Since I've been looking around on Ebay, I've been buying up a bunch of vacuum tubes for use in my amplifier. These tubes called "NOS" (new old stock) are types of vacuum tubes made from the 50's to the 80's that are unused, and made to the highest possible specifications with the best machinery. Really the only people that buy these tubes anymore are collectors (these things are skyrocketing in price, and NOS tubes can only exist for so long), survivalists (for the day when the EMP hits and only the old HAM radios will function :P) and guitar enthusiasts (like myself) that have amplifiers that operate with vacuum tubes. As of right now, I've bought the following:
A set of 5 12AU7 RCA tubes
A set of 5 12AT7 GE tubes
A pair of 12AX7 GE tubes
A pair of EL84 RCA tubes
The first three are preamp tubes, and the EL84s are power tubes. The first 3 are all interchangeable with each other. The AUs and ATs have a lower gain factor than the AXs, which means that the amp functions more quietly, however allows for a faster breakup and leads to a more crunchy rock sound, which is what I'm after. Many newbies (I'm a newbie, but I just know this) think that 12AX7s aren't interchangeable with anything else, so the ATs and AUs aren't as desireable, however they just put out a different sound.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to testing these babies out.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Sound Card
It seems like putting things up for auction on Ebay is contagious. I put up my copy of RDR this morning, and decided to put up my X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional card a few minutes ago.
I've had the card lying around for a few months now because I bought an Asus Xonar DX sound card. The problem was that the X-Fi had compatibility issues with Windows 7 and wouldn't work in my PC, but I was never sure if the card was broken, or if it was just a compatibility issue. The card has a red power light on it that always lit up, which is the one reason I never tossed it out, because I always thought it wasn't broken.
Anyway, since I put the game up this morning I decided to test the card in an old XP computer I had lying around, and it worked flawlessly. Additionally, when I checked the site for drivers, I found out that they released a patch for the Win 7 compatibility issues that existed, so those are now fixed.
If any of you are interested, here's a link to the card on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280522689989&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1154
I've had the card lying around for a few months now because I bought an Asus Xonar DX sound card. The problem was that the X-Fi had compatibility issues with Windows 7 and wouldn't work in my PC, but I was never sure if the card was broken, or if it was just a compatibility issue. The card has a red power light on it that always lit up, which is the one reason I never tossed it out, because I always thought it wasn't broken.
Anyway, since I put the game up this morning I decided to test the card in an old XP computer I had lying around, and it worked flawlessly. Additionally, when I checked the site for drivers, I found out that they released a patch for the Win 7 compatibility issues that existed, so those are now fixed.
If any of you are interested, here's a link to the card on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=280522689989&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1154
There and Back Again: A Tale of Red Dead Redemption
About a week ago I traded a couple of games in at Gamestop and bought a copy of Red Dead Redemption. I played it for a total of maybe 7 hours, and then the game got stale. Simple as that. When I first bought the game, I thought it was going to immerse me in a world of the Old West, and it did, to some extent. The problem is that there just wasn't enough to do. The missions were repetitive, and outside of them the few things to do just got boring. I'm selling it on Ebay because it's looking like I'll be able to get a very good amount for it, considering I only bought it for $15 of in-store credit.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Recent Inactivity
The reason that I've been inactive as of late is because I've been meaning to write a review for Alan Wake, but haven't had enough time to do it. I'm instead going to give my thoughts and a quick overview of the pro's and con's instead.
First off, I really liked the game. It didn't *quite* live up to what I had originally envisioned way back in 2005, but was a worthy game, definitely worth the purchase I made. The game took me about 12 hours to complete, which is a little bit longer than most people had envisioned. I assume that this is because I explored every nook and cranny trying to find everything, as well as listened to all of the manuscripts picked up. This honestly felt like the perfect length. Yes, it would have been nice if it was longer, but there was only so much they could do with the game before it got repetitive, and for me, it was right on the border of getting repetitive right at the end.
The world wasn't "free-roaming" in any true sense of the word like they had originally said, but I think that it's ok. I honestly can't imagine how it would have been made in any other manner, because the game is really story-driven.
The ending wasn't quite what I would have liked. It was VERY ambiguous and left a lot to the imagination. I appreciate why they did this. They did it because with this kind of story, you really can't wrap it all up in a single ending. Additionally, they wanted to leave the door open for further chapters and sequels (by the way, I can't wait for the first piece coming in late July). However, it really didn't resolve any of the questions that the player had, which was a bit annoying.
I really like how they did it, indicating that Alan was not the only one who could see the demons/experience the darkness. Through the game it was made evident that many people saw it, really from very early on in the game. This was a stroke of brilliance, straying from the far too common and overused "only the protagonist can see it."
