Dave Chick

The Yamaha P-115B is a great choice to consider in the ever popular sub-$1,000 digital piano market. It has all the essential features, very good sound and comes in a convenient footprint for those looking to acquire a piano, but not the size and inconvenience.

Gigging musicians that use iPads as their notation display rather than traditional paper-based music, consistently come across the problem of turning pages or scrolling while both hands are occupied. iRig BlueTurn is a simple Bluetooth solution to the problem – two soft illuminated footswitches to be operated by your feet.

IK Multimedia has always been able to come out with products for the mobile musician and audio engineer. The iLoud Micro Monitor joins a line of loudspeakers that further support that market. The speakers are incredibly small, but boast a feature set that is usually found in larger, more expensive studio monitors.

You can always count on Roland to announce products at NAMM that garner a second look. They’ve created quite a little buzz around a couple of new offerings that Best Buy is planning on carrying: The FP-30 Digital Piano and the Roland Boutique Series are going to have people talking for a while.

The M-Audio BX5 and the Yamaha HS5 studio monitors boast similar studio-level features and specs. They both pack a nice size : punch ratio. You can’t go wrong with either of these little guys. I took them both for a spin, put them head to head and jotted down my thoughts.

Yamaha has packed a lot into this instrument aimed at getting people to learn and enjoy playing music. If you or you have someone in your family who looks like they’re itching to let their inner muse out, then with the PSR E253, you’ve got a very cost effective start to realizing that dream.

There’s a lot to like and very few nits to pick with the Shure MOTIV line. Following up on my review of the MV88, I got to take the rest of the MOTIV line (MV5, MV51 and MVi) for a spin. These made-for-portable-recording devices are well designed, rugged and will get the job done… and get it done well.

The M-Audio Studiophile line attempts to straddles that edge between high-performing computer speakers and entry-level studio monitors. Their size is large when compared to desktop computer speakers, but small when compared to studio monitors. The AV 30’s features go beyond traditional computer speakers and approach those of studio monitors. These speakers have decent sound, can deliver a good punch and, in the end, are something to consider for even the most budget-conscious. If you’re looking for some good sound for your gaming, music or videos on your computer, then the AV 30’s are worth a listen.

Shure is a foundation brand in the microphone and pro-audio realm. Their foray into USB and now iOS compatible microphones was inevitable and they’ve come up with a new line that sets a very high standard. I’m going to be sad to see this microphone go back once this post is published. It’s a small little device, but surprises you with its features, capabilities and above all, sound quality.

Yamaha has evolved their near-field monitor line through the years—beginning with the “industry standard” NS10’s back in the 1980’s and arriving at the latest HS series today. The HS5’s are small, but they pack a lot of performance and value into their diminutive size. I had the chance to put them through their paces in my studio for a few days and found them to be a small dark horse that defied my expectations.