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(The Root) — There may be some rain, the Charlotte, N.C., forecast predicts, but so far no hurricane warnings. Republicans had their turn in Tampa, Fla. At their convention, presidential candidate Mitt Romney at times seemed like a supporting player in his own show, with bombast from New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, bite from vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan and a host of prominent women and minorities to present the face of a more inclusive Grand Old Party — onstage, anyway.
Romney inspired passion with more of a personal story than policy details in his closing-night speech, and his team also beat back the Ron Paul faithful to present a united front, though that whole Clint Eastwood rant didn't turn out so well.
Now it's time for Democrats and Charlotte to take the spotlight. President Barack Obama delivers his big speech on Sept. 6 at Bank of America Stadium, and while the theme may not be 2008's hope and change, the tone promises to be far more optimistic than Tampa's doom and gloom, inside the convention center and out. Instead of the Republican slogan "We built it," you'll hear plenty about how "He saved it" — meaning the economy, after eight years of Bush-Cheney.
Getting the Democratic Message Out
First on the agenda will be setting the record straight. Despite being called out by fact-checkers for a series of televised ads that falsely accuse the Obama administration of "gutting" welfare reform, the GOP is pressing that message, an attempt, many believe, to accuse the first African-American president of doling out checks to lazy freeloaders at a time when many are suffering.
Bill Clinton, the president who signed the welfare-to-work legislation, has repudiated the GOP's message, though Republicans have given him cameo appearances in the attack ads. Expect a wholehearted Obama endorsement when Clinton takes the convention stage Wednesday night. Though the two men have had a sometimes contentious relationship — a clash of political egos — Clinton probably can't resist a chance to play savior in his home region and set the stage for a Hillary Clinton run, if she chooses, in 2016.
There will also be talk about Medicare, as well as the GOP's claim that Obama is cutting health benefits to seniors to fund his Affordable Care Act. In reality, the president's plan trims expenses by reducing payments to insurance companies and hospitals. In Charlotte, Ryan's budget plan and its proposal to turn Medicare into a voucher system that would let seniors tangle with insurance companies no doubt will be dissected and denounced.
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Women will play an especially prominent role at the Democratic convention, especially since Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin's words about "legitimate rape" gave Democrats the opening and ammunition to again talk about a Republican "war on women." Sandra Fluke, the Georgetown University student maligned by Rush Limbaugh, has a speaking spot. So do Cecile Richards, president of the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, and Caroline Kennedy, among many other elected officials and policymakers. On Tuesday popular first lady Michelle Obama will set the opening-night scene, and Massachusetts Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren will introduce Clinton on Wednesday.
With the Dems anxious to show a deep bench of young talent, the keynote speech will be given by 37-year-old San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, the first Latino keynote speaker at a Democratic National Convention. Castro, the son of a single mother, earned degrees from Stanford and Harvard. Sound similar to the background of a certain 2004 convention keynote speaker who made the most of his moment?
In a switch from recent years, voters give President Obama the edge in foreign policy, something convention speaker and former candidate Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts will be sure to point out. The killing of Osama bin Laden will surely be mentioned more than it was in Tampa.
Charlotte in the Spotlight
The city of Charlotte will also play a starring role in the weeklong show. The city has been buzzing in the weeks before the mix of 35,000 delegates, media, politicians and celebrities begin to arrive. Visitors will be greeted by host Anthony Foxx, Charlotte's second African-American mayor, and an African-American police chief, Rodney Monroe, coordinating security with federal officials.
A convention is a magnet for demonstrations and marches — including those by the Coalition to March on Wall Street South and by undocumented immigrants and their allies, who have traveled across the country by bus. In a recent conversation, Foxx said that the city could strike a balance: "Our job is to do the best we can to preserve and protect their right and balance it with the need to make sure not only that the demonstrators are safe but the entire community is."
With the big event being held in a museum district that is exhibiting special shows for the occasion, the convention weary can take a break and be challenged by "Hard Truths: The Art of Thornton Dial," from the self-taught Alabama artist, at the Mint Museum Uptown; or Tavis Smiley's "America I Am: The African American Imprint," at the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. The man that museum is named for is Charlotte's history-making first African-American mayor, still a presence as an architect and community leader who, along with Foxx, will be speaking at the convention.
Democratic-convention organizers point out ways that, in contrast to the GOP convention, the public can engage. A Labor Day Carolina Fest in the streets of uptown (what downtown is called in this upbeat New South city) is expected to draw crowds despite worries about traffic and security. Scheduled entertainment includes Janelle Monáe and James Taylor, who earlier this year joined the first lady at a Charlotte fundraiser. The public can also sign up to attend caucus and council meetings.
This past Friday, Time Warner Cable Arena was opened to the public for a first look. Schoolchildren were given priority to take in the patriotically themed light show with projections of the Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty and Lincoln Memorial — making the case, perhaps, that the president who presided over a Civil War about slavery might feel more at home with today's Democrats than with his own party. Not surprisingly, the swing states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Colorado are among those with the best views of the stage.
In Tampa, Republicans claimed the American dream. In Charlotte, Democrats will offer their version, an inclusive one that acknowledges that the federal government — whose laws and courts struck down states' rights restrictions — plays a part in America's progress.
Campaign volunteers had a chance to earn tickets to the president's stadium speech — and an offer of community credentials for anyone interested in attending the last night of the convention was, if anything, too successful. Thousands showed up and waited in line for hours, with some disappointed when the supply ran out. Stephen Kerrigan, CEO of the Democratic National Convention Committee, said that they're hoping to reallocate tickets to take care of those who went away empty-handed.
The upside to the confusion is the enthusiasm, which Democrats hope will propel them to a November victory in North Carolina, a state Obama won by just over 14,000 votes in 2008. "This is a state that is passionate about the president, about his beliefs and his vision for the country, and I think we are going to continue to work very, very hard," Kerrigan said, not just in the days leading up to and during the convention, "but in the next 60 or so after that to make sure the state leans blue."
The party and Obama would like to count on that, as well as on North Carolina's 15 electoral votes in what promises to be a close race.
Mary C. Curtis, an award-winning Charlotte, N.C.-based journalist, is a contributor to the Washington Post "She the People" blog, The Root, Fox News Charlotte and Creative Loafing. She has worked at the New York Times and Charlotte Observer and as national correspondent for Politics Daily. Follow her on Twitter.
Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.
Mary C. Curtis is a Roll Call columnist and contributor to NPR and NBCBLK. She has worked at the New York Times, the Baltimore Sun, the Charlotte Observer and Politics Daily and as a contributor to the Washington Post. She is a senior facilitator for the OpEd Project at Cornell and Yale universities. Follow her on Twitter.


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In this paradise rich in biodiversity, the leopard and mountain zebra are kings.
Home to a great variety of plant and animal species, some in threat of extinction, the biodiversity found at the foot of the Cederberg Mountain is three times richer than that found in the Amazon forest. This exceptional, bountiful biotope is not only celebrated in the superb culinary spread prepared by the head chef, but it also forms part of conservation projects which aid sustainability of the land, ensuring that it remains a sanctuary for endangered leopard, mountain zebra, yellow fish and cedar trees. Relais & Châteaux also supports local community projects, which include the local museum, primary school and various homes for the aged.

subset: commoncrawl


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FAQs-Submissions and More
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For fiction and non-fiction, we prefer to see a sample, approximately 50 pages long. For poetry, please send the whole manuscript. For detailed instructions please refer to our How to Submit page.
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Given the high number of submission we receive, our response times vary from 12 weeks to 24 weeks. For more information please refer to our How to Submit page.
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Remember when we all wanted to look just like Meg Ryan?
From When Harry Met Sally to Sleepless in Seattle, it was not all that long ago that she was America's Sweetheart, giving women like Julia Roberts a serious run for their money.
And then she had that affair and fell from grace.
And then she made a few films that bombed.
And then she sort of disappeared for a while.
And then? Oh, Lord. You won't believe what's happened now.
Check out "The New Meg Ryan" after the jump ...
It's Meg all right, and yet it's ... NOT Meg.
Something's happened to her face. Something bad.
If she's in the running for a part in the Batman franchise as the Joker's wife, then her new look is understandable. Otherwise?
Surely age spots and wrinkles would be preferable to this?!
I'm sad, really, that so many of Hollywood's most beautiful women begin allowing their faces to be altered the moment they begin to age. Botox and collagen injections are absolutely ruining women who would still be very beautiful if they had simply aged gracefully.
Meg will be 50 next month. I think she'd still look fabulous if she'd used her money to find a great facialist.
What do you think?
Images via friskytuna/Flickr, Splash News


