Netflix Techblog: Data Movement in Netflix Studio via Data Mesh

My working spaces over the last 7 years

ITNEXT: Lessons learned from managing a Kubernetes cluster for side projects

ITNEXT: An alternative to Google Geocoder API (in Node.js)

Why micro frontends might not work for you.

Firebase Developers: How to setup Firebase Authentication with React in 5 minutes (maybe 10)

TechFolks Amsterdam meetup: Distributed Frontends

Travix blog: Crafting code

Travix Techblog: Using recompose HOC’s to get better performance in forms using Formik and Yup


...and since they're so hard, I've decided to write them here as I learn.

_Know some that are missing here? Let me know on [twitter](https://go.d1m.dev/twitter)_

## isOdd implementation

Happens that you can check if a value is odd or not by shifting it 1 bit and checking if the result is 0 or 1.

In case the result is 0, then it means the given number is an odd number.

```ts
export const isOdd = (num: number) => Boolean(num & 0x01);
``` 


Bitwise operations are fun, but hard to remember...

Bitwise Snippets

I've spent a considerable amount of time looking out for my perfect split keyboard.

It took me a bit more of a year exploring and trying different builds _(which was a lot of fun learning about soldering and how keyboards are built, and I hope I can keep building some keebs as I wish)_ but eventually I've settled into a specific setup.

This article renders a timeline of my split keyboard usage and discovery.

<Box style={{ padding: "20px" }}>
 <Timeline bulletSize={24} lineWidth={2}>
 <Timeline.Item title="December 2020">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">My first split keyboard. You can order and find more info at [zsa.io](https://zsa.io)</Text>
 ![ZSA Moonlander MK1](/assets/photos/moonlander_1.jpg)
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="March 2021">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">My first DIY split keyboard. I've made a lot of mistakes while soldering this first board, but I've learned a lot about this model in specific. More info at [gh/foostan/crkbd](https://github.com/foostan/crkbd)</Text>
 ![Corne with Moonlander keycaps](/assets/photos/corne_3.jpg)
 ![Corne with Drop MT3 Susuwatari keycaps](/assets/photos/corne_1.jpg)
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="June 2021">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">Ordered 5 Corne v3 PCBs from JLCPCB and built two of them properly. Got a 3D printed case with tenting and light effects on the bottom.</Text>
 ![Two Corne v3 with Drop MT3 White on Black and Susuwatari keycaps](/assets/photos/two_corne_v3.jpg)
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="September 2021">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">Built a Boardsource Corne lowprofile. Used nice!nano to make it a BLE keyboard.</Text>
 ![Corne BLE low profile using MBK blank keycaps](/assets/photos/corne_lopro_ble.jpg)
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="February 2022">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">Ordered some Gravity Keycaps directly from [dailycraft.jp](https://shop.dailycraft.jp)</Text>
 ![Corne BLE low profile using Gravity Keycaps](/assets/photos/corne_lopro_gravity.jpg)
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="March 2022">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">Got a Corne-ish Zen through a reddit sale. The smallest keyboard I've ever had. This is my current daily driver when working from home or travelling.</Text>
 ![Corne-ish with Gravity Keycaps](/assets/photos/corne_ish_zen.jpg)
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="April 2022">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">Built a Kyria. Was really curious about the tenting possibilities, more aggressive staggering and having rotary encoders. I only use this build at the office.</Text>
 ![Kyria Low Profile with MBK Blanks](/assets/photos/kyria.jpg)
 ![Kyria at Netflix table](/assets/photos/nflx-table-1.jpeg)
 </Timeline.Item>
 </Timeline>
</Box>

Timeline with pictures of my split keyboard journey

Split Keyboards Timeline


Amsterdam is a wonderful city and extremely diverse.

I moved here in 2018 after getting a job at Travix, which relocated me from Vila Velha all the way to Amsterdam.

Before that, I had never been in The Netherlands. I moved all the way to a totally unknown country ~10.000km away from my home country without knowing anyone.

As years went by, I managed to make friends, meet my girlfriend, buy an appartment, and settle for good in Amsterdam.

Over the years also I've met many people in a similar situation as I had, or friends coming over to get to know the place. Sometimes they've been here before and know around.

But as it's an ever-changing city. New things pop up, old places close, streets get rebuilt, and so on. 

So I'm always getting to know new places and recommending it to people who are new here. After doing it **so many times**, I made a compilation of the best places I know and the ones I usually like to go.

