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


## Moqueca Baiana or Capixaba?

I was born in Sao Mateus, ES. There we make "Moqueca Capixaba", which has a slightly different ingredient list from the Moqueca Baiana, such as not having coconut milk or dende oil.

Some people would say that the main difference from the Moqueca Capixaba to the Baiana, is that the capixaba is lighter, and has less spicies; it is a bit more soup-like. The Moqueca Baiana is thicker due to the coconut milk mixed with dende oil, as well as a heavier seasoning.

However, I happen to be grandson of a "mulher baiana" (a woman born and raised in Bahia), and I love the taste of coconut oil with dende. So I decided to make my own version mixing what I love from the two recipes. 

Since I live in The Netherlands, this recipe is also tailored to using products that you can find in Albert Heijn. However, you still may need some brazilian products (such as dende oil and manioc flour). For that, I'll leave some links where to order it from.

There is also the "Moqueca de Bacalhau" which takes the Cod fish _(Kabeljauw, in Dutch)_ slices and cooks them in the Moqueca sauce. Since it is easier to find Cod fish in The Netherlands, I decided to use this fish for this.

### Time

It should take you around 30~45 minutes in total to cook this meal.
Most of the time goes into the preparation. The cooking takes roughly 20 minutes.

### Ingredients

 - 1kg of kabeljauw filet
 - 4 limes
 - 2 red bellpepper
 - 1 yellow bellpepper
 - 2 onions
 - 4 tomatoes
 - 1 chilli pepper
 - 1 carolina reaper/habanero pepper _(optional)_
 - 2 garlic clove 
 - 500ml of coconut milk
 - 125ml of dende oil
 - "cheiro verde":
   - 1 bosui 
   - 1 peterselie
 - salt
 - black pepper

### Steps

#### Marinating the fish
 - Press 4 limes to get their juice into a bucket, add some salt; this is your marinade.
 - Wash the kabeljauw filet
 - Cut the kabeljauw filets into 7.5cm blocks
 - Put them into the marinade.
 - Leave it marinating in the fridge while you prepare the other ingredients

#### Preparing the vegetables

 - Cut the onions in small 3cm blocks
 - Keep the onions into their own bowl.

 - Clean the bellpepper: remove the seeds and the white parts inside, wash the bellpepper as you do it.
 - Cut both yellow and red bellpepers in small 3cm blocks.
 - Keep the bellpeppers into their own bowl.

 - Cut the garlic cloves into small pieces _(you can use a garlic press as well.)_
 - Clean the chillipepper: same as the bellpeppers
 - Cut the chillipepper into small pieces.
 - Do the same with the carolina/habanero.
 - Keep the garlic and the peppers into their own bowl.

 - Cut the bosui into small rings
 - Cut the peterselie leaves (not the branches)
 - Keep them into their own bowl and mix. This is our "cheiro verde".

 - Cut the tomatoes into rectangular wedges. Each tomato usually gives 4 wedges.
 - Keep them into their own bowl for later.

#### Preparing the dende coconut milk

 - In a mixer, add the 500ml of coconut milk, the 125ml of dende oil, and a tablespoon of salt.
 - Mix it until they emulsify.

#### Start cooking

 - Turn on the fire on medium setting.
 - Get a very big pan.
 - Add some olive oil to heat up.
 - Throw the onions in and add some salt. Mix them for ~1 minute, or until they get soften and golden.
 - Throw the bellpeppers. Mix them for ~2 minutes, or until they get soften.
 - Throw the garlic and peppers for aroma and taste. Mix them for ~2 minutes, or until the garlic gets well mixed and softened.
 - Throw the dende coconut milk in. 
 - Using a pinch: start adding the kabeljauw blocks inside the dende coconut milk. Make sure they're at least partially covered. Feel free to add the lime marinade in as well.
 - Using a pinch: start adding the tomato wedges, with their skin facing up.
 - Close the pan and leave it cooking on low-medium fire for ~15 minutes.

#### Serve

 - Serve with some rice, farofa, batata palha, and/or fried cassava. Make sure to have a nice pepper sauce.
 - If you want a next level side: try making a "Pirao de Peixe".

Enjoy!

This is my version of a Moqueca recipe. But I like it so I want to make sure I don't lose it.

My moqueca recipe

Moqueca

I often come up with playlist ideas for many different situations in my life. Sometimes I share them with friends, sometimes I keep them to myself. I decided that _maybe_ it would be a good idea to write about them as well and just keep them indexed here.

