Dave Chick

The iLoud Studio Monitor Speaker is a small package that can pack a hefty little punch. It’s meant for listening to music like other wireless speakers, but it also has special features. If you’re a musician looking for a small keyboard amp or software-driven guitar amp, or if you need to check mixes on the go to make sure they’ll translate well to other systems, the iLoud has you covered.

I wouldn’t consider these headphones to have a flat frequency response, but they’re a lot closer to being that than a pair of Beats.  These headphones are tuned to enjoy listening to music. I wouldn’t use them to mix or critically listen to audio, but I did like what I heard from the AH-D600s.  The sound was full and rich – very pleasant to listen to at a wide variety of volume levels. 

The Sony MDR-HW300K Wireless Headphone System transmits uncompressed audio between the base station (TMR-HW300) and the headphones (MDR-HW300). These are not bluetooth headphones, so putting them up to products in that category is not an apples-to-apples comparison.   A nice little package that sets up seamlessly and will get you enjoying wireless audio quickly. Although I wouldn’t recommend these headphones for critical listening applications, they could be just the ticket when you need that home theater punch without bothering the neighbours.

I was both excited and skeptical when I heard that Roland was releasing the F-20. I was excited because of the sub-$1,000 price point for a weighted-action, 88-note digital piano. I was skeptical for the same reasons.   The appeal of a digital piano is unmistakable – especially for families who want to start piano lessons, but are hesitant to invest in an expensive instrument. The Roland F-20 seems to make the commitment to music a bit less painful.

Any meaningful discussion with an recording engineer will inevitably morph into a discussion about microphones. Just as a closet full of shoes is never enough for a lot of the women I’ve known, a closet full of microphones is rarely ever enough for most recording engineers. There are a lot of different types of microphones and there are a many, many brands, shapes and sizes to pick from. I hope to at least get you started with a road-map of what to look for in microphones and I apologize in advance for setting you on this path! If you’re set on recording as a hobby or career, there’s a very good chance that you’re going to get slightly obsessed with microphones.

It was really only a matter of time before Fender would introduce USB connectivity to their Stratocaster line.  Why would you want to have a USB port on your guitar?     It really comes down to convenience. By putting a small USB port (and an A/D converter) in your guitar, the guitar signal is digitized locally and then transmitted to your computer (or other device) over a USB cable.   The guitar retains all its standard analog capabilities BUT outputs to USB as well.