[X] My Assistant

Finally I can buy a new 2TB HDD with money I earned using my dick (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

This post has been edited by Adhinferno Bloodmoon: Jul 7 2021, 11:05

My dad gave me a 4 year old toshiba 3TB drive that was slowing down his machine. It was already on the verge of failure.

Meanwhile I boot off a 16 year old seagate HDD still showing no signs of failing somehow.

The world is a funny place.

Had to run an Atari ST emulator to make and save a couple patches for my old Roland LA (Linear Arithmetic) Synth. There's a Java program that allegedly works but it turns out the code to support my synth is only half-implemented. There's also a Windows 3.1 program that doesn't work in wine (crashes on startup with a floating point exception), and DOSBox can't do bidirectional MIDI (only midi out, no midi in). I have no physical PC's with non-USB-based MIDI ports readily available (I have a couple gameport PCI cards, but no breakout adapter for DIN connections; my laptops do not have MIDI ports available at all).

To save the patches in a way I could use them I had to sniff them off a MIDI loopback device created with the snd_virmidi kernel module. Huge pain in the ass.

Also, it's pretty disappointing, but I don't think there's a way to generate something close to a true triangle wave pattern on my synth.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Jul 9 2021, 07:45

I love knobs on synths.

I love knobs on synths.

I sometimes regret selling mine but had no talent.




This dude's channel does some crazy synth stuff like building a mega-drive/genesis synth or a nightmare fuel furby synth.

work

building a mega-drive/genesis synth

Actually that one (the YM2612, or YM3438 CMOS version) was one of the easiest Yamaha FM chips to build a synth around, since it doesn't require an external DAC, was made in DIP package, and so on.

I'd love a modular synth. For now though, just an MT-32 to play with.

Glad I got it when I did, they're really pricey nowadays for an "ok" synth. They have noisy output and a few other minor issues like a lack of battery backed memory so it clears when switched off.

Also not General MIDI compliant, but that's okay. Making custom instruments by playing around with all the parameters is still fun to do.

It might be cool to make a hardware device with a whole bunch of knobs and buttons that sends the system exclusive messages to program the synth. I'd just have to think of a way to export the settings from it to a single binary sysex message when done so that I could re-use the patch. It'd also require more programming than I really want to do for something like this.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Jul 9 2021, 16:30

Errr Nvidia releasing a new product skew of super cards??? Why?

They did have the second design that used TSMC.

Oh it is just that... a higher clocking version. Rofl the top comments are people saying that they will just keep their old cards for longer still.

My Vega64 is sill doing just fine. I'd need more screen resolution and more taxing games to consider an upgrade.


Thermal pads arriving tomorrow. Already have the other parts, then I can fix the supply I cooked. Gonna try 2-stage fan control, where the fan runs via a dropping resistor when the controller kicks it on, then the thermal snap switch closes to run at full speed. Not trusting a 3 for $10 china module to be as reliable as a thermal switch.
Current reading did go a bit screwy, I have to look closer at that is it doesn't act right once the transistors are in. Replacing ST 2N3055 with NOS Motorolla 2N3577- higher power rating, and half the junction to case thermsl resistance.


New project: got an electrophoresis power supply as a cheap means of having a regulated HV supply to play with neon lamps, tubes, etc. It works great minus a caveat. It requires a minimum load to run, and a greater minimum load to enable output. Solution: use a 10M HV resistor to keep it on, and a 1M resistor to start it. Found the resistors and relays cheap. Even with the parts and unit proper, still cheaper than a much less capable supply on amazon. Does 0-4000V in 4 ranges, 0-200mA in 4 ranges, 0-200W in 2 ranges, and has nice analog meters. There are indicators for if it hit any of the limits, and buttons to make the set points or real values show. Also has groumd fault sensing which I'd nornally heckle, but that's good given it's potential outpit and my use case.
Yes, resistors and relays is a bodge, but the control board is all analog circuitry I don't care to reverse engineer.

