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Do we have a general music writing, composition, and production thread? I’ve spent a lot of time delving into details like the instruments I can use (synths and VSTs) and techniques to use when writing (music theory, using filters/FX on synths, a little bit of mixing advice), but nothing on the high level (how to write, what to write first, how to write something good, how to know you’re finished). If not, would a thread where we discuss the process and share tips/tutorials on doing so be valuable? I’ll admit to wanting this thread for my own purposes - I get analysis paralysis real easily and freeze up a lot with a blank page.
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May 18, 2022 15:15
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throwing my hat in the ring w/ the bass sheet music - I've seen harmonics notated with diamond note heads before. For those notes you'd need to use artificial harmonics, but that could line up with the "soft upper range" note as well.
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May 18, 2022 15:38
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Pollyanna posted:If not, would a thread where we discuss the process and share tips/tutorials on doing so be valuable? Definitely. Online music spaces tend towards talking about gear, and there's not enough emphasis on the craft imo.
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May 20, 2022 20:50
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for fucks sake posted:Definitely. Online music spaces tend towards talking about gear, and there's not enough emphasis on the craft imo. Agreed. I'm always curious on others' creative approach. Someone start the thread!
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May 21, 2022 00:29
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Okay I'm looking for a recommendation for something very simple. What I want is some sort of extremely minimal thing to run a guitar cable into a laptop with USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 or whatever it's called. I don't need any other features, I just want it to be simple, small, reliable, relatively affordable, and not sound like dogshit. Any thoughts? Apogee Jam+? Are there other options that are better? I keep seeing stuff like this:  But it always has poo poo user ratings. e: May have answered my own question. Gonna give these a go and see how it works: https://www.amazon.com/Mugteeve-Electric-Recording-Interface-Connection/dp/B08RHX7LFN/ Trig Discipline fucked around with this message at 05:07 on May 29, 2022 |
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May 29, 2022 04:53
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Trig Discipline posted:Okay I'm looking for a recommendation for something very simple. What I want is some sort of extremely minimal thing to run a guitar cable into a laptop with USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 or whatever it's called. I don't need any other features, I just want it to be simple, small, reliable, relatively affordable, and not sound like dogshit. Any thoughts? Apogee Jam+? Are there other options that are better? That game Rocksmith has a proprietary cable that you can use as a stand-alone interface.
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May 30, 2022 13:50
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Rocksmith cable works well honestly, but depending on configuration stuff can have a little latency but that usually just means tweaking. It's not the most amazing solution, and I'd recommend a Focusrite Solo and a cable, but at the same time I still use it a bunch, and it's pretty amazing for a grab and go situation. Edit: also just grab a USB A to C adapter, it'll be fine.
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May 31, 2022 01:15
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Yeah I've got a UAD Apollo that's obviously great if I want to carry a box around. I'm just looking for something ultra-portable to use when I'm just loving around on the road.
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May 31, 2022 01:44
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Can anyone tell me what time this is in? Is it 5/4 or 9-something? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT8MVjkG-ao
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Jun 8, 2022 21:28
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Pondex posted:Can anyone tell me what time this is in? Is it 5/4 or 9-something? sounds like 5/4 to me.
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Jun 8, 2022 21:33
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Pondex posted:Can anyone tell me what time this is in? Is it 5/4 or 9-something? i would express it as 10/8 because it sounds to me like its grouped into 6+4. or rather 3+3+4
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Jun 8, 2022 21:34
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I hear a pretty strong 5 beat pulse but I think it drops a beat every now and then to keep you on your toes. Or I suck at counting haha
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Jun 8, 2022 21:35
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Hawkperson posted:I hear a pretty strong 5 beat pulse but I think it drops a beat every now and then to keep you on your toes. Or I suck at counting haha No, I keep coming up a beat short/too many as well.
