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Author: Dave Nelson

MacOS Software 2023

1Password

https://1password.com/
I continue to choose 1Password as my password manager because I like the design, I like their openness, and I like the way it works for my family. Our son has his own vault where he can manage his passwords without affecting the family vault.

Adblock Plus

https://adblockplus.org

AdBlock Plus for Safari

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adblock-plus-for-safari-abp/id1028871868
Even though I have a Pi-Hole setup for my home network, there are times I leave my home network and I want to avoid websites covered in ads no matter where I am.

Adobe

https://www.adobe.com

Acrobat Reader

There are PDF files that display incorrectly and even break when using Preview on the Mac.

Lightroom Classic & Photoshop 2024

For editing photos I use the Adobe Photography plan. I’m not super happy with the current Adobe products and the way they approach photography, but these are the tools I use for now.

Amphetamine

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/amphetamine/id937984704

Amphetamine Enhancer

https://github.com/x74353/Amphetamine-Enhancer
Keeps the computer awake when you don’t want it to go to sleep.

Audacity

https://www.audacityteam.org
I have primarily been using Audacity to convert audio file formats. I built some projects that required WAV files and needed specific settings and all I had was MP3 files.

AutoMounter

https://automounter.app
I have a NAS share that I need to keep mounted to my computers as though it was just another drive. Automounter doesn’t appear to do much, but it does keep the share mounted at all times or give me a reason when it is not.

BBEdit

http://www.barebones.com/products/bbedit/index.html
This is the best text editor, fight me. When I was stuck in the Windows world I used UltraEdit and it was pretty good, but I missed BBEdit every minute of it. Built-in tools like Pretty Print, Grep, Find in Files, and advanced Sorting options with a no-nonsense interface make BBEdit my favorite text editor of all time.

Camo Studio

https://reincubate.com/camo/
Advanced camera options like resolution settings, overlays, framing, rotation, and white-balance make Camo Studio the choice for looking better during video calls.

Default Folder X

https://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/
I can’t imagine using MacOS with Default Folder X. It makes navigating the file system when saving and opening files so much easier. It is always one of the first things I install.

Discord

https://discord.com
I HATE THE DISCORD APP! The accessibility and usability of Discord is a crime, no one should be using this garbage, ever! But I am stuck using it if I want to communicate with a few of the groups that I am in.

Figma

https://www.figma.com
Figma is an amazing design, prototyping, and collaboration tool. I am a bit disappointed that Adobe bought them, but apparently the founders had being bought out as their plan from the start. It is the best design tool available today and you can create an account and start designing for free immediately.

Google Chrome

https://www.google.com/chrome/index.html
I wish I didn’t need to use Chrome, Google’s lack of privacy and desire to sell anything they can learn about me to the highest bidder disturbs me. But there are a number of websites that don’t work in Safari. Maybe it’s time to give Brave a try.

ImageOptim

https://imageoptim.com/mac
It is amazing how much smaller ImageOptim and similar tools can make images from Lightroom and Photoshop. ImageOptim is the free Open Source option.

iStat Menus

https://bjango.com/mac/istatmenus/
Sometimes I really want to know what is happening at a system level on my computer and iState Menus has always been able to tell me the network speeds, RAM usage, CPU usage, and a lot more.

Keyboard Maestro

https://www.keyboardmaestro.com/main/
I was using Alfred, Typinator, automation tools and a lot of bookmarks. Keyboard Maestro has replaced all of them with its easy to create macros and automations. At some point Apple’s Automator may replace it, but for now it works great.

Microsoft Office

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365

  • Excel
  • PowerPoint
  • Word

I think I am always going to need Excel and Word. My son has to use it for school, my wife is most comfortable with it, and the best alternative, Google Docs, is Google. Sadly Microsoft feels less evil to me than Google does at this point.

Moom

https://manytricks.com/moom/
Manage windows with ease. It is silly that these features aren’t built into MacOS.

Name Mangler 3

https://manytricks.com/namemangler/
Rename thousands of files at a time faster than you can believe and yet another reason to learn Grep.

Obsidian

https://obsidian.md/
Obsidian is the best note taking app, cross-platform including mobile apps, able to cross-link notes, and a very healthy collection of plug-ins that greatly expand its abilities. All notes are saved to the file system as standard Markdown files where they are searchable by anything that can search through text files instead of being saved in some proprietary format that may be unsupported one day.

OpenEmu

https://openemu.org/
I love retro games and OpenEmu is a solid choice for emulation on a Mac. You will need to use MAME for a handful of games, but most are playable with little configuration in OpenEmu.

Rogue Amoeba

Rogue Amoeba has been making great Mac software for years. I initially bought their Ultimate Podcast Bundle with all of these apps for Ham Radio, but I continue using them to control ALL of the audio on my Mac. They give you and amazing amount of control over the audio coming and going from you Mac with an amazing amount of granular control.

Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/
Gamers gotta game and Steam is the place I go for all of my PC gaming needs. I also have a SteamDeck for handheld and games that don’t have a Mac build.

The Unarchiver

https://theunarchiver.com
I run into some strange compression formats every now and then and The Unarchiver has been able to open almost all of them.

Topaz Photo AI

https://www.topazlabs.com/topaz-photo-ai
Back in the day I used various Topaz plugins for Photoshop, primarily for sharpening. Recently I got Topaz Photo AI to enlarge, de-noise, and sharpen a lot of images. It fails on some images, on most it does a great job, and on other it is breath taking. It has recovered details and rescued images that I would have never thought possible.

VCV Rack 2 Pro

https://vcvrack.com/Rack
I almost made the mistake of buying a bunch of Eurorack modules and building an amazing synthesizer that I would have never given the time that would hope too, it would have been thousands of dollars for a pretty piece of furniture. Instead I spent $189 and have thousands of modules to choose from. I quickly learned that I am terrible at putting together a good patch, but I do enjoy playing with it. If you are interested in Eurorack go to Steam and get The Signal State.

VLC

https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-macosx.html
I use VLC to play all of those obscure video formats like AVIs.

Computers

Valve Steam Deck

Steam Deck

I have had my Steam Deck for just over a month now and I am loving it.

I bought the cheapest version and upgraded it with a 1TB SSD, added a 1TB MicroSD card, and put it in a dbrand Project Killswitch case with the Ultimate Teardown skin.