I joke a little bit with the term `playlist engineer` _(also known as *dj*)_ and I try to play with what I believe would be the output of a playlist engineer.

My playlists are often made to be heard in a specific order, but I also try to make them enjoyable in shuffle mode. I also try to make them with a specific mood in mind, so I often write a little bit about the mood I was in when I made them _(or at least what I was looking for while making them)_.

Anyways, here they are:

## For Work

I made `focus mayhem` over the past years as my go to playlist for working. My working day couldn't get started without this playlist and a cup of coffee, no matter if it was in the office or at home. I'll probably use this one forever.

<SpotifyEmbed uri="playlist:5N9IuI6m3QLt5qOUs07qmd"/>

## Modern Metal

I'm a metal head and I like many different styles of metal. I made `modern metal` when I started digging into the likes of Sleep Token, Loathe, Spiritbox, Knocked Loose, and other newer bands that felt interesting or innovative in the metal space, to me. I update this one often with new releases and I try to keep it fresh.

You may see bands there that aren't super new like Bring me the Horizon, but that is because I believe they are still innovating and pushing the boundaries of the genre.

<SpotifyEmbed uri="playlist:2qVBcKQDYSgEdjw5UjP1re"/>

## Casual Moments

I had a weird moment between 2016 and 2018 where I was listening to a lot of indie pop and indie rock. I made `casual moments` to capture what I was listening back then. I still update it with new releases that I find interesting, but I don't listen to it as much as I used to.

<SpotifyEmbed uri="playlist:3TwMTM7EXaFo0fssruXmkf"/>

## Guitar Wisdom

As I am a guitarist myself, I like challenging riffs that sound nice and make me think about how they were made. I made `guitar wisdom` to capture some of the riffs that I find interesting and that I believe are worth studying, while still pleasant to hear cycling or during exercises. I update this one often with new releases and I try to keep it fresh.

<SpotifyEmbed uri="playlist:3P03Q4SFduOT4iaSBAMm4s"/>

Spotify playlists curated by me

Playlists


This is my backup from https://www.recipetineats.com/wprm_print/really-great-waffles. I really like this recipe.

## Really great waffles

This is a no-fuss waffle batter recipe that makes really great waffles that are delightfully crispy on the outside and delicately soft on the inside. Make them right now, or make the batter the night before for waffles with even softer insides _(see Note 1!)_

You need a waffle maker. _(see Note 2 for my thoughts on economical vs premium.)_

### Ingredients

#### Topping options:

 - Butter, softened.
 - :sparkling: Maple syrup (strongly recommended!), or honey
 - Icing sugar / powdered sugar,  for dusting
 - Strawberries, other fruit, whipped cream, melted chocolate, jams, fruit compotes, creme fraiche, strawberry sauce, blueberry or other sauce, ice cream, etc.

#### Waffle batter:
- 2 1/4 cup flour _(plain / all purpose)_
- 2 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt 
- 4 tsp baking powder _(if yours is old, check it's still good)_
- 1 1/3 cup oatmilk, slightly warmed _(not piping hot)_
- 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- 150g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled _(not piping hot)_

### Instructions

#### Whisk dry

 - Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
 - Whisk to mix.

#### Whisk in wet
 
 - Add milk, eggs and vanilla. Whisk to combine. 
 - Add melted butter then whisk until lump free.

The batter should be pourable but thick _(slightly thinner than pancakes)_.

#### Recommended Resting
 - Cover then refrigerate overnight, or for at least 2 hours. Softer insides, better flavour. Else, proceed immediately with cooking. _(see Note 1)_

#### Cooking

 - Preheat a waffle maker at 160 C. A non stick one will not need oil. _(plus there is butter in the batter)_
 - Cooking - Use a ladle to pour batter in to just cover the iron. _(Don't get greedy - it will leak out the sides!)_
 - Cook until golden and crisp - my good waffle maker makes it in 2.5 min, my small cheap one takes ~6 minutes. 

#### Serving

 - Put on a rack and keep warm in a preheated 80°C oven while you continue cooking!
 - Transfer onto plates and serve as you go, with desired toppings. 

### Notes

1. Resting - Waffle recipe is great made immediately. But batter resting for 2+ hours makes the flour absorb the liquid so the inside of the waffles is even softer and airier. And with overnight resting, the batter develops flavour so the waffle is tastier (like overnight bread and pizza doughs). In any case, making the batter the evening before is super handy - wake up to fresh waffles!

