the mission was complete. Are they disguising the truth under the guise of shit post, or they actually trying to instill paranoia in me. I would not be surprised because a plethora of whack packers are going down and are sick in the hospital, and it feels like sacrifices could be made, even though they would not officially expose that, and maybe my time is coming since I have to pay for the fame I got, even though I have paid the ultimate price for it, and instead of killing me, they will just imprison me even more mentally. I think the end is near for me unfortunately. This blog will only be seen officially by a couple of hundred people, because I can’t post this on facebook or twitter.

I think they will kill me. My parents are ashamed of me, and why wouldn’t they be? Look at me. I should have never been alive this long, but around my house I can sense this dark energy of silence and it feels like the elite have warned them about something that is going to happen. I could be wrong, but my life has been a fucking waste. I will never be able to trust anyone in my life, and they will never take accountability for anything and I feel people with power in the system will use it to fuck with others and bully them, without making it look obvious. Everyone in the system is corrupt and fucked up. Why would you let me be on this planet, I can never look at these people the same again, they all fucking hate me and sometimes I feel the same way and I never want to feel like that

I need to take a break from the internet and get active again. I have to try, because as much as I loved making new friends on Scope, and actually trying to have a connection on a human level because it is a fresh start for friendship, because I don’t think I will ever have a good rapport with people I already know because of the damage that has culminated and I always hoped I would be at peace with people now because whatever has been creeping on behind the scenes, I thought would be done now. I think I have become such an asshole and political about this Raptors shit, and maybe it is my insecurity of never reaching to do great things because I did not sell my soul, and I kick myself sometimes for not doing it because maybe I need to be praised and cheered on, and then I get back down to earth and just want a revolution to take place. I don’t know if I am going to be sacrificed. I feel people have used me and set me up, because I am going to have to be fucked with and put away in some hospital. I might have to decide to check in and disappear for a bit.

It is funny that I am a joke in my town, but in my fucked up head, I feel I helped get people their connections without even knowing it because of the alleged politicking that existed behind the scenes, and it fucks with me that so much has happened to me behind my back and now I am so hurt emotionally that I have no choice but to vent so I can get out whatever is in my head, but no one sees that. I really don’t mean harm on anyone. I just wish the world would just let me go because I will never fit in with anyone every again. I have angered the brass and their minions are hard at work trying to get rid of me.

Even if my twitter and facebook is restored, I should just get off. I can try deactivating it but time to time I would like to see what is going on in the world in the news since we are at a dangerous times, I feel that way. I just lessen the amount I take in because I am so hell bent to catch up on everything, I don’t have time to want to leave my fucking house. I have to get going and do something. Lately my desire to catch up with anything or even write has lessened but then when I want to go do something active I become worried I will not know things or get references because I still fancy myself a comedian in training, but never actually doing stage time, but still finding ways to creatively vent. I can feel them coming for me, I don’t know if they will further hinder my attempt at a career, and then it could just be that I suck. I don’t fucking know. Even if this is kind of funny, can I use this again? Or did I just waste material and left it open for anyone to just take from me, and I will never get any credit.

I apologize to people I have hurt but keep in mind you have hurt me and I will never get the answers because none of you would ever admit what you are supposed to be accountable for, or at least in my fucked up head, I wish it was not like this but this is all I have, to vent and I just rather act irrational. I should just take a break and work on my notes and at least save them for my own journal, and then gradually bring it out but even when I am typing in my own journal, I don’t think it is actually private because I feel these people are watching me. I am afraid of doing things because whatever I do, I wonder if people are paid agents and always meant to keep tabs on me, and it feels like there is literally no one to talk to about anything and that is why I have been addicted to periscope for the last week because I felt I was seeing all walks of life doing different things, whether it was shit talking, presumed sex workers trying to advertise themselves, debates about prison reform, Christian women praying for me, it was just fresh of interacting with people, and also me trying to cram it in that I was on the Stern Show because there is literally nothing interesting about me, because of my limited experiences and knowledge, and only way to sound kind of interesting is having discussions of conspiracies and then tying it in that I might be the victim of a conspiracy and having great discussions about it. I am also worried because I would go in scopes where it might come across like women were being forced to do it, or maybe they are legitimate sexy workers, I did not indulge further than just dropping conspiracy talk and asking how old they were. But when I would go on random scopes of musicians or just regular people if they were underage or just barely legal, I would walk out of the conversation pretty quickly. Anyone within my age range I was never going on to these places to get off, and maybe that is because I am medicated so much that I don’t even have a sex drive anymore, so I was really looking for good conversation with people within my age range because I need some mature conversation. It was just good talking to different people, there are a lot black and brown people on there that I gelled with and even being made fun of and busting their balls back. I even got felt like someone important with a couple of people, whether they were just feeding my ego or genuinely interested in my story and the fact that I am kind of known, it felt good and maybe it was one of the best things that happened, because it has made me want to try and get my shit together. I don’t know if these people will come for me, and try to frame me for shit because of how much I have tried to speak up about the world and what my theories are, and they punish people like me for doing things.

