TC-Helicon VoiceTone Harmony-G XT Vocal Effects Processor Review

TC-Helicon VoiceTone Harmony-G XT Vocal Effects Processor
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Much simpler to use than its big daddy, the VoiceLive2--but it's missing one crucial thing: the dedicated jack for the expression pedal to turn the harmonies on and off in live situations. If you use it sparingly, it's an instrument unto itself, and with the latching footswitch, you end up playing Riverdance on it. Also: in a band situation, it's very very sensitive to outside noise into your vocal mic. You need a completely polarizing hypercardioid, and you'll need to point the other amps away from it. In a crowded cavern-type gig? Forget it. It'll squeal on you.
Perfect for acoustic gigs where you don't run signal interference. Just a beautiful invention. Next time, TC Helicon, give us that expression pedal jack, and you'll have the best performance pedal in the business.

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VGA CAT 5e/6 Extender Kit Review

VGA CAT 5e/6 Extender Kit
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I saw another negative review on this product and bought it anyway. The customer stated they were getting severe shadowing, but since I was hooking it up to a powered vga duplicator I was sure I'd be able to get a good picture. I didn't. The product is junk. Not only that, but if I want to return it they want me to pay for shipping! I have to pay to return a product that is a piece of junk. What a scam!

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Behringer B2030A Active 2-Way Reference Studio Monitor (Set of 2) Review

Behringer  B2030A Active 2-Way Reference Studio Monitor (Set of 2)
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I purchased these with the assumption that I was not going to get the quality sound I wanted as opposed to KRK monitors (WAAAY overpriced) for my small studio. Boy was I wrong! The sound quality is better than expected to say the least. They're HEAVY, thus you won't be too worried about knocking them over (like the smaller KRK's or M-Audio Studiophiles I've seen). Took these over to a friends house for mixdown of video's he's been working on, and adjusted the settings for his video editing hardware and room dynamics. He then changed his mind after about some 5 hours of video editing. Not the best, but I'll be putting my money into what I can use rather than a name (KRK, JBL, Tannoy, Genlec are just TOO much. . .even for just one monitor). And it'se never about what you got, it's what you do with it.
There are going to be reviews bashing them, but when I have audio engineers telling me "good choice, cuz the KRK's are sometimes WAAY too bassy", I feel I've done my job and research into finding what I can afford.
Just a quick note. . .do give these "burn in" time. meaning give them some time to run before going all out on those mixes. Similar to tube preamps for guitar heads/cabs. . .burn em in slowly so you can get the full effect later. I haven't had these long enough, but I can say they are the best part of my studio.

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KRK K10S Powered Subwoofer - 10 Inch, 225 Watts Review

KRK K10S Powered Subwoofer - 10 Inch, 225 Watts
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I purchased this subwoofer as part of a 'system' (which includes 2 KRK RP8 speakers) for my Korg M3 Keyboard Workstation. I was using my old computer speakers until I got this setup. This subwoofer is impressive, however, I must say my days of having 'golden ears' is long gone. Too many years of exposure to loud sounds (concerts, guitars, motorcycles) and age (51) means I don't have the kind of ears that are particularly discriminating. However, the new keyboard needed a sound system that covered lots of frequencies, the bottom end in particular. I looked into a lot of 'studio monitor' systems, and decided that KRK offered the best options in terms of price/performance. I also must admit that I didn't audition any speakers by listening. It was purely a documentation type review. That said, I'm thrilled with what I've got. The subwoofer has a volume control (which needs to be barely cracked off zero to create a balanced sound with the RP8s), and a variable crossover frequency, to allow a good mix with the other monitors (again, this is something someone with good hearing could take advantage of, which I don't; I left the crossover at 130Hz, the top end). KRK offers a tool which is said to create optimized settings for any room, but I didn't see a need for that. You WILL need cables, though, 4 total, two from the mixer/keyboard, and two more from the subwoofer to the other monitors. The nice thing about KRK is that they provide a number of different options for those connections, at least the input to the subwoofer (only XLR or RCA on the output side of the subwoofer). The input to the subwoofer can be XLR, 1/4" (like a regular guitar/amp cord) or even standard RCA (stereo type) cables, those these latter are unbalanced (which essentially means that a long run may end up being noisy, since there is no shielding in this kind of cable). I used old guitar cables at first, while I waited for my the XLR cables which I ordered from Amazon to get here. I'd be lying if I told you that I could tell any difference between the types of cables, sonically. They are equally secure in terms of solidity of connection. Still, if you want the best possible performance, get XLRs.
I'm very happy with this unit. I've read that it puts out 150 watts, and other places say 225, and I'm too lazy to look up the details in the product documentation. Suffice to say, the power is ridiculous, and would, I believe, easily fill a small concert venue. In my office, a 10'x12' room with cathedral ceiling and hard floor, it's way overkill. In fact, with the 8" drivers of the main monitors (the RP8s), I may have been able to get away without the subwoofer. However, because of the synthesizer portion of the keyboard, I definitely wanted to take advantage of the low end it can produce. The K10S definitely fills that part of the sonic spectrum for me. KRK used to make a 12" subwoofer, with even more wattage, which is what I wanted originally, but the K10S is more than I need as it is,
You have the option to remove the grill, to expose the really cool yellow rimmed speaker cone, but probably not a good idea; the grill provides protection (but the RP8 monitors come without grills; they are an extra cost option). One other thing, if, like me, you like to keep things 'clean', the subwoofer doens not come with a cover. I had one made, to keep the dust off.
Overall, highly recommended.