1. A better waffle iron will make better waffles that are thicker with a crispier, more evenly golden exterior and softer more moist insides. With this waffle batter, you will still have really great waffles made with an economical waffle iron (I have a Kmart one). But you'll make exceptional waffles with a quality one! (I also have the Breville Waffle Pro). I have two waffle makers because cooking is my job. :) But if it weren't, I'd be perfectly happy with just my Kmart one. Waffle maker setting - my Breville Waffle Pro has setting options. I use heat setting 3 of 5, "Classic" option (as opposed to Belgium, buttermilk, chocolate etc), with the colour dial set midway between Light and Dark. My Kmart waffle maker has no options. :)



This is *not* my recipe. I got it from another website. But I like it so I want to make sure I don't lose it.

The waffle recipe I use

Waffles


It is spring 2024 in The Netherlands and my hay fever just went insane.

As a result: I am avoiding leaving my house, almost like a quarantine, as antihistamines are not super effective with me. I am trying nasal sprays, eye reliefe medication, and the usual cetirizine.

With that, I decided to learn how to make some cocktails so that:

 - I can enjoy them at the safety of my pollen-free home
 - make my girlfriend (and mother in law) a happier drunk
 - save some money (it costs ~14 EUR for a cocktail in Amsterdam, a couple drinks and a few snacks with my partner and it is easily a 100 EUR bill)_
 - be a better host when I have friends over

But I'm very bad at keeping track of the things I learn, hence I have this blog. So this is my cocktail recipe menu.

## Beware

Most of these recipes are for single portions.

Sometimes, when making bigger portions for 3 or 4 people, you migth be tempted to just multiply the ingredients and shake it all together.

I've done that and it didn't turn out as good as making them individually. So, if you're making for a group, I'd recommend making them one by one.

However, that can be tedious. One thing I do, is to make the mix in a bigger shaker with some adjusted proportions:

 - If a drink has 10ml of sugar syrup, when making 4, try only 25ml. Sugar Syrup gets too sweet if you scale it linearly.
 - If you're making a bigger individual recipe _(I like long Paloma's)_, instead of making it 90ml of ethanol, make it 60ml instead. It will be less strong, but you can drink more of it.

## Recipes

### Spicy Michelada

Ingredients:

- Ice
- Salt 
- Grinded Chilli Pepper
- Tomato Juice
- Lime Juice
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Tabasco Hot Sauce
- Pilsner Beer _(used: Corona, Modelo Especial, Birra Moretti, etc)_

1. Make a salt & chilli rim in a highball glass using a lime wedge
1. Fill the glass with ice cubes
1. Fill half of it with tomato juice
1. 5ml (1 tsp) of Worcestershire Sauce
1. 30ml (1oz) of Lime Juice
1. Add tabasco to taste. I do 5~7 drops.
1. Stir well
1. Pop a Corona or Modelo Especial, mix it and enjoy!

### Margarita OG

This is the original margarita you're used to (or at least how I think it should be)

Ingredients:

- Ice
- Salt 
- Tequila _(used: Jose Cuervo Gold)_
- Lime Juice
- Cointreau
- Agave Syrup

1. Make a salt rim in a margarita cup or an old fashioned cup using a lime wedge
1. Fill a shaker with ice
1. 45ml (1.5oz) of Tequila
1. 22.5ml (0.75oz) of Lime Juice
1. 22.5ml (0.75oz) of Cointreau or Triple-Sec 
1. 10ml of Agave Syrup
1. Shake it well until the mixer get cold
1. Serve it on the rocks.

### Spicy Smoky Margarita

![Spicy Margarita](/assets/photos/spicymargarita.jpg)

This is my personal take on a Margarita, and I honestly prefer this one over the OG.

This is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

- Ice
- Salt 
- Grinded Chilli Pepper
- Tequila _(used: Jose Cuervo Gold)_
- Mezcal
- Lime Juice
- Cointreau
- Agave Syrup

1. Make a salt & chilli rim in an old fashioned cup using a lime wedge
1. Fill a shaker with ice
1. 30ml (1oz) of Mezcal
1. 15ml (0.5oz) of Tequila
1. 22.5ml (0.75oz) of Lime Juice
1. 22.5ml (0.75oz) of Cointreau or Triple-Sec 
1. 10ml of Agave Syrup
1. Shake it well until the mixer get cold
1. Serve it on the rocks.