I can see the disgust in people’s demeanors around me more and more. I really don’t feel like I fucking belong. I get fucking scared when there are certain things these people admit to and then act like it is for real but they know there is nothing for me to do about it because literally everyone is compromised and since I feel targeted, and it gets scarier when they spread horrible lies about me, and accuse me of being a pedophile when it is not fucking true, and it makes me think since they have my computer hacked and have showcased what they can do, whether it’s moving my keyboard, taking from my actual document on my computer and pasting it on reddit before I even posted it in the blog site I use, or stopping music being played on my device when it is somewhere else, or posting under my name on my public page with my personal account, there is no telling what they have done to my computer and even if I wanted to indulge to see if they did any funny business, what the fuck am I supposed to look up to know if anything shady is on my computer if anything at all. These people really love to mess with me. I might just have to check myself in the hospital, but I will probably get abused there or I will be put through torture or something. I don’t fucking know. I wonder if they want me out of commission it will be so I don’t have to be present for something people in my life can’t hide.

I am going through so many emotions. I need to break from twitter, even if it is restored, as attempting as it is going to be seeing the jokes about OJ getting on twitter and then me complaining how they are beating a dead horse since it is all planned out anyways because they needed to make twitter interesting before it completely becomes nothing, like it is WCW, “You know what will keep people invested with twitter? OJ SIMPSON” I am already getting sick of the responding with a GIF movement that has taken a light of its own, and then people thinking the GIF chosen is such a genius move.

Anyways I am happy Raptors won but then I am not because it brings joy and I hate that I am not included in it probably. I really don’t know how I fucking feel. I know that putting that out there makes people come bust my balls, even subtly just to try and trigger me. Then if I go off on this shit, then people act like I am the guy who is treating people like shit so then I put people down for their tactics and how they act behind the scenes, and since this “fan base” is not getting paid by me, and maybe they would be a little more supportive if I did like anyone else with a fan base who pay their fans indirectly and do it with perks etc, in my opinion, but I don’t pay these people and they might be paid by other people to harass certain people, they will try to set me up by asking what they can do or what are the orders, even if it is something small. I tell people to act on their own.

Anyways this blog is out of control because I am doing random thoughts because I have not written much in my journal, so I am all over the fucking map, but who cares I am not credible and no one is going to read this, and even if they do, they don’t care. It does hurt that people who are leftist could be part of the group that decides I need to be put out of commission online as well, because some of them don’t seem to want to bring attention to it, and maybe their battles are limited, it is like wrestling, and any decent person would ask “Why aren’t the other good guys helping this dude who seems to being outnumbered with mental abuse as the referee continues to ring the fucking bell” and it feels like that is what is happening, all the other good guys can’t help or I have been such a fucking asshole, that people don’t think I am worth saving, until the narrative changes then conveniently people will start fucking caring. I realize neoliberals wouldn’t help because we know they don’t care, and the republican types won’t care because they will justify it why I am the bad guy, but people are leftist, I would expect they would at least make mention of it, but even their word is limited, even though they are also speaking out on other evil, so maybe some fat delusional Pakistani in mommy’s basement is not high on their list. No one cares or it feels that way and because of that I will always feel aggressive with my shit talking because I am so hurt by no one seemingly caring and letting all this alleged harassment to go on and make me feel so fucking horrible, that I fucking want to die. When I speak with my case worker, I might have to really ask about going away for a bit. I know that is what you want anyways.

#Hanzi Howard Stern Show Alleged Conspiracy Theorist Theories 2019 Facebook Twitter Suspension Framing #Harassment Exceptionalism Toronto Raptors Wethenorth Tribalism Disappointment Failure of Human Family Friends Associations Hospital Mental #Illness periscope people

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fuckyeahblackcountrymusic · 5 years

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As many fans as Brown has, there are plenty of folks who wish he would stay out of country altogether. To them, he symbolizes an almost deep-state-like assault on tradition. Experiment, however, contains one of the most “country” songs from a male artist on Music Row this year: “Short Skirt Weather,” a bit of Alan Jackson-era tongue-in-cheek pop/honky-tonk. Despite Brown’s come-up covering George Strait in those now-famous YouTube videos, people still feign surprise when he mines country history. (For the record, Experiment uses just about every instrument in the lexicon of twang: Dobro. Banjo. Mandolin. Slide and steel guitar. Fiddle. Ganjo.)

“There was a woman the other day saying that it’s awesome to see someone bringing back ’90s country, but she was not expecting me to be the guy to do it,” says Brown the day before the AMAs, sitting at a pub in an upscale strip mall in Malibu, Calif. “And my first question was, ‘Why?’ I’m doing the same thing as everyone else in country music. So why am I the one you don’t expect?”

Brown, in a plaid shirt, jeans and diamond studs, throws his hands up in the air, because he knows why. “The race card,” he whispers. He doesn’t really like talking about it because he doesn’t want to exploit it. But that doesn’t stop him, either. “Right now, [my race] does matter,” he says. “People always say, ‘There are plenty of black country artists out there! There is Charley Pride! Darius Rucker!’ That’s all they can name. They don’t understand what we go through, and a lot of people who are fans of traditional country music, as they call it, look at us and aren’t going to say, ‘Y’all like country music.’”