It ended up being handy to many people, so I decided to make it a post so it can be broadly shared. Hope you enjoy!

## Bars 

- Biertuin _(not only amazing beers but also amazing food. full and half chickens, amazing chicken burger)_
- Craft & Draft
- Arendsnest
- Beer Temple
- Mikkeler
- Walhalla Brewery
- Brouwerij 't Ij _(in a molen!)_

## Cocktails

- Tales and Spirits
- Hiding in Plain sight
- Rosalia's Menagerie

## Clubs

- Bitterzoet
- The School

## Coffeeshops

- Boerejongens
- Barney Lounge
- New Times 
- Prix D'Ami _(my first coffeeshop, very much club vibes, haven't been there in a long time)_
- Tyson 2.0 _(yes, it is Mike Tyson's coffeeshop)_

## Games

- Poolbar
- Tonton Club
- Gamestate

## Skateboarding

- Skatepark NOORD
- Oosterpark Skatepark
- Skate Cafe

## Weed-friendly places

Mostly bars/venues where you can have a beer and smoke a joint without being asked not to.

They might be quite underground.

- Hill Street Blues
- Soundgarden
- BR020 
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Cafe The Minds
- Vrankrijk

## Unusual places

- Mezrab _(story telling place)_
- OT301 _(many different events)_
- LAB111 _(restaurant, vintage cinema, cool vibes)_
- Studio K _(restaurant, community-driven cinema)_

## Restaurants

### South African food

- The Lion's Head

### British food

- The Old Bell

### Indian food

- The Golden Temple

### Vegan food

- Vegan Junk Food Bar
- Dear Mama

### Chinese food

- ~~Panda's Kitchen~~ _(unfortunately closed during the pandemic)_

### Japanese food

- MOJO Japanese Kitchen

### Dutch food

- Cafe Hesp
- Moeders
- De Groene Olifant

### Middle-eastern food

- D&A Hummus

### Kebab / Doner

- LAVINA
- Donerland

### Variety

- Foodhallen
- Albert Cuypmarket

### Pizza

- Loulou

### Korean food

- Gangnam Chicken _(nice fried chicken and mushrooms)_
- FACTORY GIRL
- SEOUL SISTA (korean barbecue)
- Miss Korea (korean barbecue)

### Sandwiches

- JOE & THE JUICE

### Burgers

- Lombardo's
- Cafe Oslo
- Thrill Grill
- Restaurant Zest 
- The Butcher

### Sea food

- Mossel & Gin
- Mr Crab Restaurant
- Volendammer Vishandel J.C.M. Koning
- PESCA

### Thai food

- O-CHA

### Brazilian food

- LOVA
- Casa Nossa 
- Brazuca
- Samba Kitchen
- Tapi 'n Bowls
- Brazuca Rodizio _(not Amsterdam, actually in Hoofddorp)_

### Portuguese food

- Portugalia Tasca

### Mexican food

- Salsa Shop _(fastfood tho)_

### Brunch

- Locals Coffee
- Benji's
- Gs
- Staring at Jacob
- Bali Brunch

### Meat 

- Salmuera _(very busy, reserve in advance. make sure to try the Yuca Frita)_
- Cafe de Klos _(first come first serve, no reservations. the spare ribs are amazing)_
- Cannibale Royale _(often open until late, so might be your last resort for dinners after 9:30pm)_
- Mi Sueno
- Loetje

### Ramen

- Vatten Ramen
- Sapporo Sora Ramen
- Takumi Ramen
 


At the moment of this writing, I've been living in Amsterdam for almost 5 years.

Nice places in Amsterdam

I've always been very into guitars since I started playing at the age at 11, but during my early adult years I was way too busy working into building a career in software and building my life. Since 2022, I've decided to step up and get to play more often again and try different modern guitars and tones _(because now I can)_.

That said, I've been the happy owner of a few guitars for the past year. 