### Spicy Paloma

![Paloma](/assets/photos/cocktails/paloma.jpg)

This is my take on a Paloma.

This is one of my favorites.

Ingredients:

- Ice
- Salt 
- Grinded Chilli Pepper
- Grapefruit Soda _(used: Fever-Tree Blood Orange Ginger Beer)_
- Tequila _(used: Jose Cuervo Gold)_
- Mezcal 
- Lime Juice
- Agave Syrup

1. Make a salt & chilli rim in an old fashioned cup using a lime wedge
1. Fill a shaker with ice
1. 60ml (2oz) of Grapefruit Soda 
1. 30ml (1oz) of Mezcal
1. 15ml (0.5oz) of Tequila
1. 15ml (0.5oz) of Lime Juice
1. 10ml of Agave Syrup
1. Shake it well until the mixer get cold _(beware, it might get gassy, so make some stops and burp the shaker)_
1. Serve it on the rocks

#### Long Version

1. Make a salt & chilli rim in an old fashioned cup using a lime wedge
1. Fill a shaker with ice
1. 120ml of Grapefruit Soda 
1. 40ml of Mezcal
1. 20ml of Tequila
1. 30ml of Lime Juice
1. 10ml of Agave Syrup
1. Shake it well until the mixer get cold _(beware, it might get gassy, so make some stops and burp the shaker)_
1. Serve it on the rocks


### Whisky Sour

![Whisky Sour](/assets/photos/cocktails/whiskysourog.jpg)

This is my take on a whisky sour. Often made with scotch, but I used 2 japanese blended whiskies and it was amazing as well.
I did it later using two low end whiskies and it didn't turn out as tasty as with those 2 japanese.. I might be more detailed in my recipes.

This is one of my favorites.

_(I don't like Angostura Bitters, so you might miss this in this recipe. Feel free to add if it is your thing.)_

Ingredients:

- Ice
- 2 different whiskies _(can be blended or scotch. haven't done with bourbons)_
- Egg White
- Lime Juice
- Maple Syrup _(Agave Syrup also works)_

1. Do not put ice in the shaker yet
1. 30ml (1oz) of Whisky 1
1. 30ml (1oz) of Whisky 2
1. 30ml (1oz) of Lime Juice
1. 10ml (0.5oz) of Maple Syrup _(I've been preferring Agave Syrup instead)_
1. 1 egg white _(30ml usually if using pasteurized bottled egg white. check your bottle)_
1. Do a dry shake with the ingredients.
1. Add the ice
1. Shake it well until the mixer get cold _(beware, it might get gassy due to egg white, so make some stops and burp the shaker)_
1. Serve it on the rocks in an old fashioned cup.

### Greyhound

Simple, easy, nice gin drink.

Ingredients:

- Ice
- Gin
- Grapefruit Soda _(used: Fever-Tree Blood Orange Ginger Beer)_

1. Fill a highball glass with ice.
1. 200ml (6.7oz) of Grapefruit Soda
1. 50ml (1.7oz) of Gin
1. Garnish with a lime wedge.
1. Stir it well and serve.

### Gin Basil Smash

![Gin Basil Smash](/assets/photos/cocktails/ginbasilsmash.jpg)

Credits go to u/qtac for posting this one in r/cocktails.

Tried at home and loved it.

Glass: Old fashioned

Ingredients:

 - Ice 
 - Gin
 - Egg White
 - Lime Juice
 - Simple Syrup (boiled water and sugar)
 - Basil

1. Do not put ice in the shaker yet
1. 15ml (0.5oz) of Lime Juice
1. Basil leaves and stems
1. Muddle the basil with the lime juice
1. 45ml (1.5oz) of **Gin**
1. 10ml (0.5oz) of Simple Syrup
1. 1 egg white _(30ml usually if using pasteurized bottled egg white. check your bottle)_
1. Do a dry shake with the ingredients.
1. Add the ice
1. Shake it well until the mixer get cold _(beware, it might get gassy due to egg white, so make some stops and burp the shaker)_
1. Serve it on the rocks in an old fashioned cup. Make sure to strain well.
1. Garnish with basil leaves for aroma

### French75 Blackcurrant

![French75 Blackcurrant](/assets/photos/cocktails/french75_blackcurrant.jpg)

Have been trying to get out of my comfort zone and tried some new stuff.
Learned this one at [Cocktail Club](https://cocktailclub.com/cocktails/french-75-tanqueray), and changed it slightly for practicity.

