Dave Chick
I'm a film / TV composer based in Vancouver BC. Music has always been part of my life, but my first career was in the technology industry as a consultant and project manager. I helped to build and open the Experience Music Project – a rock and roll museum in Seattle. I hold a Bachelor of Music from the University of Western Ontario and a Master of Business Administration degree from McMaster University. I also hold a diploma in Audio Engineering from the University of Washington and I’m a graduate of Hummie Mann’s acclaimed Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program.
NAMM Day 1 Wrap Up
Even though I’ve been here before, NAMM is exciting, overwhelming, thrilling and exhausting. The first day was a hit-the-ground-running experience even though my brain and gear-geek self were asking my body and schedule to slow down. My francophone co-hort (Marc-Andre) and I caught up on each others’ past year, took a spin through the exhibit floor, saw a lot of new and familiar faces and, most importantly, took lots of photos, videos and notes on lots of interesting things!
New Boss Pedals
Boss pedals and electric guitars go together like vanilla ice cream and hot apple pie … well, at least it seems that way to me. Boss has released one new bass pedal and three interesting takes on classic guitar pedals they’re naming “Waza Craft” editions.
Casio Resurrects the CZ-101
I’m going to be showing my age here, but I was in high school when the CZ-101 was introduced in hardware form. It was one of those little synths that you could easily pass off as a toy, but packed a lot of punch and eventually proved to be one of the iconic “retro” synths that are in demand decades later.
Roland HS-5 Session Mixer
The Roland booth was packed (as usual) and had lots of toys to talk about. The one thing I saw that seemed to be always used and sampled was the HS-5. It’s a session mixer where all of the band members can just bring their instruments, plug in and jam with headphones.
Digital pianos have come along way toward modeling the Real Thing
A decade ago, I probably wouldn’t have recommended digital pianos to anyone looking to purchase one for learning the instrument. These days, given the advances in technology and relative prices, I’d say they’re something that one needs to seriously consider. They’re a great option for the modern family who want to start learning and enjoying the instrument.
Fender Fun at NAMM
We dropped by the Fender booth to visit some familiar faces, listen to some guitars and amps and learn about some new products and promotions they’re planning for the coming year.
Casio XW-PDI at NAMM 2015
Of all the products that Casio has announced this year, I’ve seen much-a-buzz about the new “Millennium Falcon” controller – aka the XW-PD1. And with good reason! There is a lot packed into this little package.
NAMM Show Jitters
I’m excited and grateful to Best Buy and Casio for asking me to cover NAMM for the second time! I’ve been keeping tabs on all the rumours and sneak-peaks that have been popping up and it looks as though there are going to be a lot of interesting things to see and experience this year. Stick around for the ride – it looks like it’ll be fun!
Fender DG-60 Dreadnought Acoustic Guitar Review
The Fender DG-60 dreadnought acoustic guitar will soon be available at Best Buy. I’ll come out and say it—this is a great guitar for the price. If asked to recommend something for a beginner or as a small-gig instrument, I’d put the DG-60 on the list for sure. It has a nice look and feel coupled with great playability and a brighter tone that fills the room.
Pioneer X-CM32BT Micro System Review
The Pioneer X-CM32BT Micro System is a relatively compact little unit that can be deceiving. If asked to describe where it lands in the crowded arena of audio playback systems, I’d have to say it lies somewhere between massive amplifier/receiver systems and compact all-in-one mobile device docking stations. It reminded me of hi-fi systems of a couple of decades ago, but in a much smaller package. The system will play many audio formats and media. Radio, CD’s and digital audio files (MP3/WMA) are all supported.