Very recently, my girlfriend got me a Valravn Munnin 8 for my birthday, which is an amazing headless extended range guitar made by Valravn, a small guitar boutique shop based in Ukraine :flag-ua:

The fact that she is also Ukrainian makes it even better: now I live with 6 Ukrainian cats, 2 Ukrainian ladies and also have 1 Ukrainian guitar, which looks, sounds and feels great :smile:

If you never heard of Valravn before, I absolutely recommend you take a look on their [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/valravnguitars/) and [Reverb page]() _(Tip: ping the account directly on Instagram in case you want to buy one of their guitars without the Reverb fee)_

I ended up getting this beauty:

<InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq3OlOoIEcZ/"
/>

Let's talk a bit more about it

## How does it sound

Here is a quick riff that I did these days with it:

<InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/p/CsbMS3UqxEo/"
/>

## The nice things

This guitar is phenomenal for many reasons, but these are the ones that stand out for me:

- **Neck profile:** The neck profile is a very thin C neck profile, and I like that
- **Head stock:** The head stock has a very nice design, which is actually a small touch that I love a lot
- **Inlay:** It has blue luminlay side dots, which helps me a lot with this neck finish
- **Pickups:** Fishman Fluence Tosin Abasi pickups are insanely good for 8 strings. Voice 3 gives a lot of clarity for the 8th and 7th string when clean or with overdrive. Voice 1 and 2 are agressive and good for metal tones.
- **Weight:** It is very light for an 8 string guitar.
- **Action:** The string action came low as I like, super well setup instrument. String tension feels good as well.
 - 8th and 1st strings are 1.25mm, in between all at 1.50mm
 - I liked this action so much that I also changed my strandberg to have the same action. It was .25mm ~ .50mm higher than that.
- **Bridge:** This model came with Valravn's Bridge Rev 2. This bridge is the first fixed bridge I have on a headless guitar and so far I really like it. Tuning stability is pretty good and tuning it is easy.
- **Jack Input:** It has a jack with a locking/release mechanism so your cable never falls.
- **Electronics:** Back plate with magnetic lock so it is easy to change the pickups battery or access eletronics
- **Knobs:** I love the volume and tone knob positions as they don't hit my hands as much as Strandberg one's does

## What could be better

- **Inlay**: I think I have to charge these luminlays? Still didn't got them to work. Never had that problem with my Legator or Strandbergs.
- **Inlay:** Although the neck is a piece of art, the black inlay work on top of the nebula background has a bad contrast and I almost never can see the inlay
- **Jack Input Position:** The jack could be more well placed behind the guitar so it is more ergonomic _(Strandberg does this nicely. Aristides puts 2 jacks in different places, which is also nice here)_
- **Bridge:** I would love to see an 8 string from Valravn with a tremolo bridge. So far seems that only Aristides is leading in this space.

### Price

This is a quite expensive guitar.

I've got it new with Valravn through Reverb for 1,897.23 EUR, including shipping from Ukraine to the Netherlands.

It was shipped on March 27 and arrived on April 17. I probably got lucky with customs, as I only paid ~35 EUR for customs once it arrived in The Netherlands. Not sure what happened there.

## Comparing it with my Strandberg NX 7

Since Valravn is also a headless-only guitar boutique, it is a fair question to ask me how does it compares with the Strandberg.

I don't have an 8-string fixed-bridge strandberg, and with that I can only compare it to my Boden Prog NX 7, which certainly makes my review lack certain aspects that would differ in a 8 string strandberg such as the neck thickness (due to their Endurneck shape) or tuning stability (due to the tremolo bridge of the Prog 7).

But anyway, here is how my strandberg sounds:

<InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmokjKAN3RM/"
/>

Talking about differences: some things are obvious.

 - No endurneck, since this is patented and only available on Strandbergs

Some not so much, and you notice after a while:

 - The heel joint is not as smooth as the one in the new Strandberg NX models (but this doesn't mean it doesn't have a good handshake or access to the 24th fret)
 - The bridge is solid, but I miss the internal hex shape that allows you to use an allen key instead of the knobs.
 - Valravn comes with a brass nut. If that is better than what strandberg ships with, I dunno.
 - Strandbergs have a slot for battery. Valravn keeps it with the electronics, which has easy access due to the magnetic plate, but I'd rather have a specific slot (or even better, a USB-C rechargable battery)
 - The scale of the Valravn is much more bigger and aggressive.
 - Valravn uses a straplock with a pin safety mechanism, which is nice to keep the guitar protected but it does hurt my chest when playing seating with it. Strandberg just ships their brand's straplock that has an extra plastic piece to force the strap to lock, without needing this device. Two different designs.

In all honesty, none of these are actual problems, they're really just the differences that stnad out for me.

If you'd ask me if I'd sell my Valravn to buy an 8 string strandberg: I wouldn't. 

If you'd ask me if I'd sell my Strandberg Prog NX 7 to buy a Valravn 7: I wouldn't.

