NODE 01 2025-09-22

Switch 2 Review: Just a Better Switch

Half a year ago, when I learned the exact launch date of the Switch 2, I gave my Switch OLED (which had been gathering dust for about two months) to a friend. My plan was to wait and see until the Switch 2’s pricing stabilized and market reviews became more reliable. Now that I’ve had the new Switch 2 for almost a week, bought several new games, and upgraded a few older ones, I think I can write a brief review from the perspective of an average player. If an upgrade or change is mentioned in this text without explicitly stating the comparison object, it is being compared to the Switch OLED in handheld mode.

September 22, 2025 · Zixiang Zhang
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NODE 02 2024-05-26

How I Choose and Use Audio Effect Plugins

I have learned a lot from several excellent producer mentors, and I’ve also exchanged ideas with many musicians about their favorite tools. I’ve found that top-tier producers rarely have cluttered toolboxes. Their approach is often praised under the philosophy of “less is more”, and the real reason behind this lies in their superb technical skills and deep familiarity with their tools.

May 26, 2024 · Zixiang Zhang
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NODE 03 2024-03-11

Dynamic EQ vs. Multiband Compression: Differences and Use Cases

This article aims to explore dynamic EQ and multiband compression. They are very similar yet not exactly the same, and both shine in different specific use cases. Dynamic EQs and Multiband Compressors share common operational traits, such as threshold settings, but their underlying technical principles and processing behaviors differ significantly: Characteristics of Multiband Compression: Band Splitting: A multiband compressor first divides the signal into several frequency bands (typically three or four). This is achieved by placing crossover filters at specific frequency points, allowing each band to be processed independently from the others. Independent Compression: Each band features its own dedicated compressor, complete with independent controls for threshold, ratio, attack, release, and makeup gain. When the signal intensity within a specific band exceeds its threshold, that band’s compressor engages, reducing the dynamic range of the signal based on its parameter settings. Output Recombination: The processed bands are then summed back together to form the final output signal.

March 11, 2024 · Zixiang Zhang
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NODE 04 2024-02-20

Some Thoughts on Music Creation

My equipment has been upgraded a few times, and I’ve purchased quite a few plugins, but they’ve mostly been sitting idle gathering dust. It happened to be a weekend break, giving me some free time to go back to my computer and make some music. Over the past few days, I opened up my long-dusted Ableton and started writing two small demos, although I haven’t finished them and feel like I just gave up halfway.

February 20, 2024 · Zixiang Zhang
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NODE 06 2026-03-23

Essays

March 23, 2026 · Zixiang Zhang
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