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3D Technology Shootout, Revisited
A couple of weeks ago, I dropped by an active/passive 3D TV shootout held by LG as part of their effort to publicize the benefits of their passive 3D approach over competing active-shutter systems. LG has survey research data showing that some 80 percent of viewers choose their passive 3D system over any of their competitors' active sets, when asked about color, picture quality, brightness, and comfort of glasses. Format war over?
I was a little suspicious - Sure, the idea of passive is attractive, and I'd definitely rather wear a lightweight, inexpensive pair of passive glasses (or, since I'm a prescription glasses wearer anyway, a set of LG's own clip-on passive lenses). But I knew I wasn't getting the entire picture from a passive solution - since passive 3D employs a system in which alternate lines are polarized for each eye (to match the left/right polarization of passive 3D glasses), so the effective vertical resolution of HD content viewed on a passive 3D set would be halved: 1,920 x 540, rather than 1,920 x 1080. That's far from true 1080p, and the situation's even worse for content that's lower resolution to begin with - so passive 3D isn't a compromise most videophiles are willing to make. Sony has responded to LG's study with much the same argument.
Today, Dr. Raymond M. Soneira, who heads up DisplayMate Technologies, the people behind a widely used set of professional and enthusiast video calibration tools, released a very interesting head-to-head comparison of active and passive 3D technologies that calls into question my assumptions about the performance of passive 3D systems - and seems to provide a solid foundation of experimental evidence to back up LG's survey data.
The finding that really threw me for a loop was his statement that "3D images have only horizontal parallax from the horizontally offset cameras, so the vertical image content for the right and left eyes are in fact identical [emphasis Soneira's]." If Soneira is correct (and based on the research he presents it seems that he is), despite the fact that from a hardware perspective the two channels serve up slightly different images employing 540 lines of resolution each, there is no meaningful information - aside from horizontal positioning given the relative positions of the two cameras or lens arrays - missing from the perspective of either eye, thus there's no effective halving of vertical resolution in passive 3D.
This differers considerably from Sony's findings, and indeed, Soneira's claims are a bit reminscent of the arguments of those who claim they can hear differences between pieces of audio gear that measure identically - a hotly contested topic in the A/Vphile arena: "Some reviewers," Soneira says, "have evaluated 3D TVs by analyzing the combined display hardware performance for the right and left channels instead of the actual 3D visual performance tests that we have done. . . and arriving at results that don't apply to actual human 3D vision!"
Still, the evidence Soneira presents is compelling. He tested his claim by presenting viewers a series of examples of fine text (with characters from 6-10 pixels tall at 1080p) from the Blu-ray of the IMAX 3D documentary Space Station. Given that character details were large enough that they'd be indistinguishable at 3-5 pixels, text should be unreadable if passive 3D truly delivered only half resolution. Soneira identified 14 points in the film where such text was observable, and in all cases it was indeed legible using passive 3D glasses and LG and Vizio passive 3D sets - and, reported Soneira's observers - such text details were actually sharper and easier to read on the passive sets.
In Soneira's words, "those half resolution claims are manifestly wrong – no, ands ifs or buts!" He goes a bit further, with a very strong vote for passive technology overall. "Passive Glasses TVs," Soneira writes "delivered substantially and demonstrably better all around 3D imaging, 3D Contrast and sense of 3D depth, better 3D sharpness, better overall 3D picture quality, immersion and realism, and freedom from 3D ghosting, image Crosstalk, and flicker."
Those are bold claims for sure, but if this report's findings are borne out (and given LG's survey results), the question of vertical resolution should probably be put aside and units using either technology judged simply on their visual performance - which probably isn't a bad idea anyway. Keep that in mind next time you're shopping for a 3D TV.


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It was a strange scene at the U.S. Capitol last night. Democrats sitting with Republicans. Senators sitting with House members. Nancy Pelosi sitting with Roscoe Bartlett. (Yes, that Roscoe Bartlett.)
AP photo
Vice President Joe Biden and House Speaker John Boehner applaud President Obama at the State of the Union.
How strange was it? President Obama got more standing ovations from Republicans than Democrats. The biggest laugh line was a joke about smoked salmon. Lawmakers rose in a standing ovation about the Iraq War. (Yes, that Iraq War.)
Here are some of the hits and misses at the surreal State of the Union:
Something fishy. The president's joke about salmon elicited both laughter and praise from both sides of the partisan aisle. In a discussion of outdated federal regulations, he mentioned that freshwater salmon and saltwater salmon are regulated by different agencies. "And I hear it gets even more complicated once they're smoked," he joked.
Point well taken.
"I thought that was a pretty good line," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Texas, a leading Obama critic. "No, I don't eat salmon. Chicken fried steak, ya know, maybe, but I don't eat salmon."
Bipartisanship is not a sign of weakness. A good number of partisan TV pundits made fun of "date night" on the House floor. They discussed "prom partners" and other sophomoric (or senior prom) jokes. But lawmakers from both parties said the evening was the culmination of several weeks of serious personal bonding among people with divergent ideologies.
"We need to keep working together, not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans who are committed to a growing economy and a better future for America's middle class," said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., who sat next to South Dakota Republican Sen. John Thune.
Education is patriotic. At most State of the Union speeches, patriotic passages extol the military. Obama won bipartisan cheers for adding that teachers are patriots, too.
"In fact, to every young person listening tonight who's contemplating their career choice: If you want to make a difference in the life of a child, become a teacher," the president said. "Your country needs you."
High speed rail. Another Obama joke helped break the ice on a politically divisive issue. The president was trying to explain the reason for new federal spending to build a high-speed rail network in the U.S. — something that's popular on the West and East Coasts, but not so much in America's red center. To justify the expenditure, Obama explained that high-speed rail is sometimes faster than air travel.
"Without the pat-down," he added.
Immigration. Instead of taking on perhaps the most divisive issue on Capitol Hill (except maybe health reform), the president went for a bank shot. He spent exactly two paragraphs of a 14-page speech on the subject of immigration and spent more words criticizing illegal immigration and calling for protecting U.S. borders than he did imploring Congress to pass comprehensive reform. "I know that debate will be difficult," he said.
But it'll be more difficult if the president doesn't push hard for what he believes in.
The Gulf oil spill. What oil spill? It was the biggest domestic story for six months last year. It had more searches on Yahoo! News last year than any other news story. But President Obama didn't mention it. Not a single word. Nothing about the economic damage. Nothing about regulation. Or renewed drilling. Or anything else.
The five-year spending freeze. The loneliest moment of Obama's speech came when he unveiled his plan to freeze non-security discretionary spending at 2011 levels for the next five years. There was almost no applause. Democrats didn't like the spending restraint. Republicans thought he wasn't going far enough.
Michele Bachmann's Tea Party response. For some reason, CNN elevated a hard-right Minnesota congresswoman's response into a separate but equal Republican response to President Obama. After watching her speech to Tea Party Express loyalists, it's hard to understand why. "I'm waiting for Michele Bachmann to offer me a timeshare, or a package of vacations," tweeted MSNBC's Jamil Smith.


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Residents in this swath of sprawling Chicago neighborhoods and suburbs have brimmed with loyalty to Jesse Jackson Jr. over the past 17 years, giving him an enthusiastic majority each election - even after questionable links to ex-Gov. Rod Blagojevich, reports of an extramarital affair and a bizarre five-month medical leave.
But the former congressman's guilty plea to charges that he lived off and lavishly spent campaign money for personal use - on everything from toilet paper to mink capes - has turned the tide. In territory where it was difficult to scrape up any criticism of Jackson, his Chicago alderman wife or his famous civil rights leader father, the mood is now simply one of disappointment.
"He knew better; it was a very stupid thing to do," said 75-year-old Jeannette Reese, shaking her head as she grocery-shopped at a busy shopping complex. "He and his father came to our church. I thought he was the real thing."
Reese said she had voted for the younger Jackson for years.
Jackson, who resigned from office in November, pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court in Washington to criminal charges that he engaged in a scheme to spend $750,000 in campaign funds on personal items. He faces up to 57 months - more than four years - in prison and a fine, under a plea deal with prosecutors.
It was an emotional day for Jackson, 47, who held back tears as he addressed the federal judge, just hours before his wife pleaded guilty to filing false joint federal income tax returns that knowingly understated the income the couple received. Sandi Jackson, who resigned from Chicago's City Council last month, faces up to two years in prison and a fine.
"I did these things," Jesse Jackson Jr. told the judge, adding later, "Sir, for years I lived in my campaign."
He first won office in a 1995 special election and developed widespread support from mayors who said he delivered and constituents who valued his family legacy and said he gave them a voice. That support persevered even through an intense primary challenge last year from former one-term U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson who made Jackson's ethical troubles central to her campaign. He came away with the easy majority even as he remained under a House Ethics Committee investigation for ties to Blagojevich, who's serving a federal prison sentence on allegations that he tried to profit from President Barack Obama's former U.S. Senate Seat.
Even the most loyal Jackson supporters who praised him for bringing home nearly $1 billion in federal funding to the district were rattled.
"I hate that circumstances ended up like they did," said Ford Heights Mayor Charles Griffin. His small community south of Chicago - one of Illinois' poorest - got a boost in its water system because of Jackson.
Still, Griffin did not want to pile on criticism. "His situation is between the court system and the family," the mayor said.
Next week, voters in the heavily Democratic district head to the polls in a special primary to replace him. The crowded field of candidates includes Halvorson, former state Rep. Robin Kelly and Chicago Alderman Anthony Beale.
Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced June 28 and his wife on July 1. Both Jacksons, who maintain homes in Washington and Chicago, are free until sentencing.
More details emerged in a 22-page statement compiled by prosecutors and filed Wednesday. In it, Jackson admitted that he and his wife used campaign credit cards to buy thousands of personal items worth $582,772.58 from 2005 through April of last year. The most lavish purchases included the spending of more than $43,000 on a gold-plated men's Rolex watch.
Court papers said more than $60,000 was shelled out for restaurant, nightclub and lounge outings. Money was also spent on a washer, a dryer, a range and a refrigerator for the Jacksons' Chicago home.
Jackson even arranged for the use of campaign money to buy two mounted elk heads for his congressional office, according to court documents.
Jackson entered the courtroom Wednesday holding hands with his wife and looking a bit dazzled as he surveyed the packed room. He kissed his wife and headed to the defense table.
After the hearing he shouted to a reporter: "Tell everybody back home I'm sorry I let them down, OK?"
The Chicago Democrat disappeared from the public eye last June for a medical leave, though details on his condition and location were always scarce. Doctors later said he suffers from bipolar disorder and was hospitalized at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
His attorney said after the court appearance that Jackson's health is "not an excuse" for his actions, "just a fact." Jackson's father has said that his son remains under strict medical supervision.
One attorney, Reid Weingarten, told reporters after the hearing that there's reason for optimism.
"A man that talented, a man that devoted to public service, a man who's done so much for so many, has another day," he said. "There will be another chapter in Jesse Jackson's life."
Associated Press writers Frederic J. Frommer and Pete Yost in Washington contributed to this report.


