Goafer

I had another cassette show up today and it's the second that has a weird swooshing noise, so I'm now wondering if my cassette player needs some maintenance. The weird thing is, it's not on every cassette; I have 2 with a virtually identical swoosh sound and 2 without. My thinking is that maybe those cassettes have a bit more resistance and are causing the belt to slip. Only other thing I can think of is magnetic interference that has effected one side of the tape reel more than the other. So I took it apart to inspect the belts and see how easy they would be to replace. The belt in the picture only drives the tape counter as far as I can see. The main drive belt is on the back of the mechanism, but it's fairly easy to take the whole mechanism out and get to it. I didn't poke around too much, but I got a decent look at the drive belt and it seems fine. My main issue now is deciding whether to replace these belts (£25 for a set) and give it a good clean, or just spend a bit more and get a tape deck with more features? There's a nice looking one that looks like it's been well cared for on Facebook Marketplace for £30 about an hour away (obviously collect it after lockdown if I went for it).

So we've covered music making, but what do people use for music listening? I decided I wanted a turntable to try and appreciate music a bit more. I figured if I have to fanny around with putting on a record, I'll probsbly make more of an effort to actually listen. Plus I don't really listen to albums any more, so I wanted to make more of an effort to. Decided on an Audio Technica LP120x, as the general consensus is that it's the best place to start and it's mid range enough to not need upgrading any time soon. The turntable has a built in preamp, but no amp or speakers. I went with a set of Majority speakers, as they were within budget and had a built in amp. I didn't have high expectations, but figured they'd do until I could justify an upgrade. Turns out, they're pretty good. I'm no audiophile, so these are perfectly suitable for my needs. They also have Bluetooth and optical input, so I can always use them for my TV and phone if I need to. After watching a few Techmoan videos on vinyl, it got me wanting more options, so I dug out my old cassette players and seeing how well they worked. Both work surprisingly well, but the Saisho has a bit of buzz on the bass and is far too bulky for something I only plan to use the cassette player for. The Sharp is actually surprisingly good, especially when output through the Majority speakers. At that point, I realised that I own a tonne of CDs, but no CD player. Had a look on eBay and managed to find the exact CD player I had as a teenager, basically brand new in box, with all the accessories I had. Cosmetically, it's virtually perfect, but it does have an issue. For the first few minutes if playback, it skips and sounds awful, then it settles down. Fortunately, this can be remedied by turning on the antishock and using it as a buffer to accommodate for it struggling to read a cd. With antishock on, it works completely fine. I also have the obligatory Alexa for the radio and general listening. So yeah, vinyl for albums I really like, cassettes for cheapo bargains, CDs for my old albums and Alexa for everything else. I think if I had more space, I'd consider putting together a proper system, but what I have now works and is good enough for what I need. I may consider a proper cassette deck, as that's currently the weakest part of my setup (no fancy noise reduction here), but I'm in no hurry.

It was Bru's first proper snow day since we got him. He loved it. Also made a small snowman, because it's far to cold to do it for long.

It's payday, so that means more music day. 2 records and 2 cassettes this time.

Good ones run into the hundreds. For something I'd mainly be putting 99p cassettes through, it hardly seems worth it. Plus my current cassette player (Sharp QT27) is actually better than I expected, so I'd only be looking to upgrade if I wanted something more portable. I blame Techmoan for my current retro music infatuation. Found him when looking up stuff about turntables and now I'm buying cassettes, vinyl and CDs. I sometimes find him a bit boring, but his calmer approach is a refreshing change from the usual YouTube hyperbole and overreactions.

My teenage years in 2 albums. Also, that Sky One logo really hits me right in the nostalgia.

I've been thinking about getting a Walkman (or non-Sony equivelant, have you seen the prices of actual Walkmans?!), but the rubber belts perish, so I can absolutely see myself having to take one apart in the near future.

