Blog-of-gain

A tech-oriented blog from a Linux user


Latest blog updates

2024-09-03Installing Microsoft Intune on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: New article.
2023-12-06Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit review: Add instructions for macOS and MidiPipe.
2022-08-31Of life and love: Add some recent thoughts and discoveries.
2022-02-27Learning to ice skate: Add notes about baking new skates.
2022-01-04Rant: loudness war, style over functionality, etc.: New article.

Filtering by tag: hardware

Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit review

Are cheap electronic drums good for learning to play?

Preview

For the longest time I was considering to start playing the drums. A few years ago I finally did buy a cheap electronic drum set. This review I was supposed to write already two years ago, but better late then never I guess. Check it out to learn how a cheap drum set works for a beginner!

Updates

2023-12-06Add instructions for macOS and MidiPipe.

Panther's DIY Wapanese Bed

Building a Japanese style bed from wood

Preview

I needed a new bed and already for a good while I'd wanted to build one. I decided to DIY a bed in a somewhat simple yet quirky fashion. Check out the article how it went and build one for yourself, too!

Updating PC hardware in the 2020s

Optimization still requires knowledge

Preview

In December 2019 I updated my PC to cutting edge technology. Unlike in my older PC article, things aren't yet obsolete, so I figured I'll write what one needs to bear in mind if they want to optimize a new PC build. I'll also discuss some hardware/firmware bugs that still bother modern components.

Learning to ice skate

Tips for newbies, from a somewhat experienced beginner

Preview

A couple of years ago I bought ice skates and made a tool to make them more compatible with my feet. Now it was time to actually finally put the skates to good use. My knowledge about ice skating and fitting skates has reached epic proportions. Check out my newbie tips from the article and get adviced and encouraged!

Updates

2022-02-27Add notes about baking new skates.

Motu M4 review

With measurements and Linux notes

Preview

As new motherboards don't have a PCI bus anymore, finding high-quality, low-latency audio devices that work in Linux might be hard. Released in November 2019, the Motu M4 promises class-compliance, low latency and superb sound quality. How does it measure against its specifications in practice? Read the article to find out.

Updates

2020-12-21Add Ubuntu 20.04.1 LTS and RT audio info; some tidying up.
2020-08-31Add note about fixed duplex sound support.
2020-06-06Add note about systemd and realtime audio.
2020-04-13Add more Linux compatibility tests and notes.
2020-03-31Add note about switching the sample rate.

Metal strap rocks

I like to fix things using metal strap

Preview

I guess most people tend to resort to something specific when something needs fixing. The most common must be duct tape. I like metal strap, the perforated variety. In this short article I introduce some ways in which metal strap can be used for a lot of things.

ESP8266 deep-sleep repeatedly

How to deep-sleep for a long time and save power

Preview

I made my indoor plant a soil moisture meter which reports the values to Azure cloud. However, I had some trouble making my D1 mini board to sleep and wake up reliably. Turns out, just calling the deep-sleep function once doesn't do the trick. I had to deep-sleep for several shorter cycles before reporting the measurement. Check out the article for a brief how-to.

Updates

2019-11-23Add power consumption measurements.
Powered by GainCMS