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When we think of Instagram, most of us probably think of heavily processed photos of food and pets. But with millions of users, Instagram has become so much more. The photo-sharing platform is also home to some of the most talented photographers in the world today, including those who focus on the natural world. We've looked through our favorite feeds and selected some of the best so you can get your daily fix of Earth's most beautiful inhabitants. This list is by no means exhaustive, so if you have favorite outdoor photography folks you follow on Instagram, please let us know about them in the comments!
Now, let's quickly address that Instagram-old debate of whether or not it's "cheating" to post photos taken with high-end cameras compared to smartphones. In this scenario, I'm taking the stance that it doesn't matter what camera was used to get the shot, we just want to see awesome wildlife photographs! So this list includes everyone from amateurs with an eye for nature scenes and landscape, to nonprofits with great images of the animals they protect, to some of the best wildlife photographers from National Geographic. Some use their iPhones, some don't. All are amazing.
So, without further ado:
Featuring some incredible marine wildlife photography, this feed will get you excited not only about the species that depend on our oceans but also about conservation. With each image, this feed knits together the what and the why of ocean conservation.
Using both a DSLR camera and her iPhone, Birkeland brings us gorgeous images of wildlife and landscapes. Her winter photos are just amazing.
This photographer has a knack for bringing the small details, the little things we too often overlook, back to center stage. If you love macro photography, you'll enjoy this feed.
Variety is the spice of life — and you certainly get it on Mason's stream. You'll gain an appreciation for the variety and beauty of familiar backyard birds, and you never know when other cute critters will pop up as well.
The best landscape photos are those that make you feel like you're there, like you can sink into them and stare for hours. Sulik offer that in spades. Armchair travel doesn't get much better than this.
If you ever start to forget why conservation is important, a quick glance through NWF's stream will give you an inspiring reminder. Filled with amazing animal photos, you'll get recharged and excited about helping planet Earth!
Yep, you really can get some of the best photos from National Geographic photographers right on your phone. Laman brings us some incredible work through his Instagram feed, and we love it!
Love big cats? Then you want to start following this feed as fast as you can. An icon of National Geographic wildlife photography, Nichols posts some of his best images of lions along with other amazingness.
Plants, animals, macro and even cute cats. Can you want for anything more?
If you love the wildlife of Africa, you'll want to follow this London-based photographer. Some of the most beautiful African wildlife photos on Instagram can be found on this page.
Rural, rustic, dreamy ... this Instagram feed will make you want to get outside and go on a hike at dawn just to witness the world as Little sees it.
One of the most prominent ocean conservation photographers in the world is on Instagram, which makes us all very, very happy. See the underwater world like you've never seen it before.
The creator of the BeetleCam and BeetleCopter brings us animal awesomeness on Instagram. With great photos from unique angles, you won't ever get bored with Burrard-Lucas' stream.
"I just like it outdoors." And we're glad for that! A constant flow of landscapes and outdoor scenes can be had from this gorgeous feed.
One of the best in the business is Steve Winter, and you don't have to wait for the next issue of National Geographic to get his images of big cats. Tigers, FTW!
You never know what you're going to get from Richards' stream: animals, adventure, travel — it's all there.
Outdoor adventure is the subject of choice for Chin, a National Geographic photographer. Rock climbing, sailing, hiking and gorgeous scenes of the planet's landscape can be had on this stream.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Protecting what we love most, we heart USFWS. We also heart their Instagram stream.
So much landscape goodness here. And every shot is taken with a smartphone.
An institution in conservation photography, Sartore is the driving force behind the Photo Ark project, which hopes to document every endangered species before it disappears. These portraits plus more beautiful work can be found on Sartore's stream.
Russ has changed how we think about iPhoneography, especially for documenting the outdoors. We really love his work and follow along with his rambling travels through his beautiful photos.
Beautiful, thoughtful, and even meditative, we love Colangelo's stream and look forward to new posts with bated breath.
A pilot and photographer, Rise brings us amazing landscapes. You just don't want to miss this stream. Seriously.
All the best of the tiny world is found here: insects, spiders, and crawly things made beautiful and intriguing by Araujo.
One of the best conservation photographers in the world, Nicklen brings his compelling images to Instagram so you don't have to miss a single scene — so long as you have your phone with you.
Related posts on MNN:


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The rose, queen of tattoos
The rose is a symbol of love, beauty, royalty and perfection and is considered the most beautiful of all flowers, also in tattoo form.
As pretty as a rose, as dainty as a rose… in the collective imagination this flower with its velvety, fragrant petals has always represented beauty, youth and especially love. It has fascinated generations of artists and lovers and is without a doubt the most widely recognised (and best selling!) flower in the world.
In the tattoo world the rose is the most popular flower to adorn the skin. It is so popular and so well loved that it enjoys a rare privilege: it is considered special and unique. In fact, flowers in general make up one tattoo category whereas the rose is a tattoo category in its own right, so it is no coincidence that it is called the "queen of tattoos".
Like the lotus, the rose symbolises perfection and its shape is like a mandala, the symbol which represents spiritual realization, the fullness of being. The full, rounded form of the rose is therefore linked in meaning to the circle and the wheel, symbols of perfection and complete development, of the indestructible, eternal universe.
The magic number of the rose is 5, representing an individual who lives in equilibrium with the cosmos. There are also five petals in the simplest roses and the image of the rose most commonly used in heraldry for the coats of arms of families and cities.
The most well known heraldic rose is the Tudor Rose, the traditional flower of England, which takes its name from the royal house of the Tudors.
The rose of the English royal family is very popular as a tattoo subject among those who feel "English" through and through. There is even a website dedicated to the theme, with a gallery of tattoos dedicated to the Tudor Rose!
One subject that is becoming more and more popular is the traditional style rose, in both old school and new school versions and often used with a given name, script or skull. There are also many admirers of the realistic style rose tattoo, which can be of an exceptionally high quality thanks to the expertise and creativity of the tattoo artist.
Did you know that every type of rose has a name?
Some, for example, have a musical name such as Tango, Polka and Tchaikovsky. Other roses are dedicated to famous people, like the Princess de Monaco, which is refined and elegant, the Queen Elizabeth, which has pale pink petals, the William Shakespeare, with its distinct fragrance, or the Picasso featuring white-streaked red petals.
The name of this flower comes from the Latin rosa which in turn comes from the Greek rhodon… where Rhodes, also known as the island of the roses, gets its name too.
Others believe that the name of the rose comes from the Celtic word rhood or rhuud, meaning red, or the Sanskrit vrad or vrod, which means flexible.
There is an ancient yet still widespread practice of naming people after flowers – for example Daisy, Iris, Violet, Poppy, Lily and so on – a tradition which is linked to the symbolism of each individual flower. Women called Rose should be proud, their name evokes the most beautiful, well known flower, the eternal symbol of beauty, love and royalty.