I played 50+ hours of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered primarily hand-held but also attached to my tv using an Xbox controller. The experience is fantastic.

After 60+ hours into The Long Dark only handheld I am thoroughly in love with the Steam Deck. I primarily play it while sitting back on my recliner with it attached to an Apple laptop power supply. I do play it unplugged sometimes and feel like I get a reasonable amount of battery life out of it, but Spider-Man and The Long Dark burn through the battery in a couple of hours.

I am also using EmuStation to play old arcade games and some PSX games, Parappa the Rappa is my favorite using a Playstation 4 controller so the button mapping is easy.

Here are the other games I am actively playing:

Overall I think the Steam Deck is an amazing gaming platform, I haven’t touched my Xbox or Switch since buying it, but I do expect to go back to the Switch to play the new Legend of Zelda game when that comes out.

GamesHappy

Mac FlexRadio Digital Modes Setup

A view of my desktop
This is the how I layout my screen when working digital modes.

This is my setup on a MacBook Pro M1 with Ventura 13.1 for a FlexRadio 6400 for Digital Modes. It is vital that the apps be launched in the order of SmartSDR, MacLoggerDX, WSJT-X, and finally Gridtracker because each one depends on the apps before it to be run.

This allows me to use my FlexRadio remotely and make the FT8/FT4 contacts that I am looking for without duplicates by clicking on station in Gridtracker’s roster with the contact automatically being uploaded to LOTW, QRZ, and eQSL. Then I follow-up by sending QSL cards via MacLoggerDX.

Software

Loopback 2.2.12

https://rogueamoeba.com/loopback/

Create 2 Devices, DAX RX and DAX TX

Loopback Settings
Loopback Settings

SmartSDR 2.4.01

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/smartsdr-flexradio-systems/id1523656696

DAX Stream Settings

  • Check Enable DAX TX Streaming and choose Input Device DAX TX
  • Check Enable DAX RX Streaming and choose Input Device DAX RX
SmartSDR DAX Settings
SmartSDR DAX Settings

MacLoggerDX 6.43

https://www.dogparksoftware.com/MacLoggerDX.html

Preferences > Check WSJT-X and DX Lab TCP

MacLoggerDX Station Settings
MacLoggerDX Station Settings
MacLoggerDX Radio Settings
MacLoggerDX Radio Settings

WSJT-X 2.6.0

https://gridtracker.org/index.php/downloads/gridtracker/gridtracker-releases/v1-23-0110/files

  • Setting > Rig: DX Lab Suite Commander
  • Network Server: 127.0.0.1:5002
  • PTT: CAT
WSJT-X Radio Settings
WSJT-X Radio Settings

Gridtracker 1.23.0110

https://gridtracker.org/index.php/downloads/gridtracker

Receive UDP Messages from WSJT-X Port 2237

Gridtracker Settings
Gridtracker Settings

ComputersHam Radio

Barefoot Shoes

Vibram FiveFingers KSO EVOI have been making the slow transition from overly padded, unstable, and heel drop shoes to zero-drop barefoot shoes. My knees have never felt so good.

I have never been an athlete and have never really enjoyed running. There was a short period while I was in the Navy that a group of us got into working out together and would regularly go for runs. But I was never very fast and never enjoyed the running.

I started with Altra Superior shoes that have some mid-sole padding and very little heel drop. I wore those for about 3 years off and on. When I first started wearing them I would get pain in the ball of my left foot. But by switching between different shoes and taking it easy when I needed to, I got used to them. Then I started wearing Converse All Star Chuck Taylor shoes which are zero-drop and don’t have much more padding than the Altra’s I was wearing.

Recently I have decided to take the plunge into full-on barefoot shoes. I now have a pair of Vibram FiveFingers KSO EVO and a pair of Merrell Vapor Glove 5 shoes. The Vapors are good solid shoes, light weight, good fit, comfortable, and when on sale they are a great price. But I have fallen in love with the FiveFingers!

I’ve only been wearing the FiveFingers for a week, but I am already running in them and really enjoying it. My legs feel stronger, my balance is improving, my arches are strengthening, and feeling the ground beneath my feat wakes something up in me that I haven’t felt before.

If you decide to give barefoot shoes a try, take the advice that so many give. Take the transition slow, like really slow, like at least 6 months slow. Zero drop or low drop shoes like the Altras are a great starting point, then on to shoes with less and less padding and sole until the time feels right.

Happy

Inline Skating

Skating on the Silver Comet Trail
I made it to the 5.3 mile marker on the Silver Comet trail for a total skate of just over 11 miles.
I am having so much fun skating. I wrote an initial post that talked about my history with skating, all the different type of skating I have done and the skates I have owned, but wow was it a long-winded mess. So here is the short version.

I started skating when I was 4 years old taking lessons at a local rink in rural Ohio. Even though I didn’t enjoy it at first by the time I was 6 I loved it and looked forward to going to the rink and skating for hours. It was someplace I could be alone with a crowd of people, be independent, play pinball and video games, and once per day they had a session where I could skate as fast as I was able.

When we moved to Georgia, I didn’t skate anymore, I took up skateboarding, but it was never much more than transportation. So, no skating from 12 until in my twenties.

In the Navy I discovered inline skates while in Charleston South Carolina. I loved skating in Charleston, it was a very flat place with lots of pavement and back alleys to have fun in. I spent many days in my skates in the early morning and didn’t take them off until late at night. I tried to continue skating when I got to Guam, but the streets there are paved with seashells that destroy skate wheels and there was no place to buy replacements, so I didn’t skate much.

Once out of the Navy I had other things on my mind and didn’t try to get back into skating until I was 50 years old. I was overweight and out of shape, skating wasn’t the fun that I remembered.

Then life smacked me in the face, and I involuntarily lost 80 pounds and needed to find a way to exercise. I tried the skates that I had and was amazingly able to clumsily skate around a parking lot. I skated the flat parking lot a few times and then moved on to the roads of neighborhood. I still felt clumsy and fell down a few times, but it was getting to be fun.

Then I saw Bill Stoppard announce a new version of the Adapt GTB skates. I followed the instructions on the Adapt website for measuring my feet and discovered that my skates should be a size smaller than what I had, that was a surprise. I used to skate in Roller Blade size 11s, the Sebas are size 10, and the Adapts I bought are a size 9 and fit perfectly.