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Jun 8, 2022 21:41
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Earwicker posted:i would express it as 10/8 because it sounds to me like its grouped into 6+4. or rather 3+3+4 The main song feels pretty clearly 3+2 to me, but this is probably splitting hairs. It's some multiple of 5, OP. e: And yeah, they're dropping an 8th note at the end of the chorus. cruft fucked around with this message at 21:45 on Jun 8, 2022 |
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Jun 8, 2022 21:43
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cruft posted:The main song feels pretty clearly 3+2 to me, but this is probably splitting hairs. It's some multiple of 5, OP. this, plus a beat in the drum break
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Jun 8, 2022 22:59
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a poll - what verses of amazing grace do you really gotta do? i feel like the first two are a given and then its a free for all, so im going with those and then "and when we're there ten thousand years bright and shining like the sun we'll no less days to sing gods praise than when we first begun" because that one is somewhat badass in a way, i think? brutal? some infinite god praising poo poo... i dont like the "dangers toils and snares" one because there is something awfully non-poetic about it to me, just bad. gotta rhyme "come" with "home" and then the one about the earth dissolving is just....not great in at least somewhat keeping peoples spirits up
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Jun 9, 2022 02:18
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Is there a thread for getting started with composition software? I think what I'm looking for is something that will let me compose scores, with a decent selection of MIDI instruments. I have a reasonable musical background (piano, cello, singing), though I'm extremely rusty. I think the way I'd characterize my skills is that I have a well-developed ear, but minimal music theory. My goal would be to compose music styled like this piece that I commissioned for my game. In other words "epic orchestral with some electronic elements".
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Jun 13, 2022 02:21
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If you want to go the free open source route, check out musescore.
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Jun 13, 2022 15:42
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for fucks sake posted:If you want to go the free open source route, check out musescore. Thanks! I don't mind making a one-off purchase if it'll get me better tools/instruments, though, in case that changes anything. Also, to be clear, my eventual goal is to output audio files. I just assumed that a score notation would be the easiest for me to work with, since I have plenty of familiarity with reading music.
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Jun 13, 2022 15:52
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Thanks! I don't mind making a one-off purchase if it'll get me better tools/instruments, though, in case that changes anything. I use Sibelius and have for about 15 years now (officially switched in college). I believe right now you can get a subscription to Sibelius Ultimate for $199/yr, and they also offer a free trial. I find Sibelius pretty easy to use (especially if you commit to learning and using all the keypad shortcuts) but I don't know if that's just because I've been using it for a long time and am used to it, or if it's actually a desirable tool for someone new to digital sheet music and playback. There may very well be better options out there these days! Just be sure to avoid Finale—between Sibelius and Finale, Sibelius is the better choice by a mile imo.
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Jun 13, 2022 16:52
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Check NotePerformer out if you do go with Sibelius. Solid shortcut to good-sounding output from regular notation
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Jun 13, 2022 17:56
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timp posted:Just be sure to avoid Finale—between Sibelius and Finale, Sibelius is the better choice by a mile imo. i use the big three (Sibelius, Finale, and Dorico), and can confirm this. Dorico is decent right now if you’re not doing anything professional and don’t have tight deadlines, but i can’t recommend it due to that + other reasons. esp as a beginner to notation software (that has a budget), get a Sibelius subscription TooMuchAbstraction posted:Also, to be clear, my eventual goal is to output audio files. I just assumed that a score notation would be the easiest for me to work with, since I have plenty of familiarity with reading music. since your output is audio files you’ll also prolly want a DAW since while notation software does have audio output, it’s more a minimally functional bonus feature than anything fully featured since their primary output is sheet music to be read by humans. if you’re more comfortable writing music with notation, you can export your notation as MIDI and adjust the attacks/decays/note lengths/dynamics etc. in a DAW the two majors are Logic and ProTools, and Reaper (free) and ableton also exist. i’m not as well versed in DAWs and have just used Logic and Reaper, and Logic is waaaaay better than Reaper. the main thing i’ve heard re: DAWs is use whatever the people you work with use. i’m guessing it’s just you, so pick up whichever you like the look of the most
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Jun 13, 2022 19:47
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Thanks, y'all! I appreciate the advice 
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Jun 13, 2022 21:03
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Is there any reading material on arrangement or how to choose which instruments do each part? I find myself writing melodies/harmonies on piano, but it feels difficult to expand that to a wider set of sounds.
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Jun 15, 2022 04:13
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"Is Gibson about to release relic'd acoustic guitars?" https://www.musicradar.com/news/gibson-murphy-lab-aged-acoustic-guitars
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Jun 30, 2022 09:45
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Pink Mist posted:Is there any reading material on arrangement or how to choose which instruments do each part? I find myself writing melodies/harmonies on piano, but it feels difficult to expand that to a wider set of sounds. In classical music that’s called orchestration, maybe that will help with some googling? Not sure if you’re aiming for that or for modern/pop stuff
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Jun 30, 2022 17:30
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Seconding that. I think it’d be good to start with the classical approach to orchestration/instrumentation, since it’s got hundreds of years of development and harmonics are harmonics regardless of whether they come from a tuba or a modular synth. That said, it’s still Calvinball in the end. There are no explicit prescriptions for what does what. Your best bet is to pay attention to and ask questions about what instruments play what range of tones, rhythms, and envelopes, and why the composers chose them for the job. And also learning about what a melody is, what a countermelody is, what harmony is, what a bassline is and why it’s used, etc. I try to do all this and I haven’t succeeded in learning anything yet, but it’ll happen someday!!!