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|April 4, 2013, 03:33 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: January 12, 2012
Location: Olean, NY
Posts: 375
Very happy with my new THEIS holster...(NY)
I ordered a holster from theisholsters.com for my S&W Bodyguard .380 and just received it today. I must say that I am VERY pleased with this holster so far. It is very comfortable, fits my gun perfectly and is very nice quality. Previously I had just a cheap soft holster with 1 clip that wasn't made specifically for this gun. I just went to the local gun store and looked through their holsters and found one that fit the best. I must say going from that to this is a HUGE upgrade. I am sitting in the recliner right now and wearing it at about the 4 o'clock position, and I can barely tell it's even there. I got the cowhide iwb one, for $55 shipped. I highly recommend them! I received an email Tuesday telling me that it shipped, and included with the email was some very specific instruction and information on the holster. Things like how to take care of it, adjusting the retention and the like. He was great to deal with and makes a very nice product. Thanks Tommy! My name is Erik, the order was in my mother's name because I don't currently have a PayPal.
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Sunday School – 10:00 am
Worship Service – 11:00 am
Bible Study – 12:15 pm
Wednesday Bible Study - 6:30 pm
12859 Martin Road Spur
Northport, AL 35473
Watering the Tulips
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!" – Psalms 33:12
The verse before us today primarily speaks of the nation of Israel as "the people whom he has chosen as his heritage". However, one can certainly make application of the general truth as stated in the first part of the verse – "Blessed is the nation who God is the Lord". It is this portion which we wish to consider today.
Presidential primary time is upon us. Jesus clearly told Pilate, "My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world" (John 18:36). We, as followers of Christ, are to be fighting for a kingdom which is not of this world. Without a doubt, far too many believers are more interested in who the next Republican or Democratic candidate is than they are about the salvation of their neighbor. This is a great tragedy of our day. The salvation of one soul ought to be enormously more important to us than whether we have national healthcare or lower taxes. There isn't one reader of this article that wouldn't give up any number of freedoms for the eternal salvation of their child. In reality, it shouldn't matter whether it's a child or not. The making of disciples is the marching order of the Lord's New Testament churches. Sadly, little energy is being spent on this today. Even more sadly, it seems a political "gospel" has replaced the true one.
None of this implies that our vote doesn't matter. It certainly does. It matters for you and it certainly matters to God. Paul told the saints at Corinth, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). This mattered in the subject that he was discussing at the time (i.e. eating and drinking). However, it also mattered in "whatever you do". Christian people are to "do all to the glory of God". This includes voting. The main thing to consider when you vote for a candidate is whether your vote glorifies God or not. Some may argue that the candidate which most glorifies God doesn't have a chance to win. To that, we say it's irrelevant. And honestly, that may be why "good candidates" are generally unelectable. Christian people are refusing to vote for the candidate which most glorifies God and are voting for the candidate which is most supported by their worldly cohorts. Since "our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3:20), this ought not to be the case.
Sadly, one thing seems to be lacking from all of our politicians today no matter the persuasion. Few, if any, have identified our real problem – we are a nation whose god is humanism. Our nation as a whole has no regard for the God of the Bible and His standards. We murder an average of 4000 babies daily in our nation. This is done legally and even funded by tax money. The largest government supported group has even been selling body parts of these murdered children to the highest bidder. These actions reveal the real problem in America today. We have a heart problem. Our god is ourselves.
Child of God, seek out a candidate that will seek to change the heart of this nation. The truth is, "The wicked shall return to Sheol, all the nations that forget God" (Psalms 9:17). If our nation doesn't realize this, we are doomed. The worst part is, it appears most Christian people haven't realized this either.
Watering the Tulips is brought to you by Sovereign Grace Baptist Church in Northport, AL. For more information, please visit www.sovereigngrace.net . "Your App to the Gospel" can be downloaded at iTunes for iPhone, iPad and IPod Touch, Google Play for Android, the Windows Phone Marketplace, and the Windows Store for Windows 8/8.1 based tablets and computers. Please download it today!


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The first year we made cascarones, I didn't have any dye so I tried to decorate the entire egg with colored tissue paper and glue. It was messy and they didn't turn out very pretty, so this year I decided to do it the right way and dye the eggs. I bought your typical $1 kit with colored tablets for egg-dyeing at Easter time – a package that is familiar to me from childhood. However, because these kits are meant for American-style Easter eggs, they come with additional items you don't need for cascarones which apparently perplexed my 10 year old.
Him: What are these for? [picking up stickers and cardboard egg holders]
Me: We don't need those. Those are for making American Easter eggs.
Him: You put stickers and these thingies on them before you break them on someone's head?
Me: No, [laughing] You leave the egg in the shell and cook them – you know hard boiled eggs?
Him: [nods]
Me: Then you dye them, put stickers on them, and these little cardboard thingies are so you can display them until you eat them.
Him: You eat them?! That's weird!
It kind of boggles my mind that my 10 year old couldn't remember what regular Easter eggs are – I mean, I made them with them before? When they were little? In the past? Didn't I?… I don't remember anymore. Apparently, in recent years I've done such a good job of teaching the boys Latin American culture that I now need to step it up with showing them Anglo-American traditions from my own childhood.


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Analogue video surveillance equipment still dominant in consumer market
Despite the difficult retail climate, the consumer market for video surveillance equipment has continued to perform well, with double-digit growth forecast for both analogue and network product categories.
Analogue security cameras accounted for 87 percent of total camera shipments in the consumer and DIY video surveillance market, according to a recent market report from IMS Research, (IHS Inc.). However, unlike the professional market, the consumer market is not predicted to see a significant revenue transition from analogue to network video surveillance equipment in the next five years.
This is for two main reasons. Firstly, in a highly price-sensitive market, consumer network cameras are on average, double the price of analogue cameras. Secondly, many of the major suppliers to the consumer market are primarily focused on analogue equipment and have comparatively small ranges of network products.
Josh Woodhouse, market analyst and report author, commented: "Consumer analogue video surveillance equipment is primarily sold bundled as a complete system containing at least one camera and a DVR. Conversely, network cameras largely are not available in four or eight camera bundles. Whilst consumer network security equipment offers some interesting solutions it is often not an equivalent product to analogue equipment. Typically, network cameras appeal to a different type of end-user who initially installs a single camera to monitor a particular area of their home."
Despite the difficult retail climate, the consumer market for video surveillance equipment has continued to perform well, with double-digit growth forecast for both analogue and network product categories.
Woodhouse concluded: "Many retailers stocking video surveillance equipment realise it is a growing category that has not yet reached saturation. The faster growth seen in network equipment has not cannibalised sales of analogue equipment; there is still organic growth in both product lines. For standard multiple camera installations, analogue offers a cheaper solution complete with many of the functions available from network equipment. Analogue bundles will remain fit for purpose for many consumers in the future."


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All over the country, homes are selling like crazy. They're being snatched up as soon as they go on the market, and homebuyers are willing to pay more to get the home they want. In fact, you can probably name several friends who are looking to buy a home in the next few months.
Conditions in the housing market have changed so quickly that it's easy to get caught up in the frenzy and catch house fever yourself. But before you hop on that bandwagon, think through these three reasons why now may not be the time to buy a home.
1. You're in Debt
If you have any debt, your focus right now is to pay it off. Current statistics show the average American household has more than $15,000 in credit card debt, shells out 8–11% of their income for car payments, and owes more than $32,000 in student loans. Add the average monthly mortgage payment of more than $1,000, and you've got a recipe for bankruptcy. If you want to buy a home and have peace of mind, pay off your debt before you take the next step toward homeownership.
2. You're Not Prepared for the Unexpected
Following the Baby Steps, once you're out of debt, it's time to build your emergency fund of three to six months of expenses. Now you'll have the cash to take care of unplanned expenses (like a storm-damaged roof) or pay the bills, including your mortgage payment, if you lose your job. It's one extra bit of insurance against Murphy—the idea that whatever can go wrong will go wrong.
3. You Don't Have a Big Enough Down Payment
While Dave prefers you use the 100%-down plan and pay cash for a home, a conservative 15-year mortgage with a payment that's no more than 25% of your take-home pay is also an acceptable option. You should pay at least 10% down, but 20% is even better. With a 20% down payment, you'll avoid private mortgage insurance costs, which can add $1,800 a year to the payments on a $200,000 mortgage. You can start socking away money for your down payment after you've built your emergency fund.
You can see how dealing with any of these three issues would make homeownership a struggle. If your goal is to buy a home, make it a priority to overcome these obstacles and you'll be on your way to owning your home the right way.