I've got one of these on my wish list, as I've got loads of smaller sets of tools, but I'd like one set that has them all in one place. Looks like it also has a few things that my current toolset doesn't. God damn it, I'm going to end up ordering one and taking apart everything I own, arent I?

Lack of ethics? If you read between he lines, he's clearly got other reasons for wanting a refund. During a pandemic that is causing people a lot of struggles, I'd say it's understandable. I'd question your ethics to be honest, seeing as you continued pursuing it after a post that clearly had a bit of a serious tone to it. Anyway, Cyberpunk. Is it playable yet?

I've been wearing a watch more recently, but the only watch I had was the fancy one my dad bought me for my 30th, which I'm really paranoid about catching on things. I was planning on getting a cheap Casio for those retro feels, but whilst looking for some things in my cupboards, I found my old watch from about 10-15 years ago. It wasn't working, but a new battery seems to have done the job. It's not fancy, but it works and I completely forgot it had a really good light, so that was a nice bonus.

"Now you see this sword?" I went from welling up to "FUCK YEAH CONAN, FUCK SHIT UP FOR DEMOCRACY" so God damned fast. And that my friends, is mad 2021 energy.

1: Game Cube broadband adapter for £1 (or something equally as silly). Currently goes for over £100. 2: Steel Battalion, a sealed copy of the expansion and the controller for £50 ish. Even at the time it was going online for about £150. Looking on eBay, prices are now around £300. 3: Can't really remember any specific bargains, but I've become that friend who everyone gives their old consoles to. Got a free Saturn (first model) and Mega Drive 2 in the last few years.

I've been listening to vinyl recently and also got my old cassette player out so that I can keep an eye out for albums at charity shops etc, but I realised that I don't actually own a CD player anymore. Thought I'd take a look on eBay and managed to find the exact one I had as a kid, basically new and boxed. Even comes with all the car accessories that mine had. Wasn't super desperate to get a CD player, but the thought of having an almost brand new version of the one I had as a kid was too tempting. Not a bad price either. I remember sitting in the corner of the living room, listening to CDs whilst my parents watched TV. Very much looking forward to this arriving. I also bought a few dirt cheap (mostly 99p each) vinyl singles: Vic Reeves and the Wonderstuff - Dizzy Ace of Base - All that She Wants Chaka Demus and Pliers - Twist and Shout (This was the first ever cassette I owned, which I still have, but it had a nice sleeve so I figured I'd buy it) The Simpsons - Do the Bartman Garbage - When I Grow Up And the ultimate piece of nostalgia, which was one of the tracks I listened to on the above CD player: Billie Piper - Because we Want To. I must have listened to Billie's music countless times as a kid. Really surprised that this exists on vinyl. It's an old jukebox copy, so god knows how well it'll work.

Bru discovered that snow is tasty.

It showed up and sweet Christ is it a good looking record. Seems to be playing well so far too. I had my doubts, as it was originally a pre-order bonus, so probably not exactly audiophile standard.

Tell me about it... Still annoyed that I can't find my copy of FF2. I also need to add FF7 Remake to the collection now that I'm done playing it.

Whilst I do think there isn't much to actually do in the open world, I think the scenery was so stunning that it didn't really matter. So far, it's only been this and RDR2 where I've just enjoyed the journey between places as much as the gameplay itself. As for the story, it's a bit tropey, but that's the charm for me. It felt like a classic samurai movie, flaws and all. I was always going to play ghost style, but Lord Shimura actually made a compelling argument for a more honourable approach. The leading by example and the Ghost tactics being no better than the enemy themselves actually started to make sense. I think overall, the story was great, with some real standout moments. That said, the game is about as long as I'd want it to be. I was getting a bit bored by the end, so I'd say it ended at about the right time. I didn't do a lot of the side quests* and mainly focused on the main story, which was some advice I'd read before playing. I'd say it was good advice too; Do the main story first, then focus on the side stuff if you can be bothered. *although I did cherry pick a few based on the rewards - I'd strongly suggest at least getting most of the armour sets, especially the Mongol armour.