The driving sequences were decent for what they were. Many people have complained about how the mechanics were not good, but the thing is that it's not a driving game! It's a thriller. There are only a few situations in which you drive cars, and they aren't really bad. It's not supposed to be like Grand Theft Auto.
I really liked the use of weapons and flashlights in the game. You aren't given any selection of sub-machine guns or cannons or anything like that, which is fitting with the setting. You only have the option for a revolver, rifle or shotgun, which makes complete sense for the setting. Also, you have different magnitudes of flashlight, ranging from a flashlight to a heavy-duty flashlight (essentially a Maglite), or a lantern to a heavy duty lantern. This makes real sense, and works well. However, it may be just because I played it on normal difficulty, but there seemed to be an abundance of ammo. It never felt like I was in any true danger, which was probably because I never faced a shortage of ammunition.
Overall, it was a great game, worth at least a weekend rental, if not a purchase.
First off, I really liked the game. It didn't *quite* live up to what I had originally envisioned way back in 2005, but was a worthy game, definitely worth the purchase I made. The game took me about 12 hours to complete, which is a little bit longer than most people had envisioned. I assume that this is because I explored every nook and cranny trying to find everything, as well as listened to all of the manuscripts picked up. This honestly felt like the perfect length. Yes, it would have been nice if it was longer, but there was only so much they could do with the game before it got repetitive, and for me, it was right on the border of getting repetitive right at the end.
The world wasn't "free-roaming" in any true sense of the word like they had originally said, but I think that it's ok. I honestly can't imagine how it would have been made in any other manner, because the game is really story-driven.
The ending wasn't quite what I would have liked. It was VERY ambiguous and left a lot to the imagination. I appreciate why they did this. They did it because with this kind of story, you really can't wrap it all up in a single ending. Additionally, they wanted to leave the door open for further chapters and sequels (by the way, I can't wait for the first piece coming in late July). However, it really didn't resolve any of the questions that the player had, which was a bit annoying.
I really like how they did it, indicating that Alan was not the only one who could see the demons/experience the darkness. Through the game it was made evident that many people saw it, really from very early on in the game. This was a stroke of brilliance, straying from the far too common and overused "only the protagonist can see it."
The driving sequences were decent for what they were. Many people have complained about how the mechanics were not good, but the thing is that it's not a driving game! It's a thriller. There are only a few situations in which you drive cars, and they aren't really bad. It's not supposed to be like Grand Theft Auto.
I really liked the use of weapons and flashlights in the game. You aren't given any selection of sub-machine guns or cannons or anything like that, which is fitting with the setting. You only have the option for a revolver, rifle or shotgun, which makes complete sense for the setting. Also, you have different magnitudes of flashlight, ranging from a flashlight to a heavy-duty flashlight (essentially a Maglite), or a lantern to a heavy duty lantern. This makes real sense, and works well. However, it may be just because I played it on normal difficulty, but there seemed to be an abundance of ammo. It never felt like I was in any true danger, which was probably because I never faced a shortage of ammunition.
Overall, it was a great game, worth at least a weekend rental, if not a purchase.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
I Have Returned
I just got back with my super awesome limited edition of Alan Wake. The first thing I noticed is that the cover does feel remarkably like a book, although the pages feel like simple glazed cardboard, though that's what I expected.
From a quick glance through "The Alan Wake Files" (the book that comes with the LE), I have to say that I'm very impressed with it. It's got a large combination of artwork, notes, a short story by Wake, amongst other things.
I haven't played it yet, nor do I plan on doing tonight, but I'm impressed with the package.
From a quick glance through "The Alan Wake Files" (the book that comes with the LE), I have to say that I'm very impressed with it. It's got a large combination of artwork, notes, a short story by Wake, amongst other things.
I haven't played it yet, nor do I plan on doing tonight, but I'm impressed with the package.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Off To The Zoo
I'm heading off to the midnight release for AW now, and I'll be with all of you who decide to do it as well. Wish me luck!
I Am Awake...At Least For Now
So, Alan Wake comes out tonight at midnight. Technically, the midnight release that my local Gamestop is having is for Red Dead: Redemption, but I could still pick up AW if I went.
Although I really have no reason to get it tonight as opposed to tomorrow, I feel as if it's sort of my duty to do, considering I've been following it ever since it was announced. I also feel as if it would be almost treasonous to get it tomorrow since I'm getting the Collector's Edition.
So for now, I'm staying up until around 11, and then I'll see if I feel up to going out. I don't think it'll be too swamped there, so I don't need to get there that early.
Although I really have no reason to get it tonight as opposed to tomorrow, I feel as if it's sort of my duty to do, considering I've been following it ever since it was announced. I also feel as if it would be almost treasonous to get it tomorrow since I'm getting the Collector's Edition.
So for now, I'm staying up until around 11, and then I'll see if I feel up to going out. I don't think it'll be too swamped there, so I don't need to get there that early.
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