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Carcar people, myself included, concede that the Noels have been the most influential family in Carcar history. They have had five mayors—after Florencio first became gobernadorcillo in 1879, his sons Vicente, Mariano and Maximino and grandson Arsenio Noel have stepped into the office, too.
On the other hand, the Barcenas family already had three gobernadorcillos (in recorded history) even before Florencio Noel arrived in Carcar: Policarpio, Pedro and Vito. Based on Vicente Noel's compilation of Carcar mayors, Pedro Barcenas was mayor at least three times (Florencio Noel, six).
But if we count Gregorio Silva and Andres Jimena Avila (both of whose first wives were Barcenas) that's also quite a hold on power, or being near to it, by a Carcar family.
And while the Noel rise was meteoric, 66 uneventful years in terms of official role have already passed for the family in the town* since Arsenio Noel served as mayor from 1942-43. Meanwhile, Mario Patricio Barcenas (Vito's 3great-grandson) signaled his family was back in the saddle again when he became mayor in 2001 and is serving his third term until next year 2010.
Meanwhile, a Barcenas family historian has also claimed reconstructing the family tree through church records, internet files, and interviews. Since the result of his work resembles very closely that of mine, I will leave the family's history to him, I will just be duplicating the effort.
In the 2010 Voters list for Carcar, there are 108 voters surnamed Barcenas, the 89th most numerous surname in the list.
* Thus discounting Florencio G. Noel, the first Florencio's great-grandson, who is currently a member of the Philippine House of Representatives but as An-Waray party list representative.
Five Generations
(photo below shows Vito Barcenas's signature–Vito Barcenas Mod.o (Modesto). Before the Claveria decree, he was known as Vito Modesto. When the family was assigned the surname, he (along with every other Filipino) had to write his new name this way: old first name-new surname-old second name–the style looking very much like the use of the Spanish maternal surname. The form was laid out in the decree itself. Many followed the prescription but after a while dropped the old second name altogether. Like, this was 1863 already and except for him the 11 others who'd signed on this document were not using the second name any more. However, it must be noted that many individuals, instead of their first names, used their second names as the new first names, one reason for which may also be because of the frequent interchanging of the two names [see Baptisms 1827-1839 Carcar]. Thus, one baptized Juan Lucio in 1834 became Lucio Alcordo.)
—Policarpio Barcenas ( ), pDn: Policarpio Santiago; gobernadorcillo
=Gervasia Alcorisa ( ), pDn: Gervasia Catalina
—-Vito Barcenas ( –1882), pDn: Vito Modesto; gobernadorcillo
=Antonina Alcover Alcos ( –1883)
——Gervasio Barcenas (1825-1903)
=(1847) Apolinaria Aleson (1828-1900), pDn: Ana Polinaria
——–Apolinario/Januario Barcenas
=Cecilia/Basilia Panginajug Fano
——–Leoncio Barcenas ( -1851)
——–Andrés Barcenas (1850-1851)
——–Pablo Barcenas ( -1860)
——–Anacleta Barcenas (1854-
——–Timotea Barcenas (1855-
=(1875) Bonifacio Barceló Aleonar (1854-1925)
——–Apolinaria Barcenas (1857-
——–Escolástico Barcenas (1859-
=(1891) Catalina Bargayo Bacus
——–Pablo Barcenas (1861-
——–Simeona Barcenas (1862-
=1(1885) Pastor Soroño Campugan
=2(1911) Francisco Quijoy Pangálay
——–Francisca Barcenas (1864-
——–Eustaquia Barcenas (1865-1883)
=(1882) Pedro Monsanal Quemada
——–Felipa Barcenas ( -1892)
=(1892) Pedro Panaguinip Gellaconi
——Higino Francisco (1827– ) pDn: Higino Francisco
——Maria Donata (1828– ). pDn: Maria Donata
——Francisco Barcenas (1831– ) pDn: Francisco Santiago
=(1852) Balbina Barentos Dayanán
——–Juana Barcenas
=Pedro Propios Simporios
——–Prudencia Barcenas
——Juana Barcenas (1833-1874) pDn: Juana Josefa
=Segundo Alcorcón
——–Ysabel Alcorcon
=Segundo Barcelona Satot
——–Ramona Alcorcon
——Marcelo Barcenas
=Pascuala Candanosa Sagolili ( -1909)
——–Dionisio Barcenas
=Concepción Geraldo Alecha
=(Feligia Larita)
——–Juan Barcenas
=Maria Candiong Gentápan
——–Sotero Barcenas
=(1891) Isabel Poncardas Alfáfara (1873-
——–Froilan Barcenas ( -1874)
——–Basilia Teofista Barcenas
=(1903) Pedro Juguio Fano
——–Teófila Barcenas
——–Pánfilo Barcenas (1880-1924)
=(1905) Laureana Alcoy Cantalicio
——–Paciencia Barcenas
=Silverio Candiong Gentápan
——–Ysidoro Barcenas (1884-
=(1905) Adriana Barbón Aleguiojo
——–Jacinto Barcenas (1887-1902)
——–Patricia Barcenas ( -1909)
=Emilio Oasaoas
——–Plácida Barcenas
——Ysidro Barcenas
=Cristina/Martina Núñez Volante
——–Guillerma Barcenas
——–Tomasa Barcenas (1884-
=(1911) Potenciano Dayaganon Ygos
——–Silvestre Barcenas
=(1909) Ysidra Dayaganon Tesoro
——–Ysidora Barcenas
=(1908) Enrique Briones Quindala
——–Roberto Barcenas (1890-
——–Irene Barcenas (1892-1918)
=Raimundo Daris? Bacalso
——Baldomero Barcenas
=Victoriana/Martiniana Hellorda
——–Rufino Barcenas
=1) Blasa Dayagdal Dayanco
=2(1909) Petronila Dayaganon Navilla
——–Francisco Barcenas
=Victoria Gildore
——–Silvestre Barcenas (1886-
——–Eugenia Barcenas
=(1909) Magno Dayaganon Tesoro
——–Canuta Barcenas ( -1902)
=Balbino Dayupay
——Eulogío Barcenas
=Custodia Librea
——–José Barcenas
=Juana Baquirio Aleser
——–Evaristo Barcenas ( -1885)
——–Urbano Barcenas
=Maximina Pangjubasan Malig-on
——–Agatón Barcenas
=Anacleta Misión
——–Ambrosio Barcenas
——–Sixto Barcenas
——–Jacinto Barcenas
=Marcela Pahaganas
——–Procopio Barcenas
——–Máximo Barcenas
——–Hilario Barcenas
——–Narciso Barcenas
——–Mamerta Barcenas
=_____ Ramos
——Maria Barcenas ( -1891)
=Ciriaco Gabuya
——Justo Bonifacio (1839– ) pDn: Justo Bonifacio
—-Estefa Barcenas ( ), pDn: Estefa Silvestra
=(1837) Gregorio Espinosa Silva[1] ( -1887), gobernadorcillo
——Apolonio Silva (1840-1908)
=(1860) Celedonia Alcaparras Alcudia
——–Lorenza Silva (1860-
——–Francisca Silva (1861-1862)
——–Ysabel Silva
=(1884) Ambrosio del Corro Ybáñez
——–Julián Silva ( -1868)
——–Juan Silva
=Bonifacia Baquinos Alcover
——–Gregorio Silva
=Susana Alesna Ybáñez
——–María Silva (1872-
——–Pedro Silva (1876-
=(1904) Florencia Alcos Satorre
——–Vicente Silva
=(1904) Francisca Alega Campanilla
——Ygnacio Silva ( -1887)
=(1863) Donata Bardi Navarro
——Benito Silva (1845– ) bapt Benito Enriquez
=1(1867) Clara Sasuman Satinitigan
——–Silvestra Silva
=(1892) Cirilo Cacafranca
——–Francisca Silva ( -1896)
=Eugenio Laorden
——–Filomena Silva (1871-1874)
——–Ygnacia Silva (1873-
——–Servando Silva (1876-
=(1901) Valentina Florido Cuico
——–Juana Silva
=Juan Abres Acuña
——–Melquiades Silva (1887-
=2) Severa Solon Limbaga
——–Eulalia Silva (1896-
=Pedro Lofranco
——–Casiano Silva (1898-
——–(blank) Silva ( -1900), (Casiano?)
——–Bonifacio Silva (1900-
=(1923) Anselma Embrado Cui (1899-
——–Benita Silva (1903-
=Mauricio Alcoseba Enanoria
——–Porfiria Silva (1904-
=Santiago Villordón
——–Trinidad Silva (1907-1985)
=(1934) Catalina Lapira (Garces)
——–Nemesio Silva (1910-
=(1936) Lucía Domínguez
——Ramona Silva (1847-1868)
——Agustina Silva (1850–
=(1880) Antonio Abayabay
—-Rafael Santiago (calc. 1814-1831) pDn: Rafael Santiago (bur.)
—-Feliciana Catalina (1819-1831) pDn: Feliciana Catalina (bapt.)
—-Ynés Barcenas ( ), pDn: Ynes Cathalina
=(1843) Andrés Jimena (Ávila) ( ), pDn: Andres Avelino; gobernadorcillo
——Magdalena Jimena (1850–
—-Engracia Barcenas ( ), pDn: Engracia Facunda
=(1847) Victor Alcorcon ( ), pDn: Victor Narciso
——Filomena Alcorcon ( -1900)
=Domingo Enanoria Emnace
——–Macario Emnace (1889-
——Marcelo Alcorcon ( -1891)
=Petrona Albao
——–Trifusa Alcorcon ( -1881)
——–Felimon Alcorcon ( -1892)
——–Josefa Alcorcon (1891-
——–Maria Consolacion Alcorcon? (21-Sep-1892 [2] –
—–Bernardina Barcenas ( -1879), single
[1] In the 1837 marriage record, he was identified as Gregorio Silva de Espinosa, criollo. If correct, criollo makes Gregorio either a son born in the country of two pure Spaniards from Spain, or of two but one or both of whom were already born in the islands. The Criollo classification predates the peninsulares-insulares coinage. This also "ranks" ahead of a mestizo Español because the latter signifies indio or mestizo Sangley maternity already. But most other later records classified Gregorio as mestizo Español, however.
[2] Alcorcon died 15 Feb 1891, 19 months before, but the record said her parents were Marcelo and Petrona.