Those people are pretty easy to find online. They’re also nothing new. There’s always a segment of country fandom that wants things to stay the way Hank done it. But with Brown, the language is of a particular school: They’re quick to point out his “hip-hop” or “urban” influences as a reason they don’t like his fans or what he has to say. They credit his success to artifice and insist he’s a product of the industry. You might as well say “Make Country Traditional Again.”

Experiment may be as much Justin Timberlake as it is Alan Jackson, but no more so than the work of Dustin Lynch or Thomas Rhett. People who are perfectly content with white singers like Chris Stapleton digging into soul influences attack Brown for his tarnishing of tradition.

“Everyone should have equal opportunities and equal rights, but you can’t even have an opinion without somebody going off on you,” he says. “That’s what’s wrong with this world today.” That divisiveness is what inspired Brown to write “American Bad Dream” shortly after the mass shooting in Parkland, Fla. The song, about violence at schools and by police, is shockingly forward, given how Nashville barely touches the topics of gun control and racial injustice. “Now you got to take a test in a bulletproof vest,” sings Brown. “Scared to death that you might get shot.”

“It’s messed up, but so real,” he says. “And that’s what country music is: real. It’s a risk for me to write this song, but I was trying to bring up an issue that wasn’t being talked about in music other than by Childish Gambino.” Brown stirs his bowl of chili, tensing up. He’ll talk about the song, but he won’t discuss specific political viewpoints. “There’s still half of the world that doesn’t believe what you believe in, even if you say the smartest thing.”

But when the CMA Awards shafted Brown this year -- he wasn’t even nominated -- it certainly felt political. “There is a contingency that looks at certain acts and says, ‘That ain’t country,’ and I think that happened with Kane,” says Randy Goodman, chairman/CEO of Brown’s label, Sony Music Nashville. “Kane is African-American, and he has tattoos. Maybe that’s not culturally what they think fits.”

“We’ve been systematically programmed to let stereotypes lead the way,” says Brown’s tourmate Jimmie Allen, who, as a black country artist, has encountered plenty of them himself. “Because the stereotypical country guy is supposed to be from Georgia and is supposed to be white.” [Read More]

#Kane Brown #Jimmie Allen #Charley Pride #Darius Rucker #Brad Paisley #Dustin Lynch #Thomas Rhett #Chris Stapleton #Alan Jackson #Camila Cabello #Lauren Alaina

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bestportablewm · 4 years

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Best Desktop Audio Interface

Are you looking for a top audio interface card? Tired of those plug-and-play solutions that have latency problems? Don’t want to deal with USB and Firewire ports? On a budget? See below for several options when it comes to professional recording desktop interfaces for your podcast, music production, and overall recording needs!

Top Computer Audio Interface Cards For 2019

Name: Rating:Price on Amazon: M-Audio M-Track 2X2M5.0 (Best Overall) Focusrite Scarlett Solo4.8 (Best For Music Production) BEHRINGER Audio Interface4.7 (BEST For Live Music )

M-Audio M-Track 2X2M

M-Audio seems to be constantly looking for what a consumer desires in low-cost consumer audio gear. As time and technology progresses, it seems that home audio interfaces are becoming faster, smaller, and more feature-packed than ever before. At first glance, the Fast Track Ultra seems to fit perfectly into this mold. The unit is an development on the previous Fast Track Pro, and finds a happy middle-ground between being a small and lightweight portable interface, and a studio tool with a wealth of I/O options and high-quality components.

As a longtime owner of the now-aging M-audio OmniStudio interface, I was curious how this new M-audio interface would stack up against what I considered my small home-studio workhorse. So is M-audio able to continue to improve upon their product line, or are their promises becoming too good to be true?

The Unit

The body of the Fast Track Ultra is clearly a tight squeeze for a unit containing four XLR mic pre-amp inputs on the front face. While my M-audio OmniStudio would support rack ears, the Fast Track is only just over a half rack space wide, clearly showing it is intended mainly as a desktop interface. The unit’s body is plastic, as opposed to the OmniStudio unit which is cased in an aluminum shell. Combined with some questionably loose 1/4” inputs, I am reluctant to say whether the unit would be able to endure heavy use as a portable audio interface. Nevertheless, it is a very attractive unit with easily accessible connections and knobs, giving it a very use-friendly image from the start.

The I/O

Many low-cost and portable audio interfaces seem to fit into two categories: The small 2-channel interface for simple projects or stereo remote recordings (Presonus Firebox, M-Audio Fast Track Pro), or the expanded units, often with eight built-in pres (Presonus Firestudio, Alesis MultiMix). With four built-in mic pre-amps, the Fast Track Ultra fits nicely in the middle.

The M-Audio Fast Track Ultra provides a complete recording solution, with six channels of analog inputs and outputs plus 2-channel digital S/PDIF I/O. Unlike most USB audio interfaces, it features two dedicated inserts on the first two channels, giving you the ability to insert outboard processing before A/D conversion. Easy connection via a single USB 2.0 cable delivers both audio and MIDI communication with your computer.