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The KRK K10S powered subwoofer is designed to extend the low frequency portion so your mix can be properly engineered. The K10S cabinet has radically curved surfaces for a great look and amazing performance. The front-firing bass port and KRK's trademark yellow glass-aramid composite woofer ensure accurate and powerful low-end punch. A sturdy grill which is removable protects the woofer and adds to the sleek appearance of the unit. A high power amplifier and active crossovers provide smooth and accurate reproduction. To accommodate any studio environment, the K10s has RCA, 1/4 inch (balanced/unbalanced) or XLR inputs for all your input options.
KRK K10S Powered Subwoofer Features:
225 Watt (peak) powered subwoofer for studio use
SPL rating of 110db music and 113db peak
Frequency response of 34 Hz- 50Hz to 130Hz variable
10 inch high excursion glass aramid composite woofer
Variable and sweepable low pass filter
80Hz high pass filter
Radically curved front baffle design for amazing performance
Front firing port provides low frequency extension without boundary coupling
Bypass control using standard footswitch
A New Standard in Low Frequency Monitoring For years, KRK subwoofers have been the choice for accurate low frequency monitoring in studios large and small. Now, the K10s provides a new standard for even better performance and accuracy, raising the bar once again. Whether you are mixing in a 2.1 or 5.1 surround environment or just looking to upgrade the low-frequency extension of your existing monitors, the K10s will provide the low frequency detail and accuracy that will help you to create a better mix. Let's Be Up Front Take a look at competitive subwoofer monitors and you'll find ports on the back of the cabinet. These rear-firing ports tend to create bass coupling with walls and corners over-amplifying low frequency information which in turn colors your mix. The superior design of the KRK10s includes front-firing ports which are just the right shape to reduce port turbulence. You'll appreciate the clean and accurate bass performance this approach delivers, even at high SPLs. Feel the Bass You need to feel the bass and our proprietary signature yellow woofer delivers tight, clear low end response. Our engineers and listening panel took the K10s speaker voicing to even more accurate levels. Featuring a sweepable 50 Hz – 130 Hz low pass filter, your K10s provides flexible control for any monitoring system. What you hear is what you are intended to hear, coloration is not part of the spec. This performance is brought to you by drivers that are custom-designed by our world-class studio monitor engineering team, for a clear, low-distortion performance. Take Control Professional engineers like the ability to hear how the sub is affecting the mix. Your KRK subwoofer is equipped with a bypass feature which allows you to defeat the sub and provide full range audio to your recording monitors. To use the bypass function, you will need to use a standard latching 1/4 mono footswitch.