text:
I have recently purchesed a Forge Kit, everything is great.
I then bought a double bass pedal. (Mapex 800 series.)
I set it up and only some kicks are registered. I have moved the beaters left and right to try all parts of the pad, but no success.
Please help.
Forge Kit - Double bass will not register on kick pad.
Forge Kit - Double bass will not register on kick pad.
EMPLOYEE0Corey S (Official Rep) April 28, 2016 15:07Hello,
Sorry you're having troubles with this. I'll be happy to help!
It sounds like you'll need to adjust your sensitivity and threshold settings for your kick pad.
To edit your trigger setting:
1. Press Kit to enter the Kit Selection page (if you are not already viewing it).
2. Press Menu to enter the Kit Menu.
3. Use the Down and Up buttons to select Trigger, and then press Enter.
4. Hit the pad whose voice you want to edit. The pad's name will appear at the top of the display. Alternatively, use the Down and Up buttons to select the pad's name at the top of the display, and then use the dial or Left and Right buttons to change it.
5. The display will show the current trigger and its parameters. On this page, use the Down and Up buttons to select and adjust your Sensitivity and Threshold.
The Sensitivity will affect the sensitivity of the head (center) of the drum pad. Higher values let you produce louder sounds with less force. Lower values require more force to produce quieter sounds.
The Threshold is the amount of force required to trigger the sound.
Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes!
Hi Corey, yes I have put the sensitivity up fully but it still only seems to register around the middle of the pad. I also put the threshold on 1.
Is there anything else to try?
I also put the threshold up fully to and tested that it seems it works around the middle as well. I have also moved the beaters closer together but it seems to cut out and only register some kicks.
EMPLOYEE0Corey S (Official Rep) April 29, 2016 15:16Hello,
It sounds like the kick pad may be in monophonic mode. I would recommend changing it to Polyphonic. To change this:
- Press Kit to enter the Kit Selection page (if you are not already viewing it).
- Press Menu to enter the Kit Menu.
- Use the Down and Up buttons to select Voice, and then press Enter.
- Hit the pad whose voice you want to edit (the kick pad, in this case). The pad's name will appear at the top of the
display. Alternatively, use the dial or Left and Right buttons.
- The display will show the pad's current voice and its parameters. On this page:
• To select a parameter you want to edit, use the Down and Up buttons to select Mode, and use the dial to change this to Mono.
If this doesn't resolve the problem for you, please reach out to your nearest Alesis Support Office. Their contact numbers are listed on that page.
I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any additional questions.
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Alesis Forge kick trigger not registering.
Im having trouble getting the kick on the alesis forge kit to register every hit with a double bass pedal. i tried changing it to polyphonic mode, and i messed with the threshold and sensitivity! i moved the beaters closer together to the center of the trigger, but nothing seems to get it to work. any advice?
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Forge Kit with double kick pedal.
Hi everybody! I have recently purchesed a Forge Kit, and one the main reasons was that in the promotinal video made a point of saying that the kick pad was big enough for two pedals. When I hooked up my dw5000 the pad drops a lot of notes. I've already try adjusting settings like sesitivity, threshold, etc. So this rise the following questions:
1. The Forge Kit is designed to support double bass?
2. The kit's brain can register fast hits?
3. Can I replace the kit's kick pad with the alesis realhead kick pad? If this is possible the kit's brain will work fine with the realhead kick pad?
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If I connect drum pad to tom4 input The pad perfetcly recognize every hit, so it's not a hardware problemi. But if I try to duplicate tom's settings on The drum pad connected to it's right input The problem is still here. So, it's something like The drum pad setting is some way set as if it could never riproduce fast beats (I tried to tweak everything). Please cheack for a firmware update!
Thank you for this! I dont use a double kick but I do a lot of heal toe fast kicks and it wont recognize the second hit when I heal toe. Using tom 4 worked, but that sucks to have to change the factory kits every time you want to play around. I find it funny that on the nitro kit you can play as fast as you want, it never misses. My friend has one and its the only reason I bought the forge. Thanks again!
I have the same problem, it seems to me like the module isn't registering fast kick hits with doublebass (particularly flams/triplets) even though I adjust all the settings available. My solution was to use some Triggera trigger pads I had laying around after my last e-kit, and use a seperate cable from the Tom4-output on the module, and just use the second bassdrum pedal/trigger on that line (set the sound to use the same bassdrum sample you use with the main kick). Not an ideal solution if you would want a 4th tom later on, but then it at least register fast hits, as it's no longer only on one line input.
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My next set will be a Roland.
I really like the Pearl Tru Trac drum conversion pack. But it would cost a lot to get set up, and I don't have the space for full drum set the way I would want it. Eventually I will have that type of set up. I've seen used drum sets that it would work with, but that still easily gets to be over $1000, and you still need a brain/control box.
Best way I can Describe the problem is if you take a 4 BEAT. 1 2 3 4, it has no problem. 8 BEAT 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &, handles 95% of the time. 16 BEAT 1 e & ah 2 e & ah 3 e & ah 4 e & ah, it misses up to 2-5 beats at a time and hits speraticly. Threshold at 1 or 16 doesn't matter, changing any setting doesn't fix this. Different pads don't change anything, realhead or mesh same problem, using a tom from the forge kit plugged into the bass channel still has the same problem. But the problem is gone if you use any other channal from any cymbal or tom 1-4, snare, the double bass pedals will register at any speed. Try setting the bass pedal threshold to 1, so drum sticks will work on the bass head and do a drum roll, it will not work, ever. Then plug the snare or tom or cymbal into the bass pad (you can change the sound to a bass sound or use the cymbal/tom/or snare sound from the channel you picked to test with) and do a drum roll you will see the stock bass pad has no issue with the speed of a drum roll, double bass pedals no problem. Also all of my other bass pads I've bought now work fine using other channals. As long as your not using the bass channal there is no problems with anything. And yes, I can modify any channel cymbal or tom to sound however I want. But... Still the bass channel is faulty and not operating the way you say it does. I'm not sure if you built it so that channel can fixed with a software update, or if you built it that the module would have to be sent back, altered and repaired. But something needs to be fixed, this is not what any of us paid for. I can play more accurately on a 60$ rockband drum set than with this kit. If it cant keep up with a video game and play accurately how could you ever play this to its full potential with 4 toms and 4 cymbals in any band or practice setting when your bass is hit and miss? Did I miss this beat or did the module?
I thought I would add one more thing. Regardless of if this is someone using a double bass, worring about space for the beaters, beater placement... A single bass pedal hitting directly in the middle, heal and toe won't register either. This is about how fast the module can receive signals from the sensor in the pad.
Ok. My testing with a single or double bass pedal, with any bass pad set up, 160bpm is ok. 180bpm starts missing beats, 200bpm misses multiple beats at a time. 220bpm won't register any strikes or maybe 1 or 2 out of 16 beats. Do that same test on any other channel with any bass set up and it works fine. Please fix this problem, my equipment should not be what causes me to not be able to play to my potential. Your equipment should help you reach higher and higher levels of skill. Your bass channel does not let you excel past a very basic speed with a bass pedal, this system is not capable of playing 90% of my songs because its not capable of keeping up with bass rhythms(bass rhythms that any other drum set is capable of doing). This is not a drum set I would recommend to anybody for any use. Fix this MAJOR problem and its great. Otherwise by Roland or Yamaha and you will not have this problem and you can actually use each channel for what it was designed and designated for. This is posted on my review on amazon now also.
Still no fix from Alesis? After almost one year? Shame!!!!!
Got a message on amazon from alesis, this is my reply, if I have any new fix from them I will post it here...
Hi, I got a message on amazon to email you if I have any questions. I bought you forge kit about 2 months ago. I've been struggling with the bass channel. I've now bought 2 different kick pads to find those are not the problem (now over 700$ invested). I've now looked on your forum, also with many other people complaining about the bass channel not able to keep up and missing beats. To find out Alesis knew that there was an issue with this system a year ago, but you still selling them to people, I feel I was scammed by your company by selling me a unit you know there are problems with. It took over a year to save up for a drum kit and I end up with this. I just had my second drum lesson and have already exceeded what this can do and am looking at having to get a different set. This is not fair and not what I, nor anybody else complaining paid for. What is the fix for the module to function like any other drum set on the market (besides the Alesis sets). Take a beat of 90bpm, then through in a half beat... 60% of the time the second hit will not register, do a 16th beat and nothing registers. That is not fair for a kit this expensive. What do I need to do to have this kit function like all other drum sets? At this point to continue my training and lessons, I'm back using my rockband pro set up, and yes, it functions perfectly never missing a beat... I bought your set to take lessons with so I can have adjustment and set my placement up for myself. Next to my many years old rockband drum set, sits my brand new Alesis drum set, that I've been saving forever, now over 700 invested, that is incapable of doing what a 60$ toy drum set can do. What is your solution, that does not take up the tom 4 input for your bass channel? That input if for a tom, not bass..... Your company should know that.
Alesis unacceptable response to this known prob. They know about the problem and if the decide to fix it they will let me know. So... No fix, they know.