I now believe that skates should fit so that every part of your feet is cradled by the skates, your toes shouldn’t be crushed, but you also shouldn’t be able to freely wiggle them. That also means that your skate are going to have a painful break-in period even with heat molding. Once they are broken in the control and comfort you have will amaze you.

Now I am skating 3 plus miles 3 or 4 times a week with a 10 mile stretch here and there. I still feel clumsy and still fall every now and then, but with more time in the skates I get a bit better every time I skate.

Happy

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N. K. Jemisin

book cover

I bought these books from Amazon and read them on my Kindle Paperwhite. Written by N. K. Jemisin the Broken Earth Trilogy includes the books The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, and The Stone Sky.

What caught my attention about these books and the author is that all 3 books won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Think about that for a second, all 3 books in the trilogy won Best Novel Hugo awards, 2016, 2017, and 2018. They also won a lot of other awards, but for one author to win 3 years in a row is amazing.

I read the first 2 books in about 6 days; I made all kinds of excuses not to do other things so that I could spend more time reading. They went very fast, and I loved every word. The third book, The Stone Sky, took a lot longer, maybe 10 days to read it. I didn’t want the story to end… and the last book is emotionally a lot heavier than the first 2.

I have also bought the books on Audible and look forward to listening to them in a couple of months, I plan on taking a long break from the story in the hopes that when I do listen to them, I discover some new bits I missed in the initial reading.

From the publisher:

This is the way the world ends. Again.

Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, a woman living an ordinary life in a small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Meanwhile, mighty Sanze — the world-spanning empire whose innovations have been civilization’s bedrock for a thousand years — collapses as most of its citizens are murdered to serve a madman’s vengeance. And worst of all, across the heart of the vast continent known as the Stillness, a great red rift has been torn into the heart of the earth, spewing ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries.

Now Essun must pursue the wreckage of her family through a deadly, dying land. Without sunlight, clean water, or arable land, and with limited stockpiles of supplies, there will be war all across the Stillness: a battle royale of nations not for power or territory, but simply for the basic resources necessary to get through the long dark night. Essun does not care if the world falls apart around her. She’ll break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter.

If you like science fiction or fantasy stories I highly recommend The Broken Earth trilogy and rate them a 10 out of 10.

BooksFiction

Infinite 1 and 2 by Jeremy Robinson

Cover art for Infinite by Jeremy Robinson

I listened to Infinite 1 and 2 written by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by R.C. Bray using the Audible app on my iPhone.

I liked the first book, but the second book… not so much.

Infinite Publisher’s Summary

Searching for a new home….

The Galahad, a faster-than-light spacecraft, carries 50 scientists and engineers on a mission to prepare Kepler 452b, Earth’s nearest habitable neighbor at 1400 light years away. With Earth no longer habitable and the Mars colony slowly failing, they are humanity’s best hope.

After 10 years in a failed cryogenic bed – body asleep, mind awake – William Chanokh’s torture comes to an end as the fog clears, the hatch opens, and his friend and fellow hacker, Tom, greets him…by stabbing a screwdriver into his heart. This is the first time William dies.

It is not the last.

When he wakes from death, William discovers that all but one crew member – Capria Dixon – is either dead at Tom’s hands, or has escaped to the surface of Kepler 452b. This dire situation is made worse when Tom attacks again – and is killed. Driven mad by a rare reaction to extended cryo-sleep, Tom hacked the Galahad’s navigation system and locked the ship on a faster-than-light journey through the universe, destination: nowhere. Ever.

Mysteriously immortal, William is taken on a journey with no end, where he encounters solitary desperation, strange and violent lifeforms, a forbidden love, and the nature of reality itself.

…he discovers the infinite.

Jeremy Robinson, the master of fast-paced and highly original stories seamlessly blending elements of horror, science fiction, and thrillers, tackles his most ambitious subject matter to date: reality itself. An amalgam of the works of J.J. Abrams and Ridley Scott, Infinite is a bold science fiction novel exploring the vastness of space and a man’s desire to exist, find love, and alter the course of his life.

©2017 Jeremy Robinson (P)2017 Jeremy Robinson

Infinite 2 Publisher’s Summary

Infinite2 is a bold continuation of Robinson’s best-selling science fiction novel, packed with mystery, action, and mind-bending twists.

Over a million books sold!

William Chanokh is immortal…and he’s trapped on the Galahad, an interstellar starship on a never-ending journey through open space.

His only companions are Capria – mortal and in cryo-sleep – and Gal, an artificial intelligence, and the love of his life, with whom he spends every waking moment in the “Great Escape”, a virtual paradise. After untold years living countless lives, Gal begins acting strange. Possessive. Violent. Paranoid.

Positive that something in the real world is causing her to malfunction, Will attempts to leave the Great Escape, but he finds himself a prisoner. Guided by a voice from reality, he is thrust into a series of torturous narratives, each one designed to break his will and keep him trapped in virtual reality.

Betrayed by his digital love, his long-term memory overwritten, and enduring violent manipulation, Will painfully peels back layers of simulation, fighting to reach reality 1.0 – where the nightmares are real.

Maybe.

New York Times and number-one Audible best-selling author Jeremy Robinson takes listeners on a heart-wrenching journey to the edge of the universe and beyond, where distinguishing reality from simulation might be impossible.

©2021 Jeremy Robinson (P)2021 Jeremy Robinson

If rate Infinite a 6 out of 10 and Infinite 2 a 4 out of 10, together as a single story I would rate it as a 5. If you like sci-fi or are interested in Jeremy Robinson’s Infinite Timeline, I definitely recommend giving these books a listen, but when you get bored of the repetitiveness, just go ahead and skip the rest of that chapter, you won’t miss much.

AudioBooks

Roland Fantom 8

Roland Fantom 8

I wanted to document why I have decided to buy the Roland Fantom 8 for my current needs in learning to play the piano and having fun making goofy music for myself, so here it is. Keep in mind that I have not received it yet and don’t expect to have it until late July.

The main reason is the keybed, the “88 Key (PHA-50 Wood and Plastic Hybrid Structure, with Escapement and Ebony/Ivory Feel, channel aftertouch)” feels amazing to me. When I compare it to the other keyboards, I have had access to the downward force required is medium heavy, the bottoming out is a good thunk without being mushy or hard, and the return is fast enough to almost stick to my finger.

