Musical Instruments

I review the AKAI Professional MPK Mini Play MKIII for Best Buy's blog. This portable midi controller impresses with its size and features the awesome MPC drum pads!

Yamaha has a LOT of instruments and gear in its catalog. I mean a LOT. When you take into consideration all the acoustic band, orchestral AND contemporary instruments and gear, it’s no wonder they book the entire ballroom at the Anaheim Marriott for themselves. We got a peak at some of the offerings that Yamaha has – we had a lot of fun doing it too.

Taking time to work on guitar gear maintenance will help make your next show or session even better. Amplifiers, effects pedals and cables needs TLC too.

For those wishing to capture up to two audio channels in a way that surpasses any other option, the DJI Mic set is a strong contender.

Bass guitar maintenance is essential to make sure you're doing a great job holding down the bottom end. From cleaning strings to changing batteries, there are a good many things to consider. Here are some bass guitar maintenance tips you'll want to consider to help keep your instrument in top shape.

The Casiotone CT-S1 is a streamlined 61-note keyboard that is geared towards beginners.

Thanks to it's slightly smaller body shape, Jasmine's S-34C is an interesting alternative to the common Dreadnought design. It will surely interest beginners and experienced players alike.

The Fender booth was a treat for us. Why wouldn’t anyone like strolling through a large room full of iconic guitars, basses and amps.    There are some new things from Fender that will please both their established clientelle as well as their new ones. We got treated to a look at a few of the treats that Fender has in store for Strat lovers.  

It’s only been one day at the NAMM show in Anaheim California, but I’ve been seeing a couple of themes recurring as I walk among the booths. Continued integration of or integration with touch-screen devices and miniaturization & portability seem to be features that a lot of vendors are including in their product lines this year. Day 2 will be a test to see if my hunches here are correct and to see if there are any other trends emerging.

The Epiphone Hummingbird is an excellent affordable alternative to Gibson's legendary model.