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Jun 30, 2022 20:44
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I loved "David Baker's Arranging and Composing for the Small Ensemble: Jazz, R & B, Jazz Rock" it gives a really good overview of timbres and the limitations of a lot of instruments. For other resources, there's a FB group called "Orchestration Online" that, believe it or not, isn't a cesspool of nazi sympathizers jerking off to Wagner. Highly recommend you check it out. It's got a genuinely great, supportive community that's filled with working professionals and amateurs. The guy who runs it is named Thomas Goss and he also runs a youtube channel called "orchestrationonline". I also recommend "Is This Playable" because you can ask dumb questions and like the second tuba chair from the Vienna orchestra will tell you if it is or isn't and sometimes someone will actually dig out their cello and video themselves playing it.
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Jun 30, 2022 21:06
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Edit: ^^^ that rocks, lol. Almost makes me wanna reactivate my fb acct Original post: I have a lot of dense textbooks on orchestration but they’re kind of like the Flavor Bible but for scoring music, at the end of the day it’s more about what sounds cool than any particular rules. Unless you’re aiming to recreate a particular era or artist.
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Jun 30, 2022 21:50
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Any tips or guidance for making an EP gel technically? I want to release 3-6 of my songs as an EP. Some are even close to completed. I'm bad with genres--really awful even (I lived in a guitar/rock/folk world for years but now I'm working on DAW instrumentals, I'm in a lot of territory unknown to me.) I try to let the music unfold in whichever direction it wants, but I still want an EP that's cohesive, or cohesive enough. For example, one song is synthwave, another is a DnB breakbeat type, another is a electronica (??) that morphs into a disco (??), another is a downtempo (?) house (??) with an extended poppy lofi bridge (???). I feel very clever writing music, I feel like a total dumb dumb dumbass describing it. What's the magic pixie dust that producers sprinkle on top of an EP to get each song to sound like they're in the same sonic ballpark? I'm worried that once I export all the .wavs, the EP will sound like a random collection of songs--which it is--but I still want the same feel throughout. The same personal touch. And technically speaking, the same peaks and levels to be similar among the tracks. What does the master channel of an EP look like? (Is that even a question? or the right question?) Overthinking this has caused me to hit an analysis paralysis roadblock and I'm trying to get past it. Here's my soundcloud if you're interested. One tip that's helped me is to not use such a wide range of sounds, samples, effects. Sticking to say, 20 different kicks, 30 different snares, 30 types of synth, etc.
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Jul 4, 2022 10:52
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ProperCoochie posted:I'm worried that once I export all the .wavs, the EP will sound like a random collection of songs--which it is--but I still want the same feel throughout. The same personal touch. ProperCoochie posted:One tip that's helped me is to not use such a wide range of sounds, samples, effects. Sticking to say, 20 different kicks, 30 different snares, 30 types of synth, etc. When I have let myself build up tracks somewhat at random then decide to package them up as an EP it has resulted in, as you say, a random collection of songs. That's ok, I'm still fond of some of that music and the EPs serve as a document of me making a particular style at a particular time, but they definitely don't have the cohesive feeling of the more deliberate albums mentioned above. ProperCoochie posted:And technically speaking, the same peaks and levels to be similar among the tracks. What does the master channel of an EP look like? (Is that even a question? or the right question?)
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Jul 4, 2022 15:56
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Agreed with for fucks sake that the sort of cohesion you're looking for isn't something you can do (easily) late in the game, but I will say that if your synths are largely in the box you can definitely go back and rework them easily enough. Basically, if you want the songs to sound like they belong together, it helps to give them some particular element of focus that spans all the tracks. When I'm doing synthy stuff, I tend to build on the same drum kit and bass sound, and while I stack some other drums or bass synths on top, those are more to add flavor on an already solid foundation. Finding something like that--and it can be pretty much anything that consistently sits fairly forward in the mix, like vocals or a particular guitar sound--will go a long way. You mix those all the same/a similar way in each song to start, and from there mix all the other elements relative to that element. Another thing to keep in mind is that mastering is going to help glue things together, but mastering is a relatively light touch compared to mixing. Mastering is the fine detail work at the end, and if you're still trying to do major sculpting, you're going to be fighting to do so because you have so much more space to play with that stuff in the mix. And not to say mastering is not still creative, but it's definitely got a heavier technical element to it in terms of determining the final eq balance and loudness (again like ffs said, -14 is a good spot if your goal is streaming). Basically, unless the mixes are already in the same ballpark, mastering's not going to add that unity, so don't worry about your master too much until your mixes are where you want them. I know there are musicians who do a lot of stuff on the master bus in the mix, but they make that decision already knowing exactly what they want that to add to the overall mix, so if you're not sure I'd say not to worry about it because it can definitely do more harm than good unless you know for sure what your goal is. You can let the songs unfold as they may, but guiding them and restricting them in certain ways is that magic pixie dust you're looking for!
