Optic

That's a pretty high-end microphone. By background noise do you mean interference (buzzing, hum, hiss?) or do you mean it's picking up ambient background noise? It's normal to get some hiss, I found this the case with all the microphones I've used so far. In the end we're still using consumer to mid-level preamps. Not studio ones.

Thanks Yuuki, that does sound promising. Will check out a few in my area to see what its like. They do say it's OK to observe for a few sessions.

Given there are over 35 Vocaloid characters/voices, making a poll might prove to be overwhelming. But lets get the ball rolling. Which Vocaloid is your number one favourite?

This is the general thread for all things Hiragana. Hiragana is a kana (Japanese script) system which is used for native Japanese and grammar words. Generally each character is cursive and rounded compared to Katakana and Kanji. Hiragana learning resources you may find useful: The Ultimate Guide to Learning Hiragana by Koichi Hiragana Drag and Drop game from Usagi-chan's Genki Resource Page Japanese Stories translated into Hiragana If you know of any others that may be helpful, let me know so I can add them to the list.

I have created the Japanese Language Learning section as per your suggestion @filip. I'm also re-designating this thread for general Japanese language learning discussion.

Thanks for the correction @ssjup81 . Would be nice to get this going again.

Have you found something in Japanese you would like translated? Google Translate no help? Why not post it here so one of us can give you a second opinion? Currently this service is not yet available I'm looking for volunteers that are interested in providing this fun translation service for our community. You would need to be relatively good at reading Japanese. Complete fluency not required. Please let me know in this thread if you would be interested.

This is the general thread for all things Katakana. Katakana is a kana (Japanese script) system used for foreign words. You will almost always see some Katakana in anime and music titles. In comparison to Hiragana, the characters have simple, straight and rigid strokes. I haven't started learning Katakana yet, so if anyone knows of any other decent resources let me know: The Ultimate Guide to Learning Katakana by Koichi

What you describe sounds more like nostalgia. I think I feel something similar when it comes to video games, a lot of newer ones I don't enjoy as much as I just keep comparing them to the ones that really touched me with their plot or gameplay. And every now and then I'll play an old video game I really enjoyed in the past. From that perspective I don't think it's wrong at all, but as others have mentioned getting too nostalgic can prevent you from discovering newer titles that could be what you perceive to be "just as good".

Hey TCS, welcome to Anime Forums. Hope you enjoy your stay here.

How far do you go when it comes to providing technical assistance for your friends and family? It can be as simple as setting up their new HDTV, from setting up their new Internet connection or as complicated as fixing a major computer issue. Personally, only my parents will get a free pass for technical support. Friends I will generally point them to the right direction, but won't go all the way unless I get some form of payment. Payment for me could be in the form of a future favour or money.

Yes, I love Black Rock Shooter's character design so she's my number one favourite! Yomi/Deadmaster I found intriguing, seeing her and Black Rock Shooter in battle was heart-wrenching..

Interestingly some retail chains here in Australia have distinct sections for anime and cartoons/kid titles on the DVD/Blu-ray shelves. I know Sanity and JB Hi-Fi do. But more generic retailers like K-Mart and Target make no such distinction.

Has anyone ever participated in a Toastmasters meeting? Toastmasters claims to help you improve your public speaking and/or leadership skills by participating in meetings and speeches where other fellow club members can help evaluate your skills. There does appear to be some structure to the training too with relatively inexpensive membership fees to cover the cost of the materials. They seem to have clubs all over the world, and there are a few that are within my area. It has piqued my curiosity and is something I would consider checking out. So I'm curious to hear of any experiences if it's any good?

I finally went through planetarian this evening. Despite there being no interaction, it was a great story. I liked the post-apocalyptic setting. Yumemi Hoshino was amusing, and in typical Key fashion brought the tears as the story unraveled, and that ending. :'( The soundtrack was absolutely riveting.

Out of curiosity, what external microphone did you go for? A shotgun one or a lapel one? I have quite a few different microphones, from a Rode NTG-2 to a Rode Stereo VideoMic.

Who are your favourite female mecha pilots? My top two would be: 1. Angela Balzac from Rakuen Tsuiho: Expelled from Paradise Classic tsundere that slowly warmed up under Zarik's presence during their mission. She also has a really cool mecha outfit that glows in the dark. (I'm well aware the fan service is strong on that one) 2. Lunamaria Hawke from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Her character was really weak and underdeveloped which annoyed me BUT she is cute. How about you?

There were two MMORPGs that I used to play which needed a subscription. World of Warcraft and Aion which I both enjoyed very much. But they were absolute time sinks. Guild Wars 2 was pretty good but it didn't really draw me in... I suppose with MMO subscriptions they're pretty good value, assuming that's the only game you play for the next few months. But that wouldn't be very fun now would it?

Will be nice and sunny this week, 25-27 degrees Celsius in Perth, Western Australia.

Hello Orius, welcome aboard to Anime Forums.

So I was looking for robotic vacuum cleaners the other day and stumbled upon an interesting one by Dyson called the 360 Eye: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OadhuICDAjk That looks really... futuristic. Too bad it's only currently available to the Japanese market. Has anyone ever used any of these robovacs? I'm keen to hear your experiences as we're considering buying one. Any recommendations on makes, models, ease of use and effectiveness would greatly be appreciated.