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Oscar Schmidt OS11021FHS Autoharp Review

Oscar Schmidt OS11021FHS Autoharp
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This autoharp is beautiful and a lot of fun to learn on. I did considerable research before purchasing. This model is top of the line and at an excellent price. So far, tuning it hasn't been too hard, either, as I feared it would be.

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Shure PG288/PG58 Dual Vocal Wireless System, H7 Review

Shure PG288/PG58 Dual Vocal Wireless System, H7
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I've had this set of mics for about one year now. I must disclose an amazing fact: there is absolutely no feedback no matter how close you stand to any of the speakers! I have 7 speakers around an area where I use this set of mics. I use them for Karaoke parties. Any one can have a mic standing right next to any of the 7 speakers and there is absolutely no feedback at all sound and mic levels. The Shure does know how to capture voice. This set of mic is very sensitive while not very draining on batteries. On another note, I did purchased a set of rechargable batteries from Amazon.com (You can serach my review to find it). I had generic brand, Panasonic, Sony, and few other types of mics before. None of them can come even close to the performance of this set of Shures! For the Amazon.com price, I highly recommend this product. I've been a very happy customer :)

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Traben Phoenix 4 - Blood Red 4-string Electric Bass Review

Traben Phoenix 4 - Blood Red 4-string Electric Bass
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So, looking for a lefty bass is always challenging. But when I saw the Traben Phoenix, I thought my prayers were answered - it was a case of immediate lust. However, my lust soon turned to disgust after I received my bass. It arrived looking beautiful, but I immediately discovered that the pot that controls the blending of each pickup was non-functional. Hanser Music, the distributor of Traben, would not allow me to have the bass looked at locally (there is no dealer within several hundred miles) and required me to send it back to them. It took over six weeks for them to repair the bass and get it back to me (requiring my purchase of a back up bass to continue my instruction) - and lo and behold when I finally got it back, there was a terrible hum when I plugged it in. Deciding to eat the cost, rather than have another interminable delay, I took it to a local repair shop where I discovered that the bass was not properly grounded. It cost me $40 to have it repaired. I will note that after a lot of back and forth with Hanser, they did reimburse me the $40. Unfortunately, the story does not end there - soon thereafter, the same pickup pot stopped working. I opened up the bass and discovered a very poorly soldered wire on the pot. I resoldered it myself and since them, the bass works properly.
While my Traben bass does look wonderful and sounds great, no one should have to worry about purchasing a new $600 instrument and having to deal with multiple problems necessitating the expenditure of much time and trouble. Traben manufactures the Phoenix in Korea and it appears that the quality control is very poor both in Korea and here in the US. While Hanser's customer service is very pleasant, it shouldn't have been that hard to check out the bass before both initial shipment to the dealer and before returning a defective product to the consumer. I would not recommend purchasing a Traben bass unless you have a local dealer who is prepared to stand behind the product.

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Fulltone CLYDE Deluxe Triple-Voiced Wah Effect Pedal Review