Both are amazing but they have their peculiarities. I'd recommend the reader to buy both, just like I did :smile: But if you have to choose just one, either will be amazing guitars and you'll love them.

## My current rig of guitars 

<InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Crc_ZzUoOdW/"
/>

From left to right:

- [Ibanez Artcore Tobacco Flat (AF55-TF 5B-04) 2020](https://www.thomann.de/intl/ibanez_af55_tf.htm)
- [Legator N7FP Iris Fade 2021](https://legatorguitars.com/products/2022-n7fp?variant=41301338194073)
- [Valravn Munnin 8 Nebula Finish 2023](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq3OlOoIEcZ/)
- [Strandberg Boden Prog NX 7 Charcoal Black 2021](https://strandbergguitars.com/eu/product/boden-prog-nx-7-charcoal-black/)
- [Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black 2022](https://strandbergguitars.com/eu/product/boden-prog-nx-6-charcoal-black/)

and a light comparison between it and my Strandberg Prog NX 7

My new Valravn Munnin 8

This is a timeline with all the guitar riffs I've played, recorded, published and found through the internet. Most of these videos are published on my Instagram. There are many more lost out there, dating back all the way to 2007, but I doubt I'll find those.

Nonetheless, these are the ones I know are still around in modern social media and I wanted to have all of them here in a single place. At some point I might ask Instagram to give me these videos so I can host them myself and not be subject to losing the audio _(like they did in many older ones I have)_.


<Box style={{ padding: "20px" }}>
 <Timeline bulletSize={24} lineWidth={2}>
 <Timeline.Item title="June 2023" align="left" active>
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 I've moved into a new home in June and got myself a new space to play that offers a bit more of privacy. These are the recordings I did in my new office.
 
 The first one is a Sleep Token cover, the other two are authoral.
 
 </Text>

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct7eHiaICMr/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtfXnkYoKsr/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CtRSfBToVNk/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="May 2023" align="left">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 My girlfriend bought me a new 8 string guitar from Valravn _(there is an article on this website about it)_. This was the first recording I did with it. 
 
 </Text>

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CsbMS3UqxEo/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="March 2023" align="left">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 March was crazy. I wanted to make sure I had one recording in each one of my guitars, and so I did it.
 
 Enjoy!
 
 </Text>

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CqNVaO1DHPO/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 
 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cpc0VNoDXpr/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cpct1UFjcK4/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CpU3W6aD7yq/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="December 2022" align="left">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 First riff I've ever recorded using my Strandberg NX 7.
 
 Used Archetype Rabea for the tones and Ableton Live to assemble everything together.
 
 </Text>

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmokjKAN3RM/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="October 2018 ~ November 2022">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 I was moving from Brazil to The Netherlands for my very first job abroad, so playing guitar at that moment became less of a priority.
 

 During that period, I did got a few instruments.

 

 The first one was an used Ukulele in mint condition for 50 EUR during my first month in Amsterdam, February 2018. This Ukulele now belongs to the daughter of one my dear friends here in The Netherlands. It provided me with moments of joy and peace during my first very lonely winter, and I hope it keeps doing so.

 

 The second was an used acoustic guitar for 30 EUR I got in May 2018. This guitar stayed with me for a long time, but now it's with my friend Aline, as she was learning how to play guitar and that could help her out.

 

 The third was a giveaway Squier that my friend Sebastian gave me, together with a Fender 15W Combo Amp. They all stayed with me for quite some time, but now this guitar is with my friend Richard, and the Combo Amp is now with my other friend Daniel. 

 

 The fourth was my Ibanez Art Core that I bought in 2020. It was COVID, and with the lockdown, I thought I deserved to get a nice guitar for myself. This one stays with me to this day.

 

 All other guitars came from 2021 onwards, and you can see them in the videos above.

 
 </Text>
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="September 2017">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 A cute video recorded by my friend Leticia Nobrega while we were smoking weed at home back then. This is one of my most sentimental songs. It was painful to write but I still love the way it sounds to this day.
 
 The guitar being used here was a brazilian acoustic guitar from a brand called Hofma. My friend Ricardo bought it for me as a way to pay for a computer I was selling back to him. This guitar is nowadays living with my father.
 
 </Text>

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/BZWmEV2D7xY/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="February 2017">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 Quick clean melody I did on this Les Paul from SX that my father got out of nowhere. This guitar was good. Still lives with my father, as far as I know.
 