Eddy: I really need to finish up the big switcher supply, it was sidesteped to finish the minor refurb of my kenwood gear- which has been done for a minute now.

This post has been edited by Wayward_Vagabond: Jul 9 2021, 18:30

Found out how grafx2 (a pixel art editor) determines whether the "frames" in a GIF are animation or layers for its program. Had to manually change a bit of metadata in a hex editor to make it open as "layers" instead of as an animation.

Did that because I had some changes to make to my new profile pic (which I might go back to later; my eyes need a break from working on it and even flipping wasn't helping as much after a while) and knew it'd be faster to do in GIMP. But for most purposes it's easier to draw pixel art in Grafx2 or Deluxe Paint than GIMP.

Arms might or might not need thickening, shoulders may or may not need widening. I already widened them from how they were in the beginning.

Hopefully you can tell the arms are behind her back and she's sort of leaning forward/toward the viewer.

Also, while drawing this I discovered I do not actually know how to boob.

Didn't use any references, so I hope the chest turned out okay in the end, but I was adjusting the torso for almost as long as the eyes today and I'm still not sure either are right. I also wanted the chest to be tasteful/"pure," so I was constantly wondering if I was doing too much work or not enough. on the bust.

I started this profile pic back in March, got some decent amount of it done, but the proportions were extremely wacky so I abandoned it and completely forgot about it until today.

I was originally going to not do the torso either, but the head was too small to fill the space alone so I decided to try my hand at it since I was aiming for a 100x100 profile pic (the maximum since I can't realistically donate right now).

In other words, today I spent at least four hours on a 100x100 pixel grid, and total time spent actually working on it was likely closer to eight or ten.

I guess it takes a while for the signature change to propagate or something; I'm randomly alternating between the two pictures whenever I wget my profile pic from here.

Just did some more shading/dithering and misc. fixes on it. I think this might be the pixel art I'm proudest of so far. I was ambivalent about my last one.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Jul 10 2021, 03:22

The Solarwinds hack which was when the US lost the cyber war is still going on apparently?

18000 clients compromised including the US government, every branch and the election systems...

How is it still ongoing? There are several US departments still compromised, including homeland security and their department of Cybersecurity and infrastructure security agency... eg the ones saying that there was no gigantic hack from March 2020 onwards...

ultra derp. At this stage you don't just have to format machines you have format humans in the loop.


Its like when China hacked several institutions in my country and just refused to get kicked out for 8 months. They had to dump all the hardware and build new infrastructure they were that compromised.

It'd be cool to have a dye sublimation color printer.

Looks like they could make some very nice quality prints with solid colors (as opposed to the usual ink/laser printer dithering).

Might be a couple things I'd be interested in printing as posters if I ever get one.

Wish I had $5000 to throw away right now. There's a nice looking Hammond C3 organ on craigslist. Putting it in tech chat because they're built like clockwork. Fascinating (and fun) machines.


There is however a Yamaha PSS-170 keyboard which I can afford ($50 asking price), and it has a YM2413 chip I'd be able to use to retrofit FM sound into my Sega Master System. So I'm seriously considering going for that.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Jul 10 2021, 20:16

Wish I had $5000 to throw away right now. There's a nice looking Hammond C3 organ on craigslist. Putting it in tech chat because they're built like clockwork. Fascinating (and fun) machines.


There is however a Yamaha PSS-170 keyboard which I can afford ($50 asking price), and it has a YM2413 chip I'd be able to use to retrofit FM sound into my Sega Master System. So I'm seriously considering going for that.

Its crazy, in the 90s couldn't even pay people to dispose of a organ like that.

Then in the 00s threw out so many synths.

Its crazy how its boomeranged, but I guess breakdown and disposal is what made the products worth something again.

Yeah I was tempted to get a Master System with a FM upgrade and AV mod.

Not sure whether to build an awesome emulation system or upgrade a Master System.

That whole stormy daniels fiasco wasn't extortion but her lawyer was just put in jail for extortion.