Fulltone CLYDE Deluxe Triple-Voiced Wah Effect Pedal
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The only good thing I can say about this pedal is that it has a true bypass; when not engaged, it does not alter your tone. However once engaged, it is the noisiest and most unfriendly pedal I have ever used.
There are two sources of noise. The first is a humming that occurs when attached to my SKB ps-45 pedalboard. This is a fully filtered and regulated power supply that is dead quiet with some Boss pedals that did not do well with adapters. I tried repositioning the Fulltone away from the board and any other electronics; the only way to get rid of this noise is to use the built in battery. Researching on the internet, I found this is not an uncommon problem, and apologists for this pedal are advising people that having to use a battery is a small price to pay for sonic bliss. (!?)
The other source of noise is high frequency hiss when engaged. When you depress the toe, the high frequency noise gets more pronounced. Depressing the toe is like progressively turning up the gain knob on your amp, but without getting any distortion, only noise. If you are playing vintage clean styles without any gain, it is noticeable and annoying, but might be passable for guys used to dealing with vintage gear and 60cylcle hum. Once you add any gain, the high frequency noise competes with the underlying tone for your attention. The noise is about as loud as the underlying notes, it is that bad!
I tried many things to troubleshoot: Repositioning the pedal, using another battery, adjusting the internal gain pot, using the ps-45 power supply directly to the battery terminal, other guitars, ground lift switch on amp, straight into the amp without any other pedals, etc. If internet searches did not show other people having various degrees of this problem, I would assume the pedal was defective, but I am led to believe that it just does not play well with other gear.
Here is the rub, if you go to Fulltone's website they claim that 90% of problems are caused by incorrect setup or _interference with other devices_. They have a reputation for poor customer service, (likely from guys like me who spent $250 on a top of the line pedal, only to be told that the problem is with something else in their chain. Warning: There is no phone# to call, all troubleshooting is through email.) This is a modern world full of complicated electronic devices, if you cant build a pedal that coexists peacefully in this environment, then don't built it! You may find that it works in _your_ basement, but imagine getting to your gig and finding out this is no longer a wah pedal but a distortion generator or AM antenna!
Regarding the tone, I have been demoing wah pedals and this one is uninspiring, or perhaps "too" vintage. The pedal travel is very broad, but the majority of tonal changes happen in a very small part of the sweep. You can find the area where the tonal changes occur, but it feels poorly designed. The three settings all provide varying degrees of increasing treble. (With the noise problems, the "shaft" setting is mostly unusable.) I wouldn't say that the three settings provide much variation in style or function, mostly just EQ. This pedal works best with rythmic rocking, and I did not find much ability to make subtle tonal "voice" changes for soloing, like I can with the Crybaby 535q. This is a vintage pedal all the way.
I have been playing guitar for 20 years so have a pretty extensive background in guitar gear, although I'm not a gear snob and feel that my expectations are realistic. I'm glad I had the time to fully take this pedal through its paces (troubleshooting, etc), because the store I bought it from has a 48 hour return policy. It goes back first thing tomorrow morning.



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Johnson MA-500 Deluxe Bouzouki Review

Johnson MA-500 Deluxe Bouzouki
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This bousouki from Johnson has a good sound but the built quality is a bit cheap for the price.
I was a bit disappointed by the instrument in relation to the price.
I would recommend the Trinity College Bouzouki instead, which costs a bit less and it is better in my very personal opinion.

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Fender Hot Rod Deville 212 Review

Fender Hot Rod Deville 212
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Ok lets agree together that fender has the most awesome clean sound on planet earth that all guitar amp manufacturers wish they have. And this Fender Deville 2x12 has it! however,the overdrive/distortion is really unuseable unless all you play for the rest of your life is twang rock and blues!
There are tons of musicians like me who play more than two styles of music, and on a weekly basis that really play gigs on the weekends and rehearse during the week. My complaint with this fender amp model is that,WHY PAY SO MUCH MONEY FOR THIS AMP AND USE ONLY ONE CHANNEL ,WHICH IS THE CLEAN CHANNEL. then ending up spending more money on 3 or 4 more solid state pedals to put infront of the clean channel and claim to have a great tube sound! uuh duh!
to prove my point, just google this amp concerning the modification on the overdrive/distortion channel and there's tons and tons on the web costing you and extra $400 more not including the shipping. If this was a one channel amp and the price is $400 street deal, then you will see 5 stars from me,cause its not made in the U.S.A.
there are other amps out there for $100 less "use" and some new! and both channels are useable and gig worthy out of the box without pedals. any used mesa boogie would do,peavey classic series,bogners,marshal DSL/TSL,egnaters,vOX ac30 etc... if buying a name brand is your thang cause you wanna be associated with the "club" your pathetic! The Fender frontman 65R has a much better overdrive/distortion at gig level and its not even a tube amp! aaaaaahhh!
TONE IS NOT A NAME BRAND IT BEGINS WITH YOU.....
FENDER CORPORATE! SHAME ON YOU!!! IF LEO FENDER WAS ALIVE TODAY MANY OF YOU WILL BE FIRED....
TO PROVE MY POINT FENDER HOT ROD DEVILLE 2X12 III IS JUST OUT AND IT HAD TO DO WITH THE DISTORTION CHANNEL! I GUESS FENDER POLICE WAS READING MY COMMENTS!