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Jul 4, 2022 20:22
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I think it can be helpful to think of your synths etc as "a band". You got one that you mainly use for bass sounds, one or maybe two for pads/leads/arps and a drum machine or two. This could even extend further into using a handful of effects, like the same reverb or delay plugin (with different settings as appropriate for each song) for everything on the EP. Or limit yourself to just using whatever stock plugins for effects and mixing. The best and worst thing about DAWs is they give you everything at your fingertips so it's too easy to stack the equivalent of $250000 worth of different hardware onto each song. Genre bending can and does work, but there needs to be a consistent element across it all. Even something like The Downward Spiral which has so many different sounds and styles sounds cohesive
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Jul 4, 2022 20:47
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Hawkperson posted:what sounds cool Yeah, but that's the hardest part, no? How can you be cool and preferably without throwing lots of random poo poo at the wall to see what sticks. One can't argue about taste but a nice thing that made me think about taste was the McMansion blog - tastelessness there is often a matter of dumping a ton of "wealth signifiers" in a place without understanding their reason for existence - and thus their application and placement. I'm not sure what the musical equivalent is. Of course, if you go far enough, it can become its own aesthetic again.
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Jul 5, 2022 10:11
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My OP-1 audio out is getting progressively hosed, and getting replacement daughterboards right now appears next to impossible. I reached out to TE, not expecting much because their warranty doesn't cover resellers ( ) and I bought through BHPhoto (would have bought right through TE if I had known this, seems like a toxic policy).Has anyone dealt with this? I am considering taking it apart, and, if I can clearly identify the solder points, just soldering on a lead cable that goes to a new 1/8" jack and securing that so that it comes out the hole of the existing port.
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Jul 6, 2022 19:33
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Laserjet 4P posted:One can't argue about taste but a nice thing that made me think about taste was the McMansion blog - tastelessness there is often a matter of dumping a ton of "wealth signifiers" in a place without understanding their reason for existence - and thus their application and placement. I'm not sure what the musical equivalent is. It's audiophiles.
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Jul 7, 2022 02:47
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Cabbages and Kings posted:My OP-1 audio out is getting progressively hosed, and getting replacement daughterboards right now appears next to impossible. I reached out to TE, not expecting much because their warranty doesn't cover resellers ( FWIW I realized I was still under warranty, but TE sends warranties to resellers (  ) so I have to sent it to B&H who will then send it to TE and in maybe a month and a half I will have a thing again.Mostly I've just been using it for drum loops lately so I might just stick and iPad + Gadget in that spot for now. Or an actual electribe MKII, ha
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Jul 11, 2022 21:43
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Are there any decent free (at least for personal use) music notation programs out there these days? I don't need anything nearly as powerful as Sibelius or ...the other one that I'm suddenly drawing a blank on. Just something to extract a horn part from a score or rearrange a piano part with. Edit: Finale! I can't believe I forgot that name! hooah fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Jul 24, 2022 |
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Jul 24, 2022 19:35
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hooah posted:Are there any decent free (at least for personal use) music notation programs out there these days? I don't need anything nearly as powerful as Sibelius or ...the other one that I'm suddenly drawing a blank on. Just something to extract a horn part from a score or rearrange a piano part with. MuseScore is free and basically Sibelius lite Sibelius is like 10$/mo though, and is definitely worth it for being infinitely less frustrating
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Jul 24, 2022 20:08
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Jazz Marimba posted:MuseScore is free and basically Sibelius lite Thanks! MuseScore has worked for me so far. I'll stick with it unless I really get upset with it, but the worst things I've encountered so far are trying to make multiple voices in a bar and deleting bars. And neither was all that bad. Impressive what 10+ years will do to a software category!
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Jul 25, 2022 01:57
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