Getting Connected

The card is the first interface released by M-audio to have USB 2.0 connectivity, a change that seems a bit late. After booting up your computer, you may be surprised to find out that the Fast Track Ultra will power up as well, even without a power adapter. The unit can run with a minimal 2-in 2-out connectivity while being powered through the USB bus alone. A 5V power adapter, which looks oddly like a cell phone power supply, allows for full usage of the I/O options.

I noticed a weird problem after tracking some MIDI keyboards using the unit’s USB bus power. In order to hear playback, I put on my headphones and immediately noticed a hum. After unplugging the MIDI cable, the hum vanished. I decided to leave the MIDI cable inserted and plug in the power adapter. After restarting the unit, the hum again was gone.

The included drivers and software couldn’t have been easier to install on my Mac. The unit supports ASIO and WDM on PC, and core audio on Mac. The installation includes a Control Panel that exists both in the Applications folder and in System Preferences, bringing up the software mixer and monitor controls. Within less than ten minutes, you should be setup and ready to go.

The Control Panel

The m-audio allows monitoring all eight direct inputs (six analog channels and two of S/PDIF digital) as well as software returns, all of which can be separately adjusted in the Control Panel. The monitor windows are clean and simple, and allow fast and easy adjustments with flexible routing. The window looks like a basic mixer and includes a fader, pan, solo, mute, stereo channel link, and an effect send, as well as master out faders with effects return.

Adding up to monitor control, there is a tab for settings, meters, and a status screen labeled “about”. There is also a unusual tab named “flow” that initially seems to be a visual means of re-routing I/O. The screen is, in fact, a diagram for reference, perhaps to give a better on-screen understanding of the unit’s signal flow.

The settings tab has a sample rate selector, a toggle between internal and external clock sync, and settings for the hardware DSP processors, but before you get too excited, this is not intended to be a software plug-ins solution, but pretty a tool for routing monitor reverb or delay to a player without exhausting the cpu. This is a smart and useful, yet partial concept. Each channel is given an individual effect blend via the control panel, but the effects are restricted to several reverb, delay, and echo settings, all of which do not sound particularly great. Even so, this feature is not found on most units in this price range, and is a nice tool to have handy, regardless of its limitations.

The Sound

After completing a project, I am very pleased with the functionality of the unit. I connected it to an iMac with an external firewire hard drive, and we recorded up to six channels flawlessly, with very minimal latency and no clicks or other digital errors.

My only complaint is that the headphone outputs did not have enough gain to my liking, especially for drum tracking. A solution to this could be a better isolating pair of headphones.

Although the build quality of this audio interface seems decent enough, it is still a downgrade from my older OmniStudio, which has a heavier chassis and tighter knobs. Even so, I think the fast track would resist the test of time as long as it’s treated with care.

Whether you’re a musician, producer or DJ, the powerful combination of Apple and M-Audio gives you everything you need to put together a high-powered personal studio.

Best Audio Interface for Electronic Music Production

Focusrite Scarlett Solo

I use the Focusrite Scarlett Solo for recording podcasts, acoustic songs, and even vocals for some of my club mixes. Even with that wide variety of uses, I have to say that this audio interface gets the job done. My system is an everyday HP desktop that I purchased online that’s a little bit on the more advanced end of the spectrum. For software, I use Adobe Audition as I’ve been using its previous version, Cool Edit Pro, since high school. The Delta 44 and Adobe Audition have been a winning combination for me on my desktop.

The problem I had in the past with recording solutions was the constant snap, crackle, and pop of the audio. Reviewers complained about this issue with the Focusrite Scarlett Solo as well, but the informed reviewers stated that with the proper tuning and by actually reading the instruction manuals, you can have a professional recording setup on your desktop without breaking the bank. Initially, I was skeptical due to the negativity, yet I decided to take the plunge and try things out myself. The worst that could happen is a refund or putting it for sale somewhere online for a little bit of a loss. To me, that’s no big deal so I went along with it.

When the audio card arrived in the mail, I knew I had to do as the positive reviews suggested. I read the instructional manual, took into consideration some tips of reviewers, and even checked some other information online. When I felt I was ready to get the show on the road, I popped open my desktop tower and inserted the card into one of the PCI slots on my motherboard. Yes, even as a top audio interface today, this audio card still relies on a PCI connection rather than a PCI Express connection, which is more common nowadays.

Even with the slightly dated technology, this audio card runs like a charm. My first test was to record one segment of my upcoming podcast for my buddy’s exercise and health website. I made sure my buffer settings were just right – not too high and not too low as suggested by a reviewer of the the Delta 44 online. My voice has never sounded so clear, and this was without any filters. So once I applied my usual filters and effects with some tiny tweaks to mesh better with the new audio card, I sounded like a professional radio personality. Considering how much I spent on this audio card compared to my previous audio interface, it was basically a steal. I guess that’s what happens when you switch from a USB solution to an audio card interface.

So if you have the capacity for a top audio interface in your recording rig, you need to get this Focusrite Scarlett Solo . A few years ago, I purchased a Lexicon Lambda USB interface for my Dell laptop at the time. For what I wanted to do, it got the job done, but took way too much time to configure to get subpar results. There was constant sound popping and recordings cutting out no matter what I did. Even after going through page upon page of support topics, I didn’t get the end results I needed. With the Delta 44 though, everything’s working with much better ease. My acoustic songs sound pretty close to professional quality even though I’m recording things from my bedroom and my recent dance songs have more punch to them.