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NADY 401X-QUAD-LT/E4/F 4-CHANNEL Professional Vhf Wireless Hand-held Microphone System Review

NADY 401X-QUAD-LT/E4/F 4-CHANNEL Professional Vhf Wireless Hand-held Microphone System
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This is a decent low budget option, but the sound quality is lacking and we have had some problems with interference. If quality sound and no issues is what you're looking for, you may want to keep looking. On the plus side, it was great having multiple mics once we got around the interference issues.

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SKB Trap X1 Large Drum Hardware Case, with Internal Tray and Wheels Review

SKB Trap X1 Large Drum Hardware Case, with Internal Tray and Wheels
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In general this is a quality case, works well enough for my purposes. I have a 5 piece kit, and all of the drum hardware, plus my seat and stick bag fit inside. Don't even have to break down my hi hat stand, which is nice. The internal tray is handy for auxiliary percussion storage.
However, I've used it for a few weeks, about 5 gigs, and already the rubber bumpers on the bottom of the case have broken off. Not a huge deal, but for this kind of cash I'd expect them to last longer. Also, I've had to make a repair/replacement of one of the inside straps. The clasp is quite cheap (plastic), and broke the first time I used it. Replaced it with a metal one from my previous case, which has worked fine.

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Mackie Onyx 820i FireWire Recording Mixer Review

Mackie Onyx 820i FireWire Recording Mixer
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After an existing audio interface went bad, I ordered the Mackie Onyx 820i as a replacement (not from Amazon), setting out to love the thing. I did at first, but after noticing some limitations, I am exchanging it for a different setup. My biggest gripe is the low output to the DAW. At detent, the highest level captured in a waveform was -22dB. At full gain (firewire send is pre-fader, so gain is only option for adjusting level unless you route everything - and I do mean everything - through a preamp) I was capturing -16dB, regardless of instrument (this introduced a lot of noise when recording guitar). A follow up call to the vendor from which I purchased it revealed that other customers had noted the same characteristic. Some would argue that this is just fine when recording in 24-bit, but I'd prefer to make that adjustment on my own rather than having hardware make the decision for me. Gripe #2 - no control panel. The only setting you can adjust outside of the DAW software is buffer size.
Maybe this thing needs someone smarter than me at the wheel, but all the same, I'm going with a different interface.