The sounds are great, with thousands of presets to choose from and an amazing amount of customizability and sound design options, it blows my mind. There are a lot of people who do not like the “Roland Sound” but I am not one of them. While I had the Fantom 08 I found hundreds of sounds that I really liked. With the Fantom the V-Piano sounds are fantastic with customizability options that will let me get piano sounds I am after.

Next is the construction, the Fantom line is built like a tank with lots of metal. The faders and knobs feel premium. The screen is large and bright enough to easily read while being responsive to touch. The solution for fader and knob position when changing presets, there are LEDs around or beside the control to show the controller’s saved position versus its physical position, is great.

Ableton integration is the next important functionality for me. I have invested a lot into Ableton, the software license, the training, and the time. With the beautiful screen on the Fantom and the way Roland is showing clips and tracks, it’s great.

Inputs and Outputs are important. The Fantom uses a standard power cord with no brick so it’s easy to get a longer or right-hand cable for it. MIDI in, out, and thru to control multiple instruments. 4, count them, 4 pedal inputs for hands free manipulation. 2 balanced XLR/TRS inputs, multiple USB ports, 2 CV/GATE outputs, 2 Sub outputs, and more. I doubt that I will ever use them all, but it is nice to know they are available.

What other keyboards did I think about?

The first was the Yamaha P-125 which is a relatively inexpensive digital piano with a really nice Graded Hammer keybed that I still like a lot. I may still get a one used at some point, but the lack of inputs and outputs would make this an instrument that would be in some other room and only used for piano lessons and noodling around.

When I visited Check Levin’s I had a chance to play with a lot of different keyboards I can’t afford. The employees were very helpful and glad to let me plink around on everything in the store. I worked my way from the Nord Stage to the Piano and finally the Nord Grand. The Nord Grand is something else, it is amazing! As a digital piano it is a dream, the keybed felt absolutely perfect to me. If money were no object I would have one set up in my living room where I would gush over it every day.

The Arturia KeyLab 88 MkII was also on my radar, but I have yet to put hands on one. As a controller it does not make its own sounds and is reliant on a computer or another piece of hardware. Also, the word on the street is that the keys are very heavy. Those 2 concerns kept me from ordering one.

HappyMusic

Another Keyboard, Roland Fantom 08

Roland Fantom 08

In March Roland announced the Fantom 0, typically pronounced Fantom “Oh”, a lighter and less expensive version of their flagship Fantom series of synthesizer workstations. I had been very happily playing the Novation SL when I saw a video with the Fantom 0 and wow, it blew me away. Up until this point I had never heard of the Roland Fantom or Fantom 0. I didn’t know that Roland made workstation keyboards with Ableton integration.

Why the Fantom 08?

What really attracted me to the Fantom 08 is the ability to make sound without a computer or other external equipment. The sound presets of the Fantom 0 are really good for what I am doing and look forward to doing. The Supernatural Piano presets are nice, with a little tweaking and reverb I think they sound great. The Strings are solid and among the Synth sounds I found a lot of bass sounds I really like.

The next thing is the keybed. I ordered the Fantom 08 before any of the local music shops had them in stock, so I really worried about this. Up until this point my favorite keybed was the Yamaha P125 Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) keybed which is light and fast. The PHA-4 Standard Keyboard: with Escapement and Ivory Feel keybed of the Fantom 08 is heavier and slower than the Yamaha. I kind of like the heavier, it allows me to rest my hands on the keys without triggering them. But the slower speed of the return, the time it takes a key from the bottom of its travel to the top position, feels sluggish, they key does not feel like it is glued to my finger. Not a big deal, but maybe it is.

The screen! Having a nice big touchscreen where you can really see what is going on is amazing. For sound design being able to see exactly what you are editing is fantastic. The screen is responsive to touch with very little lag.

Faders and knobs, oh my. They feel great.

What I Don’t Like

Even though the Fantom 0 is a 2022 computer it is based on the Fantom which was released in 2019, a lot of the computer integration is coming from a 2015 or earlier mindset. The way the keyboard’s firmware is updated along with adding new sounds requires a USB thumb drive and juggling it between multiple ports on the back of the keyboard.

The interface is very clunky and different from anything I am familiar with. If you are not familiar with the Roland way of doing things, be ready to watch a lot of videos and to read the manual closely. But there is good news, if you learn one Roland product there is a good chance you can apply that knowledge to other Roland products, so in the long run I think it is worth spending the effort to learn it.

Software drivers are required to use the keyboard with a computer. This bugs me a lot. I am ok with advanced features requiring a driver, but basic MIDI and Audio should not require drivers. But you can avoid the drivers by using an audio interface that includes MIDI input and output.

Did I Keep It?

After almost a month I decided to return the Fantom 08. I loved the keyboard so much that I decided I wanted more! I returned it and ordered its big brother the Fantom 8 which I should arrive in a few months.

The Atlanta Guitar Center has both the Fantom 8 and Fantom 08 on display, I spent a lot of time playing them both and decided that the PHA-50 keybed, V-Piano sounds, extra memory for sound expansion, and metal construction are worth the extra money to me.

P.S.

I am also keeping the Novation SL, it is a great controller and I plan on keeping it.

HappyMusic

A Different Kind of Keyboard

Novation SL MK3
Late last year I decided I wanted to learn how to play the Piano and to create some music. After a reasonable amount of research, a lot of research, I picked Ableton as my Digital Audio Workflow (DAW) and that led me to buying a Novation Launchkey 61 MK3.

Novation Launchkey 61 MK3

The main features that lead me to buying the Launchkey began with its Ableton Live integration. The quality of the really surprised me for a $250 keyboard, the keys are very “synthy” meaning plasticy and springy. But for the price, 61 keys, 16 pads, 9 faders, 8 knobs, transpose controls, a good sequencer, and arpeggiator it is pretty amazing.

But I made the mistake of going to Guitar Center too many times playing with Yamaha digital pianos and that got me to thinking I would like weighted keys or at least semi-weighted.

Novation Impulse 61

That led me to buy a used Novation Impulse 61 for $225. It’s a pretty old board and its integration with Ableton is not as good as the newer Launchkey, but it will work with other DAWs in ways the Launchkey can’t.

I really liked the keybed of the Impulse but after a couple of weeks with it I learned about the SL.