Weird.

I like to play ragtime.



This post has been edited by Pillowgirl: Jul 11 2021, 15:17

Thermal pads are delayed, meh.

Got the HV relays early though, been wrangling with how to mount them and the resistors, while keeping acceptable clearances and having the mount be stabke enough nothing can wiggle around. High voltage in a densely packed case is hard. About to declare screw it, and stick it all in a plastic box stuck to the back of the case.

Its crazy, in the 90s couldn't even pay people to dispose of a organ like that.

Yeah, I think the thing is most people with organs in their parlours are dead now so supply has declined precipitously.

Also they need oiling, or they break down like you said.

Then in the 00s threw out so many synths.

My parents did, too, one of my biggest regrets is not pushing harder for them to keep it. It was another budget Yamaha OPL-based synth, I think, but I don't know which one.

I think it was OPL based because I distinctly remember some of the sounds it made and have heard the same sounds from the YM2413, but I can't for the life of me figure out which model it was. I remember it had a bunch of demo songs built-in so it was probably a late one.

Yeah I was tempted to get a Master System with a FM upgrade and AV mod.

Not sure whether to build an awesome emulation system or upgrade a Master System.

There really aren't too many accurate sounding emulators for Sega systems with OPL chips. Especially when considering the crossover distortion of the OPN's in the Genesis, but that also extends to the YM2413 in the Master System.
Most were written many years ago before we had a good understanding of their sounds, and even the "nuked" OPN core (which was done using die shots apparently) still doesn't quite match the sound of my YM2612-based Model 1. The Phantasy Star II opening is a good track to test on, because it has a large amount of that distortion.
YM2413 has a pretty good emulation in MAME, but again most SMS emulators with FM support don't use that code because they're old.

I actually know someone on IRC who's writing a new Genesis emulator (also an SMS emulator which already works and has good YM2413 support), but if you want a link PM me because he wants to avoid attracting attention from some retroarch devs he had a falling-out with until he's finished the genesis core.

He basically is working on the VDP but has everything else done; the SMS VDP is also done. Phantasy Star and Ys are playable, which is all I really care about on SMS (yeah there are other good games but those are the big two).

It's worth noting that if you want an emulation station it doesn't use libretro for a frontend but a frontend of the guy's own design, sort of similar to that of Mednafen.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Jul 11 2021, 18:38

I think Meka was the emulator that I liked the most in the past. Retroarch uses something else I think.

I loved the wonderboy III remaster as you could switch between modern and retro graphics on the fly. It also included a lot of the original glitches and control feel which was impressive.

I think Meka was the emulator that I liked the most in the past. Retroarch uses something else I think.

I loved the wonderboy III remaster as you could switch between modern and retro graphics on the fly. It also included a lot of the original glitches and control feel which was impressive.

Genesis Plus GX is the one I see used most in libretro/retroarch.

Did dithering on my profile pic, I'm pretty happy with it now.

Was very time consuming, though.

I always debate if I should dither or flat-shade because I sometimes don't really like dithering myself, but other times it really looks nice/natural.

I have a feeling it wasn't used more on the Genesis because of how absolutely shitty the composite video encoder was; individual pixel dithering would probably result in hue changes/rainbowing and also smearing.
Not including the background, this image uses 10 colours. Three skin tones, three shades of purple, two tones of red (for eyes), white, and black.

I think I'm improving.

This post has been edited by dragontamer8740: Jul 12 2021, 07:12

I have a feeling it wasn't used more on the Genesis because of how absolutely shitty the composite video encoder was; individual pixel dithering would probably result in hue changes/rainbowing and also smearing.
Not including the background, this image uses 10 colours. Three skin tones, three shades of purple, two tones of red (for eyes), white, and black.

It depends how good of a coder they were there were work arounds but it got fairly complex. Coding on old consoles was almost an art.

256 color images were possible or even simulated 4096 color images with dithering.



This post has been edited by EsotericSatire: Jul 12 2021, 13:36