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NS Design CR4 Viola Review

NS Design CR4 Viola
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NS Design CR4 Violin and CR4 Viola
I had been reluctant to buy such an expensive electric violin... in a world where for the same money one could get a stellar first rate premium signature edition electric guitar. Yes, the Electric Violin market is a smaller market, but still the hesitation over price seemed entirely reasonable. When the WAV 4 Chinese NS Design models came out at bargain prices, I jumped and bought one and was largely happy with it (see my Amazon Reviews of the WAV 4 and the Fender FV3 vs the NS Design WAV4).
I heard of people stringing violins for viola tuning (CGDA instead of GDAE) and was fascinated with the idea. I ordered a C string and strung it on the end of my FV3 and ran the other strings over a slot, leaving the E string off when I got to the end. I loved the viola tuning, but couldn't find a C string that sounded quite right with the other strings. Then it occurred to me that perhaps the best way to achieve viola tuning is with a real viola.
Now, if one thought that the market for Electric Violins was small, well, the market for Violas is even more constricted. I kept returning to the NS Design, and because the CR Series describes so well in their own promotional literature, and because the On Line Reviews were so favorable, I decided to order an NS Design CR4... after a few drinks, of course.
Amazon often resorts to The Electric Violin Shop for some of these items, and so I went directly to their site. I remembered that months ago I had inquired about ordering a Bridge Electric Violin from their store and was annoyed that my particular island out on the High Seas was not included on their address drop down list... making the order impossible to conduct as per usual. I complained in their Contact Us Box and then quickly forgot about getting the Bridge Violin anyway... the pretty colored ones were all sold out, leaving only the ugly colors available, and not at reduced pricing either... full price for the ugliest things you would ever not hope to see. Anyway, you wouldn't believe what happened! These wonderful people took my harsh suggestions to heart and fixed the addressing problem. When I went to order the NS Design CR4 Viola, there it was, my Island was on the drop down list... which was when I remembered how hard I had been on them (remember I had had a few drinks). Of course, with my order, I included a heart felt apology as well as expressions of my deepest gratitude for appreciating my business and preparing for it.
With orders of that price, the ordinary mails of the United States can not be trusted... it seems that the Ordinary Mail Service can hire thieves to work at much lower rates than honest men and women, and at the end of the day the Ordinary Postal Service doesn't need to worry about delivering quite so much as they would if their low wage employees didn't pick through it all at first. So The Electric Violin Shop uses premium shippers, adding almost $200 to the Order, but my CR4 arrived almost the same day, except that Thanksgiving Day intervened. The Sales Lady had included a nice little hand written note thanking me for my business and wishing me luck. I think I will be a return customer to that particular Electric Violin Shop.
I had read a CR4 Review before which spoke of an NS Design Violin arriving in tune. Well, so did mine. Plugged into my existing Electric Violin settings and sound systems, I was playing in a manner of minutes.
Oh, if you read my older Reviews, you will find that I have had problems supporting the heavier electric violins, that is, just holding them up in a position to play, and they tend to slip slide around a lot. Its all rather distracting and takes a great deal away from the Music. So I did take about 20 minutes to fashion a Violin Choker, patent pending (see my other reviews on the WAV and the Fender FV3), out of a key ring, and key ring clip, and some cotton cloths line rope and cotton string. I clip it through the NS Design Shoulder Rest bracket and it holds the Viola very closely under my chin. The Viola remains so steady, I don't even need to use the chin rest.
The volume knob on the CR4 works well... on some instruments the resistance of the volume potentiometer seems ill selected, as not much actual volume range is covered using the instruments volume knob, and one has to make all of the big volume changes at the amplifier and processor stages.
There are two tuner controls. The first should be labeled "BETTER" and the second one labeled "WORSE"... the first does away with that harsh electric sound, and the second one heaps more of it on. Anyway, the CR4 can probably be dialed in pretty close to whatever it is you are looking for, even before outputting to whatever processors and effects units are awaiting down-line.
Fit and finish is really superb. I knew that the NS Design CR4 had active electronics and so must have had a battery, but did not immediately see where the battery access panel was, or even how to get into the string bay, as I had done with the WAV 4. But eventually the little retainer bracket moveable tab attracted my attention, and when I moved the tab off to the side, the battery and string bay cover fell right off. You know, the entire back panel and battery string cover had fit so well together, I had thought it had been one entire piece. I had actually been set to take a screwdriver to the whole thing.
The wood, body and finger board are excellent and attractive. You know, I confess to using olive oil on my fingers to speed up my fingering and make modulating the strings easier, and this is the first time ever that a new violin has not turned my finger inky black. That means that after their last staining of the fingerboard they had actually taken the time to do a fine sandpapering of the fingerboard... it was so nice and smooth. Usually I have to do that kind of fine detailing myself, but they had done it for me. Thank God, for a change.
Oh, and the strings seem fine. Usually one has to toss that the strings that come with these things, But NS Design used what sound like premium steel chrome wound strings.
I had complained of the WAV4 being stiff and inflexible... not giving much of a sense for player `feel', but the CR4, at least the Viola (I haven't played the CR4 Violin but imagine it is quite similar in all regards), seemed to have flexibility... that when using some strength and force in modulating the strings, the violin actually bends in a bit... a great perception of playability and control... a rewarding `feel' to the instrument. One has to wonder how they did it... apparently the CR4's are not the same thick blocks of wood that the WAV models are.
Now a word on Violas in general. I had heard it said that Violas, being larger, are therefore slower. Well, my Fender FV3 Violin measures from the nut to the bridge for a string length of 12 7/8 inches, while my Viola measures 14 1/4. That is not much of a difference... just ten percent. But it does seem to give me more Tonal Resolution, that is, it's easier to land on exactly the right note sweet spots, so to speak, even if one has to move a bit further to reach them. And when one rolls one's fingers to modulate notes, one can get in a much more vigorous wiggle without worrying so much about over-modulating. Anyway, after having played both Viola and Violin, and not to sound condescending, but the Viola seems more fit for men, while the violin seems better suited for the smaller hands of boys and girls.
Oh, and as far as trading the Violin's high E String for the Viola's low C String ( violins are tuned to GDAE while violas are tuned down to CGDA ), while occasionally the lilting and ethereal E string has its valued uses, particularly when clustered together with other violins in concert, still in most cases that really piercing high string is used only because it is there, and the results are shrill and often clash with the other instrumentation. Bands are often afraid of including an Electric Violin, and only because they fear those wildly high E Strings stabbing into their brains by way of the ears. The Viola, however, with that C String on the low end, can reach some real bassy lows, and one can still finger far enough down on the high end A string to suggest the musical mood and intensity of Going High without actually going so high as to be positively annoying. My feeling is that if Violas became better known, they would certainly become more popular, and would largely replace the violin everywhere but in concert venue.