This one is quite sweet, easy to drink, but dangerous. It is very fresh and bubbly. The blackcurrant taste might not be for everybody.

**Tip:** If you don't like it _too_ sweet, I'd recommend to either increase the lemon juice or reduce the sugar syrup.

Glass: Martini

Ingredients:

 - Ice
 - Blackcurrant Gin _(used: Tanqueray Blackcurrant)_
 - Sparkling Wine
 - Lemon Juice
 - Sugar Syrup
 - Lemon Zest _(for garnish)_

1. Fill a shaker with ice
1. 45ml (1.5oz) of Blackcurrant Gin 
1. 30ml (1oz) of Lemon Juice
1. 10ml (0.5oz) of Sugar Syrup
1. Shake it well until the mixer get cold _(beware, it might get gassy, so make some stops and burp the shaker)_
1. Fill the martini glass with ice cubes
1. Strain and pour
1. Top up with sparkling wine.
1. Add the lemon zest garnish. The zesting of the lemon oils over the drink really adds that citrus zinginess to the French75.

### Bramble

![Bramble](/assets/photos/cocktails/bramble.jpg)

I also learned this one at [Cocktail Club], but changed it to lower the sweetness more to my tone.

This became one of my favorites. I ended up drinking it 3x the day I realized how much I liked it.

Glass: Old fashioned

Ingredients:

 - Crushed Ice
 - Gin
 - Lemon Juice
 - Sugar Syrup
 - Creme de Mure

1. Fill 1/2 of the glass with crushed ice 
1. 45ml (1.5oz) of Gin
1. 20ml (0.7oz) of Lemon Juice
1. 10ml (0.35oz) of Sugar Syrup
1. Stir in the glass
1. 15ml (0.5oz) of Creme de Mure _(or Cassis, works really well too)_
1. (optional) add a lemon wedge and some blackberries. _(I don't do it, but some people might enjoy.)_

### Caipirinha 

I'm Brazilian, so I had to have this one here.

I like more sour caipirinhas, so I use sugar syrup instead of plain sugar.

Glass: Old fashioned

Ingredients:

 - Crushed Ice
 - Cachaca _(51 is famous outside of Brazil, but is a really low-end one. It works tho, as it is harder to find good Cachaca abroad.)_
 - Lime Wedges
 - Sugar Syrup

1. Add 4 lime wedges to the glass
1. 15ml of Sugar syrup
1. Muddle the lime and sugar syrup
1. 45ml of Cachaca
1. Fill the glass with crushed ice
1. Stir well until some of the ice melts and the drink gets cold
1. Serve it with a straw

My own cocktail recipe book so I don't forget them as I continuously age

Cocktails I can make

Cocktails


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
- (2024 ~ Present) 2x Adam T5V: https://www.adam-audio.com/en/t-series/t5v/
- (2021 ~ 2023) 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_
- :sparkles: Bogren Digital MLC Sub Zero 100: https://bogrendigital.com/products/mlc-s_zero-100

## 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_
  - _Still I use hardware-based pitch shifters most of the time_

## 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

## Pedals
- :sparkles: Digitech Whammy DT
- Digitech Drop

## Guitars

- :sparkles: [Ibanez Artcore Tobacco Flat (AF55-TF 5B-04) 2020](https://www.thomann.de/intl/ibanez_af55_tf.htm)
- :sparkles: [Legator N7FP Iris Fade 2021](https://legatorguitars.com/products/2022-n7fp?variant=41301338194073)
- :sparkles: [Valravn Munnin 8 Nebula Finish 2023](https://www.instagram.com/p/Cq3OlOoIEcZ/)
- :sparkles: [Strandberg Boden Prog NX 7 Charcoal Black 2021](https://strandbergguitars.com/eu/product/boden-prog-nx-7-charcoal-black/)
- :sparkles: [Strandberg Boden Prog NX 6 Charcoal Black 2022](https://strandbergguitars.com/eu/product/boden-prog-nx-6-charcoal-black/)
- :sparkles: [Gretsch G5260 30" Baritone](https://www.thomann.de/nl/gretsch_g5260_emtc_jet_baritone_i_st.htm)
- [Subzero Rogue VI Baritone](https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/SubZero-Rogue-VI-Baritone-Electric-Guitar-Tobacco-Sunburst/5QYN)