 </Text>

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/BQXw4sqBro8/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="November 2016">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 Een nog oude video of me improvising in my mom's house when visiting. My father has this amazing Fender Malibu acoustic that is small but mighty. I absolutely loved playing this guitar, a lot. Seems it now roams through Portugal with a Brazilian lady my father borrowed it for and never got back. 
 
 </Text>

 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/BM4v5fjhFGx/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>

 <Timeline.Item title="April 2016">
 <Text color="dimmed" size="sm">
 Old video of me playing Bring me the Horizon on a 6 string Yamaha I've got back then. Still using the first combo amp my father bought for me when I was 11 in this video. I didn't knew how to properly do pinch harmonics, so relied on artificial harmonics for that without even knowing it lol.
 
 This guitar stayed with me up until 2018 and now lives with a good friend of mine in Brazil.
 
 </Text>
 <InstagramEmbed
 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/BEPdzp0yIAy/"
 justifyContent="start"
 />
 </Timeline.Item>
 </Timeline>
</Box>

Some guitar riffs made and played by me, because yes.

Guitar Riff Gallery


In this article I'll be listing everything I use for music production, for sharing purposes and so I don't forget about them as well.

I'll be adding a sparkles (:sparkles:) to my favorite ones. Some are free, but the biggest majority of this plugins is paid. Yes I do hold their licenses. I've got lucky with many of them and got them during promotions/sales/bundles from the brands and shoppings selling licenses. Some of these are 200 USD plugins that I got for free and don't even remember how lol

Anyway, enjoy!

#### Sound Interface
- Focusrite Scarlett 2i2: https://focusrite.com/products/scarlett-2i2

#### Monitors
- 2x KRK Rokit 5 G4: https://www.krkmusic.com/Studio-Monitors/ROKIT-5-G4

#### DAW
- :sparkles: Ableton Live 11 Suite: https://www.ableton.com/en/live/
- Spotify Soundtrap: https://www.soundtrap.com/musicmakers

#### Guitar Amp Simulators
- :sparkles: NeuralDSP Omega Granophyre: https://neuraldsp.com/plugins/omega-ampworks-granophyre
- :sparkles: NeuralDSP Archetype Rabea: https://neuraldsp.com/plugins/archetype-rabea
- NeuralDSP Archetype Tim Henson: https://neuraldsp.com/plugins/archetype-tim-henson
- NeuralDSP Archetype Petrucci: https://neuraldsp.com/plugins/archetype-petrucci
- :sparkles: Softube Amp Room Metal Suite: https://www.softube.com/amp-room-metal-suite
  - _This one is specially good for 8 string guitars or low tuned guitars_

#### Bass Amp Simulators
- :sparkles: NeuralDSP Parallax: https://neuraldsp.com/plugins/parallax
- NeuralDSP Darkglass Ultra: https://neuraldsp.com/plugins/darkglass-ultra

#### Pitch Shifters
- Aegean Music Pitchproof: https://aegeanmusic.com/pitchproof-specs
  - _It is ok, but I often prefer to use the transpose feature in NeuralDSP plugins_

#### Drums
- :sparkles: Steven Slate Drums 5: https://stevenslatedrums.com/ssd5/

#### Synths
- :sparkles: Native Instruments Massive: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/synths/massive/
- Native Instruments Kontakt 7 Playbox: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/synths/playbox/

#### Delay
- :sparkles: Native Instruments Replica XT: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/effects/replika-xt/ 

#### Modulation
- Moog MF108S Cluster Flux: https://www.pluginboutique.com/products/10249-Moogerfooger-MF-108S-Cluster-Flux

#### Drum Buss
- Soundevice Digital UrbanPuncher: https://unitedplugins.com/UrbanPuncher/

#### Soothing Pianos
- :sparkles: Clark Audio Lofi Panda: https://clarkaudio.com/

#### Choir/Vocals/Orchestra/Brass
- :sparkles: Spitfire LABS: https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/
- Native Instruments Kontakt 7 Duets: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/play-series/duets/

#### Automation Easers
- :sparkles: Baby Audio Transit: https://babyaud.io/transit
- Excite Audio Motion Harmonic: https://www.excite-audio.com/motionharmonic

#### Randomizers
- Futurephonic Rhythmizer 2: https://www.futurephonic.co.uk/products/rhythmizer-2



A non-exhaustive list of the most important plugins and gear I like to use when making music

armand1m.dev

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