Novation 61SL MkIII

What can I say, the 5 LCD screens, CV control, semi-weighted keybed, and all those extra buttons on the Novation 61SL MkIII have really sucked me in. I love this keyboard for playing VST and other software synthesizers. Being able to see what it is the knob is controlling is HUGE! At $700 the price initially felt steep, but with all the features and the great keybed I think it is more than worth it, I think it’s a bargain.

Dig in deeper to all the features on the Novation website.

HappyMusic

2021 iPad Pro

I found myself using my 1st generation iPod Pro 12.9” from 2015 and 5th generation iPad from 2017 a lot and decided it was about time to upgrade.

I am using the iPad for:

  • Read books from Amazon using the Kindle app and technical books with the O’Reilly app
  • Write notes and manage tasks with Obsidian
  • Read comic books with ComiXology, the Marvel app, YAC Reader, and Smart Comics
  • Web Surfing with Chrome
  • Email with Fastmail
  • Reading Reddit
  • Watching videos using various streaming services
  • A game here and there, primarily Pinball, Chess, Solitaire, and Soduku
  • And other Internet “stuff”

None of these require a “Pro” iPad, but I have learned from my experience with the 1st generation iPad Pro that in an Apple product, a Pro device will be useful longer than the non-Pro version. We go through an iPad about every 2 years with our son, he doesn’t abuse them, but they get used 18 hours or so a day which really stresses out the battery causing it to begin to fail after about 2 years.

I’m not sure that the battery in the Pro devices is any better than those in the non-pro devices and I don’t use my iPads as much as Eli but I do no the 6-year old iPad Pro is still running strong where the 4 year old iPad only works for a couple of hours before needing charged.

Here are the other features that made me want the Pro over the non-Pro iPad:

  • Better screen
  • Better sound
  • USB-C charging and accessories
  • M1 processor which will hopefully mean that its usefulness will be 5 or more years
  • A good keyboard so it can be used to easily take notes

I picked the 11-inch iPad Pro over the 12.9-inch due to weight and bulkiness. The larger one is amazing for reading comics and watching movies, but the extra bulk and weight make it harder to use. I really like the idea of the larger screen, but I spend a lot of time holding the iPad and taking it from room-to-room, and the increased weight and bulkiness is enough to cause me to leave it behind. With the smaller one I find myself taking it everywhere.

Combined with a keybooard it is delivering on the promise of a lightweight portable with long battery life that NetBooks and the MacBook Air made, although it feels like it weighs more than the MacBook Air.

I’ve had the 2021 11-inch iPad Pro for a couple of weeks now and absolutely love it. With the right software and keyboard it is an amazing productivity and entertainment tool.

ComputersHappy

VCV Rack 2 and The Signal State

Eurorack Modular Synthesizer

What is a Modular Synth

From Thomann.de:

Simply put, a modular synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that consists of a multitude of different components (modules) that are used and combined to create electronic sounds. The individual modules are connected via cables (patch cables), switches, sliders and patch panels. In this way, a large number of connection options and permutations are possible. It is important to know that the parameters of analog synthesizer modules can be controlled by Control Voltage (CV).

Modular Synthesizers are EXPENSIVE! Like $1,300 for a very modest system. You can start with a Behringer Neutron for $330 or so and another $100 for a MIDI controller to play it, but I think you’ll quickly want many more modules which add up quick, in fact the case and power supply you’ll want to use will cost more than the Neutron.

ModularGrid

ModularGrid is a database and planner for modular synthesizers”

ModularGrid is a great site to build up a synth before you start buying things, it will quickly show you how easy it is to spend $4,000 or more for a modular synth.

Another problem for me was the lack of availability in the Atlanta area for any modular synthesizer equipment. Some of that is due to supply chain, but there are no music stores with a synthesizer department. And the online options are sparse at the moment, even the DIY kits that are available are few and far between.

Then I found VCV Rack 2 and a game on Steam called The Signal State and a whole new world opened up to me!

VCV Rack 2

VCV Rack 2 ScreenshotVCV Rack 2 is a free standalone modular synth application for Mac and Windows with a lot of available modules! As I am writing this there are 1,950 FREE modules and another 311 premium modules you can buy.

For $149 you can buy VCV Rack Pro and get a VST plugin that you can use in your Digital Audio Workflow (DAW), what makes this special is that you can use any modules in VCV Rack as effects, that means you can do things like use Valley’s Plateau reverb module on your tacks.

Omri Cohen has videos on YouTube to walk you through using VCV Rack including how to use it with Ableton, Reaper, and Bitwig.

The Signal State

The Signal State game screenshot

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, The Signal State puts your logic skills to the test with complex puzzles inspired by modular synthesizers. Repair machines, rebuild an abandoned farm, and be part of a revolution that will change the fate of agriculture once and for all.

Learning how the different modules in a synth work is a large part of the fun, but starting from nothing can be really hard. The Signal State game will teach how all of the basic and some of the advanced modules work and ways you may use them. It rewards you for creating the most efficient system to complete the puzzle.

I’m having a lot of fun learning about synthesis and how to use modular synthesizers to create cool sounds and music.

Music

The Roach by Rhett C. Bruno

The Roach is another superhero story by Rhett C. Bruno and I really like this one.

The Roach is a likable character with all kinds of flaws and the characters around him are interesting and add a lot to the story.

Publisher’s Summary

A string of killings. An identity stolen. Only he can find the truth.
Reese Roberts was the guardian of Iron City. Its fearless protector. The only one willing to do whatever it takes…until he was shot on the streets and left paralyzed from the waist down. Now, the vigilante known as the Roach has disappeared. Faded into legend. 
It’s been years since Reese could take on crime and clean up the streets. He’s a shriveled old drunk, living like a hermit and waiting for his life to end. All that’s left to do is wallow in the mistakes that led him here. To wonder if he went too far. 
But when a copycat steals his suit and takes justice into his own hands, a new killer emerges, leaving brutal messages behind. He wants to eliminate the Roach for good this time. 
It’s time for Reese to re-emerge from his shell and fight back. Who else can stop the flurry of killings? Definitely not the corrupt police department. Iron City needs the Roach again. Only, this time, he’ll need to save it without his legs.

©2020 Aethon Books (P)2020 Podium Audio

I rate The Roach an 8 out 10 and recommend it to anyone looking for a good superhero story.