On the side, I moonlight as a DJ at the local clubs in my area. Aside from spinning remixes of the latest hits on the radio, I like creating my own songs and mashups with my own vocals. A lot of people have been digging my originals, so I had to step things up with better sound quality. The solo delivers.

If you’re in the market for a top audio interface that delivers professional results while on a budget, then the Focusrite Scarlett Solo is what you need in your recording rig. As long as you read the instruction manual and understand the basics of setting up this audio card with the rest of your recording equipment, you’ll be able to create sound recordings pleasant to the ears.

Best Audio Interface for Live Performance

BEHRINGER Audio Interface

Having experience with M Audio in the past, I knew I needed a more robust BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller compared to what I had before. I was making progress with my electronic music, so an upgrade was needed. My recording adventures began in high school when I would simply record acoustic tracks and vocals with my Dell desktop’s cheap computer microphone. With a couple of tweaks within Cool Edit Pro (now Adobe Premiere), I was able to get some decent sounding recordings.

When I got to college, that’s when I got heavy into acoustic recordings and gigs with my roommate at the time. However, I gradually saw myself transitioning into electronic dance and pop music. To me, there’s nothing like really getting into a beat and wanting to bust a move in a fun environment. So on my computer, I’d mess around with Fruity Loops, Reason, and Garageband once I got a Macbook Pro. For a while, I used an M Audio Radium 61 as my MIDI controller in Reason and Garageband. I really enjoyed its solid construction and its overall functionality. However, I needed an input device with a full keyboard. That’s when I knew I had to drop more than $100 or $200 on a MIDI controller to get what I wanted.

After some digging through M Audio reviews, as I knew I would be sticking with this solid brand, I found the BEHRINGER. Like my previous controller, it’s USB-powered, so I don’t have to worry about lugging around a clunky AC adapter or dealing with a bunch of wires. The wires involved with my Macbook Pro and other equipment are enough for me. However, some people might prefer using the optional AC adapter to relieve some stress off their computer’s calculations and whatnot.

The Oxygen 88 also comes with 4 velocity curves and 3 pedals – 2 sustain pedal inputs and 1 expression pedal.

What I absolutely love about the Oxygen 88 are the hammer-action keys. Rather than pressing onto something that feels cheap and overly plastic, it really feels like I’m pressing the keys to a legitimate upright piano. For how much I paid, that’s a pretty solid deal.

Of course, if I wanted to simply play piano, I could’ve gone with something more cost effective, but of course I bought this BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller to make awesome beats. For a few weeks, I messed around with Garageband and Reason utilizing the built-in functions of this MIDI device. Gradually, I got back to that level of comfort I had with the Radium 61, and I actually enjoy using this more due to those hammer-action keys. At first, I was reluctant to upgrade my MIDI controller because its keys just felt so right to me. Now I don’t see myself using a cheaper device again. Actually being able to feel the weight of the keys helps when I’m trying to add a certain effect or certain level of expression in my songs. This is something that is hard to create in mixing software without having to manipulate the settings and filters.

Now that I was feeling more comfortable with my new MIDI setup, I decided to test things out at a mug night for the upperclassmen at school. They apparently needed someone to replace this local band that was supposed to play for their event. One of my buddies was running this mug night and knew I liked DJing and throwing in a few of my own custom mixes, so he asked if I wanted to fill in that empty spot.

The night went on without any problems. Sure, it’s a different ballgame going from using this BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller to program notes to playing bits and pieces live, but I felt I knew what I was doing. Well I hope so. Most people wouldn’t have noticed anyway given the type of event I was playing for. Regardless, I was really feeling my songs – beat by beat, track by track. Having those extra keys on the Oxygen 88 really helped me out with my live playing. It was so much easier being able to assign instruments all across the board, especially since I was experimenting with more layers in my songs.

Everyone at that mug night event seemed happy and I was happy with how the Oxygen 88 helped me win the crowd over. I doubt I would’ve been able to pull this off if I was using a shorter keyboard. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying the Radium 61 is a bad MIDI controller, as it was my pride and joy for years. It’s just that with the layering and complexity of my songs now compared to in the past, the Oxygen 88 is the right BEHRINGER Audio Interface controller for my needs.

The post Best Desktop Audio Interface appeared first on Best Portable Reviews.

from Best Portable Reviews https://bestportablereview.com/best-desktop-audio-interface/

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dorothydelgadillo · 5 years

Text

Instead of Unsubscribing, He Called Me a Terrorist.

My heart stopped as I read the preview text. Not even the actual message, just the preview text -- and as I clicked open, I had no words. Every Monday around 8:45 a.m., I had grown accustomed to facing a bloated, “spammy” inbox full of responses to our Saturday issue of THE LATEST — auto-responders in Russian characters, inbox filters, even the occasional pickup line.

I certainly didn’t expect a personal attack.

“go blow yourself up like your cousins on 9/11 you monkey-faced f**ktard.”