I just purchased a forge kit and i also had to go from #4 tom to get double bass to work.I new i should have bought another Roland set,Dont look like we are going to get them to fix this problem
Thanks guys for the info you posted,just wished i would have found it before i replaced the bass drum trigger.
I fixed it: switch Tom2 cable to Kick and Kick to Pad2 (or disable if Tom2 not uses). Works for me. But yes, it's a bug and need to fix it.
But another problem: Pad2 (and another pads) registered 2 hits when single hit.
I want to write one more review to hopefully help others from running into the frustration I did with the Forge set. Before purchasing the set I had already collected a 12in Real head drum, 2 10in Real head drums, converted them to mesh, and a 2 zone Alesis 14in Cymbal. When I saw the Forge kit, and the price compared to other sets on the market, watching the promo video's and all the good reviews on Amazon I decided to get it. When I initially set it up, every channel was used, 4 toms, 4 cymbals, snare, and bass. I got this kit to learn, take lessons, and continue playing Rock band but with a set that fit me (I'm 6ft 2in). Instantly the bass was a problem, I thought it was me, or the bass pedal, so I got a pearl dual bass set up. And instantly the same problems, so i got a 8in Real head bass drum set up, and same problems. I tried every setting possible offered my Alesis and what I could find on forums with no luck. After contacting customer service and finding out they have not looked into fixing this, and there not planning on looking into it, I had to move on and stop trying to get it to function using the bass channel, and give up one of my toms. As of right now I DO have a full kit working I just lost the ability of having 4 different sounding toms. I used a 1/4 splitter, and hooked up 2 different toms to the # tom 3, and it working ok so far. Since I already had a cable for my tom 4 spot I didn't have to buy a cable, if you don't have a cable you will need to buy a male to male 1/4in cord. Connect the bass to tom 4 and change the tom 4 settings to make the tom sound like the bass, and MIDI to send the right signal out to rockband/computer to trigger the bass, not tom. Turn the unit on and hit menu, then enter into "Voice". Hit the bass drum and voice tom 4 should be at the top of the screen. I use sound 007 for my bass sound, turn the knob to 007 (or pick a different bass sound, # range of bass sounds are 1-50 or so). Hit save to save that sound. Then hit exit, down to "trigger" hit enter. Hit you bass again and make sure it says tom 4 on the top. Down to "MIDI NOTE" and change it to x036 and hit save. Your tom 4 should sound like bass, and output bass to your rockband MIDI controller or computer. Now your bass can function the way it is supposed do.
Because of all this, I changed and played with every setting so much I want to explain my findings.
In the "Trigger" menu:
Has nothing to to the the drum trigger itself. This has to do with once the trigger is activated, how much harder you have to hit it to get a full loud sound out of the drum. So #1 need a hard hit for full sound, #16 takes very little to get full loud sound (playing in an apartment with light sticks you can play soft with full sound).
This is the setting that changes how hard you have to hit the drum for the trigger to receive the hit. #1 takes almost no force, the vibration of hitting the drum next to it can trigger multiple drums set to low. #16 takes the hardest hit, this is the setting I use on every channel I wish I could turn it up more with some. I use 16 on every channel.
I would not recommend messing with the other 2 I found online to mess with, that created another bag of worms.
XTALK, I set all of the channels to 9 and seems good so far, this setting adjusts the power of a drum over another, one set high and another low, hitting 2 drums at the same time, the drum set higher can cancel out the other drum all together.
Again I have 9 across all channels. This set at 1 will almost make a fumble or drum echo or multiple hits sent with one it. Ghost hits are very easy set low.
Real head mesh conversion, just make sure the stacking of the pads is the same height as stock. If the pads are taller than the outer drum rim you will never get a good feel on the drum head, and the trigger gets to much pressure on it and the vibrations from hitting a drum or cymbal next to it will set it off. Also, now I cut a small hole over the top of the trigger (about the size of a quarter) so the pad put no pressure whatsoever on the trigger. Been working great.
Real head Snare, the rim sensor triggers way, way to easy and had to disconnect it, but, the snare that came with the kit works great for a rim and snare drum sound.
Dual channel Cymbal
Does not work on this kit unless you hook up 2 separate channels. The only channel they made in this kit that can handle 2 separate sounds for one channel is the snare. So single zone cymbals is all you need unless you use 2 separate channels for w different sounds.
I hope this all makes sense feel free to ask questions if you want and I will try my best to help. Customer service was not good, Google search alesis sucks and you will see many complaints about customer service. Because of my frustration I will never recommend this set if you can afford something else. But for the price, you can make this kit work, you will just have a bass channel that you don't use.
You can find all the MIDI output notes/settings in the manual or download the manual of Alesis website. You can change any channel cymbal or tom to output any tom bass cymbal you want.
Hey Brad, check out some extra trigger settings info in the similar Medeli DD650 manual (p-17): http://www.mecldata.com/download/manu...
It suggests trigger Threshold, Xtalk & Retrig Cancel should be set as low as possible. Also maybe try using trigger curves 4, 5, or 6
Good luck trying to sort out the problem without having to reassign a tom input.
Thank you. :) I see it says to start at a low level and raise it until you don't have issues anymore. The settings I found finally made it that I can consistently get my 95-98% average on songs and get long streaks with no mistakes or miss hits. Before I figured out this set up I was struggling to get 85%. Its was interesting seeing your manual and reading it, thank you. :) Another thing to think about, your kit may have a higher threshold values at lower numbers, so that lower settings work, where on this is would not work. if I could turn my snare up more I would, bumping or brushing it with my finger sets it off set at its highest threshold.
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I actually never played with curve setting much, it has stayed set at 3 on all of them... :)
You'll prob'ly be surprised by the reduced hitting velocity required when using curves 4 or 5, which should help improve double bass drum trigger response.
The kick tower has nothing to do with the missed kicks. The problem is that the kick cable is not capable of registering quick hits either because of software or physical limitation on that circuit. Try this: plug the kick cable into your snare pad (or any other pad) and do a fast roll and you will notice it will miss at the same rate as if it was the kick tower. I have tried different trigger settings and none worked. The only solution so far is to swap the kick cable with another pad that is seldomly used (I switched it with tom3).
So im using the tom4 workaround for kick. I'm wondering if it's possible to make it to always be recognized as kick instead of tom ? or do I have to set it to kick manually every time ?
Hey David. Make sure you hit save when you finish making adjustments... I've made that mistake a few times.
Yeah but you still gotta do it for each kit seperately right? No one option for all ?
Oh, I see what your saying. I can't answer that one, I haven't really switched sets much, ive always been building them from scratch with my own sounds. One more reason they need to fix the actuall problem instead of all of us just having to deal with it.
It drove me crazy having my bass channel not in use and found something for it. I connected the bass channel to my stock bass pedal/drum set up but changed it to my snare for sound and output. So, tom 4. Channel is my pearl dual bass set up with 8in mesh head. On the outside my left foot dual bass pedal I put the new snare set up with the stock pedal (hi hat on the inside of left foot). Its been more fun to play with than I thought, it still skips, but at least the channel is being used for something and I've learned something new.
One more question.. Is the kick pad big enough to support double kick - if i run it from tom4 ?
Stock pad is big enough, and I've tested mine. Works good. I bought the bigger mesh head hoping that would solve the initial problem.
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Smaller beaters fixed my kick pad triggering issues. The smaller the better. I tried every setting combo, every input combo, tweaked the pedal every way possible, and tightened and loosened the head endless with nothing fixing the dropped notes... Switched to tiny beaters and vuala! No more dropped notes. The next song I write is gonna be lousy with triplets! Haha
Not with mine, just because of this I hooked it up and tested it. No go over about 150Bpm, even with one foot. Then tried drum sticks, again, no go over 150bpm. Does it get 75-95% of the hits? Yes, but it will never get 100%. Both hooked up to a computer, rockband on ps3 and ps4. All will the same outcome, missing notes. Random missed beats don't happen connected to any other channel. It will get 100% over, and over. Even with 3 different bass pads, larger 8in Alesis Real head bass stand with pearl dual bass pedals. I'm not sure how many spacing, size, wood, felt, leather... Drumsticks were the smallest to test with, with the exact same results. What are you using to verify its receiving and signaling and recording every hit when your at 200+bpm?
How well will this kit work with Rock Band? I'm new to electronic drums so I don't know much so anything will help,
Works good, using ps3 with RB3. You will need to order a MIDI controller for either the PlayStation or Xbox and the MIDI cord and your good. You will have to do the bass fix explained in this thread to use a double bass or fast heel toe... You can get those on Amazon.
Ok, thanks. I just wanted to make sure before getting one
I have one more question (I'm not sure if this is the correct place to ask or not) should I get a Forge kit or a Command kit? Either way I would have to save up to get one so I'm trying I see which would be a better kit to get. Some extra info is: I have never had an electronic drum kit before, but I can play almost all Rock Band songs on expert pro drums. Also, I'm probably going to mainly use it for Rock Band, but will also use it for recording actual music. Thanks for any help
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I don't think they have that same issue. I can't answer this one properly without experiencing the DM10 personally. I have not read or heard of a problem.
Ok cool