AudioBooksFiction

Baron Steele by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle

Baron Steele is a very short listen at 47 minutes and I believe it is an introduction to the Raptors series of books.

I didn’t especially like the book and probably wont be listening to the Raptors series anytime soon. The humor just didn’t work for me.

About This Audible Original

Paul Steele, known to the world as Baron Steele, isn’t your average masked crimefighter. As a matter of fact, he doesn’t even wear a mask. And he doesn’t even fight crime anymore. That’s for the guys with too much brawn and not enough brain.
No, Steele works in consulting. After having his license revoked by the Guild of Masked Crimefighters, he decided he would scout talent instead. Match up heroes with their villainous counterparts, help the young bucks and buckettes discover their talents and abilities. That sort of thing.
It’s all going fine and well until Steele gets a bad cup of coffee. No. Seriously. Day after day, the same little twerp gets his order wrong. From there, it’s a downhill spiral into chaos, and Steele finds himself fighting for his freedom in a court of law. Did he really kill a barista over a cup of joe?
Don’t miss this hilarious spin on the superhero genre from the number one Audible best-selling duo of Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle.
©2020 Aethon Books (P)2020 Aethon Books

I rate Baron Steele a 4 out 10 and don’t recommend it.

AudioBooksFiction

Operation Brushfire by Rhett C. Bruno and James Wolanyk

Operation Brushfire Cover ImageOperation Brushfire is a solid mystery novel and Lou Diamond Phillips does a good job bringing it to life.

Publisher’s Summary

He’ll do anything for the truth. They’ll do anything to bury it.

Henry Stasik, an Internal Affairs agent for the globe-spanning Coalition, is no stranger to crooked agents or scandals. He’s a truth-junkie. An addict. But when international celebrity Anastasia Danicheva specifically demands his presence at a police station, everything changes. The Coalition, which has brought peace through uniting the world under a single banner, wants her dead. But none of their case against her adds up.

Stasik can’t help but need to know why.

Hours after taking her under his department’s protection, a cybernetically enhanced hitman nips at Stasik’s heels. Witnesses disappear or turn up in pools of blood. And lurking above it all, guarded by a genocidal AI construct, is a secret that threatens to dismantle a perfect world and–Stasik himself.

Man in the High Castle meets Blade Runner with a dash of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in this breakneck sci-fi spy thriller set in a drug-fueled alternate history from the number one Audible best-selling author of Titanborn, Rhett C. Bruno, and James Wolanyk. Performed by award-winning actor Lou Diamond Phillips, star of Prodigal Son, Young Guns, and La Bamba.

©2021 Rhett C. Bruno, James Wolanyk (P)2021 Podium Audio

I rate Operation Brushfire a 6 out of 10, meh.

AudioBooksFiction

One Good Dragon Deserves Another: Heartstrikers, Book 2 by Rachel Aaron

Another Heartstrikers dragon book by Rachel Aaron, who’d a thunk?

I’m working my way through the series and have to say that I am enjoying them. They are not great and amazing works of art, but they are good solid modern fantasy and I look forward to more of them.

Publisher’s Summary

After barely escaping the machinations of his terrifying mother, two all-knowing seers, and countless bloodthirsty siblings, the last thing Julius wants to see is another dragon. Unfortunately for him, the only thing more dangerous than being a useless Heartstriker is being a useful one. Now that he’s got an in with the Three Sisters, Julius has become a key pawn in Bethesda the Heartstriker’s gamble to put her clan on top. Refusal to play along with his mother’s plans means death, but there’s more going on than even Bethesda knows. Heartstriker futures are disappearing, and Algonquin’s dragon hunter is closing in. Now, with his most powerful family members dropping like flies, it’s up to Julius to save the family that never respected him and prove once and for all that the world’s worst dragon is the very best one to have on your side.

©2015 Rachel Aaron (P)2015 Audible, Inc.

I rate One Good Dragon Deserves Another 8 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone who is looking for modern fantasy with dragons.

AudioBooksFiction

The Werewolf’s 15 Minutes by Jonathan Maberry

The Werewolf's 15 MinutesI bought The Werewolf’s 15 Minutes from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app.

Good contemporary werewolf stories are hard to find, but I think this is one of them. It’s a modern day take on what could happen when a YouTube generation kid decides to go public about his lycanthropy.

At only 1 hour and 42 minutes in length it is short but tells an engaging story that I enjoyed.

From the publisher:

Gary Bruce is a slacker of epic loserness. Can’t keep a job. His friends are as bad as he is. No girlfriend. No direction.

Gary Bruce is also a werewolf.

Desperate for any kind of success, Gary decides to out himself on YouTube. The moment this ordinary guy goes full-on fur, fangs, and claws, the world can’t get enough of him. He’s the biggest thing on social media, he’s on every talk show, book and movie deals fall in his lap, and for the first time in his life he gets invited to all the best parties.

But celebrity is a special kind of voracious monster. And when Gary’s star begins to lose its luster, he has to decide how far he’ll go to stay relevant in a world that discards has-beens in favor of the next big thing.

Fortunately, Gary has a plan….

The Werewolf’s 15 Minutes is a brand-new short story by New York Times best-seller and five-time Bram Stoker Award winner Jonathan Maberry, author of Bewilderness and V-Wars (Netflix).

©2021 Jonathan Maberry Productions, LLC (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.

I enjoyed The Werewolf’s 15 Minutes and rate it an 8 out of 10.

AudioBooksFiction

Nice Dragons Finish Last by Rachel Aaron

Nice Dragons Finish Last

I got Nice Dragons Finish Last from Audible and listened using the Audible App.

It is not as fantastical as the Detroit Free Zone books and not as much humor, but still a good story and great narration by Vikas Adam.

From the publisher:

As the smallest dragon in the Heartstriker clan, Julius survives by a simple code: keep quiet, don’t cause trouble, and stay out of the way of bigger dragons. But this meek behavior doesn’t fly in a family of ambitious magical predators, and his mother, Bethesda the Heartstriker, has finally reached the end of her patience. Now, sealed in human form and banished to the DFZ – a vertical metropolis built on the ruins of Old Detroit – Julius has one month to prove he can be a ruthless dragon or kiss his true shape goodbye forever. But in a city of modern mages and vengeful spirits where dragons are considered monsters to be exterminated, he’s going to need some serious help to survive this test. He only hopes humans are more trustworthy than dragons….