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Boss Dr. Rhythm DR-880 Rhythm Machine Review

Boss Dr. Rhythm DR-880 Rhythm Machine
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Okay, so there's a bit of a learning curve with this drum machine. You have to go into it knowing that. Also, you'd be an absolute fool to not also invest in the DVD manual. The DVD walks you through every single nuance of the DR-880 and you can easily index any portion of the DVD to learn the specific skill you need to learn for what you're trying to accomplish.
That being said, this thing is untouchable! There is no reason why anyone can't achieve the precise sound they're looking for with this drum machine. You can make it sound as synthetic or authentic as you need it to, depending upon the style of music you're creating. The bass guitars can be made to sound like fingers are sliding on the strings. The drums can be made to sound like there's a real drummer in the room inadvertently brushing and tapping his (or her) sticks on the snare between actual strokes. For those in the know, these are called "ghost notes," and the DR-880's got 'em!
You can record in step mode or real time... or a combination of both to get the exact sound quality, timing precision, velocity, and little nuiances you're looking for.
For guitarists, there are pre-programmed grooves, or you can use the EZ Compose feature to quickly give your jam a sick backbone in like seconds. So while there is a learning curve for composers, this thing is also very much a plug-and-play unit for someone who just needs a quick rhythm section to jam with. And check this out: This thing even has built-in Roland effect pedals and amp simulations built right in! From metal to jazz, chorus, distortion, 60's, 70's, and whatever the hell you need! You're getting literally thousands of dollars worth of top of the line Roland pedals built-in to it.
I use mine every single day and simply cannot recommend it enough to... well, anyone who is serious about recording, jamming out, or composing a professional sounding piece of music with complete and total control of the situation. I strongly urge anyone who buys this drum machine to get the DVD as well. Frankly, you'd be an idiot not to.
If you want to know what kind of amp is best for the DR-880, I run mine through a Roland KC-350 120W Keyboard Mixing Amp, and it sounds absolutely brilliant!

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Randall RS412KHX Kirk Hammett Series 4x12 Cabinet Review

Randall RS412KHX Kirk Hammett Series 4x12  Cabinet
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This is a speaker cabinet that is built to last. It has amazing sound and comes equipped with good quality caster wheels. I drive the speaker cab with a Genz-Benz El Diablo 100 head and a Dr. Z Trianwreck attenuator to keep the beast under control. I really don't know of a way to beat it. I highly recommend RANDALL, USA Made and Amazon had this sent directly from the factory in Illinois.

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The Loar LM-520-VS Hand-Carved All Solid F Model Mandolin Review

The Loar LM-520-VS Hand-Carved All Solid F Model Mandolin
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I have to say that I'm absolutely amazed at the quality packed into this mandolin! The finish is beautiful, the tone is clear and it appears to be really well crafted. I am primarily a guitarist and so didn't want to sink a fortune in a mandolin, but also realize that quality instruments are difficult to find if your price range is too low. The Loar LM-520 appealed to me on the basis of being solid wood, hand-carved, and still under $500. There are fancier mandolins out there, but I have always been one to admire the beauty of simplicity. For the money, I do not believe you can beat this mandolin!

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