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

Music Production Plugins and Gear

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
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 justifyContent="start"
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 <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>

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

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 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/BZWmEV2D7xY/"
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 </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>

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 url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/BQXw4sqBro8/"
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 <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>

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

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

Guitar Riff Gallery

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 :ukraine:

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 stand 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


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 / Breweries

- 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! *that is a windmill*)_
- Cafe Brecht _(German bar, often packed)_
- Vergulden Eenhoorn _(Dutch bar with a garden, amazing for sunny days)_
- Oedipus Brewery _(amazing burgers as well)_
- Lowlander Botanical Restaurant _(EXCELLENT, with plenty of food! including vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options)_
- FC Hyena _(very good for some swimming in sunny days as well)_
- Het Lagerhuys _(very centraal, in Rokin, often empty because it is easy to miss it. very nice selection of sour beers and they serve food.)_
- Cafe Hesp _(amazing location with a terrace for sunny days by the side of the Amstel river. lunch and dinner never disappoints. paulaner is the best beer they have)_
- Homeland Pension _(also a hotel, very nice view and vibes in de Marineterrein in Amsterdam, beers from their own brewery Homeland)_

## Cocktails

- CatuaBar
- Tales and Spirits
- Hiding in Plain sight
- Rosalia's Menagerie
- Sins of Sal
- Dutch Courage _(mostly jenever drinks)_

## Clubs

- Bitterzoet
- The School
- Skate Cafe

## Coffeeshops

- Boerejongens
- Barney Lounge
- New Times
- Tweede Kamer
- 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
- Blast Galaxy _(pay entry, play as much as you want. food and cocktails inside, pretty cool for a night out with friends)_

## 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
- The Black Dog
- Schuim
- Homeland Pension

## Unusual places

These places offer a different experience than what you usually find in Amsterdam. They are not for everybody, but if you are looking for something different, you might enjoy them.

- Mezrab _(story telling place)_
- OT301 _(squatted place, many different events)_
- OCCII _(squatted community with many different events)_
- Vondelbunker _(literally a squatted bunker under a bridge in Vondelpark, not for everybody, but you might find some weird free psytrance there)_
- Het Groene Veld _(squatted park and community on the outskirts of amsterdam noord, hosting all sorts of events and bands, very community driven)_
- LAB111 _(restaurant, vintage cinema, cool vibes)_
- Studio K _(restaurant, community-driven cinema)_

## Restaurants

### Vegetarian

- Lowlander Botanical Restaurants _(amazing vegetarian selection, some vegan as well)_

### 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
- nNea Pizza _(very fancy, hard to get a place)_

### Korean food

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

### Sandwiches

- Small World Catering _(THE BEST sandwiches ever)_
- JOE & THE JUICE
- Carrol's _(absolutely love their Kimchi sandwich)_

### Burgers

- Lombardo's
- Cafe Oslo
- Thrill Grill
- Restaurant Zest
- The Butcher
- Carrol's _(only after 5pm)_
- Oedipus Brewery

### Sea food

- Mossel & Gin
- Mr Crab Restaurant
- Volendammer Vishandel J.C.M. Koning
- PESCA
- The Seafood Bar _(a bit overpriced, if you ask me)_

### Thai food

- O-CHA

### Brazilian food

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

### Portuguese food

- Portugalia Tasca

### Mexican food

- Salsa Shop _(fastfood tho)_
- Los Pilones _(amazing tacos and micheladas, also very good mezcal)_
- Sins of Sal _(try the Nikkei Tacos first, then explore)_
- Mr Haz _(REALLY good tacos)_

### Brunch

- Locals Coffee
- Benji's
- Gs
- Staring at Jacob
- Bali Brunch
- Greenwoods Singel
- Dignita Hoftuin

### 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
- Cafe Hesp _(very nice Bavette)_
- Samba Kitchen _(brazilian meat rodizio, ~30 eur per person, cannot go wrong)_
- Sins of Sal

### Ramen

- Vatten Ramen
- Sapporo Sora Ramen
- Takumi Ramen
- Fou Fow Ramen


At the moment of this writing, I've been living in Amsterdam for almost 6 years.

Nice places in Amsterdam

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


...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...

Writing

External