A screenshot of the actual email

It was short and ignorant, but it sliced through me like a knife. I turned around and shook my head with a few of my teammates but my heart began to race, my mind clouded, and I could feel the tears of disgust well. This wasn’t anything new. I knew this ugliness was in the world.

I had experienced it before, but this was different for some reason. I didn’t know what to do.

Did I play it cool and let it roll off my back? Did I tell my manager? Did I run to the bathroom to let the angry tears flow?

The email was a response to one discussing HubSpot, Facebook, and Instagram. Nothing political, nothing socially-charged -- so why did this happen?

What provoked this? What called for these words that would leave me fighting tears at my desk during what’s supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year?

Why was I being attacked by a nameless coward, simply for showing my face?

I wasn’t looking for a confrontation.

I wasn’t pushing any sensitive buttons or egging anyone on by sending our newsletter -- I was doing the same thing I always do when I send out our newsletter.

Nevertheless, I was met with hate.

We Need to Recognize That Racism Is Everywhere; Even in Marketing

That day, I didn’t cry because this savage’s words hurt. I’m a big girl and no racism is personal.

I wanted to cry because no matter how many times we see these incidents cross our newsfeeds, in headlines, or they stop me in my tracks in everyday life, I’m still appalled.

Racism is not something isolated to politics or the justice system, people.

It is an insidious, ruthless virus that bubbles underneath the skin of many “average” people; many who, we as marketers, communicate with every day.

Even if not attached to hate, there is a great deal of unconscious bias and miscommunication in our society when it comes to race.

It’s considered taboo to discuss it or admit some of us have preconceived notions attached to it, but we do.

Just look at what happened to me.

This man saw a brown face and labeled me.

Obviously, the message was intended to be an attack on Muslims/Arabs (for the record, I’m Indian, raised Hindu), and when I share it with others -- or similar incidents in the past -- the common reaction is, “That’s awful. You’re not even Muslim or Arab!”

-- But even if I was, would that have somehow made this more acceptable?

Now, I know that is not what most people are suggesting when they say this to me.

They’re emphasizing just how ignorant the statement was, but we must remove these ambiguous, “well-meaning” reactions from our lexicon.

They suggest that if he had made a targeted statement that was accurate, it would’ve been less disgusting.

That if he was a little bit more “informed,” it would have been a fraction more “OK.”

And that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Reactions like these show just how misunderstood and mishandled racial situations are today.

I believe we can change, but not without facing it head-on like we are right now.

Race isn’t a four-letter word.

It’s a fact of life that needs to be discussed openly and honestly. Race should be embraced and explored fully to establish comfort.

We get squeamish when we acknowledge skin color and the differences between us, so it gets brushed under the rug with rosy adages like, “We're all the same.”

But we shouldn't feel awkward. We should lean into this discomfort and talk about it.

This is a belief that has always guided me as an individual, as well as a marketer.

I’m Used to Being in the Minority & I’ve Always Embraced That Responsibility

When I was in my junior year at the University of Connecticut, I once glanced at my tuition invoice to find I was awarded a $1,000 “Marketing Minority Scholarship.”

I had to laugh. It was an ongoing joke among my friends that I majored in marketing “because no brown kids went into marketing” -- but I embraced this.

Yours truly as a freshly-degreed, bushy-tailed marketing grad.

All of my classes were seas of white faces, but I was used to it from attending high school in Connecticut. It just came with the territory. As I joined the workforce and attended conferences, however, I soon learned just how underrepresented South Asians -- let alone distantly South Asian, first-generation American, Indo-Caribbeans, like myself --are in the marketing industry. Still, it didn’t faze me.

I didn’t see being a minority in this field as a disadvantage or something to be ignored. It was an opportunity. An opportunity and responsibility to represent.

In 2019, it’s common to see a biracial couple or a minority in a national commercial, but this is a recent phenomenon; one that still catches me by pleasant surprise when I see it happen.

When I started working back in 2011, this diversity was a rare sight in marketing, advertising, and the media in general. I knew I had a fresh perspective, a different walk of life, a new experience to share — and share I would. As I began creating content, I infused my writing with examples from Bollywood, stories from my family life, and photoshopped vectors of people to make the groups more diverse.

I made “brown jokes” to my team and shared my culture, suggesting we all celebrate Holi in the office.

View this post on Instagram

Light creates color and color creates light. For the second year in a row, I was lucky to share a piece of my culture (and a tiny bit of heart and soul) with my team @impactbnd — and it was bigger and literally brighter than ever! Holi/#Phagwah has always been my favorite festival and it brings me so much joy to see everyone enjoy it as much as I do. Happy #Spring & #Holi everyone! 🌈❤️💐🎨 #festivalofcolors #holihai #instagood #IMPACTteamweek #holi #phagwah #color #spring #impactteamweek #love #life

A post shared by Ramona (@fromramonawlove) on Mar 22, 2018 at 8:23pm PDT

Representation matters and I wanted to do my small part to advance it.

It became a part of my voice and vision as a content creator. But then there was that email. This message was a rude reminder that there are still people in the world who don’t want to see diversity or new perspectives. There are people who just don’t want to see faces or names like mine grace their inboxes.