Hello again. I'm still not sure if this is a good place to ask, but I'm going to anyway. Does anyone know a good double bass pedal for the DM10? I was hoping to spend much, but after my research I found this might not be possible. I found a "DW 3002 Double Bass Pedal" that looks good, but that is much more than I thought it was going to cost. Is this pedal good? Is there other good options for less? (I found it for $225) I know very little about what parts for drums are good and even less about bass pedals. All I know is I want a pedal that can get the job done without lots of problems. Thanks, and have a good day.
Edit: one final question I have. Does anyone know the best place to buy a DM10 mesh kit for less than $1100? I see all kinds of reviews saying it is not under $1000 and I just don't understand. I'm looking for the mesh version of the DM10X. Thanks for all the help. You have been making this a lot easier for someone that has little experience.
I just did the mesh conversions. Order the kit on ebay for pretty much any 10 or 12in drum. This is the ones I used and am pretty happy with them. You might be able to find them cheaper also.
As for the pedals I've only used the dual pearl set I got, so I don't have much info on any other set. That make it hard to say how well mine works also because I don't have anything to compare it to.
This is a very good and more necessary post. you can check this post for more idea http://cheapelectronicdrumset.com/
I just ordered the Forge kit for home practice and I was super excited about it until reading this thread. I drum in a death metal band (Sodomized Cadaver) and I wanted it to practice our tracks at home. So your saying I need to use the tom4 output as the second bassdrum? And I will need to buy a separate wire for that?
Yes.. You need to use tom 4 for double bass... Sucks
You can just use tom 4. You don't need to use both the bass and tom inputs. Just Tom 4 works with double or single bass well over 150bmp. You bass channel will look like mine. Danggling from the wire harness unused.
This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Command Module Firmware Updates?.
When I first bought my Command Kit I heard there was a Firmware Update to fix double triggering kick bass, now I can't find it anywhere. Any suggestions? Im now running a double pedal setup and it's driving me crazy. Thanks in advance for any help.
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I'm sure it goes something like this: the bass channel was designed for a single striker, therefore assumed lower humanly possible bpm, and therefore cheaper electronics for that channel, such as perhaps a lower powered processor, etc. Seems fair enough, as this is a $300 lower-end kit. That's how products can be designed and priced so the company can turn a profit be in business. The original question was more about is the pad physically large/sensitive enough to register hits in general. I did not see anywhere it was featured that this pad should support double bass pedal up to death metal speeds, specifically. Disclaimer I am not really a drummer though, just looking to get into it.
Note - I am Bill Russell, no relation to "Bill R." above.
I'm gonna have to +1 this.
I think at this point. Bill R. would have fixed this problem if it was possable to fix. I don't think the bass channel is capable and ever will be capable of fast/normal playing, or in my eyes, not capable of playing 90% of songs and music on the market without missing bass hits. They are not false advertising that a double bass will fit, and the bass pad is capable to have a double bass set up. They just aren't telling you that hardware installed in these drum sets are not capable of prossesing hits over about 115-130bpm. There is no setting to adjust, not that the bass drum pad is to small... The truth is, Alessis and Bill R. know this, they know the channel is bad, and at this point with no fix... They know there is no fix and they can't fix it. They just won't admit it.
Its software.... There is always a fix!
Notice how Bill R. had nothing to say to my comments? He didn't defend Alessis or himself that this is fixable. Notice how he didn't say there's a fix coming or that they are working on it? Because ,they are not working on it, or fixing it.
As stated by Michael Bernardo about 7 months ago, its not the pad or the module per se, the cable may be the culprit, Alesis should make a new harness and send it to all registered Forge owners at no expense, but I am assuming by this thread and a few others that unless you purchase a Strike Pro kit Alesis doesn't really care to much about you as a customer if even then, and they don't plan on doing anything about it. Fortunately I base my purchases on how a company treats all of its customers, not just the elites, I was planning on purchasing a Strike Pro kit in the future and give my forge to my Grandson, I only use them to record and I'm not a drummer, but due to this info I believe Roland, an outstanding customer service company will be getting my business.
... the kick cable is not capable of registering quick hits either because of software or physical limitation of that circuit. I received no resolution nor admission of this defect from Alesis.
Sadly, I have sold this drum kit and have warned the buyer and others about it.
I just purchased this kit and was sold to it for the budget that I am on and after watching the official Alesis videos on this kit. Still has not arrived yet either.
I too am a metal drummer and not pleased to be reading this thread.
I sure hope a fix comes for this....
I am a semi-proud owner of a alesis dm10 studio kit with mylar heads.
I havent had too many issues with the kit besides it is 6 yrs old now and falling apart.
And also the lack of supposed future drum kit releases!
So I purchased this to replace the dm10, now Im thinking I should have just spent the $ on fixing the dm10 kit up, or going with a whole other company.
So with the bass issue, is it worth keeping or sending it back?
Yes your dm10 module with the new kit
This comment was removed on 2018-04-10.
see the change log
If it was me... Id send it back. You do have the DM10 module though and can use the drum pads from the new forge, with the DM10 module. Another issue you will have. I'm pretty sure the channels on the dm10 can handle 2 sounds per channel, where only the snare channel can handle 2 sounds (rim, and drum). So if you have a dual zone cymbal with a bell/and cymbal sound, you can't use it on this unless you use 2 different cymbal channels ( so cymbal 3 for bell, cymbal 4 for cymbal sound). The forge kit will work if you use a tom/cymbal channel for bass (lose a tom or cymbal channel, also lose a bass channel that will not be plugged into anything.) and you can get a double bass to work. Is it just the heads on the DM10 that are waring out? Can't you just rebuild the drum heads? Im using dm10 real head drum pads. I bought mesh heads for cheap on eBay and rebuilt them from the Mylar heads to mesh (quieter) heads and it works great. I'm pretty sure the dm10 has a bigger, more sterdy drum stand also. They suckered you in with there misleading advertising also... Ya, we all got suckered in. Though I agree this might be able to be fixed, these complaints started over 2 years ago. If they were going to fix it they would have already.
Well I did a little more homework and I came to the conclusion that soon as the drumset arrives, it is being sent back. I found the complete mesh head conversion kit for the DM10 Studio kit from 682drums for only$125. Thats a saving of $375 bucks, and who dont want mesh heads?
Do a little research on the height of the foam padding that goes under the mesh. If the foam is to tall, you get a funny feeling, ghost hits.... To short and its loud. I found a few different videos online with people installing mesh heads. :) also, start be build one drum, and test it until you like the feel. Once that one is right, build out the rest to match. I made the mistake of altering each one a few times, I would have saved so much time if I just tested one first! :)
I found the video that helped me the most after adjusting it a few times...
I own the forge kit and I was hoping to play double bass but now I have to buy an extra cable and rout it to tom 4... What was Alesis thinking releasing a module that is nerfed from the start and not listening to the users complaints... Alesis should fix this for the sake of their own name.. Bill R removed 2 of my comments because he would like to silence truth about the forge kit.
I'm playing a crimson but I added my two cents because I believe the modules are the same and the problem was the exact same.. I know the smaller beaters worked because in my situation it was the same notes it was missing every time. I could consistently predict when it was going to skip a beat. At first I thought it was me getting used to electronic drums but after I looked on here I saw many people had this problem.. And the one thing all these people had in common was the module. Switched beaters and it got a lot better.. But a few days ago I ordered a second kick tower which got here today. I gotta say it's night and day with 2 towers. It can easily handle everything I throw at it now. Second kick is plugged into Tom 4 so down the road I can add a pad there with a splitter. Also want to add that I cheaper out and bought the kick pad that comes with the nitro. It was only like 30$ on eBay.. Actually its a Simmons
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Thank you! :) I was looking at the Pearl "red box" after the problems with this (I think that's what its called). For now this has been working. I really look forward to a better kit, a larger drum stand/frame, and being able to use 2-3 zone cymbals.
On another thought. Your tom 4, if you can play a drum roll on the pad, you should be able to with your feet. I'm confused why yours isn't working. Make sure your used bass tower/pad isn't bad. If you can plug in the actual drum pad back into tom 4 and do a drum roll, dual bass tower should be no problem also. Have you tried plugging in other channels to the drum pad, plug your snare, or tom 1. Those should play as fast as you want. If those miss beats as well, I would think its the bass tower itself. I have definatly run into a bad or worn out sensor or 2 at this point, and one reason I try to stay away from used equipment now.
I do think it's the pad. I spent hours and hours trying every combo of pad and input possible. The small beaters I have helped quite a bit but they were too light. Like having a little meat on the bone when I step on my pedals. I'm just using 2 towers for now until I upgrade to a strike kit. It's working perfectly obviously. At this point I think I have everything I need to play the songs we do.. Also don't wanna keep dumping money into a 1000$ kit that isn't gonna hold its value. Time to save up for something nicer, though the crimson was a great introduction into the world of edrum.
I mean I read the strike uses up to 50 samples on the snare alone! For different volumes I gues... And maybe positional sensing. I gotta do more research before I decide


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