©2014 Rachel Aaron (P)2014 Audible Inc.

I rate Nice Dragons Finish Last a 7 out of 10 and look forward to listening to more stories of the Heartstrikers clan.

AudioBooksFiction

The Movie Going Experience in 2021

I went to 2 movies this week at a local AMC Theatre, the first one in a standard theater and the second in IMAX. The theater is understaffed and the employees appear to be undertrained and unmanaged.

Unlike many newer theaters the first movie uncomfortable seats that did not recline and were in a very upright position that I found uncomfortable. The sound was mediocre and the picture was small. I don’t understand why the picture was so small, there was a lot more screen available, but the curtains were not pulled back and only three-quarters of the available screen was being used.

The second movie’s was much larger, being IMAX it should be. In this case the picture was too large, everything had the Screen Door Effect to a distracting degree. All of the text and where there was a hard line of strong contrast the ant-aliasing stair-stepping was extreme.

The audio before the movie began measured 82dB on my Apple watch, well into the “Loud” zone, it was uncomfortable enough that I had to put in my earbuds to block out some of it.

I won’t be going back to that theater. I may not be going back to any theater. With all of the streaming options and my home theater, the “Big Screen” doesn’t offer anything for me anymore.

MoviesSad

Lost Planet Homicide by Larry Correia

Lost Planet Homicide by Larry Correia

I bought Lost Planet Homicide from Audible and listened to it using the Audible app.

Larry Correia always gets my attention and Gun Runners has a good start with Lost Planet Homicide. His world building skills shine here with a gritty crime riddled world settled long ago by people hoping to live in paradise, instead they end up barely being able to survive on hostile world where the air will kill them.

I enjoyed the story and characters, but it is not in the same class as the Grimnoir Chronicles or Monster Hunter books, but it is a good book and I look forward to more.

From the publisher:

A lost colony planet, a perplexing murder, and a dogged homicide cop in this Audible Original story from best-selling author Larry Correia.

When the biggest colony ship in human history was sent to settle a paradise world, an accident hurtled it deep into uncharted space. A thousand light years from Earth, with no way home and no way to call for help, the colonists’ only hope for survival was the one barely habitable planet in range, a nightmare world they named Croatoan. Landing on the only five mountain peaks tall enough to rise above the lethal acid clouds, the settlers carved a civilization from the rock.

A hundred years later, Five Points has grown into a city of corruption and violence. With powerful corporations ruling the surface domes and criminal syndicates running the caverns below, murder is just the cost of doing business.

So when a Special Magistrate is found dissolving in a protein vat, it barely registers – until DCI Lutero Cade, the last honest cop in Five Points, catches the case. What he finds could threaten the colony’s very existence.
Or, at the very least, Cade himself.

©2021 Larry Correia (P)2021 Audible Originals, LLC.Z

I enjoyed Lost Planet Homicide and rate it a 6 out of 10.

AudioBooksFiction

Privateer Tales by Jamie McFarlane

Rookie PrivateerAfter reading Jamie McFarlane’s Junkyard Pirate series I went looking for more and found Rookie Privateer the first in his Privateer Tales series. Like the others, I read these on a Kindle Paperwhite.

I made it through the first 12 books in the series one after another during March, April, and May and stalled out on number 13. I plan on getting back into them later. Amazingly there are now 19 books in the series.

This series is pure space adventure following Nick, Liam, and Tabith from humble beginnings on a space station to traveling across the universe confronting hostile aliens and violent pirates.

I hihgly recommend the series to anyone who loves a good sci-fi adventure and rate it a 9 out of 10.

BooksFictionHappy

Ham Radio Morse Code Oscillators

4 oscillators
My 4 Oscillators

In my efforts to learn and use Morse Code I bought a straight key and an iambic paddle. The straight key is an MFJ-553 https://mfjenterprises.com/products/mfj-553 , in my opinion it’s an inexpensive choice without being “junk”, I doubt I will ever use it on the air. The iambic paddle I chose is an HA8KF magnetic paddle, unlike the MFJ key this one is a work of art and will be the key I use the most until something different comes along.

Oscillators like the ones below are used with keys to produce the sounds that we know as Morse Code, the keys only create electrical contacts and maybe some clicking sounds, the oscillators make the dits and dahs for you without using a radio. They are great for training and practice by yourself or with a group.

Oscillators for Straight Keys

NFARL Oscillator
North Fulton Amateur Radio League Morse Code Practice Kit

NFARL Morse Code Practice Oscillator – a very simple practice oscillator with a built-in touch module that acts as a straight key so you can practice without an external key. This oscillator is about as basic as an oscillator can be, it includes a mono input for a straight key, a buzzer for tone, and 2 CR2032 batteries which will power it for a very long time.

The best thing about the NFARL Morse Code Practice Oscillator is it is very easy to assemble and can be used without an external key so it makes a great “learn how to solder” project.


Nightfire Electronics CPO – it appears that the one I have is no longer sold, the version being sold now, “Rev C”, does not include a speaker. This another simple oscillator that uses a 9v battery for power and a 1.5” speaker for output.

For a simple oscillator I really like this one, once assembled and put into an Altoids tin it works great and is very loud.

Oscillators that Support Iambic


Hamgadgets Ultra PicoKeyer – the PicoKeyer is so much more than an oscillator or code practice tool. It comes in a great molded case with 3d-printed front and back panels, much nicer than putting it into an Altoids tin. You can listen to it through the built-in speaker or plug in an external speaker. It can even be plugged into a radio as a keyer. It includes a QSO counter for contesting… and so much more. As a beginner who doesn’t have all of the letters down I find changing the settings of the Ultra PicoKeyer challenging as it’s only method of telling you what setting you are changing is through Morse Code.

I really like all the features of the Ultra PicoKeyer and expect that I may find a use for them as I become more proficient in Morse Code.


QRPGuys Code Trainer – a very straight-forward code trainer oscillator with the added feature of “sending” practice codes. I haven’t used the sending feature yet as I am still learning the individual characters. I really like that all of the components are through-hole components that were easy to solder, it was a little more challenging than the NFARL CPO, but not much harder.

The QRPGuys Code Trainer is currently my favorite oscillator. When plugged into my paddles and external speakers it sounds great, much better than the other oscillators, and it is what I am using for Long Island CW Club classes on Zoom.