The inbound marketing industry is often very idealistic, warm, and fuzzy. We preach helping and being genuine.

Unfortunately, even our beautiful, tolerant bubble of existence, can be popped by bigotry, no matter how good our intentions.

Again, in my experience, it comes with the territory.

Vulnerability in Content Marketing

“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open. Your stuff starts out being just for you, in other words, but then it goes out. Once you know what the story is and get it right — as right as you can, anyway — it belongs to anyone who wants to read it. Or criticize it.” - Stephen King, On Writing

When you create content, like any artist, you are putting a piece of yourself out into the world.

We always encourage experts to share their unique perspectives and points of view, but in doing so, they’re also opening themselves up to criticism.

They’re opening a door to anyone and everyone, with a virtual invitation to express their thoughts and feelings on what they shared.

Perhaps some may disagree with your opinions and state so professionally, but others, as my email proved, may feel a need to comment on you personally.

This is both a beauty and a blemish of what we do.

Everyone can have a voice -- but what are the limits, if any?

And if we say there are limits, are they defined by what we should or should not be sharing, or by our capacity to be “thick-skinned” when under attack?

At IMPACT, I strive to help our publication be the most honest, candid marketing resource online. We want to bring you real stories and opinions, not the sugar-coated, best-case scenarios so many others do, but we do so with respect.

Unfortunately, not everyone does.

In content marketing, when you put your name, face, or stamp of approval on something, you become vulnerable to every kind of feedback both solicited or not.

Professional and personal.

Loving and hateful.

In a more volatile social atmosphere.

You Can’t Let This Risk Stop You

You can’t let the risk of being met with hate or disapproval silence your voice; to stop you from sharing your unique experience or shedding light on the world’s ills that are a direct result of turning a blind eye.

I know my words will not change the world or solve anything, but this the reality we live in.

This is my experience and, sadly, it’s not new or unique. This is the daily experience of millions of people in our country and abroad.

Today, I am a proud brown woman, so I know this man’s racist words and thoughts on those who look like me mean nothing. I'd usually shrug them off. However, if I were younger or perhaps hadn't experienced this type of hate before, I would feel ostracized.

As if I didn’t have the right to get up every morning and exist, let alone do my job and speak my mind.

Racism is alive and well. It’s everywhere -- in the digital world, as well as the marketing world, and this is what it does.

It condemns people purely for existing as God created them. It makes them feel like they have no value as human beings, that their stories and faces don’t matter.

I refuse to be condemned.

One person's ignorance is another’s fuel for change.

Marketers, we need to embrace diversity and inclusion in our ads. Highlight different faces and points of view in our content. Share your unique experiences.

When you go the extra mile to not only acknowledge but embrace diversity, you let millions know they do belong; they are welcome; their pains and needs are valid, and understood by someone other than themselves.

You silence hate mongers like the coward who emailed me. Anonymously, I might add.

As marketers and as citizens of the world, this is all of our opportunity, and frankly, our responsibility to each other.

from Web Developers World https://www.impactbnd.com/blog/instead-of-unsubscribing-he-called-me-a-terrorist

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jeremystrele · 6 years

Text

Mia Timpano · Assistant Editor + Online Editor, Frankie Press

Dream Job

by Elle Murrell

Mia Timpano’s to-do post-its and other notes!! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The desk of the frankie press assistant editor and online editor. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Mia at the South Melbourne office. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Frankie editor Sophie Kalagas, Mia, and graphic designer Aimee Carruthers. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Frankie’s new coffee table book, Look What We Made. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Mia has been with frankie press since May 2016, though she’s been a contributor for years. Her very first story in frankie was about her Italian heritage. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Office details. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

She attributes getting the moment she found out about his role to happenstance, though being a long-term contributor made her the perfect candidate. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

I think people stress unnecessarily about their work being perfect,’ says Mia. ‘It’s never going to be perfect, it just has to do the job.’ Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Penning today’s story has been a little more anxiety-inducing than most. Imagine a trek across town into the den of a kinda-competitor… to interview an ace interviewer, and then pen a story about that same wunderkind storyteller.

The brilliance of Mia Timpano, assistant editor and online editor at frankie press, does reach intimidating heights. But, she’s also as welcoming and easy to be around as someone you’d, say, have a beer with at a festival!

In her current role since May 2016, Mia’s career path is a lesson in pursuing your passion with grit and genuine dedication. Freelance writing since finishing high school, She started out submitting stories to street press and continued to write while she undertook a BA, focussing on French and Linguistics at Latrobe University, as well as studied Sound Engineering at North Melbourne Institute of TAFE. As Mia’s trajectory highlights, the pitches and submissions do all add up, plus volunteered hours grant you all kinds of opportunities and fulfillment.

While you’ve likely witnessed Mia’s way with words on many-a-page/screen, read on as she finishes some sentences off for us below!

The most important verb in the get-your-dream-job lexicon is…

Could I please trade my verb in for two nouns? I believe in patience and courage.

Patience, as in, not giving up when it gets hard. Because It often does get hard to do your job, even when you are successful at it. But ultimately, the path before you is unknown, so just keep going. With courage, I’m talking about sticking up for your ideas.