Inspired by @Happenstance showing me some news on the Persona soundtracks being added to Spotify, I had a look on eBay to see if Persona vinyl existed. Turns out it does and I have now bought: The Persona 4 Arena soundtrack was excellent, so this should be a good addition to my collection. Plus that vinyl looks awesome in yellow with the TV pattern.

I'm sure we used to have a screenshot thread, but I can't seem to find it so here's a new one. NFS: Heat is a rather good looking game, although the photo mode could do with being labelled a bit better (you hold the right stick in to access it and the game doesn't explain that at all).

Galaxy S20 FE. Was due an upgrade and this was a good price with unlimited data. I was happy with my old phone, but something shiny and new is always welcome.

I was absolutely spoiled rotten this year. From my partner: terrifying face money box thing. From my parents: Nutri Ninja, Star Wars maze, Star Wars ice cube maker and a whole bunch of candles and nice smelling things. They also dug some old Beatles and Boston records out, which are dusty as fuck and barely play, but hopefully they'll clean up well. From my Nan: Candles and enough socks to keep my feet warm until the end of time. From my cousins: candles, home made chutneys, shower set and soaps. From my partners Mum: Lego Star Wars advent calendar, face mask/snood things and chocolate. From my partner's grandparents: Bravely Default, which was a particularly good choice from my Amazon wishlist. From "The Tree" (a strange tradition of my partner's family): Ballycastle and a telescopic straw (unrelated, presumably).

I cannot stop watching. It's been months now.

Is it just me or is the whole gaming scene just exhausting nowadays? I was just as disappointed as anyone else that Cyberpunk is currently a broken mess, but CDPR have offered refunds to anyone who wants one and promised a patch to those willing to wait. Like, what else can they do at this point? What else is there to discuss? Everyone has an option that can work for them; Don't buy it/get a refund/wait for a patch. Yet people still seem hell-bent on complaining about it, going out of their way to point out exactly why it's an awful game as if it's something we don't already know or comparing it to their favourite developer who would never release a game in such a state. Even people that had no interest in actually playing the game come out to offer their criticisms. Remember when gaming was just a way to have fun? Now it seems people would rather just complain about things or find the latest thing to be angry about. If it's not the sorry state of Cyberpunk, it's crunch within the industry or loot boxes or my console is better than yours or my demographic wasn't represented exactly how I'd have liked. I wouldn't mind if it was avoidable, but it seems that to get to the actual gaming news, you've got to wade through all the arguments, controversies and dogpiling that comes with it. And then there's the actual toxicity. It seems with every major release, there's a group that take their hate to absurd levels. Sending seizure inducing videos to journalists who report on Cyberpunk's braindance segments or people sending death threats to TLOU2's staff because one female character was a bit masculine. I love gaming, but the whole gaming culture has just completely worn me out to the point where I just don't want to be involved anymore. Honestly, I've never seen such vitriol and toxicity centred around something that is supposed to be fun. A lot of the above isn't really specific to Cyberpunk, but I do think it's the straw that broke the camel's back for me and it made me realise how much I really don't like the gaming "community" nowadays. I can deal with being disappointed in a game, but the gaming culture and politics that surrounds it leaves me exhausted more often than not. It's like wading through treacle. I just want to enjoy a game and maybe have a nice discussion about it, but there's just so much bullshit that comes with it or someone picking fault with every single opinion. I dunno, maybe 2020 has effected me more than I realised, but I just find gaming culture legitimately depressing and exhausting nowadays.

Looks like the vinyl addiction is taking hold. Ordered the Cowboy Bebop soundtrack, which was conveniently released earlier this month. Can't imagine high print runs of this, so I figured I'd get it now to avoid any future disappointment.

Yeah, it makes it easier to see if the speed is accurate. The strobe makes it so that certain dots on the edge of the platter look stationary if the speed is correct.