I think all of these oscillators are pretty great and that as I learn Morse Code and my skills improve, I will find uses for all of them. I am keeping an eye out for a Morserino-32, it seems like it is a great tool for learning Morse Code.

HamHam RadioHappy

Synology DiskStation DS1621+

My Drobo died…

<sigh>

I tried everything, replaced drives, cleaned it out, banged on it, everything I could think of and every idea I could find online. But it’s dead. It did last 7 years, but it sure feels like it should have lasted longer.

Drobo has not had any devices for sale for a long time now, and in fact they don’t even have anyone answering the phones anymore. So time to look for an alternative.

After a lot of research I narrowed my choices down to a Synology device and more research drove me to picking a DS1621+ for the following reasons.

  1. 6 Drive Bays
  2. 4 bondable Ethernet ports
  3. Up to 32 GB of RAM
  4. SSD Read and Write Caches
  5. The ability to run VMs and Docker containers

Coming from the 5-bay Drobo I was excited about having 6 bays, if I was buying it now I would have bought the 8-bay as it is not much more expensive. But 6 bays is pretty good and gives me plenty of space with Synology’s SHR single disk redundancy.

Bonding Ethernet ports can be a really big deal, it doesn’t make copying or writing any faster, but it allows multiple machines to be able to read and write to the NAS at faster speeds which in the real world can be a huge performance boost. If you have Plex running the performance can take a big hit with a single Ethernet connection and multiple devices watching movies and uploading/downloading files, but with 4 bonded ports the performance hit is noticeably less.

If your going to run Virtual Machines more RAM is always better and 32 GB is overkill for most home uses, but why not?

Having read and write caches can really boost the performance of a NAS, I saw that with the Drobo so I made sure to put them in my Synology. The only concern is the longevity of the cache drives, they have a limited lifespan with the number of writes, so in a high-use environment you may be better off without a write cache.

I want the flexibility to run a Windows Virtual Machine to reduce the number of physical machines I have in my office, but I am still reluctant to use a NAS for it. I am pretty old-school in the way I think about computers, I prefer my NAS just be Network Attached Storage and not a jack-of-all-trades with a lot of software running on it that could cause a problem later on, so I have yet to set any VMs up. But I might. One day. Maybe.

I am running Plex and it is working great, even better than when I had it running on an iMac. We have 3 TVs in the house and are regularly streaming from Plex to 2 of them at once with no problems.

I am also running Synology’s Photos app, it is kind of terrible, so I may remove it at some point.

It is not a quiet machine, especially once there are 6 Seagate IronWolf Pro hard drives in it. The machine sits in the corner of my office surrounded by sound proofing squares and I can still hear it whirring and clicking all day long. Its not really loud, but loud enough to be distracting.

Overall I am very happy with the Synology DS1621+ and after 3 months of using it I recommend you consider it as an alternative to a Drobo, QNAP, or building your own NAS.

P.S. A NAS is not a backup solution unless you have 2 of them backing up to each other. One is none, two is one, and three is adequate. You should always have at least 3 findable and proven good copies of any important data. At least one of them should be off-site at a location other than your home or business.

Computers

How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens

How to Take Smart Notes by Sönke Ahrens

I am getting organized, like in-general organized. I am creating to-do lists, setting goals, and closely tracking my progress. I am learning some new tools and working on building new habits and I am hoping that they will help facilitate some changes for the better.

I am starting with collecting all of the notes that I have scattered across many different hard drives and the Internet, so I thought learning how to take better notes would be a good idea.

I learned about the Hoe to Take Smart Notes book while learning how to use a note taking tool called Obsidian, many of the blog posts and videos I watched referred to it and made it sound like a great book.

I bought it from Amazon to read on the Kindle and read it in a day.

The title is “How to Take Smart Notes,” but I think it would have been better served with the title, “Why Take Smart Notes and How to Use Them.” Although it does cover the “How” of smart note taking, the majority of its pages are about the “Why.”

I found the why of it interesting, but very dry.

The references throughout the book may be the best thing about it, I highlighted and saved many quotes and references for future exploring, the bibliography is a great resource.

I plan on using what I learned and applying it to my daily note taking, task management, and other writing projects.

Form the author’s website:

This is the step-by-step guide on how to set up and understand the principle behind the note-taking system that enabled Luhmann to become one of the most productive and systematic scholars of all time. But most importantly, it enabled him to do it with ease. He famously said: “I never force myself to do anything I don’t feel like.” Luhmann’s system is often misunderstood and rarely well explained (especially in English). This book aims to make this powerful tool accessible to everyone with an interest in reading, thinking and writing. It is especially helpful for students and academics of the social sciences and humanities and nonfiction writers.

I rate How to Take Smart Notes a 6 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone looking to build a solid system of note taking, but be ready for the book to be a slog.

BooksNon-Fiction

Dice Throne

I discovered Dice Throne through their Marvel Kickstarter and after backing it decided to get the other Dice Throne games to go along with it.

The big pitch for Dice Throne and the mechanic that makes it a bit different from other games is that there are characters to play that are very simple and ones that are very complex with a nice mixture in between. Between Season One and Season Two there are 16 characters to choose from with a complexity rating between 1 and 6. But don’t be fooled, complexity does not translate to simple and hard to play, with some combinations of characters the simple characters are a lot harder to play well and win with than the more complex characters.

Most importantly, the gameplay is very well balanced as long as the players are equally good/bad at playing the game. Since it is a dice game with the Yahtzee mechanic of being able to re-roll your dice up to 3 times (unless something changes that) there is also a good amount of luck involved.

A 2 player game can take anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours depending upon the how fast the players make choices. Sadly, the base game does not include a solo game… but I got around that by playing a 2-handed solo game, which doesn’t work great, but it let me get an idea of what playing 2 of the characters is like.

Enter Dice Throne Adventures, it is a totally different game that allows for a solo or multi-player game where the Dice Thrown characters are used to battle bad guys, monsters, and bosses… but it is on back order and I have no idea when it will be delivered.

We’ve played a couple of games so far and I am really enjoying it and I am looking forward to playing all 16 of the characters.

I rate Season 1 and Season 2 of Dice Throne an 8 out of 10 and recommend it to anyone with access to at least one other person to play it with.

GamesHappy