With these traits combined, you become not only awesomely powerful, but a better person and true to yourself.

I landed this job by…

…writing for anyone who’d publish me since I was 18; writing regularly for frankie since I was 22; then having a beer with our Editor-in-Chief, Jo Walker, at the Rolling Thunder metal festival in Coburg in 2016. That beer was crucial.

Jo and I have had a long-standing friendship. At this festival, she mentioned that Sophie was moving from Assistant Editor to Editor. I asked, while casually picking at the grass, ‘So who’s your new Assistant Editor?’ She said she didn’t know, and was surprised when I said I’d be interested (read: intergalactically excited) to take on the role.

Interestingly, she assumed it wouldn’t be creative enough for me, as she knows I also write fiction in my spare time. In fact, the role is abundantly creatively, and feeds my other creative outlets – so, I’m not saying Jo was wrong, but… actually, no, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Sorry, Jo!

There was a lot of happenstance involved. But before that, for the most part, I’d been a freelance writer. My clients have ranged from a soft toy company in Singapore to The Guardian. I’ve also taught French; been an artist’s model; and, if you live in Melbourne’s inner-north, I’ve probably served you a coffee, while pretending to care deeply and utterly about everything you have to say.

A typical day for me involves…

I work five days per week, and it’s pretty much nine-to-five, but sometimes other things can pop up at strange times, like interviews for example.

Depending on what phase of mag cycle we’re in, my focus will be: researching story ideas; interviewing people; writing stories; agonising that I’ve shared too much of my inner-life with the readers (again); realising that the readers always appreciate when I’m honest, so I don’t have to stress as much as I do, and that worrying in that way is actually a form of self-indulgence (I think); or workshopping puns with Sophie. At any given time, I’m also creating and commissioning all our online content, which is two articles per day.

And, a typical day for me when we are working on a project involves… Projects – like the frankie podcast series I recently produced, or our new coffee table book, Look What We Made – happen alongside all my other work. My ability to craft stories while cooking up endless creative ideas and managing countless other miscellaneous tasks has improved exponentially since working here. I wish there was a Masterchef equivalent reality program for editors. I reckon I’d make the top 12, for sure (and probably be cast as the “eccentric one” on account of my hair and penchant for metal music).

The most rewarding part of my job is…

…telling great stories. Frankie and Smith Journal (Frankie’s brother publication) are among the best publications in the world in this regard – not to mention darn nice to look at and hold.

On the other hand, the most challenging aspect is…

Staying on top of my inbox. The volume of unsolicited emails I receive is biblical.

I think you need to feel ok when you don’t get to inbox zero. Remind yourself that everything hasn’t exploded and that it’s ok to walk away. This is important internal work that we must all do. I’m not at a point where I can offer strategies. I keep trying new ones and they keep falling by the way side!

my ideal workplace is…

…this, but more metal.

The culture at frankie is collaborative and thoughtful. We discuss every creative decision, which sometimes feels like it’s slowing the process down, but on the other hand, it means we consider everything deeply. The result is a better product, higher quality and, for me personally, a level of excellence in my work that I’m extremely proud of.

I’m also the editor of Triple R’s print magazine, and I fills in on the show: Respect The Rock over the summer and any holidays, as well as presents metal specials every couple of months. These are very specialised, so it is an opportunity for me to pursue a very specific interest (like Post Soviet Post Metal). Heavy music is a big passion for me, so it is good to have that outlet.

A couple of bands to check out if you’re curious: Zeal and Ardor (one-man Black Metal crossed with American Spirtuals, a very curious historical project) and Meshuggah (a real classic Djent band, technical math metal, very experimental and intense – I really enjoy that for relaxing, for me it has a calming effect).

On Job Day at school, I dressed up as…

…a journalist. I actually decided to start a publishing empire at seven. I’m well on my way.

The best piece of advice I’ve received is…

In the frankie podcast series, Marc Fennell passed on a piece of advice that Andrew Denton gave him: the best opportunity is the one that’s right in front of you – which means that you shouldn’t go dreaming of the jobs you don’t have. Nail the one that you do have, and people will notice.

From what I’ve learned as a freelance writer, I encourage people to just go for it and don’t stress about it. If you’re writing something that is good and relevant for a publication, then they’ll be interested.

I think people stress unnecessarily about their work being perfect. It’s never going to be perfect, it just has to do the job. And if you can do the job, they’ll love you!

I’m always…

…listening to metal and hardcore.

Over the years, frankie has…

…become more multi-platform. We produce podcasts, videos… But we’re also producing world-class print magazines. And beautiful books. Which is the best of everything, really.

In the next five years, I’ll be…

It’s very hard to be specific because I think this industry is changing pretty radically pretty quickly. So if I was to set my sights on a particular goal, that place might have transformed in that time. I think it is key to be adaptable and flexible. Even in terms of the medium itself.

I’d like to see where the best stories are being made. I’ll be there. Making them.

Keep your eyes out for Mia Timpano’s debut novel, a love story set in Melbourne (she’s currently writing her second draft). While you wait, you can read her work at Miatimpano.com and frankie.com.au as well as in the print mag, and in frankie press’ new book Look What We Made.

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